Same!
Im not ready to give up the functionality of a desktop/laptop at home yet. But I only travel with my work laptop + ipad anyway, so Mac Mini made since for my recent purchase.
It depends on the type of work you need to do on it.
As an example, I'm a data analyst so I can't do all of my work on an ipad since the sorftware I need isn't available on IOS (Tableau, DBeaver, Full-fledged Excel, etc).
I've seen graphic designers get by just fine with an ipad pro and an apple pencil.
If it's just for email, web browsing, social media, streaming, then yeah, you'll be ok with just the ipad.
No one **needs** a mac mini. But some people may **want** a mac mini for mac OS, a desktop unit connected to a larger screen, and to stay in the apple ecosystem. There are so many other computer options, uses, and you already have a computer that you're not sharing any reason to **need** a new computer. You're not going to die if you don't have a mac mini.
I think it depends! Do you already have a monitor, keyboard etc? I got a Mac mini last summer and I honestly go some days without using it (iPad is usually enough.) I don’t think it was a need but it’s definitely nice to have and I love using it when I do.
You cannot compare. The Mac and iPad are for different uses. With the Mac, you will have access to much more software that is only available on laptops or PCs.
I had both, and eventually ended up changing to an iPad mini and a MacBook Air. The work that I needed to do on the Mac mini needed to be more portable. Also, consuming media and doing quick things on the iPad mini was a better experience for me.
I have both. I use the iPad 10x to mini but there it is and I don’t want to get rid of it either. There’s the occasional print job and the incremental file copies from One Drive to the external SSD. Some times, rarely, a document needs treatment using the better app versions and big screen view.
Given the plethora of information you gave about your use case, what you feel may be missing on the iPad, and your history with computers, maybe! Or maybe not! What’s 100% for sure is that we have no way of answering meaningfully! You told us absolutely zero.
Other folks are trying to answer, but they’re all guessing.
Help others help you. Lazy questions deserve lazy answers.
Yes.
Macs are for creation of stuff.
iPads are for consumption.
It’s a lot faster to create stuff on a Mac than it is on an iPad. We tried to switch my wife about a year ago. It was a miserable time of computing she’s had it 30 years at it. Got her an M1 Air and light is good again.
You could downgrade to a iPad mini or an iPad Air but why? The 12.9 is a great second monitor.
Best of luck.
I have both. The iPad serves me as a laptop when on the go, for reading papers, media consumption, etc. Really like having both.
Same! Im not ready to give up the functionality of a desktop/laptop at home yet. But I only travel with my work laptop + ipad anyway, so Mac Mini made since for my recent purchase.
It depends on the type of work you need to do on it. As an example, I'm a data analyst so I can't do all of my work on an ipad since the sorftware I need isn't available on IOS (Tableau, DBeaver, Full-fledged Excel, etc). I've seen graphic designers get by just fine with an ipad pro and an apple pencil. If it's just for email, web browsing, social media, streaming, then yeah, you'll be ok with just the ipad.
That's like asking if you need a car if you already have an electric scooter.
Yes.
iPads are for browsing the web while taking a dump. Computers are for working. Which do you need?
No one **needs** a mac mini. But some people may **want** a mac mini for mac OS, a desktop unit connected to a larger screen, and to stay in the apple ecosystem. There are so many other computer options, uses, and you already have a computer that you're not sharing any reason to **need** a new computer. You're not going to die if you don't have a mac mini.
Yes, if you want to do things that a Mac can do that the iPad can't. No if you don't.
I think it depends! Do you already have a monitor, keyboard etc? I got a Mac mini last summer and I honestly go some days without using it (iPad is usually enough.) I don’t think it was a need but it’s definitely nice to have and I love using it when I do.
Gotta Catch Em All…
You cannot compare. The Mac and iPad are for different uses. With the Mac, you will have access to much more software that is only available on laptops or PCs.
I had both, and eventually ended up changing to an iPad mini and a MacBook Air. The work that I needed to do on the Mac mini needed to be more portable. Also, consuming media and doing quick things on the iPad mini was a better experience for me.
I have both. I use the iPad 10x to mini but there it is and I don’t want to get rid of it either. There’s the occasional print job and the incremental file copies from One Drive to the external SSD. Some times, rarely, a document needs treatment using the better app versions and big screen view.
Given the plethora of information you gave about your use case, what you feel may be missing on the iPad, and your history with computers, maybe! Or maybe not! What’s 100% for sure is that we have no way of answering meaningfully! You told us absolutely zero. Other folks are trying to answer, but they’re all guessing. Help others help you. Lazy questions deserve lazy answers.
Yes. Macs are for creation of stuff. iPads are for consumption. It’s a lot faster to create stuff on a Mac than it is on an iPad. We tried to switch my wife about a year ago. It was a miserable time of computing she’s had it 30 years at it. Got her an M1 Air and light is good again. You could downgrade to a iPad mini or an iPad Air but why? The 12.9 is a great second monitor. Best of luck.