The iPad Pro as a Laptop Replacement: A Personal Experiment

I'm Leander, editor and publisher of Cat.com, and this is day two of my iPad Pro diary where I'm using the new iPad Pro as my one and only computer. This is an experiment to see whether I can actually use it as a laptop replacement, as Apple claims. I've had iPads for years, but I've never really learned how to use them for work. Every time I came up against some obstacle or feature that didn't quite fit my workflow, I would just pick up my computer – my MacBook – and do it on the computer instead.

This time, however, I'm actually going to try and learn a new workflow, new apps, and new ways of doing things on the iPad Pro. I want to see if this device can really become my go-to computer. I've had iPads for years, but I've always relied on my MacBook as my primary work device. It's time to change that.

The keyboard is the key thing for using the iPad Pro as a computer replacement. And, of course, Apple sells one – the Apple Smart Keyboard, which costs $169. But there's another option available: the Logitech Create keyboard. I was impressed by this keyboard when I first saw it – it's backlit, lights up, and clips into an iPad with ease. It turns the device into a laptop-like experience that feels really steady and sturdy. You can pick it up and put it down without worrying about it falling over or sliding around.

The Logitech Create keyboard is essential for getting work done on the iPad Pro. I know what you mean when you say that typing on the screen just doesn't cut it – sometimes you need a proper keyboard to get things done. With this keyboard, I can type away without any issues, and it's made all the difference in my workflow. I'm really starting to enjoy using the function keys, too. For years, I've thought of them as unnecessary features, but now I see how useful they are.

One thing that really impressed me about the iPad Pro is its multitasking capabilities. With the Logitech Create keyboard, I can have two windows open at once – Safari and a word processing document, for example – and it's made working on complex tasks much easier. The device also features Touch ID, which dispenses with typing passwords altogether. It's incredibly convenient to just tap my thumb on the home button instead of entering a password.

Another feature that's been useful is the ability to search across multiple apps at once. This has saved me so much time – I can quickly find what I need by searching across all my open apps, rather than scrolling through each one individually. It's amazing how much of a productivity boost this little feature has made.

The iPad Pro feels very much like a laptop in many ways – it's just as capable and powerful. The only difference is that it's smaller and lighter, which makes it easier to take with me on the go. But I think what really sets it apart from my MacBook is its versatility. It can do everything my computer can do, but it's also incredibly portable.

In many ways, the iPad Pro feels like a new kind of laptop – one that's designed specifically for people who want a device that's both powerful and portable. And I have to say, I'm really starting to love it. The combination of its multitasking capabilities, Touch ID, and keyboard makes it an incredibly useful tool for working on the go.

But here's the irony: without a good keyboard like the Logitech Create, the iPad Pro is just another tablet – one that can't quite match the functionality of my MacBook. And yet, with this keyboard, I'm starting to see the iPad Pro as more than just a device – it's a new kind of computer altogether.

The iPad Pro has come a long way in a short amount of time, and I think it's finally become clear what Apple was trying to say all along: this is no longer just an iPad with some clever features tacked on – it's a full-fledged laptop replacement. And I'm excited to see where this journey takes me next.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhi I'm Leander key editor and publisher of cat.com and this is day two of my iPad Pro diary where I'm using um the new iPad Pro as my one and only computer this is an experiment to see whether I can actually uh this thing really is a laptop replacement um as apple is claiming um I've had iPads for years of course but I've never really learned how to use them for work every time I came up against some obstacle some Ro block uh instead of learning you know the iPad way of doing it I would just pick up my computer my MacBook and do it on the computer instead so this time I'm actually really going to try and learn you know a new workflow new apps um new ways of doing things um on the lapt oops I big on on the iPad Pro uh but you know the key thing I think for using it as a computer replacement is this is the keyboard uh and of course Apple sells one um the Apple Smart Keyboard 169 bucks this is the Logitech create keyboard uh it's $150 it's from logitch and it's back lit it lights up uh it Clips the iPad clips into um a connector here and it turns it into a you know essentially a Macbook uh and it is just like using a Macbook it's really steady it's really sturdy you can pick it up and it'll stay in place you can sit it in your lap it doesn't dance around uh and the keyboard is really essential to getting work done on on the iPad you know type it on the screen really just doesn't cut it so you need something like the um the Logitech create keyboard to uh to actually get work done so uh some people have described the iPad as the uh new kind of computer and I think with uh things like you know the to screen of course but also the touch ID which um dispenses with typing passwords all day I mean one of the things I do all day is type passwords into my computer uh I use one password but you have to keep typing the password into one password to get access to the other passwords you don't have to do that anymore with um with Touch ID you just touch your thumb to the uh the touch ID button and um it opens all up and it makes for a much nicer experience and much smoother experience and with things like split screen uh multitasking um it's a lot better for working on you know I can now have two windows open I got the Safari here and slack here I can have Safari and a word processing document I can have you know uh instant messages um it's not much more productive but in order to unlock that you know productivity um you really do need a keyboard you can't do this if you have a soft keyboard that comes up and covers half the screen I also like the fact that this has these function keys now I never used function keys on a computer um was always sort of you know had this mindset that I would do it with the mouse or the tripad but here I find um I'm really getting use of the function keys and really learning how to use them properly this has function keys for um the home screen but also for sech and search I think really is essential search really should be the home screen of the iPad um because you can find you can search across multiple apps you can search across your contacts across music and also the web all from this one screen so it makes things a lot quicker and it's a huge shortcut for getting stuff done so a keyboard like this like the lck create is really the bottom half of this new kind of computer it's not really a new kind of computer without it and that's the irony it the new kind of computer is very much like the laptop the MacBook that we all have been using for yearshi I'm Leander key editor and publisher of cat.com and this is day two of my iPad Pro diary where I'm using um the new iPad Pro as my one and only computer this is an experiment to see whether I can actually uh this thing really is a laptop replacement um as apple is claiming um I've had iPads for years of course but I've never really learned how to use them for work every time I came up against some obstacle some Ro block uh instead of learning you know the iPad way of doing it I would just pick up my computer my MacBook and do it on the computer instead so this time I'm actually really going to try and learn you know a new workflow new apps um new ways of doing things um on the lapt oops I big on on the iPad Pro uh but you know the key thing I think for using it as a computer replacement is this is the keyboard uh and of course Apple sells one um the Apple Smart Keyboard 169 bucks this is the Logitech create keyboard uh it's $150 it's from logitch and it's back lit it lights up uh it Clips the iPad clips into um a connector here and it turns it into a you know essentially a Macbook uh and it is just like using a Macbook it's really steady it's really sturdy you can pick it up and it'll stay in place you can sit it in your lap it doesn't dance around uh and the keyboard is really essential to getting work done on on the iPad you know type it on the screen really just doesn't cut it so you need something like the um the Logitech create keyboard to uh to actually get work done so uh some people have described the iPad as the uh new kind of computer and I think with uh things like you know the to screen of course but also the touch ID which um dispenses with typing passwords all day I mean one of the things I do all day is type passwords into my computer uh I use one password but you have to keep typing the password into one password to get access to the other passwords you don't have to do that anymore with um with Touch ID you just touch your thumb to the uh the touch ID button and um it opens all up and it makes for a much nicer experience and much smoother experience and with things like split screen uh multitasking um it's a lot better for working on you know I can now have two windows open I got the Safari here and slack here I can have Safari and a word processing document I can have you know uh instant messages um it's not much more productive but in order to unlock that you know productivity um you really do need a keyboard you can't do this if you have a soft keyboard that comes up and covers half the screen I also like the fact that this has these function keys now I never used function keys on a computer um was always sort of you know had this mindset that I would do it with the mouse or the tripad but here I find um I'm really getting use of the function keys and really learning how to use them properly this has function keys for um the home screen but also for sech and search I think really is essential search really should be the home screen of the iPad um because you can find you can search across multiple apps you can search across your contacts across music and also the web all from this one screen so it makes things a lot quicker and it's a huge shortcut for getting stuff done so a keyboard like this like the lck create is really the bottom half of this new kind of computer it's not really a new kind of computer without it and that's the irony it the new kind of computer is very much like the laptop the MacBook that we all have been using for years\n"