Macbook Air questions vs ipad

[MXSkier62]

So back in September i bought an iMac and iPad (32 wifi) to replace my old Blackbook. I use my iMac mostly for streaming video and some light photo editing, browsing, etc... And my ipad i was using for some note taking in class, and some browsing when I'm not at home. However, I've realized that the iPad does have its limitations, mainly when it comes to downloading PDFs, chatting with people over facebook chat and the like, and during lazy use (lying in bed, having to hold the iPad... Its way too challenging haha).

But the ipad was certainly great for traveling, bringing it to class or on the plane. Since the macbook air came out, I've realized that it does a lot of what i love about the iPad (instant on, very portable form factor, and I think more comfortable to use). My only hesitation is battery life drainage. If i were to buy a macbook air, and sell the iPad, i am looking for something that i could easily take with me for 2 days and not have to recharge. I wouldn't be using it the entire time of course, but it clams to have a long standby time. Also, buying something with a 1.4 C2D looks hard to justify.

Based on the above usage that I'm looking to use, does the base 11.6 MBA seem like it's a good fit? And to those who own one, should I spring for the 4GB upgrade? Also, how do you find the battery?

 

[Mike84]

This is really going to depend you. The battery usage varies from user to user and I think that an iPad and a MBA are two different things. Considering what you can do with a MBA and not with an iPad, you may be prone to spend more time on it because of its very nature of being a computer. Because of that, you may use it more.

Battery drainage is simply going to depend on you and nothing else. The battery on the MBAs is not as good as the battery on the iPad. Then again, the processing that the two do is totally diff. Again, it comes down to how you use it.

I think you can upgrade or swap into a MBA without any issue.

 

[silverblack]

2 days without charging? It ain't gonna happen with your MBA, especially the 11". The battery life for the 11" is a little better than your blackbook, but not by much.

 

[funkahdafi]

I am in the same boat. I decided the Macbook Air is the better iPad. Yet I am still waiting for Apple to release the Air with a modern processor. Until then I am going to keep my iPad.

 

[zinka]

I have both. Real-world battery life on the MBA 11" is about 1/3 to 1/2 the iPad's battery life. If you really need to be away from power for a long time, the MBA 11" won't cut it.

The standby life is great, by the way -- it's usage time that's much less than the iPad. You can expect about 3-4 hours of real-world usage from the MBA 11".

 

[natebookpro]

I had an iPad and sold it so that I could get the 11.6 MBA. I can honestly say that I have no regrets. The battery life on the MBA is definitely not anywhere near the iPad, but with web browsing and office I pretty consistently get the 5 hours that is claimed. The only two power saving measures that I take is to keep the screen around 1/3 brightness and keep bluetooth turned off.

 

[jimboutilier]

I am in the same boat. I decided the Macbook Air is the better iPad. Yet I am still waiting for Apple to release the Air with a modern processor. Until then I am going to keep my iPad.

So exactly what is it the current processor cant do or do as well as the modern processor? What other simillar device currently exists with such a modern processor that provides these additional benefits?

I'm just curious as the only "modern" processor i'm aware of would force users into the dung pile performance of Intel integrated graphics.

 

[MXSkier62]

Im almost sold on getting one. While i do enjoy my iPad, I think that the MacBook air does everything that i love about the iPad better (only thing is ebooks, but I do like the feel of an actual book way more). And i realized that no matter the internals, it's going to be so overpowered for my needs (email, streaming video, facebook) that I could probably work just fine on an PowerPC G5 chip, so tha a 1.4 C2D is more than enough.

I now have one additional question. Is there any way to make a mirror of my iMac hd onto my laptop without going through dropbox, so that if i were to buy new music on my iMac it would show up on my MacBook air? Or does iTunes do that (allow to download to multiple machines under the same apple id)?

 

[Andreas Grauel]

I had the same situation. I have had an iMac and iPad and was amazed about the new Macbook Air. I thought about it for about one week and then sold both gadgets and got the new macbook air. I do NOT miss one of the other gadgets... the macbook air is a perfect solution to fit both.

 

[aristobrat]

The Home Sharing feature on iTunes can keep libraries in sync, IIRC.

 

[Meric]

So back in September i bought an iMac and iPad (32 wifi) to replace my old Blackbook. I use my iMac mostly for streaming video and some light photo editing, browsing, etc... And my ipad i was using for some note taking in class, and some browsing when I'm not at home. However, I've realized that the iPad does have its limitations, mainly when it comes to downloading PDFs, chatting with people over facebook chat and the like, and during lazy use (lying in bed, having to hold the iPad... Its way too challenging haha).

But the ipad was certainly great for traveling, bringing it to class or on the plane. Since the macbook air came out, I've realized that it does a lot of what i love about the iPad (instant on, very portable form factor, and I think more comfortable to use). My only hesitation is battery life drainage. If i were to buy a macbook air, and sell the iPad, i am looking for something that i could easily take with me for 2 days and not have to recharge. I wouldn't be using it the entire time of course, but it clams to have a long standby time. Also, buying something with a 1.4 C2D looks hard to justify.

Based on the above usage that I'm looking to use, does the base 11.6 MBA seem like it's a good fit? And to those who own one, should I spring for the 4GB upgrade? Also, how do you find the battery?

You can get the most out of your iPad by jailbreaking it and installing some apps..

My ipad's battery goes 2 days with light - medium use...( email, web browsing, chat )

MBA is nowhere close..

 

[Seawolf8080]

I am in the same boat. I decided the Macbook Air is the better iPad. Yet I am still waiting for Apple to release the Air with a modern processor. Until then I am going to keep my iPad.

Because having that core i3 will really speed up firefox

 

[applebook]

Because having that core i3 will really speed up firefox

...and also deplete battery life like it's nothing too

Besides, the ULV processors in the new Air are actually "modern" and current chips for ultra-portables. Anyone expecting 2010 i3/i5 processors don't understand thermal temperatures, electronics, and sub-half-inch physics.

MacBook Air is a real notebook. iPad is a nice toy.

 

[BigMacUBC]

I have both the Ipad and the current 13' Macbook air. I can tell you I was pretty worried that the processor would be too slow to meet my needs, but so far that hasn't been the case. I mostly use it for word processing, video streaming, and programming. I enjoy my air a lot more than my Ipad. It just get's annoying typing on the Ipad. Plus the Macbook Air is way more powerful than the Ipad, so if the Ipad meets your needs then the Macbook Air will far exceed it.