Too Many Devices? Is this dumb?

[jag912]

Hi everyone, I realize this is very much a first world problem but I wanted to get your thoughts.

I currently own an iPhone 14 pro, a 2018 iPad Pro, a desktop gaming PC (pretty much only gets used for Flight Simulator), and an Xbox Series X. I also have a company issued 2019 MacBook Pro for work.

While my iPad can fill the need for some of my personal tasks, I really don't use it that much. Most of the time on the couch or in bed, I just grab my iPhone to scroll social media and check emails. I really have to consciously choose to use the iPad. I also catch myself doing some light personal things on my work machine which, I probably should stray away from. I am also thinking about starting some online courses and learning new skills, which would probably be annoying on an 11" iPad. After thinking about it for almost a year, I decided to grab a refurbished M2 MacBook Air.

I've had the MBA for a couple of days and while it's a really nice machine, I can't help but think this was maybe silly. I could easily use my desktop PC if I really needed a computer for more intensive personal tasks, and my iPad still works pretty well and is pretty versatile. Plus, I don't necessarily want to get rid of my iPad as it comes in handy for media consumption during travel.

I set aside money for this purchase, so I am not feeling like it was a financial mistake — but I would feel a wasteful guilt if the air ends up collecting dust. What do you think? Do I have machine overkill going on here? Is it more reasonable to stick with a desktop PC and an iPad?

 

[nick42983]

Let's ignore the company-issued laptop since it's for work.

That leaves you with your iPhone, PC and MacBook Air. Assuming you bought from Apple, see how you use it over the next week and return it if it doesn't "fit" your lifestyle. If you are unsure and you go past the return window, you can still sell it down the road for $1000 or more. Consider the few hundred bucks you might lose as a rental fee.

My personal MacBook Pro doubles as my desktop (almost always plugged into an external monitor) and besides an iPhone 12 Pro Max I have both a 2020 11" iPad Pro and a 2021 M1 12.9" iPad Pro. I use both as laptops with the Magic Keyboards, the larger being more of a traditional laptop while the smaller being a lounging around device for lighter work. I thought having two iPads would be overkill but it works. On the other hand I bought a Surface Duo last year at a steep discount from when it was launched in 2020. It's cool but it doesn't really fit my workflow, especially since I'm so Apple-centric, so I'm selling it. Only you will know whether the device is actually useful to you. I'll just add that it wasn't until the iPadOS17 Beta this summer that I really started using the 11" iPad regularly and for that reason decided to get the 12.9". Sometimes it takes a while before you figure out how a device best fits your life.

On a final note, you may consider how necessary the gaming PC and XBox are. I used to game a lot more but then I realized it was really a drain on my time and distracted me from my goals. Games are designed to be super addictive now more than ever before to where it might be hard to put down the controller. If I were in your shoes in order of importance/to-keep, I'd say: iPhone, MacBook Air, iPad, Xbox, PC.

 

[madeirabhoy]

tbh outside of your work macbook, im pretty similar and i also bought a M2 Macbook Air last week. swap your xbox for my ps5, and your pc for my 2017 imac which is having a few issues inconveniently just out of my extended warranty, and my ipad is a 10th gen rather than a pro. wish i had a pro though for writing with a pen.

i think the more devices you have then clearly you use each less but if you can afford them and they all add to the mix then keep them.

my iphone is always on me and is still the most commonly used.

i like having an ipad for a few reasons. one is as simple as being able to do things when my iphone is charging. when travelling its invaluable for games and tv. better for reading the paper and magazines. i could do without it but it gets used.

the macbook was a bit of an impulse, but i sometimes need to do some work in the evening and i cant really do it on ipad. apart from the problems with the imac (usb and bluetooth related i think) its in the bedroom and i want to watch tv when doing my work. also i download tv stuff and stream through plex and the imacs problems meant that often doesnt work.

and the PS5 is separate. none of my apple devices can game anywhere close to that good.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Well, all I wanted was one perfect desktop, one big screen notebook, and one tablet, and a nice integrated backup between them. I currently have... 3 iMacs, 7 macbook pro's, 3 Apple displays, 4 ipads, and 3 phones, 2 ipods, and a bunch of apples own network gear all trying to achieve that, and I'm still not quite there. So, it gets worse.

The pursuit of happiness through the acquisition of things is a dark and stormy path.

 

[mmkerc]

Yours is a philosophical question and tough for anyone but you to answer. Given that my 2 cents is this.

You have the means to make your life more comfortable/easy. There is nothing wrong or flawed with you having multiple machines. Many people as the previous comments indicate have more computers than they need for many different reasons. Like them and you, I have 3 iPads, 2 MBAs, 2 desktop Macs, and 3 iPhones. Like you several are used rarely. The main reason I have so many devices is that I rarely trade in older devices and find a way to utilize them. I converted two of the iPad to digital pictures frames, one of the desktop machine to a media server, the extra iPhones to essentially iPods, and the extra computers are in my workshop, and Den.

When I find that I do not use a device for a long period of time I will either give it to one of my nieces or nephews, or a school or charity. Here is the thing though, I use my desktop Mac, and 2 iPhones (one as a phone other as an iPod) everyday. One of the MBA is used once a week during football season. Everything else is very much as needed but they make things easier. Nothing wrong with easy.

 

[jag912]

Let's ignore the company-issued laptop since it's for work.

That leaves you with your iPhone, PC and MacBook Air. Assuming you bought from Apple, see how you use it over the next week and return it if it doesn't "fit" your lifestyle. If you are unsure and you go past the return window, you can still sell it down the road for $1000 or more. Consider the few hundred bucks you might lose as a rental fee.

My personal MacBook Pro doubles as my desktop (almost always plugged into an external monitor) and besides an iPhone 12 Pro Max I have both a 2020 11" iPad Pro and a 2021 M1 12.9" iPad Pro. I use both as laptops with the Magic Keyboards, the larger being more of a traditional laptop while the smaller being a lounging around device for lighter work. I thought having two iPads would be overkill but it works. On the other hand I bought a Surface Duo last year at a steep discount from when it was launched in 2020. It's cool but it doesn't really fit my workflow, especially since I'm so Apple-centric, so I'm selling it. Only you will know whether the device is actually useful to you. I'll just add that it wasn't until the iPadOS17 Beta this summer that I really started using the 11" iPad regularly and for that reason decided to get the 12.9". Sometimes it takes a while before you figure out how a device best fits your life.

On a final note, you may consider how necessary the gaming PC and XBox are. I used to game a lot more but then I realized it was really a drain on my time and distracted me from my goals. Games are designed to be super addictive now more than ever before to where it might be hard to put down the controller. If I were in your shoes in order of importance/to-keep, I'd say: iPhone, MacBook Air, iPad, Xbox, PC.

Thanks for the very thoughtful reply. This helps put it into perspective. I’m curious what about iPadOS17 made you use it more?

 

[jag912]

tbh outside of your work macbook, im pretty similar and i also bought a M2 Macbook Air last week. swap your xbox for my ps5, and your pc for my 2017 imac which is having a few issues inconveniently just out of my extended warranty, and my ipad is a 10th gen rather than a pro. wish i had a pro though for writing with a pen.

i think the more devices you have then clearly you use each less but if you can afford them and they all add to the mix then keep them.

my iphone is always on me and is still the most commonly used.

i like having an ipad for a few reasons. one is as simple as being able to do things when my iphone is charging. when travelling its invaluable for games and tv. better for reading the paper and magazines. i could do without it but it gets used.

the macbook was a bit of an impulse, but i sometimes need to do some work in the evening and i cant really do it on ipad. apart from the problems with the imac (usb and bluetooth related i think) its in the bedroom and i want to watch tv when doing my work. also i download tv stuff and stream through plex and the imacs problems meant that often doesnt work.

and the PS5 is separate. none of my apple devices can game anywhere close to that good.

Yeah, this does sound similar to me. The air does fill that need of wanting to do personal stuff away from my desk that can get annoying to do on the iPad (or maybe just annoying on a smaller screen) Things like budgeting, tax stuff, and even personal research on things sometimes.

 

[nick42983]

Thanks for the very thoughtful reply. This helps put it into perspective. I’m curious what about iPadOS17 made you use it more?

Improved Stage Manager was the main thing, making it more of a laptop experience but still an iPad at its heart. I've accepted its limitations and just know what I can do more efficiently elsewhere.

I had been experimenting with various notes and reminders apps, but I recently settled on Apple's native apps. Notes is improved with note linking, among other things. Widgets on the lock screen, improved widget functionality (although frustratingly my Calendar widget still doesn't update events that I added/changed on other devices until I first open the app) improved AirDrop, and a bunch of other little features that were the tipping point for me to say "yeah I can use the iPad to get a bunch of work done now", plus the casual YouTube, web surfing, etc.

My iPads represent roughly 50% of my device usage now vs. maybe 20% as recently as the spring.

 

[MacBH928]

you can use the PC well, if you need a PC.

I got macbook and iPad while I do not need the iPad, I find an iPad+macbook combo is better than macbook+pc combo but depends on your use case. I use my iPad a lot

 

[MacGizmo]

Hi everyone, I realize this is very much a first world problem but I wanted to get your thoughts.

I currently own an iPhone 14 pro, a 2018 iPad Pro, a desktop gaming PC (pretty much only gets used for Flight Simulator), and an Xbox Series X. I also have a company issued 2019 MacBook Pro for work.

While my iPad can fill the need for some of my personal tasks, I really don't use it that much. Most of the time on the couch or in bed, I just grab my iPhone to scroll social media and check emails. I really have to consciously choose to use the iPad. I also catch myself doing some light personal things on my work machine which, I probably should stray away from. I am also thinking about starting some online courses and learning new skills, which would probably be annoying on an 11" iPad. After thinking about it for almost a year, I decided to grab a refurbished M2 MacBook Air.

I've had the MBA for a couple of days and while it's a really nice machine, I can't help but think this was maybe silly. I could easily use my desktop PC if I really needed a computer for more intensive personal tasks, and my iPad still works pretty well and is pretty versatile. Plus, I don't necessarily want to get rid of my iPad as it comes in handy for media consumption during travel.

I set aside money for this purchase, so I am not feeling like it was a financial mistake — but I would feel a wasteful guilt if the air ends up collecting dust. What do you think? Do I have machine overkill going on here? Is it more reasonable to stick with a desktop PC and an iPad?

I think you've fallen into the "if I have money, I MUST spend it" trap. Return the Air, the iPad is nearly as powerful for light-duty tasks (and much more "mobile") and you already have a desktop computer.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

As others said - what works best, is what works best FOR YOU. But here's what I have:

- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPad mini 6 (daily browsing, book reading)
- MacBook Pro 16" (apps that aren't available on iPadOS; writing; travel)
- Mac mini in home office (two 27" displays, for when the 16" isn't big enough mostly)
- Mac mini in home workshop (Several hobby-related apps; 3D printing; CAD work; etc - which also has external disks & is my backup host; e.g. non-optimized syncing to iCloud so everything ends up on the backups)

That combination is working out "Pretty well" for me. The only exception is the workshop mini uses a Drobo to let it hold all the data, and of course they're orphaned now. So I have to sort that out; I might end up with a 3rd mini used "Headless" for backups but not sure yet.

But as you can see - that's MY needs. Everyone's will be unique.

 

[Saturn007]

I currently have... 3 iMacs, 7 macbook pro's, 3 Apple displays, 4 ipads, and 3 phones, 2 ipods

I have 3 iPads, 2 MBAs, 2 desktop Macs, and 3 iPhones

Wow! ‼️

And, here I was concerned because our household has 2 Macs, 2 iPads, 2 iPhones, and an iPod Touch.

Of greatest “worry” over profligacy, I was chiding myself for even contemplating getting an M2 MacBook Air to finally join the 2020s!

My question, though, is this:

What do you all do about backing up and synching all those devices?

Even with the comparatively few we have, I find myself spending an inordinate amount of time juggling backups, synchings, etc.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

What do you all do about backing up and synching all those devices?

Even with the comparatively few we have, I find myself spending an inordinate amount of time juggling backups, synchings, etc.

iCloud.

One computer is the “central repository” where Optimize is turned off. That one computer downloads all of iCloud Drive, iCloud Photos, Messages in iCloud, etc. and that one computer is backed up (using multiple backup methods for redundancy).

Files get saved to iCloud Drive, via the Documents folder typically. So any file that I save on any device, is synced to that one computer and backed up.

Of course iPhone and iPad are backed up to iCloud directly, and all Macs are backed up to Time Machine with iCloud contents excluded (other than the repository Mac). That makes it easy to restore if it’s ever needed, on any device.

 

[Saturn007]

Hmm… Our different laptops and i-devices have different documents, photos, and apps on them…

If I understand this, each of your Macs automatically saves its entire Documents folder to iCloud Drive. When you go to a different Mac, that Document folder and all its sub-folders will be available via iCloud Drive, but not in their actual places inside the Documents folder on that other Mac. Do you even use the Documents folder, then?

In any case, I still haven't gotten used to the idea of storing personal, financial, and work documents in a third party cloud service, even iCloud. Worry about hacking.

I'd also imagine you'd need a whoppingly HUGE iCloud storage area. And, that it would be costly.

OK, just checked. $10 per month for 2 TB! $30 per month for 6 TB. That adds up pretty fast!

(OK, actually $9.99 and $29.99, but I dislike such tawdry pricing practices. Sell a Mac for $1299 as it will seem cheaper than $1300. We're not fools, Apple!)

Right now, I back up locally with a different external drive for each Mac. And, wirelessly to another drive via Time Machine.

I manually sync i-devices with a central Mac, which gets backed up. Any project in progress, whose security is not an issue, I back up manually to iCloud.

I'm sure there's an easier way, while also sustaining my cloud services skepticism…

 

[MBAir2010]

I just added a Mac mini to my  arsenal yesterday.


I really dont know if I actually needed that Saturday,
but for the price and usage this is important in my creative endeavors.
and that looks so nice and shiny!

seems to me we should enjoy what we are living with now,
because this might all change when those glasses take over.

 

[ignatius345]

iCloud.

One computer is the “central repository” where Optimize is turned off. That one computer downloads all of iCloud Drive, iCloud Photos, Messages in iCloud, etc. and that one computer is backed up (using multiple backup methods for redundancy).

Files get saved to iCloud Drive, via the Documents folder typically. So any file that I save on any device, is synced to that one computer and backed up.

Of course iPhone and iPad are backed up to iCloud directly, and all Macs are backed up to Time Machine with iCloud contents excluded (other than the repository Mac). That makes it easy to restore if it’s ever needed, on any device.

This is exactly my setup. I have an iMac with a 1TB SSD and another 2TB of external storage (Photos, Music libraries, plus a few other things). That's the home base machine, Optimize Storage off, Photos set to keep everything downloaded, etc. I make frequent backups, one of them offsite.

The thing that does is free up my MacBook Air to have less storage, as it's just a satellite machine. All syncing is done on demand, and any change I make to a file on my MacBook or iPhone will get synced to and backed up by the iMac.

IMO, it's really important to have a downloaded copy of all your data. As much as I rely on iCloud day to day, if I got locked out somehow tomorrow, I would have backups of everything to recover from.

(Haha, I basically just retyped your same post)

 

[MacRazySwe]

Sounds like you could honestly get by with just the MacBook Air, iPhone and Xbox. Flight Simulator is available on Xbox too.

The iPad is a luxury. I don't use it much, but man do I enjoy it when I do. I've tried getting rid of it in the past and regretted it shortly after. It's just so perfect for bringing on travels, or checking something quickly at home, or just enjoying the big screen touch interface. Slightly different from a phone after all.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Hmm… Our different laptops and i-devices have different documents, photos, and apps on them…

If I understand this, each of your Macs automatically saves its entire Documents folder to iCloud Drive. When you go to a different Mac, that Document folder and all its sub-folders will be available via iCloud Drive, but not in their actual places inside the Documents folder on that other Mac. Do you even use the Documents folder, then?

In any case, I still haven't gotten used to the idea of storing personal, financial, and work documents in a third party cloud service, even iCloud. Worry about hacking.

I'd also imagine you'd need a whoppingly HUGE iCloud storage area. And, that it would be costly.

OK, just checked. $10 per month for 2 TB! $30 per month for 6 TB. That adds up pretty fast!

(OK, actually $9.99 and $29.99, but I dislike such tawdry pricing practices. Sell a Mac for $1299 as it will seem cheaper than $1300. We're not fools, Apple!)

Right now, I back up locally with a different external drive for each Mac. And, wirelessly to another drive via Time Machine.

I manually sync i-devices with a central Mac, which gets backed up. Any project in progress, whose security is not an issue, I back up manually to iCloud.

I'm sure there's an easier way, while also sustaining my cloud services skepticism…

I use iCloud Documents and Desktop Sync. Which means the Documents folder and the Desktop on each computer, is synced to iCloud and to one another (as well as being accessible from iPad and iPhone if ever needed). Yes, that means I have 2TB iCloud storage (actually using something under 300GB, the vast majority of which is photos) but it's worth $120/year so that all of my devices have all of my data. As an added bonus, that storage gets shared among everyone in my Family Sharing group (they can't see my files & I can't see theirs, but we get a combined 2TB storage). And, of course ALL of us have plenty of room to back up every iPhone and iPad to iCloud as well.

That's just how I do it. Is iCloud Drive as secure as having a bunch of disks laying around with the same data on them? Maybe, maybe not. I do use Two Factor Authentication, of course, and I don't repeat passwords. I have passwords/passcodes on each device. I've worked in the IT and security industry off-and-on since about 1986 so I'm pretty confident in my ability to avoid phishing scams, etc. So, FOR ME, I'm comfortable using iCloud and benefitting from the ease of doing that. But I can't make that decision for you.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Hmm… Our different laptops and i-devices have different documents, photos, and apps on them…

Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention... the Repository Mac actually has multiple user accounts. So my user account syncs my data and my wife's user account syncs her data. We do have some data in common in Shared iCloud Drive folders, but the vast majority of data is separate.

The only "Gotcha" with that is that if the repository gets rebooted, you have to sign into EACH account in order to get it syncing, otherwise new data from that user won't get backed up! But once that's done (using Fast User Switching) both accounts continue to sync normally, so it's hands-off at that point.