Thanks to my new 13-inch iPad Pro M4, I am now poor but happy and about to embark on a fiction writing frenzy. I already have some iPads, but they don’t cut it. I know I’m being both demanding and privileged here, but happily I am selfish and don’t care.
I have an old 11-inch iPad Pro from 2020, and it is great, but it just didn’t have enough screen space for writing, reading comics/magazines, and doing art.
I also have the original 12.9-inch iPad Pro which I bought in 2015. When relaxing after a day’s toil, I often use it to play games while watching YouTube. I also read comics on it. It still works great, but increasingly, software is no longer supported. Fair enough; it is nine years old. It also weighs a ton.
This is obviously a first-world issue, but the two iPad Pros have helped me realise what I needed: a light 13-inch tablet with a good keyboard and pencil.
Why the 13-inch iPad Pro M4 is perfect for writers, especially fiction
At home, I write on an Apple keyboard linked via magic/Bluetooth to my MacBook Air M1. It is still the finest laptop I have ever bought, it works great and does everything I need writing-wise. It’s also connected to an ultra-widescreen monitor.
This setup is perfect for writing something that needs a lot of research. I can have a couple of websites open, and my notes and the article writing page all open next to each other. Generally speaking, the big monitor setup is the best.
The practical aspect
This is different when travelling – and I travel a lot – as I only have one screen to work with. That is generally enough, even when writing something research-heavy. However, I always travel with an iPad to read, watch, and draw stuff. I do these activities a lot, and they are better on an iPad than a laptop. I can also use it as a second screen if necessary, although I feel a bit of twat having a multi-screen setup in a coffee shop.
Previously, I couldn’t think of a way to do all I needed to without this laptop and iPad combo. Part of the issue was that my iPad Pro was 11 inches, so it was hard for my old eyes to deal with split screen or stage manager. So, it wasn’t ideal for everything, but it actually worked pretty well when writing a blog entry or fiction. I still longed for a bigger screen, though.
The iPad Pro M4 effectively solves all these issues. I got the 512GB version with the normal screen. The new Magic Keyboard is superb to write on, but then so are all of Apple’s other keyboards at the moment. I know that sounds like a fanboy thing to say, but it is one of the big reasons I chose Apple. I write a lot.
The Keyboard, pencil, and iPad Pro M4 itself all cost a bucketload of money, but if they improve productivity, it’s worth it. It also means I can travel with just one device that allows me to:
- Write notes by hand (it helps me think)
- Write generally on the incredible Magic Keyboard
- Draw and do digital art, which is something I’m getting into and love.
- Watch shows and films on an awesome screen
- Read books, magazines, and comics. No other device comes close for the latter two.
It’s one device to rule them all.
It works superbly with fiction, which is increasingly my focus
As I mentioned last month, I am trying to get out of the write-per-word or per-hour rat race. It is so demoralising. You write something, get paid, pay bills, and then you’re back to square one. Sure, you can ramp up your per-word or per-hour rate – or work harder – but there is a limit to how much people will pay and how much time you have.
For the last five years or so, I have been ghost-writing, which pays more but is even more demoralising. You write a work of genius, and someone else gets the credit. And probably more money. When I am writing for a journalist, I can’t help but wonder how I ended up being the lower-paid writer in this scenario.
Generally, it is because the topics I am hired to write about aren’t something I am particularly interested in. The topics I am interested in and could write under my own name don’t pay well.
The one type of writing I enjoy the most is fiction. It is ridiculously satisfying. I really enjoyed writing a nonfiction book about Thai Folklore and the plethora of ghosts and demons recently. But I loved writing my short novella / long short story Cooperworld even more.
Like many people, I use Scrivener because I bloody love it. It is a one-off payment, and I have it on my laptop, iPads, and even my phone. I now have it on my shiny iPad Pro M4, and it works superbly. The interface is slightly different but still intuitive, especially if you are familiar with it.
This is where this slightly long-winded piece has been heading.
The iPad Pro M4 is perfect for focused writing.
I don’t know if it is the slightly different screen dimensions, better screen, or mobile interface, but writing on just one project or article on the iPad works so well.
If I had to write an article that needed research and multiple sources of info, it might be a pain. I am still relatively new to how Stage Manager works, but I suspect it would be more fiddly than if I used my laptop.
But writing fiction is an absolute joy with just the iPad, its superb typing experience, and the big, incredibly crisp screen. I still have some client work, and I suspect I will always have a laptop and a big monitor in the house for some specialised work. But popping out to my local coffee shop or pub with the iPad Pro M4 and keyboard is great.
If you are wondering if you need the new iPads – it all depends. I prefer a 13-inch model, and my old iPad was huge, heavy, and nine years old. I needed to upgrade, and I might as well future-proof the thing by buying the latest. I am also doing more art stuff with it, so it was time. I think it might be fiddly if you are doing research-heavy work, although maybe my lack of gesture knowledge is holding me back.
If, however, you are a focused writer who generally just does one thing at a time and has some spare cash and an old model, it is worth thinking about. Even then, the M4 chip is way over-powered, but you’re unlikely to need a new iPad for five years or more. Also, you should take up art/photography/video work; it is fun and makes the purchase worthwhile.
So. I have now justified my purchase and explained what I think it is ideal for. I hope this helps someone in a similar state of mind and is either relatively well off or, like me, is prepared to stay in for months eating tinned food, explaining to their partner why this is life-changing and necessary. Good luck with that.
