Techuisite Digest

01.29.2024: iPad Mini follow-up, Returning to the Mac, and Creating a PKM system.

This is my first paid post, so as of right now, no one will see this full post since I don't have anyone signed up as a paid member. This is okay. Blogging is something that has to be for yourself, just as much as it is sharing your thoughts with others. I also want to keep a small backlog of things that new paid members will have to enjoy if and when they do sign up.

iPad Mini Follow-up

I have written several posts about the iPad Mini before, so I knew I wanted to approach writing about the iPad Mini differently this time. It wasn't until I used it for a few weeks that it hit me why I keep going back to this device, and the title reflects my realization; My Favorite iPad.

Journaling has started a little bit on the Mini and I have been reading a ton, but other than reading it has become my TikTok and streaming device. I am excited to dive into the Office Superfan Season 7 episodes and finish the rest of Foundation. Because of all the shows (and TikTok), I am still not done with Golden Son but should be pretty soon.

The iPad Mini, like I spoke about in my post, is my fun device. Like my Nintendo Switch, Anbernic RG35XX, or my LG OLED television, I don't expect anything from these devices but joy. When I sit down to use one of these devices, I am not expecting anything productive except winding down and relaxation.

It's great to have a mini everything device to do all my consumption and throw in a bag with little notice. It is light, and compact, but still packs a brilliant screen and performance. The only thing I wish it had was some display improvements. Mini-LED or OLED would be cool, plus ProMotion is a must in the next generation.

Even though I am not planning on using or characterizing the iPad Mini as a productivity device, I have been thinking more and more about setting up a Personal Knowledge Management system for myself, and the iPad Mini would be a great place to possibly add to it but mostly access it.

Returning to the Mac

The iPad Pro-Only life has been fun. The 2021 iPad Pro 11-inch with the M1 chip is more than I will ever need in a computer when it comes to performance. For writing, personal admin tasks, photo editing, or light front-end development it is more than capable.

I am also a huge fan of iPadOS and Stage Manager, especially with an external monitor. The iPad has come a long way and I am a big advocate of an iPad being more than enough for most people. Some have a very critical take when it comes to the iPad and if it doesn't meet certain specific standards it gets a bad wrap and is seen as a bad computer.

Even though I think the iPad Pro is capable, I think a more honest approach when it comes to choosing it over another platform is personal preference. I like using both macOS and iPadOS, and both provide me with a very different but good experience. macOS can feel dated sometimes while iPadOS can feel new and futuristic.

At the same time, iPadOS can sometimes feel constricting whereas macOS feels very open. Notice how I have not said anything negative or positive about the difference because this isn't about what is good or bad, but what is different between the two.

I could say both of these differences in a different way: macOS is more established and robust compared to the newer still refining iPadOS, or iPadOS allows for more focus and direction whereas macOS can provide too broad of choices and uncontrollable.

All this is to say that I am considering going back to a Mac as my main computer. Not because I like it more than iPadOS in general, but for what I need right now it feels like my preferred tool. I am working on building a PKM, automation for my blog/newsletter, and my job has tasked me with some new development opportunities and macOS has some tools I would prefer to use as I develop my skills.

I haven't made the transition yet, but looking at my options in where I want to go next. The MacBook Pro in Space Black is very tempting, but a Midnight MacBook Air has always caught my eye. We will see where I go next, but a Mac is definitely going to be the next step for me soon.

Creating a PKM system

I have been tempted to create some kind of personal knowledge management system for my self over the years. There are things I am interested sometimes that come and go in spurts and it would be nice to have a place where I collect all that information for me to come back too later.

The book that I am currently reading is called Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte, and continues to be pretty popular since it's release two years ago. I attempted to read it but never finished due to feeling like it was going to be a hard thing to do with a lot of stuff going on in my life at the time.

Now that things have slowed down a bit I have revisited the book and really enjoying it. I plan to use Obsidian to store and manage my PKM system and have also purchased David Sparks Obsidian Field Guide to give me some pointers on how to set up and master Obsidian.

I signed up with Obsidian Sync in hopes that I can really use Obsidian on all my devices everywhere I go. I signed up for the monthly $10 a month plan, but if this whole thing works out well, I will probably save some money and do the yearly plan which will save me about 20% per year.

This setup will hopefully replace a lot of the clutter I have with things I have saved everywhere. I recently tried using Raindrop.io to store links that I want to reference later but it just isn't feeling organized enough for what I want. So we will see how this journey goes, and I am sure I will write more about it on Techuisite in the future.