iPad iPad air wifi vs 11" MBAir

[squeeks]

I never wanted an iPad before because I just could not come up with a use for it that I could not already do with a small laptop. After having the air since Friday I still can not really come up with a situation where my 11" Air wouldn't suit me just fine or better (having a physical keyboard)

Can anyone offer some examples of why they prefer an iPad over a small ultrabook like the 11" Air?

Perhaps I am missing something. Because I really want to keep the air, just having trouble justifying the $600.

 

[Zepaw]

I love my iPad Air but I don't think I could justify it. Unless you have a particular need a tablet would fill you should be great with your MBA.

 

[darngooddesign]

I never wanted an iPad before because I just could not come up with a use for it that I could not already do with a small laptop. After having the air since Friday I still can not really come up with a situation where my 11" Air wouldn't suit me just fine or better (having a physical keyboard)

Can anyone offer some examples of why they prefer an iPad over a small ultrabook like the 11" Air?

Perhaps I am missing something. Because I really want to keep the air, just having trouble justifying the $600.

Its more convenient to casually use your iPad out and about. A used Mini is not $600.

 

[comatose81]

Do you use your MacBook for things that require a file system and/or a lot of typing? If so, the iPad isn't going to help you.

 

[brentsg]

iPad air wifi vs 11" MBAir

On the nightstand, out and about.. Waiting rooms, etc, in the car on trips.

Even around the house I don't use a notebook unless I have some serious work to do.

I can see definite overlap but I use my tablet far more than I use my notebook.

I suppose I could read or watch a video on my notebook, but generally it would more cumbersome.

 

[Night Spring]

I use my iPad mainly for reading. You can hold it like a book and read in bed, on the sofa, while on public transportation, waiting at the doctor's office, sitting at a coffee shop, a bench in the park...

A laptop isn't comfortable in above situations because the keyboard gets in the way.

The iPad is also quite a bit lighter than the MBA -- less than half the 11-inch model, I believe. Much easier to slip into your bag and take it places where you wouldn't take your laptop because it's too heavy.

Obviously, it doesn't replace a laptop, but it's a very nice supplement to a laptop.

 

[JGWolven]

It really depends what you do. You'll get a better answer if we get a better idea of what your usage normally is.

 

[nixiemaiden]

I never wanted an iPad before because I just could not come up with a use for it that I could not already do with a small laptop. After having the air since Friday I still can not really come up with a situation where my 11" Air wouldn't suit me just fine or better (having a physical keyboard)

Can anyone offer some examples of why they prefer an iPad over a small ultrabook like the 11" Air?

Perhaps I am missing something. Because I really want to keep the air, just having trouble justifying the $600.

If you are having a hard time justifying it, maybe it is just not for you. I think it is great for just casual browsing around the house but if your laptop suits you just fine for that then there really isn't a reason. I think it would be easier to justify a mini LTE version

 

[triple-tap]

If you are having a hard time justifying it, maybe it is just not for you. I think it is great for just casual browsing around the house but if your laptop suits you just fine for that then there really isn't a reason. I think it would be easier to justify a mini LTE version

For me, it is about social acceptance. There are times when using an ipad is acceptable, but if I pulled out a laptop and started pounding away, I would be considered rude.

For me, this matters, and makes an iPad worth it (in addition to my 13" MBA). When I am sitting in the back of a courtroom waiting for my cases to be called, I can be much more productive with an iPad in responding to other clients, doing research, etc. However, if I whipped out my MBA, I would be asked to leave the courtroom.

Same goes for sitting in a presentation. I love taking notes on my ipad, but a laptop just isn't socially acceptable in my case.

This is just one school of thought / experience on the matter. Your mileage may vary... a lot.

 

[Aluminum213]

I love my iPad air, but it can't replace a laptop unless you just use the laptop to browse the web

 

[squeeks]

A used Mini is not $600.

K, trying to justify an Air, not a Mini, Mini is too small to do serious web browsing IMHO. The Air is barely (again IMO) acceptable and most times I need to zoom in to keep from straining my eyes. I do the same thing on the 11" air too but thats not the point.

I just find it much easier to use a keyboard for the type of web browsing i do, because a lot of my web usage is Skype, Facebook, message boards, all which benefit greatly from a keyboard.

Thanks everyone for the examples of your iPad usage, but unfortunately I don't think many of these really apply to me. My main useable is in bed or on the couch watching a game, both situations the 11" Air is perfect.

That being said there are a few iPad apps that I do need so i think my best course is to return the air and get a Retina Mini.

----------

Same goes for sitting in a presentation. I love taking notes on my ipad, but a laptop just isn't socially acceptable in my case.

This is just one school of thought / experience on the matter. Your mileage may vary... a lot.

Just out of curiosity, what is it about the lack of attached keyboard that makes an iPad that much more acceptable than an 11" MBA? The mba is almost the exact size as a full size iPad just with a keyboard attached.

 

[AppleRobert]

Well lots of people that have iPads do not need one per se, but they need an 11" MBAir even less which costs even more. Barnes & Noble stores and libraries I see lots more folks with laptops, hardly any IPads. The two devices have different markets.

And if the iPad folks want to spurge and get an MBAir instead for the same things they can do with the former, portability and weight I bet becomes a very large consideration.

You owning a laptop, I feel you need it more than an iPad and would just forget about the latter.

 

[squeeks]

Well lots of people that have iPads do not need one per, but they need an 11" MBAir even less which costs even more. Barnes & Noble stores I see lots more laptops hardly any IPads. The two devices have different markets.

And if the iPad folks want to spurge and get an MBAir instead for the same things they can do with the former, portability and weight I bet becomes a very large consideration.

NIB sure, but you can get a very nice core i5 or even i7 11" Air for about $600 on ebay, which puts it right at about the base model iPad air.

 

[nabwong]

I'm a musician. The ipad enables me to read music in portrait; which is impossible on the MacBook Air.

 

[Night Spring]

Just out of curiosity, what is it about the lack of attached keyboard that makes an iPad that much more acceptable than an 11" MBA? The mba is almost the exact size as a full size iPad just with a keyboard attached.

"Just" a keyboard? But that keyboard doubles the size of the MBA when it is open. Thus making the device more conspicuous, thus attracts more attention when you are using it, thus making it more likely that you will be frowned upon.

 

[AdonisSMU]

Do you need the MBA for anything that the iPad Air cant currently do.

 

[squeeks]

Do you need the MBA for anything that the iPad Air cant currently do.

Well, at the moment I am on it using Motion to finish up a small project I need to get done before i get back to my MBP.

At first i was going to sell the MBA, but after using the iPad air for a few days i really miss having the keyboard and trackpad of the MBA, thus my current situation of deciding if i even want to keep the iPad.

If there was an easy way to share your iPhoto library to your iPad I'd be all over the thing, but as it is you only get whats in your photo stream, which is quite disappointing.

 

[zhenya]

K, trying to justify an Air, not a Mini, Mini is too small to do serious web browsing IMHO. The Air is barely (again IMO) acceptable and most times I need to zoom in to keep from straining my eyes. I do the same thing on the 11" air too but thats not the point.

I just find it much easier to use a keyboard for the type of web browsing i do, because a lot of my web usage is Skype, Facebook, message boards, all which benefit greatly from a keyboard.

Thanks everyone for the examples of your iPad usage, but unfortunately I don't think many of these really apply to me. My main useable is in bed or on the couch watching a game, both situations the 11" Air is perfect.

That being said there are a few iPad apps that I do need so i think my best course is to return the air and get a Retina Mini.

Some people make the transition, some people never seem to. My iPad is my primary device at home, and I've used it so much that typing long paragraphs and doing most of the online interactive stuff I like to do is no longer a struggle. It probably still feels that way for you with your iPad since you aren't really that used to it yet. My wife has never really cared for it though and she sticks with her Macbook Air. That's fine.

I'm a reader - whether websites, newspapers, magazines, or books, and for that stuff an iPad in portrait orientation with the super screen just kills any laptop. The battery life is also unbelievable - I can used it every day and barely have to charge it once per week. Every single time I go to use it it's ready to go by the time the cover is open. It's the perfect computing appliance. When I travel I have a nice Thinkpad ultrabook, but which device is coming out sitting at the gate or on the plane? iPad every time.

 

[darngooddesign]

Just out of curiosity, what is it about the lack of attached keyboard that makes an iPad that much more acceptable than an 11" MBA? The mba is almost the exact size as a full size iPad just with a keyboard attached.

I'm not always sitting where i can set a laptop down so the iPad is easier to hold with one hand and use with the other than an ultra book with its keyboard extended would be. If all I did was use it on my lap then I think the Air would be better.

Its easy to share whats in your photo library if you sync it like you do you phone. Or you can use Dropbox or other cloud services.

If you want both just buy a cheap used non-retina Mini and see how you like it.

 

[MH01]

When I travel and take a lot of pictures , nothing beats an air + portable HDs.

This is using a SLR.

 

[Altis]

A MacBook air simply has the capability to do more in the same amount of time. It isn't so much of a linear experience, and as such, it all comes down to needs of the user.

I have both, and I only use my iPad for casual stuff, or anything that doesn't require multi tasking. I can't stand trying to manage several Internet tabs with word processing apps, going back and forth, having some web pages not work properly, etc. a Bluetooth keyboard does help wonders with the iPad though. Even YouTube isn't as enjoyable for me because it's so linear. I like to browse in a tree fashion... Always branching out several tabs from one page, closing a few, etc.

 

[Bach2011]

I use my iPad mainly for reading. You can hold it like a book and read in bed, on the sofa, while on public transportation, waiting at the doctor's office, sitting at a coffee shop, a bench in the park...

A laptop isn't comfortable in above situations because the keyboard gets in the way.

The iPad is also quite a bit lighter than the MBA -- less than half the 11-inch model, I believe. Much easier to slip into your bag and take it places where you wouldn't take your laptop because it's too heavy.

Obviously, it doesn't replace a laptop, but it's a very nice supplement to a laptop.

+1 I use mainly for reading pdf files/ books, and iPad can be view upright, easier to browse for books, which is suitable than MBA. I also own MBA 13" which I use to browse webs and do some work.

 

[ZBoater]

I never wanted an iPad before because I just could not come up with a use for it that I could not already do with a small laptop. After having the air since Friday I still can not really come up with a situation where my 11" Air wouldn't suit me just fine or better (having a physical keyboard)

Can anyone offer some examples of why they prefer an iPad over a small ultrabook like the 11" Air?

Perhaps I am missing something. Because I really want to keep the air, just having trouble justifying the $600.

You shouldn't see it as "either or". They are complimentary devices. As portable as the MBA is, it is not as portable as an iPad. The touch interface lends itself for use on the go. I have an MBA and use it less and less because most of my browsing and email I do on the iPad. But I NEED the MBA to do certain things the iPad can't do.

If I could only have one, for sure, it would be the MBA.

 

[MacManTexas56]

Well, at the moment I am on it using Motion to finish up a small project I need to get done before i get back to my MBP.

At first i was going to sell the MBA, but after using the iPad air for a few days i really miss having the keyboard and trackpad of the MBA, thus my current situation of deciding if i even want to keep the iPad.

If there was an easy way to share your iPhoto library to your iPad I'd be all over the thing, but as it is you only get whats in your photo stream, which is quite disappointing.

i guess you could say....what can your MBA do that your MBP can't? you made the MBA fit in somehow...the iPad Air should be the same way.

I've had full size iPads and most recently we have iPad mini's. We also have an iMac, 13inch MBA, and an 11inch MBA. the iPad isn't something that is required, but is nice when we are hanging around on the couch watching tv, sitting outside on the patio, reading in bed/on a plane, and taking to conferences. Sure, i could bring my 11inch MBA, but i don't need a keyboard all the time when i just want to surf the web or read stuff online. if you like the keyboard attached at all times, then stick with the MBA.

 

[Ifti]

I sold my iPad2 for a MBA11. I much prefer a full OS rather then the iPad.
Saying that Im probably going to buy an iPad Air for YouTube surfing, and for my kids to use with the educational games etc