The M4 iPad Pro was released in May. With high expectations for iPadOS 18, we quickly learned that this upcoming software update isn’t changing the foundation of iPadOS. Still, since I didn’t have a newer iPad, I was convinced that I should finally upgrade my 2nd-generation iPad Pro to the new M4 13-inch iPad Pro.
Combined with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro, I needed a little push to ditch my Mac setup and see if I could get work done on Apple’s more expensive tablet. That’s why when I had a business trip coming up in the last few weeks, I knew I had to take the plunge and bring the iPad with me instead of my MacBook Pro.
While I knew that taking the MacBook Pro would probably be a better option, I was intrigued by the possibility of using the M4 iPad Pro as my primary computer and seeing if I could get the job done. This is what happened.
Ensuring the M4 iPad Pro wouldn’t let me down
Before I left for the trip, I made sure all the apps I needed to do my job as a tech news reporter were working properly, especially when running iPadOS 18 beta 1. In my case, Slack, my email app, Microsoft Edge or Safari, and Pixelmator all needed to be running smoothly.
The week before my business trip, I wrote a few articles here and there with the M4 iPad Pro. It certainly could have been smoother, but I was confident that I could get the job done. When I got home, I can say that things were better than worse. However, the good and bad points of the iPad became more apparent.
I took the iPad for fun, but work needed to get done
The main reason I took the M4 iPad Pro with me was because I wanted to conveniently watch my TV shows and movies during the long hours of the flight. While I could have taken both devices, I knew it would be too much – and I also wanted to see if the iPad Pro could replace my Mac on business trips.
The overall experience was good, but I had two main issues that I think could have been avoided with a MacBook: RAM management and incompatibility with Grammarly.
The first issue will resonate with more users. At least once while working, I lost about 200 words because Safari refreshed the page before WordPress could autosave it. Even with 8GB of RAM, the iPad Pro would frequently want to refresh Safari pages when I switched between apps. Unfortunately, even if I had 16GB of RAM, the same thing would have happened. The bottom line is that the iPad has poor RAM management, and some apps like Final Cut Pro would dump out of RAM as soon as I minimized them. Crazy.
The other issue was the language barrier. As a non-native English speaker, I often have to check my spelling with Grammarly. While it works pretty consistently on Mac, I had many, many issues with it on iPad, such as:
- Grammarly Doesn’t Work with Apple’s Magic Keyboard
- When I asked Grammarly for suggestions, it didn’t give me options for rephrasing a sentence
- I had to tap through paragraph by paragraph to get insights from Grammarly (while simultaneously removing the iPad from the Magic Keyboard)
- The recommendations were not so precise
In short, Grammarly (both the app and the extension) didn’t work as expected. I had these issues before installing the beta, and of course, they didn’t go away with iPadOS 18. In this case, I feel like it’s an issue with both Apple and the developer, and this might be the biggest downside for those planning to replace their laptop with an iPad.
There’s something charming about the iPad workflow
Even with these issues, I still enjoyed using the iPad Pro while traveling. Not only is it a beautiful piece of hardware, but it also has the speed of an iOS device.
Additionally, I got to try Stage Manager in action for the first time. While it has its limitations, I feel like it’s the best split-screen solution yet. It was great to split multiple windows into a natural working environment. It’s also especially great to have different stages for apps like Mail + Slack, Safari tabs only, Pixelmator, and so on.
Of course, this is only possible thanks to the Magic Keyboard, which enhances the iPad experience. Otherwise, the iPad keyboard would take up half the screen, and I wouldn’t be able to work as quickly as I needed to.
While I still feel safer with a Mac, I know the iPad can get the job done. After all, in 2019, I personally covered WWDC 2019 with an iPhone XR, a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and a dream. Phew.
Can the iPad Pro M4 replace a laptop?
It all depends on your needs. For me, the Mac offers the most reliable work experience. However, it’s okay to want a more fun experience. The iPad Pro has been great for me as a journalist, and I’m sure it will work well for designers and many other professionals as well.
For my next business trip, I’ll still consider taking the iPad with me. Eventually, I might sell the MacBook Pro and keep my Mac Studio for working at home and the iPad Pro for working outdoors.
