Does anyone have an iPhone, iPad and Macbook Pro?

SnowLeopard2008 · Oct 17, 2013

I have an iPhone 5, iPad mini and 11" MacBook Air.

I use my iPhone for obvious uses like text messaging, calling, GPS, camera, calendar, listening to music, etc. Standard smartphone stuff.

I use my iPad for consuming digital content. This includes watching Netflix, reading eBooks, etc. It usually sits at home on my desk or bed, basically a secondary computer.

I use my MacBook Air for anything that requires lots of typing, clicking, raw compute/graphical power and anything of that nature. Things like composing emails, editing photos/video, programming, etc.

I admit that there are overlapping areas of usage. But technically you could live without any of these devices. All you'd need is food, water and shelter. But does having an iPad make my life a little easier and/or better? Yes. Is it affordable? In my case, yes.

To OP: I recommend the MBA unless you really a) need the DVD drive b) need a dedicated Ethernet port c) need a dedicated FireWire port or d) need the discrete graphics in the 15" MBP. Otherwise, a MBA is the better choice. For me personally, I haven't touched disc media in years. I have the Thunderbolt to Ethernet dongle when I rarely need Ethernet. And there's also a Thunderbolt to FireWire dongle. Lack of discrete graphics is fine by me. I run pretty heavy apps like FCPX, Adobe CS, VMware Fusion and Matlab on my little 11" MBA (Haswell) and everything runs smooth.

davegoody · Oct 17, 2013

That, and a lot more....

jread said:
I have gone a couple of years with just an iPad and iPhone, and using an old Windows laptop when I need an actual "computer". I have pretty much made my iPad my primary computer and only use my phone for music, texts and calls. I also use my iPhone when I need internet access and am not near WiFi since my iPad is WiFi-only.

Lately I've been looking at the MacBooks as I really like the new ones with the retina display. I'm used to retina screens and really don't want to use a regular screen anymore, so I was definitely intrigued when they became available on the MacBook. Another reason I'd like to have a MacBook is that my old Windows laptop is too outdated to play the latest games, etc. and to be honest I really miss having a keyboard. I get by with the keyboard on my iPad, but it's definitely a lot slower and less efficient to type on it.

I know there are people who have every Apple product, but I am not really interested in that. I have no use for an iPod Touch, for instance, because it doesn't offer anything that my iPhone 5 doesn't already do. As for the iPad, I love its portability, but I miss having a keyboard and I miss having the processing power to do more than play iOS games, check email or surf the web. I mean, my iPhone can do all of those things anyway, just on a smaller screen.

So, are there any of you who have all three? Do you actually use all three? I really just want to have either the iPad or MacBook Pro, but not really both. Is the MacBook Pro portable enough that you can take it everywhere? I haven't decided if I want the 13" or 15" as I do like the better hardware available on the 15". It seems like having a dedicated video card would make a lot of difference (but I'm just assuming here).

Anyway, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this. The MacBook Pro is insanely expensive so I don't want to get it and end up just using my iPad all the time instead. I'd like to have the MacBook Pro for more intensive computing and use my iPhone for anything iOS related. I guess I'm just worried that the MacBook Pro probably won't give me the portability that I get with the iPad.

I have two 17" MacBook Pro, one of the last ones, and a pre-unibody - the first with a homebrew 1TB Fusion drive. I have an iPad Mini, an iPhone 5s, two Mac Minis plus 2 PCs. Still want a new MacPro when they are eventually launched too....

960design · Oct 17, 2013

jread said:
So, are there any of you who have all three? Do you actually use all three? I really just want to have either the iPad or MacBook Pro, but not really both. Is the MacBook Pro portable enough that you can take it everywhere? I haven't decided if I want the 13" or 15" as I do like the better hardware available on the 15". It seems like having a dedicated video card would make a lot of difference (but I'm just assuming here).

I use all three ( and more ):
iPhone5s for well phone calls, iTunes radio for the car, email, navigation, texting, photos ( amazing camera, love the slow mo and burst modes! )
iPad4 for games, internet surfing, reading books, watching movies ( itunes and netflix ), office email, personal email, beta testing
MacbookPro for web & iOS development ( many different programs running at the same time ), creating documentation, localhost environment, light photoshop work, office email

If you are considering a MacBookPro you may want to wait a couple of more weeks. End of October, Apple may announce a new Haswell version with much better battery life, although my late 2011 still runs about 6.5 - 7.0 hours on a charge. It's about time for me to refresh, so I'll pick up a new one and skip the short lived Broadwell chip.

Macman45 · Oct 17, 2013

I actually have an IP5s, an Ipad 4 ( kinda been hijacked by my Fiancee..

) an rMBP 13" an Imac and a Mac Pro 5.1 Hex.

I used to use the ipad a lot for browsing the web and laying games, as the screen on the phone is too small for my old eyes, but they are all in daily use.

LaunchpadBS · Oct 17, 2013

Check the sig

I use em all

AlliFlowers · Oct 17, 2013

I have all 3. The phone is for phone calls, texts (not everyone uses iMessage), non game apps.

The iPad is for email, some games, and reading.

The MBP is for work. There are still too many things you can't do from a portable device, including uploading documents to most websites that require uploads. Of course, you also need a computer for things like recording podcasts.

Each has its purpose, some people require all three.

Mainsail · Oct 17, 2013

If the OP has been using an iphone and ipad only for a while, without much need for a full computer operating system, his needs could be pretty simple. One option is to buy a Mac Mini rather than a Macbook. If you already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, the Mini will cost about half of a base level Macbook and substantially less than a retina Macbook.

I went to this configuration because the iPad really handles all of my mobile productivity needs and light content creation. I use my desktop computer about 10-20% of the time, when I need to do some heavy lifting that the iPad does not handle well. I have yet to run into a situation where I am away from my desk and absolutely must have a full operating system.......iOs always gets me through until I get back to the desktop.

My two cents, YMMV.

JoeRito · Oct 17, 2013

May I be among the few to answer "no"? I believe in evaluating a purchase, not completely independent of the other technology one possesses, but by weighting heavily what the best device is in a given category, to suit one's needs. Apple does not always have the best device for me.

That said, I own multiple MBPs, with which I process work and personal activities. I own an iPad mini (for light work, presentations, email, and surfing), an IPod, etc. For phones, I prefer the Samsung Galaxy models. Actually the tablet purchase was a close one for me as well as there are some really nice options for the price out there. I like iOS, but not married to it. Conversely, I love OS X and would be hard pressed to go to another OS!!

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Does anyone have an iPhone, iPad and Macbook Pro?

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