Mac Air vs Ipad 4 vs Ipad Mini ?

[CameraQuest]

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

 

[segedi]

Missing? Haven't you heard?! The iPad and mini are MAGICAL!

Honestly, i like the portability of the iPad - great for browsing the Web, checking email and subscribing to photo magazine - and viewing them. But if you want productivity, the Air is hard to beat. I even have Windows 7 running on mine 🙂

 

[Godfrey]

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 ?

They're very different devices, and are used differently. The user interaction model is almost completely different.

For me, I read, draw, watch movies, and display photographs with an iPad (amongst other things). I write, edit, adjust photographs, etc (amongst other things) with a laptop computer.

Either can do almost everything the other does, but ... Do you use a 6x6 folder to shoot sports or a DSLR? Do you do street photography with Speed Graphic or a Leica M? Not a perfect analogy, but that's the flavor of it. 🙂

 

[Mackinaw]

Most people's computer needs today are very basic, e.g., web browsing, FaceBook, email and watching movies. An iPad, or any tablet, is all they need. Cheaper to, than shelling out the added $$$ for a laptop.

Jim b.

 

[f16sunshine]

The MBA 11" is such a solid and versatile machine. It's the perfect working travel companion. Using it with Aperture and LR4 as well as having 256Gig storage onboard (or maybe larger now I don't know) USB ports, Graphic card and external monitor support etc... it's great for a working photog. I like the iPad but, it's just not serious enough to use for work on the road. The space and weight saving of iPad vs MBA 11" is negligible.

 

[sevres_babylone]

I have the Air and carry it back and forth to work every day along with my camera, in a satchel. When traveling, if I have to process images, it's great. But it is heavier and larger than the other options, and doesn't have the same battery life. I have also seen photographers using the iPad to display their portfolios, and was quite impressed.

That said, as far as portable computing goes, the Air is the best I've ever owned, and I go back to Kaypros, early Toshibas, Compaqs and some earlier portable Macs.

 

[Travis L.]

I haven't even looked at my Mac Book Pro since I got my iPad.
I've never owned an Air but on the surface it doesn't seem as useful to me as an iPad.

 

[jerrybro]

I use the IPad at home so I can leave the notebook at the office. For 80% of what I use a PC for at home the IPad is fine, battery lasts longer too. When I need to do some real work I look for a real computer😀.

 

[bob338]

I have a Macbook Pro and an Ipad 1. The Ipad is great for traveling, but practically useless to me at home.
My kids love it for video games(angry birds, checkers, backgammon) and videos, but I just don't see the real value in it. I cannot understand why anyone would pay $699 for one of these things. My Kindle is much better for reading, and my Macbook is better for any sort of computer work. But again, the Ipad is better for travel.
Had I not picked mine up for $100, I would have never bought one.

 

[boomguy57]

I have a 15" Pro with Retina, the iPad 2, and the 11" Air. I find the iPad not very useful. Typing on it is tedious and so the laptops seem more versatile. The MBA is great, but the small screen and lack of processing power mean I use the Pro for most photo-stuff.

Ultimately, the novelty of the iPad wore off for me.

 

[seakayaker1]

. . . . . recently tested the IPad and Air and choose the air, 13" version which was a EOL model with 256 flash drive.

Need for a usable keyboard and disk space were the two factors that drove me in that direction. Buying last years model at a significant saving put me over the top.

The 1.44 pounds of the IPad vs the 2.96 pounds of the Air was not a issue for me.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[splitimageview]

I use both the latest 11" Air and iPad mini. They have different jobs. 🙂 Very complementary.

 

[johannielscom]

Laptops for production, tablets for consumption. That's basically it.

 

[DamenS]

This is not a photographic reason, but if you regularly travel on crowded public transport and can't get a seat, an iPad is still able to be used without garnering an inordinate level of dirty looks from (displaced) fellow commuters.

 

[jarski]

old Mac Air 13" user here. can certainly understand appeal for iPads, when mouse and keyboard are not needed such as casual browsing and reading, or short messages. opening a laptop in crowded place, even as slim as Mac Air is not nice. whereas take out tablet and read it like a magazine or book. by passers bump your stuff on floor much less likely, and you feel more comfortable and secure holding the device in your hands.

 

[thegman]

I think, without being too cynical, it's about shiny-ness, iPads are much shinier than most computers. Add the fact that many (most?) people don't need to do any work on a computer, and don't need a keyboard, or powerful applications.

 

[ottluuk]

Laptops for production, tablets for consumption. That's basically it.

Yep. I like that. I can't really justify having two mobile computing units - so I need one to run all the software I need. And at the moment that includes Lightroom, QGIS, LaTeX, Vim, R and the like. I don't have an Air, but I could live with one, given their current computing power. In fact, my next computer will probably be an Air.

But I'm not really consuming much modern entertainment, anyway. Work keeps me staring at screens a lot so I don't enjoy doing it on my spare time. Last time I moved, I didn't even install an internet connection to the new place. When I have time for home entertainment, I have books, an old NAD3020, B&W bookshelf speakers and a pile of CDs. Should totally turn towards vinyl, I think. For the daily commute, even my old dumbphone can supply earbud music. So there you go - another OS X enthusiast/iOS sceptic.

 

[jarski]

what makes tablets so practical is whole variety of special purpose apps, GUI designed only for certain task. e.g. old times when I wanted to check currency rates, I clicked bookmark on browser for the site, then typed and clicked around until ready. now app for same purpose delivers the result in less than half time. doubt tablet success has anything todo with shiny-ness like earlier comment suggest, but plain practicality.

 

[splitimageview]

I'ts much more comfortable to lean back on the sofa and read a book on a tablet, than read one on a laptop. 🙂

 

[Pablito]

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

That is exactly why I go the 11" air, and I could have both if I wanted. Don't like touch screen anything.

As for the iPad, I got a loaner for free, gave it back after a week. I know people who use them religiously, it's just not for me.