Can you do word processing on an iPad? Yes, indeed, if you have the right app, a Bluetooth keyboard, and an iPad with a large display.
Uses for iPads
There are many possible uses for the iPad. It is great for watching movies and listening to music. It is also a capable e-book reader. As downloadable apps for the iPad have expanded its abilities, iPads are showing up increasingly in offices and with remote workers. Despite this, although the iPad comes with a virtual keyboard, it isn’t exactly word processing-friendly out of the box.
Word Processing Apps
The iPad doesn’t have any built-in apps for word processing. The closest you’ll get is the Notes app. However, it is possible to download word processors from the App Store.
Apple’s Pages is a free word-processing download that is compatible with documents that you create on your computer. It lets you open and edit Microsoft Word documents. The program saves (and lets you share) documents in Pages, Word (.doc), and PDF formats. The iWork Pages iPad app offers a nice set of features for a mobile app. However, advanced users will find the app overly simplistic and limited.
Advanced users may prefer to use Microsoft Word for the iPad, which is compatible with Word on the computer and offers familiar features and menus along with sharing capability. Although the download is free, the app works best with an Office 365 subscription.
For people who want a word processing solution that’s available from any device, Google Docs provides a robust option for the iPad. This free download makes it simple for coworkers to sync, edit, collaborate, and share documents.
The App Store contains other apps for specialized word processing tasks, including Ulysses and Textilus.
A Keyboard Is a Necessity
The iPad was not designed for prolonged typing. The virtual keyboard’s buttons are relatively large, but you can’t rest your fingers on the screen, which makes touch typing impossible. Ergonomically, it leaves something to be desired.
Buy a Bluetooth keyboard if you plan to do much word processing. Most modern iPads support the addition of a keyboard, which makes it easier for you to compose and edit documents on the iPad.
Bigger Is Better
If you plan to do a lot of word processing on your iPad, go for one of the larger 11-inch or 12.9-inch models, such as the iPad Pro. Their displays may not be as large as a laptop, but they are crystal clear and large enough to make using word processing apps painless.
Even though you can set up an iPad for word processing, don’t expect it to replace your laptop or desktop computer just yet, although there are rumors of upgraded iPads that may make some MacBooks obsolete.
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