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Mavericks

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 16, 2013
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I just got my 2013 macbook air 13"... Thinking of actually getting the thinner bezel ipad 5, but now I'm having second thoughts. Should i still get an ipad or not?
 
How do we know? We live our lives differently than you. MBA is more of a work machine whilst iPad is geared towards entertainment (gaming, reading eBooks, surfing web on bed/couch etc).
 
MBA + iPad Mini is a killer combo. Worth waiting for a v2 Mini though, if you don't already own one.

iPad's are great, but I really don't know how people actually do work on them beyond a few emails etc., seems like an enormous compromise over a laptop.
 
That's a really good question....

I noticed as soon as I got my Air that I didn't use my iPad2 very much at all... in fact it felt heavy and clumsy. So, I passed the iPad2 on to my mother.
At Christmas, we got an iPad Mini. And I find it to be just the right compliment to the Air. In fact moving from the iPad2 to the iPad Mini gave me the same feeling as moving from my 13" macbook pro to the 13" Air.

I really love my Air. It is such a pleasure use, more so than any other notebook I've ever owned, but there are still certain things I enjoy on the iPad more: reading a book or magazine, I use it for cooking as my recipe book, sometimes just easier to grab to check my emails quickly... and when I'm out and about it just slips into my purse so easily. Mine has the cellular option, but I have yet to use that. Planning a trip soon and will use it then.

Hope that helps... for me they both really compliment each other.
 
MBA + iPad Mini is a killer combo. Worth waiting for a v2 Mini though, if you don't already own one.

iPad's are great, but I really don't know how people actually do work on them beyond a few emails etc., seems like an enormous compromise over a laptop.

This is my exact thought as well. I debated between the iPad and 11" MacBook Air when the MacBook Air was re-launched in 2010 but ultimately went with the 11" Air and have never looked back. I do like the iOS experience though and would likely something a little larger than my iPhone 5 to use casually around the house or when walking around the office. My work gave me a 3rd gen iPad but thanks to the MacBook Air being so light and only slightly larger I rarely use it, instead relying on the company issued 4S.

I'm planning on snatching up a retina iPad mini the second they go on sale though for those exact needs. The current iPad mini is what I consider a perfect iPad size for mixing portability & usability, along the exact same lines of why I consider the 11" Air to be that perfect mix. To me those two devices compliment each other extraordinarily well. Honestly if I hadn't been stuck with some unexpected expenses around the time the mini was launched I would have bought it then, it's been long enough now though that I'm trying to hold out for a retina model.
 
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I'm with yegon, MBA plus iPad mini is killer combo, I have these two devices and love them both, though, I went for the 11" (which I think is a better match for my demands for portability and works so fantastically well with the mini). If portability isn't so important to you, get the full size iPad (the new one when it's released) - that plus your MBA will cover pretty much everything you could ever need or want a computer or tablet for, highly recommend the two together (but wait if you can till the next version of either iPad is released in a few months). Congrats on your new MBA!
 
I just got my 2013 macbook air 13"... Thinking of actually getting the thinner bezel ipad 5, but now I'm having second thoughts. Should i still get an ipad or not?

For the past 3 years, all I carry around with me is - my 11" MBA and my iPad.

I have no downfalls, except for using any heavy program that the MBA may not be fully practical for.

Only thing that pisses me off - the battery life of my MBA was first around 7hrs, now it's maybe 3 if I am lucky. I know it's about how many battery cycles & care for the wattage/volts going into a particular device, but the fact Apple is getting away from replaceable batteries absolutely upsets me as a loyal Apple buyer. So, even though it isn't that practical for work at times, if my MBA dies, and I can move to my iPad a lot of times.
 
I own both an iPad Mini and a Macbook Air 11". I carry both of them when I travel. iPad is great for bedtime surfing or reading magazines and books on the airplane.

Air is my main computer for work for creating documents and dealing with email plus attachments. While iPad is very capable for email, I still prefer the Air because it is much easier to type on a real keyboard and I like to be able to open multiple windows and see them side by side while I work, which is impossible to do with the iPad.
 
Well, hard to say. I have my Macbook and iPad and use them often both together. I use AirDisplay and have my iPad as a fully touch functional second display, mainly use it for photoshop with all my tools right next to me. Or putting tabs on the iPad as I type instead of flipping between tabs.
On another note, I use the Procreate app as my sketch pad for drawings then simple export to dropbox or photostream and work on it in photoshop.

So in those ways, the iPad combined with any computer could be awesome.
 
iPad's are great, but I really don't know how people actually do work on them beyond a few emails etc., seems like an enormous compromise over a laptop.

It depends on the work. Of course typing is better on the Mac, but for example I need to carry around a lot of documents with me all the time. Instead of carrying 5-7 different books and binders I just carry my iPad with everything in iBooks.
 
My MBA 11 was gathering dust while I use my ipad 3 until y 13 year old daughter picked it up to play minecraft. I guess the Mac version is quite a bit better than the iPad version.

I still take my MBA on trips if I plan a lot of ppt or doc editing. But otherwise I use the iPad, including to show presentations and do email.
 
I vascillate between using and not using my iPad. To be honest, it's not entirely necessary between my MBA, iPhone and Kindle. It's nice to have for those times where I'd like to watch a movie or TV. But other than that, it mostly sits unused. Then for some reason, there are times when I can't put it down. Perhaps a testament to what a great device it is!
 
Battery replacements?

For the past 3 years, all I carry around with me is - my 11" MBA and my iPad.

I have no downfalls, except for using any heavy program that the MBA may not be fully practical for.

Only thing that pisses me off - the battery life of my MBA was first around 7hrs, now it's maybe 3 if I am lucky. I know it's about how many battery cycles & care for the wattage/volts going into a particular device, but the fact Apple is getting away from replaceable batteries absolutely upsets me as a loyal Apple buyer. So, even though it isn't that practical for work at times, if my MBA dies, and I can move to my iPad a lot of times.

I own an Mid 2009 13" MacBook Pro. Although the battery is secured behind a screwed case I changed the battery myself a year ago. I bought an original Apple Battery from a parts supplier and did the job myself for considerably less money that Apple would have charged, and more significantly I was not without my computer for any time; apart from a 20 minute swap-out and a 3 hour charge cycle.

The MacBook Air (unlike the new MacBook Pro Retinas) has a battery that in not 'glued in' so if you can get a parts dealer to sell you a battery; swap the battery yourself, it requires limited screwdriver skills. If your battery has gone from 7 hours to 3 hours, you need to replace yourself or get it replaced, it will unleash a new lease of life for your computer... When I did my MacBook, I took the opportunity to beef if RAM and HD; something much harder to do with the MBA - I know...

I despair that Apple are beginning to glue batteries in place in the Retina models... Whatever Apple say, Batteries are consumables, and I think the design ethos of Ives, 'computers should be well made a long lasting' is being undermined by the marketing dept? I think it is bonkers that consumers are being led to replace computers more often that is really needed..
 
I own an Mid 2009 13" MacBook Pro. Although the battery is secured behind a screwed case I changed the battery myself a year ago. I bought an original Apple Battery from a parts supplier and did the job myself for considerably less money that Apple would have charged, and more significantly I was not without my computer for any time; apart from a 20 minute swap-out and a 3 hour charge cycle.

The MacBook Air (unlike the new MacBook Pro Retinas) has a battery that in not 'glued in' so if you can get a parts dealer to sell you a battery; swap the battery yourself, it requires limited screwdriver skills. If your battery has gone from 7 hours to 3 hours, you need to replace yourself or get it replaced, it will unleash a new lease of life for your computer... When I did my MacBook, I took the opportunity to beef if RAM and HD; something much harder to do with the MBA - I know...

I despair that Apple are beginning to glue batteries in place in the Retina models... Whatever Apple say, Batteries are consumables, and I think the design ethos of Ives, 'computers should be well made a long lasting' is being undermined by the marketing dept? I think it is bonkers that consumers are being led to replace computers more often that is really needed..

You are the man... serious! I did not know that it was that easy, thank you! Is there any tutorials that you suggest? YouTube or something... I consider myself a techy, but I am not one who likes to disassemble & assemble hardware without legit instructions.
 
I have a 2011 11" MBA and an iPad 4. Got the ipad for christmas and didn't think I'd use it much, but I use it way more than my MBA. But I don't think I could be without either one at this point. I bring both of them to work with me and it is nice having the two screens (I do nutrition counseling so I can use one to take notes and one for education materials). I also find that the ipad 4 makes a nice temporary replacement if my MBA can't get a connection or battery dies (which happens a lot without power outlets nearby).

My only issue is that I wish had the 13" MBA. The screen sizes are too similar so I think the 11" with a mini is great or the 13" with the iPad 4 are good combos.

To answer the question..I don't think I NEED them both, but it makes things a lot easier and not much of a hassle to carry around both.
 
At home I use my 13" MBA almost 100% of the time. When I'm travelling I use my LTE iPad 3 most of the time and leave the MBA at home for trips under about 5 days long. I'm thinking about replacing the iPad 3 with Mini once it gets a retina display. The Mini just seems so much more portable than its bigger brother.
 
I own a MacBookPro, and an Ipad 3. The only time I work on the Macbookpro, is for things I can't do reasonably on the ipad.
Adobe CS5, is the only thing that comes to mind.

I do use a bluetooth keyboard, when typing most things longer than a page.
I write orders with my ipad, and emails, excel files, letters, Pdf Documents, Legal Documents.
There aren't many things I can't do with my ipad. I think the question should be is there any reason to have an MBA?
 
I just got my 2013 macbook air 13"... Thinking of actually getting the thinner bezel ipad 5, but now I'm having second thoughts. Should i still get an ipad or not?

You should get a Surface RT. It's better than MacBook Air and the iPad together at just a low price of $499. Get yours today. While stocks last.

It has Microsoft Office built-in and for a limited time, there's also a touch cover included!
 
whatever laptop I purchase

it will be alone (and most likely an rMBP for the screen and performance.) without iPads.

My particular circumstance is different than most:

My vision is myopic and it was brutal reading more than a page on my iPad Mini. I had to read without my glasses extremely close up - so I officially went iPad free today. In comparison, I can see and work at least 18" away from my 2010 iMac or over 2' away on a rMBP.

I also found the Mini (like every other iPad I've tried: 2 & 3 (the 4 I returned the next day) to be a consumer only product for me, not productive or creative - even when I had Good Reader installed.

So for me, no I do not need an iPad in additional to a laptop and phone.
 
Need or not that's a personal preference, like mentioned above. However, for me there are definitely instances where I prefer an iPad over MBA, and vice versa.

I am using all of these:
 

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I love my 11" MBA and my iPad Mini. I have a 15" MBP for work also but that tends to stay at the office now. lol. I take the MBA & iPad on the road when I travel. They have different uses for me. The MBA runs work related programs that the iPad does not. I actually just took my first personal trip (vacation!!) w/o my MBA, iPad Mini only. I was a bit nervous as it was a photography trip and I wasn't sure if my iPad/ShutterSnitch/iUSBport solution would work but it did!

Needless to say, for me, the MBA and iPad do very different things but between the the combo of the 2 + my iPhone, I'm really happy.
 
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