Before you buy: 2018 iPad Pro vs. New quick comparison test on MacBook Air: Cyber ​​Monday, Black Friday

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Spend less money on an iPad Pro and skip the new MacBook?

That's the question I'm facing as I test the viability of the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2018) with the Smart Folio keyboard compared to the new MacBook Air.

Price: not the decisive factor *

OK, while the principle stated above is true. This turns out to be barely true – a difference of $ 51.

• MacBook Air 2018 with 256GB of storage: $ 1,399
• 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 Inch with 256GB Storage and Smart Folio Keyboard $ 1,348

That said, the agreements on MacBook Air and iPad Pro could change this equation. Until now, the new MacBook Air seems to benefit from substantial discounts compared to the new iPad Pro (the latter gets little discount, if any).

Check out these Black Friday / Cyber ​​Monday offers on the 2018 2018 iPad and MacBook Air 2018 at B & H photo.

Portability: iPad Pro wins

Weight is a determining factor in choosing between the 2018 MacBook Air and the 2018 iPad Pro.

The 2018 MacBook Air is the new peak of Apple's thin and light laptop technology. Even though it weighs 2.75kg, it's heavier than the 12-inch MacBook (2kg), but it's the thinnest and lightest MacBook 13.3-inch MacBook , an ideal support for most consumers.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Smart Folio keyboard is lighter, but not as much as you might think: its combined weight does not exceed about 2.3 pounds. (The 12.9-inch iPad Pro alone weighs 1.39 lbs.)

Getting things done: MacBook Air wins

In terms of work / productivity, the iPad should offer a utility close to the MacBook. But this is not always the case. Simple and daily tasks that you perform on a MacBook can be annoying on the iPad Pro, for example cut and paste, edit images and switch from one window to the other (which n & # 39; Is not feasible).

Yes, you can adapt to the iPad Pro and the iOS, but it boils down to:

• Using workarounds, for example, using the keyboard for common tasks instead of a trackpad / mouse
• Be tolerant of things you can not work on, such as iOS WordPress bugs that are not fixed
• Using iOS hackers to do seemingly simple things on a laptop, for example, listening to YouTtube ** while working in another application.
• Strongly relying on cloud storage for file management
• Understand that the iPad's Type C USB port is not the plug-and-play you'll get on a MacBook or Windows laptop, that is, many external devices are not recognized
• External USB-C monitors are only mirrored. (This mirrored my Dell U2515H QHD 25 inch by 2560 by 1,440 screen, but not my LG UltraFine 5K.)

The list is long. (That said, if you successfully pass on the iPad Pro, reviews like mine equate to free moans.)

Do other things: iPad Pro wins

I guess the iPad Pro is intended, in many cases, to users do not like me. For example:

• Consumers primarily consuming media (web browsing, movies, books, etc.) and social media
• Artists / professionals who process images
• Hollywood types who create stories of history
• Video production / editing
• Production / audio editing and audio buffs as professional DJs
• Hospitals and health professionals
• Industrial applications

The point: the traditional workflow does not apply. In fact, the iPad Pro may not replace a MacBook, but rather be purchased because it does things that the MacBook can not. This is why critics often say that this "looks like the future".

Performance / display / battery life: the iPad Pro wins

And the iPad Pro has many hardware benefits (tip Lisa Gade at MobileTechReview.)

Performance: On the Geekbench 4 benchmarks, the iPad Pro is faster than the MacBook Air. Roughly 25% faster in single-core and more than 133% faster in multicore.

Screen: The screen of the iPad Pro also has a wide range of P3 colors, higher resolution and a True Tone = a screen more advanced than the MacBook Air.

Battery life: the iPad Pro beats the MBA for a few hours, from 8 to 12 hours on the iPad Pro against 6 to 10 on the MBA, depending on your activity. (Note that I'm still testing the battery life, so it can be updated.)

The 4G / LTE is also an option on the iPad but not on the MBA.

Finally, I like the Apple Smart Folio Keyboard (no third-party keyboard is needed for me). Apple's keyboard is easy to use with your fingers and can quickly adjust what is not the case for many laptop keyboards that I use.

Summary:

When I go to Starbucks or sitting in airports, I do not see many people working on their iPad. I see MacBooks, Windows laptops and Microsoft Surface Hybrids equipped with trackpad. These people can not all be wrong. (And no, I did not fully write this review on the iPad Pro.)

Will it change? May be. But the new MacBook Air comes with an ecosystem that has proven itself in terms of productivity / traditional work-work. So, I'm leaning towards the 2018 MBA. For now. (I reserve the right to change my mind.)

—-

* If I had opted for the 11-inch iPad (256GB) with the Smart Folio Keyboard, the total would be $ 1,128.

** iPad, iPhone do not allow you to listen to YouTube audio in the background, but there are tips to work around this problem.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Look at that Unbox Therapy on YouTube as an example of someone trying to switch to the iPad Pro.

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Spend less money on an iPad Pro and skip the new MacBook?

That's the question I'm facing as I test the viability of the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2018) with the Smart Folio keyboard compared to the new MacBook Air.

Price: not the decisive factor *

OK, while the principle stated above is true. This turns out to be barely true – a difference of $ 51.

• MacBook Air 2018 with 256GB of storage: $ 1,399
• 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 Inch with 256GB Storage and Smart Folio Keyboard $ 1,348

That said, the agreements on MacBook Air and iPad Pro could change this equation. Until now, the new MacBook Air seems to benefit from substantial discounts compared to the new iPad Pro (the latter gets little discount, if any).

Check out these Black Friday / Cyber ​​Monday offers on the 2018 2018 iPad and MacBook Air 2018 at B & H photo.

Portability: iPad Pro wins

Weight is a determining factor in choosing between the 2018 MacBook Air and the 2018 iPad Pro.

The 2018 MacBook Air is the new peak of Apple's thin and light laptop technology. Even though it weighs 2.75kg, it's heavier than the 12-inch MacBook (2kg), but it's the thinnest and lightest MacBook 13.3-inch MacBook , an ideal support for most consumers.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Smart Folio keyboard is lighter, but not as much as you might think: its combined weight does not exceed about 2.3 pounds. (The 12.9-inch iPad Pro alone weighs 1.39 lbs.)

Getting things done: MacBook Air wins

In terms of work / productivity, the iPad should offer a utility close to the MacBook. But this is not always the case. Simple and daily tasks that you perform on a MacBook can be annoying on the iPad Pro, for example cut and paste, edit images and switch from one window to the other (which n & # 39; Is not feasible).

Yes, you can adapt to the iPad Pro and the iOS, but it boils down to:

• Using workarounds, for example, using the keyboard for common tasks instead of a trackpad / mouse
• Be tolerant of things you can not work on, such as iOS WordPress bugs that are not fixed
• Using iOS hackers to do seemingly simple things on a laptop, for example, listening to YouTtube ** while working in another application.
• Strongly relying on cloud storage for file management
• Understand that the iPad's Type C USB port is not the plug-and-play you'll get on a MacBook or Windows laptop, that is, many external devices are not recognized
• External USB-C monitors are only mirrored. (This mirrored my Dell U2515H QHD 25 inch by 2560 by 1,440 screen, but not my LG UltraFine 5K.)

The list is long. (That said, if you successfully pass on the iPad Pro, reviews like mine equate to free moans.)

Do other things: iPad Pro wins

I guess the iPad Pro is intended, in many cases, to users do not like me. For example:

• Consumers primarily consuming media (web browsing, movies, books, etc.) and social media
• Artists / professionals who process images
• Hollywood types who create stories of history
• Video production / editing
• Production / audio editing and audio buffs as professional DJs
• Hospitals and health professionals
• Industrial applications

The point: the traditional workflow does not apply. In fact, the iPad Pro may not replace a MacBook, but rather be purchased because it does things that the MacBook can not. This is why critics often say that this "looks like the future".

Performance / display / battery life: the iPad Pro wins

And the iPad Pro has many hardware benefits (tip Lisa Gade at MobileTechReview.)

Performance: On the Geekbench 4 benchmarks, the iPad Pro is faster than the MacBook Air. Roughly 25% faster in single-core and more than 133% faster in multicore.

Screen: The screen of the iPad Pro also has a wide range of P3 colors, higher resolution and a True Tone = a screen more advanced than the MacBook Air.

Battery life: the iPad Pro beats the MBA for a few hours, from 8 to 12 hours on the iPad Pro against 6 to 10 on the MBA, depending on your activity. (Note that I'm still testing the battery life, so it can be updated.)

The 4G / LTE is also an option on the iPad but not on the MBA.

Finally, I like the Apple Smart Folio Keyboard (no third-party keyboard is needed for me). Apple's keyboard is easy to use with your fingers and can quickly adjust what is not the case for many laptop keyboards that I use.

Summary:

When I go to Starbucks or sitting in airports, I do not see many people working on their iPad. I see MacBooks, Windows laptops and Microsoft Surface Hybrids equipped with trackpad. These people can not all be wrong. (And no, I did not fully write this review on the iPad Pro.)

Will it change? May be. But the new MacBook Air comes with an ecosystem that has proven itself in terms of productivity / traditional work-work. So, I'm leaning towards the 2018 MBA. For now. (I reserve the right to change my mind.)

—-

* If I had opted for the 11-inch iPad (256GB) with the Smart Folio Keyboard, the total would be $ 1,128.

** iPad, iPhone do not allow you to listen to YouTube audio in the background, but there are tips to work around this problem.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Look at that Unbox Therapy on YouTube as an example of someone trying to switch to the iPad Pro.