The iPad is a never-ending source of debate within the Apple community. Is it an actual computer? Can you get real work done on it? Is it the future? We can’t ever seem to decide.

In the wake of Stage Manager’s controversial rollout and a low-key update to the iPad Pro last fall, there’s been a new wave of opinions on the iPad’s place in Apple’s lineup and the lives of its users. Some of those who’ve long been the iPad’s biggest apologists are now looking elsewhere to meet their computing needs. Others are simply souring on the platform’s potential to ever be more than it currently is. The overall vibe on the iPad right now is pretty negative.

I found this all discouraging at first. As someone who’s used the iPad as their main computer for several years, I’m pretty attached to it. I have a lot of love for the platform because of all that it’s enabled me to do. So to see many people I respect feeling down on the iPad was jarring to me.

This led me to wonder if I had become stuck in my ways. I thought, “Am I in the wrong for continuing to use this device that I love so dearly? Am I letting my positive feelings toward the iPad cloud my judgment? Should I considering moving away from it, too?”

I’d be lying if I said I don’t get a bit of a thrill from being on the cutting edge. That’s what being an iPad user has felt like for a long time. But now, the general consensus is that the iPad is the old way. It’s dying. It’s time to move on.

But the more I considered this idea, the more sure I became that that isn’t the right approach for me. The reason I use the iPad is that it works for me. The hardware, the operating system, the input mechanisms, the apps—they all come together to enable me to do the things I love to do. There’s no reason to give up on that just because others might.

The truth is that I could switch away from the iPad right now. I could put it in a drawer, walk away, and never pick it up again. I’ve got a work-commissioned MacBook Pro and and iMac at home that would be more than capable of doing what I need them to do. A lot of my favorite apps even run on the Mac, and I’m sure I could find decent substitutes for the ones that don’t.

So why am I still so attracted to the iPad? There are a lot of reasons. iPadOS makes more sense to me than macOS does. I can use it more naturally and efficiently because I just connect with it. Being able to use touch and the Apple Pencil as input methods in addition to a trackpad and keyboard means I have the ultimate flexibility. And there’s still nothing quite like holding my computer tablet-style and being able to directly touch what I’m working on with my hands.

At the end of the day, the iPad is what works for me. Maybe it doesn’t work for everyone, and that’s okay. We each have to find and use whatever system works best for us. I can’t fault someone for finding a better fit for them, just like I hope no one will fault me for my choice.

Other people finding use elsewhere doesn’t diminish the value of my setup or what I’m able to do with it. That’s the beauty of technology: It’s personal, and everyone can use it to create the solutions they need. So as much as I understand why many are turning away from the iPad, I’m choosing to lean into it even more. And I can be confident in that decision knowing it’s the best one for me.