I spend an unhealthy amount of time lurking in communities where people share aesthetic desktop setups. One of my friends recently set the group chat on fire with a triple monitor setup that had two vertical screens and an ultrawide curved panel at the center. An impulse swipe later, I achieved a similar makeover for my desk at home.

Here’s the problem, though. My $600 workstation overhaul did bring me visual joy, but not much utility. For reporting assignments, I spend the majority of the year away from home, working from deserted cafes or unnaturally uncomfortable bunk beds. I do miss the convenience of large secondary screens. Interestingly, that yearning is addressed by a rather unconventional device —the humble iPad.

Over the past couple of years, I have carried iPads in all shapes and sizes. From the tiny iPad mini and the entry-level iPad to the 13-inch iPad Pro. I have used them extensively for video editing, photo touch-ups, gaming, and reading comics. But the best utility that I’ve got from Apple’s tablet is pushing it as an external monitor.

There is no dearth of minimalist monitors out there. Some are even thinner than the MacBook Air, while a few snap right to the lid, like some protective case. However, there are a few fundamental issues with external monitors, even if you aren’t vexed by lugging one around in your bag.