I saw this on my phone the other day and realised the iPad Pro 10.5” still with it’s original Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil is one of the longest daily use devices I’ve owned. With that in mind I thought it would be a good time to do a bit of a write up on how it’s fairing over all of this time.

The hardware has held up really well. I don’t abuse my hardware but it doesn’t get the screen or back protected (aside from a few stickers stopping scratches). The sides have a few little dents and the screen has some scratching but doesn’t affect daily use.

Amazingly both the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard both work fine. The only thing I’ve noticed is I sometimes get an iOS accessory warning message but that’s literally every few weeks. I take the iPad off the keyboard and back on and it’s fine.

The 10.5” does have a white spot issue, mine got replaced early on with this defect but if you’re considering picking up a used 10.5” iPad Pro you’ll need to ask the seller if they have experienced this. Best way to check is to make sure it’s not in dark mode and go to settings app. Look at the screen to make sure you aren’t seeing any white spots.

Looking at the new model iPad having a slightly bigger bezel now seems a bit old but I like having a home button and TouchID. I’ve been pretty vocal about not liking FaceID over the years and even though it’s much improved on the iPhone 11 models I still like having the physical home button on my iPad.

The speakers are great having the older style 4 speaker layout, I sometimes don’t even stream to a speaker just listen on the iPad.

The screen quality is still amazing and the high refresh screen really does make a difference.

Overall I still couldn’t be happier with the 10.5” iPad Pro, in fact if the worst happened to it I’d probably just replace it with a used one to pop straight into my existing keyboard and pencil setup.

It’s been a strange week with the iPad Mini release date seemingly moving day by day. It’s extra strange that Apple haven’t announced it officially as far as I can tell. Amazon have now moved their release to 29th March from 28th earlier today. I’m still on the fence about getting one but am keen to check out drawing on one to see if it really can become a field notes book for me.

This one image sums up my ongoing issues with location services and the iPad. I have no idea what’s going on but I’ve restored multiple times and weather apps always seem to struggle on iOS and my iPad, especially when using the widget.

Here’s another example where Dark Sky sees where I am but gets the weather measure wrong between the app and widget. It should be 8 not 47.

Here’s an example of what most weather widgets show me.

I literally have no idea what’s going on, all my settings look fine.

Anyone else? I’m going to move onto the beta and give it a test before raising a radar with Apple.

Now I’ve posted iOS Only going through my iPhone setup I wanted a quick share of my iPad Pro 10.5” home screen.

I’ve kept it pretty minimal with my most used apps at the bottom and then a clean desktop. I’ve talked about most of the these apps on the podcast but a few differences. I have the Apple Files app in the dock as my iPad is more of a production device so wanted quick access. My other app that I used a lot on my iPad is Marvel Unlimited. I pay for a monthly subscription and frequently read rather than go on social media.

I’d recommend clearing your home screen down to this and give it a go, you might find it annoying or less distracting…

Here’s the second shipping box sent to Apple in 4 weeks for my 10.5” iPad Pro. I love this device and missing it already, I’ll most probably work from iPhone than use my MacBook until I get it back next week.

Last time I had a replacement because of a bright white area developed on the screen. This time when I press the home button the screen gets some light bleed at the edge.

This is why I always buy Apple Care +.

I’ve not long had this replacement iPad from Apple but noticed some light bleed near the home button. This is made worse when the home button is pressed… my Apple curse continues.

I’ll update as I get through the support process.

When I was using my iPad the other day listening to music whilst I’m at work it dawned on me, I don’t need a MAC for much of anything these days. This led me onto Twitter and an idea of posting what I use and how I use it. I’m not going to go into masses of detail but the hardware and accessories I’ve come to rely on.

IPAD OF CHOICE

I’ve had all of the various iPad sizes but have settled on by far my favourite that has been released so far - the iPad Pro 10.5”. I had the 12.9” for a year and although I loved the screen size it always felt unwieldy and not anymore portable than a laptop. I ultimately sold it and went back to the 9.7” form factor for a bit. This was great until Apple released the 10.5”, which on face value seemed the perfect iPad for me. Slightly less bezel meaning a bigger screen in a similar body would fit the bill. I bought one on day one and haven’t regretted it since, in fact it might be my favourite Apple “computer”. This year is going to be interesting if Apple do indeed lose the home button on the iPad Pro and go with an even smaller bezel and FaceID, that will be something that is going to be very tempting. Imagine a 12.9” screen in something similar to the 10.5” body, mmmmm.

So, iPad is a Pro, 10.5” in Space Grey with 256GB of storage. I maxed it out so that I don’t run into storage anxiety, to be honest though I’ve used it. Taking it almost everywhere means that I can use it not just for being productive but have plenty of space for movies. I recommend anyone saving a little more to get the most storage you can, after all you can’t add it again later.

ACCESSORIES

In the past I didn’t spend a lot on iPad accessories but since moving to the Pro range I’ve invested in those that will help me move towards using the iPad as my only computing device.

First off I picked up a Smart Keyboard cover, which (controversially) might be my favourite keyboard of all time. I love the feel of the keys with their soft touch material and the travel seems pretty much perfect (for me) and I much prefer the experience on it over my 12” MacBook that this is looking to replace. It lives on my iPad and it goes everywhere with me. Oh, it’s also fine to wash it with soap under the tap - something I have done several times. It’s then left to dry on the sink and put in our airing cupboard with the clothes to dry off. I’ve done this several times and (touch wood) no problems so far. There, I’ve gone and cursed myself now haven’t I…

At the same time I also picked up a Smart Cover (in Red) that goes on the iPad when I’m out and about and don’t want to do any heavy typing. I’m often on the go on the weekend and being able to travel as light as possible to use the iPad for reading or light typing (on the glass) means that the Smart Cover also gets a lot of use.

My last accessory that gets the most use is the Apple Pencil. I use it for Mind Mapping (in Notes), Brain Dumping (again, in Notes or Noteability), colouring (in Pigment), sketching diagrams and making notes for my day job (in Noteability with iCloud sync). I’m no artist but when I want to relax I might sketch or doodle (in Procreate). I’m constantly amazed by the responsiveness of the Pencil and it is one of my favourite Apple products of the last 5 years (AirPods also make that list, watch for a post coming soon).

BAG

I either carry my iPad with me or put it in my beloved LowePro Hatchback (22L) that goes with me pretty much everywhere. When I want to do some “proper” photography I can take my iPad and all of my DSLR gear (CANON 70D + a few lenses) in something that I can also put a drink and day snacks.

It’s turned out to be a really great bag and anyone looking for something comfortable to take their tech around in should check out a photography bag.

WHAT DO I USE IT FOR?

I didn’t want to go into a great deal about the apps that I use, I do a lot of posts on this and I swap them out frequently. Instead I wanted to share what I’m using my iPad for and simply mention the apps.

• Blogging: Like what I’m doing now, written up using iA Writer and uploaded using the Squarespace blog app
• Photography: Most of my images are taken on my iPhone so the iPad makes a nice large canvas for me to edit or sort into folders. I occasionally use the SD Card reader to take images off memory cards when I’m out and about
• Watching video: YouTube, Netflix and iTunes stuff
• Listening to music: Sit’s next to my home office desk on most of the day, streaming to my HomePod (more on this in a later post)
• Guitar: I use the iPad to learn new songs via the Tabs HD app and record using GarageBand, Music Memos and JamUp Pro
• Sketching and note taking using Notes and Noteability
• Reading comics: I do this via my Marvel Unlimited subscription

This covers everything I’m doing, the only thing I can’t easily do at the moment is record podcasts but it’s not something I’m currently doing. If you have any suggestions on ways you do this please let me know in the comments or on social. I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at my setup and please let me know how you use your iPad.

Stuff I’m using:

• iPad Pro 10.5" - Apple iPad Pro 10.5" 64GB Wi-Fi - Space Grey
• Apple Pencil - Apple iPad Pro 10.5" 64GB Wi-Fi - Space Grey
• Smart Keyboard cover - Apple iPad Pro 10.5" 64GB Wi-Fi - Space Grey
• Smart cover - Apple iPad Pro 10.5" 64GB Wi-Fi - Space Grey
• Lowepro bag - Apple iPad Pro 10.5" 64GB Wi-Fi - Space Grey