Unless your looking for a reason to go in on an iPad, than I don't see much other benefit, as the MBP is much more powerful than an ipad and the mini is almost exactly the same spec-wise.
Not saying you shouldn't go for it, but the only major "gain" would be having an ipad. Personally, I would much rather have a MBP to bring to class instead of my ipad, since it has a built in keyboard (which is needed for any serious use besides games and such) and can multitask.
Also, the end of your post referring to "smart" comments, is almost always put up from people who are mad when forum users wont justify a purchase for them.
Good luck.
that is possible. As a matter of fact at my company the consultants get away with using an iPad only.
It actually only depends on what YOU need to do.
My honest recommendation would be to take some time and write down everything you need to do on the iPad (and on the mini).
Then I would research if everything is possible.
If it is then go ahead, but be aware that the iOS device is not as flexible as OSX.
Hope this helps.
, Hopefully I can get my Macbook Pro sold so I can invest in a similar setup, or even save up enough money to get a iPad 3 but I always found it too overwhelming having a iPad+Macbook Pro as they are both portable I only end up using one because I had a iPad 2 in the past and I sold it last december because I did not use it for almost two months. ....but much rather flip my MBP n get a Mac Mini....cause I can jus hook it up to my TV and use it to watch movies n music via my tv when at home and use similar apps to yours when I am out n aboutCorrect. That is the "hold" that the mini has on me. I can not particioate In an iChat 4 way video conference on the IOS boxes.
I had the same thought process awhile back before I took a much needed break from school. At the time (10moths-ish ago) I had a Dual G5 1.8 and a iBook G3/900 that filled the bulk of my school needs. I also had a DA Dual/533 that was a dream of a server for all things media in the house. But as demands stepped up for studies, I figured I needed to step into the intel world.
I sold the lot, and got a decked i7 2011 mini and an Acer iconia A500 tablet to get my linux fix. It worked out pretty well for awhile. The mini does damn near everything I throw at it and them some. While the Acer tab is really a nice machine to use. Airplay worked reasonably well, with a 24 and 22 lcd's hooked up to the mini I did not have much need for it.
Dropbox came in handy as well as logmein as others have said. But there were a few killers in the equation:
1. Single application at a time. The androids tabs have the same issue as any other. While you can have many "active" app's running you have to physically switch between them. Which for me was bothersome to say the least.
2. I purchased a very nice bluetooth keyboard/case combo for my a500, for light things: email, browsing etc. It was and still is great, but abhorrent to say the least when it came to classes that demanded a lot of lecture notes. To get around that, I did try a few app's that amplified the internal mike for audio recording to maybe play them back and transpose them later on my mini no matter what I did, I could not filter ambient noise enough to make it worth while.
So flash forward to a few months back. Strapped for cash and with a setup that worked for the most part, I found my solution. This PB 1.5/15 that I am typing on now. It was dirt cheap. A rock solid machine, with an amazing keyboard, battery life, screen and build quality. It does everything I demand of it daily and never skips a beat! Not bad for a $50.00 find on Criag's list.
I still have my tablet, and it is great for content consumption. It is waiting for me in the morning to browse the news over my morning tea, it streams netflix and hulu while I make dinner and what not. I do not regret the purchase, however, if I had really looked at what I needed everything to do for me in my daily tasks? I would have also gone with a mini/air setup.
Sorry for the long-winded post! Just my experience in it all.
, I cant wait to get a iPad 3, just tight on money so can't afford one right now but hopefully I can in the near future....would be nice but for now I am living it up with my iPhone 4S and MBAir 13" btw buying things used/new on craigslist is great, I do all my expensive electronic shopping from local classifieds because I have $200-$600 easily....
I am interested in how your are sorting out with your MBAir. Does the screen give you problems as far as productivity? Or do you use dedicated spaces to get things done? Right there with ya. I love my mac hardware, but there is a reason there are cheap linux boxes in the house!
I only ask because, I use a 24" and 22" lcd's hooked up to my mini, and I use every inch of space across eight 'virtual desktops'. I have 6 active spaces on my 15" PB and I find the screen limiting. I would love to have a 17" MBP for all my mobile computing/school needs but I think I would have to lever my first born for one! So, being that is not in the cards, and here in Northern California there are some nice airs on the resale market, I might be able to make it work.