iPad all the way. With cloud services, iWork, BT KEYBOARD , and 400-500k apps . I haven't touched a computer in months. I do video & image editing , music production, and run my YouTube channel off my iPad. I might get the new MacBook just have the retina though just to feed my fanboyiness
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad versus Macbook Air
- Thread starter scubus
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Obviously the Air. The iPad is a great little device, but ultimately, its just a gadget with limited usability (great for light notetaking and reading, nice for some type of work). The flexibility and power you get with a 'proper' computer is much higher simply because the computer is not limited to what is available in the App Store or what Apple things is enough for you.
I have an iPad & an MBA, love my iPad but when I need to do professional work, out comes my MBA. I might well be able to find work around's to get my iPad to do more but the larger screen & physical keyboard on the Air just makes it easier to do major projects on it.
MBA or iPad.
MBA all the way, an iPad is a toy for playing Angry Birds. The MBA is a real computer. Get a Dell over an iPad.
Just my opinion.
MBA all the way, an iPad is a toy for playing Angry Birds. The MBA is a real computer. Get a Dell over an iPad.
Just my opinion.
I had to make do with an Android tablet for about 3 months while I was between laptops (waiting for the 2010 MBAs to be released before I bought a new one) and it was manageable, but just not the same. (And the laptop was my only machine, so that meant this tablet now became my only computer, except for the few times I could convince hubby to let me boot my backup to his laptop if I really needed to.)
One of the big differences was not being able to have to programs open at the same time. On my laptop, I'll often have twitter open or a small chat window that I can see while I'm "in" another (not maximized) program. It was difficult to train myself to only be in one app at a time! (That may actually be a good thing, though, for productivity.) This was also before I had a phone that worked well as a secondary device (like a dedicated twitter screen). If you have a good smart phone, then you can mimic having multiple programs open by simply using multiple devices.
The only thing I really could NOT do was manage my photos. (This was of course summer 2010, so think back to Android tablets at that time.) My tablet had an SD card for loading photos, but even navigating file systems was a bit of a pain back then. App selection and abilities was more limited, too, so I could get photos uploaded to Picasa, but only in a catch-all "uploaded" folder. There wasn't an app for folder management at the time, only for photo viewing. So I couldn't organize my photos by trip, nor could I add my annotations etc.
I also couldn't upload files to my online paid storage, since it only had a browser interface at the time. Also, my Android device had a weird limitation where you couldn't upload files via the stock browser. In fact, each available browser had its own set of quirks that resulted in no one single browser being able to both access/sign into the site I needed and upload files. (It also meant that I could only attach files in a specific email app, not while accessing email in a browser.) This is something I really wouldn't have thought of as a possible problem ahead of time.
I would also not have been able to do this without an external keyboard, which just meant that sitting at a desk became the easiest way to use the whole set up. If on the couch, I'd often have the keyboard on my lap and the tablet propped up with pillows somewhere for viewing, or on a nearby table if something suitable were nearby. It just wasn't as convenient as a laptop.
Things have obviously come a long way in 2 years with more apps, better cloud integration etc. But I basically did what you're proposing (with worse technology options). I did it for a very different reason, though - I was holding out for the MBA, waiting for it to be released before I bought a new laptop. So I did this knowing something new and shiny would be right around the corner, and I was just bridging the gap.
I personally wouldn't give up the more functional machine, which you've said you're delighted with, and put myself through a tablet-only existence. Just to then, what? Go back and re-buy it in the fall? I wouldn't switch, but that's just me.
One of the big differences was not being able to have to programs open at the same time. On my laptop, I'll often have twitter open or a small chat window that I can see while I'm "in" another (not maximized) program. It was difficult to train myself to only be in one app at a time! (That may actually be a good thing, though, for productivity.) This was also before I had a phone that worked well as a secondary device (like a dedicated twitter screen). If you have a good smart phone, then you can mimic having multiple programs open by simply using multiple devices.
The only thing I really could NOT do was manage my photos. (This was of course summer 2010, so think back to Android tablets at that time.) My tablet had an SD card for loading photos, but even navigating file systems was a bit of a pain back then. App selection and abilities was more limited, too, so I could get photos uploaded to Picasa, but only in a catch-all "uploaded" folder. There wasn't an app for folder management at the time, only for photo viewing. So I couldn't organize my photos by trip, nor could I add my annotations etc.
I also couldn't upload files to my online paid storage, since it only had a browser interface at the time. Also, my Android device had a weird limitation where you couldn't upload files via the stock browser. In fact, each available browser had its own set of quirks that resulted in no one single browser being able to both access/sign into the site I needed and upload files. (It also meant that I could only attach files in a specific email app, not while accessing email in a browser.) This is something I really wouldn't have thought of as a possible problem ahead of time.
I would also not have been able to do this without an external keyboard, which just meant that sitting at a desk became the easiest way to use the whole set up. If on the couch, I'd often have the keyboard on my lap and the tablet propped up with pillows somewhere for viewing, or on a nearby table if something suitable were nearby. It just wasn't as convenient as a laptop.
Things have obviously come a long way in 2 years with more apps, better cloud integration etc. But I basically did what you're proposing (with worse technology options). I did it for a very different reason, though - I was holding out for the MBA, waiting for it to be released before I bought a new laptop. So I did this knowing something new and shiny would be right around the corner, and I was just bridging the gap.
I personally wouldn't give up the more functional machine, which you've said you're delighted with, and put myself through a tablet-only existence. Just to then, what? Go back and re-buy it in the fall? I wouldn't switch, but that's just me.