Can I use an iPad as a peripheral keyboard and trackpad for a Mac mini?

If all you want is to use your iPad as a keyboard and a trackpad/mouse,

there is an app that I use called Rowmote Pro. It is available in the App Store

($4.99) and has a free companion app that needs to be downloaded from

the vendor site to install on the Mac that you want to control. It emulates a trackpad

or mouse (along with gestures) and has a "slide up" keyboard. The only other

thing you need is a WiFi connection. It can also be run in an Apple Remote mode

(the old one). The $0.99 version only emulates the Apple Remote.

I use the combo with my Mac Mini I use as my media center and my iPhones

and works quite well.

I've heard of apps that will let you use an iPad as a second monitor. There may well be apps that will let you do what you want, though there would probably be some lag. You'll need to search the App Store.

There are also apps (e.g. Splashtop?) that will let you mirror your desktop on your iPad. That may work as well.

See:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/duet-display-turn-ipad-into-a-second-monitor-for-ma c-with-zero-lag-review/

This review

http://9to5mac.com/2015/01/16/use-ipad-as-mac-monitor/

includes

Touchscreen OS X

One really nice, uh, touch with Duet is that you can choose to control the apps on the iPad monitor using your Mac touchpad/mouse, or the touchscreen display on the iPad–switching back-and-forth between the two methods as you like.

It’s really quite fun to explore what OS X would be like on a touchscreen device. Obviously it’s not designed as a touchscreen OS, so a lot of the user interface elements are rather small for a finger, but for things like weblinks, it makes for a convenient additional means of control.

The Duet app has essentially zero lag since:

Duet Display, produced by former Apple engineers, deals with the lag problem in a unique way. The iPad is connected to the Mac with a standard charging cable for the iPad. This can be either the current Lightning cable or the 30-pin version for older iPads and iPhones.