What is your ideal Apple product combination?

[Ubele]

I wasn’t sure where to post this, as there’s no “General Apple Product Discussion” forum, and this forum has mostly non-Apple-related threads, but here I go, anyway… I know people’s needs change over time, but I finally have what for me is the ideal combination of Apple products:

• 2021 16” M1 MacBook Pro with 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD: I just got this to replace my 2019 27” i5 iMac. While I love the iMac’s gorgeous screen, I’ve wanted something portable since I gave my 2015 MBP to my dad. The 16” screen on my new MBP is gorgeous, too, and it’s big enough that I don’t yet feel the need for an external monitor. I gave my iMac to my wife, and she’s thrilled. My new MBP is so much faster than the iMac, especially for rendering video.
• 2021 12.9” iPad Pro: I got this with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, hoping it could replace my 2015 MBP. Alas, iPadOS has too many limitations compared to macOS for the things I do. I love to watch videos while I’m on the treadmill, though, and I use the Pencil with Procreate for art. For email, web browsing, looking at photos, etc., it’s fine. If I’d gotten the MBP first, I probably would have skipped the Magic Keyboard because of the cost, but I’m glad I have it. It’s a great portable combination for traveling when I don’t need to do serious work on my MBP.
• 2022 iPhone 14 Pro Max: My iPhone XR was perfectly fine in most respects, but the camera is the most important function of an iPhone for me after making phone calls, and T-Mobile was offering $800 in trade-in for the XR, so this was a no-brainer. I’d planned to wait for the iPhone 15 and the rumored periscope lens, but the XR was the oldest iPhone for which T-Mobile was offering a trade-in, so I figured they might not do it for the XR this coming fall. As it turns out, I use the 1x and 0.5x lenses far more than the 2x and 3x lenses, so I’m happy with the 14 Pro Max.
• AirPods Pro: My stepson got me a pair for my birthday, and I love them! They sound almost as good as my Sennheiser 590 open-ear headphones, and I can crank the volume before bedtime without bothering my wife, and the noise-canceling is great when I’m on the treadmill, so I rarely use the Sennheisers.

That’s it! I haven’t yet felt the need for an Apple Watch, but I might someday. What about you? What’s your ideal device combination? Non-Apple products are fine, too. I’ve used Windows PCs for work since the dawn of history, and I‘m glad I have a foot in each platform, but Apple is still my favorite.

 

[DarkPremiumCho]

1. Desktop and homelab server - 2 Pro Display XDRs and a Mac mini
2. Content consumption - a miniLED TV and the Mac mini
3. Gaming and anything amd64 exclusive - the miniLED TV and a Windows PC

(I'm personally not too interested in mobile devices.)

 

[Juicy Box]

I have many Apple products that get used daily, many of them are older, one being 17 years old, but if I had to narrow it down, here us my list in order to most to least important:

2022 Apple TV 4K, 128GB - I'm a long time fan of the ATV, owning every generation. The ATV4K3 has its issues though, mainly that it doesn't have a fan and it thermal throttles, but I have a heat sink sitting on top that improves things. I wished the storage was bigger. Didn't like the Remote, and I swapped it for the original Siri Remote.

2023 Mac Mini with the M2 Pro - It's a beast.

2013 6th gen AirPort Extreme - I have six of them, scattered throughout my home and garage, creating a super Apple pseudo-mesh network. I have the 2.4 and 5Ghz bands separated, and keep almost everything on the faster band.

iPad Mini 2 - A newer model would be ideal, but the Mini 2 has been serving me well.

iPhone 13 Mini - I hate large phones. I don't love my iPhone, but would rather stick with Apple for now. Honestly, I would much rather use my Mac, and whenever I can, I do. I do almost all my texting via my Macs' keyboards when I am at home.

Apple Watch Series 3 - Don't love the AW, but if I wear a watch, it will only be an Apple Watch, at least for now.

 

[eyoungren]

I don't really have any combinations as I usually have a specific computer/device for a specific purpose.

Right now, I'm using a 500mhz PowerMac G4 as a glorified NAS. It's running Leopard with less than 1GB ram, but I have a PCI-SATA card in it with a 6TB drive that's shared. Two Gigabit NICs in this Mac.

For just general media, bumming around in the garage and some light content (mostly text) creation I have a pair of 2009 Mac Minis. One's Early 2009 with 4GB ram and the other is Late 2009 with 8GB ram.

My primary desktop is my 2009 Mac Pro 4,1 (upgraded to a 5,1). I have 32GB ram, a 1TB SSD (boot), two 6TB HDDs and one 3TB HDD. Running Mojave. I've got it connected to two 30" Aluminum Cinema Displays, two 23" Aluminum Cinema Displays, one 55" HDTV and one 20" Aluminum Cinema Display for a total of 6 displays. Right now that's a good combination, but ultimately I want to replace the 23 and 20 inch displays for three more 30" ones.

My primary phone is an iPhone 11 Pro Max, 512GB and my only iPad is a 6th Gen, 128GB.

I have other computers, mostly older Macs, as well. If I need a laptop to take out I have my choice of my 2003 17" PowerBook G4, 2006 17" MacBook Pro or my 2008 15" MacBook Pro. The latter is running Catalina. My 17" PowerBook has an SSD.

 

[FeliApple]

Any and all Apple devices become obsolete eventually by the nature of technology, so I’m not going to take current usability as a factor. This is my favourite Apple combo based on what I like (happy to say that I have it):

-iPhone 6s: it’s my favourite iPhone ever. Fast, decent battery life, it has a headphone jack. 3D Touch’s debut, and 4K, too. I’ve been using it non-stop since 2016. It’s not perfect compared to current models, but like I said, I’m not taking that into account.

-9.7-inch iPad Pro: My favourite iPad ever. The best iteration of Apple’s original design intention with the iPad. Quad speakers, True Tone, the full color gamut display, etc. It’s the best 9.7-inch iPad ever.

-2015 Retina MacBook Pro: ...do I need to explain this one? My favourite Mac, ever.

 

[rm5]

Here are three different possibilities for an "ideal" setup for me. My current setup (M1 MacBook Air, LG Ultrafine monitor, 1 TB external SSD) works fine for now, but if I continue in the music industry (which I will), I'm going to have to upgrade at some point, hopefully within the next year or two, to one (only one) of these:

Mac-based setup #1:

• M2 Pro Mac mini with 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB internal SSD
• 2x LG Ultrafine monitors (so just adding one to my current setup essentially)—no need for a Studio Display
• 2 TB SABRENT Thunderbolt SSD. SanDisk that I have right now is fine, but the 1 TB is filling up pretty quick
• Another 1 TB external SSD for other stuff like video projects, general files, etc. 1 TB would be enough I think
• 8 TB NAS in RAID 5. Not one of those stupid off-the-shelf ones. I'd go for a custom-built NAS or a server like I have right now. This would be used for time machine backups and archives. I already have a server, but it has some issues with the iDRAC, which makes the fans spin up close to full speed, which makes it hard for me to use it. So I'd go for another HP ProLiant and fill it with 1 TB SATA SSDs.
• Novation Launchkey 88 or Komplete Kontrol S88 controller keyboard. You just gotta have 88 keys on your controller. I love my 61-key that I have right now but it is a bit limiting sometimes.
• Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 (so I could FINALLY get rid of my old Saffire Pro 40. As good as it is, FireWire 400... REALLY?!)
• Berlin Orchestra individual collections - actually not that expensive (especially since I can get a $50 discount on each one as a Compiled owner), so that's not a huge ask
• Some good speakers. Like pretty high-end ones, with a good subwoofer
• Complete soundproofing in the studio, including airtight sliding glass doors and walls that aren't paper thin (definitely the most expensive part). Would probably require rebuilding the whole room from the ground up, so I could probably only do this if I owned a house (rather than renting).
• Any desk that's bigger than the one I have right now

Mac-based setup #2:

• All of the above, but instead of the M2 Pro Mac mini, a Mac Studio M1 Ultra with 128 GB of RAM (and dang, that'd be expensive!)

PC-based:

• Ryzen 9 7900X3D
• 128 GB of DDR5 RAM
• RTX 3070 (who cares about the 4090)
• Decent motherboard (can't point to any specific one, but something pretty good with lots of PCI-e slots)
• Same display configuration
• Some decent case and PSU, don't really care all that much
• Cubase Pro
• Same other stuff as above

EDIT: Shoot, forgot about all the other devices 🤣

• iPad Pro 12.9 inch. Either M1 or M2, doesn't matter. Just need to run iGigBook and iReal Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro
• Apple Watch Series 7 or 8. I don't currently have an Apple Watch, but it might be nice to have.
• AirPods Max (because why not)

I'm probably forgetting a lot of stuff, but there we go. Pretty big ask, I know, but hopefully in a few years this can become a reality (with the exception of the soundproofing... because I ain't owning a house anytime soon lol)

 

[Ubele]

That's quite a range of configurations! I forgot about my Apple TV. I also have two 2012 Mac minis (i5 and i7) to which I maxed out the RAM and added Fusion drives. They're sitting in a closet now, but they were great machines. And "ideal" combinations change over time. My first Mac was a used IIce that I bought from a coworker in the early '90s, and I loved it. Then I built a custom Windows 95 PC for work, but I went back to Apple for personal use when the G4 tower came out in 2000. Next was a 2008 15" MBP, then a 2012 i7 Mac mini, then an early 2015 13" MBP (which my dad is loving now), then a 2019 27" iMac, and now a 16" M1 MBP. All were ideal in their day. The primary reason I only want one Mac now is that I have several apps that are only licensed for one computer, which is an annoying trend.

rm5, that's quite a setup you plan to have! I'm an amateur songwriter/musician with more gear than musical talent. I have a Roland A-90ex 88-key controller and 76-key XP-80 synth that I bought in the '90s. My wife and I are having a house built, and there will be room in the basement for a recording studio.

 

[rm5]

rm5, that's quite a setup you plan to have! I'm an amateur songwriter/musician with more gear than musical talent. I have a Roland A-90ex 88-key controller and 76-key XP-80 synth that I bought in the '90s. My wife and I are having a house built, and there will be room in the basement for a recording studio.

Yeah, probably not necessary right this moment, I think how I have my studio now is fine, but in the near future, yeah, I'll need to upgrade some stuff. And nice that you're still using older gear, too—some of that stuff just really lasts a long time! I used a Roland VS-2000CD for a long time before I went full digital (Logic Pro), and THAT was a sweet piece of gear, even like 20 years later! I kind of miss it tbh. As much as I love Logic Pro, the VS-2000CD was so simple and easy to use, although it really had its limitations, as you might imagine . Also, that's awesome you're planning to build a studio in your basement, that'll be lovely!

"with more gear than musical talent." Well I think you know more than you probably think you do, and I'm sure you aren't THAT inexperienced. If you have a synth and a controller, think about all the things you could do! Anyway, whole different discussion

 

[Ubele]

Yeah, probably not necessary right this moment, I think how I have my studio now is fine, but in the near future, yeah, I'll need to upgrade some stuff. And nice that you're still using older gear, too—some of that stuff just really lasts a long time! I used a Roland VS-2000CD for a long time before I went full digital (Logic Pro), and THAT was a sweet piece of gear, even like 20 years later! I kind of miss it tbh. As much as I love Logic Pro, the VS-2000CD was so simple and easy to use, although it really had its limitations, as you might imagine . Also, that's awesome you're planning to build a studio in your basement, that'll be lovely!

"with more gear than musical talent." Well I think you know more than you probably think you do, and I'm sure you aren't THAT inexperienced. If you have a synth and a controller, think about all the things you could do! Anyway, whole different discussion

I started in the late '70s with a TEAC 3340S four-track reel-to-reel tape deck. In the mid '80s, I got a Fostex eight-track reel-to-reel tape deck, a Roland JX-8P synthesizer, a Roland TR-707 drum machine, and a Korg SQD hardware sequencer. I'm still amazed at some of the things I was able to record with that combination. The process was tedious, but I was single and had lots of free time.

I've bought and sold other gear over the years, including a Roland VS-880, the ancestor of your VS-2000CD. I have a nice guitar collection, but other than an audio/MIDI interface, I haven't purchased any gear since 2000 (marriage, step kids, grad school, and a new career followed). Although the Roland A-90ex was made to control a bunch of hardware and has features that I don't use anymore, it's still one of the best 88-key controllers ever made. And the XP-80 is light, portable, and has great sounds, even though it's from the 1990s.

I was thrilled when Apple introduced GarageBand. When they dropped the price of Logic to $200, I got that, and I'm amazed at what it can do. Apple has added so many features to it over the years. I checked out GarageBand again recently, and it's almost as powerful now as Logic was when I first bought it. Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting back into recording once I have a studio!

 

[Shanghaichica]

The ideal Apple set up is the one I currently use:

iphone 13 pro max
ipad pro 11
ipad mini 6
macbook air
apple TV
apple watch
airpods pro 2nd gen
airpods max
homepods
airtags

 

[Gudi]

• 24" iMac (keyboard with TouchID)
• iPhone 13 mini + Lightning Dock
• iPad Air (5-th gen., WiFi-only) no keyboard, no pencil

Keep it simple!

 

[dockgaze]

1. Mac Mini M1 - mothership, always in sleep state at home when traveling. . . . . ready for #2

2. Ipad Air 4 w/ Magic Keyboard - portable comfort, connects to MM desktop via ‘JumpDesktop’ app as needed for MacOS tasks. So it’s really ‘kind of’ like having IOS and MacOS in one. Yes, screen size not ideal . . . . but portability wins for me on this setup.

3. iphone X - love the size and screen, does what I want, no need to upgrade (someone please support me on this!)

4. Beats Fit Pro - hands down great sound, features, and FIT 😝

5. Apple TV 4k - all the obvious reasons, plus Beats FP connects too

6. Apple TV 3rd Gen - optical out allows amplifier connection in auxiliary room for music streaming, oldie but goodie feature

7. Apple watch series 8 - why the heck not?! Keeps great time 😆 (hope this doesn’t make me a fanboi 🥸)

 

[StellarVixen]

Desktop or laptop - Mac
Phone - iPhone


Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Funny enough I actually have the entire ecosystem...or I will until Apple Reality comes out (Pain)

• 2021 base spec 14 inch M1 Pro Macbook Pro: This is my baby. My favorite Apple device, and the best computer I have ever had. It's pretty much the device I spend the most time on and take with me all the time. It's my desk's stereo, it's my creative bench, it's where I do work, it's where I do impractical stuff I really should not be doing on macOS. It's my baby. Whenever I'm doing PC gaming, my Macbook Pro is by my side to be my stereo and Discord window
• 8th gen iPad: I don't really use this much anymore outside of when I need to use the restroom. The iPad makes me sad, it used to be my fave but then the Apple Silicon Macs showed up and completely took over as my fave. Now the iPad is pretty much only for bathroom time now. Maybe when the EU mandated sideloading update or a rumored macOS mode for the iPad Pros show up I'll use iPads more, but until then, my iPad is just for toilet time now
• iPhone 13 Pro: No explanation needed. This phone kicks ass and in my opinion is the best iPhone ever made.
• AirPods Max: I actually use these as work headphones at the office for their transparency mode and noise cancelling is so good, and having the digital crown for volume control is so much better than the crap touch controls all the other bluetooth headphones insist on using. Apple please do not get rid of it for Gen 2. If there was some complaints I got it's the lack of lossless hifi, no aux mode, the fact they use Lightning instead of USB-C, and the fact there's no power button. If Gen 2 fixed all that, I'd buy it day one
• HomePod Mini: I use this as a bedside speaker for when I want a radio on and my morning report
• Apple TV 4K: This replaced my Roku and is sooooooo much better my god.
• Apple Card: This is my primary and only credit card. No other credit card has given me a good reason to use over an Apple Card so I just stick with AC, even moreso now with the introduction of Apple Card Savings which my god, banking through Apple Card Savings has been so convenient and the APR is so good. Now will that APR stay the way it is, probably not, but for now, it's been absolutely fantastic.
• Apple Watch Series 6: I love this watch. It's been so handy, and has really helped me since I got high blood pressure. I plan in the future to get an Apple Watch Ultra since I wanna go scuba diving, and I like beeg.
• AirTags: OH MY GOD I LOVE THESE THINGS. AirTags have saved my ass so many times. I got one on my bag, and one on my work badge, and thanks to AirTags I haven't forgotten my badge anymore like I used to. I'm gonna get even more AirTags in the future, like one for my Steam Deck

Speaking of, time to move away from the Apple Sphere and to the companion devices!

• Steam Deck: My portable Linux based gaming PC that has effectively killed the Nintendo Switch for me. This handheld PC in my opinion is a must buy for any Mac user who wants to game. I even take my Steam Deck to Apple Store trips and all the Apple Store employees just gather around me because they wanna take turns playing it. It's that good
• HP Omen Obelisk 875 (RTX 3060, 32 GB RAM, Intel i7 9th Gen): My good old midrange gaming PC. This baby helped me through COVID so much. (Sidenote, don't buy HP prebuilts they're awful. The Obelisk was the last good one)
• Meta Quest 2: So know why my PC helped me through COVID? It's because of my VR headset. PCVR really helped during lockdown as I pretty much spent those two years of hell in virtual reality meeting new people in social VR experiences like Pokerstars VR

If there's one thing I want, it would be to create a ARM based NAS storage solution using Raspberry Pis and USB-C drives in an enclosure that take low power, so I can offload media from my Macbook Pro. haven't been able to do that since Raspberry Pis are currently missing in action as for almost two years now they've been out of stock and no one in the DIY microcomputing space knows where the hell they've gone.

 

[maflynn]

I don't really have an apple ecosystem in a sense. I pick and choose products that best fits my needs, and not what fruit logo it has.

For me, the iPhone is a great and use that, and I don't consider myself ever moving on from that.

I find my windows desktop and laptop do 90% of things better then my 14" MBP. Don't get me wrong, my MBP is not a bad computer its just that my PCs do a better jobs (heresy I know, I'm prepared to be put on blast )

I also use Apple TV and its absolutely fantastic, in fact I now have three, two 4k models, and an old one that my daughter has in her room.

I have iPads in the house, but it seems none of us really use them, we all prefer our phones. They're not bad, they just seem to collect dust.

 

[MacRazySwe]

Here's my little ecosystem

• MacBook Air M1 - Personal - 8GB RAM/256GB SSD - Does all I need.
• MacBook Air M1 - Work - 16GB RAM/512GB SSD - Does all I need for work.
  
  The M1 MacBook Air remains my best computer of all time. It has all the performance I need while being incredibly thin and light. I still think the M1 design trumps the M2 version. Both connect to a Dell U2723 4K USB-C display that provides fantastic image quality, charges the laptop and has the added benefit of doubling as a monitor for my Xbox Series X.
  
  
• iPhone 13 - Perfect size screen in a lightweight package.
• iPad Pro - For bridging the gap between iPhone and Mac.
• Apple Watch - Daily wear, perfect for recording Strava rides and workouts
• AirPods Pro - Best wireless earphones to date.

I also have an iPad mini 6 and a few older devices that I don't use.