Second screen - ipad or monitor?

[KatyB98]

Hi all,

I'm thinking about getting a second screen to help working from home with my job and also university work but I'm unsure whether to use my 2019 iPad Pro with my 2017 Macbook Pro using Sidecar/Duet etc or just to get a non-apple monitor and connect it using a HDMI and usb-c adapter.

Is the resolution of the iPad good enough? Or would you recommend getting a monitor? I'd just be using it for note-making/referencing and reading instructions for programming on the other screen etc.

I do also use my iPad Pro for graphic design and Procreate so not sure if connecting/disconnecting it all the time is easy?

Thanks

 

[robotica]

i'd try it with your ipad to see how it goes. I would love to be able to use sidecar with mine but I only have and iPad 5 whch apple does not allow me to use as it does not have apple pencil support. I only wanted to use it as a monitor though.

 

[LinkRS]

Hi all,

I'm thinking about getting a second screen to help working from home with my job and also university work but I'm unsure whether to use my 2019 iPad Pro with my 2017 Macbook Pro using Sidecar/Duet etc or just to get a non-apple monitor and connect it using a HDMI and usb-c adapter.

Is the resolution of the iPad good enough? Or would you recommend getting a monitor? I'd just be using it for note-making/referencing and reading instructions for programming on the other screen etc.

I do also use my iPad Pro for graphic design and Procreate so not sure if connecting/disconnecting it all the time is easy?

Thanks

Howdy KatyB98,

I have an 11" iPad Pro, which I tested the waters with sidecar. And I am very unimpressed. I tried to have the iPad Pro be on the left, while the internal display was on the right. I had a website up playing videos of a class on the left side, and then the Unreal Engine IDE up on the internal display (right screen). I was wanting to keep the Finder and the Dock on the internal display (it is bigger), but SideCar kept glitching out, and randomly making the iPad be the primary display, meaning popups and other messages would be directed to that display, interrupting the video. I imagine if you had the iPad on the right, perhaps it works better? I stopped using it after about 45 minutes. It was frustrating :-(

Rich S.

 

[robvas]

IMO using an iPad is just a novelty....buy a big screen!

 

[jerryk]

I would just use a monitor they are designed to do what you want. And personnel I would rather program on a monitor than the laptop screen. You can get a 24" monitor for $120 or less.

 

[performative]

Sorry if this topic has already been discussed or is currently being discussed. I would be grateful if you would share with me the links to these sections.

So, I am currently researching these two models (head). I will use one of them for work, mostly text editing while a large amount of open resources on the Internet is opened, spotify, tweetdeck, utube and etc.

The main requirement for a laptop is to be able to use it with one or two external displays. This is a very important part of my job.

My concern stems from a well-known MBP16 external display issue. But I can't find an answer: will it heat up during my work tasks (f.e. above 80C)?

At the same time, will MBP 2020 13 (base) work without overheating?

In this case, I am not interested in the financial benefits of purchasing any of the models, or dGPUs. Only the ability of the device to nice work with external displays.

Thank you and excuse me for troubling you!