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iPad versus MacBook Air: Which is right for you?

by Erica Sadun Feb 22nd 2011 at 1:00PM


Both the iPad and the MacBook Air offer phenomenal hardware solutions, but they occupy distinct niches. A well-accessorized iPad may take you pretty far along the way in getting work done on-the-go, but in no way does it provide the full OS X experience. In cost as well as weight, a low-end MacBook Air is not all that different from an iPad, but it lacks the simple form factor and touch-based interface that makes the iPad a perfect lightweight reading and connectivity solution. Two tools, two form factors -- which one is right for you?

At this time, Apple's computing solutions consist of five families. They include:

  • Pocket solutions: small in form factor and big in music and gaming, these include the iPhone and iPod touch pocket-based devices.
  • Tablets: perfect for on-the-go reading, media watching and lightweight connectivity, this family is represented by the iPad.
  • Laptops: including the sleek MacBook Air as well as the more powerful (but larger) MacBook Pro, laptops provide mobility crossed with full OS X solutions.
  • Desktops: ranging from the consumer-grade Mac mini through the incredibly able iMacs and topping out with the Mac Pro, these computers let you get your work done with as many monitors, hard drives and printers as your work demands.
  • Other: a catch-all family for computers that don't fit into the other categories, this family is currently limited to the non-mobile TV-based Apple TV, which provides an iOS solution with a limited user appliance interface.

The iPad and MacBook Air belong to separate families, and yet they're often put up against each other for purchasing decisions, especially when considering the 11-inch entry MBA. Both provide mobile on-the-go solutions. Both are lightweight. Both are affordable. So why go for one over the other? It all comes down to use case.

When the MacBook Air first debuted, many people called it "Apple's netbook." It wasn't. The Air is a full-featured laptop with a proper keyboard and screen, despite its small size. Netbooks, for all that they looked like laptops, were used in a different way. Their incredibly low cost and mobile form factor was not geared to providing a full OS experience. Instead, they provided a simpler on-the-go way to keep in touch and perform light computing tasks. Netbook computing wasn't about work, it was about connectivity and experiencing media, the same tasks now performed by Apple's iPad.

The iPad is the perfect device for playing games, watching some shows, checking email, surfing the Web and reading books. It may not be the ideal device for any single one of those tasks, but it is excellent at doing all of them. Add in its incredibly slim form factor and amazing portability, and you're looking at what the netbook should have been from the beginning. Instead of shrinking a laptop and using 5 percent of a standard operating system, the iPad offers core netbook functionality with a physical package that beautifully matches those tasks.

What the iPad does not do well is work. Yes, you can get work done when the need arises, but the iPad was not designed for day-to-day business. It is, at its heart, a netbook with the core demands of light computing and connectivity guiding its use. If you want multitasking, multiple windows, professional software suites and so forth, then you want a proper computer running a full-featured OS. You want a laptop or desktop, not a pocket or tablet device, even if you still need mobility.

That's where the MacBook Air excels. It provides the same kind of beautiful form factor and portability that typifies the iPad while adding in the full OS X experience. When your demands are business, deadlines and mobility, the MBA is the solution. Yes, you can find iPad workarounds and viewers, but why settle?

The MBA offers exactly the same UI, the same software and the same power as other desktop installations, but it provides these on a lightweight laptop that travels in the car and to the coffee shop as well as into the boardroom and the classroom. It does this with a full hardware keyboard and trackpad, without iPad compromise.

In the end, it all comes down to you and your needs. The iPad is not a laptop, and laptops are not iPads. Your specific use case and your personal needs should guide you as to whether you want to cuddle up with an iPad or drink mocha with a MacBook. They are both powerful, affordable and usable solutions. Which one is right for you?



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Both the iPad and the MacBook Air offer phenomenal hardware solutions, but they occupy distinct niches. A well-accessorized iPad may take...
 

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Simon

The 11" MBA has a significantly smaller trackpad than Apple's other laptops, which I personally found very annoying as I'd gotten used to Apple's generously large trackpads. Also, the lack of backlit keyboards has completely crippled the current generation of MacBook Airs for me.

I bought an iPad 2 and while I know it's only a luxery toy item I still quite enjoy it for all those quick online tasks, playing games, browsing and keeping in touch through email and social networking.

April 19 2011 at 12:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Huzaifa

The iPad and Air are too close to each other hence a better choice is to have a MacBook pro and an iPad as they both are individual and each one has it's strength.

In use my MacBook pro as a desktop and for longer business trips but I still carry my iPad as the pro stays at the hotel when I have to crunch out some work. The iPad is by my side all the time to check my emails and to refer to some reports.

I don't see myself buying an air in the near future. Intact I might switch to a desktop but I don't like restricting my self as I have been using notebooks for over 23 years!!!!

February 25 2011 at 2:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rubén Gómez Radioboy

My product is the iPad.

I amgraphic designer and video editor, I use my iMac for that. The iPad is my salvation when I want to rest of the computer.

iPad is the future of the home computer.

February 24 2011 at 4:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
r-nano

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the iPad simply for reading, whether it be books, business reports, news, etc. I realize mentions of rss feeds cover this to some extent but I find being stuck reading a lot of this stuff at your desk is tiring and bad for theveyes and ergonomically whereas with the iPad I can move about, sit in a comfortable chair, take notes, eat lunch, whatever. I also use the iPad for reference material when working on my PC or MBA. I have a Lenovo T61, but I'm a senior and the 11" MBA was a no-brainer when it comes to portability although syncing all the gear has been a serious challenge for me.

February 23 2011 at 3:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to r-nano's comment
Phil

I agree. When writing, people like to have their writing tool (i.e. Word) on the computer screen and their research materials on the desk next to their keyboard. In a paperless office model, the iPad simply replaces the printed physical paper, and frees it from the confines of the computer screen. The ipad tactilely puts "paper" back in the hands of the end-user, which is a mode of interaction they're already used to, thus requiring less buy-in and quicker adoption of the new technology.

February 23 2011 at 3:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Phil

In my law practice, we decided to use both. 13" Macbook Airs as our primary work computers and 32mb iPads to successfully execute and realize our less-paper office. (Without the iPad to electronically review their documents, human nature will default to printing the documents for review or access, which defeats the paperless model.) With Dropbox, the lawyers are able to access their client files in court in the iPad, where accessing the data is paramount and editing documents is minimal or non-existant. (Also, interacting with the court/judge from behind a laptop monitor is cumbersome and a little rude.) On the other hand, the MBA gives the lawyers ultimate flexibility about when and where they can do their heavy work - at their desk, at a coffee shop, etc.

February 23 2011 at 2:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bill

I'd like to hear more about apps. Apps that may exist on one platform but not the other. For instance, one from Apple - iBooks. I can't read my ebooks on my iMac. The iBooks app only runs on their iOS devices. I find that limiting.

What other apps would I lose if I were to go with an Air instead of an iPad?

February 23 2011 at 1:22 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
W Park

I carry both in a very slim laptop bag. They are the two halves of a full left amd right brain sollution to a digital life. They get used for very different tasks. The Air is also the greatest PC- I loaded Windows 7 in boot camp, and I have to confess I really like Windows 7 about as much as I hate XP.

February 23 2011 at 4:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to W Park's comment
Bill

I find Windows 7 as fully functional as MacOS X - perhaps more so. But I much prefer the aesthetics of the Mac in both hardware and software design.

February 23 2011 at 1:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Scotty down_under

i dunno why nobody chose to mention how their new Windows Mobile fits into the equation!?
;-)

February 23 2011 at 4:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mark

Matt
Although you will find the iPad far more usable with an external keyboard, I still think that you will run into limitations with an iPad set up for the type of work you are doing. You might find that a MBA is a better solution, as you then have the option of doing 'serious' work on the move as well. However, if portability and a small form factor are likely to be the critical factors, then then the iPad could work. Suggest that you try to borrow or hire one for a week to test it out first though.

February 23 2011 at 3:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Mark's comment
Matt Dailey

Mark, Thanks for the input. I actually talked to a professor who uses his iPad all the time to write reports in the classroom for the students he observes. He said intense writing is deserving of a bluetooth keyboard, but he hasn't had a problem and says he loves it. I think that kind of sealed the deal for me in getting an ipad, if one arrives next week, or whenever. I honestly think that with Pages, Numbers, Mail, and Safari I can do almost anything I need to. Especially since I can take advantage of Air Print! Also taken into consideration is price. I'm much more comfortable paying $500 for an iPad as opposed to a $949 education price for the 11 inch Air. As I said I have an iMac at home that if I need to do anything too substantial I can hold off and wait until I get home. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my comment. Thanks!

February 23 2011 at 10:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
robogobo

Mark, you seem like you need to change everyone's mind who decides they don't need an MBA. It's ok if you like it and other people don't. Everyone has a different definition of this 'serious' work you keep stressing. It's just a matter of opinion. The article was certainly predicated on that.

February 24 2011 at 3:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
IndianaTim

I've been fortunate enough to not have to make compromises in my computing platform. I have the iPhone, and the iPad is a great extension of that platform, because it fits all of the situations where your say " of only the iPhone had a larger screen".

When I left my former employer, I had to turn in my MBPro. It was just after the MB Air was released, so I ordered a max-ed out 13" Air from the factory and a 24" monitor. The monitor arrived right away, but the MB Air took 6 weeks. I was trying to launch a new business and I couldn't do it with the iPad. I could do all sorts of leisure stuff, but I couldn't build a website on it and I couldn't access the 500GB worth of files I archived from the former laptop. I ended up ordering a Mini and hooking that up to the 24" monitor.

I have to say that I'm surprised that I am still using the Mini. I was going to dedicate it to my recording studio, but it's far more useful to have a machine on the big screen and a second machine to the side. I'll even use the iPad on a stand to the other side sometimes, watching Netflix while I do some mundane work.

Every computer has its place. The beauty of the MB Air is that there's no DVD drive to fail, and no spinning platters to fail. Those are the only two issues I have had trouble with on any mac portable I have used. The Mini keeps me from fretting about the 256GB limit on the Air. The iPad is fantastic for giving 1 on 1 pitches with Keynote. I use them all about equally.

February 23 2011 at 2:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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