r/DeskToTablet

Macbook Neo: $599 -> $699

Macbook Air: $1099 -> $1299

Macbook Pro: $1699 -> $1999

Mac Studio: $1999 -> $2499

iPad Air $599 - $749

iPad Pro: $999 -> $1199

I wish someone posted something like this when I was shopping for a new laptop.

My main use is coding, both at home and on the go. At home I got a 28" 4K monitor and external keyboard and mouse but I also like to bring my work with me to doctor appointments, cafes, and weekend trips. I wanted to find a good mix of portability and productivity.

Here are my quick thoughts on them:

16" Pro The obvious choice for work, built like a tank but its so heavy. Carrying it with one hand by the corner strains your wrist, and I don't even want to move this thing around the house. It has the biggest screen, but for serious work I'd still prefer a real monitor and mechanical keyboard anyway. 3 panels of code, or 2 with side panel.

15" Air Night and day difference with the weight. Carrying it is super easy but it definitely feels a lot more fragile. When I hold it by the corner while its open, I hear a few creaks here and there. Nothing broke, but it feels fragile. Closing the lid also feels like there is less gap between screen and keyboard. The screen size and keyboard are basically the same as the Pro though. Plus its cheaper. It doesn't have fans, but you can fix that with a thermal mod if you really need to. Same 3 panels, or 2+1 like 16" Pro.

14" Pro Same great build quality as the 16" Pro, and the portability is close to the 15" Air, but the screen is noticeably smaller. I could easily use 3 panes in VSCode before, but on this I'm down to 2. That basically means just one usable pane if you keep version control open on the side.

13" Neo Honestly there is surprisingly little difference in screen and keyboard size compared to the 14" Pro. If you are on a tight budget and can survive with 8GB of RAM (no docker lol), this machine can easily replace the 14" Pro.

There is an app in windows store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9N7T7Z7V67SR

(AS A LIFETIME WINDOWS USER)

Benefits:

- THE BATTERY LIFE. Honestly, I didn’t even imagine that a Laptop can live for so long. -10% AFTER 2 HOURS of SOT. My ThinkPad completely dies in 2 hours on the other hand ⚰️💔

Standby battery loss is also crazy small. -0-2% during the night when not in use. Unbelievable.

- the aluminium body casing is absolutely gorgeous. I feel like it changes the whole perception of the device. Plastic on Laptops is shit, and I hate it so SO much.

This also makes it super sleek and nice to touch, hold, and use in general.

- I have an iPhone, an iPad, and AirPods. And my Windows Laptop was always like a stone in this ecosystem.

The MacBook on the other hand, obviously, works SO WELL with all of them, but what’s especially amazing is their symbiosis with iPad. The mouse pointer can be dragged from MacBook to iPad, the iPad can be used as a second monitor etc.

- THE TRACK PAD, oh my God. This is the best thing I’ve touched in a long time. The haptic feedback, smoothness of the surface, and its size are immaculate. AND the fact that I can click it ALL over its area is a cherry on top 🤤🤤🤤

(On most Windows Laptops you can only click at the bottom, and holy moly I hate it)

I would never think that I’d find a trackpad more appealing to use than a mouse.

It’s just so satisfying to interact with.

- macOS is extremely smooth and comfortable to interact with. This is my first time using it after having a lifetime experience with Windows, so I’m still learning. But for now, I love it so much more than Microslop’s 🪟❌ 11.

- MagSafe charger is so comfortable to attach and use, and the fact that I don’t need a huge ass charging block is my favorite.

But with its battery life I’m not gonna bring a charger with me to Uni anyway, cause there is no need for that. Unlike… 😍

Downsides: (I need more time to find bigger ones)

- the compatibility with 3rd party mice is quite shit ngl. The scrolling is jittery, and it ruins everything imo. Im genuinely not even sure what to do, because I DO need a mouse for my programs I study and work in.

- although macOS is very nice in general (imo, for now), there are some places which are quite illogical and work not as I’d expect them to (coming from Windows)

- some Apps that I need for my studies are simply unavailable on macOS, so I am required to use Parallels to emulate Windows on it. Not that big of a deal, but still meh. 🤨🕶️🤏

- the notch is… nice… but its shape is very weird, and it doesn’t feel as polished as the iPhone of iPhone X-14. (Just a personal downside, subjective)

Overall:

- I am genuinely in shock, because I never thought a Laptop can be like THIS. And I mean, to feel like something as easy to open and immediately start using like a Smartphone.

I’m obsessed. For now…

Windows Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad T470s i5-6300U 8/256GB

MacBook: Air 13” M4 16/256GB

I am about to study Computer Science in Germany and am unsure if im missing something. Currently I plan on getting:

-Lenovo Ideapad Pro 5 14"

-Anker Nano 100w Usb-C charger

-Logitech G309 Lightspeed

-Small Mousepad

What else do you guys carry with you? I was considering maybe:

-Usb-C to Ethernet adapter

-100w Powerbank to charge laptop at full speeds

-possibly a laptop stand?

Im also looking for a good backpack to protect my stuff. Any recommendations are welcome, the restock is probably in august anyway, so I just wanted to research in advance.

"if it works its not stupid"
true, but still its kind of annoying the way i have to set it up with tape on my desk for it to not slip or how much space a simple tablet holder takes on my desk

if you have better solutions for similar setups im interested