Left the MBA at home and used the Ipad all day.

The processing power needed for the air is different than a iPad, they are completely different beasts!

I did the opposite, got rid of a iPad for a air!

idencustom said:

I'm on my 14th hour of using the ipad 3. I left ATL this monring at 8:30 and am currently on a flight going back to ATL from Laguardia (6 hour delay... frigging LGA). I've watched almost two movies, used twitter, facebook, instagram and maps..... read several tech blogs... and even downloaded some albums using iTunes match. I'm currently at 26% battery remaining. I left my house without a charger for either my phone or ipad... and this is all I carried. Long story short is...... This is something my MBA can not provide for me (I have the 13 and wife has the 11). I mean.... I love the MBA.... but using an Ipad with the combination of the Logitech UltraThin Keyboard has helped me be productinve in so many different ways today. I kept Cellular Data on all day (except when on plane when I switched to GOGOAIR... which is how I'm typing this post). Longer story short...... Why can't the same battery go inside of the MBA?? Am I missing something?

I forgot to add, I emailed a LOT as well as frequently surfed while in LGA.

Click to expand...

The MBA has a FAR more powerful processor than the iPad.

Sounds like you should get rid of the Air and just get a light keyboard case for the iPad I've gone two weeks at a time using just my iPad but after a day or two I start to miss the versatility of having an actual laptop. It would be nice if the Airs could get similar battery life to an iPad but the technology just isn't there yet. At the slow rate we're progressing in battery technology it is going to be at least a decade before that is possible, IMO.

bottomline:

iPad is for consumption
MBA is for PRODUCTION

its really that simple to me.

The iPad is basically a big iPhone. A full fledged computer is an entirely different thing. You can do 5x the stuff with a Macbook vs an iPad. I sold my iPad 3 because my Macbook Air was far more of a utility to me. You can't do a lot of stuff on an iPad that you can do with the Air - at least not very comfortably. I type very fast and have since I was a kid - going to a touch screen keyboard was murder for me.

Those of us who are more than consumers - like the posters here said - a Macbook is a must. Writing tons of emails, VPN'ing into other networks so we can RDP to do IT work, websites that require flash, working with code and a compiler, ... etc.

Comparing the battery life of the iPad to the Macbook Air isn't entirely fair. I'll try to make an analogy without offending anyone but an iPad 3 is like a mid ranged motorcycle while the Macbook Air is like a BMW M3. The iPad 3 is fast, good at what it does, but it can't do a lot of the things the Macbook Air can.

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Edit: You have a valid point tho... A lot of people could get by with an iPad 3 with a keyboard - far more people than most realize. I never understood why mouse/keyboard inputs weren't encouraged with the iPad 3 - always figured it would leech sales from Apple's Macbook lineup if they did that. But MOST people I know could easily get by with an iPad, a monitor, a mouse, and a keyboard. They'd use a quarter of the power too.

sillyrabbitt said:

bottomline:

iPad is for consumption
MBA is for PRODUCTION

its really that simple to me.

Click to expand...

I used to think that too, but its getting less simple all the time.

Here is a regular day where I work on my Macbook.

- Import 200-1800 pictures to Macbook taken from 7D
- Mass correct white balance
- Post production work on photos
- Build time lapse if desired
- Upload all pics to social networks or client

Can't do all that on an iPad.

Yep, you've made your point, iPad has great battery life.

I need battery life, connectivity, performance and use software not available on the iPad so I travel with a 3rd gen 3G iPad and a MacBook Air.

Best of both worlds.

I've never want to leave on a trip without my Air and my iPad, having both gives me, what about 14-18 hours total battery life and more performance and entertainment than I need in less weight than a 13" MBP!

When I'm on the road for a couple weeks at a time both my iPad and my MBA go with me. But for quick trips in and out doing a presentation, out one day two days back the iPad does it all. We have had these discussions before. Neither one is better than the other, they are totally just different, for different applications.

Just like others have mentioned, if you think of it, your MBA uses its battery to operate the display which is larger than the iPad, it operates the fans that are constantly spinning to cool the more powerful processor.

Which if the MBA did not have to have a fan, I am sure it would last much longer but this is why there are different products.

If you can get by on consuming data alone without much need to share, store or work with it then an iPad is probably the device for you. It is great at its job.

If you need more then that is where the MacBook lineup comes in.

A lot of folks have both devices to suit their different needs, which is great if you have the resources to do that.

I think sumbody just found out the stuff he does DOES NOT require a laptop.

idencustom said:

I've watched almost two movies, used twitter, facebook, instagram and maps..... read several tech blogs... and even downloaded some albums using iTunes match.
(...)
but using an Ipad with the combination of the Logitech UltraThin Keyboard has helped me be productinve in so many different ways today.

Click to expand...

How were you productive when you didn't produce any material

idencustom said:

I do understand how the fan would use the battery... make sense. Didn't think of that.

Click to expand...

But if you not doing much to tax the system, why does the fan has to come on at all?

In a perfect world, sure, your laptop has a more powerful engine, but it should be able to throttle itself down for low-power tasks and conserve energy, they all do that in some fashion, but not enough to mimic a tablet. I feel they could had done a better job but having that kind of range would probably get the one-device-does all more expensive to produce.

But the good news is, hey, u found out a tablet is your portable tool of choice.

sillyrabbitt said:

bottomline:

iPad is for consumption
MBA is for PRODUCTION

its really that simple to me.

Click to expand...

Wrong the iPad is more then capable of doing work. When people get out the mindset that it suppose to replace a laptop they will see how capable it is.

flyguy206 said:

Wrong the iPad is more then capable of doing work. When people get out the mindset that it suppose to replace a laptop they will see how capable it is.

Click to expand...

actaully wrong....have owned both for 3 years and the above comment of ipad for consuming, MBA creating is correct.

You can "produce material" on an IPad - it's not as easy as on an Air, for sure, but things like email and reviewing / commenting on documents.

flyguy206 said:

Wrong the iPad is more then capable of doing work. When people get out the mindset that it suppose to replace a laptop they will see how capable it is.

Click to expand...

Like I previously mentioned, there is no way I can do the things I do on my Macbook.

Ok fine there is a way but it'll take MUCH longer with less than ideal results.

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idencustom said:

Productivity for me consists of being able to respond to emails quickly, review excel spreadsheets and be able to access dropbox. Yesterday, along with the stuff I mentioned above... I was able to keep track of some financial stuff. Did i create powerpoint slides or work with thousands of photos... no.

I do understand how the fan would use the battery... make sense. Didn't think of that.

Click to expand...

Ah well you hadn't mentioned email, Excel or dropbox on your OP.

If you're that productive on an iPad, you should just get rid of your MBA.

For me, I'll get rid of the iPad before I get rid of the MBA.

flyguy206 said:

Wrong the iPad is more then capable of doing work. When people get out the mindset that it suppose to replace a laptop they will see how capable it is.

Click to expand...

It can do some work. Typing out docs and things like that is one thing. But if media production is in the equation you are hamstringing yourself using an iPad. The lack of access to the file system will always be it's biggest flaw.

If I had to get rid of one or the other, it would be the iPad before the Air. Sure the Air lacks endurance when compared to the iPad for battery, but the Air is so much more versatile in what it can do. The Air's form factor is close enough to the iPad (11" vs 9.7") and lightweight enough that I don't mind the reduced battery life, and I have frequent and easy access to a power plug so that's a moot point for me personally.

An iPad and the Air may be able to achieve the same thing in the end, but the approach may be quite different and don't know if I may necessarily want to approach a certain task a certain way on the iPad. For example, if I want to edit and/or create a short clip, there's no way I would consider an iPad. For consumption, the iPad is a fantastic device though.

I have both the 11" Air and the iPad, and they compliment each other nicely. No way in my mind do I believe the iPad can overtake my Air completely without having to make major effort conscious adjustments. In the end it's just not worth it. Luckily I don't have to choose.

I love first world problems

Why choose one or the other? They both serve a purpose. I have a MBP and an iPad, for developing, editing photos in Photoshop, or any Adobe product, professional docs, I NEED my MBP. For web surfing, updating my Fantasy Football lineup, simple photo editing, emailing, facebook etc. I find the iPad does it quicker and easier. I love both products and wouldn't get rid of either.

Put me in the "both" category as well.

What you guys think about these "convertibles" the competitions are coming out with? It's a tablet with a foldable/detachable keyboard!

I predict they will cease production after 1 year. Is not like they haven't tried that before. The competition is so sad, they always try to up-1-feature than an Apple product, whether that feature is useful, desirable, ez to use what not. Apple's is cool because they know when to say no.