iPad Pro Do I need a MacBook if I already have an iPad?

[GhiglioCap]

My current setup involves a PC desktop, Windows laptop and iPad Pro M4, I got the latter because I am a digital artist and primarily got it for drawing and general media consumption (some writing as well with a bluetooth keyboard)
Now while I plan to keep my desktop and upgrade it when appropriate, and primarily use it for gaming and intensive tasks like video editing and 3D modelling, my laptop is in an awkward position since specs wise my iPad blows it out of the water on every front, so my question is when it inevitably kicks the bucket, should I get a MacBook to replace it or just not bother with laptops if I already have an iPad and desktop?
I quite like my current ecosystem between the iPad and iPhone, and I may prefer MacOS over Windows, but would I really need a MacBook if I already have an iPad with a keyboard and mouse? Is there any key task that a MacBook and only a MacBook can do?

 

[cupcakes2000]

That eco system between iOS device gets a lot better when a Mac is also in the mix.

Macs and iPads have different strengths. As a digital artist, you know well the iPads strengths and it very much pertains to you. The Mac is better at more ‘computery’ tasks. Some of which are very difficult or impossible in an iPad. But those can be achieved with you windows machine. I’m talking decent file system management, terminal access and other programming functions. Better versions of a lot of software. Proper Open source and other non Apple methods of installing stuff.

I am a photographer. I use my iPad alongside a Mac mini as a desktop. It’s a bit the best of both worlds, with less cost than a full good spec MacBook. But it’s definitely more challenging than having a laptop, in some respects.

In your situation I would purchase an inexpensive Mac mini when the lappy dies, see if it works well for you and then if it does - ditch the windows machine and upgrade to a nice Mac mini or a Mac Studio if portablity isn’t that important.

 

[It’s always something]

My cup of coffee’s worth: given that you have a desktop that does what you require, and that your iPad seems to satisfy your requirements for other needs and for portability, I see no reason to retain the laptop. There are some issues surrounding getting the desktop and iPad to work together well, as you have no doubt already discovered, but if you’ve got those managed in a way that suits you, then go with what works for you.

Edit to add: one thing I can’t do on my iPad is print, because we don’t have an Air Print-compatible printer. We have a 22 year old USB laser jet, though, so if I need to print something I send it as a PDF to my laptop and print it from there.

Full disclosure: I have a Windows 11 laptop and an iPad 11, along with an Android phone. My iPad is my daily driver, and I use the laptop for stuff I just can’t do (yet) on the iPad. My phone is just a phone + wifi hotspot for me; I use it for almost nothing else (having used both, the Android hotspot experience is orders of magnitude better than the iPhone one).

I hope this helps!

 

[DunedinD]

Is there any key task that a MacBook and only a MacBook can do?

Better usage of external displays and support for them in apps, e.g. as a monitor in video editors, although maybe that’s changed in the latest FCP and rivals on iPad – it’s a while since I tried.

If you’d mentioned software development as an interest, I’d have said Mac is better if you are making certain kinds of apps for which frameworks and permissions are not allowed in Swift Playgrounds for iPad, such as HomeKit access.

But for general desktop work, the iPad with keyboard and mouse is workable, and Stage Manager makes it a more Mac-like experience albeit with some annoyances, like the imprecision of window resizing.

 

[muzzy996]

One can find any number of users on these forums that will tell you things that a Mac can do that a Windows machine can't, and the opposite can be found on the internet as well; and while those specific use cases are valid, they are only valid to a specific user base or set of workflows. Only you can answer whether or not you need a MacBook, and I'd venture to guess that you currently don't own one because you haven't had to scratch that itch. So the question comes back to you - what are you currently missing in your workflows that you would like to have?

I like the suggestion that was made in post 2 of trying out an inexpensive Mac Mini to see if you like the experience. After all, there's something to be said for the continuity of some workflows when one is all-in on an ecosystem - like having things stored/backed up on iCloud etc.

 

[01cowherd]

would I really need a MacBook if I already have an iPad with a keyboard and mouse

Is there any point since you’ve had your iPad that you wished you had a Mac or felt constrained by iPadOS? It sounds like your desktop and iPad cover all your needs.

 

[neutrino17]

Need is a strong word. My opinion is that a good combination is to have an iPad and a macOS device. For me, once I got comfortable with the iPad some years ago I ditched the MacBook and got an iMac. Now I’ve switched out the iMac for a Mac Studio and Studio display.

 

[PlayUltimate]

Need is a strong word. My opinion is that a good combination is to have an iPad and a macOS device. For me, once I got comfortable with the iPad some years ago I ditched the MacBook and got an iMac. Now I’ve switched out the iMac for a Mac Studio and Studio display.

Had that setup for years. Moved to a laptop and use the iPad as an extended screen.

 

[StoneJack]

Generally, iPads are much more limited as work devices (it depends on industry, but in general yes).
Therefore, you would be much more productive in Mac system, so yes, a Macbook would be a good idea even if you have an iPad. iPads' hardware is fine, but the OS is still limited to its iPhone roots.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

Had that setup for years. Moved to a laptop and use the iPad as an extended screen.

Interesting, how do you hook up to use the iPad as a extended screen? THANKS!

 

[Corefile]

It depends what iPad OS 19 looks like. There's a school of thought that says it'll be a full blown Mac OS.

 

[cupcakes2000]

It depends what iPad OS 19 looks like. There's a school of thought that says it'll be a full blown Mac OS.

I would take that with a pinch of salt. Firstly that rumour has existed for many years. Secondly, it can only be maclike in looks, really. iOS, ipadOS and most other mobile OS’ have a fundamentally different way of working over traditional systems. Short of porting macOS, it won’t ever be macOS like. Hopefully (and to be honest, more desirably due to the much more secure way of working), it will become easier to work with in a traditional way - but that’s all anyone can truly hope for.

 

[rui no onna]

Generally, iPads are much more limited as work devices (it depends on industry, but in general yes).
Therefore, you would be much more productive in Mac system, so yes, a Macbook would be a good idea even if you have an iPad. iPads' hardware is fine, but the OS is still limited to its iPhone roots.

OP has a desktop though so a laptop may not be necessary.

Personally, I work on a desktop and use the iPad for leisure. I rarely have use for laptops.

 

[redcarian]

Interesting, how do you hook up to use the iPad as a extended screen? THANKS!

In System Settings, go to Displays, and click Advanced.

You now have options for working with your iPad

You can also add your iPad as an extended display by clicking on the dropdown and choosing the relevant option:

 

[StoneJack]

In System Settings, go to Displays, and click Advanced.

You now have options for working with your iPad

View attachment 2505250

You can also add your iPad as an extended display by clicking on the dropdown and choosing the relevant option:
View attachment 2505253

I don't do it usually but it is nice to have an option

 

[RSB96]

I now have iPad Pro and MacBook Pro. The MacBook I needed for a while, but I end up using the iPad more.

For professional use I have to use Windows and I have Android as my work phone, so the MacBook Pro I hardly use, as at home I prefer to use the iPad with or without keyboard.

For personal use, I prefer the iPad, with its limitations, to the MacBook. I have the Mac Studio as my personal desktop computer and I have power to spare everywhere (if the Mac mini had come out with the M2 Pro, I would have bought that one).

I like having a MacBook “just in case”, but in the end it's a lot of money for a computer that spends most of its time tucked away in a case.

My personal use of the computers is web browsing, social networking, chatting, FaceTime, photo editing. For that I find the iPad better than the MacBook (for my use).

I wish it had Mac's Office suite, and I wish they would remove certain shackles from iOS (multitasking, that if you're downloading something it downloads it and doesn't pause if the device crashes, a more complete clipboard, better window management in Stage Manager, etc.), but regardless, I love the iPad and have always been a big advocate of it. I've had the iPad as my laptop since 2017, and except for a brief temporary period, I haven't missed a MacBook.

 

[PlayUltimate]

I don't do it usually but it is nice to have an option

I part-time teach in a high school. I like to create Keynote presentations and drag photos into the presentation. On my 13" MacBook Air, the screen is too small to have both Keynote and Safari displayed. Thus, using the iPad as an extended display allows me to open up each on a different device and to easily drag and drop. I use this setup every day.

 

[Soccerrick10]

That eco system between iOS device gets a lot better when a Mac is also in the mix.

Macs and iPads have different strengths. As a digital artist, you know well the iPads strengths and it very much pertains to you. The Mac is better at more ‘computery’ tasks. Some of which are very difficult or impossible in an iPad. But those can be achieved with you windows machine. I’m talking decent file system management, terminal access and other programming functions. Better versions of a lot of software. Proper Open source and other non Apple methods of installing stuff.

I am a photographer. I use my iPad alongside a Mac mini as a desktop. It’s a bit the best of both worlds, with less cost than a full good spec MacBook. But it’s definitely more challenging than having a laptop, in some respects.

In your situation I would purchase an inexpensive Mac mini when the lappy dies, see if it works well for you and then if it does - ditch the windows machine and upgrade to a nice Mac mini or a Mac Studio if portablity isn’t that important.

As a fellow photographer, this is my exact setup as well. iPad Pro for everything except printing. Mac mini to handle the complex task of museum quality black and white prints. I use Universal Control and the iPad Magic Keyboard with Trackpad as my primary input device for both systems. When I'm on the go, I can grab the iPad alone or take the keyboard too if needed. When I return, it automatically reconnects and I have my dual OS system running in seconds.

If the iPad could handle more sophisticated printing tasks, I could eliminate the Mac mini and just run with iPad Pro.

 

[techyOS]

Better usage of external displays and support for them in apps, e.g. as a monitor in video editors, although maybe that’s changed in the latest FCP and rivals on iPad – it’s a while since I tried.

If you’d mentioned software development as an interest, I’d have said Mac is better if you are making certain kinds of apps for which frameworks and permissions are not allowed in Swift Playgrounds for iPad, such as HomeKit access.

But for general desktop work, the iPad with keyboard and mouse is workable, and Stage Manager makes it a more Mac-like experience albeit with some annoyances, like the imprecision of window resizing.

i made the mistake of buying fcp on the ipad for a year, and even now, it is nowhere close to being as intuitive as final cut pro on the mac, and definitely still feels like a “mobile video editor”. i suppose the two main perks of final cut pro on the ipads are live multicam and live drawing, but alternatives exist…