9+ Great Tips to Replace Your Work Computer with an iPad

Apple recently announced its redesigned iPad Pro with an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, Face ID, performance updates and much more. Alongside it they released a new Folio Case and Apple Pencil. Apple claims the new iPad is more powerful than over 90% of Windows PCs; and, while it’s still not quite a PC replacement for pro users, many people may see it as a solid alternative.

Of course, iPad Pro doesn't run macOS, it doesn't have a mouse and it can't run applications like Final Cut Pro. But this doesn't mean you can't use your iPad for many PC-related tasks. In fact, you may find many things are a better experience on iPad than they are on a traditional notebook computer.

To really get the most out of the iPad, users need to stop treating it like an underpowered laptop or a supersized iPhone and start seeing it for what it really is: a big screen with a lot of processing power that can be used as a versatile tool. It's powerful both by itself and in tandem with other devices. Continue reading to learn 9+ Great Tips to Replace Your Work Computer with an iPad!

9 Use These Keyboard Commands

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All iPads include support for most Bluetooth — and some wired — keyboards. iPad Pro’s smart connector lets you connect and power accessories such as keyboards and keyboard cases.

Having a dedicated, physical keyboard can up your typing game for sure. But it also does a little more. It enables keyboard commands which can be handy for navigating iOS without using the touchscreen. This can be really useful when using it to type between multiple apps without your hands ever needing to leave the keys.

Here are some keyboard commands to try on your iPad:

• Go Home: Command + H
• Siri Search: Command + Space
• Switch apps: Command + Tab (to go right) or Command + ~ (to go left)
• Select All: Command + A
• Copy: Command + C
• Cut: Command + X
• Paste: Command + V
• Bold: Command + B
• Italics: Command + I
• To move between messages (i.e. Mail and Messages): Command + Up/Down Arrow
• Scroll: Up or Down Arrows
• Scroll by page: Option/Alt + Up/Down Arrow
• Scroll to bottom of page: Command + Down Arrow
• Scroll to top of page: Command + Up Arrow
• Search page/text: Command + F
• Take a screenshot: Command + Shift + 3
• Take and edit a screenshot: Command + Shift + 4

These are just a few commands. Press and hold the Command key in any app to see more supported commands.

8 Edit Documents with iWork

You can find many apps and productivity suites for editing text documents, slideshows, and spreadsheets. Everything from Microsoft Office to Google Docs to Apple’s own iWork are available to help you do most of the business-related tasks normally reserved for a computer.

If you haven’t tried Apple’s iWork (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote), you may want to give it a try. It’s the same user experience you expect from Apple and it can be a really great substitute to the pricey Microsoft Office suite (while keeping the more privacy-conscientious of us out of the Google ecosystem). Check out iWork.

7 Use These Awesome Productivity Apps

The App Store is overflowing with productivity apps to make you more, well… productive. Here are a few favorites:

• Bear: A great app for taking simple notes with lots of themes.
• Ulysses: Another awesome note-taking app with support for Web publishing.
• GoodNotes 4: Perfect for using your iPad as a notepad with Apple Pencil.
• Fantastical 2: The ultimate calendar alternative to Apple’s Calendar app.
• Things 3: Possibly better than Apple’s Reminders app.
• Wunderlist: Your checklist reimagined.
• Spark: A fantastic email client.

6 Use Your iPad as a Second Display

Sometimes a computer really is your best friend. Maybe you need traditional windows that you can move around, maybe you need multiple displays, or maybe you need — here it comes — Adobe Flash. Hey, it could happen.

Today many of us work from home or on the go and, while having a laptop is great, some of us really need more than one display to get things done efficiently. Luckily, iPad has you covered. Not only does it make a great multitasking companion, but with Duet Display and a mounting clip, you can use it as a second screen for your Mac or PC laptop.

5 Use an Apple Pencil

A new Apple Pencil has arrived. It lets you tap to switch between tools and it charges while it's magnetically attached to the side of your new iPad Pro. Don't go confusing Apple Pencil with a stylus though. While it can be used for navigation, it's designed to be a pencil. A tool that lets you scribble and create art.

Apple Pencil is not only great for artists, but also for those who want to markup documents or take handwritten notes. Some of us remember things better when we write them out, and Apple Pencil helps you turn your iPad into a notepad with endless pages and so much more.

4 Multitasking

iOS lets you switch between apps and run them in the background. That's cool and all, but it's not true multitasking. Luckily, multitasking on iPad is a little better. With iPad you can run many of your favorite apps side by side. Also, many video apps let you play content in a picture-in-picture (PIP) window that can be resized and moved around the display.

Mail in iOS lets you swipe draft messages down so you can navigate your mailboxes more easily. And many notifications are actionable so you can reply to a message or update your water intake without leaving the current app.

But it doesn't stop there. iPad also lets you drag content between apps. Sure, dragging supported apps onto each other results in two side-by-side apps; but, you can also drag media and documents into email messages and more.

So let's recap: Drag-and-drop content. PIP media. Background audio and processes. Side-by-side apps (oh yeah, you can also slide some apps in and out from the side). Navigate multiple mail drafts and your mailboxes simultaneously. Actionable notifications (oh, and Today View widgets in the Notification Center). And of course good old Handoff which makes it easy to multitask between devices.

3 Gestures

Navigating is more fun with gestures. So here’s a few:

• Return Home: To leave your current app, swipe up with four or five fingers. You can also swipe up with one finger from the bottom of the screen (iPhone X style). Lastly, you can pinch the app using four to five fingers.
• View open apps: To open the App Switcher, swipe up with four or five fingers from the Home Screen, double-tap the Home button, or swipe up with one finger and pause (similar to iPhone X).
• Switch between apps: Swipe left or right with four to five fingers to switch between open apps.
• Access Control Center: Just swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
• Access Notification Center: Just swipe down from the center of the screen.
• Move the text cursor: Hold the spacebar and drag your finger or drag two fingers across the keyboard.
• Select text: Position the cursor over the text you want to select. Tap the keyboard once with two fingers to select a word, twice to select a sentence, or three times to select the paragraph. You can also tap the keyboard twice and drag to select specific parts of text.
• Handy keyboard shortcut: You can access some characters with a simple swipe. For example, swipe down on the “p” to get the “0” or the “v” for “=“.
• Recent files: Press and hold the Files app to see and select recent files.

2 Useful Utilities

As with productivity apps, you'll find plenty of utilities on the App Store. Check out these beauties:

• Speedtest: For checking your bandwidth.
• Net Analyzer: For checking more than your bandwidth.
• Shortcuts: Apple’s latest app for making some tasks more simple.
• JotNot Fax: Send faxes from your iOS device.
• Square Point of Sale: Use your iPad like a portable cash register.
• 1Password: Keep your passwords in one place.
• Scanable: Easily scan documents with your iPad’s camera.
• VPN Unlimited: An easy-to-use VPN.
• Screens: A simple-to-use remote desktop client.

1 Siri

Ah Siri, your virtual assistant. It's fun to pester Siri with questions to see which ones will get an answer and which will get the infamous Web search. It's also fun to learn about Siri’s favorite color, request a joke, or listen to Siri tell you to watch your language. But first and foremost Siri is an assistant; and, it's actually a pretty darn good one.

Here are a few things your new assistant can handle for you:

• Schedule, cancel, and modify appointments.
• Remind you of tasks.
• Find contact information.
• Make calls, send messages, and compose emails.
• Translate phrases.
• Get directions.
• Make reservations.
• Hail a cab.
• Play your work playlist.
• Check the weather.
• Check your stocks.
• Locate people using Find My Friends.
• Help you with passwords.
• And much more.

And More

iPad Pro is the ultimate portable work device, and the latest models bring a lot to the table. Do you have an iPad or iPad Pro? What are your favorite features? What do you wish Apple would add or change? How do you use your iPad to stay productive? Let us know in the comments and on social media. Thank you for reading.