Need Advice on Choosing the Right Apple Device for Productivity and Creativity

I'm guessing that a MacBook Pro with a Pro or Max chip – not a base M1/M2/M3 chip – would be the way to go.

The MacBook Pro chassis will get you a mini-LED backlit screen (with HDR support for pre-recorded content), a HDMI port, a SDXC card slot, and cooling fans.

A Pro or Max chip will get you

• Better multi-core CPU performance
• Better GPU performance
• The ability to drive two external displays with the lid open. Most Mac notebooks with base M1/M2/M3 chips can only drive one external display. Even the M3 MacBook Airs can only drive a second display (with fewer options) when their lids are closed.
• A third USB-C (Thunderbolt) port missing on the MacBook Airs and on MBPs with base M1/M2/M3 chips

A Max chip will get you

• More hardware video encoding engines – which may be useful IF you can make good use of them
• The ability to drive four external displays with the lid open

You can get pretty much the same computing choices in either a 14" MBP or a 16" MBP. There's not an enormous difference in price (if everything else is configured the same way), so this is more about screen size vs. weight.

Do all of the applications that you want to run have full-blown versions that run on the iPad Pro, under iPadOS? If not, that could decide things in favor of some sort of Mac right there.

If you do a lot of video editing, you're probably going to want a lot of RAM (24 – 32 GB) and a lot of storage space. You can't upgrade RAM or internal storage after purchase … but you can add external storage. So while you would want enough internal storage space to work on active video projects, you could plan on archiving finished projects to external drives to cut down on internal storage needs.

You said that a long battery life is important – but then mentioned an iMac, a computer that does not operate off a battery. So what type of portability are you looking for?

Well, the iMac is far from being "portable", unless you have a custom travel case and are willing to check it as luggage on the plane. No battery in an iMac, it plugs into the wall socket.

Given your other requirements, the MacBook Pro is the way to go.

Based on your personal needs as outlined, I agree with Bob here. MacBook Pro is the way to go.

CapCut and Office are available for iPad, and Mac (even iPhone). What are you using now? What don’t you like about what you’re currently using? What type of video do you edit, long form or short form?