All iPads Should I buy an iPad if I already have a MacBook?

[NastyMatt]

Did you do any kind of drawing before getting an iPad? I only played around with it at the Apple store, but it’s something I may be interested in trying out. Maybe I am an artist.. ?

Nothing serious (or time consuming) but I do like drawing and adjusting photos - obviously the pen lends its self to this. When I got the IPP (and pen) I thought I might as well try out an app and got Procreate... and it just blew me away... I know some people are going to laugh but you can turn the pen, different pressure etc Just amazed me

Plus, the kids love drawing on it, so it's good for their creativity. I have used Procreate to recreate some artwork from a 75 year old summons (flyer type thing). I scanned it, then used colour pickers, imported fonts. Would have taken me until 2027 to do that on my pc.

Just watch some Teela - Every-Tuesday youtube stuff to get inspired.

 

[jace88]

I use my iPad Pro for both content consumption and productivity (Office apps). The last bit is different to others because even though I own a Macbook Pro, for work purposes, they don't support anything other than iOS and Android since we get a Lenovo X1 carbon which is enterprise managed. Sometimes I don't want to feel like I'm doing work work, so I use the iPad to review documents, mark things up, etc...

 

[adamjackson]

I won't link to them but I've written about iPad over the years on my blog and I did recently go through those posts where I reviewed various iPads and for a very long time, it was a lean-back device (as Steve pitched gen 1) then it became a "well I need to do more than a phone can do but less than a laptop" kind of device and the 2018 iPad Pro was the first time that I actually started using it as a MacBook replacement instead of iPhone replacement. What I mean is, I have a MacBook Pro, an iMac, an iPhone and an iPad and when I'm doing a 2 week motorcycle trip, I can get all of my work done on an iPad that is necessary. I'm a project manager and real estate agent. I can keep up with Jira/Confluence/Outlook/Teams/Omni-apps/Slack/Mail/Zoom/Safari all on an iPad w/ Magic keyboard and a tethering plan to my iPhone. There are some things I won't do on iPad which is content creation / editing. I run aYouTube channel and do professional photography and submit to a few magazines every month so those things I save for when I'm back on my iMac because I prefer working on my 27" 5K display. The iPad Pro 12.9" could replace the MacBook and iPad 11" for tasks like that but I Just love the Mac too much to make that jump. So today....

iPhone for 1st computing interaction when I need to get a task done
iPad for more than iPhone, Less than MacBook
MacBook for 'real work done fast'
iMac for immersive content creation in a professional setting with zero speed/storage/resolution restrictions

I would not want to live on a phone / iPad for more than a couple of weeks but the fact that I can shows we're very close to it replacing a MacBook for me. I recently considered not purchasing a MacBook when it came Time to return to an office and still did it and don't regret it because of multi-tasking. that's the one area iPad needs to get right before I can sell the M1 MacBook Pro and just do a 12.9" iPad Pro which, by the way if you compare them the same, the iPad costs WAY more than the MacBook Pro and still only has 1 USB-C port.

 

[neutrino23]

I used to use an iPad Pro 12.9" and a MBP 15". I had used MacBooks for over 20 years. I finally got rid of the MBP and got a 27" iMac. I use the iPad for traveling. In a pinch you can do a Remote Desktop connection to the iMac with various apps. I tried it a few times to check that it worked. Turns out I never needed it. When I used to travel I mostly needed to refer to documents, give keynote presentations and take notes. The iPad is perfect for this. On the other hand, at the home office the 27" iMac is much better than the MBP for content creation. I really love the large screen. The next version of this with an M1x will be awesome. For personal reasons I'll probably wait till next year to do this.

The large iMac is awesome for FCPX, Keynote, photographs, architectural drawings and more along that line.

 

[sracer]

I went to the Apple Store recently and played around with the iPads. They had GoodNotes 5 installed and I thought the use of the Apple Pencil and handwritten notes really neat, getting rid of the need for pen and paper. Granted, I don't do much of this now, but maybe I should be? I always thought the 120 Hz display wouldn't make a difference, but damn do the iPad Pros look smooth.

Anyways, I'm hearing that you don't need an iPad until you start using one. Do people use the iPad as an entertainment device or more towards productivity? I already have a MacBook Pro hooked up to a monitor and can do both on it, so I'm not seeing an absolute need for it. Have any of you bought an iPad going in with not much uses for it, but ended up using it more than you thought (or not)? I'm a software engineer, so if there are others out there with an iPad and MacBook, love to hear your thoughts.

I'm a software engineer too (40+ years in the business) and I was immediately sold on the iPad platform on day-1 of the announcement of the original iPad.

Over the years my use of the iPad has changed. It started out as a casual computing device... I bought Apple's keyboard dock for the iPad 1 along with the iPad 1. I jailbroke it to use a mouse with it.

At the time of the release of the iPad Air 2, I began to use it as a netbook of sorts with a keyboard case. I then moved up to the 1st gen 12.9 iPad Pro with the smart keyboard cover. I used the Citrix mouse and Jump Desktop with it which allowed me to remote into my iMac in my home office, essentially giving me a macbook user experience. With the Apple Pencil, it also served extremely well as a digital notebook/journal/planner.

But as iOS lagged in improvements and functionality, I traded 12.9 Pro in for a 6th gen iPad but kept the Pencil. The smaller form-factor allowed me to use it to an even greater extent as a digital notebook. GoodNotes was the central app that I used.

I eventually traded that in for an iPad Mini 5. The smaller form-factor was closer to the 1/2 letter size padfolio I had been using. It is also great as an ereader. That's about all that I use it for these days.... I have switched over to the Galaxy Tab S6 as my primary tablet.

The iPad was never a primary device for me. I have an iMac for the "heavy lifting", a half-dozen laptops running Windows 10, 7, Chrome OS, and Linux (recently traded in a Macbook Air).

 

[Infinite Vortex]

I have to say, I didn't know I wanted an iPad until I was given one. I had an iPhone and a MacBook Pro and just never believed there was space for me to justify the cost between the two. Today, I probably use my tablet more than my phone. As with all things it's down to what you do with each device as they each have their strengths. I probably even use my tablet more than my laptop. My desktop is definitely used the most of all my devices.

My general advice would be to buy a mid-range tablet that's good enough to do what you want and for you to know what you're wanting in your next tablet. Failing that it's not too expensive to then sell and/or pass on if it's not for you.

UPDATE : oh, I always buy the SIM card version and probably always will.

 

[KittyKatta]

My opinion has always been “An iPad does not replace a MacBook but it does replace a bunch of things you do on the MacBook”.

Personally, I love the iPad and use it for 90% of my stuff. But because of that last 10% I can’t dump the Mac... yet.

 

[coffeeplease]

iPhone for 1st computing interaction when I need to get a task done
iPad for more than iPhone, Less than MacBook
MacBook for 'real work done fast'
iMac for immersive content creation in a professional setting with zero speed/storage/resolution restrictions

I would not want to live on a phone / iPad for more than a couple of weeks but the fact that I can shows we're very close to it replacing a MacBook for me. I recently considered not purchasing a MacBook when it came Time to return to an office and still did it and don't regret it because of multi-tasking. that's the one area iPad needs to get right before I can sell the M1 MacBook Pro and just do a 12.9" iPad Pro which, by the way if you compare them the same, the iPad costs WAY more than the MacBook Pro and still only has 1 USB-C port.

That is really what I am taking away from this. I don't think the iPad will replace my Mac (at least not yet), but it will make certain tasks easier as an in-between of iPhone and Mac. My real work (programming) will still be done on the Mac.

 

[coffeeplease]

I eventually traded that in for an iPad Mini 5. The smaller form-factor was closer to the 1/2 letter size padfolio I had been using. It is also great as an ereader. That's about all that I use it for these days.... I have switched over to the Galaxy Tab S6 as my primary tablet.

Interesting that you went from loving the iPad down to only using it as an e-reader, this is what I worry might happen with me. It may just be a new toy I'll enjoy before the honeymoon phase is over.

I have to say, I didn't know I wanted an iPad until I was given one. I had an iPhone and a MacBook Pro and just never believed there was space for me to justify the cost between the two. Today, I probably use my tablet more than my phone. As with all things it's down to what you do with each device as they each have their strengths. I probably even use my tablet more than my laptop. My desktop is definitely used the most of all my devices.

My general advice would be to buy a mid-range tablet that's good enough to do what you want and for you to know what you're wanting in your next tablet. Failing that it's not too expensive to then sell and/or pass on if it's not for you.

UPDATE : oh, I always buy the SIM card version and probably always will.

Do you use your iPad outdoors often? I figure I could just tether data from my phone for that use case (which I think will be rare), instead of getting SIM version and paying a monthly fee.

 

[JustAnExpat]

I do not know your workflow. A Mac is excellent for generating a final product using multiple input files, acceptable for sharing files with other people, and terrible for collecting and other information. An iPad, on the other hand, is excellent for collecting input, excellent for sharing files with other people, and terrible for generating a final product using multiple types of input files.

I have both, and they are both excellent, as long as you use them for the right purpose.

 

[sracer]

Interesting that you went from loving the iPad down to only using it as an e-reader, this is what I worry might happen with me. It may just be a new toy I'll enjoy before the honeymoon phase is over.

Well... please keep in mind that my short post spanned 10+ years of iPad ownership.

Also, the iPad was a new form-factor that Apple slowly (glacially slow) expanded over that time. It was functional for what it was at any point during that timeline but there was also the promise of things to come. That combination helped fuel interest in pushing the limits of what the iPad could do.

Once it became obvious (to me at least) that Apple was more interested in milking customers along by slowly adding features (and even when those features DID arrive, they were inferior to the implementation on other platforms) that is when I started to take a broader look at what is more broadly available... and took appropriate action.

But the iPad is now a mature product. It's not going to go much beyond where it is now. Sure, there'll be more hardware tweaks and updates... most of which won't appreciably enhance the ownership experience but it will be enough to maintain the spirit of FOMO that drives future sales.

Having said that, keeping in mind what the iPad currently is, I think you'll enjoy owning and using one. You won't have any regrets with your purchase as long as you don't succumb to fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the particular model, the size, and storage capacity. There's no such thing as "future proofing" so spending disproportionately more for higher capacities doesn't extend the useful life of the device.

 

[adamjackson]

That is really what I am taking away from this. I don't think the iPad will replace my Mac (at least not yet), but it will make certain tasks easier as an in-between of iPhone and Mac. My real work (programming) will still be done on the Mac.

The biggest issue you'll need to keep in mind (assuming you live your life on a budget) is overlap is nice. It's great to have a backup device for 'real work' and the iPad can get you by if your MacBook is being repaired, stolen, lost and it is a great travel device BUT keep in mind you're adding a $1000 + apple care cost to your tech stack.

$1300 iPhone every 2 years
$1000 iPad every 3 years
$1850 MacBook every 5 years
$169 AirPods every 3 years
$29 a month for AppleOne Premiere

That's roughly (fast math, I didn't open Excel) $8000 every 5 years being given to Apple or about $1600 a year to maintain and keep devices renewed when they reach end of life. Are you prepared to give at least $1200 a year to Apple? Adding an iPad will increase your total cost of being an Apple customer especially if you really like it. If you could forgo a Mac and go iPad, obviously that will be a cost savings but many of us can't due to creative or 'real work' like I have these 150 megabyte Excel files and office for iPad just isn't ready yet for that kind of 'work'

Sorry to throw in financial planning but taking a hard look at your Apple spending over 5 years and budgeting for that annually can be a hard pill to swallow for us fanboys.

 

[rui no onna]

The biggest issue you'll need to keep in mind (assuming you live your life on a budget) is overlap is nice. It's great to have a backup device for 'real work' and the iPad can get you by if your MacBook is being repaired, stolen, lost and it is a great travel device BUT keep in mind you're adding a $1000 + apple care cost to your tech stack.

$1300 iPhone every 2 years
$1000 iPad every 3 years
$1850 MacBook every 5 years
$169 AirPods every 3 years
$29 a month for AppleOne Premiere

That's roughly (fast math, I didn't open Excel) $8000 every 5 years being given to Apple or about $1600 a year to maintain and keep devices renewed when they reach end of life. Are you prepared to give at least $1200 a year to Apple? Adding an iPad will increase your total cost of being an Apple customer especially if you really like it. If you could forgo a Mac and go iPad, obviously that will be a cost savings but many of us can't due to creative or 'real work' like I have these 150 megabyte Excel files and office for iPad just isn't ready yet for that kind of 'work'

Sorry to throw in financial planning but taking a hard look at your Apple spending over 5 years and budgeting for that annually can be a hard pill to swallow for us fanboys.

At least for me, the iPad is what I choose to splurge on. Total cost is high but saving per paycheck, it's very manageable.

iPhone: $700-800 every 3-4 years (my last upgrade was actually cheaper: SE2 256GB $350 at Walmart)

iPad: ~$1200 budget every year or $50/paycheck ($2000/12.9 1TB cell + $1700/11 1TB cell for at least 3+ years useful life, probably longer)

iCloud 200GB: $2.99/mo

I'm more than fine with using Windows on the desktop/laptop side. Getting 16-32GB RAM and 1-2TB M.2 NVMe SSD on those is much more affordable than on Macs.

 

[adamjackson]

At least for me, the iPad is what I choose to splurge on. Total cost is high but saving per paycheck, it's very manageable.

iPhone: $700-800 every 3-4 years (my last upgrade was actually cheaper: SE2 256GB $350 at Walmart)

iPad: ~$1200 budget every year or $50/paycheck ($2000/12.9 1TB cell + $1700/11 1TB cell for at least 3+ years useful life, probably longer)

iCloud 200GB: $2.99/mo

I'm more than fine with using Windows on the desktop/laptop side. Getting 16-32GB RAM and 1-2TB M.2 NVMe SSD on those is much more affordable than on Macs.

Good numbers..I was definitely using an extreme end of the price spectrum. I didn't know how old the original poster is but it's easy to say "I have 12 months to pay this off" but when you're giving apple $1200 every single year, it really adds up so adding an iPad to that will further add money your'e giving apple. some people can afford it and others really stretch themselves thin to do it.

 

[BigMcGuire]

It does! I am the same, reading books on a laptop does not feel right. Thank you

This is the biggest reason why I have an iPad - because I cannot get used to reading books on my M1 MBP or my iPhone. I can spend all weekend reading on the iPad with no problems. The iPad Pro 11' seems perfect - prop it up with a few pillows and I can read for 6-7 hours easy. It's expensive but it does its job well - I consume so many more books / news articles / newspapers / magazines with an iPad that I wouldn't otherwise so that's part of my justification.

I'm also a good user of Notability with the Apple Pencil - taking written notes to de-stress and empty my brain and take notes I want to remember (vs typing).

I've tried, several times this year, to go without an iPad but ... I've decided I can't.

Apple Fitness with the iPad also is nice.


Edit: I've finished 28 books so far this year (iPad Pro 11). Been using one for the last 2 years to read books/news/etc.

 

[taxi_driver]

For me, the iPad or rather the iPads fill a different niche in my device ecology than the MacBook (or computers in general). I tend to say, they lean a bit more towards consumption for me, but for each size it's a bit different:
- The iPad Mini is my preferred portable device for casual web browsing and listening to music in and around the house
- The iPad Pro 11 works best for most reading (eBooks, PDFs, web pages) and is also great for games; it's also still fairly portable (just not as much as the iPad Mini). Also, while being a tad too small, its nice for sketching with ProCreate (or similar apps).
- The iPad Pro 12,9 is a bit of a niche thing - I bought it mostly to read and annotate A4/letter PDFs, which is technically significant overkill, but still very convenient. It's also the best iPad to use for sketching. However, it is noticeably heavier than the 11, and also not exactly cheap.

If you get just one device, I would probably recommend the Pro 11, unless you have a lot of technical/academic papers in A4/letter format. You do not necessarily need the newest model though - the 2020 models will do just fine.

thats interesting feedback on the A4/letter format - hadn't considered it as I thought the 11" wasn't that far off and easier to handle whereas the 12.9 felt a little large in my hands

 

[Infinite Vortex]

Do you use your iPad outdoors often? I figure I could just tether data from my phone for that use case (which I think will be rare), instead of getting SIM version and paying a monthly fee.

All the time. Yes, I can tether too but where I live I can pay an extra 8€/month and get a 2nd SIM card for my primary mobile number. Given my primary number comes with an unlimited data plan its a bit of a no-brainer. This way I never have to think about context and I'm not reliant on my phone having or needing battery to tether. My 2nd number that comes included with my phone/mobile/tv package used to be it but it only get 5GB data so that's now in my iPhone Xs (2nd phone) which I often give to my visitors to use for local data tethering.

Setup right a tablet can do many of the functions that a laptop can do. While not the same in many instances it's "good enough" to get the job done. Being European I've gotten very used to having a man-bag and it will slip into there no problems. On a plane they're far simpler to deal with compared to a laptop. With a tablet I'm much more able to do things during the day while still being available to get my job done. And this is while my tablets (I have a smaller one for being out and about and a large one to enjoy the rest of the time) are in fact mostly entertainment devices.

To be clear, I no longer have iPads but Samsung Galaxy Tabs because of their wider aspect ratio and OLED displays. The 4:3 aspect of the iPads makes for a lot of dead display space and hence size and weight for most of my usage. So its an S5e for being out and about and an S7+ when I'm more stationary and/or don't need to care about weight/size. The iPad is definitely a rounder app experience given the significantly better app support for iPads. I'm much more price sensitive for my tablets than I am for my computers as they're mostly entertainment devices and not work devices but will cover as the latter if need be… my 2 Galaxy Tabs were significantly cheaper than a single iPad Pro and the display experience even with the S5e is far superior to the low end of the iPad family.

As I said originally, I didn't know I wanted one until I had one but its utility can often be dependent on one's lifestyle. So everyone's milage will vary.

 

[rui no onna]

Good numbers..I was definitely using an extreme end of the price spectrum. I didn't know how old the original poster is but it's easy to say "I have 12 months to pay this off" but when you're giving apple $1200 every single year, it really adds up so adding an iPad to that will further add money your'e giving apple. some people can afford it and others really stretch themselves thin to do it.

If you add it up, mine's around ~$8K for 5 years as well ($4-6K just for iPads). Of course, it has the potential to be lower since iPads are now very capable and maintain performance longer than they used to, thus, they don't need to upgraded as often.

My Apple cloud services subscription is $180/5 years instead of $1800/5 years because I'm more than fine with 200GB iCloud and don't need the rest of the services Apple offers (apart from AC+).

Mind, biweekly schedule, $8K over a 5 year span is $62 per paycheck. Got no kids so that cost is fairly affordable.

 

[mrLucas]

The biggest issue you'll need to keep in mind (assuming you live your life on a budget) is overlap is nice. It's great to have a backup device for 'real work' and the iPad can get you by if your MacBook is being repaired, stolen, lost and it is a great travel device BUT keep in mind you're adding a $1000 + apple care cost to your tech stack.

$1300 iPhone every 2 years
$1000 iPad every 3 years
$1850 MacBook every 5 years
$169 AirPods every 3 years
$29 a month for AppleOne Premiere

That's roughly (fast math, I didn't open Excel) $8000 every 5 years being given to Apple or about $1600 a year to maintain and keep devices renewed when they reach end of life. Are you prepared to give at least $1200 a year to Apple? Adding an iPad will increase your total cost of being an Apple customer especially if you really like it. If you could forgo a Mac and go iPad, obviously that will be a cost savings but many of us can't due to creative or 'real work' like I have these 150 megabyte Excel files and office for iPad just isn't ready yet for that kind of 'work'

Sorry to throw in financial planning but taking a hard look at your Apple spending over 5 years and budgeting for that annually can be a hard pill to swallow for us fanboys.

700 - iphone every 5 years ( probbably more now )
550 - ipad every hm… lets say 5 years.
1850 - MacBook Pro every ? 15 years?
2000 - iMac 27” every … 20 years?
0 - airpods every never
20 - apple drive + music (super expensive)
3000 - mac pro hackintosh (15 000 equivalent) - every… 5-10 years (goes to others)


hm so thats 9500 for 20 years , still 500 yearly or 50 a month. (without services with services its actually 14k !! or 750 a year or 58 a month. …)

its more than I thought

 

[coffeeplease]

But the iPad is now a mature product. It's not going to go much beyond where it is now. Sure, there'll be more hardware tweaks and updates... most of which won't appreciably enhance the ownership experience but it will be enough to maintain the spirit of FOMO that drives future sales.

Having said that, keeping in mind what the iPad currently is, I think you'll enjoy owning and using one. You won't have any regrets with your purchase as long as you don't succumb to fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the particular model, the size, and storage capacity. There's no such thing as "future proofing" so spending disproportionately more for higher capacities doesn't extend the useful life of the device.

I agree Apple is adding small things every year just to drive sales, sometimes limiting capabilities in software when hardware is not an issue. Everyone was expecting a big reveal for the iPad because of the M1 release earlier this year, but nothing that took advantage of the compute power was announced. You are right though, I should just enjoy it for what it is.

The biggest issue you'll need to keep in mind (assuming you live your life on a budget) is overlap is nice. It's great to have a backup device for 'real work' and the iPad can get you by if your MacBook is being repaired, stolen, lost and it is a great travel device BUT keep in mind you're adding a $1000 + apple care cost to your tech stack.

$1300 iPhone every 2 years
$1000 iPad every 3 years
$1850 MacBook every 5 years
$169 AirPods every 3 years
$29 a month for AppleOne Premiere

That's roughly (fast math, I didn't open Excel) $8000 every 5 years being given to Apple or about $1600 a year to maintain and keep devices renewed when they reach end of life. Are you prepared to give at least $1200 a year to Apple? Adding an iPad will increase your total cost of being an Apple customer especially if you really like it. If you could forgo a Mac and go iPad, obviously that will be a cost savings but many of us can't due to creative or 'real work' like I have these 150 megabyte Excel files and office for iPad just isn't ready yet for that kind of 'work'

Sorry to throw in financial planning but taking a hard look at your Apple spending over 5 years and budgeting for that annually can be a hard pill to swallow for us fanboys.

You made me take a look at how much I spend on Apple products. I tend to keep products for 4-5 years until performance starts bogging down.

• $1000 iPhone every 4 years
• $1800 MacBook every 5 years
• $200 AirPods, every 2-3 years (when battery craps out, but my AirPods 2 are holding up well so far)

That is averaging almost $700 a year on Apple products. Throwing in an iPad, say $800, I would likely use for at least 4 years, so add another $200 per year. I think I'm at a place where I am comfortable enough to spend this much, but I also don't like burning money ?

This is the biggest reason why I have an iPad - because I cannot get used to reading books on my M1 MBP or my iPhone. I can spend all weekend reading on the iPad with no problems. The iPad Pro 11' seems perfect - prop it up with a few pillows and I can read for 6-7 hours easy. It's expensive but it does its job well - I consume so many more books / news articles / newspapers / magazines with an iPad that I wouldn't otherwise so that's part of my justification.

I'm also a good user of Notability with the Apple Pencil - taking written notes to de-stress and empty my brain and take notes I want to remember (vs typing).

I've tried, several times this year, to go without an iPad but ... I've decided I can't.

Apple Fitness with the iPad also is nice.


Edit: I've finished 28 books so far this year (iPad Pro 11). Been using one for the last 2 years to read books/news/etc.

Are you me? I'm hoping I will end up reading more and it sounds like I may if you had this experience. Planning to also use an iPad for handwritten notes, I do find that making notes by typing does not cement into my brain, it's like going on autopilot.

All the time. Yes, I can tether too but where I live I can pay an extra 8€/month and get a 2nd SIM card for my primary mobile number. Given my primary number comes with an unlimited data plan its a bit of a no-brainer. This way I never have to think about context and I'm not reliant on my phone having or needing battery to tether. My 2nd number that comes included with my phone/mobile/tv package used to be it but it only get 5GB data so that's now in my iPhone Xs (2nd phone) which I often give to my visitors to use for local data tethering.

That is pretty cheap! Here in the US, tablet data plans are $20+ a month so I can't justify it.

 

[coffeeplease]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I ended up getting an 11-inch iPad Pro. Found the 12.9-inch model was too heavy as a tablet. Now just waiting for the Apple Pencil to arrive. I plan to do without a keyboard for now, so anything that requires a lot of typing will happen on my MacBook. Any tips or amazing apps that are designed for iPad?

 

[adamjackson]

The Cost of Apple-Fanboyism in 2020

I published this post in 2018 where I break down pricing of someone like myself who wants to…

adamchandler.me

I did that exercise in 2018 and 2020 and wrote up sort of a worst case scenario view of how much it would cost to buy all Apple. It's definitely going up. After this year's iPhones and 16" MBP come out, I'll do it again. It's going up much faster than inflation.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I ended up getting an 11-inch iPad Pro. Found the 12.9-inch model was too heavy as a tablet. Now just waiting for the Apple Pencil to arrive. I plan to do without a keyboard for now, so anything that requires a lot of typing will happen on my MacBook. Any tips or amazing apps that are designed for iPad?

I love reading Ars Technica full screen with their premium layout. Same for other websites - love Safari readability mode (Economist, WSJ, New York Times, California ISO, Energy Storage Blogs).


Warning: (Some of these apps are expensive/have subscriptions)

Apple Fitness
Notability / Good Notes
Carrot Weather
Libby
Apple Books / Kindle (whatever your library is in)
Day One or Diarly
News Explorer
Olive Tree Bible App (if you're religious)
FastMail
Chess.com app and Stockfish (if you're into chess)
Youtube / Netflix / Hulu / Amazon Prime Video / Disney+
Microsoft Office Suit (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, OneNote)
IA Writer
GrafNCalc83 (used this in college)
Cosmic Watch / Atomic Clock (love these little apps but I don't use them often). I like clocks.

I don't really game but Team Alto's - Alto's Adventure apps are fun.



Most of my time is spent in Safari, Apple Books, and Notability.

 

[rui no onna]

The Cost of Apple-Fanboyism in 2020

I published this post in 2018 where I break down pricing of someone like myself who wants to…

adamchandler.me

I did that exercise in 2018 and 2020 and wrote up sort of a worst case scenario view of how much it would cost to buy all Apple. It's definitely going up. After this year's iPhones and 16" MBP come out, I'll do it again. It's going up much faster than inflation.

Yeah, I can't afford going all-in on Apple particularly for Macs. The memory/storage tax costs way too much.

I did slow down upgrade cycles in response to the higher prices. I used to buy a new iPad every year (~$900+ with tax for top storage + cell). Now, I've been keeping my iPads for at least 3 years.

Funnily enough, I'm okay spending $2K on an iPad (well, more like resigned to it) but I'm not willing to spend $2K+ on Macs. I have yet to find a good alternative to the iPad. Meanwhile, Windows is good enough for my use (both personal and work).

 

[Saturn007]

Wow! Impressed and staggered by what's being spent every 5 years on Apple products. I know several people who are scrapping by and would love to have $8,000 in disposable income.

Here's a frugal budget for comparison. That is, a DNTLG approach, “Don't Need the Latest Greatest”.

Let's see, in the past 7 years, I’ve spent

$100 on an iPhone SE​

$540 on an iPad Air 2​

$700 on a used 2015 13” MacBook Air.​

A whopping $1,340. I put the remaining $6,660 into an index fund. Over the past 5 years, the NASDAQ composite has nearly tripled. So, that’s about $19,300.

I can foresee spending in the next year or two:

$350 on an iPhone SE 2​

$330 on a new iPad​

$1,200 on a MacBook Air​

and to try it out

$400 on an Apple Watch​

Or, about $2,300, leaving $17,000 to put into a tax-free Roth IRA.

Oh, and since I’ll save nearly $6,000 going frugal for this next 5-year cycle, make that about $23,000 in my Roth IRA. Compounding interest and adding more savings going forward will produce a good nest egg — or, a good college education fund — or, a hefty accumulation for a new car or hobbies.

Just another approach for those who want their Apple “cake and eat it, too” — in future years or retirement!

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As to the topic at hand, the iPad is an amazing device.

We bought the original version and were wowed from the first. There is a magic and intimacy about it — it's our go to device for general web browsing, astronomy, ebooks, news reading, note taking, light and quick spreadsheet work, comics, games, etc. For all those activities, it's much more fun and easier to use than the laptop.

For the OP, buy a refurbished iPad from Apple, explore it, enjoy it, and you'll likely discover it fits well in your computing lifestyle. You can read and analyze 'til the cows come home, but the best approach is first-hand experience!