I was working during a business meeting a couple of weeks ago when one of my colleagues asked me what device I do most of my work from. She only asked because a week before, she observed that I was using my M1 MacBook Air, I used my iPhone 14 for an extensive article the week before, and I was now using an iPad Pro. Well, the answer is complicated. I typically use my iPhone for short-form tasks, e-mail, and light writing. I often use the MacBook for sit-down writing sessions, but my go-to is the iPad Pro. The iPad allows me to get right to work and cut out distractions while still giving the form and function I need to do the job.
As I have stated many times, I have ADHD, and anything can distract me. It’s up to me to limit dictations before they become a problem. I prefer using an iPad because, for the most part, I can focus on one app at a time. Yes, as of late, Apple has added features to allow for multitasking, but those features are easy to ignore, or when I do use them, it’s easy to do what I need and then return my focus to the tasks at hand.
While the iPad is portable, I use it with an Apple Magic Keyboard, so it’s not as light as my MacBook Air. Still, I can detach the keyboard and use the iPad in tablet mode or pair it with an Apple Pencil and use handwriting to get my text into the document another way. The device gets out of the way, and I can write fast and efficiently. Like the other devices in my digital arsenal, the iPad uses the same apps, so I can quickly pick up where and when the ideas hit me. I have even used an iPad to write a complete 100-plus page document to use the device effectively.
The iPad Pro is my go-to digital writing tool. What do you use to write out your thoughts? Have you ever tried to use an iPad to write a long-form document or do all the tasks you rely on in your day-to-day life? Let me know either via e-mail or in the comments below.