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.
No, you have to be signed in with the same apple ID on both.
Unless you also need a tablet for other reasons, I’d just buy a portable monitor. Way cheaper and you don’t have to deal with Apple’s shenanigans.
There’s an app called Duet (https://www.duetdisplay.com/) you could try. I’ve used it for a couple of years and it works well.
Thanks! Have you tried it with a cable? And how is the display quality? Are there any lags? That’s something I’m a bit worried about
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.
Thanks a lot! Very good to know, so that would make this actually a great solution and the connectivity issue seems manageable. I see that it’s quite expensive but meh, couldn’t find anything else so far.
If you want to use Sidecar (native wireless connection) then you need the same Apple account (note Apple ID is now renamed). If you’re ok with using a wire I also have used Duet, as alexc recommended, and which doesn’t require the same Apple account. I have found it a bit flaky but usually ok.
You might also consider a small portable usb monitor instead of an iPad.
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.
to be honest I haven’t used Duet in a few years, but I recall that it’s one of those apps which either just magically works or it doesn’t and there’s not much you can do to debug. So sometimes I’d connect the wire and it just wouldn’t show up as a display, and the iPad app didn’t report any connected device, and there’s not much you can do to try to figure it out. So I unplug and replug a few times, try different wires, different usb ports etc.
But when it does work it was great - very little letency, good quality etc.
I’ve been meaning to order a portable usb monitor for a while so I used the opportunity to order one today. I got the LG +view.
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.