Have your cake and eat it too. MacBook Air + iPad
Do I buy an iPad or a MacBook Air? This is probably the question I have received the most since Apple released the 11″ Air. Of course the answer will be different between individuals but I’ll focus my answer for the Mac Business user and ultimately myself. *For the sake of this article iPad will refer to iPad 2, and the second revision of the 11″ MacBook Air (the current models available at the time of writing).
The iPad. The arguably most revolutionary (and widely adopted) change in the computer use paradigm since the GUI and the mouse. I watched Captain Picard** (trekkie tendencies reflected here are limited to author. -ed) carrying around a PADD device – a simple, modular device that’s reduced form would allow it to have a broad range of function. Leap forwards 20+ years (or back 400) and we can finally hold is device in our hands. A simplified form defined only by the current application you are using (or augmented by an accessory like a bluetooth keyboard for a more “natural” typing experience). Enough has been written explaining how revolutionary the device – why is this for you / your business?
It’s an intuitive device whether you hand it to your Vice President, Receptionist, or three-yr-old they will immediately know how to use it. While this may not be a selling point to you Mr/Ms Mac Business Blog Reader -but the ability to broadly deploy a device to all, or a segment, of your workforce for a uniquely synchronous and pleasant experience is surely a benefit. The breadth of applications currently available and the maturity of product that has come along with iPad 2 has risen the platform way above a curiosity or toy. I’m writing is article in Pages (an Apple-developed productivity app) with a soft (on-screen) keyboard while I’m traveling. I can check multiple business oriented apps to check the progress of team-based projects which I have interest in. And there are many developers ready, willing, and able to create a custom application for your business to tie in to whatever databases and APIs are pertinent to your workflow.
The 11″ MacBook Air. My love for Apple computers and OS X goes pretty far back – but the first computer that I truly loved was the 12″ PowerBook G4 – It was a perfect, tiny, and powerful portable that looks like a brick next to it’s first true replacement – the 11” Air. It’s as small as a laptop can get while still being widely usable (I also own a too-small-to-use Dell Mini 9 that’s had all three major OSes on it; each being relegated to hobby-functionality) – and when it’s feeling a bit small – the Mini DisplayPort / Thunderbolt will help fire up a second monitor up to 2560 by 1600 pixels (which is even more than Apple’s 27-inch Cinema Display).
Power: I rarely noticed any performance difference on common tasks that I performed both on my original 1.6 Ghz 11” Air and my 2.8 Ghz 17” MacBook Pro — I have since replaced both with the i7 second revision 11” Air. The 17” was a monster I could throw any task at and be happy with the results, but the Air, with it’s zippy SSD drive, handles all my daily tasks with ease and the power of that i7 keeps on surprising me. (For more info check out MacBook air as Workhorse by our very own Josh Toro)
So you still want to know which to buy? For me it came down to the perfect bag. (I love me some good gadget bags) I found the perfect bag that would fit just my 11” AND my iPad, and not much else. (Bags are so subjective, and mine took some personal modifications, so I’ll refrain form adding any links here.)
Quick snapshot of my day. I wake up and check my email, twitter, facebook, etc. on the iPad that charges next to my bed. My home computer (27” Aluminum iMac) is always on, doing something or available for remote access from wherever I am. I check a support request and have to (or plan to) go off to a client for an issue. I slip my iPad into a small bag that safely fits both my iPad and Air and I’m off. Living in NYC, I don’t drive from place to place, I use public transportation. During a commute, I pull out the iPad and watch some media, read a book or blog (content consumption) or I work on an article, or answer a support request (content creation). On site I can (and do) use both devices. I can use the Air for accessing iChat’s bonjour chat protocol and ARD (Apple Remote Desktop) to directly control client computers and servers. The iPad also gets similar functionality with apps like AIM for non-bonjour chat buddies, VNC apps like the well designed Screens, and Apple’s own Airport Utility. The Air wins often on site because I can test things like a user and use USB ports for hard drives – etc. Traveling back if I need to double check my work I can power on my Clear Spot (portable 4G modem), and VPN back into the office I was just at, and work like I was right there, while sitting in NYC traffic on a bus. Back home my iPad is used often again for content consumption (AirPlay to my AppleTV is simply a magical experience), or I can plop anywhere holding my ultra-light and do computer-y stuff (this super mobility is what ultimately made Josh fall in love with mine, and subsequently order his own 11”).
To end this – these are not competing products for the business user. When you look at the different functionality it’s easy to see how having both, especially with their small size and ease of transport, can be the perfect blend of two different devices. Whether doing Keynote presentations or working on a document you can easily start in one device and pretty seamlessly finish in another — and this integration has only gotten more seamless with the advent of iCloud, but that deserves a whole article of it’s own.
[...] All that being said, if you’re thinking about rocking both a MacBook Air or an iPad (or an iPad 2), why not both? Check out James Sorrenti’s post on how they complement each other! [...]