Can an iPad be your primary computer?

I'm Baz and I unlock cost savings in small businesses by streamlining and automating things.

Anyone that's met me knows I love my iPad. I wanted one from the moment I first saw it. At the time, I was building websites, and the whole idea of being in a client meeting and saying "here is your website" and handing them a physical object with all that hard work displayed upon it seemed magical. Of course, you can do that with a laptop, but it's just not the same.

The new "Pro" iPads are even better - in tech terms, they're as powerful as the most powerful laptops from a couple of years back - in fact in many areas they're more powerful. Having an inbuilt SIM card is fantastic - I'm never without a connection. And the battery truly lasts all day.

But can it replace your "real computer"?

I think for many of us, it really can. As a software developer, there are a few things I do on my Mac that I can't do on an iPad, but they're quite esoteric and don't apply to most people. For almost everything else, there's a way to do it - although it may be different to what you are used to.

So, for me, my iPad is my primary computer and I just use my Mac for those times when I need a big screen and certain technical software.

For you, if you're toying with the idea, it almost certainly can do everything that you need. The trouble may come because you need to do things differently. And I'll have more to say on that later.