iPad Pro vs MacBook Air!

It's been awhile since my last iPad vs MacBook video... and these 2 devices gave me a good excuse to give it another go. Why? Similar pricing and they're both meant to be profoundly portable.

Note: we use affiliate links.

[extremelucky]

Want: iPad. Need: Mac. Heart says iPad. Brain says Mac…

[MrDmoney]

Great words Chris “don’t talk about specs that all can be googled” I want practical usage, that’s reading the owners manual instead of just driving the car

[BManDoe]

I own the 11” M1 iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard/Apple Pencil combo, as well as the 14” MB Pro, and I use the iPad 75% of the time. The iPad is way more versatile and goes with me everywhere. The MB Pro is definitely overkill for my needs, but as a tech enthusiast, I couldn’t settle for less. Don’t sleep on the iPad, it is by far the best tech purchase I’ve made in a long time aside from my LG CX.

[Ghost-jyhk]

Personally, I’ve enjoyed the iPad so much more than my old MacBook. It just feels like it does more of what I want and a more versatile device. And the apps are just great.

[SyedShoaib]

Yours is really the best channel for iPad users out there. The comparisons are realistic. And the softwares and usability scenarios you bring (often noob) viewers is refreshing, and sometimes groundbreaking.

[John-lrix]

I would like to say, it‘s crazy how 95% of the benefits of the Mac come purely from the Software, which the iPad Pro with it‘s M1 Chip and the Magic Keyboard could also run without a problem if Apple just gave us the option to boot into either iPad OS or MacOS each time we restart the machine. Also, while the Mac does some of the things both can do better, I think the iPad has more things only it can do, because of the Apple Pencil and Touch (and also maybe for some users the LiDar sensor). So overall, from a mere Hardware perspective, I think the iPad is clearly the more versatile device, so it just comes down to Apple not being willing to use it‘s full potential software wise (probably to keep the lower end MacBooks relevant).

[JohnvanGurp]

I just love my 11” IPad Pro with Logitech Combo Touch and Apple Pencil so much… I have a Mac Mini as my desktop but I seldom use it… i run my whole life on the iPad. It’s perfect.

[kittybeanz]

I love your style. Specs are important yes, but practicality and usability are more important for me. For this specific review iPad vs MacBook Air, I wanted to evaluate the best alternative to a true desktop. I have a Mac studio for powerhouse work so I was looking for a simple device to surf, watch vids, and do lite personal docs and spreadsheets. Specs for this purpose aren’t really helpful. So, for me, I will go with the MacBook Air! Thanks so much for your very helpful review

[kingofgames]

Like you explained, I actually think this is a perfect comparison. This is actually the exact buying decision my GF was making for school. when the functionality of a laptop that you would need doesn't exceed that of a chromebook, the Ipad pro more than gets the job done, but now she got the added benefits of the apple pencil. but for some one like me who video edits and needs access to programs that do not exist on the ipad, the choice is obvious. She got The Ipad pro and loves it. On the other hand, I actually opted for an m1 pro macbook and an Ipad 9 as a combo because I needed more out of my laptop than even the macbook air provides and I still want a small portion of my budget to get apple pencil benefits. Great review and very relatable perspective as always!

[liorgross]

As a developer I use iPad Pro 12.9 & MacBook Pro M1 Pro

I have the Mac connected at home or at work to a docking station, and I use the iPad for on the go or “light coding”. I’d say the iPad can do about 95% of the coding I need to do on the go, for the extra 5% I have my Mac connected with Remote Desktop option just in case.

I just came back from a 2 weeks vacation and I only took my iPad with me. It was more then enough, and of course much easier to take with on a trip! Specially watching movies and shows during flight, or at the hotel. It’s just much easier… maybe it’s just the way I see it, but for me checking my server logs for errors during the weekend briefly from the iPad just doesn’t feel like I’m actually working… it’s always in the living room, or dining table - I usually read my personal emails & go over the news every morning on the iPad while having my morning coffee. I almost never have it in the office, even though like I said I can do 95% of my work just on the iPad Pro.

Bottom line is that for me as a developer/programmer I need a MacBook Pro for the day to day work, but I also like having the iPad Pro as a companion to it, don’t see how the MacBook air can take over either of those

But as you say - this is just my perspective and my setup, and the way I like my setup

[magmomwise]

I am leaning toward the iPad Pro for my next device due to the better screen, cameras and it can be had with cellular. I have an older 13" MacBook Air I really like but the 12.9" iPad Pro looks to be more appealing.

[itsnotemin]

I’m a college student, had a laptop, sold it bought ipad pro. Honestly i can not imagine not having apple pencil, its a life changer.

[bokbokeh]

I literally just unboxed my iPad Pro 12.9, previously owned a mini and the bigger screen is really a game-changer!

[stepheno.i.]

I think an important point that many comparison videos fail to mention for us regular folks is that there are no streaming apps made for MacBook Air except maybe one. So if you are looking for a device that you can use to download shows/movies for a long trip, the iPad is the better option. MacBook Air can do it through third party workarounds I believe, but there’s no native convenient method.

[jojomon]

Great video Chris. I had a work-issues 2nd gen iPad Pro for a year, and could almost have that as my only device. I can see how the current iPad Pro with keyboard and pencil can be a users only device. I’d give the MacBook the edge if I could only have one device.

[nijigaharaTV]

I quite disagree on who the MacBook Air is for. Most webdevs I know pretty much all use Macbook airs. The same goes for a lot of artists who prefer using full desktop versions of adobe. In summary the Macbook air is for a lot of people and not just people who do a "little" bit of streaming and mostly web browsing.

[Mimiiche]

The screen of the iPad is so much better, but the MBA fits so much more my needs as a student… If only IPad OS was better and could truly transform the device as a PC, I would go for it. Maybe I should wait until IPad OS 16 to make a choice

[CanonPaulHamilton]

Thanks for the balanced views. I ditched my Mac and went over to iPad a year ago. I run my life with and iPad Pro and an iPad mini 6. I’m not a power user but do edit a few videos from time to time. Using and iPhone and an an Apple Watch too. Sorted.

[CapsuleCOLIDER]

I ended up getting the iPad pro over the Macbook Air due to having an iMac already, and my iPad has the cellular option that keeps me online at all times without having to use wifi or a hotspot. I'm a fan of both products, but I think the iPad pro is a more versatile piece of hardware.

[YouTubeUserLol]

I have a 2020 11 inch iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard, it is my laptop replacement and I love it. White Magic Keyboard getting dirty, that’s ok 👍🏻!