There was an article in The New York Times the other day, about how the iPad has proved to be a remarkably versatile device to have while we all shelter in place. Brian X. Chen writes, “With a bigger screen than an iPhone, the iPad excels at videoconferencing with apps like FaceTime and Zoom, and it’s great for watching movies and programs on Netflix and YouTube.”
I’ve long felt that the iPad was the perfect in-betweener device — ideal for bus, train, or airplane travel. However, as I enter week #7 of working-from-home-with-kids, my iPad has proved its versatility for pretty much all tasks, and for both adults and children. It’s great for reading and writing email, and tackling most (though not all) work tasks. And it’s proven great for watching Netflix with my wife in the evening (I’m on my eighteenth viewing of The Office), FaceTiming with friends and family, or for entertaining the kids with Disney+. Its battery life, screen resolution, and remarkably good multitasking make it just about the perfect device for nearly all ages.
I’d always felt that the iPad was great because it hit the intersection of portability and productivity — especially when bouncing between different forms of transportation, or running between meetings at the office. I never would have expected that the iPad would be so ideally suited to tackling “deep work” in the home office, emails at the dining room table, and the eleventh round of Cars on the living room coffee table. But yes, I can’t wait to bring it back on airplane with me.
Silicon Spatula 