iPad vs. MacBook?

[wlake]

Hello! I would like to purchase something to supplement my work laptop. I'm a teacher, so I have to turn it in every summer and I miss it when it's gone! I was thinking I'd buy an iPad since I mainly surf the web in the summer and could easily bookmark anything that I'd want to download for school and wait to do that until fall. I also don't create many documents for home and create few for school in the summer, so an iPad would probably suit me well. I was planning on doing just that until I priced out the MacBook and realized it would be only $150 more (I can get a teacher discount). Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[DawnM]

If you want apps then I would get an ipad, but if you don't have a laptop already at home I would get the macbook first.

I have both and I find that I use the macbook for most things, but have the ipad for my carry around toy.

Just so you know, Apple offers deals starting in June for educators (and college students) that has included a free ipod touch, a free printer, and the educator discount. So, you may want to wait.

Dawn

 

[wlake]

If you want apps then I would get an ipad, but if you don't have a laptop already at home I would get the macbook first.

I have both and I find that I use the macbook for most things, but have the ipad for my carry around toy.

Just so you know, Apple offers deals starting in June for educators (and college students) that has included a free ipod touch, a free printer, and the educator discount. So, you may want to wait.

Dawn

My husband has a desktop machine I can use in the summer, but I love to sit on the porch so I can watch the kids while I "work." I love the freedom of the laptop!

Where did you hear about those deals?!? Wow! I don't need another printer or another iPod, but...! Sadly, they don't seem to give a discount on the iPads yet, just on the laptops, but I would still order though them.

 

[DawnM]

I don't think they have ever offered discounts on the ipad (other than now offering deals on the ipad 1), but not educator discounts.

Apple never announces their deals very far ahead of time but if you google the deals for the last few summers you will see what I am referring to. They usually start around June 3rd, so it isn't too much longer of a wait.

And I meant the macbook pro (laptop) not a desktop.

It is difficult to type much on the ipad. I have friends who go the wireless keyboard too, but once you add all that in, I would still prefer a laptop as my first choice.

Dawn

My husband has a desktop machine I can use in the summer, but I love to sit on the porch so I can watch the kids while I "work." I love the freedom of the laptop!

Where did you hear about those deals?!? Wow! I don't need another printer or another iPod, but...! Sadly, they don't seem to give a discount on the iPads yet, just on the laptops, but I would still order though them.

 

[wlake]

I just googled the deals -- thanks for the heads up!

 

[QVCshopper]

Wlake, I wrote back to you on the no-buy thread re: the iPad. Don't have a MacBook, though.

 

[dpratt68]

Hello! I would like to purchase something to supplement my work laptop. I'm a teacher, so I have to turn it in every summer and I miss it when it's gone! I was thinking I'd buy an iPad since I mainly surf the web in the summer and could easily bookmark anything that I'd want to download for school and wait to do that until fall. I also don't create many documents for home and create few for school in the summer, so an iPad would probably suit me well. I was planning on doing just that until I priced out the MacBook and realized it would be only $150 more (I can get a teacher discount). Any thoughts? Thanks!

I am a teacher as well. What price were you quoted on macbook with discount?

 

[wlake]

I am a teacher as well. What price were you quoted on macbook with discount?

It's $899 for the basic MacBook, $100 off. If you go to the Apple store page, click on "education store" somewhere on the left. You get asked for your school zip code and then you can choose your school name. (If you need to, make sure you click on "K-12" as the default is "higher education!") After you click on something else (sorry, I can't remember and a cookie is putting my computer automatically on the education store page) and you end up with the special pricing. I hope that helps!

 

[wlake]

Wlake, I wrote back to you on the no-buy thread re: the iPad. Don't have a MacBook, though.

I just read it there! Thanks -- I'm not the greatest typist to begin with, so I'm not sure one handed typing would hold me back much!

 

[pintamino]

As I type this from my iPad 2, if you domt have a main computer, I'd go for the laptop. The iPad is biased heavily toward consumption, so much so that I find myself wanted to do my research for my thesis on my MacBook when I thought I could do it on here. I have a friend who just replaced her (broken) laptop with an iPad, but she's only been at it for about 2 weeks.

Also to consider: do you plan on using it for pictures, etc.? I would use the iPad for that when covering events (I do some freelance journalism), but wouldn't feel comfortable doing that as a permanent solution.

 

[wlake]

As I type this from my iPad 2, if you domt have a main computer, I'd go for the laptop. The iPad is biased heavily toward consumption, so much so that I find myself wanted to do my research for my thesis on my MacBook when I thought I could do it on here. I have a friend who just replaced her (broken) laptop with an iPad, but she's only been at it for about 2 weeks.

Also to consider: do you plan on using it for pictures, etc.? I would use the iPad for that when covering events (I do some freelance journalism), but wouldn't feel comfortable doing that as a permanent solution.

Thanks -- your comment about consumption really helped, as that's what I'm mainly planning to do with it. Most of the work I do over the summer isn't online. The pictures are a bit tougher. Right now, everything is on my computer (with four backups, believe it or not!), and I am afraid that's going to be a pain.

 

[Swimalie]

Our house has both - my MacBook and my husband's iPad (plus an iMac desktop). With the iPad, you are limited to what it comes with. Where as with a lap top, you can add on applications. You might find that you like this for doing some word processing during the summer.

As a point of clarification, you can get the App Store on any Mac. I have it here on my lap top and get almost all of the Apps offered on the iPad and iPhone. I'm missing the free trial version of Rio Angry Birds. That's all we can tell is different so far.

$899 for a basic MacBook is a great deal. But check MacConnection, too. We go ours through them over 2 years ago for $887.

 

[crisi]

You say you don't create many documents - creating ANY documents on an iPad is a pain in the neck. As someone said, its a consumption device - think iPhone with bigger screen. You can type some short emails on it - maybe a short document - but you are going to want a laptop for your "not many" documents.

 

[pintamino]

With the iPad, you are limited to what it comes with. Where as with a lap top, you can add on applications. You might find that you like this for doing some word processing during the summer.

There's actually an app store for the iPad, and you can get Pages for it (Apple's version of word), or use google docs for word processing. There are also apps for almost everything else: health, games, a handwriting notepad called penultimate, etc.

But not every app really works "well" (I quickly gave up on trying to use spreadsheets) - the iPad really is for consumption, not creation. For sitting outside checking your email or watching YouTube, it's great. I had an iPhone before this and find they pretty much fill the same niche. I'm comfortable doing emails that are a few paragraphs, but wouldn't want to write a paper on it.

OP, if you have the desktop to manage your photos or do any real word processing on, the iPad would easily fill the gap of the other stuff we sit around and do at the computer but if you want to use it for work, I think you'll be frustrated. Do you have a store near you where you could go and try typing things out on the iPad?

 

[kswart]

If you are looking for a computer go for the MacBook or MacBook Pro... I have a Pro and my wife has a MacBook...My daughters also have a Mac Mini.. They beat any windows machine hands down... We switched a little over a year ago I bought my Pro first for school and fell in love with it... My wife wanted a iPad when they first came out and I bought her one. If you want a toy that can run some apps and check email the iPad is great... All the functionality of an iPhone but you can't make calls.... If you want to have a functional computer get the MacBook And yes there is the education discount on the MacBooks which will save you around $100... There is NO discount on an iPad. Once you go Mac you will never go back

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree that if you don't already have your own laptop, don't get an iPad. You really need to go with the MacBook, which would be a lot more versatile.

 

[mountdew1]

Having both (thanks work!) I agree that the iPad is really more for consumption than anything else. I do use it for note taking during meetings and such, but getting content off the iPad isn't really intuitive. Things like email replies, blog posts etc aren't a problem at all, but for things bigger than that, you may run into issues. If you do have a desktop as home, then you can definitely make it work.

That said, it is an awesome device and I definitely think it has its purpose/place. I do strongly recommend spending some time using one before buying it so you see how it works/responds. Borrow a friends, or go to an Apple store or Best Buy and play with it. See how it feels

 

[Picklemom]

I have both and I have to say I rarely take out my laptop anymore. iPad has everything I need! I am a teacher as well and use the pages app for all my word processing! It's awesome and easily converts to a word doc. I also use the keynote app instead of PowerPoint! I even write my university papers on my iPad by plugging in an external keyboard! I have just ordered myself the ipad2 as my teenage son has basically taken over my current iPad for his schoolwork! Go for it! You won't be sorry!

 

[gerald]

go with the mac book or the pro.....

We have a pro and love it. for a few hundred $$$ you really do get so much more than with the ipad.

 

[amyy]

I haven't read all the threads so this might have been mentioned but you can't view pages that need a flash plug in (or however you say it) on an iPad. For this reason I would never be able to just go with a iPad.