Desktop + iPad paradigm or replace desktop with MacBook Air

1

I’m in need of advice for my setup.

I WFH a lot and for the past few years, I’ve been happily using a Mac mini. Although I sometimes tell myself that it would be nice to do some work at a cafe, this rarely happens.

But I’m planning a research holiday in 2026 that will require a lot of browsing, note-taking, photo and video management, and writing.

Do I stick with my Mac mini at home and get an iPad Pro to take on the trip? Or do I spec out a MacBook Air and use that as a desktop and travel laptop? Historically I’ve used iPads as media consumption devices only.

Where has everyone landed these days?

2

Well it’s all personal preference! I can’t really type on glass, so an iPad needs a keyboard, which makes it more expensive than the more versatile MacBook Air. OTOH, why do you need the “Pro” model iPad?

This past summer I bought a MacBook Air and find I’m using it more around the house than my 27" iMac. We have a few iPads, even the OG one. But I never grab one of them.

1 Like
3

Or take a laptop? When I was doing photography for money, my film was always more important than my equipment. I would work with multiple cameras, then divide my exposed film into two shipments. Each shipment contained enough images to tell the whole story, just in case one was lost in transit, or damaged during processing.

I like to travel light, my iPhone, 11” iPad, a bluetooth keyboard that I can use with either device, a Samsung SSD, and the usual charger and cables, etc.

I also like having my Mac at home so that any work I do on my iPad or iPhone is immediately downloaded and backed up within the hour. That can be accomplished with iCloud or Dropbox etc as long as you have enough bandwidth to keep everything synced.

I use Google Workspace so my data resides in the cloud and is downloaded to my Mac for backup to B2. My photos sync to iCloud then my Mac uploads a copy to Google Photos. If for some reason I don’t have enough bandwidth to upload files and photos I can backup one or both devices to an external SSD.

Whichever device you choose to take with you I recommend you consider how you will protect your data when traveling.

4

I considered this, but then what is it like these days to manage two Macs? It is just as easy to keep everything in sync? One thing that bothered me in the past with a desktop and laptop is that I can’t sync any preferences. Either way, backup is sorted. I have iCloud backups, use Backblaze, and also Time Machine with external SSD.

1 Like
5

I think it really depends on your workflow when not at home.

Will an iPad Pro do everything you want comfortably, or require a lot of compromises?

As an indie, I travel mostly for non-work but am always on call for supporting previous projects or handling new clients.

I used to travel with both an iPad Pro and an Intel Macbook. But over time I found myself only using the iPad for content consumption and the Macbook for all work.

When I finally replaced my Intel systems, I chose a Macbook Air. Now I travel only with my MBA and leave the iPad Pro at home (which I still use, but much less).

At home, I use the Macbook Air with an external monitor as a second desk setup. My primary desk is a Mac Studio with external monitor.

For me, keeping two systems in sync has been very easy. All data is synced through iCloud and Dropbox with careful use of ‘selective sync’ as the Macbook Air has 2 TB of storage and the Mac Studio has 4 TB.

I keep a lot of the same apps on both, but not all.

Some apps easily allow using a settings file that can be sync’d using dropbox or icloud, others require manually replicating setting (if desired).

Not fully automatic, but I haven’t found it to be much trouble at all.

P.S. I have found the MacBook Air (M3 version) to be powerful and versatile. If I had only one system, I would definitely be happy with just the MacBook Air for both at home desktop use and grab-and-go travel.

I am thinking of maybe replacing my Mac Studio (original M1 series) in the future and conflicted over getting whatever Mac Mini or Mac Studio is available at that time or consolidating down to a single system using the latest Macbook Air or MacBook Pro.

6

I would also think about where your research will take you and what you will need to work comfortably and ergonomically for hours on end, if that’s your plan.

I am an academic so routinely take these sorts of trips. I envy the scholar who rocks up with a MBA, or better, an analogue notebook! Me – I tend not to travel very light and bring the M1 MBP (for production: this is my one Mac to rule them all) and iPad Air (for consumption, additional reading, annotation with the AP, coffee shop browsing). I can’t really work well from a laptop for more than an hr or so, so in case of a full day in the library/archive, I’ll also bring a keyboard, riser, and mouse. It’s not great for the weight in my backpack but ensures a great research experience.

Build your systems carefully around your requirements for all the activities you mention: storage, note taking, writing, processing. For me, DEVONthink does wonders keeping a research library in sync (including PDFs; images; project resources); Zotero for citations (metadata only); Drafts for stray thoughts on mobile or entry while travelling (especially on iPhone); Obsidian for more organised note-taking/first draft writing; Scrivener for long form writing.

I used to have a Mac Mini on the desk (work machine) and a (privately owned) aging MBP – keeping the lot in sync was mostly fine, but still causing friction and overhead and just the occasional issue (e.g. from the era where Dropbox caused huge syncing problems with DT databases, now long resolved). I MUCH prefer having the one machine, one source of truth.

Sounds like a great trip – do fill us in what it’s for nearer the time.

4 Likes
7

Does the Mac Mini offer you processing capabilities that a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air wouldn’t?

I’m asking because I just bought a MacBook Pro and I’ve been impressed at how small and light they’ve got. I was moving from a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro (I think it was 16 inch) to an M4 MacBook Pro. I switched to the 14 inch this time because when I’m at my desk the device is docked, and I’m not convinced I need the extra screen space when I’m away from desk. It’s such a small, tidy machine and would fit in most bags easily. With the upgrade options now available I can’t see that there’s anything you couldn’t do on the right MacBook Pro that you’d specifically need desktop computer for. Though there’s a price tag attached.

(I had to be really honest with myself about the level of “processing” I do on my machine and therefore the specs that I needed. Apple have provided good descriptions of the type of work that each model of the MBP can do. In the end I only needed the “basic” Pro model for the type of work I do. If you’re editing video you might need the next level up.)

I do use my iPad Pro (12 inch) when away from my desk, and I’m very happy with it, but with the form of the new MacBooks I’m not sure it’s really needed (I find the iPad shines best with reading and annotating papers, which I do a lot, but for other tasks there’s not really any difference between using a Mac or the iPad). If you do decide to go with an iPad, bear in mind that with the Apple keyboard it will end up costing more than a MacBook Air, and also it’s quite heavy. While I did get the Apple keyboard, I’ve since reverted to using a case I got off Amazon that lets the iPad sit in different orientations, and my Logitech Bluetooth board (the K380, it’s very popular and you’ll find lots of comments praising it online and in here I think!), which has outlived many Apple devices now and is probably nearing 10 years old. It is perfect for using on tablets and travelling about.

1 Like
8

Sounds good. The quality, and cost, of internet connectivity is always a factor when I travel.

9

Before going further with the notion of using the iPad, what app do you use for photo and video management? Apple Photos or something else?

Do you have preferred apps for writing and note taking? Are those available on the iPad?

The iPad is my preferred device but that’s because I appreciate and take full advantage of it as a device that can have the keyboard removed. I love using multitouch and the touch screen generally. I get great value from the Apple Pencil. I’ve come to prefer iPadOS over macOS.

As others point out, a 13" iPad Pro or iPad Air with a keyboard case will cost as much or more than a Mac laptop. It will have a shorter battery life and weigh the same or more. Personally, I advise against the 11" if it is to be your only travel computer, especially if you intend to multitask. I think much of the frustration Mac users report when using the iPad comes from using a small screen. It’s fine for two apps in Split Screen but if you intend to use Stage Manager and more than 2 apps at a time, I think that size would be a real constraint.

If you expect to use the iPad docked to the keyboard full time you’re probably better off sticking to the Mac.

10

Thanks for all the replies everyone. It’s given me a lot of food for thought.

Hear, hear! I’m starting to apply this to notes and research too – everything in one place.

I’ll be sure to provide an update on the setup when I’m there. The short of it is that I wrote a family history book in 2022. Now I manage a digital museum called Polmanarkivet to further research my paternal family line. The research trip is to visit all of the locations in the book and follow the family migration pattern – Germany, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, and Norway. I’ll be in a lot of archives, libraries, and museums along the way!

If I think about this honestly, probably not. Even though Pro, Max, and Ultra sound enticing, I probably don’t need them. I need RAM more than anything and I can probably get by with a base chip or Pro.

This is a good point. Most of my preferred apps are on the iPad, but for research notes I use Heptabase. Although it is available on iOS, the functionality is limited. I could probably make it work, but I’m faster with a Mac.

1 Like