How I Use My iPad on The Move
One of the most common questions I get asked as a part-time content creator is how I manage to create content whilst working a full-time 9-to-5 job.
The answer is actually quite simple, I tend to make the most out of my spare time. For example, I am currently writing this post on the train heading towards the office.
It usually takes me around an hour to get to the office by train and an hour back, and I travel at least twice a week. On average, that gives me around 4 hours of time a week for writing as well as doing other productive tasks.
As a matter of fact, I am writing this very article while travelling to the office by train!
In this article, I will be discussing why I choose to work from the iPad when travelling or away from my desk, as well as the apps I use.
So without any further ado…
Why the iPad?
It’s no secret that my iPad is quite old, the one I use is the 11-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation), which is from 2020. In all fairness, (touch wood) having had it for a couple of years, it’s working quite well!
The size of the 11-inch iPad Pro makes it ideal for using on small tables, whether it’s tray tables on the train or the small café tables at the train station. I can comfortably write and have a cup of coffee sitting next to it.
I mainly use my iPad with this keyboard case by Hoe. It’s a pretty decent case for the price and I enjoy typing on the keyboard, it also has a great touchpad with gesture controls.
The iPad also has some fantastic apps which allow me to do the things I need to do when away from my desk.
Let’s talk about them!
Notion
Notion is at the heart of my productivity system for content creation. Long-term readers may find that odd, but after a break from Notion, I ended up returning after finding the correct system that works for me.
With the help of the Creator’s Companion template by Thomas Frank, I keep track of all the content I am creating and working on. Funnily enough, that is the primary reason why I use Notion these days!
I also use it as a knowledge base for all the tech products I test for my blog and YouTube channel. It provides me with a great system for when I need to go back to my notes about a product I reviewed in the past.
I currently have Notion installed on my Mac, my iPad, and my iPhone. I’ve also been exploring Notion Calendar, but the one thing that is putting me off from using it is that it doesn’t have an Apple Watch app. But I think it’s fair to say, that the app is in its early days.
Ulysses
The second app I tend to use is Ulysses, and it’s the app I’m currently using to write this article.
Ulysses has many advantages, especially for us writers, and I think the cost of it is well worth it.
On a side note, I actually subscribed to it through Setapp, which is probably my favourite monthly subscription. I pay $12.49 per month, and it provides me with access to over 240 Mac apps, many of which are available for iOS and my iPad.
As a paying subscriber, it is a service I can highly recommend, that is why I am leaving my affiliate link here. You even get to have the first 7 days free (at the time of writing this article). If you need more convincing, have a look at my full review here.
Back to Ulysses, the app has many perks, such as the ability to publish to services like WordPress, Medium and Ghost directly from the app.
It also has a built-in proofreader that checks for grammar and spelling mistakes. This is a must-have for writers as we are all human, and we all make mistakes, especially when we haven’t had our coffee or is that just me?
As a whole, I find Ulysses a great app to type on. I think it’s a lot better than typing on Google Docs or any other app, especially on the iPad. I also like the clean interface and the ability to use markup.
iMovie
At present, I use iMovie for editing my videos for YouTube. I’m no expert when it comes to video editing (I’m still learning), but I find iMovie very user intuitive, especially on the iPad.
I tend to use iMovie on both my iPad and my Mac for most of the YouTube videos I create. In the past, I used a wide range of video editors. I think my favourite has got to be Wondershare Filmora, but lately, I’ve just been using iMovie and I like the results.
On the iPad, iMovie tends to be enough for my needs and having used it in the past for video editing, the results are quite surprising.
In terms of performance, I’ve tried editing Full HD and 4K footage and I haven’t faced any issues yet. But, in all fairness, most of the footage I use has been recorded with a smartphone.
I usually tend to connect my Samsung T5 SSD to the iPad, which is where I store most of my B-Roll and footage on.
Personal Life
Moving away from content creation, I occasionally use my iPad as an entertainment device and for my personal life.
For example, I tend to use it for watching YouTube videos as well as Netflix when staying at hotels or when going on longer trips.
I also tend to use it as an alternative to my old Kindle. However, it’s a bit big for an e-reader. That is why I am contemplating replacing my iPad Pro with the iPad Mini.
It turns out that the iPad Pro is a great device if you want to go paperless, but don’t want to move away from taking handwritten notes.
With the help of the Apple Pencil and Apple Notes, I use it as a notebook. This is something I don’t tend to do as often as I used to, but every so often it’s nice to just take handwritten notes.
If you are using your iPad for taking handwritten notes, I highly recommend investing in a Paperlike screen protector, it has seriously revolutionised writing on the iPad for me.
Final Thoughts
The main reason I got the 11-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation) was for university, where I used it as a note-taking and research device. After graduating, the iPad became my primary computer.
I used it for most of my computing needs until I got the MacBook Air, which replaced my ageing desktop PC.
As the iPad is getting old, I am tempted to replace it with an iPad Mini, primarily because I no longer use it for university work and a smaller device will be more suited to my current needs.
I think that the iPad Mini is a great size for using as a notebook, or an e-reader, and I wouldn’t mind using it to do basic video editing and writing blog posts.
Disclaimer: This blog post contains Amazon Affiliate and Setapp affiliate links.