A month ago my wife said she wanted to get a tablet for her new business. It had to be Flash compatible though because of the website for the product she sells.

I thought there were three solutions...

1. Android based tablet
2. iPad, convert Flash based videos to mp4 and transfer to iPad.
3. MacBook Air

I decided the MacBook Air was the better solution for her, picked up a refurb for her with a nice purple Tuff-Luv case.

But she's sure she's getting a tablet. Did I make the wrong choice? :yikes: I figured it's just as portable, fits in her favourite bag du jour, and does twice as much.

I'm giving her gift a week early in case I need to right wrongs.

BTW, the videos in question may be available through an iPad app, so that may eliminate the Android tablet out of the equation, in case I do need to right wrongs.

I ditched my iPad 2 for an Air an haven't looked back. I have a few friends with fancy iPad 2 cases that have integrated keyboards, and they're actually bigger than the Air is!

That would also be my choice. The iPad is great but there's so much more you can do with the Air, accounting software, Microsoft Office, etc. Plus she needs to fill out forms for clients, iOS' virtual keyboard is fantastic but a physical keyboard for this purpose would be even better.

However, this is not exactly what she wanted. There's a 50% chance she'll think the MacBook Air is way better than the iPad, and a 50% chance I need to get her what she wants.

However, I may keep the Air for myself if that's the case, I've been dying to ditch my PC laptop. lol.

If you need Flash the iPad is one big PITA. Mine never fails to disappoint....... :(

IMHO the Air is a much better choice.

FWIW I just picked up an 11" MBA and am going to give my iPad to my daughter. I found the iPad to be a great tool for consuming, but not so much for creating. Not much difference in size, more creative capability in the MBA, IMHO, but one downside is battery life. The MBA discharges much more quickly than the iPad. But there you go.

Unfortunately she may need to use the iPad for a while before realizing it's not the right tool. Can you borrow one and let her try it for a while (i.e. in real day to day job usage)?

The exact same decidion I have to make as well.
But I already eliminated the iPad in favour of the Air - question now is if I get the Air do I get the large or the small one - doesn't seem to be much difference in screen size, anything else to consider.
Then also the question to get one that can still run Snow Leopard - I like the illuminated keyoard on the new one ut Lion is an issue.
And finally I'm still thinking of a 13-inch MBp because the CD/DVD drive/burner will e a requirement on occasion.

This is to replace a three year old 15-inch MacBook pro which still runs perfectly and does everything that is required, it just gets a bit heavy carting it all over the world.

Does it have to be portable? You said its for business. Imac, no good?

The ipad is good for web surfing, playing games, checking emails, using apps like weather, twitter, etc... You can always use a bt keyboard with ipad, but that sort of defeats the portability aspect.

I would say its probably better to use a laptop of any kind over any tablet.

Btw, i'm typing this on my ipad. I use my ipad on a daily basis, so i am familiar with its limitations.

...if I get the Air do I get the large or the small one - doesn't seem to be much difference in screen size, anything else to consider.
Then also the question to get one that can still run Snow Leopard - I like the illuminated keyoard on the new one ut Lion is an issue.


I looked at both and got the 13" for the larger touchpad and space in front of the keyboard along with the greater screen size. You also get the SD card reader.

I don't think you can have a stable 2011 MBA running SL. Besides with a laptop you want things like the recovery partition and filevault 2.

You gotta drop the Lion dislike. Soon it will be Mountain Lion and Snow Leopard will loose support before long.

You gotta drop the Lion dislike. Soon it will be Mountain Lion and Snow Leopard will loose support before long.

It's not that I dislike Lion, I already made a USB stick to install Lion again on the one 13-inch MBp if I need to without going through the down load exercise, the problem are all the Intel and Universal applications that "break" in Lion.
I don't really understand why Apple couldn't have done a better job with compatibility.......I'm not aware of any applications that "broke' when moving from Leopard to Snow Leopard, but with Lion there seem to be tons of them.
Lion was released almost a year ago and there are still lots of applications I use that are not compatible with Lion and there don't seem to be alternatives.

On the MBA I would need to go with the 2010 model if I want to run SL on it.

She will be meeting clients all over, so it had to be portable. Her bag would fit nothing bigger than an 11" Air so there was a bit of a limit there as well.

I will probably get a family iPad eventually that she can use from time to time in situations when the Air would not work, like say when mingling at a dinner party. There is still a lot of merit in the iPad, it's a great device, but as a primary business tool? It won't be there for quite awhile.

I'll let everyone know Tuesday what she thinks.

It's not that I dislike Lion, I already made a USB stick to install Lion again on the one 13-inch MBp if I need to without going through the down load exercise, the problem are all the Intel and Universal applications that "break" in Lion.
I don't really understand why Apple couldn't have done a better job with compatibility.......I'm not aware of any applications that "broke' when moving from Leopard to Snow Leopard, but with Lion there seem to be tons of them.
Lion was released almost a year ago and there are still lots of applications I use that are not compatible with Lion and there don't seem to be alternatives.

On the MBA I would need to go with the 2010 model if I want to run SL on it.

There's a pretty big performance difference to the new 2011 models. The price would have to be really good to warrant going for an old one.

This device is for your wife right? Does any of the applications she needs not work on Lion and can't be replaced?

It's her first computer she can call her own so it's a fresh start. Really she'll just need Office and iWork, bookkeeping software, and maybe Bento for client data basing.

Performance wise, I'd prefer the 2010 13" model with upgraded 2.13 ghz C2D processor. Sure the processor might be 60% as fast but it's got an NVidia 320M video card. Not that the HD3000 is horrible at gaming, it's certainly 2x faster than the X1600 video card in my iMac, but the 2010 model overall was a better system for casual gaming. However, I like the backlit keyboard.

The MBA and iPad are very very different things so you shouldn't look at it in a vs. sense. An iPad is not a Mac at all so she apparently has no specific software needs. A tablet is only viable if you have no specific needs and just need basic web/email/social/media. If this is the case then she could get by on virtually any device.

Looking at your own needs is always the best way to tell what you need to get them done. Your wife seems to have very basic needs so she doesn't need any specific device or OS/software since any tablet, netbook, laptop or desktop will do everything she needs.

I'd still say a MBA is the way to go. Its more future proof.... Her needs will surely expand over time as her business grows. Way more flexibility on a traditional laptop than there s with a "walled garden" that is the iOS/iPad ecosystem.

Yes, I also believe that Macbook Air would be a better selection to serve her growing needs of business.

I've read it elsewhere, and it still makes sense: Consumption: iPad. Production: MBA

The only limitation my wife has had with her late 2011 MBA is the absence of the integral optical drive.

I don't mean to muddy the waters here, but looking at machine first in my opinion is the wrong way to go. I have always believed you figure out what you want the thing to do, what software out there will do it, then buy the most technology you can afford. Does the air do this, does the ipad, maybe it should be an MBP. I went through this and I bought a mini. Not a portable but it fit my criteria better.

The MBA and iPad are very very different things so you shouldn't look at it in a vs. sense. An iPad is not a Mac at all so she apparently has no specific software needs. A tablet is only viable if you have no specific needs and just need basic web/email/social/media. If this is the case then she could get by on virtually any device.

Looking at your own needs is always the best way to tell what you need to get them done. Your wife seems to have very basic needs so she doesn't need any specific device or OS/software since any tablet, netbook, laptop or desktop will do everything she needs.

Except in the case of Flash on an iPad which was one of dona83's (the OP) originally stated needs. His wife needs Flash.

Screature, Flash seems to be a hot point with the ipad. Not being a techie, is it possible to have a work around?

Screature, Flash seems to be a hot point with the ipad. Not being a techie, is it possible to have a work around?

Sorry Rps, I'm really not the one to ask on this point as I am not an iPad owner and I am just going by what Apple has stated and what I have read. Maybe an iPad owner can chime in.

We got around the Flash requirement because there is an iPad app for what she's doing. The bigger requirement seems to be Java for webinars, but that is not required when meeting face to face with clients. She thinks a tablet will be more personal than a notebook computer as it can be passed around like a clipboard or she can show her presentation while still having the screen visible to her so she can interact with the client.

If that's the case, the iPad may have been better in the end as there is no shortage of computers she can use in this house.

Maybe I'll get her an iPad and keep the Air for myself. :D

My wife works in the tech industry and uses both her MacBook Pro and iPad regularly. Sometimes she just has the MacBook sitting there on doing a web meeting while taking notes on her iPad. Other times she'll be using Skype on the iPad and working on the laptop. On airplanes it's usually the iPad for work and entertainment and the MacBook never comes out. She does use a keyboard with the iPad so she has lots to carry but they work so well together with cross-platform apps and what not. I don't think she could do without either at this point. For research/reading, the iPad is so much more comfortable for her than the rigidity required for a laptop. In a pinch the iPad works plenty well enough for content creation. I think she actually uses the iPad more than the laptop. Flash can be done on the iPad but requires server side processing which might not work in a corporate environment (my wife has limited requirement for Flash).

Perhaps you should consider getting both. She can take whichever one she wants (or both) and with the new OS's you can use the iPad as a secondary display for the Air. These products are meant to be a system not a one or the other.

Perhaps you should consider getting both. She can take whichever one she wants (or both) and with the new OS's you can use the iPad as a secondary display for the Air. These products are meant to be a system not a one or the other.
I agree, I just bought the ipad 2 months ago and loving it. I find myself using the ipad for entertainment and news, something I wouldn't do on the two iMacs I have. But serious stuff like my graphics work and photography l do on the iMacs. If you can only get one of the two, and they really are different, I would get the laptop, no hands down. But the ipad would be great for showing presentations and photos etc. for clients. I know a wedding photographer who uses the ipad for client presentations but of course does his work on the iMac. He couldn't live without either devices.

She thinks a tablet will be more personal than a notebook computer as it can be passed around like a clipboard..................

She should be aware, if she is passing it around, that you can't protect your email, etc, with user accounts on an iPad. Everything on it is essentially available to anyone you pass it to..... This is one of my pet iPad hates. Everyone wants to handle it - but NOTHING is protected.

Just sayin'...........................

Got the Air, spent a 15 minutes setting it up. 4GB of RAM for the price of 2, that's what I like to see.

Yea it's a refurb.

And she loves it!

And she loves it!

Good job! Congrats!

"It's like a tablet, but more useful." My words exactly.

It was easy to set up for her that she could just jump right in. Even little details like Bluetooth tethering is just so easy to do.

I seriously want one myself now. lol. It's a beautiful machine and a true replacement for my old iBook G4 12".

Definitely my fav Apple product. I love mine. Best notebook I've owned (and I've owned around probably 30 or so Mac and PC combined).

Glad she likes it! Sure has a lot more functionality than an iPad.

Yep, it's not the fastest machine around but I consider it a flagship product. I've played with the Asus ZenBook and HP Envy Spectre, these guys just don't get it.

I'm even more amazed now, she's had the machine on all day showing presentations, listening to podcasts, never closed it but because it's so seamless how it goes to sleep and wakes up one doesn't even know it, then she was taking notes on it. I played with it a bit too when she got home and then also installed iWork for her via the iMac's DVD drive in the morning. 40% battery life left when all was said and done. I asked her if she had it plugged in at the office all day, not once she said. Tablet like battery life, wow.

I don't know if you can put an SSD into a MacBook Pro and get the same experience but this to me makes the Air the ultimate Mac for those who don't need a powerhouse.

I don't know if you can put an SSD into a MacBook Pro and get the same experience but this to me makes the Air the ultimate Mac for those who don't need a powerhouse.

I think the graphics and larger screen might kill off the MBP's battery pretty fast. But perhaps someone here has more experience with that.

I'm glad your wife likes her new MBA... Now when are you getting one? lol!

Ah, but the 13" MBP uses the same integrated graphics, so really it's the non ultra low voltage CPU and screen. Ah, I still like the 11.6" form factor. I thought the screen would be too small but it's perfect.

I need to do some extra side jobs to get some extra cash and besides I'll wait for WWDC anyway. Ivy Bridge + HD4000 graphics would be a small but nice upgrade. The HD4000 will finally be a step up from the old Nvidia 320M GPUs used in the 2010 MacBook Airs, a decent performance jump even. Not that the HD3000 is horrible, it's about 90% as good as the 320M according to 3DMark Vantage. Good enough for casual gaming like Diablo 3 at low settings.

http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2012/05/ivy_bridge_ulv_chips.jpg

Yep, it's not the fastest machine around but I consider it a flagship product. I've played with the Asus ZenBook and HP Envy Spectre, these guys just don't get it.

I'm even more amazed now, she's had the machine on all day showing presentations, listening to podcasts, never closed it but because it's so seamless how it goes to sleep and wakes up one doesn't even know it, then she was taking notes on it. I played with it a bit too when she got home and then also installed iWork for her via the iMac's DVD drive in the morning. 40% battery life left when all was said and done. I asked her if she had it plugged in at the office all day, not once she said. Tablet like battery life, wow.

I don't know if you can put an SSD into a MacBook Pro and get the same experience but this to me makes the Air the ultimate Mac for those who don't need a powerhouse.

Any Macbook Pro can be ordered with a BTO option of an SSD instead of an HD. Due to faster processor speeds and the ability to add more RAM (up to 16GB) any current MBP with an SSD would be faster than a MBA.

As far as bttery run time goes the 11" get's less than the 13" MBP at 5 hours instead of 7 hours but the 13" MBA is stated as being the same as the 13" MBP, i.e. 7hrs.

Glad your wife loves the MBA.

I just wanted to add something, regarding the consume vs create/work debate. Everybody says the iPad is for the former and the MBA would be for the latter. I agree that doing stuff on an iPad seems impractical, but frankly, doing work on a MBA is not very easy neither. Especially a 11 inches one. I mean, even if you only type word docs for a living, you have so few of the page shown it's not even funny. And if you do anything more demanding like image editing, programming (not even mentionning video editing), a MBA is a very poor solution. I have a supercharged MBP, I'm a web programmer, and sometimes I'm limited. And I need a second screen to complement my 15 inches. So frankly I consider MBAs to be the iPad + edit a word doc or two of the laptops. Maybe with a good thunderbolt docking station housing a large drive and a video card...

My Dell display is 1366x768 and I think it's fine for what I use it for, AutoCAD. A bigger screen is easy - external displays.

My Dell display is 1366x768 and I think it's fine for what I use it for, AutoCAD. A bigger screen is easy - external displays.

You're CADing on a x768 monitor! Wow, must be small parts :) I agree with you that screen may not be the bigger issue (I have an external monitor myself), but the horsepower of a MBA for AutoCAD?

i think the air is better smart choose, but its depend by need, ipad its not bad either..

I use both an Air (it's my second) and the iPad3.

The iPad is getting closer and closer to eliminating the need for the Air. The changes made to iOS 6 are welcome. My one regret is particular to a work problem I have where I need to reply to a form I receive and add an attachment in my response.

I really don't care about flash but it would be nice to watch the Euros on my iPad rather than on laptop or desktop.

I use both an Air (it's my second) and the iPad3.

The iPad is getting closer and closer to eliminating the need for the Air.

That's what I'm inclined to think too. In the near future, the Air will likely disappear once the MBP have catched up to it in thickness (thinness?).

I design mechanical systems for buildings, it's fine. I fired a question to AutoDesk to ask them if AutoCAD was designed to take advantage of the new Retina Display MBP.

The 2011 MacBook Air is about 2.5x as powerful as my Dell Vostro which I'm running on, and for the most part it's fine. For 3D work, I have powerful workstations at work I can use.

I just Geekbenched my Dell Vostro V13, 1675. :rolleyes: I should've known better. My iMac at home scored 2914. A base 2012 11" Air looks great, the i7 looks even better.

http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2012/06/geekbench_mid_2012_macbook_air.jpg

Those benchmarks are quite incredible, I must admit. I wonder howmy 2010 MBP fares. Of course there's the RAM issue : until now you could not have more than 4Gb RAM and I use 8 frequently. But I must admit I may have underestimated those little beasts.

That's what I'm inclined to think too. In the near future, the Air will likely disappear once the MBP have catched up to it in thickness (thinness?).

According to Pogue I'll be able to attach documents in emails now. If this is true this will mean I've purchased my last Air. All my mobile work will be done on my iPad.
Pondering the Rest of the Apple Announcements - NYTimes.com (http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/pondering-the-rest-of-the-apple-announcements/?src=me&ref=technology)

Another benefit of iOS6 will be FaceTime over mobile which for me completely eliminates the need for voice calls on my spouses iPhone. So anticipating these coming changes I called Rogers up and reduced the monthly from $40 per month to $15 per month. We now subscribe to a $10 per month/100 Mbps data package and another $3 per month txt package that will kick in should iMessage ever fail. This is all done under my Rogers business account. Rogers consumer wireless will not let you have a data package without a voice commitment. Also worth noting, when I look at my Rogers panel the 100 Mbps service says its LTE ready.

I'm absolutely thrilled with the changes Apple are making in the new release and without a doubt I'll be purchasing the new iPhone 5 in the smallest size available. For me there's no longer a need for larger storage on the device given my files are all in the cloud and I use iTunes match for key music storage. That and I'll no longer use Navigon which took up considerable space and opt to use Apple's own maps and GPS offering.

If everything goes well my spouse will be the beneficiary of the Air that I'm currently using that will replace her 2008 Macbook. Timely, because she wants to publish a book she's been working on and Apple's ebook software requires a newer OS version.

I think Apple has really hit a sweet spot in the consumer/mobile business market with all these very positive changes. I feel bad for the pro users who seem to have a number of well justified complaints that they are being ignored. But for me these are all dreams come true.

Even though iTunes Match especially with streaming in iOS6, new Maps with Navigation, etc. will reduce the need for local storage, I find apps are getting bigger and bigger. Especially games, sometimes for no reason. Chrono Trigger is 645 MB, I think the original game fit on a 32 megabit cartridge. iWork is huge, 1GB for the entire package.

Glad your wife loves the MBA.

I just wanted to add something, regarding the consume vs create/work debate. Everybody says the iPad is for the former and the MBA would be for the latter. I agree that doing stuff on an iPad seems impractical, but frankly, doing work on a MBA is not very easy neither. Especially a 11 inches one. I mean, even if you only type word docs for a living, you have so few of the page shown it's not even funny. And if you do anything more demanding like image editing, programming (not even mentionning video editing), a MBA is a very poor solution. I have a supercharged MBP, I'm a web programmer, and sometimes I'm limited. And I need a second screen to complement my 15 inches. So frankly I consider MBAs to be the iPad + edit a word doc or two of the laptops. Maybe with a good thunderbolt docking station housing a large drive and a video card...

The difference as I see it is running OSX vs. iOS. Not to mention you can add peripherals to the MBA that you simply can't on an iPad, like an external hard drive.

These differences alone make the MBA a much more compelling solution for many people. Each has its purposes though and why they coexist in Apple's product lineup.

I regularly use wifi hard drives with my iPad. There is one tethered hard drive that works with the iPad too, but expensive:

HyperDrive iPad Hard Drive (http://www.hypershop.com/HyperDrive-iPad-Hard-Drive-s/183.htm)

I regularly use wifi hard drives with my iPad. There is one tethered hard drive that works with the iPad too, but expensive:

HyperDrive iPad Hard Drive (http://www.hypershop.com/HyperDrive-iPad-Hard-Drive-s/183.htm)

Good to know... limited speed for sure but at you least can connect.... but you are still tied to iOS.

The day is most likely coming when there is a merger between the OSs (OSX and iOS)...

Apple has basically left the writing on the wall for those who are watching... And the new ridiculously extensive MBP with retina display illustrates Apple's road map... Time will tell if it is for better or worse...

Also check out Apple's refurb site. They have some great deals there on earlier models which will help you save some money instead of paying full price on the latest laptop/computer.
But these iPad free apps might be worth reading from ifunia's iPad column.