Hi!
Surprise! I be you didn’t expect to hear from me today, as Switch to iPad is being sunsetted. Well, while I’ve been overwhelmed with other stuff (also known as work), I’ve got a couple of final updates on the site for you.
But first, a follow-up on my move to Proton, which I talked about in issue 118 (unlocked for all, as of today).
Long story short, I’ve moved away from Proton. I’m now using Fastmail for myself and my team at Divide & Conquer. Don’t get me wrong, I think Proton is a great service, but it just didn’t work out for me for two reasons.
- The apps aren’t good enough. They’re passable on iPhone, but as iPad apps, the Proton suite (VPN excluded) is just functional. At the time of writing, there isn’t even a Proton Calendar app for iPad, you’re stuck with the iPhone version, which is a problem because…
- Encrypted calendars is good on principle, but unless you go all in, it’s a nuisance. You can’t use the regular Calendar app with Proton Calendar, just as you can’t use the regular Mail app (on iOS, there’s a questionable Mail Bridge app for macOS) with Proton Mail.
All in all, this was more trouble than it was worth. The Proton web interface is great, it really is, on a traditional computer. On a touchscreen, it has issues with scrolling, and small little things that I’ve run into over the weeks I used Proton for my private and work mail. I just can’t stand a situation where the iPad is a third-rate citizen, the iPhone is workable but poor, and the browser on macOS or Windows is the only truly good experience.
So, if you’re moving from Google and aren’t an iPad user when it comes to email or calendars, then Proton works just fine. For me, and all of you, I suspect, it’s just not an option, unfortunately.
Fastmail, on the other hand, just works. It syncs faster than Google ever did, on all my devices, and has great import features. Moving from Proton was as easy as exporting MBOX files using Proton’s great export app (on macOS, obviously), and then importing them in Fastmail’s web interface. A web interface that seemingly works flawlessly on iPad, I might add.
It’s not all good, though. Fastmail’s app, while feature complete, isn’t particularly stable, I’ve found, but that matters little when I can use the default Mail and Calendar apps. And, for account administration and the like, the web interface works just fine on all platforms.
The goal was to move off Google, and I achieved that. I wish Proton would’ve worked out, it could have, but alas, no. I still think they’ve got a great service, and the right attitude, but their approach to apps, and the way they’re incompatible with default apps, just doesn’t work for me.
If you’re looking to move off Google, and you’re using their Workplace service with a domain, here’s a small heads-up: You Google account will be deleted. Make sure you use another account with services and Google app stores, otherwise you’ll lose access.
The iPad Office Toolkit
You might recall that I’m working on something called the iPad Office Toolkit. While Switch to iPad is still being sunsetted, I still intend to finish this particular project. It’s going well enough, but I’m looking to broaden the horizon a bit. With that in mind, I have a question to those of you who are working in a traditional (whatever that means, no judging) office:
🤔 What problems do you have using your iPad for you office tasks?
Please hit reply, or email [email protected], with your thoughts, problems, or worries.
Thank you!
Reviewing the Zagg Pro Keys with Trackpad
The final review on Switch to iPad happens to be the Zagg Pro Keys with Trackpad, which I’ve tried on my 11” iPad Pro. It’s a sturdy Magic Keyboard alternative with a somewhat more reasonable price.
That’s it for this newsletter. I hope you enjoyed my little follow-up, and the new post on the site.