The 2019 iPad Mini Is The Best Computer I’ve Ever Owned

April 15, 2019 in apple, design, Productivity by George Howard | Permalink

I can with confidence say that the most recent (2019) iPad mini, when combined with an external keyboard and cover/stand is the best “computer” set up I have ever owned.

The Consumption versus Creation Dialectic

I have long felt that the distinction between an iPad versus desktop/laptop could be broken down into two categories: 1. consumption; 2. creation:

  • The iPad has historically been better at consumption. Watching videos, looking at photos, and reading are objectively better on an iPad.
  • A laptop/desktop has historically been better at creation. Writing, making spreadsheets/powerpoints, creating/editing video, music and/or code are objectively better on a lap/desk top.

The iPad Pro

With the emergence of the iPad Pro, and its accompanying processing power and USB-C connectivity, clearly Apple was making a push to win over early adopters, such as myself, who wanted to try to use a single device for both creation and consumption.

Their marketing worked. I bought a souped up 12.9” iPad Pro the moment it was released.

I don’t like it.

It’s too big

In terms of consumption, you really don’t want to nod off while holding (with both hands…it’s too big to be held by one) the 12.9” iPad in bed watching a re-run of Northern Exposure and have it hit your nose. Trust me.

Once you slap a case/keyboard on it, it’s as heavy as a MacBook or Air, and takes up no less space in a bag.

More power?

I guess. More on this below, but, nothing about the iPad Pro makes me feel like it’s even slightly more powerful than other much cheaper options

Price

Muy expensive.

The 2019 iPad Mini

It rules. Really. It’s fantastic.

The size is perfect

I bought the first version of the mini back whenever it came out, and remember thinking, “This is the form factor they should have started with.”

It fits in your hand, it fits in your pocket, it doesn’t hurt when it falls on your nose when you doze off watching Northern Exposure.

Apple, obviously, understands that the Mini’s form factor is the right size for an iPad. They’ve changed the sizes of all the other iPads…not this one.

It’s perfect for consumption. Until recently, it wasn’t great for creation.

It’s plenty powerful

Credit the iPad Pro for pushing the creation prowess that has now trickled down to the Mini.

The mini is now pretty darn close to perfect for creation.

Writing, making spreadsheets, ppts, etc…great.

The addition of being able to use the Apple Pencil with the Mini makes it the ideal size for taking handwritten notes.

I have loaded up my Mini with all of the apps I have on my “much more powerful” iPad Pro (Slack, Word, Excel, PPT, Devon Think, Things, iA writer, Ulysses, Fantastical, Airmail, Trello, etc.), and the iPad Mini handles them all as well…better (?)…than the iPad Pro.

Admittedly, I’m not editing video or mapping genomes or something…are you?

Also, charge the booger and it will last you all day. You don’t have to schlep around a USB-C cable/plug, as you do with the iPad Pro.

Price

I got the cheapest version they make; something like $350. I bought the Apple Magic keyboard (~$100). I think the iPad Pro 12.9 inch with the case/keyboard was ~$2k. Not worth it. Even a little.

The Mini Set Up

This is where for many people it’s likely better to just buy the new Airs. Those are fantastic machines, and require none of the nonsense below. But….if you have the appetite for this, and a desire to dominantly use one device for consumption and creation…here’s what you gotta do:

Keyboard/cover/stand

To make this work, you need a good external keyboard and cover/stand. I haven’t found the perfect combo, but the Apple Magic Keyboard and the $35 Apple Smart Cover isn’t the worst.

Someone will make a nice sleeve/stand that accommodates the keyboard and iPad mini in a single product. My searching has not unearthed this unicorn. Maybe I’ll make it.

Keyboard Shortcuts

I can not stress this enough to both customers and app makers: learn/make keyboard shortcuts.

My guess is that in the not-distant-future (iOS 13?), we’ll see some kind of mouse functionality for iPad Pros. Until then, you must learn to avoid the constant type/swipe back and forth.

To do this, you have to: 1. Choose apps that have keyboard shortcuts; 2. Learn them.

For instance, I use Airmail as my email client dominantly because it has keyboard shortcuts, whereas others (I’m looking at you Polymail) do not.

Connectivity

This relates to price. I paid for the LTE iPad Pro (and for a wireless account to access it). Don’t bother. Just tether your Mini to your phone’s hotspot.

So…

Prior to the new iPad mini, the creation/consumption ratio was something along the lines of: The pre Mini iPad was an eight in terms of consumption but a five in terms of creation, and the current Apple Lap/Desktop is the inverse: creation is an eight, while consumption is a five (again, the Air is the best of the batch).

I’d say that the 2019 Mini is now a solid eigh in terms of creation, and a nine in terms of consumption. It’s not a 10 because I still schlepp a Kindle with me to read books…the iPad isn’t as good as the Kindle for reading…yet.

That’s a ratio I can live with.

I now find myself rarely ever needing to take out my PowerBook to get something done, and never wanting to pull out my iPad Pro to consume anything.

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10 Things A Musician Must Do To Succeed

June 23, 2017 in music business by George Howard | Permalink

I get very nice emails from artists with some regularity. They make me feel good; they’ve read something I’ve written, and think I have some kind of “answer” to the questions related to what they can do to increase their odds of success.

I always have a lot of stress around these emails. Someone who has taken the time to read something I’ve written, and then taken more time to find my email (not that hard), and write me deserves a response….but what to say?

There is, of course, no universal response to such questions, and my impulse is to say, “Give me a call; let’s talk it through.” This – for obvious reasons – isn’t the right approach.

So, when I got one of these emails this morning – in a moment of hyper-caffeination – I banged out a response as if in a fever dream (if only all writing flowed so easily and fast).

Upon re-reading it, I think that – while it of course will not apply to everyone – it will apply to many, and will (hopefully) at least give people some food for thought (and save me time and guilt – I’ll just link people who email to this post).

Here’s my response pretty much verbatim to the question: “Do you have any advice on how I can succeed with my music?”:

  1. Find a really solid tech/social media person and pay/partner with them to work 20 hours a month building awareness across relevant platforms (if you can do this yourself…all the better).
  2. Do local live events (not random shows at clubs), but actual events/parties….whatever….that allow you to build an audience to where you can reliably draw ~100 people to one of these events every month (obviously, #1 above ties in – you can also do fb live, etc). Do NOT move to step 3 until you do this. If this is not happening (you can’t reliably draw ~100 people to a show every month) it means either: a. your music is not remarkable (yet… so keep writing/practicing); b. you’re not putting your music in front of people predisposed to care (so… keep putting it in front of others).
  3. Once you have #2 locked in – look for other artists who are able to draw ~100 in cities/towns that are in rough driving distance, and whose sound/values/audience sorta aligns w yours, and offer to trade opening slots (ie you put them in front of your fans in your hometown/they do the same for you in their hometown).
  4. Do this in 4 or 5 markets. This will take some time.
  5. Augment these shows via social, etc. (ie step 1).
  6. Create merch that has low COGS but high perceived value (think in terms of social objects – i.e. things people will show their friends – external manifestation of internal values) – signed shit, vinyl, etc.
  7. Work to shift the burden of promotion from you to your fans via over-supplying them with #6 above (if you buy one vinyl, you get a free one… if you promise to give it to someone who you think would like it).
  8.  Think in terms of a funnel:

a. Use #1 and #2 to get casual people with a shared psychographic aware of your work (this is the top of the funnel);
b. develop a way to move them down the funnel (many will fall out along then way) in order to convert them to Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) (ie they give you *something* that allows you to contact them (email, follow on instagram whatever);
c. develop a way to take these MQLs further down the funnel (again, many will fall out) and turn them into Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) – that is, make them an offer – “buy something.”
d. measure the process, and focus on those SQLs who convert (buy something/do something you ask) and turn them into repeat cust’s (ie #7 above). These are your passionate fans, and their role is NOT just to buy everything you put out, but to TELL their friends (this is known as a Net Promoter Score (NPS)), and you need a HIGH one – that is, most people who know of you are highly likely to tell their friends. But YOU must create an architecture of participation for them to do so and to be rewarded (NOT FINANCIALLY, but by feeling better about themselves for having shared something they care about).

9. In terms of tactics – there is NO silver bullet. You’re an artist, and thus axiomatically creative – come up w novel ideas/remarkable ideas/things people will talk about…this should be fun for you to do. Most of your tactics won’t work, and so have lots of them, but think in terms of tests. not some fucking MVP (what does that mean – what IS “viable” – how do you KNOW until you test – it’s flawed logic), but rather what’s known as the Deming Cycle – which is Plan, Do, Study, Act. This allows you to go from idea to test to refinement quickly.

10. Above all else, DO NOT waste time trying to get someone to: sign you, manage you, put your music in a film, book you, write about you, put your songs in a spotify playlist, etc etc. This does not happen from you chasing. This does happen when you do steps 1 thru 9 over a period of time and build awareness/demand. It’s a byproduct of steps 1-9. Then – and only then – these people come out of the woodwork….but – at that point – you should be asking, “what do i need you for?!” This is a plan. Everything else is hope.

 

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