I use a computer for a lot of document writing and serious code development tasks. If I need a keyboard, I tend to use my MBP. I have a keyboard for my iPad, but mostly use it when I only want to carry one thing (or on an airplane where I put the 16" in overhead and use the smaller iPad on the tray table).
The iPad is much better for note taking. Typing notes is ok, but it doesn't serve the purpose of embedding those notes in my memory like writing them long hand does. Plus I can much more easily include sketches, arrows, write in the margins, write things in non-linear time order etc. I can write math directly without having to distract my brain with esoteric LaTeX notation. I can select and reorder stuff, change colors, underline, emphasize, circle, cross out... All the stuff we used to do on paper but lost when we got forced to keyboards and mice.
I use my iPad for document review and markup. It's a much more tangible experience to be able to view a whole page in portrait and point the pencil exactly where I want to draw a circle, and scribble notes. It's back to the paper workflow that I always preferred, but digital.
I can sketch and illustrate. I'm not an artist, but drawings are an easier way to convey information in most cases and not everything can be easily drawn using squares, triangles and circles and the trackpad makes a horrible stylus. I can quickly scribble my crappy little drawings and cut and paste them into a document or just as easily select and cut from the iPad and paste into the Mac.
I do use my iPad sometimes to run Jupyter notebooks through Juno (I can't recommend that application enough!). I have text editors and a Git client (Working Copy, also excellent). I generally prefer to do development tasks on a bigger screen, but there are times I intentionally move to my iPad and keyboard because the change of context and single app paradigm sometimes helps me focus. I keep a development folder sync'd to my Mac via iCloud that makes it easy to switch back and forth. I can terminal into remote machines when needed.
I run Logic on it, which is remarkably capable-- it replaces my pedalboard, amp, effects and DAW. This is another place where touch is a much more natural interface-- adjusting knobs, cutting and mixing, etc. I also have Logic on my Mac, but never use it there. It's not convenient to interact with when holding or standing behind an instrument. It also captures MIDI nicely. I'm not a professional musician, mind you, so I'm not sitting down and doing hardcore sound engineering and mastering.
I'll use AnyTune to slow down tracks to learn. Again, I don't need a desk and keyboard, I want to scroll through a song, set some loop marks, adjust the playback speed, and play along.
Kids love it when I open the virtual instruments on screen and they can hit all the drums or stab at the piano. I'm much more comfortable with them slapping away at my solid, rigid iPad than I would be them hitting a Macbook in the same way.
I include it in my camera bag every time I go out. I have it bluetooth connected to my Nikon Z8 so it's constantly providing GPS coordinates and time to the images and downloading copies of each for review on a larger display than the one on the camera. This saves my phone battery and gives me a much better screen to look at. I can look at the shots I've taken and if I'm stopped for lunch or something, edit them in Affinity Photo.
Yes, it's an excellent media consumption device. I think you're selling it a bit short with a focus on "touch" games. I'm not a big gamer, but I do have a few that I enjoy and have a Xbox controller paired with it. That makes for a very portable console setup.
When I'm mobile and only carrying my iPad, I rely on it for browsing, email, messaging, maps, etc. When I have my iPad and laptop, it makes an excellent, portable, second display.
All of those things are better on the iPad than they would be carrying a Mac around.
