I've been carrying around a MacBook Air for the last couple of years, and the lease is almost up. As I consider replacing my laptop, which is also my desktop, I see why the iPad came to market. It's the only way I can have the laptop I want and still be able to travel with the new airline regulations, where even carryon baggage becomes subject to a fee.
The Air, even two years later, only has 2 GB RAM, which makes it awfully slow for the kind of multi-tasking that I do. I have loved it because it's light, and fits into a big purse. I have also hated it, because it has crappy battery life. The Geniuses have often told me it's not designed to do what I want it to do. It's not a power user's machine, they tell me. I'd like to replace it with something light, peppy, and powerful. That machine doesn't exist, as I found out this morning looking at the new MacBook Pro line.
I'm not a gamer or a professional videographer, so it's not that important that I get top processing speed, but it might be nice to have the faster dual core processor for video anyway. I like a powerful machine, because I do consume a lot of video, and yes, I make social video and social audio, even though it's unprofessional. On balance, I think I would want the 15" MaBook Pro as my next notebook, and a little more screen real estate than that for at home.
But that weighs five pounds, and I've already been told that I shouldn't be carrying anything over my shoulder, even a purse. And I travel a lot. So I would have to have a rolling laptop bag, or put it in my regular carryon bag, which is hard to reach during a flight.
I would then have to pay a new fee every time I travel, and I travel once a month at least — often much more often.
Enter the iPad and the Mini. For $799 I can get a fully loaded Mac Mini with 4GB RAM. I can leave it home, attached to my 24" display. Because of the Air, I already have extra mice, keyboards, etc. I'd be set up well.
And now I have the iPad, which I can take on the road, watch video on, put in my purse, and not have to remove for airport security. So far, its battery life has been as advertised — ten hours. And that's what the new laptops have. So for the first time since I got the first Compaq portable computer in the 80s, I may find myself without a "laptop" next go-round.
Somebody change my mind.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
So – how do you feel after your trip?
I love the idea of the iPad. And of reading books from the iBook store. I also love the iPad for my husband, who right now sits in the recliner in the evenings with his phone, playing Sudoku and doing Facebook and such – and I think how nice it would be to do that on a screen three times the size.
But I realized I'd be better served by two extra chargers for my ancient MBP – one for upstairs and one for my bag – and deal with the weight of the machine some other way – I take it somewhere more than once a week, and the Pad will never run the Creative Suite.
I think the geekosphere is right – the Pad just isn't our work machine.
Definitely not. It will hardly let me cut and paste into my blog, much less run Creative Suite. After my trip I was happy to get back to my Air, but I will take the iPad to China because of battery life and because.the Kindle and the Air would be too much.
Francine Hardaway, Ph D
GV: 816.WRITTEN
So – how do you feel after your trip?nnI love the idea of the iPad. And of reading books from the iBook store. I also love the iPad for my husband, who right now sits in the recliner in the evenings with his phone, playing Sudoku and doing Facebook and such – and I think how nice it would be to do that on a screen three times the size.nnBut I realized I’d be better served by two extra chargers for my ancient MBP – one for upstairs and one for my bag – and deal with the weight of the machine some other way – I take it somewhere more than once a week, and the Pad will never run the Creative Suite. nnI think the geekosphere is right – the Pad just isn’t our work machine.
Definitely not. It will hardly let me cut and paste into my blog, much less run Creative Suite. After my trip I was happy to get back to my Air, but I will take the iPad to China because of battery life and because.the Kindle and the Air would be too much.rnrnFrancine Hardaway, Ph DrnGV: 816.WRITTEN