Surprise! The iPad is a Content Creation Device

A few quick thoughts on using the iPad in anger this week.

Contrary to everything I’ve ever believed, I’m starting to think of the iPad as a content creation device. I look at the screen and see Affinity Photo and Ulysses and Procreate and Linea and it makes me want to pick one and just make something. I would not have believed it had I not dove in and given it a fair shot.

I’ve been using the iPad exclusively while at home for more than a week and I have been continually surprised by how much I enjoy it. I’ve been emailing, managing projects, editing photos, drawing, tweeting, and generally carrying on like it’s actually normal doing stuff on an iPad other than reading social media sites and playing games. Who knew?

Once my iMac is fixed I plan to go all-in with Photos and I’ll be benching Lightroom/Photoshop for the time being. That’s crazy talk, but I’m finding it pretty great just snapping and editing and having everything update everywhere with zero effort on my part. Affinity Photo is more than I’ll ever need for editing photos. Sharing is a zero-friction thing.

I’ve been doodling with the Pencil using Linea and that’s been a lot of fun. I love paper and “art supplies” but I’m not serious about art so who cares how I make it?

I’ve been writing blog posts (like this one), project notes and documentation, journal entries, and everything else using Ulysses and it’s still great. Everything syncs flawlessly and quickly to every device. I can easily export to whatever format is required. There’s something to be said about using the same editor, everywhere, which is something I’ve never done.

I know, much of this is obvious to many of you, but it’s been a revelation to me. I’m having so much fun living (part-time, for now) on the iPad I can’t stand it. Life’s weird.