Is anyone iPad only?

[mikey3times]

TLDR: Is anyone using an iPad as their only computer for web design and maintaining their websites?

It is time for a new computer and for the first time I am seriously considering going with an 12.9" iPad Pro as my only computer. Is anyone else out there running iPad only for their web design needs? I keep flip/flopping in my decision.

I'm an Adobe guy (Photoshop and Illustrator with a little bit of InDesign), but Affinity Photo and Designer look pretty good. It will take some getting used to, especially with the Apple Pencil vs. with a mouse. I think I am comfortable with this, especially with the price difference for the software. I'm probably going to change from Adobe to Affinity anyway. (Although, I don't think their pricing model is sustainable, but that is a different thread.)

I use Quicken for Home & Business. I would probably have to change to Quickbooks online, but that is still a net savings when getting rid of Creative Cloud. Not sure how I will do my taxes, but it is probably time to hire an accountant anyway.

I use Notepad++ for CSS, HTML, PHP, and minimal javascript. I like it, but I think there are plenty of options for iOS so I'm not too worried about that. I'm not a hardcore programmer by any means.

I'm not certain how to run an FTP client to get files from iCloud or the iPad onto my web server. Might have to switch to using the cPanel web interface for transferring files. I have an iPad mini so I can play around with that to test options and get used to the interface.

Printing is the another thing I haven't figured out. I can't remember the last time I printed something at home...probably the last time I changed jobs (not good to print a resume or resignation letter on the office printer). I don't print much, but I can use the printer at work for the odd print here and there.

I like Ryu's 38" monitor, which is great. I use my laptop monitor with a second 24" monitor. The new iPad has a USB-C port and the recent Apple presentation showed a brief glimpse of using an external monitor. Not sure whether it is split or mirrored, but I assume mirrored like they work now.

The other options are a Mac Mini or an iMac. To be fair, my current laptop is really just a desktop. I never move it from the desk. I know you get more power from a desktop, but the iPad is very close in price so the occasional portability would be nice, especially when traveling to visit family. The iPad's power is getting very close to non-Pro level devices.

So, has anyone gone iPad only? Any concerns? Things to consider that I might have missed?

 

[ryandiscord]

I own a desktop PC, an iMac, a windows laptop, a chromebook and an ipad mini, I'm going to suggest going with what your most productive workflow is on. I could do the bulk of my work on a mac but I know that I'm significantly faster on a PC, so I keep that as my primary workflow. I could theoretically do design on a chromebook but it would be a lot faster and easier on my PC or mac. Is the mobility worth you learning new software? The ipad you will have mobility but when it comes time to grind are you going to be at your 100%?

 

[Ryuzaki]

I think that's a horrible idea as a web designer, or really for anyone doing any real work. How are you going to test responsivity on site designs? Does mobile Safari have dev tools? Can you drag and resize browsers? For all of the Adobe type of design work... can you use a mouse at all? I just can't even envision trying to make all that work, even with very basic Photoshop style work.

I can't even imagine how I'd use Wordpress and post content, trying to save and upload images and stuff, unless iPads can work more a desktop once you have another monitor hooked up and you can get a mouse going. I'm also one of these guys who hates his smart phone and doesn't like using it though, so that should be taken into account too.

 

[backwoods]

My main computer is a 27" iMac w/ retina 5K display. I'm not a web design guy but I love screen real estate and a high resolution monitor. The latest iPads are incredibly powerful and reliable but I can't imagine doing graphic work without a mouse though.

Looks like the new 12.9" iPad Pro will start at only $999 so it's certainly less expensive than the latest iMac. Sounds like you are already convinced so might as well go for it

 

[Steve Brownlie]

I found it difficult to go 'surface pro only' and that runs full windows. You can get a lot done with a portable and small form factor but some things will just take 2x as long without the real estate to work on so it's a balance. On the road at conferences etc it's totally fine but I'd get exhausted trying it full time.

 

[mikey3times]

Does mobile Safari have dev tools? Can you drag and resize browsers?

I hadn’t considered this even though I do both things constantly. Thanks.

Is the mobility worth you learning new software? The ipad you will have mobility but when it comes time to grind are you going to be at your 100%?

Good point. For that matter, is the savings between Affinity and Adobe worth having to relearn. I tried some open source graphics software a few years ago. It sucked, but mostly because everything was so different. Affinity is a lot closer to Adobe, but I would lose some productivity...at least for a while.

Sounds like you are already convinced so might as well go for it

I’m really not. I’ve been wavering. I was mostly concerned that I had shiny object syndrome.

Thanks everyone. I have some more homework to do.

I think tablets are probably the right computers for most people, but probably not quite there for people doing what we do. It keeps getting closer, though.

 

[BCN]

I would never do it. You still lack basic features expected in a computer.

I have an iMac, a Win laptop and a Macbook. I use whichever I feel productive on from day to day. Sometimes I'm more productive answering emails on my phone, but still wouldn't trade my whole setup and work from my phone.

 

[Steve]

Nope. You need a mouse and keyboard to do any serious web work, and as soon as you add those to a tablet, you have just created an awkward multpart laptop.

I have a 2015 Dell XPS15 that is still awesome.The MacBook Pro would work just as well if you are a Mac guy and don't mind the extra thousand or so in upfront cost

 

[BCN]

Yeah with a MacBook vs an iPad, you have stuff such as ssh sessions, proper file system etc. which are essentially in web work. For posting short blog posts to WP, maybe an iPad will do as an extra thing. I use my iPad to take notes sometimes or add new products, but it's more if I just want to do some work while cooking or sitting on the terrace.

One of my friends is a graphical designer/UX, and he uses an iPad pro for the mockups and for Sketch (I think) to draft out web designs, but no way he could do his entire work on that thing.

 

[eliquid]

I thought about going iPad or Surface only.

After traveling so much, lugging around a 17" MacBook Pro from 2008 got rather recockulous. It felt like 15 lbs in the bag and it was getting old and slow, etc. It just looked like a dinosaur when I pulled it out for meetings.

After deciding all my options ( including iPad and Surface ), I went with a very small laptop. Specifically a Asus Pro P5440.

https://www.amazon.com/d/Traditiona...iew-i7-8550U-Processor-Fingerprint/B07DKVHS8M

It's crazy light, about as good as specs as I realistically need ( ram, hd, core, etc ), and handles everything well as far as standing up to travel and everyday use ( bangs and drops and bumps ).

I looked very hard at an iPad and Surface. I also looked hard at the Dells and IBM's in the same category. What I ended up getting was prob the best choice I could have made.