That's why business travelers have Thinkpads
All the power of the MBA, same portability, that extra battery to cover your ass at the airport. And instead of sitting there and surfing the web, you can actually get some work done on it.
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Air vs. iPad and 11" vs 13": Some Thoughts
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That's why business travelers have Thinkpads
All the power of the MBA, same portability, that extra battery to cover your ass at the airport. And instead of sitting there and surfing the web, you can actually get some work done on it.
god you're so smart - why didn't I think about that? - I realize you just hate me and just wanna argue, get a thinkpad? Weak, sport, you can do better than that.....
I don't want a thinkpad, I have one....my business solution works fine....I don't do "real work" in an airport gate area....company supplies me with a thinkpad -too bulky/pc based/no icloud/keynote - and about 1000 other reasons....amazing how you have all the answers....
I don't want a thinkpad, I have one....my business solution works fine....I don't do "real work" in an airport gate area....company supplies me with a thinkpad -too bulky/pc based/no icloud/keynote - and about 1000 other reasons....amazing how you have all the answers....
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That's why business travelers have Thinkpads
All the power of the MBA, same portability, that extra battery to cover your ass at the airport. And instead of sitting there and surfing the web, you can actually get some work done on it.
You see some Thinkpads but they certainly do not dominate. You see a lot of variety with laptops now, certainly the seasoned and regular air traveler is using a MBA or ultra book. You do see a lot of iPads as well for all of the reasons stated in this thread. Just because you don't care of them doesn't mean that are not being adopted. I have a neighbor who no longer carries a laptop, just his iPad.
P.S. - carrying an extra or external battery sort of defeats purpose of the MBA or ultra book, doesn't it?
I choose the Air and here is why!
I choose the air after allot of thought. My actuall choices were the MBP13, MBA 13 or ipdad to travel with. I also like to travel with my D-SLR.
Let me tell you why I eliminated the iPad. There were several reasons all personal.
- there are no IOS Apps that handle RAW photo processing
- if I am processing photo's on the road I can do it once with a computer, the iPad, again because of imiting IOS Apps in this field, would still require additional work on the computer once I got home.
- I already have an iphone 4S for IOS Apps
What I liked about the iPad...
- battery life
- the display
- reader
I choose a MBA 13 for
- size
- power
- storage
- 256 SSD
- SD Card slot
- media options
I have seen allot of buisness travelers using iPads on the Planes and trains of america and have seen many using a bluetooth keyboard of some kind. ofter these keyboards are incorperated into a case of some kind. At that point they are bigger than my MBA.
I have a MacMini Dislay to HDMI Cable that is 10 feet long which i use to connect my thunderbolt part to the TV in my hotel room where I can view my media or streaming media onn the hotels TV while working on my comuter at the same time. I have been loving HBO Go in the hotel room.
There are options because everyone had different needs... good luck with your choice!
MBP 17 2009 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 500G
MBA 13 2011 i5 256G
iPhone 4S 64G
iPod Classic 160G
Time capsule 2010 2TB
I choose the air after allot of thought. My actuall choices were the MBP13, MBA 13 or ipdad to travel with. I also like to travel with my D-SLR.
Let me tell you why I eliminated the iPad. There were several reasons all personal.
- there are no IOS Apps that handle RAW photo processing
- if I am processing photo's on the road I can do it once with a computer, the iPad, again because of imiting IOS Apps in this field, would still require additional work on the computer once I got home.
- I already have an iphone 4S for IOS Apps
What I liked about the iPad...
- battery life
- the display
- reader
I choose a MBA 13 for
- size
- power
- storage
- 256 SSD
- SD Card slot
- media options
I have seen allot of buisness travelers using iPads on the Planes and trains of america and have seen many using a bluetooth keyboard of some kind. ofter these keyboards are incorperated into a case of some kind. At that point they are bigger than my MBA.
I have a MacMini Dislay to HDMI Cable that is 10 feet long which i use to connect my thunderbolt part to the TV in my hotel room where I can view my media or streaming media onn the hotels TV while working on my comuter at the same time. I have been loving HBO Go in the hotel room.
There are options because everyone had different needs... good luck with your choice!
MBP 17 2009 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 500G MBA 13 2011 i5 256G iPhone 4S 64G iPod Classic 160G Time capsule 2010 2TB
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Also take allok at the Tenba mini and small bags as they fit the ipad upto the MBA 13 as well as other things such as a camera or lunch!
http://www.tenba.com/products/Messenger-Mini-Photo-Laptop-Bag.aspx
I'd also say that MBA excels at consuming content as well. I can visit more sites and enter text a lot better with a physical keyboard then the iPads.
It think it boils down to personal preference.
I also bought an iPad at its release and about 6 months ago got a MBA 11". The MBA is superior in every way in my opinion. The iPad is just getting more and more annoying to me. It crashes probably 3 times every time I sit down to use safari. I'm scared to hit links, since it will probably crash, it will crash just reading an article!! Single tasking made it pretty much useless. Hulu blocking most content I watch was extremely frustrating. Productivity is pretty awful and the onscreen keyboard is a bear!
Don't get me wrong I LOVED my iPad when it first came out. I used it every day for hours and hours. But "updates" to the OS has made it so unstable that it is no longer enjoyable to use.
I bought a MBA as simply an iPad replacement. I wanted a portable that ran a real OS and could do more than one thing at a time (since I am an avid multitasker!)
It has met and exceeded my expectations 1000 fold! I have actually done work on this thing, I take it with me everywhere. I take it into meetings and screenings, no problem. It is FAST, very stable, and again, the most portable laptop I have ever owned....and to top it off, after installing Windows on it, it became a very adept gaming portable!! Lets see an iPad run Skyrim!!
I still use my iPad occasionally. But since I only charge it once a month its obviously not too often. I use my iPhone as my ultraportable computer. Can a MBA replace a desktop and laptop and iPad.....depends on your usage! If you need to be able to play all the most recent games at ultra settings at 60 FPS....no, not a chance. Like I said, it makes a great portable gaming device...but that's because I don't expect a lot from it, so when I get medium graphics at 25-30fps I am super happy...because its the same size as an iPad!! But for desktop gaming, no.
If you only plan on using Mac OS and use it for productivity, web surfing, email, movies and Music.....without a doubt yes! Get a monitor, keyboard and mouse and you now have everything in a tiny package!!
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Travel is an excellent example of where the iPad is very handy.
Don't get me wrong I LOVED my iPad when it first came out. I used it every day for hours and hours. But "updates" to the OS has made it so unstable that it is no longer enjoyable to use.
I bought a MBA as simply an iPad replacement. I wanted a portable that ran a real OS and could do more than one thing at a time (since I am an avid multitasker!)
It has met and exceeded my expectations 1000 fold! I have actually done work on this thing, I take it with me everywhere. I take it into meetings and screenings, no problem. It is FAST, very stable, and again, the most portable laptop I have ever owned....and to top it off, after installing Windows on it, it became a very adept gaming portable!! Lets see an iPad run Skyrim!!
I still use my iPad occasionally. But since I only charge it once a month its obviously not too often. I use my iPhone as my ultraportable computer. Can a MBA replace a desktop and laptop and iPad.....depends on your usage! If you need to be able to play all the most recent games at ultra settings at 60 FPS....no, not a chance. Like I said, it makes a great portable gaming device...but that's because I don't expect a lot from it, so when I get medium graphics at 25-30fps I am super happy...because its the same size as an iPad!! But for desktop gaming, no.
If you only plan on using Mac OS and use it for productivity, web surfing, email, movies and Music.....without a doubt yes! Get a monitor, keyboard and mouse and you now have everything in a tiny package!!
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Travel is an excellent example of where the iPad is very handy.
Exactly, and if the iphone 5 has a 4" or larger screen it will drive this point home even more. Between a iPhone 4, a MBA and an ATD you have all bases covered imo.
see my post about travel and sitting in an airport gate for 3-4 hours...balancing a laptop on your knees is a PIA , a 5 hour batt is not workable, and 3G is invaluable. An ipad in it's case works perfectly...an Iphone 4 is just too small other than to check email. i
THank you first off to everyone posting in this thread - very helpful today!!
I'm returning to school (online) and needing to sort out computers. My original plan had been building a hackintosh and buying the iPad3 as an upgrade to my ipad1. I use the crap out of my iPad daily still - mainly for reading and online, but games when I run out of books
However, my school uses Angel instead of blackboard, and apparently while some versions of Angel can use BBmobile, they don't. Apparently I'm going to be limited in what I can do assignment wise on the iPad. Which sucks - I love typing on it and overall have no issues using it for 99% of my needs.
I started thinking I'm going to need an alternate mobile device (I have a late 2006 17" MBP), and think the Air line will work (I'm so not going to be able to avoid running office). I figure I will do a lot of my daily classwork on the desktop - but I also spend a lot of time out of my house at appointments and will need to do more than the iPad.
Add to the mix my teenager is doing virtual high school - I don't think the air would go unused. I think i will go with the 11" but need to go look at them. As I said, I don't have a problem with the iPad keyboard at all, so hopefully in person the 11" works for me as well as i think it will.
My first mac after a PC break was a 12" iBook that still is used occasionally by my daughter, and before that i had a 12" Sony. I think the Air will be awesome!!
I'm going to process the info and come back later with a new set of questions - you guys answered a lot of them already!
I'm returning to school (online) and needing to sort out computers. My original plan had been building a hackintosh and buying the iPad3 as an upgrade to my ipad1. I use the crap out of my iPad daily still - mainly for reading and online, but games when I run out of books
However, my school uses Angel instead of blackboard, and apparently while some versions of Angel can use BBmobile, they don't. Apparently I'm going to be limited in what I can do assignment wise on the iPad. Which sucks - I love typing on it and overall have no issues using it for 99% of my needs.
I started thinking I'm going to need an alternate mobile device (I have a late 2006 17" MBP), and think the Air line will work (I'm so not going to be able to avoid running office). I figure I will do a lot of my daily classwork on the desktop - but I also spend a lot of time out of my house at appointments and will need to do more than the iPad.
Add to the mix my teenager is doing virtual high school - I don't think the air would go unused. I think i will go with the 11" but need to go look at them. As I said, I don't have a problem with the iPad keyboard at all, so hopefully in person the 11" works for me as well as i think it will.
My first mac after a PC break was a 12" iBook that still is used occasionally by my daughter, and before that i had a 12" Sony. I think the Air will be awesome!!
I'm going to process the info and come back later with a new set of questions - you guys answered a lot of them already!
ZAGGfolio IS smaller than MBA
The excellent ZAGGfolio with the keyboard and iPad is obviously smaller than MBA. Or am I wrong?! Without having taken measures of the two I have the definite inner feeling (or rather "sight in mind") that the ZAGGfolio complete with keyboard and case is both lighter and of course smaller. Therefore, I cannot understand why such a statement as the above can be made and assumed to be taken in a serious way.
Combined with ZAGGfolio the iPad is better suited than the iPad alone in CREATING content.
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I couldn't agree more!
The excellent ZAGGfolio with the keyboard and iPad is obviously smaller than MBA. Or am I wrong?! Without having taken measures of the two I have the definite inner feeling (or rather "sight in mind") that the ZAGGfolio complete with keyboard and case is both lighter and of course smaller. Therefore, I cannot understand why such a statement as the above can be made and assumed to be taken in a serious way.
Combined with ZAGGfolio the iPad is better suited than the iPad alone in CREATING content.
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I couldn't agree more!
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Battery life...that's about it. For everyday use the iPhone and MBA 11 is perfect. For long trips the iPad is great since it can run for 11 hours straight without needing a charge. But it is horribly underpowered for real usage....so if you have one, it is a good backup....otherwise...not really worth getting one. I got my iPad before I got my MBA.
The main reason I would NOT recommend the iPad...is web browsing! It crashes CONSTANTLY! And its not only safari...I have 4 browsers now and every one of them crash after about 10 mins of use. The device just doesn't have enough ram to be really useable. Give it at least 1GB and I would consider it a viable device....but with 256MB its just pathetic!
My 2 cents:
I find the iPad more convenient because it can display in both portrait and landscape. For the same portability, the 11' has a very small screen, height-wise, requiring too much scrolling on webpages. Battery life is also double that of the Air.
This is solved on the 13" but it's a lot less than portable than those two.
I think the Air is brilliant if you need all the power and usefulness of a laptop, but if your use is solely for media consumption the iPad still has it beat in my opinion.
I find the iPad more convenient because it can display in both portrait and landscape. For the same portability, the 11' has a very small screen, height-wise, requiring too much scrolling on webpages. Battery life is also double that of the Air.
This is solved on the 13" but it's a lot less than portable than those two.
I think the Air is brilliant if you need all the power and usefulness of a laptop, but if your use is solely for media consumption the iPad still has it beat in my opinion.
I agreed when I first got my iPad (first gen day of release)....but it has become so unstable I just don't want to use it anymore.
Problem with iPad 1 is the insufficient amount of ram. 256mb is definitely not enough.
I think that's its biggest fault and why you may be having so much trouble.
I did not read it. I just skimmed through this thread and read only your latest post.
The iPad 2 has 512mb. Browsing is fine on it. I usually don't encounter the memory limitation, though it does happen sometimes. Honestly, the cost of RAM being what it is, they should have put a gig in it for the extra dollar that it would have cost to do so.
Personally, the right combo for me has been my iPad2 (consumption) and my MBP 13. As a business traveler, I agree with the earlier posts that while sitting in the airport, it is much easier to deal with my iPad2. I use to catch up on emails, read WSJ/books while waiting or even a movie. It is also much easier to watch a movie during flight with the iPad than with the MBP.
However, once I am in my meetings, nothing comes close to the processing power of my MBP 13. I thought when I purchased my iPad, it could potentially replace my laptop. I took it on two business trips and found that it really did not meet my needs. Purchased a brand new MBP 13 and haven't' looked back since. Presentations, deliverables (Word, Excel, etc), connecting to my VPN. It just works during meetings and also once I get back to the hotel to do additional work.
Between my iPad and MBP - I have the perfect travel combo. I don't feel that my MBP takes up all that much space and quite honestly, the MBA 11 was just to small for me.
However, once I am in my meetings, nothing comes close to the processing power of my MBP 13. I thought when I purchased my iPad, it could potentially replace my laptop. I took it on two business trips and found that it really did not meet my needs. Purchased a brand new MBP 13 and haven't' looked back since. Presentations, deliverables (Word, Excel, etc), connecting to my VPN. It just works during meetings and also once I get back to the hotel to do additional work.
Between my iPad and MBP - I have the perfect travel combo. I don't feel that my MBP takes up all that much space and quite honestly, the MBA 11 was just to small for me.
I don't think it makes sense to make a device deficient in something that is really cheap and really standard just to get people to update it every year....an iPad should be treated like a laptop...it should be good for at least 3 years.
I don't think they did that - the 2 has 512 and is fine..there is no apple "conspiracy" here - I won't get a 3 as my 2 does everything I need it to now...no need for retina display. Remember the first MBA had 2 gig memory which everyone railed against.
My wife has a 1 and has never had a memory problem for what she uses it for..- portable web, photos and mail....the Macrunors crowd for most instances is a power user/enthusiast crowd, so you'll hear complaints here that 98% of the installed users never think about....
if i really want to get work done, i use my 27" windows machine.
when i'm traveling for work, i carry the 11.
i had the 13 for over a yr. fine piece of kit, but the 11's more fun to use due to its smaller footprint.
the ipad is good for when i'm on the *****ter or the 11's batteries are low. i don't want to get another ipad. i use my 11 the most.
even the 2010 model has plenty of juice. PLENTY so for $800 new, it's a great deal.
when i'm traveling for work, i carry the 11.
i had the 13 for over a yr. fine piece of kit, but the 11's more fun to use due to its smaller footprint.
the ipad is good for when i'm on the *****ter or the 11's batteries are low. i don't want to get another ipad. i use my 11 the most.
even the 2010 model has plenty of juice. PLENTY so for $800 new, it's a great deal.