The iPad mini is primarily designed as a content consumption delve that can do some input. I use an iPad mini daily for reading books, checking email and making notes into the Notes app with an Apple Pencil. But can an iPad mini replace a proper computer? I set out to find out while I was away recently.
For my experiment, I used
- A 7th generation iPad mini
- An Apple Pencil Pro
- An Apple Magic Keyboard (an older model that uses a Lightning charger that I keep for emergencies)
- A JETech Magnetic Case for iPad
As setups go, this is quite minimalist. I didn’t bother with an external mouse or trackpad as the touchscreen sufficed. And, to ensure I wasn’t too hunched over, I did sit the iPad on a book, or box to raise it up to an ergonomically, and more comfortable, level.
I’ve written before about using an iPad Pro as a writers tool. But this is a more casual use.
What applications did I use?
Over the week I used the iPad as a laptop replacement I used:
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Pixelmator
- Notes
- Safari
I also used Books but that was recreational rather that productivity focussed.
What worked well
If you’re going to try something like this I’d strongly recommend using an external keyboard. And I would not recommend a keyboard case. I’ve used many different keyboard cases over the years but none, even Apple’s $400 and $500 keyboard cases, come close to the comfort of using a keyboard that you can place as close or far as you’d like from the iPad.
Most of the keyboard shortcuts I use (I started using a laptop in the days when an integrated pointing device was an expensive extra feature) work perfectly in iPadOS and the apps I use. That meant I could work on the iPad in much the same way as a larger Mac.
I contemplated bringing a mouse for this trip but I’m glad I didn’t. I was often working in cramped quarters and it would also have been another device to carry. iPadOS is designed to be used by tapping on the screen. And that worked just fine for me.
Apple’s iPadOS apps worked perfectly. Using Microsoft’s office apps was pretty good. It;’s worth noting that the iPadOS versions of those apps are not exactly feature-equivalent to the desktop versions. But, for the work I was doing, they worked just fine.
The challenges
Unsurprisingly, screen real estate was my biggest hassle. Fortunately, I only needed to use this set up for about six hours across a week. The iPad mini’s 8.3-inch screen is the bare minimum for getting real work done. And while Apple has added new window management tools as part of iPadOS 26, it’s not all that helpful on the smallest iPad. To be fair, it gets a lot of negative comments on Reddit’s iPad subreddit.
Depending on what work you’re trying to do on an iPad, you will have different views on the app environment. Some apps, like Pixelmator, work on the iPad but are far easier to use and more feature rich on a Mac. It may be down to my skill level, but I find Pixelmator on an iPad to be far less flexible and user friendly than its bigger macOS sibling.
Apple’s Files app… it still feels like a ham-fisted way to manage files.
Should you do it?
Given the choice between using a Mac laptop and my iPad mini with an external keyboard, the laptop is a far more productive set up because of the screen size and app environment.
If you are planning to try something like this regularly – an iPad mini is not going to cut it. On a weekend away or an overnight trip it will work. But a larger iPad, even the entry level regular 11th generation iPad, will do a better job as long as you don’t need Apple Intelligence.
After that, it becomes a question of whether you need and 11-inch or 13-inch iPad Air or iPad Pro.
Can an iPad mini replace a proper computer? For a short time and in limited circumstances the answer is yes. But the iPad mini won’t release your larger Mac.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.