As with everything tech related, when I start to see similar thoughts and ideas shared online, I am never sure what the motivation is. Could it be that several people have come to a shared conclusion at the same point, or are marketing departments gearing up for something? Of course, it’s building up to that time of year when we all talk about iPads.

The simple answer when debating the authenticity of anything is to consult independent publishing, aka read personal blogs. So, when Robert Rackley posted Minimal Mac, I knew that for one reason or another the strange feelings that I currently have around my MacBook are shared.

Multitasking is bullshit. I can’t help but roll my eyes whenever someone comes with a fancy talk around the necessity of having multiple displays or app windows opened at the same time and all the time. — Minimal Mac

For many weeks, I has already decided that during my week away at the beach, I wanted to avoid taking my laptop. I’d be taking loads of photos and would no doubt do some publishing, but I wanted all trace of work put away for a few days. The answer, of course, was to take my creative computer aka my iPad Pro. I don’t work on it any more, and it has been a long time since I even used one properly, so the timing is perfect.

So, I snapped on a magic keyboard, and took the most laptop like iPad away with me and used it exclusively for a week. Well, I used it a bit, this was a holiday after all. There are still some frustrations, none of which will be fixed by the upcoming iOS16 introduction of new app windowing. Infact nothing has really changed from the iPad that I left behind three years ago, but I think my expectation have changed.

As I type out this post back at home on my Mac, I realise how much calmer iOS is when you expect nothing of it. I wasn’t looking for a do it all machine, I was looking for it to do a few simple tasks, and do them well. There’s just something so brilliant about using one app at a time and nothing else. No more trying to fit a round peg in a square hole and expecting the iPad to be a desktop computer. Much more than this, the iPad delivered a small space of calm and straightforward usage — just like it always has.

Perhaps Apple is trying to deliver what its users want and are working hard to deliver the next generation of device. Or perhaps there is just more expectation from an iPad with an M1 chip that costs almost £1000. Whatever the reason is that the iPad Pro seems to never deliver what is expected of it, when you want calm and easy to use, iOS is where you find it.