Blogging on iPad: A Do or A Don’t?

When the Apple iPad debuted just a few months ago, many said it would change computing forever. Some predicted that like cell phones did to land lines, it would make computing a portable venture and would eventually render traditional computers obsolete.

Whether that happens still remains to be seen, but its potential to be taken on the go and do many of the functions of a regular computer certainly is enticing, particularly for a specific group of computer users who would benefit from being able to compute anywhere — bloggers. Does this potential actual pan out? Currently, it’s a little bit each of yes and no.

Blogging on the go with Apple iPad:

When inspiration strikes, being able to take advantage of it — and scoop the competition — is key for most bloggers. The iPad does, to some extent, allow for users to work from almost anywhere. Composing in Notes or similar word processing programs is no problem. To me, the iPad keyboard feels natural, but for those who do not like it, compatible keyboards (including some that fold up nicely for portability) can be purchased for as little as $30. Shop around and try one that fits you the best.

The iPad’s image capture capabilities are also appealing; wouldn’t it be great to have your word processor and image/video capture device all in one reasonably compact and portable device?

As for actually blogging, more and more blogging platforms have created apps for the iPad (and some even for the iPhone) that allow users to access their accounts from these mobile devices. WordPress was the first, but most of the other popular blog hosts have joined the fray as well.

Can you actually use iPad to blog?

Well…it kind of depends on what you want to be able to do while away from a traditional computer. Though the iPad has made several big improvements to its operating system since its debut to make it more intuitive and user friendly, it simply is not as good of a platform for blogging as a laptop or PC; you just can’t do as much on it as easily or as quickly. Something as simple and essential as adding links can be a chore, as switching from the Safari web browser to a blogging app still leaves something to be desired. Editing audio and video is generally out of the question as well, unless a user wants to splurge on expensive apps, and even then the quality of the finished product does not match that of a laptop or PC and really isn’t worth the time that most likely will need to be invested.

Use iPad as an on-the-go complement:

That said, the iPad is still a great tool for some blogging functions that complements well the work needed to be done on a traditional computer. If a blogger has to truly get something out there in a timely fashion without access to a computer, the iPad is there for them. Serious bloggers can also use iPad blogging apps to follow comments on posts and respond in a timely fashion as necessary. Those who head up large blogs and look over staff work can do so on the iPad and publish work already in the drafts folder from iPad as well. Truly tech savvy and creative bloggers can sync their iPad with their home computer as well using programs like LogMeIn Ignition, which allows users to in effect work from their home computer using the iPad as their computer’s monitor. However, such a program is somewhat expensive ($25 and up) and requires some deal of technical expertise — and a computer left on all day at home.

The iPad and similar devices are not going to replace traditional computers anytime soon. Nor will blogging be done exclusively from mobile devices in the foreseeable future. But for right now, the iPad does present some appetizing options for bloggers on the go who want to use their mobile device for certain blogging functions.