In 2019, I looked at whether the iPad could replace my laptop. Seven years later, the answer is more nuanced than I expected.

Ben Brooks mades a good case for ditching your laptop for an iPad Pro. He says the iPad has shown it is a better tool than a laptop.

Up to a point Brooks was right. An iPad Pro can be a better work tool than a laptop in many cases. One day it may outperform the more traditional laptop computer format all the time.

The gap between what you can do on an iPad compared with what you can do on a laptop has nearly closed. Every new version of iOS makes the gap smaller. This process accelerated when Apple split iPadOS from iOS.

iPad Pro not there yet

But we’re still not all the way there yet. Despite the advances, some tasks remain better on the laptop.

Take, for example, troubleshooting a web page. There are now excellent iOS web inspection tools, Inspect Browser is a good option. Get web page editing and troubleshooting still works better on a laptop with a desktop-style browser.

Doing this work on an iPad is clumsy and often feels wrong.

Apart from anything else, some web pages still force the iPad to a mobile version. This makes troubleshooting hard. Although you can now demand the desktop page.

On the other hand, there are tasks that are better on an iPad Pro than on a laptop. I’m a journalist, I write for a living, all day most days. Writing is arguably better on an iPad Pro than a laptop. Although you will need to invest in a decent keyboard if you plan to work this way.

Surprisingly, the iPadOS version of Microsoft Word is a better user experience than the MacOS version. This could be in part because the iPad version is simpler.

A true portable

When this was first written in 2019, I noticed how I had stopped using my MacBook as a true portable. I wrote:

When I’m on the move the iPad is my preferred device. I fly with it, take it cafes and to meetings.

The iPad Pro remains my first choice when flying. It is better for tray table work. Likewise it can beat a MacBook if you work on a train.

Yet since 2019, I’ve noticed I still rely on a MacBook for working at my home desk and while I will take the iPad when I’m visiting interviewees and moving about, I realise that I have reverted to taking the MacBook if I’m commissioned to cover an event like a conference or seminar.

My other 2026 reflection is how seamless it is moving between the iPad and the MacBook.