advertisement


Apple laptop or IPad ?

wacko

pfm Member
Daughter about to get one or the other. I know this subject has been done before but these things do change. What are the pros/cons briefly of each so I can look intelligent when I give an opinion ?
 
Blimey the girl is fast: looking at a 13" MacBook Air 1.6GHz 8th Gen Intel Core 15 128GB already...
General use.
 
MAcbook every time. Ipad if you want to look at youtube and draw squirly pictures.

Also not sure how quick this has to be but they are bound to update the keyboards as they have done on the 16inch, the current keyboards are like the worse in the industry.
 
We had this comparison three years back for my daughter going to Uni. She chose the iPad Pro large screen as she was studying Fine Art and Illustration and it has worked out superbly and has been her primary drawing tool since then. Got the keyboard/cover and proper pen and no complaints. It has survived 3 years of uni life and still works well. She has friends who do photography and they mostly chose the Macbook and seem happy with that choice.
 
Price already going up ! Seems Macbook Pro 13 with 256GB is best choice (not Air). I do not think she can wait until May/June for scissor keyboard.
I'm telling her we should wait for PFM advice...
 
Cautionary note - if this is for uni, think before choosing Apple. Our lad did Physics and his MacBook became redundant for academic use.
 
With modern Apple laptops always spec the highest amount of RAM and storage you can stretch to as in almost all cases it is soldered-in so can’t be upgraded to get a boost mid-life, i.e. spec it with what you think you’ll need in 6 years if you plan to get that much life out of it.

As Gary says the butterfly keyboard is just dreadful, but it is so bad that it is actually covered from new under a recall program, so if it fails within six years you’ll have no issue in demanding a replacement as long as there is no liquid damage.
 
Cautionary note - if this is for uni, think before choosing Apple. Our lad did Physics and his MacBook became redundant for academic use.

Why? If he desperately needed Windows functionality dual-booting any modern Mac is no huge issue.
 
Blimey the girl is fast: looking at a 13" MacBook Air 1.6GHz 8th Gen Intel Core 15 128GB already...
General use.

My daughter started Uni with a MacBook but used an iPad for most of her essay writing (with a small logitech BT keyboard) and finished them on Uni PCs.

Why?
The Macbook was a heavy PITA to carry around to lectures ... the iPad/keyboard combo much lighter and more versatile (but crap for doing the referencing - which mostly took place in the library anyway given the useless net connection in her digs)
 
Not sure what pro she had, I have a 2016 13 inch and its light as a kite, not as light as the air obvs, but light anyhow.

If windows is an option there is a terrific amount of competition out there now, many rival apples offerings, but are the same price too!
 
Could you not buy a cheap used MBP for now? I personally wouldn’t buy a new 13” MBP right now, they’re due for replacement and I’m fairly certain that the new model will be a significant improvement. The 16” is massive improvement over its predecessor offering the best VFM of any MacBook in the last 5-6 years and of course a return to a scissor keyboard. I expect we’ll get a 14” MBP, or at least a 13” with the new keyboard and better base CPU and storage spec.
 
The iPad is a consumption device, with some production capabilities for fine artists due to the excellent Apple Pencil.
The Macbook Pro is a production device, with a lot more flexibility, and ability to run any uni software required, either natively or via dual booting in Windows.

If being used for, say, uni work, then it's the Macbook Pro hands down. If indeed it's just to consume media & doodle, then iPad Pro.
 
I'm not touching another apple macbook, my 2018 macbook pro (£1900) started having some dodgy keys and finally ended up with the keyboard not working at all. Apple have refused to fix it as it has a dent on the corner despite the poor keyboard design being all over the internet.

Apple can go fvck themselves as far as I'm concerned.
 
Not sure what pro she had, I have a 2016 13 inch and its light as a kite, not as light as the air obvs, but light anyhow.

Macbook Air = 1.25 kg
Ipad 11 inch = 468 g

Quite a difference there, even compared to the Air - especially in a rucksack laden with all the other stuff (you know .... books and that)
 
I'm not touching another apple macbook, my 2018 macbook pro (£1900) started having some dodgy keys and finally ended up with the keyboard not working at all. Apple have refused to fix it as it has a dent on the corner despite the poor keyboard design being all over the internet.

Apple can go fvck themselves as far as I'm concerned.
Its worth opening it up as it may just be that the ribbon cable is not seated correctly or some contacts have become oxidised/tarnished. A computer USB microscope is useful for looking at these very small contacts.

Best of luck,

DV
 
If being used for, say, uni work, then it's the Macbook Pro hands down. If indeed it's just to consume media & doodle, then iPad Pro.

Disagree - the iPad is so much more that a simple scribbler and movie box
As to Uni work - that is entirely course dependent, for most it wold be expensive overkill - particularly as Uni libraries are stuffed with PC suites nowadays ...

Leaving that aside, there is the swollen/exploding battery syndrome that Apple won't talk about (destroyed my daughter's MacBook in her 3rd year - out of warranty of course...)
 
Disagree - the iPad is so much more that a simple scribbler and movie box
As to Uni work - that is entirely course dependent, for most it wold be expensive overkill - particularly as Uni libraries are stuffed with PC suites nowadays ...

Leaving that aside, there is the swollen/exploding battery syndrome that Apple won't talk about (destroyed my daughter's MacBook in her 3rd year - out of warranty of course...)

It is so much more, yes, but it's a more fatiguing and less productive experience than a full-fat laptop, with significantly less software available, or watered-down versions of desktop versions. As an iPad Pro, Macbook Pro and also Lenovo ThinkPad owner, I'd never do any serious work on my iPad. If I went with a tablet for productivity, it'd be a Microsoft Surface Pro...
 
Why? If he desperately needed Windows functionality dual-booting any modern Mac is no huge issue.

It was an issue for us back then. Dual booting? - neither of us knew much about computers when the issue arose. He was borrowing chunks of university software to model star formation/measurement and the like and it needed Windows specific programs. It was solved by swapping my old Dell for his white polycarbonate MacBook. We’ve both since learned much more about what can do what (not least via this forum).
 


advertisement


Back
Top