iPad Features that Make Productivity a Breeze

Ryan Purvis 0:00
Hello, and welcome to the digital workspace works Podcast. I'm Ryan Purvis, your host supported by producer Heather Bicknell. In the series, you'll hear stories and opinions from experts in the field story from the frontlines. The problems they're facing, how they solve them. The areas they're focused on from technology, people and processes to the approaches they took that will help you to get to the scripts for the digital workspace inner workings.

Heather Bicknell 0:30
Well, I think you had, it's been a bit, but I think you have a story that I was supposed to remind you to share about your iPad? Oh, yeah.

Ryan Purvis 0:43
So this this is, this is one of my favorite stories that I tell people that asked me, you know, you get another Windows device. And I just say hello. So I it's how comes up a lot, you know, because people have told me that he doesn't even and how awkward experience it actually is. You know, things missing on the, on the screen. And then it's really just rounded corners and a centralized stock media was just windows 10. It's really still still unclear why why it's being pushed out to the foreigners. I don't see the value of that. But anyway, so the story is, I was in a meeting, and one of my very few face to face meetings. And we're trying to present the guy who was running and he was trying to present something on the screen on the projector screen. And there's only three or four of us in the room. And he couldn't get his device, which was which was a surface to connect and send the stuff on the screen. So I have my my iMac on the funding desk. And it wasn't open yet. So while he was fiddling around, I basically opened up my Mac, I turned on my iPhone and my iPad next to each other and I turned them on the sides. And then for the two guys in the sitting across the table, I just turned my iPad around. And for me and the guy that was trying to think access it just sitting we'll just do it this way. And we were able to have a meeting sitting across from each other with the Tuscon with the screens being shared. And, and having a meeting. And I thought that was the most awesome experience because it took me three seconds to get sidecar up and running and sharing the screen. And we were able to have a meeting with her faffing around and whatever, to the point now that whenever I'm sitting downstairs, I'm off to my office. I have my iPad with me. And that's my second screen. And it's such a seamless experience that you actually don't even sometimes you forget that this is actually an iPad next to each thing. It's part of your desktop. So yeah, it's really sold me on and this is probably why I'll have to get a bigger iPad. But they've they've really got it right. If I think about all the times that I've struggled with this second screens and projectors, all the rest of it. For simple meet this. This is awesome.

Heather Bicknell 3:04
That was my first question is what screen size do you have on the on the iPad? I'm sure,

Ryan Purvis 3:09
yeah. So I've got the 11 inch, which, which I will say is is a really, really nice size. And when I bought it, and I agonized over the topic nine versus 11, I always felt that the 11.9 as a portable device was too big. And when I say portable device, I mean can I focus on my gym bag, like I do sometimes go to gym, and I need to get somewhere even something that could be something quickly. This is the right size, kind of on a train, if I'm on a plane, it's the right size. So it's a really good sign. If I'm sitting in bed reading something, it's not too big. I can hold on one hand, I can read stuff summary now for me, I like to sign up for news. That's, that's actually a really good service. And it works really well on the iPad, like you know, from from a field touch, etc. But if you're going to start using it as a, and a lot of people do this as the main computer as the new desktop, then going from the top or nine or even this, this is suggested that we the bigger one coming in there, then that makes sense. You know, that's a that's a work process, and especially what they've done now with with iOS 15. And the multitasking, because that's now finally good. And it's good because in previous previous versions, it was very difficult to do split screens and to have the third screen it sort of tried this, where you can have two so so on. On the old version, if you wanted to have a split screen, you could have your one application open and then you get off the dock the second app that you want to put next to it, but only works for Summit. What they've done, what they've changed in iOS 15 is instead of trying to manipulate with your finger isn't little this little three dots top of the screen. When you share with dots you pick up in either beach new the app to the left hand side. So you can select the second half. Or it's to put the app that you currently got on the LFSR trim bar. So it's almost like a floating window. So you have in theory, three windows open at the same time. So the picture, what's typical scenario, typical scenario for me would be having a Word document open. And then split screen having having a PowerPoint slide open, where I'm converting a Word document or PowerPoint slide or vice versa. And then the third window might be my notes, my sort of things that I've taken down as notes in the sales meeting or operations movement, something today, and you can move that floating window around as you, you know, if you're reading something, the word document didn't cover the PowerPoint. And if you work in the PowerPoint, you can move the notes over the Word document. So it gives you quite an awesome flexibility. So in that, in that scenario, having a bigger screen will make all the difference. Because on the 11 inch, even though I have a pretty good spacing, it just feels a little bit cramped. But that is a big device to carry around. So I would I would only see myself using that if I gave up on a laptop. And I wanted to be device in this case. But as I say the 11 inch is a really nice size. And I've got the magic keyboard. So if you could see my Yeah. So that's, that's also really good. So this, this, this experience as a follow up device. And if we go away on the weekends, I usually only take my iPad, because I can send email, I can do whatever I need to do unless I want to code that I bring up in the Mac with the laptop. And then I've got the other cover which which is the keyboard if I just want to read something that takes up about a kilo. Because the keyboard feels the question long winded with

Heather Bicknell 7:06
no, I mean, yeah. Sounds like it's a good a good experience.

Ryan Purvis 7:13
Well, you know, when you look at the price of the thing, maybe this is something if anyone's even thinking about it. So I did. In fact, I was I was sitting with someone on Tuesday, Monday, who has an old iPad Pro, and we were discussing, discussing, you know, the old ones this new idea when I say all the talking about pre 2018. So pre 2018, the pencil was not magnetised on the top of the device. It was the one that you plug into the USB, the Thunderbolt ports to charge. And they asked me sort of, you know, did you do it? Was that affecting your purchasing? So yeah, that was exactly that was a one reason why I never put the money down for the original product. Because I didn't want to pencil back and break the Thunderbolt connector was plugged into the bottom, I don't see myself doing that. And so this, this pencil that comes with now it charges, the top is hugely useful. And what they've added, again, with iOS 15, is if you've got your iPad open, and let's say I'm on the call with you now, and I just swipe from the bottom right hand corner. So I need to take notes quickly, it pops up loads. And now I've used various solutions, these drafts, I use notes itself, etc. But that little flip is so useful, because so many times I'm in a meeting and someone's talking about something and usually it's a meeting where you think you don't have to take notes. But now all of a sudden they say Oh, and this and this and this and that already ducks. Now you flick it off, you know, you could write if you want to, but you can also type it up, and actually save that in a specific place in notes for you. So you've got like a quick note section, and then you go to normal. And that's probably saved just don't own an hour a week. And reason why I say it because often what happens if I say no to the word, nothing handy. I'm making notes on a piece of paper, that piece of paper now has to be reviewed again, I have to remember what I was discussing who has discussed that worth and after that capture as tasks or whatever. So you really got this as a productivity tool. It's really tops.

Heather Bicknell 9:20
But you're saying with with the cost component? Oh, sorry. Yeah, I mean, yeah,

Ryan Purvis 9:25
that's ADHD, you know, good, good on one page, and then you forget where you're coming from. So So So what I was saying is if we look at the cost of it, I think I paid 2018 to 40 paid about 1200 pounds, and then included, I think the fence we have to pay for and I think that included applique. Maybe it's 1500 that was apple. That probably sounds about right. Now if you compare that to top of the range, on top of a decent laptop, you'll be buying a surface source or US Surface Book or something like So you're so you're in the premium sort of left brain. And we obviously are left with more expensive than the sort of 2000 to 9000 pound range. But there's chunky is one big move. But if I compare, you know, some of the laptops that I've bought for over time for work, you know, spend some amount of money, those things have degraded performance over the last few years. Whereas this happened. And this thing still operates like it as quick as it was, it feels still feels as good because it handles all supplying to you without any sort of sluggishness. But I mean, it's almost unheard of, sometimes we think about this, with tablets bulldozers are supposed to be. And if you and I use it, you know, probably 60% of the day. Now we take it, you take 1500 pounds, and you divide that up by 700 days, and you're almost paying a pound a day, for the device, its value on return on that is huge. If I compare that to Windows device, at the same time, the value would degrade over time differently, because the performance is getting worse and worse and worse. The experience on Windows is always suboptimal. For mostly attending, always. So there's no uptick now. Now, the average Mac laptop, and maybe minus my first time that I've actually owned. So I don't really have my own experiences. But people that I know, that have an apple for years have said that being good 567 years out of the devices. So it feels like even though it's a pricey purchase, value for for money is there. And the other best part of this is that when you when you're done with device, and then when people make use of this enough, we trade it in. Whereas when you're done with a Windows device, you can't try to do because most people won't take it. But Apple was quite happy to take the demo, but my wife told me in exchange for a second a new ones. And yes, it took a couple grand off the price. The bonus thing was I didn't have to worry about what was going to do this other device that I really want to keep. Because saving is all for all of us that was six years old. So I think in that sense, it's a good all rounder, but just stay in the network the system.

Heather Bicknell 12:24
Yeah, I mean, since it's all, it's all locked in, and they can take their hardware back and recycle parts of it. And they're definitely, as we talked about before downs, you know, there's downsides to the lock in but I think, yeah, iPads, I have an older iPad, it's talking along fine. And they're just very versatile devices. They use it for, you know, more way more diverse range of things than a laptop.

Ryan Purvis 12:52
Well, that's I mean, I, you know, it's funny, I don't even watch Netflix on TV anymore. Only watch them a bit. And that's because on on the Netflix app, you can run what have you watching it one and a half times the speed. Which, I mean, it sounds silly, but if I were like I'm watching the series at the moment, it's just nice to watch it at higher speed because it's 45 minutes, it's half an hour. And it just you don't feel like you because there's some shows are just slow. You can speak to those things. But also you can get through content quicker, because there's always something that I want to watch. And I really enjoyed it one and a half speed. It's actually weird to watch it on slow speed.

Heather Bicknell 13:41
I feel I know, I speed up some things as well. Mostly YouTube videos. I haven't quite gotten around like a normal. I don't know, like I feel like a produced show. I don't know. Yeah, I feel like I would notice a barber I'm sure you said over time.

Ryan Purvis 14:03
I mean, you know, I listen to podcasts. So I listened use an app called overcast to listen which most people use, and he doesn't go to feed off speed. And he's also got technology which he calls Smart Voice I think we skipped over the gaps. So it's even quicker. Sometimes you get to 3.7 3.8 Depending on the on the show. And the other day for some reason I was I was listening to the show in one speak one speed and the voice is a completely different and I couldn't I couldn't tell you the like I know I knew the speaker but I couldn't tell who the speaker was. And then I sped it up again as a guy Oh, that's a nano episode. This is funny how you you get so used to something. And I think that's, you know one of these digital things that will become an important thing is Be able to process information quickly in order to consumers with the view that you can put more value into, obviously, but also, you know, when it comes to like education, for example, you know, mixtures mix has been to XP instead of 1x. So some of the recording the one is between go and study at 2x. Three, yeah. And what I do like, like on YouTube is a good example. So I'll watch something on two XP. But if it's something that I need to now, go back and like look at, then I'll go back and watch that one XP, buddy already got the gist of all episodes. So when I going back and now looking at specific to that easily on integration, how your integration can go. In Africa, that's slowly step by step. But I've got the whole concept in my head, which means my understanding is better.

Heather Bicknell 15:59
Yeah, I mean, there's certainly utility to it, and it's a nice option to be able to do that. I do need to run.

Ryan Purvis 16:11
Thanks for that. We'll catch up next week. Thank you for listening today's episode. Hey, the big news app producer, editor. Thank you, Heather for your hard work on this episode. He subscribes to the series and rate us on iTunes or the Google Play Store. Follow us on Twitter at the DW W podcast. The shownotes and transcripts will be available on the website www dot digital workspace that works. Please also visit our website www dot digital workspace that works and subscribe to our newsletter. And lastly, if you found this episode useful, please share with your friends or colleagues.

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