I love my M4 iPad Pro and do all of my work on it. I am interested, however, in using a Mac again full-time. But until the Mac gains cellular support, that’s not really possible for me. Here’s why the iPad Pro is my only current computer option.
Mac curious, but no cellular is a dealbreaker
I’ve written before about how great it would be for the Mac to gain cellular, and fortunately it sounds like that’s finally in the cards.
I haven’t always been iPad-first in my computing. That change happened when the iPad Pro launched in 2015.
But before that, I used and loved various Macs: the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and my first Mac was even a white plastic MacBook.
There have been brief seasons over the past decade when I used a Mac more than I do now, but only due to work requirements the iPad couldn’t meet. My preferred device, however, has remained the iPad.
It’s been so long since I gave the Mac a legitimate shot though, and I’ve actually grown increasingly curious about going all-in with a MacBook Air—at least as an experiment.
But without cellular, that’s not an option for me. Here are a few real-life stories that explain why.
Working from anywhere and everywhere, with zero friction
Most of the time, I work from home and have a Wi-Fi connection.
I love going out and about in the city, but even then I’m usually in coffee shops that offer Wi-Fi—so I’m still covered.
However, there are still far too many scenarios when I need to get some work done and Wi-Fi isn’t available.
Recently, I was staying out of town and was walking to pick up lunch at a restaurant about 10 minutes from my hotel.
I had my iPad with me, and on the walk back an important piece of news broke that I needed to write about.
With lunch in hand, I literally plopped down on the sidewalk, pulled out my iPad, quickly knocked out the article, then got on my way back to the hotel.
It felt kind of ridiculous at the time, sitting right in the middle of the sidewalk.
But I was basically in the middle of nowhere. There were no other people around that I was in the way of. Nor were there benches nearby, or buildings I could pop into—just an open suburban stretch of sidewalk.
On a Mac, I would have needed to try connecting to my iPhone via hotspot.
That might have worked, but it would have taken extra precious time, and my experience with hotspot has been inconsistent. The iPad’s cellular connection is completely reliable and effortless.
Similarly, after a recent flight I was in the airport nearly about to hop in an Uber. But my family stopped at the restroom on the way, and while they were inside, I quickly pulled out my iPad, got some work done, and put it away without missing a beat.
Built-in cellular makes moments like that possible. Hotspot connections, for their extra friction and unreliability, do not.
Finally, there have also been plenty of occasions when I’m working from the passenger’s seat of a car.
With my wife or Uber driver at the wheel, I’m able to continue working seamlessly on my iPad.
I’ve done this even for hours at a time on roadtrips. Thanks to built-in cellular, it’s not much different from being at home or somewhere else more stable.
iPad Pro remains my computer, for now
It’s stories like these, and the many others I haven’t shared, that make working from an iPad essential for me. And that also keep me perplexed at the Mac still not supporting cellular.
In my life and work, having a constant connection wherever I am is a crucial feature. That’s one (of many) reasons the iPad Pro is my computer of choice.
Would you buy a cellular Mac if it existed? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
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