Mac Air vs Ipad 4 vs Ipad Mini ?

As others have mentioned, an ipad/ tablet is effectively the web your hand, as well as being a very effective portable media player and browser. A macbook air on the other hand is simply a nice laptop with a small footprint.

If I didn't use my computer for managing & editing my digital images, an ipad would likely be all I would need/ want, and suspect that is the same for many others too, given the demand of ipads and tablets in general.
 
Pablito said:
I still prefer paper books. But I find the Kindle much better for reading than the iPad.
Click to expand...

E paper kindle is nice, but the iPad does this (even a Kindle app) and so much more.

I prefer reading paper books too, but I prefer storing and moving digital ones. :)
 
I use MBA 11" (2011) for my full-time design work. (Mac mini at home)

iPad mini is for UI testing and personal couch use.
 
My iMac 3.6 ghz - photo and video work plus multimedia server

My laptop - everything I need when on the road

iPad anything - couch potato mode, web browsing, reading, video, music, games mainly.

If I was a professional photographer, I could c using it as a portfolio presenter.

There have been a couple of times when I wanted o travel light on business and all I brought to use at a meeting with some vendors we were doing business w/ was my iPad and a display adapter to hook to their presentation projector so I could make my presentation.

Gary
 
I am a software developer so I'll always have at least one serious Mac (currently a loaded MacBook Pro).

I bought the 13" Air the day it was released a few years ago and used it as my "laying around" computer. When the iPad came along, I thought it could replace the Air, so I bought it and sold the Air. A couple of months later, after being driven nearly mad by iPad keyboarding, I sold the iPad and bought a brand-new 11" Air (on which I'm typing this). It's a great machine and I never missed the iPad.

As said above: tablets for consuming -- laptops for creating. Problem is, I almost never just "consume" while on the web.

All that being said I have ordered an iPad Mini. The form factor will keep me from considering it as a laptop replacement, and will make it easier to take along (say on a train) than either the Air or a full-size iPad. I was really looking forward to its release.

To each his own...
 
Al Patterson said:
You can get a Chromebook for $249, so why buy a Mac Book Air at four times the price?
Click to expand...

for me, I don't trust cloud computing.

I don't look forward to an email esentially saying

"Sorry, we had an unforeseeable cloud system failure due to xyz.
(actually a hack attack by space aliens, but we can't tell you anything about it)

We are very sorry all of your data was lost,
but of course, per our ironclad user agreement
drawn up by the best lawyers on the planet
all of your data was owned by us
the instant you were foolish enough to place it on our servers
so of course you can't sue us for losing our own data.

Thank you Very Much!"

Stephen
 
There are many cheaper solutions. A chrome book is a cool idea, if you like doing spreadsheets and word processing in a browser. Try photoshop tho. :)
 
CameraQuest said:
for me, I don't trust cloud computing.

I don't look forward to an email esentially saying

"Sorry, we had an unforeseeable cloud system failure due to xyz.
(actually a hack attack by space aliens, but we can't tell you anything about it)

We are very sorry all of your data was lost,
but of course, per our ironclad user agreement
drawn up by the best lawyers on the planet
all of your data was owned by us
the instant you were foolish enough to place it on our servers
so of course you can't sue us for losing our own data.
I
Thank you Very Much!"

Stephen
Click to expand...

I get that, i am just lookingfor a minimalist way to get online. No wai I would put businessaccts on the cloud. Personal stuff, no problem...
 
CameraQuest said:
Looking at the much faster and more capable 11" Mac Air vs the Ipads, I just don't get the popularity of the Ipads.

Sure Ipads are smaller, but tablets seem to give so much less compared to the not that much bigger 11" Mac Air -- especially for the $$.

What am I missing on this ?

Thanks,
Stephen
Click to expand...

Tablets are best option. They have plenty to offer at very fair prices and you must get Galaxy tabs.
 
All are necessary to complete satisfaction. My MB Pro 15", a bit heavy to lug around, my yet to get Mac Air (my 15 year old son has two!) and the iPad: in bed, on the couch, at the car wash, walking into town for a meeting, waiting in airports, on the plane, teaching students, showing clients, showing photos to friends etc etc. Once you have an iPad you have the answer to what it is for, just like Apple says that you already know how to use it. Steve Jobs said the market research for the product was zero: not up to customers to know what they need.
 
CameraQuest said:
Looking at the much faster and more capable 11" Mac Air vs the Ipads, I just don't get the popularity of the Ipads.

Sure Ipads are smaller, but tablets seem to give so much less compared to the not that much bigger 11" Mac Air -- especially for the $$.

What am I missing on this ?

Thanks,
Stephen
Click to expand...

You are missing the fact that most people don't work on their computers, they browse facebook, twitter, maybe Skype, but they don't create anything, they just consume, and a proper computer like a Mac is way overkill for this, it's too complicated and expensive for such menial tasks.

I have both an iPad and Mac, I could never cope with just an iPad, I can barely stand it even for the simple stuff...
 
MBP 15 mid 2011 for my main editing machine, MBA 13 for my daily browsing in the office and quick edits (office laptop is restricted), MBA 11 and Ipad mini for traveling. Ipad mini is basically for content usage, applications related to work, quick email and games while on the plane.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom