Ask a writer to describe his or her favorite tool of the trade and you’ll probably get an earful. Some writers are loyal to a particular kind of pen or pencil. Some have a thing for typewriters. Personally, I fondly remember the old computer keyboards that had a satisfying snap to them, like the click of a switch. I like my keyboards loud. That clattering racket is the sound of progress!
Which brings us to the iPad. Over the last year a lot of people have switched from carrying laptop computers to iPads. And that’s great.
But despite all the things the iPad does well, it is a mediocre tool for writing. Mashing your fingers on that slippery, smudge-prone glass ranks among the least enjoyable ways to input text into a computer. You would probably have to ask a hundred writers to find one who enjoys typing on an iPad.
True, you can connect a keyboard to the iPad, but in my experience few people do. When you’re carrying a tablet engineered to be ultra-thin and light, it’s a little annoying to haul around an extra piece of gear.
Can an iPad actually hurt your writing? I think it can. Good writing is about getting into a state of creative flow, where your ideas become focused. That means you have to be completely comfortable with the tool you’re using to write. As I type this on my computer, I’m not even aware of my fingers darting about on the keyboard.
But on an iPad, or any other touchscreen keyboard, typing is its own challenge. What’s missing is tactile feedback. A pen or pencil creates a physical bond between you and the paper. The dip of a keyboard’s keys signals that you’re connecting with a computer. The best the iPad can offer is a visualization of an active keypress and a recorded click played through the speaker—a pale imitation of a real keyboard. Typing on the iPad’s on-screen keyboard is mentally taxing, and that creates friction that interferes with making making your words better.
The iPad is a beautiful machine for reading and staying connected. But Apple obviously designed it for consuming media, not creating it. When it’s time to write, put down the iPad and pick up a pen and notepad. Or sit down in front of a real keyboard. Preferably a loud one.
[Photo: Jason Brennan/flickr]
