I use my iPad just for reading. For that purpose I do not ( more like cannot italic ) use native iOS apps. For PDFs I use PDF Expert by Readdle. It is easy to highlight PDFs with PDF Expert. For videos and some ePubs I use Documents by Readdle. These apps sync documents between Mac and iPad over iCloud Drive. Even if the iPad is sleeping all your files are synced automatically. iBooks app never syncronizes properly the free ePub books I load. So I use Google Play Books for syncing my ePubs to iPad. My highlights are automatically converted to a Google Doc so I can later work on them easily. For purposes other than reading or watching videos I find the use of a tablet meaningless. That why I do not even check my email or use messaging on my iPad. I already removed all unnecessary apps. I use my iPad only for reading Reading from a tablet which is light and small is more convenient than reading from a laptop which is bulky and difficult to move around. My 4-year-old iPad mini 2 (bought refurbished) is still doing great for that purpose. Note I also control my Chrome Cast and Netflix from my iPad when my iPhone battery die early at night.