02 — Category
Measure first, then buy.
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If you also want = and BS keys for Excel, go wired. If Tab and 00 are enough, any connection type works. The specs come from ELECOM, Sanwa Supply and BUFFALO, and the picks are for US readers on Amazon.com.
The smallest configuration is 8 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage. That holds with no Lightroom Classic AI features and external displays capped at 1 display. It's borderline against the 8 GB minimum for Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. With two external displays, or Lightroom Classic's AI features with up to two, the smallest option is an M5 configuration with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage. It's borderline against both the recommended 16 GB or more and Lightroom Classic's 16 GB for AI features. With 3 displays you need the M5 Pro chip, and with 4 displays the M5 Max. Worked out from Adobe's official Lightroom Classic and Photoshop requirements and Apple's specs as of October 2026.
By this article's rule of thumb, office work and programming call for an MX Master with a thumb wheel (a side wheel for horizontal scrolling). Carrying calls for the 99 g MX Anywhere 3S. The MX Master 4, MX Anywhere 3S and MX Vertical each pair with up to 3 devices. For three devices that's exactly their maximum, so it's borderline. The MX Ergo S pairs with up to 2 devices. Based on Logitech's official pages (October 2026).
For reading, notes and pressure-sensitive handwriting with pages up to A6 shown at actual size, the smallest and lightest current 8.3 in model is enough. Among current iPads, a whole A5 page at actual size needs a 10.86 in or larger screen, and 10.86 in and 11.1 in are borderline. That compares the whole screen with the page, not the app's drawing area after toolbars. Worked out from Apple's specs and CLIP STUDIO PAINT's official requirements, for the iPads Apple sells as of October 2026.
A Windows laptop for programming needs at least 8 GB of RAM if you skip the Android emulator. That's each tool's official minimum (8 GB for Docker and Android Studio) rounded up to a standard size, separate from Windows 11's own 4 GB. Docker and Android Studio sit exactly at 8 GB, and the emulator at 16 GB, so all three are borderline. Storage fits in 256 GB with a typical Visual Studio install, or needs 512 GB with every workload. Official minimums are per app, and running several at once isn't judged.
The smallest configuration that meets the official minimums is 8 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage. That holds with no Android emulator and up to 1 display. It's borderline against Android Studio's 8 GB minimum. With up to 2 displays, an M5 configuration with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage meets the official minimums, though it's borderline with the emulator. With 3 displays you need the M5 Pro chip, and with 4 displays the M5 Max. Worked out from Docker's and Android Studio's official minimum RAM and Apple's specs as of October 2026.
How to choose between the iPhone 12 line-up (standard, mini, Pro, Pro Max). As the first 5G-rollout-year iPhone, the question of which one to pick — mini, standard, Pro, or Pro Max — comes down to use case, summarized with a table and FAQ.
iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max compared along three axes: screen size, camera, and display quality. Framed to the 2021 release window, with a use-case-by-use-case verdict.
In this calculation, at 60 cm with text at the target size, a 24-inch shows 28–29 lines, a 27-inch 1440p 34 lines, and a 31.5-inch 41–42 lines. On a 27-inch, 1440p shows more lines than 4K because the table scales in preset steps. Calculated from official dimensions as of October 2026.
Pick an HDMI cable by how much video data you need to send. Per HDMI.org's video table, 4K at 120Hz, even 8- to 12-bit 4:4:4, is a format an Ultra High Speed cable carries uncompressed. In this calculation, 4K at 60Hz HDR (10-bit) in full 4:4:4 needs at least 15.67 Gbps, more than the 14.4 Gbps a Premium High Speed cable can carry as video. With 4:2:0 chroma subsampling it fits Premium High Speed. Worked out from HDMI.org's information as of October 2026.
Choose a monitor arm by matching its load range, desk clamp range and VESA pattern to your setup. Among current monitors from major brands, an arm with a minimum load of 2 kg or less and a maximum of 4.5 kg or more covers every monitor compared. Among the monitors compared, with an arm whose minimum load is exactly 2 kg, the lightest sits right on it, so it's borderline. Checked against makers' specs in October 2026.
IPS, VA, TN and OLED compared on maker spec sheets and warranty pages checked in October 2026. Among current models from major brands, VA or OLED suit dark-room movies and games, IPS suits office work, and TN or OLED suit high refresh rates. How makers word OLED burn-in coverage differs.