iPad or NEW air?

[silverblack]

Great point, if it has 3g I will definitely cancel the iPad and sell my MBP. It really would give the Air a new lease of life wouldn't it!

Let's see what happens tomorrow...

Aaron

MacBook Air with 3G would mean a battery life of half an hour. Would you still want it? Just get your iPad, and use a desktop for everything else. Screw the over priced MBA.

It's ridiculous how many iPad vs. MBA threads there are. Most of the time the damn topic is even identical. Why doesn't a moderator merge all of these and eliminate new repeat threads?

Right, the "Apple website is down" or "another next Tuesday" threads are all we need.

 

[Scottsdale]

MacBook Air with 3G would mean a battery life of half an hour. Would you still want it? Just get your iPad, and use a desktop for everything else. Screw the over priced MBA.



Right, the "Apple website is down" or "another next Tuesday" threads are all we need.

I don't believe 3G would kill the MBA's battery capabilities. The MBA has a much larger battery than an iPhone. If Apple waits until WWDC to update the MBA, it probably means it has 3G and Apple wants to introduce the technology in its Macs. I was thinking we're another year away from getting such a tech included in Macs when LTE/4G is finally ready for a nationwide introduction. It's a much faster service too. I guess it's possible for a backwards capable service. It seems like Verizon is going to become a part of Apple's carrier options sooner or later.

 

[AAPLaday]

MBA with 3G would be a nice addition and another good way of separating it from the other notebooks Apple sells. IPS screen would be the cherry on the top.

 

[raferoche]

iPad burns MBP, Go 17" & you'll never go back to 15"

....sorry header should have read "iPad burns MBA, Go 17" & you'll never go back to 15".

Get an iPad, it's replaced my MBA and I think if you don't sell your AIR soon you'll have that Powerpc shifting problem, no one wants to buy a used powerpc mac now and it'll be that way with the AIR because there will not be another, it's dead, replaced by the iPad.

I love the iPad so much that it's replaced my laptop for portability - surfing, movies, music.

I bought a 17" i7 MPB after always using a 15" and I'm really please this is now my desktop (sure I would have rather bought an iMac 27" but I do travel alot) the iPad is now my laptop, and my 17" MBP my desktop - now having used a 17" I'd never downsize to a 15" the weight difference between the two isn't an issue but the 1920x1200 HD screen resolution vs the 1680x1050 High Res is, I can see the 17" MBP outselling the 15" MBP now that an iPad exists.

 

[Scottsdale]

....sorry header should have read "iPad burns MBA, Go 17" & you'll never go back to 15".

Get an iPad, it's replaced my MBA and I think if you don't sell your AIR soon you'll have that Powerpc shifting problem, no one wants to buy a used powerpc mac now and it'll be that way with the AIR because there will not be another, it's dead, replaced by the iPad.

I love the iPad so much that it's replaced my laptop for portability - surfing, movies, music.

I bought a 17" i7 MPB after always using a 15" and I'm really please this is now my desktop (sure I would have rather bought an iMac 27" but I do travel alot) the iPad is now my laptop, and my 17" MBP my desktop - now having used a 17" I'd never downsize to a 15" the weight difference between the two isn't an issue but the 1920x1200 HD screen resolution vs the 1680x1050 High Res is, I can see the 17" MBP outselling the 15" MBP now that an iPad exists.

I could understand that using a 17" MBP as a main computer and an iPad for on the go extreme portability of entertainment functions. But then I use an MBA as my primary computer and my iPad for entertainment on the go. So these threads are a little misleading... can one really replace their entire computing system with an iPad? Not really, and it even takes a REAL computer to connect and turn-on the iPad.

 

[mattwolfmatt]

Get the ipad. The games are wicked awesome!

Just hope you don't need to print anything. Who prints anything nowadays, anyhow?

Oh common there are really not that many good games on it.

Well considering in UK alone we spend over £600 million a year on ink, I think a lot of people still do...

I was being sarcastic on both accounts. Jeesh. Just added my new signature, maybe it will help in the future.

 

[Drag'nGT]

Guys, just think what if the next MBA will have an integrated 3G card with the ipads 29.99 data plan....

It's called a jailbroken iPhone. Now if they would just make it work on the usb cable.

To the OP, the iPad is great to use for different things. I would see it as an item I'd feel comfortable leaving on my coffee table, browse a bit on the couch, it has no moving parts and is really solid. Traveling is also when the iPad shines. However, if you think you'll need to type a lot and use it to create documents etc... Get the Air.

 

[mlblacy]

same... have both. Use iPad more...

Depends on what you need it for. I got the iPad and haven't touched my MBA for a week. (I do real work on an iMac).

The Air gets grabbed around the house, but I don't even bother taking the laptop out for work. For "real" work I just use the desktop, but emails etc., the iPad is great. If the pad had been out a few years ago I never would have bought he Air (which I love). We are a 3 laptop family (plus an add'l laptop from the darkside, which actually makes us a 3-1/2 laptop family), but the pad gets grabbed first by 3 of us. My wife, oddly has steered away from it (lucky for the rest of us).
cheers...

 

[celo48]

Do you really need help deciding if you need a full computer or not??

Could not agree more.

 

[gwsat]

I just preordered an iPad in the UK last night.

I am thinking if the new air is released I should sell my MPBP 13 and cancel the air for one of these instead.

Any thoughts?

Do you really need help deciding if you need a full computer or not??

Could not agree more.

To the contrary, I thought the OP's question was a reasonable one. Although I agree that the iPad is in no way a substitute for an MBA, or any other real computer, how is a poster, such as the OP who has no experience with an iPad, to know whether it is or not?

To the merits, though. If Apple updates the MBA sufficiently to give it the power to handle my rather significant needs I will buy one and use it as my every day computer. Nevertheless, I will still use my iPad because, despite its limitations, which I have pointed out in earlier posts, it does a better job of computing while wandering around than any conventional computer, including the MBA. Since the OP already has a 13 inch MBP, though, if I were in the OP's place, I would leave my order for an iPad in place and plan on keeping my 13 inch MBP. That should be a great combination.

 

[CoreyMac]

Dave -- The Safari Web browser doesn't support tabs and the Atomic browser doesn't support a bookmarks bar. Couple that with the lack of Flash support, which makes Hulu and many other video-centric sites unusable on the iPad, and the iPad's Web surfing experience is simply inferior to that which you can enjoy with any browser on any OS X or Windows computer. The iPad's mail client doesn't allow for the creation of discrete mailboxes and rules for them on the iPad and that's a significant weakness, it seems to me. These are just a few of the iPad's weaknesses I can think of off the top of my head. I still love mine but that's mainly because I make limited demands on it and accept its limitations.

As I have said before, I am convinced that Apple will greatly improve the iPad's functionality as time goes on. For the moment, though, the iPad simply can't do what a real computer can do, at least not without bending yourself into a pretzel.

Since when didn't the iPad support tabs? http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/gadgets/iPad/review/webpages.jpg .....and to be fair flash aside from Hulu has been largely put to rest for many major websites and video sites. YouTube, ABC, CBS, Break, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Netflix are all already working. And many of the sites I regularly go to have already been converted to iPad compatible with all video working. http://www.apple.com/ipad/ready-for-ipad/ It's still not as good as a computer, but its far from completely crippled. As for Email complaints....it appears most things people want will be covered in the OS4 update.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

Heck no, keep em both, I'm going to.
The new Air will be awesome. 4 GB Ram,(Max 4+2 for 6GB total) 13.2 " Touchscreen, with 256 MB VRAM, along with the new touchpad from the 17" MB, whaz not to like??WWDC is the unveiling, according to Steve, this will shut the Bast**ds up!!

 

[gwsat]

Since when didn't the iPad support tabs? http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/gadgets/iPad/review/webpages.jpg .....and to be fair flash aside from Hulu has been largely put to rest for many major websites and video sites. YouTube, ABC, CBS, Break, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Netflix are all already working. And many of the sites I regularly go to have already been converted to iPad compatible with all video working. http://www.apple.com/ipad/ready-for-ipad/ It's still not as good as a computer, but its far from completely crippled. As for Email complaints....it appears most things people want will be covered in the OS4 update.

What I posted earlier was, "The Safari Web browser doesn't support tabs," not that iPad doesn't support tabs. In fact the Atomic browser for iPad does support tabs. The tabs you are talking about are completely different from the browser tabs I was talking about. Browser tabs allow you to move from one open Web page to another by clicking on a "tab" at the top of the browser's desktop. Atomic has them, Safari does not.

The iPad's lack of Flash support is hit or miss, which makes whether any feature of any Web site will be useable on the iPad a crap shoot. I am frustrated by such failings on a daily basis -- at least.

All of the foregoing said, I still love my iPad, think that it is a great portable computing device, and will get a lot better over time. Nevertheless, it's not there yet -- in stark contrast to any real computer that runs OS X or Windows.

 

[flynz4]

What I posted earlier was, "The Safari Web browser doesn't support tabs," not that iPad doesn't support tabs. In fact the Atomic browser for iPad does support tabs. The tabs you are talking about are completely different from the browser tabs I was talking about. Browser tabs allow you to move from one open Web page to another by clicking on a "tab" at the top of the browser's desktop. Atomic has them, Safari does not.

The iPad's lack of Flash support is hit or miss, which makes whether any feature of any Web site will be useable on the iPad a crap shoot. I am frustrated by such failings on a daily basis -- at least.

All of the foregoing said, I still love my iPad, think that it is a great portable computing device, and will get a lot better over time. Nevertheless, it's not there yet -- in stark contrast to any real computer that runs OS X or Windows.

Nice post. I am also disappointed that I cannot access content because of the lack of flash. I really do not care how this gets solved... either flash becomes supported on the iPad, or web sites stop using flash... but it is an issue that us who use iPads have to deal with. It makes the iPad into a less useful device.

I also agree that I love my iPad for what it can do. It is a great compliment to my MBA. Over the past two weeks, I have decided to decommission my 15" MBP. I am now just using my 27" i7 iMac, my MBA (w/SSD), and my iPad. It is a perfect combination.

/Jim

 

[Scottsdale]

Nice post. I am also disappointed that I cannot access content because of the lack of flash. I really do not care how this gets solved... either flash becomes supported on the iPad, or web sites stop using flash... but it is an issue that us who use iPads have to deal with. It makes the iPad into a less useful device.

I also agree that I love my iPad for what it can do. It is a great compliment to my MBA. Over the past two weeks, I have decided to decommission my 15" MBP. I am now just using my 27" i7 iMac, my MBA (w/SSD), and my iPad. It is a perfect combination.

/Jim

That's the problem, Apple offers no solution now when it just bans Flash from its iPhone OS products. If Apple had an alternative app that could display the Flash content it would be acceptable. But Apple has abandoned not just Flash but also its users when it does this. The 10m iPad customers expected to buy in the next twelve months shouldn't be ignored. If the people could hold firm, and refuse to purchase until Flash was added, it would force Apple to include a Flash solution... the problem with all of the debates about Apple hating Adobe is they leave out the real problem that is the end user not being able to access a large portion of the Internet.

 

[pharmx]

That's the problem, Apple offers no solution now when it just bans Flash from its iPhone OS products. If Apple had an alternative app that could display the Flash content it would be acceptable. But Apple has abandoned not just Flash but also its users when it does this. The 10m iPad customers expected to buy in the next twelve months shouldn't be ignored. If the people could hold firm, and refuse to purchase until Flash was added, it would force Apple to include a Flash solution... the problem with all of the debates about Apple hating Adobe is they leave out the real problem that is the end user not being able to access a large portion of the Internet.

I don't want to get into the whole Flash debate, but in all honesty Apple made the right choice. We have nobody to blame but ourselves for becoming so dependent on Flash. Look how much control Adobe already has over the internet with how people are reacting...imagine if that control extended to the mobile internet as well. What Apple does with their products only affects users of Apple products....what Adobe does with Flash affects EVERYONE using the internet, especially if we become even more dependent on Flash than we already are. If you look at the big picture, I think you'll realize how dangerous it is to give one company this much leverage over the internet as a whole. The last time something like this happened was when Microsoft won the browser wars. It's ridiculous the amount of compromises that browsers, web designers, and web developers have to make in order to be compatible with IE6. Why do they have to do that? Because IE6, even being as old as it is, still has tremendous market share, and even MS can't do anything about it without "breaking" the internet and affecting an enormous number of people and businesses. Flash has almost done the same thing, but fortunately 2 things happened that prevented this disaster from happening. The first was ActionScript got rejected from being standardized, and the second was what Apple did by taking a stance.

Don't get me wrong, not having the option to use Flash, and weaning off the dependency for Flash based sites/applications offers a bad user experience...especially since there are no viable alternatives without making compromises of some sort...but again that's because Adobe was allowed to get this far to begin with.

 

[gwsat]

Nice post. I am also disappointed that I cannot access content because of the lack of flash. I really do not care how this gets solved... either flash becomes supported on the iPad, or web sites stop using flash... but it is an issue that us who use iPads have to deal with. It makes the iPad into a less useful device.

I also agree that I love my iPad for what it can do. It is a great compliment to my MBA. Over the past two weeks, I have decided to decommission my 15" MBP. I am now just using my 27" i7 iMac, my MBA (w/SSD), and my iPad. It is a perfect combination.

My biggest concern is that some prospective iPad buyers will be misled into overlooking the iPad's weaknesses by some of the unrealistic puffing of the iPad's capabilities we have seen at Mac Rumors coming from overenthusiastic new iPad owners. It is a great little device but falls far short of a computer in many ways. Nevertheless, it shines when used as as an adjunct to a computer. As much as I like my iPad as an adjunct to my 2007 Santa Rosa 17 inch MBP, it would become even more useful if I had an updated 13 inch MBA.

EDIT: I add to this post to add links to two recent CNET News pieces. In the first, posted on Friday, the writer, Brooks Crothers, opines, correctly I think, that The iPad is no proxy for MacBook Air. In the second, posted earlier today, Crothers suggests that Apple's failure to include Flash on the iPad was "foolish.". I agree on both points and suggest that both of Crother's pieces should be read in full.

 

[Metlin]

New user here - I pretty much went through the same dilemma when I ordered my MBA a couple of days ago.

What made it particularly difficult was that as a Windows user, I was torn between switching to the Mac or simply getting a "bigger iPhone".

A few things to consider (that made my decision easier) are --

- How much do you travel?
- How often do you do things that require a "real" secondary computer?
- What are your battery and machine power requirements?

I very seriously contemplated getting an iPad with an external keyboard, but I wanted a real computer. As a frequent traveler, the battery bugged me a little until I discovered Apple's MagSafe Airline Adapter.

I had no illusions that both the iPad and the MBA could only be secondary devices. However, at the end of the day, I figured that I'd rather invest in a highly portable "real" computer (whatever that may entail) than the highly usable (albeit locked) iPad.

Happiness should hopefully ensue.

 

[tempusfugit]

MBA is too rich for my blood. the 13" MacBook pro is a way better value IMO and I don't find that it hurts portability too much. the iPad is a nice addition to anyones setup.

 

[silverblack]

As a frequent traveler, the battery bugged me a little until I discovered Apple's MagSafe Airline Adapter.

May it's because I don't travel in business class. I never see seats with receptacles for the adapter. I see either a USB, really household receptacles, or nothing.

Aside from the flying part of traveling, I still find MBA's battery life too limiting. Too many time it ran out of juice in meetings, conferences, seminars, classrooms, airports, restaurants, bars...