This question was actually not on my radar at all until I started doing research on the new MacBook Air 11-inch and if it was a worthy purchase. There were just as many people debating between each of the devices as in there was overlap or a choice or a difference. I guess the fact that their screen size and weight is similar makes this an argument but the MacBook Air is twice as much, well, that’s assuming that you get the low end MBA and low-end iPad and put them side by side.
In fact, a 64 gigabyte iPad has 256 megabytes of ram, a 1Ghz chip and runs $699 pre-tax. The 1.4Ghz MacBook Air with a 64 gigabyte SSD and 2,000 megabytes of ram is $999 with a larger screen, real-USB and a full keyboard and mouse. Alright, I guess it is a legitimate argument. Let’s just forget what I initially said. These two are kind of evenly matched when you compare feature for feature both the 11-inch MacBook Air and the current generation iPad.
If you’re on the fence, wait. Apple’s iPad 2 should come out before the summer starts (April/May) and even though it won’t be a huge breakthrough over the current model, it will be faster, lighter and nicer all around for the same price point. If you want an iPad, wait until June. Sorry, but I feel very strongly about this. The iPad 2 is right around the corner. If you didn’t get one before January 1st, just wait.
So you don’t have to read the rest of this post, I’m going to say that the better buy is the MacBook Air. It has real input in the way of a keyboard and mouse and a built in webcam. It has a DisplayPort connection that can drive a 30″ monitor and two USB ports and a larger screen. It also runs Mac OS, the real thing (not iOS which is on the iPad). The MacBook Air offers true multi-tasking and support for Adobe Flash. You have choice outside of Apple’s “app” ecosystem and you can be far more productive.
The fact that anyone is even asking makes me laugh a bit. By the time you buy a low-end iPad for $499 and add a $69 keyboard and mouse and buy the apps you need, you’re going to hover around $700 for a device that is far less productive than a real laptop. Apple’s refurbished site occasionally has laptops for $849 and that’s just a few bucks above the price of an iPad. Apple clearly understands that $499 to $849 is enough to make people have this debate and buy one or the other but I’m here to say that, if you need a Macintosh, buy one. If you need an iPad and don’t have the Mac, wait and buy the Mac first. Don’t buy an iPad cause it’s cool and you can get some work done and save some money and miss out on the productivity and true multitasking that a notebook offers.
I have an iPad 32GB Wi-Fi and an 11″ MacBook Air. The iPad was $599 + 9.5% CA Tax. The MacBook Air was $1050 w/o tax. $450 premium over an iPad and I have access to news via Reeder, Books via Kindle, mail, chat, music, Twitter and other services by the way of software or my web browser and the ability to hop between apps easily in a form factor that makes typing long form a breeze and navigating via the trackpad is much faster than touching and dragging across a 10″ screen that the iPad has.
The premium is worth it if you can afford it.
I don’t think anyone that has an aging laptop that has problems just booting up should debate whether they should get a new laptop or an iPad. The iPad is still very much a consumption device that can be used for work assuming you have patience to actually try that. Those of us that have working computers don’t use the iPad when it’s time to type an email or assemble a Powerpoint presentation.
So, MacBook Air 11-Inch or iPad?
Get the MacBook now…write a book and get published and then use that money to buy an iPad. You won’t be able to write that book on an iPad. Trust me.
Honestly, I don’t think it’s an either/or situation.
I use my iPad for sitting on the couch, catching up my RSS feed, scheduling articles I find interesting to my Hootsuite app, and for consuming media. Honestly, I PREFER to use the iPad for this type of activity over a laptop or a desktop. Knowing that iPad 2 was coming soon, I sold off my iPad to a family member and now, I find that I’m consuming MUCH less from my subscriptions because it’s not as convenient. Also, it was just fantastic to sit back on the couch and read, it felt natural.
Now, for productivity, getting stuff done, I use my MacBook Air. It is by-far my favorite Apple Laptop (for my needs). I use a 27″ iMac (w/ 27″ external Apple Display) for work, but when I want to write blog posts and focus on a specific task, I’ll head off with my Macbook Air and hammer out a post, or project proposal. I wrote up my reason’s for liking it Here: http://samhowat.com/my-macbook-air-review/
So, all I need is that 27″ monitor and we can be even :P I agree with you but ya know, some people can’t get a MacBook or an iPad so it’s a really hard choice to make between the two…what if you could only have one?