Working From the Car

I watched with interest the recent presentation of Apple's AR/VR headset, Vision Pro. I was hoping for a use case that wasn't playing games, watching TV, or pretending to be a legless avatar.

While Vision Pro seems to be a device geared towards consumption for the most part, I can see huge potential on the productive side of things as well.

I was very happy to see that the headset can work as a portable, private, and pretty big monitor to a Macbook. As someone who doesn't have a permanent home, much less an office, this can be a big deal for me. Especially when I'm on the road.

During photography road trips, I spend most nights in my car, where space is... well, very limited. I still haven't found a way to work on my computer for long periods of time that is comfortable and doesn't break my back.

An AR/VR headset could solve this problem. I can't wait for the day I can have a 27" virtual monitor (or two, or three) to work on Lightroom and Final Cut Pro in the back of my small SUV.

I'm still a bit skeptical (is the resolution of the headset going to be enough for this use case?), even more considering the price point of this thing, but I'm excited for a future where I could work from anywhere as comfortably as I would in a proper office.

iPad only for photography and video work, 6 months later

For the last 6 months, I've been using nothing else but an iPad as my only computer to do all my photography and video work. The experience has been great so far, but there are some significant downsides you should be aware of, should you try to do the same.

Will the new iPad change my mind?

Apple announced a new iPad yesterday, but it's the full mouse support and new keyboard with built-in trackpad that is catching everyone's attention. It's got mine as well, and I look forward to reading the first reviews.

As you know, I've wanted to make the iPad my main and only computing device for quite a while, but I keep going back to the laptop as the ultimate tool for productivity.

I'd love to see all the great things about the iPad (size, weight, battery life, touch screen, cellular support) on a device running MacOS. iOS just doesn't cut it.

Why is Apple trying so hard to make it work? For me, the reason is clear: the App Store. When Apple sells you a Macbook Air, for example, they don't expect to get much more money from you after that. Maybe some iCloud storage, but that's it. Meanwhile, iPhone users in the US spent an average of $79 on apps in 2018, and revenue from mobile apps will be around $581 billions this year.

I remain skeptical about the future of the iPad as a productivity device, but I really hope Apple can prove me wrong.