You have no external monitor. What are you choosing?

[hch720]

Option 1 for me!

 

[dmccloud]

I used my 11" iPad Pro as a monitor for my 13" Pro, and it's still by far the best and most portable option if you need to use a second screen while out and ab out. The portability factor is a key factor there, along with not having to worry about bringing along some sort of dongle or cord to connect the iPad to the Mac.

 

[xraydoc]

I guess it would depend on what I needed to do with said equipment. Does the workflow lend itself to utilizing the iPad? Am I going to need to be frequently mobile? If so, then the combo is what I voted for, especially since the iPad can be used as a second display for the Mac.

If my workflow was not something that could make use of an iPad, or if I was always locked at the desk, then I'd probably go for the 16" MBP, since if I'm going to be limited to just the laptop's screen, may as well make it a big one.

 

[kasakka]

The iPad Pro can work as a decent secondary display. I use my 2017 iPad Pro 12.9" for this.

 

[G5isAlive]

Option C: 16 in MacBook Pro and 12.9 iPad Pro. Go big or go home. Or in this case, go big and go home.

 

[xraydoc]

Option C: 16 in MacBook Pro and 12.9 iPad Pro. Go big or go home. Or in this case, go big and go home.

Or option C and a half: 16" MBP and an iPad mini with an Apple Pencil. I use a 14" MBP and an iPad mini quite frequently together.

 

[skaertus]

I am no big fan of secondary displays. A smaller secondary display, not perfectly aligned in height with the primary one, is something that does not work for me at all. The difference in height and size kills the experience for me. I tend to use the main display only and ignore the other one.

 

[filmbuff]

For what use? Just sitting on my desk? The 16" I guess because I like larger screens. But for travel a 16" is pretty much a non starter.

 

[JPack]

I'd buy an external monitor. Or two.

$799 buys a pair of very good 4K monitors, certainly better than an 11-inch iPad Pro.

 

[dmccloud]

I'd buy an external monitor. Or two.

$799 buys a pair of very good 4K monitors, certainly better than an 11-inch iPad Pro.

At least I can pack the iPad alongside my MBP without taking up a lot of space or adding a lot of weight to my bag. I have two external monitors I can connect to at my house, but the iPad can act as a second screen if needed when out and about.

 

[beach bum]

Another option is a portable 15.6” or 17.3” monitor like something below. They are very lightweight and travel well. I have a few that I use with my 16” MBP M1 Pro when traveling. The one pictured below is rather pricey, but you can find 2k-4k portables on Amazon for a reasonable price. Even so, a portable monitor is still cheaper than the 11” IPP.

 

[pshufd]

I can use my 2007 MacBook Pro 15 or my 2015 MacBook Pro 15 as an external monitor for my 2021 MBP 16 if I really need to.

 

[VampyricGentleman]

For my 16 inch M1 MacBook Pro this is what I did, two external LG Gram View+ portable monitors, found them at a snip a few months ago and they are wonderful to use.