Ipad vs Macbook

[Gaprofitt]

Hey All,

I'm needing to buy a laptop for work. I mainly just do the basics, some photo editing, powerpoint, word, excel, email, RDP, etc.

I like the concept of IPAD as it's smaller and lighter weight and also is a multimedia machine. That being said is the IPADOS 26 just not there yet. Understandably it's in beta, I want to use it with external monitor as well.

Do I just go macbook or what do you all think?

 

[maflynn]

A Macbook would be a better fit, can you do what you're stating on an iPad yes, but there's going to be some sacrifisees and work arounds needed, where as for the MacBook, no work arounds will be needed.

My opinion is that the MBP (or MBA) is a better fit for content creation, be it photo editing, office apps, or connecting to computers/servers via RDP

 

[aperfectcircle]

If you’re a light user, the iPad is definitely an option. I use it as a secondary device - if I go on site to a client or just feel like working from a cafe for a few hours - and it is fully functional for my needs. That was the case on iPadOS 18 also.

My usage for work is largely the MS Office suite including outlook and Teams, as well as a mix of iCloud files and SharePoint. The only thing I struggle with on the iPad is more advanced Excel work where the iPad app is just too basic and fiddly for advanced modelling and analysis work.

If you’re working within similar parameters and any other systems you need access to are cloud based, the iPad may work for you. It may take some adjustment as it’s not the same as macOS, so really comes down to the type of work and how heavy a user you are as to whether it would work for you. A Mac is still going to be the safest bet though.

 

[loopy123]

You will find using RDP using MS Remote Desktop to connect to Windows machines works really well on the MacBook.

 

[chown33]

Here's a thread with 8000 posts about using an iPad as a laptop replacement:

iPad as a laptop replacement

I've have a MacBook Pro Retina for a year now, and quite frankly, it’s simply overkill for what I use the computer for on a daily basis. I would have been fine with a MacBook Air but elected to spend the extra cash for a nice screen. I use writing intensive programs (Final Draft, Pages, etc)...

forums.macrumors.com

It started in 2014, so you should probably focus on only the last year of posts, or maybe since Jan 2025.

There's also this:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/with-ipados-26-what-cant-an-ipad-pro-do-compared-with-a-macbook-pro-air.2462388/

If you're basing a purchase decision on a beta OS, you may be surprised when the final release happens. Or even the .1 release. That surprise can go either way: it may be a pleasant surprise, or it may be disappointing.

If there's something that's a deal-breaker capability for you, I'd:
A) wait for the final OS release,
B) ensure the required software has been update for that OS,
C) use the 14-day no-questions-asked return period to evaluate an actual iPad running the final OS release.