Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

For those who have a MP, but no laptop . . .

Luba

Luba

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 22, 2009
1,819
389
would you get an Air or an iPad? In a way it's not a fair question as the 64GB iPad is only $700 versus $1800 for the 128 GB SSD Air. Also, you couldn't do real "work" on the iPad, just browsing, email, and perhaps put together a Keynote presentation. But would you do "work" at Starbucks? If yes, then the Air is more versatile. Would you rather surf on an iPad or on an Air? I guess what I am asking . . . if you have a MP and you don't have a laptop, would you get an iPad or an Air, and why (your reasoning, strategy, lifestyle choice)? Thanks. :)
 
Luba Cox said:
would you get an Air or an iPad? In a way it's not a fair question as the 64GB iPad is only $700 versus $1800 for the 128 GB SSD Air. Also, you couldn't do real "work" on the iPad, just browsing, email, and perhaps put together a Keynote presentation. But would you do "work" at Starbucks? If yes, then the Air is more versatile. Would you rather surf on an iPad or on an Air? I guess what I am asking . . . if you have a MP and you don't have a laptop, would you get an iPad or an Air, and why (your reasoning, strategy, lifestyle choice)? Thanks. :)
Click to expand...

Neither, the type of person who has a Mac Pro either wants/needs more power, or won't be satisfied with those products. Speculation here, of course :rolleyes:
 
None. I would get a 13" MacBook Pro because:

a) The iPad is no good for any kind of work. Not even for browsing aka no flash.

b) The Airs form factor doesn't appeal to me

c) 13" seems about right to me.
 
I have a Mac Pro and an iPhone, but not a laptop. Why? I'm not terribly "mobile" - if I need to check something online, I can easily do it with my iPhone.

But I'm interested in, and considering getting an iPad. Mainly for the Kindle/eBook fuctionality. I was close to getting a Kindle DX, but decided to see what Apple was coming out with, and decided that for just a little more money, the iPad would let me do a LOT more than a DX would.

Not only can I download books (I assume I can also back them up easily through iTunes), but I can also run my whole library of iPhone apps on the iPad besides.

Sounds like a win/win for me. I'll go check it out at my local Apple store when they get released, and probably get the 16 gig wifi model (don't need the 3G.)
 
Luba Cox said:
would you get an Air or an iPad? In a way it's not a fair question as the 64GB iPad is only $700 versus $1800 for the 128 GB SSD Air. Also, you couldn't do real "work" on the iPad, just browsing, email, and perhaps put together a Keynote presentation. But would you do "work" at Starbucks? If yes, then the Air is more versatile. Would you rather surf on an iPad or on an Air? I guess what I am asking . . . if you have a MP and you don't have a laptop, would you get an iPad or an Air, and why (your reasoning, strategy, lifestyle choice)? Thanks. :)
Click to expand...

I don't think the Air's are value for money.

I don't know enough about the iPad to make a decision.

The iPad could possibly be useful as my reasoning for considering getting a laptop is to use it on the couch. Perhaps the iPad could fulfill that role. But then it also doesn't have the flexibility of a laptop. So tough call.
 
If I hadn't already got a laptop then I would be very tempted with an iPad. I had a 2006 Mac Pro since launch and until about a year and a half ago, I kept my laptops cheaper and slower. I had a G4 for the first two years and then an old Black MacBook for a year. I never needed more power on the go - that was waiting for me at home and no laptop could even compare to it. I just wanted a small portable email and web browsing machine on the whole.

However, my circumstances changed a year and a half ago and I wanted a slightly more powerful and larger screened laptop because I would be doing a fair bit of work on it while at work so I changed to a 15" MacBook Pro.

If you can afford the air then it really is a lovely machine. I got my fiancée one a few months ago and she loves it. If you don't plan on ever really working on the go then why not go for an iPad though. Cheaper, you can get built in 3G and it's a newer gizmo. :D
 
I've been thinking about this too. More for travel reasons because I don't hang out at coffee shops or public places. So far I've ruled out the iPad. It's so limiting. A 13" MacBook Pro makes the most sense to me. So that I could surf the Web, email, AND do my work on the go.
 
Just sold my MBP 2.93 17" unibody for an 09 quad MP. I need the power more than portability. I will save up for a second hand 13" MBP and use that for watching movies in bed/emailing on the sofa and working while away from home. Seems the best option to me. The price point of the ipad is way too closed to a macbook.
 
My Dell Precision has been having a ton of problems lately, so I'm guessing I'm part of the club.

Personally, I can access the web via my iPod Touch, and then I can use the college computers for anything more demanding. Due to my anal-retentiveness, the Touch is unusable due to the charge it holds and the public computers are irking because, well... if you've ever seen somebody not wash their hands coming out of a restroom, you'll know what I'm talking about. And yes, I do need to spend a good amount of time online (some of my courses have a heavy online component.

Could I get an iPad and live with it? Probably not. Despite the fact that its, well, the bomb, its far too limited.

Could I get a Macbook Air and live with it? Potentially, if the price point came waaaay down.
 
With my 2006 Blackbook starting to show its age, I'm really thinking about an iPad. It does ALMOST everything a laptop does and plus iBooks and the Calendar application seem very nice. However, an amazing Mac Pro revision would make me double think getting an iPad. :D
 
The iPad might be useful, depending on battery life, as a book reader and web browser. Maybe with the $15 data plan. I would either have to leave it in the car in case I needed it. Similar to how a Kindle would work, but with the option of using apps on it. (Though Amazon is now providing a SDK).

I currently have a laptop, so this would be in addition to that. Not instead.

If my laptop died, I don't know what route I would go. Options are the 13" MBP, or just a cheap Windows netbook.
 
SteveJobs said:
Apple does not support Flash because it is so buggy, he says. Whenever a Mac crashes more often than not it’s because of Flash. No one will be using Flash, he says. The world is moving to HTML5.
Click to expand...

iPad will not always provide the best surfing experience and it's going to stay that way for a while.

Also, iPad is somewhat limited in what video codecs it can handle, and in connectivity options.

It almost feels like you would have to have desktop, laptop and iPad. So, if you only have a desktop right now, then you probably want a laptop over an iPad, especially at iPad prices.

When you look at the iPad pricing and what a 13" MacBook $1000 laptop (cheaper on the PC side of things where there are some very capable laptops in the $500-$1000 range) can do that the iPad can't... Laptop offers a full OS, iPad offers an iPhone OS.

iPad goes more from the most important thing Steve Jobs has ever worked on, to more of a niche/novelty.
 
Techhie said:
Neither, the type of person who has a Mac Pro either wants/needs more power, or won't be satisfied with those products. Speculation here, of course :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Speculation is off here. I have a MP and had an Air to which I used for business travel (limited) and couch surfing. I did not need/want a powerful machine similar to my MP because I have the MP. If that makes sense. No speculation here, I use a little something called real world application. :)
 
Here's a feature that I think would be exceptionally well-suited to an iPad, that I could use as a pro user and  will never add.

Video input through the USB port (converted from component or HDMI) so the iPad can display output from a video camera.

I could use an extremely portable high battery power IPS screen to preview my shots on - it'd be way more cost effective, portable, and multi-use than existing monitors in the business.

We would love it. All the video people would buy it.

It's too bad  would never even consider it.
 
Speaking as an individual who owns a Mac Pro, I use a MacBook Air for one the go; anything that I need power for, I upload to my Mac Pro to process, be it code that needs compiling or thousands of pictures that need to be edited.

For me the MacBook is just a good portable computer to have. The MacBook offers me too much bulk without adding any more power to my portfolio. If I were to get a more powerful machine, I'd get a 15"/17", but at the same time that does not make any sense to me since I will not be able to maintain the portability.
 
If any, I would get a small MacBook. It can hold a reasonably large HD, is powerful enough for many things and allows you to put Windows on it...
The small screen is a disadvantage, but the ability to use it outdoors in fresh summer evenings is priceless...
 
I'm attracted to the iPad mostly for the Keynote capability - great for when I don't want to lug my laptop with me (which I'm using less and less of anyway). I'm also excited by the photo albums and book features, but I'm also dissapointed by it for the same things.

Would I get one? I'd have to look at one in store for a bit before I decided whether I needed one or not...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back