November 19, 2019November 17, 2019 Andil

iPad Mini as Work Laptop Replacement While Traveling: How I Stay On Top of My Work While Traveling

Ever since I came back from California in 2013, I have been trying to travel more since I have a higher degree of freedom at work. During these travels, I have always bring my laptop because I like to be ready whenever and wherever I have to work.

Lately, as my son grew bigger, I found myself trying to find a lighter and smaller replacement for my laptop during these travels. There are times when I have to carry Mason for a prolonged period of time because he is cranky or when the content of my bagpack has to include toys and baby supplies. While not exactly heavy, my ASUS Zenbook still weighs around 1 kg without charger and takes up around 12″ x 7.5″ in my bagpack.

To get something as light as possible that can do 85% of my workload, I decided to use my iPad Mini as laptop replacement.

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The Bulk of the Workload

Before I can completely use my iPad to replace my laptop however, some changes to my work flow has to be done.

I made a rough plan of the bulk of work done on my laptop and also work that I usually do while I am traveling.

Most of the time if I am only gone for up to 10 days, my planned workload is

80% WhatsApp to communicate with my office
15% Emails
5% Creating files in Google Sheets/ data inputting

Speed of Information

I work in the inter-state public bus transportation industry and a bulk of our daily work is reacting to situations (car accidents or bus breaks down on the street) and the handling of cash flow (we still use cash instead of cashless payment system). So, we create group chats in WhatsApp for various devisions like the Mechanic team, the Accounting team and the Spare Parts Supply team. With WhatsApp, everybody in the group will always be updated to the situation at hand and allow faster reaction time.

Personally, I found myself using WhatsApp Web more than using WhatsApp on my phone whenever I have access to my PC or iPad + Keyboard because replying to messages are so much faster with a keyboard than my phone’s virtual keyboard.

I have also migrated our company’s Excel files to Google Sheets because of the following benefits:

Easier files creation and data inputting through iOS without any downside to Windows users
Faster data processing because as soon as data is inputted by my admins, I can see it
No data loss when there is electricity blackouts (which happens a lot in my city)

Paperless Information

Most of the information that passes through my office is scanned into digital format and emailed to me every day by my office admins. This information ranges from payment slips to daily employees attendance charts.

We are also moving toward digital files for as many as we can to save storage space. By going paperless, I don’t have to lug around files or folders, but instead just access the files through the clouds.

As of my to-do list and project notes, I have been using OneNote, which is accessible through iOS as well.

iPad Mini 5 & Logitech Keyboard K380

In order for my iPad Mini to be a true laptop replacement, I needed a keyboard whether a keyboard case or a separate Bluetooth keyboard. I was on the fence between Logitech K380 and iClever BK-05, but in the end I settled on the Logitech K380 because I could get my hand on one for a cheap price.

The K380 turns out to be perfect because it has a desktop keyboard typing feels, only loses in term of portability compared to the iClever. I have thoroughly enjoyed using the K380 and haven’t had any buyer’s remorse since yet.

Future Improvements

So far, I really like bringing my iPad Mini traveling since it allows me to travel very light and stays on top of my work while I am not in the office. The Mini also double duty as entertainment during long flights or as books when there is no internet.

I know, technically I only need my phone to get my work done since most of my files are in Google Sheets and in WhatsApp, but when you have to look at 6″ all day, an iPad Mini is a welcome size (trust me, I tried). Besides, the Logitech K380 is such a joy to use that I actually look forward to when I have to use it, and it puts me in “Working Mode” whenever I have it in front of me.

Also, some countries like Japan and America has strict baggage policy regarding laptops, and having an iPad Mini allows breezy X-Ray screenings.

In the future, I am looking into changing my iPad Mini to iPad Pro with USB-C which lets me to share cables between the iPad and my phone, plus the bigger screen doesn’t hurt.

Finally I am currently looking into carrying case that I can put my iPad and keyboard for easier packing and carrying.