Anyone in the predicament of having a 14 or 16 MBP, + 12.9 ipad but getting rid of ipad 12.9 for the new Air M2?

[Zest28]

Well, atleast the M1 12.9 iPad Pro brings something else to the table than the M2 MBA does.

The 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro does everything better than the M2 MBA while being light enough for traveling, so there no point of the M2 MBA.

The M2 MBA was really just something luxury, hence why I didn’t want to spend too much money on it.

I’d rather have a 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro + iPad Pro combo than a 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro + M2 MBA combo (but in my case I was thinking about a 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro + iPad Pro + M2 MBA combo).

 

[kp98077]

I just did this. I have a 16" M1 Pro and sold my 2018 12.9 iPP for a M2 Air 8/24/512 for my more portable productivity. the iPP with magic keyboard is heavier than the MBA which defeats the entire purpose of it for me.

yes exactly.... do you travel much with the 16 or just for home?

 

[kp98077]

You mean the Magic Keyboard? I like the build quality of it but $300 for it felt insane.

Another advantage to going all-in on a speced-out 14" is that I never need to worry about syncing, transferring window state, etc. Everything is always right where I left it when I'm at my desk or on the go.

yes with the Magic Keyboard, and $300 is crazy!!! love that 14!

 

[heretiq]

wow intersting.. I just find the M2 air soooo light, you can take it anywhere..

I get it. The Air is indeed a compact, functional and relatively light PC -- so I totally understand the multi-use appeal to you and many others. I'm personally sold on the iPad only (no hardware keyboard!) "lean back" tablet experience for learning, ideation, creative and relaxation activities, and the MacBook "lean forward" experience for production-oriented activities (e.g., coding, modeling, analysis, long form writing, etc.) -- so I see the iPad and Mac as complimentary, not competing devices. Good luck with your decision, you have great options whichever path you choose!

 

[Dealmans]

iPad has always been a iPad to me never used a keyboard or pencil.

iMac 24" prefer a big screen for my home office desk
11" iPad M1 light and portable

Had the M1 12.9" for 11 months sold it.

Tried a 14", Air 2, iPad mini 6, sold or returned all 3.

 

[skids929]

I just checked out the M2 Air at the Apple Store — it is small and comparable to the iPad Pro in size, but it is way too heavy, and definitely not the weight I expected for a Macbook Air.

As I sit here eating lunch while holding my 12.9” M1 iPad Pro in one hand, chipping away at a work project, and catching up on email and MacRumors, there’s no way an MBA could replace the iPad Pro utility for me.

Instead, a 15” M2 MB Air is more likely to replace my ‘bit too heavy and thick’ 16” M1 MB Pro Max. Where’s Jony Ive when we really need him!?

If you have the ipad 12.9 with the magic keyboard it's overall heavier than the MBA. Most comparing one of those solutions to the other will get the MK and need to understand it's actually heavier.

The real difference (to me anyway) in the two devices creating this dillema for the OP is more the OS than it is the form factor. The user experience in Mac OS is completely different than iOS. I don't think I will ever be able to have an ipad for anything other than pure mobility. I have an ipad pro (11) with the MK and it's great when I do showings ( Im a Realtor) since it's 5G. I can pull surveys or answer any questions on the fly very quickly. Otherwise I have almost no use for the my IPP unless I am short on battery in my MBP M1. I used to to hotspot my laptop but it's cumbersome when you're in your car trying to work with a laptop. Ipad definitely has it's place in the world but a laptop replacement it is not.

 

[heretiq]

If you have the ipad 12.9 with the magic keyboard it's overall heavier than the MBA. Most comparing one of those solutions to the other will get the MK and need to understand it's actually heavier.

Exactly. The 12.9" iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard is a bulky and inferior alternative to a MacBook Air -- if you want "MacBook" functionality and experience just get a MacBook.

Likewise, a MacBook Air is a bulky and inferior alternative to an iPad Pro -- if you want "iPad" functionality just get an iPad.

The problem occurs when we believe and expect an iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard to become and behave like a MacBook.

The combination is not a MacBook -- so it will not deliver a MacBook experience.

The combination is actually a compromise and it delivers a compromised experience when compared to either an iPad Pro or a MacBook.

 

[G5isAlive]

yes same boat here, work in clinic too... that's why I think 14 pro due to mini LED and it makes a huge difference and the base m2 air (will sell my ipad 12.9 which i hardly use). Now of course reading today the 14 M2 will be out in the fall likely.. haha always somthin!

Context is everything in these discussions. You are literally always on the go. I move once ever few days and stay. I love the 12.9 M1 ipad pro as a second screen / device. Universal control is da bomb! I use it in conjunction with my laptop (Currently M2 MBA or 16 inch MBP depending on the job).

 

[Chateaunole-du-Pape]

I have an 11" iPad Pro and now the M2 MBA, and think it's a great combination.

I never had interest in the 12.9" iPad Pro - too big and unwieldy for a tablet - but if I had one in addition to either the M1 or M2 Air, I'd get rid of the 12.9" iPad Pro, and would probably replace it with an 11" iPad Pro, an iPad Air or a Mini. Too much overlap in terms of screen size and weight (especially if you buy the keyboard) between the MBA and 12.9" iPad Pro, and the MBA runs circles around the iPad as far as functionality is concerned.

 

[srexy]

My 2 iPads used to lay idle while I browsed the internet on my iPhone Mini 13. Now that I have an MBA I'm starting to use it for casual browsing again. I hate the bad battery life on my iPad 6 and the cumbersomeness of my Gen 1 12.9 iPad Pro. I'm loving the Air! To my mind it completely negates the need for any iPad Pro unless you absolutely need a touch screen.

 

[kp98077]

I get it. The Air is indeed a compact, functional and relatively light PC -- so I totally understand the multi-use appeal to you and many others. I'm personally sold on the iPad only (no hardware keyboard!) "lean back" tablet experience for learning, ideation, creative and relaxation activities, and the MacBook "lean forward" experience for production-oriented activities (e.g., coding, modeling, analysis, long form writing, etc.) -- so I see the iPad and Mac as complimentary, not competing devices. Good luck with your decision, you have great options whichever path you choose!

yes a position we are all in at some point haha! Guess I will have to dust off that ipad mini!

 

[macduke]

I don't see the point in getting an Air if you already have a MBP. Especially if it's a 14". For me the iPad is a different use case as I like to kick back with it in the evening and on weekends and outside. It's more cozy than using a Mac, if that makes sense. I think I will always have an iPad, but may downgrade from the 12.9" to the 11" once they offer a better display for it.

Honestly I think the killer combo for a lot of people would be a Mac Studio M1 Max or Ultra with a MacBook Air M2. Personally I currently have a 2019 27" iMac and a 2019 16" MBP, which is somewhat similar with the desktop/laptop combo. But actually these Apple chips are so fast, my plan is to replace both with a 14" MBP M3 Max and a dock to external displays when that drops in autumn 2023. I'm waiting for M3 Max because it will be on 3nm process so it will be a bigger leap forward in terms of speed and battery life, and by then they should have the kinks worked out and software will be more readily available for it natively.

For my work, I get annoyed when switching devices. I manage and work on dozens of design and web development projects each day, and switching devices is just too time consuming when I have a lot of things up in the air that are open across a dozen different productivity apps. I do a ton of multitasking and therefore I don't find myself using my 16" MBP nearly as much as I thought I would. But it is handy to have when I need to get out of my studio for a while because I'm going stir crazy or need to travel. Previously the 13" MBP didn't have enough power. Now the 14" does, and so that's my future upgrade selection to cover desktop and mobile usage. I plan to max (lol) it out (except for maybe SSD) so I don't have to upgrade for the rest of the decade. These things are getting to be rather expensive.

 

[dukebound85]

with every new iPad, people say they no longer need the air

with every new air, people say they no longer need ipad

it's the natural order

 

[kp98077]

I don't see the point in getting an Air if you already have a MBP. Especially if it's a 14". For me the iPad is a different use case as I like to kick back with it in the evening and on weekends and outside. It's more cozy than using a Mac, if that makes sense. I think I will always have an iPad, but may downgrade from the 12.9" to the 11" once they offer a better display for it.

Honestly I think the killer combo for a lot of people would be a Mac Studio M1 Max or Ultra with a MacBook Air M2. Personally I currently have a 2019 27" iMac and a 2019 16" MBP, which is somewhat similar with the desktop/laptop combo. But actually these Apple chips are so fast, my plan is to replace both with a 14" MBP M3 Max and a dock to external displays when that drops in autumn 2023. I'm waiting for M3 Max because it will be on 3nm process so it will be a bigger leap forward in terms of speed and battery life, and by then they should have the kinks worked out and software will be more readily available for it natively.

For my work, I get annoyed when switching devices. I manage and work on dozens of design and web development projects each day, and switching devices is just too time consuming when I have a lot of things up in the air that are open across a dozen different productivity apps. I do a ton of multitasking and therefore I don't find myself using my 16" MBP nearly as much as I thought I would. But it is handy to have when I need to get out of my studio for a while because I'm going stir crazy or need to travel. Previously the 13" MBP didn't have enough power. Now the 14" does, and so that's my future upgrade selection to cover desktop and mobile usage. I plan to max (lol) it out (except for maybe SSD) so I don't have to upgrade for the rest of the decade. These things are getting to be rather expensive.

great perspective! yes, everyones use case is so different... for me I have a PC for work during the day - need a larger MacBook and something portable for emails and web..