The iPad is one of the most versatile tech products on the planet. The best tablets on the market now have Apple silicon inside, adding even more power to an already seamless experience. With the ability to quickly swap between a handheld device and a full desktop setup, an iPad can be a serious alternative to a laptop. Whether it’s browsing the web, writing documents, making music, or editing photos, there’s an iPad and accessories for you.
With Black Friday in full flow, here are three different solutions at different budgets to fulfill your computing needs with an iPad.
The high-end option
If you’re looking for the absolute best iPad setup to use at home and on the go, then there aren’t many better options than the selection on offer here. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has Apple’s M2 chip, and with 256GB storage, you’ll have enough storage space to store all your favorite apps and most important documents. The Magic Keyboard is the best iPad keyboard and trackpad case on the market, and combined with the Apple Pencil 2, it’s the perfect on-the-go iPad accessory. When you’re at home, this high-end setup option gives you an incredible 5K image on Apple’s Studio Display and the fantastic Keychron Q1 Pro mechanical keyboard alongside Apple’s Magic Trackpad.
- M2 iPad Pro 12.9-inch
$1199$1139 at Best Buy - Magic Keyboard
$349$229 at Amazon - Apple Pencil 2
$129$82 at Amazon - Keychron Q1 Pro
$219$175 at Amazon - Magic Trackpad
$129$109 at Amazon - Studio Display
$1599$1499 at B&H Photo - Anker 11-in-1 Dock
$74$47 at Amazon
The mid-range option
If a slightly more portable option is up your street, the 11-inch iPad Pro benefits from the same M2 chip as its larger sibling. We’ve also selected the same Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 as the more expensive option above. When you’re working at home, the Keychron V1 is one of the best budget mechanical keyboards available today, and the iconic Logitech MX Master 2S is considered one of the best mice of all time. The mid-range setup is completed with an LG UltraFine 4K display, which connects to your iPad via Anker’s 11-in-1 Dock.
- M2 iPad Pro 11-inch
$899$849 at Best Buy - Magic Keyboard
$299$179 at Amazon - Apple Pencil 2
$129$82 at Amazon - Keychron V1
$74$59 at Amazon - Logitech MX Master 2S
$69$59 at Amazon - LG UltraFine 4K
$379$268 at Amazon - Anker 11-in-1 Dock
$74$47 at Amazon
The budget option
If you’re looking for a complete iPad setup for under $1000, the M1 iPad Air is a brilliant option, as you get the same chip as Apple’s M1 MacBook Air in a smaller form factor. The Logitech Folio Touch is a lovely fabric case housing a keyboard and trackpad for the times you want to work on the go. The KXT Stylus Pen has over 8000 reviews on Amazon and provides a similar experience to Apple’s first-party solution for less. The Logitech MK470 bundle gives you a slim keyboard and mouse to use with the Luckyfive 4K UHD monitor connected to your iPad with Anker’s 5-in-1 dock — this is everything you could ever need for an iPad desktop and on-the-go solution.
- M1 iPad Air
$599$499 at Amazon - Logitech Folio Touch
$159$109 at Amazon - KXT Stylus Pen
$19$14 at Amazon - Logitech MK470
$49$37 at Amazon - Luckyfive UHD Monitor
$189$151 at Amazon - Anker 5-in-1 dock
$35$18 at Amazon
Options compared
The best thing about creating your own iPad setup is that you can pick and mix every element to create an alternative to a Mac that fits your needs.