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iPad Pro or Macbook Air |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland
Posts: 744
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iPad Pro or Macbook Air
Hi
My fiancé had a look at the iPad Pro's this morning and was surprised that they weren't as expensive as she expected. Now she has a dilemma of either purchasing an iPad pro or a 11 or 13 inch Macbook Air with Student Discount. She already has an iPad 2 and an 21 inch iMac. Either these devices in question would be used for portability and photo editing with the odd web surfing, Facebook etc. She would appreciate any advice on which device to purchase. Many Thanks Barry |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: AccountKiller
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Quote:
She would appreciate any advice on which device to purchase.
Back to your question, the best value at the moment is probably a refurbished Mac Mini (just make sure it's up to spec or of the kind that can be upgraded), which is very portable. Use it with any screen and USB keyboard mouse combo. You could get one of those with an i5cpu, 16gb ram and 512gb SSD for under £800. Much less, if you don't need a spec that high. For example 8gb with 500gb drive is around £429 from UK based suppliers. NOT Apple, who will charge you more for less. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: South Wales
Posts: 5,866
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^^ What, how is a mac mini portable? yes it can be carried, like most desk top computers but it's not what I would call portable, especially when comparing it to ipad Pro and an Air Book
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#4 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland
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Quote:
Back to your question, the best value at the moment is probably a refurbished Mac Mini (just make sure it's up to spec or of the kind that can be upgraded), which is very portable. Use it with any screen and USB keyboard mouse combo. You could get one of those with an i5cpu, 16gb ram and 512gb SSD for under £800. Much less, if you don't need a spec that high. For example 8gb with 500gb drive is around £429 from UK based suppliers. NOT Apple, who will charge you more for less.
The Mac Mini isnt portable in the sense that u couldnt use it in ur local Starbucks etc lol. Also its not an ideal solution if my fiance whats to do some college work downstairs whilst watchng the TV. Hence having a dilemma between the iPad Pro and Macbook Air. I think we should also stop comparing prices to the US etc, we will never get the equivilant here in the UK. Thanks Baz |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: South Wales
Posts: 5,866
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I do like the look of the Pro with the stylus, waiting to see what export options it will have for exporting to the "full desktop" programmes.
And yes people often quote US prices but quite happily forget "sales tax" which can add another 15% or so to the cost. I may wait till my next trip to the sates to buy one though. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: the wild world web
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Has to be the Macbook. Until they update IOS Safari or allow in HTML 5 compliant browsers then it is really hard to describe any IOS device as Pro.
Was this thelast time they did anything with HTML 5 in Safari webkit? http://www.iphonehacks.com/2011/10/i...e-browser.html It almost seems like 2011 was a one off prior to the compliance development freeze! Safari is dead last now, a very large negative and why it is described as the new IE6. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,887
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I guess it depends on two things. Are you really needing a laptop? Are you tied into the Apple Ecosystem?
The iPad Pro is not a laptop, it doesn't replace a laptop (despite what the adverts might suggest). It uses a mobile OS, not a desktop OS and whilst it's more powerful and bigger than an iPad, it's still a tablet with a mobile OS. Can you do everything you want on it? Probably. But is it more suitable than a laptop for such things? Probably not. It will have apps designed for the professional in due course but do not buy this thing if you want it as a laptop replacement. I've owned a Macbook Air since 2012 and hands down it's the best laptop I've ever owned. It's light, quiet and runs everything I need it to run. I've happily run Photoshop on it for example. I've never had a single issue with it. It's not a desktop replacement but it does well enough for me to use it as my day-to-day work machine. After almost 4 years, it's still averaging over 4 hours battery life (though it never really did more than 6 hours when it was new). However, the nature of my job means I need to upgrade finally. I looked at the options and I've gone for a Surface 4 Pro. It's more powerful than my MacBook Air, runs games (to a point) and uses a desktop OS so, for me at least, it will act as a laptop replacement. I compared the current set of Macbook Airs to the Surface Pro and the Surface seemed better suited to my needs. The MacBook Air is in dire need of a refresh. 2015 models are quicker than my 2012 model but not enough to consider the upgrade. They've focused on battery life more than anything else in recent years so the difference in performance, whilst notable, isn't as much as I'd expect for a gap of 4 years. But as always, it's entirely down to what you do. That's why there's so many options
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#8 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: the wild world web
Posts: 28,132
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One interesting thing of note is that ARM compared their new Cortex A72 quite favourably to Intels Core M.
The 72 is the closest ARM has to Apples A9 implimentation of ARMv8 so whilst the A9 is only dual core it is certainly competitive in speed. However, the high price tells me Apple knows it is niche, I guess a bit like the Apple Watch price determining that being niche. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Oct 2012
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If portability is an important issue, what about the Macbook? Incredibly light and portable, and has a way better screen than the Air. And despite what the posters below will inevitably say, its plenty capable for the stuff you mentioned, especially as a second machine.
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#10 |
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: South Wales
Posts: 5,866
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And there's not a massive price difference between top spec Air and bottom spec Macbook if any.
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#11 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: the wild world web
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This is only interesting in that the claim is that tablets are eroding digital skills in children.
I think it is hard to disagree there, in that I see the compromises made in my own 'convenient' tablet use. I even wonder if the dumbed down but secure Chromebook adds to skills erosion too, even with a keyboard! |
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#12 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 11,490
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I recently brought a Mac book pro.
Excellent piece of kit which I would highly recommend. If you have other Apple products then the integration cannot be bettered. |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,028
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If it's portability she's after why not just upgrade the iPad 2 to an Air 2? Seems crazy to fork out for the Pro or the Macbook Air when it doesn't look like she needs anything with much welly and in any event already has a desktop.
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#14 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 558
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Quote:
Hi
The Mac Mini isnt portable in the sense that u couldnt use it in ur local Starbucks etc lol. Also its not an ideal solution if my fiance whats to do some college work downstairs whilst watchng the TV. Hence having a dilemma between the iPad Pro and Macbook Air. Baz |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 14,218
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Well if she wants to do work then a real computer is always the way to go. If it's just for web browsing, watching videos, emails and games then a tablet is always better Imo. However it depends on your budget. I have a Macbook and 2 iPads(Air 2, mini 3) so I use the Mac if I want to do any work and my iPads for entertainment. If I could only have one then it would have to be my macbook air because it does everything my iPads can do and more and it's light enough to take around with me if I wanted to.
I'll take a look at the pro at the weekend and see if it will fit into my set up. I do think it's over priced, considering you can get a macbook air for around the same price, or a macbook/ macbook pro for around the same price as the 128GB iPad pro with the keyboard and the pencil. However as I'm not in need of a laptop I can overlook the outrageous price if I like the pro in the flesh
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 14,218
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Quote:
I recently brought a Mac book pro.
Excellent piece of kit which I would highly recommend. If you have other Apple products then the integration cannot be bettered. |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: the wild world web
Posts: 28,132
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Lucky you.
http://iphone.appleinsider.com/artic...rging-standard Positivity there back in April. http://m.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/1...arging_pad_qi/ "The only people who lose on the deal are ordinary folks. There are wireless power points springing up all over the place, including in cars, hotels, cafes and airports. Many homes have a wireless power system installed for at least one device, usually phones." So later, I assume if correct, we got the 'tweamed' reality. The 'ecosystem' reality. Is that a £65 Apple Watch tax then? Buying fully into Apple, you do have to think about implications, likely more so than other brands. |
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 11,490
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Quote:
Lucky you.
http://iphone.appleinsider.com/artic...rging-standard Positivity there back in April. http://m.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/1...arging_pad_qi/ "The only people who lose on the deal are ordinary folks. There are wireless power points springing up all over the place, including in cars, hotels, cafes and airports. Many homes have a wireless power system installed for at least one device, usually phones." So later, I assume if correct, we got the 'tweamed' reality. The 'ecosystem' reality. Is that a £65 Apple Watch tax then? Buying fully into Apple, you do have to think about implications, likely more so than other brands.
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,474
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As a general rule (and regardless of brand) tablets are great for browsing, gaming and casual use but for anything more serious a laptop will be better. Only tablet I currently have that is close to being usable for occasional work (IT Business Analyst) would be my Linx 8 (using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse) and that's only really because it runs a full desktop OS.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 11,490
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Quote:
As a general rule (and regardless of brand) tablets are great for browsing, gaming and casual use but for anything more serious a laptop will be better. Only tablet I currently have that is close to being usable for occasional work (IT Business Analyst) would be my Linx 8 (using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse) and that's only really because it runs a full desktop OS.
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: the wild world web
Posts: 28,132
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Quote:
As a general rule (and regardless of brand) tablets are great for browsing, gaming and casual use but for anything more serious a laptop will be better. Only tablet I currently have that is close to being usable for occasional work (IT Business Analyst) would be my Linx 8 (using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse) and that's only really because it runs a full desktop OS.
Is the HDMI 100% OK, or does it have quirks? |
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: the wild world web
Posts: 28,132
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http://www.zdnet.com/article/ipad-pr...rprise-failure
That headline is a bit over the top at the other end, the use of anything being what you are using it for. Even OS/X, at times, is unacceptable because of the dominance of Windows in enterprise. But it is what you are used to, many finding the 'one single web engine only' IOS world fine. And maybe so fine that no one would accept Microsofts own walled garden, that being Windows RT. Now maybe hybridtherory's girlfriend is the type of student who will find The Pro fine. We simply can't answer that here. |
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: South Wales
Posts: 5,866
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Quote:
As a general rule (and regardless of brand) tablets are great for browsing, gaming and casual use but for anything more serious a laptop will be better. Only tablet I currently have that is close to being usable for occasional work (IT Business Analyst) would be my Linx 8 (using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse) and that's only really because it runs a full desktop OS.
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#24 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: the wild world web
Posts: 28,132
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Thinking about it, the iPhone and iPad was initially a big success because, at the time, nothing was being given up to use them.
So, if your girlfriend is not currently usung a laptop, then that would mean a bit less is being given up to use the iPro. If she has a laptop, then you really do need to discuss it with her, maybe more so than discussing OS/X with her. |
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#25 |
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,474
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Quote:
That is maybe down to the exact software you use, also getting available the 'no missing bits' fuller functionality of Office Professional.
Is the HDMI 100% OK, or does it have quirks? ![]() With regards to working on a tablet (well one without a full desktop OS anyway) I find it restricted by lack of decent multi-window, restricted mukti-tasking etc. I'm sure some will have different opinions but I tend to have excel churning away whilst updating documents and monitoring email. Add in a lot of visio and PowerPoint and loads of copy/paste between them all and a tablet would be too clunky. |
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