So I start a new job where I get a MacBook to work with. I can’t use it privately but I travel a lot. The company gives me a budget for equipment so I wouldn’t have to pay for anything I buy extra, e.g. a second screen or an iPad.
I was thinking of buying an iPad because I could use it as a desktop replacement when traveling and as a second screen as well. However, I also can’t use the same AppleID on my work and private device, so I was wondering if it’s possible and reliable to use the iPad as a second screen, e.g. through connecting it via cable.
I do mainly coding and would just need a second screen for googling stuff and reading documentation. Would be very happy to hear about your experiences.
Yeah I was thinking about a portable monitor but then I’d still have to bring my private laptop when traveling (I do need it sometimes). That’s why I was wondering if an iPad could do both especially since I’ll get fully reimbursed.
Yeah I mentioned the cable because I know sidecar won’t work and probably the picture would be better I guess?
What kind of flakiness did you experience? Was it about picture quality or connectivity? I use universal control every now and then and sometimes it just doesn’t recognize the devices. That’s annoying but I guess I could live with this.
Honestly, it works perfectly with a cable and it’s not laggy at all (at least not for writing code, which is what I do for a living). I also use SwitchResX to go beyond the normal resolution my IPad Pro supports. My only complaint is that sometimes it doesn’t connect first time and I have to restart the software on my Mac.
The only downside is the cost, but i am pretty sure there’s a free trial for it.
Sorry if I'm just being dumb, but if the iPad comes out if your work's budget, wouldn't it be owned by them? So both the MacBook and iPad would be work devices. So you should be able to use the same AppleID on both, no?
I think that’s not a dumb question at all. The thing is just that I have a budget and I can order whatever until a certain amount and I’ll get reimbursed, but the stuff will be mine.