High-end iPad vs low-end MacBook Air

[AAPLaday]

I find it hard to vote as the 11" Air is probably too small for me as a primary machine. I wouldn't touch the high end iPad either though as i dont need that much storage space or 3g. I stream everything. And can tether to a mobile.

But looking at the options you have given i would choose the Air simply because the fully specced out iPad is overkill IMO, and as my iMac needs replacing the iPad wouldn't work as my only machine.

 

[lozpop]

I find it hard to vote as the 11" Air is probably too small for me as a primary machine.

No one said that a 11" Air has to be your primary machine, exactly like the iPad.

 

[foiden]

From my use of the Macbook Air 11. You really shouldn't go low end without upping the price with more ram. If all of your needs are satisfied by the iPad, then it's good to know that it runs pretty much all of its applications brilliantly.

The MBA default low-end setup really struggles with quite a few programs. It even struggles using iLife applications it comes with. Mac OSX and its applications simply require more resources to run well. So while you'll gain more functionality with the MBA, and a regular laptop the overall performance of running stuff suffers in comparison to the iPad. Putting in that extra 2GB or going for the higher processor mark is needed to get that thing running things snappy like the iPad runs the iOS stuff. But if all your stuff is light in resources, there shouldn't be a problem. If you plan to iLife or do light gaming on it, I'd choose 1 or two additions to the MBA 11" spec. The default wont cut it, too much.

 

[AAPLaday]

No one said that a 11" Air has to be your primary machine, exactly like the iPad.

No but i wouldn't own 2 laptops, or a laptop and a desktop so for me at least it would be a primary machine. I would however own a desktop and iPad as the iPad compliments it perfectly

 

[nwcs]

iPad all the way. I have a MBP and the iPad is a great companion. I wouldn't want two laptops. And if I had a desktop instead I'd still choose the iPad.

 

[AppleGoddess]

I bought my iPad on launch, now the 11.6 MBA i sold my ipad miss the battery life however gained more then i lost will buy the next gen iPad in a heartbeat.

 

[lozpop]

No but i wouldn't own 2 laptops, or a laptop and a desktop so for me at least it would be a primary machine. I would however own a desktop and iPad as the iPad compliments it perfectly

Yeah, in fact for me the perfect couple is iMac + iPad or iMac + MBA 11".
So a power desktop for working, plus a mobile device.

Actually I have a 24" iMac plus a 32GB iPad 3G, but sometimes I would like to have a MacBook Air 11" instead of the iPad, because.. well.. Mac OS X is Mac OS X!

Considering this, I will try to purchase the MacBook Air without selling the iPad. And also I want to wait to see what Apple will do with the second generation iPad.