Category: Member

Today I want to talk about typography — or more specifically how to get better typography on your iPad. One of the biggest stumbling blocks for people who care about typography, but want to use iOS, is that it is not very clear how, or if, you can get the typefaces you love on to the iPad. Clever apps like Ulysses, allow you to send it any font file and the app will make it a part of the fonts you can choose from — it’s handy if all you care about is seeing your favorite writing typeface in the world’s best writing app.

But what about if you want to do some print design, or even use the corporate typefaces in Pages and such?

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As I mentioned a [couple weeks ago](https://brooksreview.net/2017/04/ipad-report-41017/), I have been experimenting with the idea of using only *one* of my iPad Pros ((hashtag firstworld problems)) instead of both interchangeably. ((Hashtag jfc)) Of course for me that is settling on the larger 12.9″ iPad Pro and the tradeoffs which come with that device.

Over this test period I’ve found that I use only the 12.9″ iPad Pro about 90% of the time. There are simply still times when a smaller iPad is very useful — with book reading being the primary reason I prefer the smaller iPad Pro. Aside from that, the vast majority of my usage has been on the larger iPad Pro, and I peg it at 90% (knowing that is being overly generous to the smaller iPad Pro).

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It’s no secret to long time readers that I have given up on most Kickstarter products. It frustrates me when an already established company uses the service to launch another product — especially when that product is already a part of their core mix (bag company launching another bag, stand company launching another stand, etc) — to me that feels like wanting all the rewards of a successful product without taking any risk. I am equally leery of new companies because I’ve been burned far too many times by people who have the best of intentions and lack all other skills.

However, there is one good thing about Kickstarter: it shows you what people want. Create a project, get a prototype, put it on Kickstarter (or Indiegogo, I am using those interchangeably here) and you’ll instantly know if there is a market for your product. With that in mind, I searched both services with the phrase “iPad Pro”.

Oh my.

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In my attempt to figure out if it is better to use one iPad, or two, I pared back my usage to just the 12.9″ iPad Pro. This included two long plane flights and some on-site client time with just the larger device — as well as over a week of working solely on the larger iPad.

And my take away from all of that is: this isn’t so bad at all. My biggest fear is that multi-tasking would suffer, as I tended to use my 9.7″ iPad Pro as a secondary display. My ancillary fears were around how well I would like using the larger iPad Pro as my couch computer — a role which had been solely taken up by the smaller iPad.

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I am in the middle of a site redesign and after posting a teaser image on Twitter, more than a few readers sent in the same question: how are you doing that on an iPad? It’s actually pretty easy to design a website on an iPad — since there is no build or compile times you have to worry about. However, people still don’t believe me, so I am going to go over how I do this on an iPad Pro. And in the last part of the update this week, I want to talk about how I am consolidating back down to one iPad Pro.

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I want a to play a little what if, rumor speculation, this week — as it specifically relates to iPad Pros. If we make the assumption that at some point in the next year we will get two new iPad Pro models: one in the 10.5″ configuration, and another in 12.9″ — both with a reduction of bezels overall. The 10.5″ effectively is the 9.7″ model footprint, with smaller bezels to get the larger screen. The 12.9″ model is the same screen size, but reduction of the device footprint to be tighter to the screen edges.

Or, put another way: we get a smaller iPad with a bigger screen, and a smaller bigger screened iPad — though I am not sure that is any less confusing…

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## Together with DEVONThink

When I started using DEVONThink I was very skeptical, and not all that enamored with the app out of the gate. I started using it to both track lists of things I would like to buy, as well as various research information which I might never use, but would like to have around.

The deal breaker with DEVONThink for me is the archaic syncing systems. I wanted a tool which would sync in the background, seamlessly, without me having to watch sync indicators before I could even use the app.

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It’s hard to escape the upcoming rumors about the possible new iPad Pros coming — but even harder to escape the nonsensical wishes of people better suited to using Macs instead.

## Clamshell iPad Pros, Kickstands, Surface Pros, and Shit Like That

When I decided to go [iPad Pro only](https://brooksreview.net/2015/11/the-full-ipad/) back in November of 2015, I took a few beats to [try the biggest iPad Pro competitor](https://brooksreview.net/2015/12/surface-pro-4/): Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4. If the iPad is a “big iPhone” then the Surface is a laptop with tablet-like features. Both are compromised products, but in massively different ways. One struggling to find its place on desktops, and the other struggling to find its place on couches.

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Let’s get back to talking about iPad productivity for a change.

## Applicable Producitivty

[Denny Henke writing](http://beardyguycreative.com/blog/2017/03/02/ipad-journal-a-mess-of-stuff-getting-in-my-way/) about his explorations into some of the more robust productivity options for iPad users:

> But I spent the better part of two hours with Copied and just came away frustrated. It may be that it’s just not suited to the way I work or maybe I need to spend more time learning it. Or, just as likely, it may be that I don’t write the kind of content or perform the kinds of tasks that benefit from that kind of app.

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This update seems to have taken a bit negative stance on the overall reporting on iPad usage, as well as an app everyone loves to tell me they love. However, this is an article I label “real talk” because someone *has* to say it, and that typically means: me.

## Let’s Not Get Carried Away

That was my mantra this past week — as there was no shortage of publishing related to the iPad Pro and productivity. Whether it was going crazy with [clipboard management](https://www.macstories.net/ios/ipad-diaries-clipboard-management-with-copied-and-workflow/), or with [speculation of future hardware](http://www.macworld.com/article/3173253/ios/for-a-bigger-ipad-to-work-ios-needs-some-interface-improvements.html) — let’s just not get carried away. (Though you can’t do [notes with the Pencil on a Mac](https://brooksreview.net/2017/02/using-the-ipad-for-taking-notes-and-planning/).)

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A lot to cover this week…

## iPad Commercials

Apple released four 16 second long commercials promoting the iPad (easiest viewed [here on iMore](http://www.imore.com/hi-im-ipad-pro-apple-hears-you-brings-classic-feel-new-ads), fair warning that I didn’t read anything written on the iMore site, so no clue what they say). These commercials are the best step Apple has taken since the iPad Pro was introduced, to position the device for consumers. The fact they hit back directly about the absurdities people toss towards the device is only icing on the cake.

Well done, Apple, and about fucking time. But I think the “general” take is wrong on this. Here’s how [John Gruber expresses this take in one of his bullets](http://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/02/17/ipad-we-hear-you):

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I spent some time over the weekend paying out the nose for DEVONThink 2 Go, and getting that setup. This is one of those apps where it seems absolutely pointless until it just clicks. It has not, as of yet, *clicked* for me. I honestly have no clue where the benefit of this app lies, so if you use it please chime in for me. (I a, testing several ideas in it, but odd app.)

In the mean time, let’s talk about my Read Later service struggles and highlight some other apps I do know how to use.

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