What I Regret From Going iPad-Only
There have been some challenges
Hello!
This week, I want to talk about some of my regrets of going iPad-only. In October of 2020, I decided to use an iPad as a laptop replacement instead of going for an Intel MacBook. While I’ve loved my iPad ever since I got it, I have had some regrets over the past year and a half.
Here are some of my regrets:
Multitasking
While multitasking has become significantly better on the iPad compared to what it used to be, it’s still nowhere near a Mac. As a standalone device, I would say that a MacBook is slightly better at multi-tasking than an iPad. But when it comes to using these devices with a monitor, the iPad doesn’t come close at all.
For one thing, using a monitor simply mirrors your display. While apps like ShiftScreen have made an attempt to solve this issue, I would love to see a native solution in iPadOS. Without a native solution, it’s clear that the MacBook is far better for multitasking than an iPad could ever be.
While this isn’t too big of an issue for daily tasks, there are occasions when I wish the iPad had better external monitor support. Thankfully, I have an older laptop that I can use as a second device, so I haven’t faced any major issues. But if I had gone truly iPad-only, I would have had a terrible experience trying to manage these occasions (where I might need apps like Zoom, Notion, Safari, and Google Sheets all open on one device).
Google Chrome Extensions
This isn’t something you think about when you decide between purchasing an iPad and a Mac, but not having Google Chrome extensions on iPads can lead to a couple major problems.
While you may not face this issue depending on how you use your iPad, I’ve had multiple experiences in which not having access to Google Chrome extensions severely restricts my ability to do work in a specific area.
For instance, I use the crypto wallet app MetaMask on another Mac through the Google Chrome extension. While MetaMask does have an iOS app, it’s pretty limited, and I would much rather have access to the Chrome extension instead.
Although, given that Safari has received browser extensions, Chrome may be receiving some soon.
Software
Another problem with going iPad-only is the issue with coding. Since an iPad has a restricted ability to code compared to a laptop, I have to find workarounds to code.
For instance, I’m currently working in a math research group at a local college. We were working on testing a piece of code, but it wouldn’t work for me. To circumvent this issue, I had to use an online code editor instead. While this wasn’t a major issue, it was an inconvenience.
However, this too could change soon. Apple recently released the ability to build apps on iPads, and similar coding tools could be coming soon.
Weird Web Browser Stuff
I wasn’t sure what else to call this, so I’m calling this section “Weird Web Browser Stuff”.
Often times, there are these weird web browser glitches that happen while I’m using my iPad. For instance, if I’m using Google Docs on Safari, the scrolling can be very slow. Similarly, if I’m using certain online code editors, I have to reload the webpage before I type.
Again, these are inconveniences rather than major issues, but they have led to some regret over going iPad-only.
Conclusion
Ultimately, going iPad-only hasn’t been a perfect situation for me. There have been a few regrets, most notably in the lack of access to software and restrictions on multi-tasking.
Even then, however, most of these issues are mere inconveniences than catastrophic disasters that could change the course of your very existence. I’d still like to seem some change though on Apple’s part.
Thanks for reading!
Adi
