I'm refreshing my Apple device ecosystem - which option do I choose?

[iMore Question]

Hi,

I am a geology student at university, going to be heading into my second year in September. I currently own: base 21" iMac (2012), base 13" Retina MBP (2013), and an iPad 2. I use the iMac when I'm working in my dorm, and the macbook for taking notes when I'm out on campus. The iPad 2 is very rarely used, but this is because it's now very slow; apps lag and the screen just is not great compared to my macbook (I use that in its place for watching Netflix etc in bed).

Having done one year of university like this, I have come to realise that this setup (as cool as it is with features such as handoff and iCloud) is ridiculously excessive. As such, going in to my second year, I am wanting to reduce the number of devices I own, so it's more manageable and streamlined.

In terms of what I need to do with my devices: Web Browsing, PDF reading, using Office/iWork, very occasional light gaming (mostly Minecraft every few weeks or so), Watching video (iTunes/Netflix), some video conversion [.mkv to .mp4] every now and again (using Handbrake).
Ideally I'd like the thing I take to lectures to be as portable as possible. In lectures, the most I do is browse the web, read PDFs and type/write up notes.

Below, I have outlined some ideas I've got for next year's setup. I'll be using Apple's Student discount from their online store.

? Sell both iMac and Macbook Pro, get 15" Macbook Pro (with Skylake when it arrives).
? Sell both iMac and Macbook Pro, get 27" Retina iMac + iPad Air 2 (or 3 when it arrives).
? Sell both iMac and Macbook Pro, get 2015 Macbook + PS4 for gaming.

If you've got any other ideas, or you think some of mine are cataclysmically terrible, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Bigeric23]

You have to decide what you "really" need, but . . . here are my personal thoughts:

If I could only have a few devices, I would choose to have iPhone 6 Plus, iPad mini, and a MacBook Pro. With these three gadgets, I can do just about anything I need to--in a realistic fashion.

 

[HankAZ]

If your current MBA works well for you, I'd consider selling your current gear, and getting a beefed up MBA along with a decent external monitor. With this setup, you can have the portability that you need and currently enjoy, as well as a decent large(er) screen viewing/work space when back in your dorm.

 

[Algus]

I have to have them all but I am a bit tech obsessive, I'll grant you.

Having said that, I think I would trade my Macbook in if I could only have it or the iPad. I consider a solid desktop essential, though I get why people who have limited space might prefer a laptop as their primary device. The iPad Air is a tremendously useful device for reading and note taking. It would be far easier for me to replicate what I need my Macbook to do on my iPad than the other way around. If you invest in a good case for your iPad, you still get that laptop form factor for writing projects.