Going Mobile

I’m writing this on an iPad Air using the Logitech BLOK Keyboard Case and WordPress for iPad. I find I’m spending more time on my iPads (I still have my iPad Mini) than I do on my desktop. The Mini is not only my reader of choice, but also an amazing presentation tool. Writing on the Air is a joy. Because of the small screen size, most writing apps have uncluttered screens. Thanks to Markdown I can add inline formatting without taking my hands off the keyboard. I can focus on the words – not the app.

It’s even an impressive research platform. In this example, I have MobileFamilyTree [$14.99] open to a person page with Evernote in the split screen displaying a clipped note. MobileFamilyTree can operate as a standalone app or as a companion to MacFamilyTree [$49.99]. The database is stored in iCloud and accessible to both apps.

The combination of MobileFamilyTree, Evernote and iCloud means I can take ALL my research with me just about anywhere. Once a database is opened on the device, I have access to the data even when there is no online connection. Changes and additions will be uploaded once a connection is available.

I also have access to some amazing photo-editing tools. This is Pixelmator. It’s a full-featured photo editor as well as a graphic design and painting app. All of this for only $4.99. The latest iOS updates include significant improvements to its sharing capabilities, making it much easier to add web clippings to Evernote, save blog posts and news articles to Pocket and share just about anything by email or text. Combine that with Documents [free] app’s amazing file management capabilities and my iPad keeps me connected to everything I need wherever I go.

Am I throwing out my “big” Mac? No. It still has many uses – as our primary scanning platform, media center and management console for peripherals. I’m keeping an eye on the Mac Mini as a possible replacement, but that’s still way down the road.