iPad or not? Need advice

[sebastienDS]

Hi all,

I need some opinions here. I keep going back and forth between a new macbook or an ipad.

I'm an airline pilot so I spend about 6 nights a month in hotels.

Current setup: 2016 macbook pro 13 without touchbar and a 5 year old desktop pc at home (gtx660). At the moment I use the MBP for entertainment and emails internet etc and I use the desktop for some gaming (I only play Playerunknown's Battlegrounds which is a heavy game atm)

My mother will be using the macbook from now on.
With iOS 11 I can pretty much do everything on the iPad.

So either:
I buy a 10.5 ipad pro for travelling/movies/emails/series and internet stuff. + I upgrade my desktop PC. Downside would be that I can only game at home.

or I buy a 2017 MBP 15inch with radeon 560 and I do everything on that and basically take it everywhere. Downside is that this is expensive and gaming won't be super smooth. Also the macbook is way more bulky to travel with.

I could buy a gaming laptop but all of them are ugly and have flaws and/or are as expensive as the macbook. Also, they would be used purely for gaming as I don't like windows10.

Gaming is not that important but it's just nice to game whenever I want to kill some time.

What do you guys think?

 

[Moi Ici]

iPad, with cellular will I think, deliver most of what you need. It's very powerful and gaming from iOS apps is amazing.

 

[sebastienDS]

iPad, with cellular will I think, deliver most of what you need. It's very powerful and gaming from iOS apps is amazing.

Hey thanks for the quick reply. Regarding gaming, I don't plan on gaming in iOS. Theres only a few games I like and they are all Windows only

 

[Bart Kela]

Well then, it's difficult to understand why you mentioned gaming to begin with.

You claim that gaming is not important but it is nice to kill time, then you follow up by saying that the only games you play are Windows only. Hence, the inquiry about buying an iPad (in the subject title) is mystifying. You can't play Windows games on an iOS device.

Also bizarre is the fact that you are the owner of a *VERY* recent MacBook Pro model (2016). What shortcomings does your device have that you think could be resolved by a newer device? Certainly an iPad is not going to outperform last year's MacBook Pro in any metric.

It seems to me that you need to decide whether or not you can live with Windows games or not. If you can't, then your decision is between a Windows device or a Mac that can run Windows (Bootcamp or some other virtual machine), the latter you already own.

If you can live without Windows games during your travels, then it seems like your biggest consideration would be hardware weight. You can surf the Internet and type e-mails on any device.

Make up your mind on your priorities and choose the best solution that fits your desires and budget.

 

[fig]

Also bizarre is the fact that you are the owner of a *VERY* recent MacBook Pro model (2016). What shortcomings does your device have that you think could be resolved by a newer device? Certainly an iPad is not going to outperform last year's MacBook Pro in any metric.

I found that part a bit strange as well.

In the OP's situation I'd probably just find a used iPad Mini to buy for use media/email then save up for the upgrades to the PC.

 

[bliggs]

"Certainly an iPad is not going to outperform last year's MacBook Pro in any metric."

I actually would have thought the same thing but have a look at these Geekbench scores.

http://barefeats.com/ipadpro2017.html

 

[CrystalQuest76]

The iPad for ($360) maybe an easier to use tool to load your electronic flight-bag if its compatible. If you have a modern smart phone use it as a mobile hotspot and avoid paying extra expenses for a cellular enabled iPad. While the internet connection will be a little slower going through your smartphone/hotspot, it will not be noticeable for most uses. If you need a bigger screen keep your existing MacBook Pro 13 and buy a 21 inch secondary monitor for less than 100 dollars. Just plug the laptop into that secondary monitor. Using that combination, you will save a chunk of money.
And saving money is not a crime.

 

[smallcoffee]

Which games?

 

[krause734]

I would get an Intel NUC. You can plug it into the hotel TV with an HDMI cable and play your windows games.

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-BOXNUC...UTF8&qid=1497965688&sr=1-4&keywords=intel+nuc

 

[KGB7]

If you want an iPad, you can get a 5th gen 9.7 for $300. Use that during traveling.

And use pc at home for gaming.

 

[Bart Kela]

Which games?

The OP only plays one game and lists it in his original post.

 

[maflynn]

or I buy a 2017 MBP 15inch with radeon 560 and I do everything on that and basically take it everywhere. Downside is that this is expensive and gaming won't be super smooth. Also the macbook is way more bulky to travel with.

The MBP is not a gaming system, and so I'd not recommend purchasing it, if you want to game on it.

The iPad is a great tablet, but if you don't have a defined set of uses for it, then why buy it?