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This year more than ever I have a lot to be thankful for. I quit my job, turned my life upside down, and I’m still paying the mortgage. You, friends, have played a huge role in all of this and for that I will be forever thankful. I hope your Turkey is delicious.

Lately I’ve been thinking, podcasting, and writing about the iPad a lot. As a result I’ve received a lot of email and Twitter traffic asking if I think the iPad software and hardware has evolved to a point that it can replace a Mac. The answer to that question is, “it depends.” More importantly though, that’s the wrong question. I think it’s a mistake to get hung up on whether or not an iPad can replace a traditional computer. It’s like asking if buying toaster means you can get rid of your oven.

Instead, consider whether or not an iPad in your life makes things better/easier/funner than things are without an iPad. This is not a zero sum game. It’s okay to have an iPad and a Mac. Nobody’s judging you here.

The iPad is so versatile that the reason for its place in your life varies with the individual user. With my iPad I’m better able to review and annotate legal contracts, read Thelonious Monk sheet music, present evidence in court, edit pictures, and answer email while sitting in the garden. These are all things I’ve done in the past without an iPad but are now easier and more convenient with one. I’ve got a different list of things that I prefer to do on a Mac. Using an iPad because it is better at some things but not all things is okay.

The right question to ask yourself is not whether you need an iPad to replace a Mac but instead whether or not the particular things an iPad does best for you are worth the cost to buy one.

Today my pal Brett Terpstra published a short tutorial on how to add line numbering in the Mac OS terminal. This is just one in a series of Shell Tricks posts from Brett. If you’ve always wanted to get better using the terminal, here’s a great way to start.

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Speaking of geeks and gifts … if you were thinking about doing some holiday shopping this week, I’ve got a few geek-friendly items on my Amazon page, which also, coincidentally serves as an excellent jumping off point to Amazon shopping trips in general.

This week I’m pleased to welcome back Middle Davids Artisan Candles as a MacSparky sponsor. Dan and his team at Middle Davids understand the use of rituals to help with productivity. Have you considered using the scent of a candle? It works.

I burn candles while I work and I always feel that the ritual of lighting the candle is a way to tell myself “it is on” and get to work. After I’ve worked a few hours, I blow out the candle and take a break. You’ll be surprised how well this works. This month I’m burning through a Green Tea candle from Middle Davids. The vast majority of people who try a Middle Davids subscription stick with it. In a world full of technology, this provides a fantastic analog motivational tool. 

With the holidays approaching, you may not just want a candle subscription for yourself. You can gift a subscription so your friends or family get a reminder in the mail every month or two that you care. (They have gift options for one, two, three, four, six and twelve months so every budget is covered.)

Dan, the proprietor, is a candle geek and obsesses on candles like I do productivity apps. The candles are 100% botanical soy wax, not paraffin (which is a petrochemical) and the wicks are cotton woven (no metals).

Middle Davids has a subscription plan that gets you two candles a month with 40 hours of burn time. You also get a box of wooden matches, and a sample of the next month’s scent. Give it a try. You’ll surprise yourself. Use the code “Balsam” (which happens to be my favorite scent) for $5 off. Also, check out their video, below.

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