The result of being an Apple ‘fanboy’ is you end up getting anything they produce, with little or no consideration for practicalities.

So I started to monitor when and for what I used each device. I’m speaking, specifically about the MacBook Pro versus the iPad Pro.

Now I’ve never been a very visually creative person, but I did get the new ‘2nd generation’ Pencil with my new iPad Pro. I couldn’t think of when I would need to use the pencil (even though I simply HAD to have it), but then I found myself struggling to explain a new packaging idea I had for the Moringa company I was telling you about.

So I downloaded the Photoshop Sketch app and got busy.

Look, I’m not saying my drawing is good or anything, but I was very surprised at how easy it was to sketch something that made sense to the point of someone understanding what I had in mind. Since then, I have been showing incredible flair with oils and have started taking classes. That was a joke.

I’ve been using the Pencil more and more, and especially enjoy it for making changes on PDFs or even taking notes. You’re aware that longhand note-taking significantly increases recall compared to typing, right?

You even get Pencil note-taking apps that read your scrawl and let you search for keywords.

So back to the point of this article… My friends and I often compare our Screen Time use on our iPhones (go to settings and set yours up – it’s quite interesting) – mainly to see who is using Instagram more (I’m on 16 seconds a day right now), but I also receive gasps when people see my average TOTAL time per day – which is over six hours.

I have to explain that I hardly use my laptop anymore. Nobody seems to believe me.

That said, I’ve been wanting to see if I need my laptop at all these days. I used to use the keyboard on the iPad screen for emailing before, but not when I have a lot to get through in a short space of time. I would always think the bigger the task, the more the laptop would be required. Now my new iPad Pro comes with a sweet keyboard built into the flap, so I’ve started doing ALL my emailing on the iPad. Apart from that, the main things I use my laptop for are Excel, Dropbox, Word, Photoshop, Banking, Xero and WordPress.

All of those usually have apps or webpages that connect to the Cloud, so I’m struggling to find a need for my laptop. Also, I see I’m being charged close to a grand a month for Adobe Photoshop on my laptop – what’s the point?

The other day I was on my laptop and needed to do something to an image. I knew it would be too complicated on Photoshop so I sent the image to my iPhone, because I had an app that did what I wanted in a second. Then I sent it back to my laptop. How crazy is that?

I put my laptop in a drawer and the only time I needed to take it out was when I felt I had a big job to deal with, but that never seemed to happen. The keyboard accessory I mentioned (and even a normal Bluetooth keyboard connects perfectly) allows for all the usual keyboard shortcuts that would previously have necessitated using a ‘full-size’ keyboard on a laptop.

Imagine buying or needing a WHOLE laptop just because it has a keyboard. Please. Grow up. I’m typing this right now on my iPad, using keyboard shortcuts non-stop. Also with split-screen and multi-tasking functionality, it’s not like your laptop allows for any extra desktop space.

I’m not sure how you’re rolling at the moment, but if you’re busy making a decision, I seriously advise you think about an iPad Pro with Pencil and keyboard cover – it’s very cool.

And with the new screens, they’re beyond awesome for media and reading, which is all I used my iPad for before – such a waste.

Don’t even get me started on the DStv app for news and live sport – finally, you can stop paying for your TV licence!

If you ever did…

You can find the new iPad Pro, and the full range of Apple goodies, at Digicape, South Africa’s largest independent Apple retailer.