ipad Archives - Neil Turner's Blog

Using an iPad as a desktop PC

November 5, 2025 by Neil Turner

If you have one of the newer iPad Air or iPad Pro models, then you can plug in an external keyboard, mouse and screen, and use it like a desktop PC. All you need is USB-C docking station with USB and HDMI ports. Indeed, I’m writing this blog post on the WordPress iOS app, but using my USB keyboard, mouse and external display.

Docking station

The docking station I’m using is this Orico model (sponsored link), which has an HDMI port, three USB-A ports (two USB 2, one USB 3) and a USB-C port. This USB-C port supports Power Delivery, and so it can be used to charge your iPad whilst it’s plugged in.

Other docking stations add Ethernet and readers for SD and TF cards, but this one doesn’t. And yes, iPad OS does support Ethernet when connected to an adaptor – I’ve tried it myself with a USB-C Ethernet adaptor that I normally use for my laptop at home.

What it’s like to use

Apple’s information page about using an external display is a bit vague. In my experience, the external screen would only show output once I had also plugged in my keyboard and mouse – it wouldn’t work with just the screen plugged in. That may be a quirk of the Orico docking station.

Rather than mirroring the display, the external screen was an extension of the iPad desktop. Apps would open on the iPad screen, and to get them to open on the external screen, I had to flick down from the top to reveal the menu bar and use the Window menu to move them across. With Stage Manager enabled, you can have multiple apps open in different windows on both screens.

I didn’t see a noticeable reduction in performance – the iPad seemed pretty capable of outputting to two screens. But it did deplete the battery faster, as I hadn’t plugged in a USB-C cable into the docking station to charge.

But why?

So why would you want to do this? Compared to my Windows laptop, which takes a minute or two to boot up, my iPad is always on and launches immediately from standby. Therefore, if I need to do something on a big screen quickly, it’s quicker to plug my iPad into a docking station than booting the laptop up.

It’s also a way of experiencing how Apple has repositioned iPad OS as being somewhere between iOS and macOS, rather than just iOS on a bigger screen. Apple wants the iPad range to be useful for actual work, rather than merely larger screens to consume content.

Finally, apologies for the photo above not actually showing the iPad with my screen, keyboard and mouse. My workspace is a mess at the moment, and I didn’t fancy tidying it up just for this blog post.

New new new iPad

August 25, 2025 by Neil Turner

A couple of weeks ago, I bought myself a new iPad. I’ve gone for the 6th generation iPad Air, which has now been discontinued having been on sale for around 10 months until March this year. The fact that it’s discontinued is why I’ve bought an iPad Air, rather than a standard iPad; I ended up buying it cheaply from Costco for £360, versus around £300 for a standard iPad.

Saying goodbye to my old iPad

My previous iPad was a standard iPad 6, and I’d had it for seven years. During that time it was used almost daily, and it was starting to show its age. As well as a dented case on the back, the battery was not holding charge well and it became very picky about which Lightning cable it would actually charge from. It’s also no longer fully supported by Apple; it can only run iOS 17 which has only had minor security updates since last autumn. I expect it won’t get any updates at all soon. Still, seven years of almost daily use is pretty good going. Before that, I’d had an iPad Mini 2 for four years, and before that, a year with a second-hand original iPad which was the first one that I owned.

This new iPad Air 6 is a Wi-Fi only model, whereas my previous iPad also had cellular data. My main reason for going Wi-Fi-only was to take advantage of the cheap deal at Costco, but also I don’t use cellular data as much as I used to. Back in 2018, I was spending quite a bit of time on trains that didn’t have Wi-Fi; nowadays, I tend to only commute to work twice a week, and the trains all have Wi-Fi now. I also have a higher data allowance on my mobile plan, and so I can hotspot off my iPhone if needed.

Size, performance and connectivity

Being an iPad Air, it sits between the standard iPad, and the iPad Pro in terms of performance. It has one of Apple’s M-class processors, which you see in the iPad Pro and its Mac range, rather than the A-class processors that come in the standard iPad and on iPhones. That also means it has Apple Intelligence, Apple’s on-device AI. Not that I’ve really used Apple Intelligence much, apart from some minor photo editing. But overall, I’m very happy with the performance, compared to my previous model.

Also compared to my previous model, the 11″ iPad Air 6 that I bought is about the same size and weight. There is also a 13″ model, but this is fine for me and I’m used to the size.

Whilst the case is roughly the same size, with the narrower bezel, the screen has a much larger viewable area, and with a higher resolution. To unlock the screen, the iPad Air moves the Touch ID sensor to the lock button on top (only the iPad Pro has Face ID for unlocking). That takes a little getting used to; to unlock, you rest your finger on the button, rather than pressing it.

Apple is phasing out the Lightning connector, and all new iPads now come with a standard USB-C port, rather than Lightning. In the box, there’s a USB-C to C cable, but no AC adaptor; which is fine for me as we have several. Christine, being more of the Android persuasion, already has plenty of USB-C to C cables as well. There’s also no 3.5mm audio socket, so I’ve already picked up a USB-C to 3.5mm adaptor. Speaking of audio, there are speakers on both short sides of the iPad Air, rather than just the base.

A bargain price

Considering that the iPad Air 6 retailed for £549 when new, and a refurbished model costs £469 direct from Apple, getting mine from Costco for £360 was an absolute bargain. Before you rush off to your nearest Costco, bear in mind that mine was ‘sold as seen’, and they may have already sold out by now. Still, the money I saved was more than the cost of our annual membership. And, being a more powerful model than the one I’d planned to buy, I hope that it’ll last longer too. I don’t know if it’ll manage seven years, like my last iPad did, but 4-5 years would be good going.

New new iPad

December 29, 2024May 30, 2018 by Neil Turner

A photo of a new 6th generation iPad alongside a green case with an embroidered puffin on it

As alluded to last week, I planned to buy a new iPad with monetary contributions received for my birthday. I ordered it online on Saturday (for the 5% education discount), and picked it up at the Apple Store in Leeds on Monday.

I’ve gone for the most expensive of the standard iPad models. It’s the 6th generation iPad, with 128 GB of storage and cellular capability.

Why not just Wi-Fi?

My previous iPads (a second-hand first generation iPad and then an iPad Mini 2) were both Wi-Fi only models. I’ve been using my iPad Mini more and more on the train to and from work, and the trains I catch are not (yet) fitted with Wi-Fi. Even when Wi-Fi is available, sometimes there’s a cost, sometimes it can be quite slow, and it can take a while to get connected. So I decided to pay a bit more, and have an iPad that has internet access everywhere.

For the SIM card, I’ve got a pay-as-you-go SIM from Three. It cost £60 upfront, and comes with 24 GB of data, valid for two years. Assuming I use around one gigabyte of data per month, that’s effectively £2.50 per month, which is cheaper than a lot of contracts. The data runs out once I’ve used all 24 GB, or after two years, whichever happens soonest.

The puffin case

An iPad Mini 2 next to a case with a wildlife pattern on it

As this is a standard sized iPad, I had to buy a new case for it. Christine made me a lovely case for my iPad Mini (pictured above), but it’s too small for my new iPad. And she doesn’t have time to make me a new one, what with working full-time, being a part-time student and a mum.

Also, that photo shows how badly smashed the screen on my iPad Mini is.

I still wanted something unique, so I went onto Etsy, and ordered this beautiful case (top photo) from The Canny Squirrel. It’s hand made from genuine Harris Tweed, and is big enough for an iPad with some space to spare. Which will be handy when I eventually buy a new Bluetooth keyboard.

Plenty of storage

Ideally, I would have liked to buy a 64 GB iPad, but Apple doesn’t offer the 6th generation iPad in that size. I’ve struggled with a 16 GB iPad Mini for four years, and felt that a 32 GB iPad would also be quite limiting, so in the end I decided just to buy the one with the largest storage capacity. At least then I can load it up with plenty of e-books, music, videos etc. whilst on Wi-Fi so that I’m not going over my data allowance.

What is the new iPad like?

Honestly, not massively different. I’m appreciating having Touch ID on it as well as my phone, rather than having to type out passwords. And it’s definitely faster. But as I set it up with an iCloud backup from my old iPad, it’s been basically business as usual. Though I will say that the setup process has improved – being able to transfer essential settings across from my iPhone was great and worked really well.

My old iPad Mini 2 lasted me four years of essentially daily usage, and I’m hoping to get at least the same from this one.

Contemplating Apple’s updated iPad range

December 29, 2024March 22, 2017 by Neil Turner

Yesterday, Apple quietly updated its iPad and iPhone product range. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are now available in red, supporting Product (RED), and the budget iPhone SE is available with more built-in storage.

As for Apple’s tablets, there’s a new iPad Air, but with the ‘Air’ moniker dropped. It’s now just known as the iPad, but uses the same form factor as the iPad Air. Externally it looks the same, but the chip has been bumped up from an A8X to an A9, which brings better performance. It’s available with either 32 or 128 gigabytes of storage, and the cheapest model is £339. This is a significant price cut from the £379 iPad Air 2 that it replaces.

The iPad Mini remains at version 4, and, interestingly, is now only available with 128 gigabytes of storage. Consequently, the cheapest iPad Mini is £419, which is only £10 cheaper than the new 128 GB iPad; back in 2014, the difference was £80 between the equivalent 16 GB models. I suspect that Apple plans to stop selling small form-factor tablets in the near future, which would be a shame as I think it’s a nice size.

Replacing my iPad

My current tablet is a 16 GB iPad Mini 2, which was a present for my 30th birthday in 2014. I use it daily, both at home and at work. At home, it’s effectively my primary computer. I use it far more than my Mac, which, being a desktop, is fixed in one place. Being able to use it anywhere in the house is a major advantage when looking after a small child.

At work, it’s useful in meetings as I don’t need to print off reams of documents beforehand. I also find it handy at events, for checking information whilst away from my desk. And it provides entertainment whilst travelling; I can read Pocket articles or magazines whilst commuting to work.

However, its screen is badly cracked. The screen has already been repaired once, for which I paid about £40 to a shop in Bradford. The workmanship wasn’t great and the home button sticks sometimes. In any case, I broke the screen again literally only a few weeks later. A decent repair job on the screen is likely to cost around £100, or around a third of the cost of a new iPad.

Advantages and disadvantages

There would be several advantages of buying a new, standard-sized iPad:

Larger screen, which would suit me as I read a number of digital magazines.
Touch ID.
Being able to use two apps in split-screen mode (my iPad Mini 2 only supports slide-over).
Faster processor.
More storage, as I often run out of space with only 16 GB.
Being eligible for continued iOS updates, as I suspect Apple may drop support for the iPad Mini 2 after iOS 11.

And some disadvantages:

I like the smaller size and lighter weight of the iPad Mini.
A new case would be needed – Christine hand-made my current one, but I doubt she will have time to make a new one for me.
I would also need a new Bluetooth keyboard, although as Lizzie likes playing with my current one I’m sure she would like to keep it as a toy.

Although the large crack on my iPad’s screen is unsightly, I’m seriously considering holding out with it, until I can afford to buy a new model. Right now, money is tight, and I can’t really justify paying for repairs to my existing model, or for buying a new one.

I could, of course, consider an Android tablet, which may be cheaper. But I’m worried that I would then have the additional expense of buying replacement apps again and getting used to an unfamiliar operating system. The current best Android tablets cost around the same as an iPad, and a cheaper model may not be any better than what I already have.

I’ll revisit this in the summer, when I’ll hopefully have some more money. By then, we will hopefully know more about iOS 11, and which devices it will support. That could sway my decision further.

Shiny new iPad

May 18, 2024May 29, 2014 by Neil Turner

As I mentioned on Sunday, my birthday present from my parents was a shiny new iPad Mini with Retina Display. We bought it from the Apple Store in Trinity Leeds, since we were going to Leeds for a birthday meal anyway.

This is to replace my old iPad, a first generation model. Although I’ve only had it for a year, it’s now over three years old and no longer supported by Apple. It won’t even run iOS 6, never mind iOS 7. Many apps either won’t install at all, or can only run as an older version. Plus, it’s rather slow and some apps, including Apple’s own like Safari, crash a lot. Whilst the larger screen means it’s better to use than my iPhone for some things, for others it was slow and frustrating – I’d avoid browsing sites like Buzzfeed or Lifehacker because of the risk of crashing it.

Choosing an iPad

I’d narrowed the choice down to the iPad Air or the iPad Mini with Retina Display. I ruled out the older models – the iPad with Retina Display and the iPad Mini (without Retina Display) – because they came with older processors which are much more likely to be deprecated by Apple within a few years. I didn’t want to be in the same situation again with my iPad in a couple of years’ time.

The two models are basically identical inside – same processor, battery life and features. The only difference is the size of the screen (the resolution is the same), the weight and the price. At £80 cheaper, we decided to go for the iPad Mini.

Personal setup

When you buy a product at the Apple Store, a ‘Personal Setup’ service is offered to get you up and running with the device. As we had some time to spare, I decided to take them up on the offer. This turned out to be a good thing. Because myself, and the member of staff who sold me the iPad, learned the hard way what happens when you try to restore an iCloud backup from an iPad 1 running iOS 5, to an iPad Mini running iOS 7. Suffice to say, it got stuck in a soft reboot loop and was completely unusable.

To their credit, the staff at the store were really good about it, and took responsibility for the problem. I should have been advised that this wouldn’t work. Instead, I should set the new iPad up as a new device, rather than using a backup from an iOS 5 device as a starting point. So the iPad Mini, now essentially bricked, will be sent back to Apple, and I was given another iPad Mini to take away. I decided not to go through the Personal Setup this time, instead waiting to get home so that I could do it at my own pace. It’s working fine, as shown in the above photo.

I’m glad that the reboot problem happened in the Apple Store and not at home, as I’m not even sure that I’d have been able to force a factory reset on the device. But perhaps Apple should have coded this into the iPad setup program, and displayed a warning that restoring a backup from such an old device to a new one is a bad idea.

Anyway, my new iPad Mini is great. It’s so much lighter than my old one, and the screen is only a bit smaller. It’s not quite so good for reading magazines, as the text is a bit small, but at least when I zoom in the text doesn’t become so pixelated as it did on my old iPad. And apps like Facebook, YouTube and 1Password are actually usable now, and others, like Pocket, are much, much faster.

I came, I saw, iPad

December 23, 2024April 23, 2013 by Neil Turner

I have a new toy to play with – an iPad. It’s a hand-me down from my soon to be in-laws which I was only too happy to find a new home for.

It’s the first generation model, and is therefore a bit limited in what it can do. It’s a little slow at times, doesn’t have a camera or a retina display, and it can’t run iOS 6 – iOS 5.1.1 is the most recent release that works on it. This means that some apps, like 1Password, won’t run, but for the most part everything else works okay. But, it’s an iPad, and it didn’t cost me anything.

Since I already own an iPhone many of the apps also worked on the iPad so I was able to get up and running with it quite quickly. So far, the only extra apps I’ve added are Tweetbot, which has a separate iPad edition rather than a universal app, and Reeder, which again has a separate iPad app but is currently free.

The bigger screen is great for apps like Reeder, Feedly and Pocket, where being able to view a whole page makes reading much easier. It would be nicer if it had the retina display though – having owned an iPhone 4 and then iPhone 5 I’ve become accustomed to higher pixel depth.

Although this does mean that I no longer need to save up for an iPad in the short term (and with a wedding, honeymoon and probably a new house to pay for this is welcome), I may still consider buying an iPad Mini in future. I imagine the smaller screen is a bit easier to handle, and a good compromise between the full-size iPad and the iPhone. And if I do decide to upgrade, this iPad is still worth around £90 to recyclers.