
Ask HN: Is there a way to use the iPad Pro as a desktop PC? - wysiwyg3826
Thinking of buying the new 9.7&quot; iPad Pro for my wife to replace her old iPad. I&#x27;m wondering if it could also replace her old Windows PC. For &quot;lean-back&quot; tasks (email, reading, etc) she loves the iPad. For web surfing, online shopping, web videos and occasional spreadsheet, she prefers the PC&#x27;s 22&quot; screen and a physical keyboard.<p>Is there a way to send the iPad&#x27;s screen to a 4K monitor via the Lightning connector, and turn the iPad&#x27;s screen into a multi-touch trackpad. I know iOS doesn&#x27;t support mouse cursor so the GUI would be a problem. Does anyone have a creative workaround (without jailbreak)? Thanks for reading.
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smt88
This is like asking if it's possible to use a screwdriver as a multitool. It
is possible (casting the iPad screen to a monitor, for example), but why not
just buy the multitool? A Macbook Air is close to the same price as an iPad
Pro and does everything you want, and I'd argue that a Surface Pro 4 does the
split-personality thing even better than any Mac product.

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wysiwyg3826
Wife really likes the big 4K monitor we have, and the Macbook Air's 13" screen
is too small for her. To be honest, I really don't feel like buying a new PC
to do what the iPad Pro could already do. Besides, she could use a new iPad
and the 9.7" iPad Pro is only $599 vs the 13" MBA at $999. I wish iOS had a
setting to drive a 4K monitor and turn the iPad into a multi-touch trackpad
with mouse/cursor support.

Yes, I have the Surface Pro 3 w/Win 10 for work and the split-personality
works pretty well for me.

