I used to be a an advocate for the MacBook Pro 15-inch as my main mobile workflow over the years. Everything I did including my music production was done on it. Then the iPad Pro dropped in 2015. Tablets have never reached that level of power and it was enticing enough for me to purchase one. Now I had both the MacBook Pro and the 1st generation iPad Pro (12.9), but I still ended up doing most of my work on the MacBook Pro. At the time, iPads were just giant iPhones with the apps not really being optimized for them. So it ultimately just ended up sitting around the house going unused. Then 2018 hit.
In 2018 Apple dropped one of the most gorgeous pieces of tech I have ever seen which was the 3rd generation iPad Pro. The bezels were now super slim and the Lightning Connector was done away with in favor of USB-C. So I decided to give this another shot. I gave my 1st generation iPad Pro away to a family member and purchased the 3rd Generation iPad Pro 12.9-inch, Cellular, 256 GB. This time it finally clicked with me. Even iOS for iPad came a long way by 2018. It got to a point where the only mobile computer device I was using was the iPad Pro and my MacBook Pro was no longer seeing use. I ended up selling my Late 2013 MacBook Pro and sticking with the iPad Pro.
Fast forward to 2020, we have the new iPadOS and the Magic Keyboard attachment. Revamped file system, internet downloads with Safari/iCloud, and so much more improvements. This is legitimately a computer replacement for a lot of people at this point. I still keep my custom built Windows gaming desktop around as my regular use stationary workflow, but the iPad Pro has taken the place of my MacBook Pro. iPad Pro might be overkill for some people but if you are an artist, a musician, or just a creator in general this is a magnificent device.
For my main mobile music DAW and DJ apps on iPad Pro I use Cubasis 3 and djay Pro (along with supplementary audio programs), and for my main art apps on iPad Pro I use Procreate, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Photo. I also use Ableton Live on my desktop. However, you can see that iPad Pro is totally capable of doing everything you need depending on what you are looking for. If you read up to this point and you’re now convinced that this is something you need, I linked the brand new iPad Pro 4th Generation which just came out in March of 2020. The design is similar to the 3rd Gen, but it has a better camera and an updated processor.
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