Yesterday’s announcement caused people that had been waiting on updates to upgrade their devices might find themselves in a pickle.
Those looking for a new portable device now have a choice to make. The MacBook Air received it’s first real update in almost 8 years! While the iPad Pro inched even closer to computer replacement. So which should you choose?
Apple didn’t update the iMac, MacBook, or MacBook Pro without TouchBar. If you were waiting for one of those devices, you’ll still be waiting. But if you are looking to upgrade your device you now have a difficult choice to make.
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air didn’t blow me away yesterday at the Event. I thought the price was too high for a laptop that was underpowered.
My impression of the MacBook Pro started to change after reading and seeing some of the hands-on videos from those that attended the show. I’m starting to warm up to the new MacBook Air. While the numbers are low, pundits seem to like it.
I’m ready to say that I made a snap judgment.
Still, the Air is overpriced for what it is. Technology advancements are expensive, and Apple has never been about trying to get to the bottom dollar, but they succeeded when the price of the Air dropped in 2010.
The Air is currently the cheapest laptop you can buy from Apple. What that gets you is pretty anemic though. The Air runs $1199 which nets you the 1.6
If you are going to be doing some serious video or photo editing, I would highly encourage you to stay away from the MacBook Air. If you’re okay with word processing, web browsing, and light photo editing, I think the MacBook Air might start to look pretty good.
Compare how much space is currently taken up on your current Mac or PC and see if you can get by with 128 GB of storage. I have more stuff on my laptop than I could get by with that small of a storage space. This would necessitate me upgrading the storage that will run the price up.
Upgrading the hard drive to 256 GB runs the price up to $1399.
Who should get the MacBook Air?
Get the MacBook Air if you:
- Want a computer environment.
- desire a more portable laptop.
- Need a pointing device on your system.
- Prefer a steady screen and keyboard.
- Want the cheapest Apple laptop.
The iPad Pro
The iPad Pro has received a giant upgrade this year, making it a viable candidate as a laptop replacement.
Apple has marketed the iPad as more than just a tablet for over a year now. They have crammed more technology into this little device than anything else that got announced yesterday.
Apple’s A12X chip seems like it could be a game changer. I’m anxious to see how the numbers compare to other laptops like the MacBook Air in the coming weeks.
The drawback with the iPad Pro currently is iOS.
iOS isn’t a bad operating system by any stretch. Every year it gets even more capable, and I’m not expecting anything less this year.
The main problem is that the apps that we are used to on the Mac have slimmed down or altered apps. For my workflow, Scrivener on the Mac is infinitely more complex and powerful than the iOS counterpart (even though it wasn’t supposed to have feature parity).
The iPad Pro is also cheaper. The 11 inch iPad Pro starts at $799 while the 12.9 inch starts at $999. That gets you an even worse 64 GB SSD for storage.
Need more storage and it will cost you an extra $150 for 256 GB.
If you need a keyboard, the new smart folio case will run you an extra $179. Also, if you want the new Apple Pencil it will run you $120. All these add-ons and upgrades start to add up so that you end up in the same territory as the MacBook Air.
Who should get the iPad Pro
Get the iPad Pro if you want
- The latest technology
- The smallest portable device (besides a phone)
- Versatility – you can use it in any orientation. Use with your fingers, keyboard, or pen to interact.
- The cheapest base model
Wrap up
You can’t go wrong with either the new Mac Book Pro or the iPad Pro. I can’t wait to get my hands on them next week so I can put them through their paces.
I think that the iPad Pro will be the device I end up with. Personally, I love the versatility the iPad provides since you can read, write, draw, and watch easily in any orientation. I love taking my iPad with me everywhere.
The biggest problem I have is which size do I get? We’ll see next week.
Which way are you leaning? Do you want an iPad or MacBook? Do the specs on the MacBook worry you?
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