# New MacBook Air or iPad Pro w/keyboard? Results…



## JohnG (Aug 31, 2021)

Hi guys,

Have to decide --

1. go for an M1 laptop or

2. get the latest iPad and combine it with a Magic Keyboard? 

Old laptop works but tough with only 4GB of RAM. I do use iPad because I can use the Apple Pencil to mark up scores I get back from orchestrators, so that's kind of a must-have.


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## rnb_2 (Aug 31, 2021)

I assume you already have an iPad that lets you mark up scores, so the question becomes, how does the iPad handle the other things you'd use a laptop-like device for? Depending on which size iPad you're most comfortable with and how much storage you need, it could go either way from a cost perspective.

I've been an iPad fan since the first version in 2010, and there have been many times when I've been convinced that my main computer would, at some point, be an iPad, probably accessing data from a local network or cloud storage. However, no matter how powerful the iPad has become, there have continued to be fundamental hurdles on the OS and software side that have kept it from displacing the Mac as my main device. More recently, I've been trying to make an 11" iPad Pro work as my travel computer, mostly to handle storage and (limited) processing of the photos and videos from my various cameras, but again, I was let down on the software side (by Apple and Adobe), and after the noticeable lack of progress at WWDC this year, I finally just broke down and bought an M1 MacBook Air. It's mostly acting as a desktop until I actually do some traveling, but it will be a relief to finally have a travel computer that can do everything my desktop can do with no compromises.

Also, there is some sort of psychological effect to the M1 on the Mac that makes it feel like a much more modern computer than it did with the exact same exterior designs, but with Intel chips inside. The ever-present fan noise and/or heat, combined with occasional mysterious performance slowdowns, just made many of even the most recent Intel Macs feel a bit dinosaur-y. Big Sur on the M1 feels like it was designed for the hardware in a way that no recent version of macOS has, particularly on lower-spec Intel machines.

All that said, the iPad can absolutely handle all of the things you'd normally use a laptop for, it just does some of them in different ways than a Mac. Some people prefer the focus of the limited multitasking options, some like having a device that can be anything from a tablet to a laptop to something resembling a desktop with the right peripherals. The surprise mid-cycle addition of pointing device support last year, including a distinctly different pointer with a bit more personality than we expect on a "computer", was a hopeful sign, but it appears we've just been through another of the stop/start cycles of development on the iPad. With things more "settled" on the Mac, it doesn't suffer as much from the institutional concentration on the iPhone, except if you really want custom applications that connect with some of the services that have sprung up over the last few years and tend to be iPhone-first, iPad-maybe, Mac-if-you're-very-lucky.

Without knowing more about exactly how you'd use the device, my gut feeling is that a powerful iPad with Magic Keyboard gives you the benefit of one device that can handle just about anything, though maybe with some teething issues around the edges, whereas the Mac has the advantage of working exactly as you'd expect a Mac to work. With the M1 iterations, you have a bit more flexibility in how you configure a Mac vs the iPad (where you can only get more RAM by spending big on storage), and you'll see several hours longer battery life compared to the iPad, if that matters to you.


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## JohnG (Aug 31, 2021)

rnb_2 said:


> how does the iPad handle the other things you'd use a laptop-like device for?


This is a really helpful post, Rick. 

I'm not trying to compose or produce music with this device, merely mark up scores (which I don't think I can do with an M1 laptop and the Apple Pencil) and then do other laptop stuff -- email, messages, some surfing or watching Amazon Prime movies or Netflix.

It sounds as though you think for those tasks a nice new iPad will be fine, including travel? I am about to surrender my current iPad to another family member, which has provoked this question.


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## JohnG (Aug 31, 2021)

the other confusing thing is that the iPads don't seem to disclose their RAM size. 

However, if the sleuths out there are right, you have to spend $1,699 to get an iPad with 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage, plus $400 for the Magic Keyboard -- over $2,100. By contrast, an M1 MacBook Air with comparable stuff is $1,509.

Hmm. If only the M1 had a touch screen.


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## rnb_2 (Aug 31, 2021)

JohnG said:


> This is a really helpful post, Rick.
> 
> I'm not trying to compose or produce music with this device, merely mark up scores (which I don't think I can do with an M1 laptop and the Apple Pencil) and then do other laptop stuff -- email, messages, some surfing or watching Amazon Prime movies or Netflix.
> 
> It sounds as though you think for those tasks a nice new iPad will be fine, including travel? I am about to surrender my current iPad to another family member, which has provoked this question.





JohnG said:


> the other confusing thing is that the iPads don't seem to disclose their RAM size.
> 
> However, if the sleuths out there are right, you have to spend $1,699 to get an iPad with 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage, plus $400 for the Magic Keyboard -- over $2,100. By contrast, an M1 MacBook Air with comparable stuff is $1,509.
> 
> Hmm. If only the M1 had a touch screen.


Glad you found it helpful!

The M1 laptops do not work with the Apple Pencil, so if you're looking for a single device, the iPad is the way to go. Depending on the age and model of your current iPad, you may have to get the newer Apple Pencil 2 to work with the current iPad Air or the 11" and 12.9" iPad Pros. Any of those models will work well for your needs, and all support the Magic Keyboard.

Unless you know that you want the bigger iPad Pro, I think that the 11" iPad Pro is probably the sweet spot if you want something that will work with the Magic Keyboard — this will also reduce the price of the magic keyboard a bit ($299 vs $349), and also knocks $300 off vs the 12.9" (so $1800 w/1TB and Magic Keyboard). The 11" is also an easier device to travel with, but if you are used to having a larger screen for marking up scores, you may want to stick with the 12.9".

Apple hasn't ever publicized the amount of RAM in an iPad - we always found out from testers running benchmarks - but with the M1 models, they are now (grudgingly) admitting to 8GB in the 128/256/512GB models, and 16GB in the 1TB/2TB models. Much like with the screen sizes, unless you know that you need 1TB or more of storage, I don't think it's worth spending to get it, even with the extra RAM. iPad apps aren't able to use more than 5GB of RAM (though that may be changing in iPadOS 15), and RAM handling in general is very different than on a Mac, so I think the vast majority of users would be fine with 8GB (no previous iPad had more than 6GB, and most recent models have 3-4GB). In all honesty, the only people that I would recommend getting the 1TB+ models are those that use the iPad as their primary computer.

My issues with using the iPad as my travel computer were all around specific software limitations. I use Adobe's Lightroom Classic for processing my photos on the Mac, but the version of Lightroom for the iPad assumes persistent cloud access (almost never available at reasonable speed in hotels) and lacks some important features of the desktop version. For general use, the iPad is great for travel, and you can get it with its own 4G/5G service as well, unlike a Mac.


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## JohnG (Aug 31, 2021)

Another very helpful post, Rick. Thank you.

I'm having a hard time talking myself into the more expensive one, the 1TB/16GB RAM one. Who actually buys that model, I wonder?

If it weren't for marking up scores I could just get the MacBook Air and call it a day.

[edit: my Apple Pencil is second generation]


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## rnb_2 (Aug 31, 2021)

JohnG said:


> Another very helpful post, Rick. Thank you.
> 
> I'm having a hard time talking myself into the more expensive one, the 1TB/16GB RAM one. Who actually buys that model, I wonder?
> 
> ...


I suspect those 1TB/2TB options are for people who use the iPad as their main computer - no Mac or PC. With the way the iPad handles storage, I still have difficulty seeing how they'd use that much, honestly - so many things default to using iCloud, Adobe's cloud, Microsoft's cloud, etc - there would have to be an application that you know necessitates a lot of local storage for whatever reason.

I have a 256GB 2018 11" iPad Pro, and I think it's about ½ used, even with many GB of podcasts stored locally. The base was 64GB back then, but it's 128GB now. I would probably still go at least 256, but even 512 would be a stretch - if it was offered with 16GB of RAM, that might tip me over the edge, but probably not just for the storage unless I knew I had something specific that needed it.


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## dcoscina (Aug 31, 2021)

The added plus is you could use Staffpad on the iPad Pro


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## proxima (Aug 31, 2021)

JohnG said:


> Another very helpful post, Rick. Thank you.
> 
> I'm having a hard time talking myself into the more expensive one, the 1TB/16GB RAM one. Who actually buys that model, I wonder?
> 
> ...


For the kind of uses you've described I wouldn't go overboard with a high end model. I have a several year old ipad pro (still uses a gen 1 apple pencil) and it doesn't break a sweat doing typical internet tasks. The reason Apple doesn't often list RAM tech specs, I think, is that they didn't want to go head to head on hardware specs like that against their Android competitors in the early days. But they do for the newest ipad pros (it's under "chips").

Also keep in mind that Apple offers a 14 day return. Given the relative simplicity of getting up and running on an ipad, that should be enough that you can see if it'll work for you. If you don't need a ton of storage, don't spend $1800 on one.


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## rgames (Aug 31, 2021)

For what you're describing they're probably about equivalent, so it comes down to personal preference. However, a laptop is a much more capable device so that's a factor.

For me, a tablet is a consumption device. A laptop is a creation device. I work about 10x faster on a laptop+mouse than on a tablet, even if the tablet has a keyboard. I travel quite a bit and carry both with me all the time.

rgames


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## JohnG (Aug 31, 2021)

rgames said:


> I work about 10x faster on a laptop+mouse than on a tablet,


Have you tried the Magic Keyboard from Apple? It makes a big difference. Still, I agree with your overall point, Richard.

Thanks everyone!


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## wayne_rowley (Sep 1, 2021)

Get both. For the price of that top-end iPad Pro you could likely get a refurbished M1 Air AND a refurbished iPad Pro (lower end one), or perhaps an iPad Air.

The laptop works better for me when typing and doing other 'computer' based creative tasks. Even with an external bluetooth keyboard I dislike doing lots of typing/writing with an iPad. I tried it for about a year and got fed up at the subtle but important differences (selecting text etc.).


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## dcoscina (Sep 1, 2021)

Just to add to the decision


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## JohnG (Sep 1, 2021)

I think I'm going for the iPad with the Magic Keyboard. I realise it has some limitations, but it also has a few advantages over an M1 laptop, chiefly the Apple Pencil.

With that keyboard you can type almost as fast as on a regular laptop -- maybe better than some laptops!

Won't do anything drastic until next week but I think that's going to do it. 

Thank you everyone for all the help!! 

John


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## rnb_2 (Sep 1, 2021)

Sounds like the best option for your needs. When you're ready to buy, check AppleInsider's Price Guide for the best current prices on the configuration you're looking for. They list the best prices for the Magic Keyboard there, as well.


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## nas (Sep 3, 2021)

You know this thread has gotten me to revisit the iPad and Apple pencil combo with StaffPad. I too prefer to mark up scores directly with a pencil and also if I sometimes need to work things out on a short score before playing them into Logic.

So I've been doing some research and I think that this combo really has some great potential. Currently StaffPad isn't perfect and the written note recognition still needs to be improved. However, there are a few tutorial clips out there that show how to get the most out of it in terms of recognition accuracy and virtually everyone I know who uses a tablet and pencil combo (even if it's for other apps and mediums like graphics, illustration, and design) have adapted their technique and can really get around very quickly with great accuracy. I think this is very similar to using the above on an iPad/Apple pencil with something like StaffPad.

But what has really tipped the scales for me is that now StaffPad has made some of our favorite orchestral libraries (Orchestral Tools, Spitfire, Cinesamples, etc,) available in their store to play your written score right off of StaffPad. The results are very impressive and inspire me to seriously consider going for an iPad w/Apple pencil and StaffPad with the extra orchestral packs.

Check these renders off of StaffPad out:









Of course like other online demos, there is probably quite a bit of massaging going on to get this result but it is indeed doable and there are a few videos out there with people composing directly on StaffPad an immediately playing back the results without much automation editing - just to hear their ideas back and the results are excellent - especially for a notation program that doesn't have the advanced MIDI editing and automation of a DAW.

SO to make short story long... and to tie this in with your original post,I am now convinced that going for an iPad and Apple Pencil is a great way to go especially for your specific purposes. 

I am going to be pulling the trigger on this combo soon and while it will never replace a powerful laptop or desktop and DAW, it's a great way to get ideas down, markup scores, and get inspired at home or on the go.


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## nas (Sep 7, 2021)

SO just a quick update. I ended up getting a new M1 iPad Pro 12.9" with 256 GB of storage and the new Apple Pencil v2. I also purchased StaffPad with some of th expansion packs. So far it has been great. Not only is there plenty of horsepower under the hood, but the iPad Pro's 12.9" XDR screen is absolutely gorgeous.

I have found Staffpad's learning curve to be quite ok and not too steep. The writing recognition is much better than I expected. I don't know if it has anything to do with me being left handed, but I have found it to be fairly accurate and I've been able to adapt to it quite quickly so far. The experience with the iPad/Apple Pencil combo is very fluid and I think in a fairly short amount of time, I'll be able to get around and get ideas down smoothly and with a minimum of fuss.

I think though that it is absolutely essential to check out all the online tutorials and tips as this will allow for a quicker and less frustrating result than trying to figure it out on your won. The tips and tutorials have allowed me to sidestep some of the frustrating issues that some have been experiencing and adapt to StaffPad much faster.

I should also mention that the expansion packs sound excellent and it's hard to believe that these are the exact same sounds that are in the larger bigger brother libraries, but with a much smaller footprint and significantly less expensive. They may have a few limitations - like perhaps less articulations, mic positions, or advanced scripting tools than their big brother counterparts, but they are excellent and StaffPad really does a good job in rendering written score with these libraries. It's defiantly worth the extra cost if you're considering some of these packs.

I know that this thread is not specifically about StaffPad, but I thought to give a little review of my experience so far in tandem with the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil as some may find it helpful.

The iPad is also now doing double duty as a Logic remote as well, and I can really improve my workflow with some of the added features and onscreen shortcuts - it's a great addition and very useful.

So all in all this has been a great purchase and I couldn't be happier.


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## ptram (Sep 7, 2021)

JohnG said:


> I think I'm going for the iPad with the Magic Keyboard.


Just to be sure you know this: any Bluetooth keyboard will work as well. With the advantages of costing less and being able to be positioned in a much more comfortable setup than the typical anti-ergonomic laptop style.

Paolo


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## JohnG (Sep 7, 2021)

Hi Paolo,

I bought the Magic Keyboard because my agent has one and loves it, and if this is going to become my substitute laptop, I wanted a good one. I already have an extra Magic Mouse from my desktop; I don’t use it for that so it can work with the iPad. Not crazy about trackpads.

Kind regards,

John


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## JohnG (Sep 12, 2021)

Results after several busy days of use;

Short version? *I like the iPad better than a laptop, but it's more expensive.*

1. Also, like @nas got the <1GB (in my case 512 GB) storage / 8GB RAM version. Works with the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Already had a spare Magic Mouse.

2. Speed — email, other functions just as fast as a good laptop. Don’t have an M1 so can’t compare directly, but the new iPad Pro has the same chip as the M1, and seems zippy as I could wish.

3. Convenience — if anything it’s much better than a regular laptop. It couples the advantages of a touch screen with a very nice keyboard, the Apple Pencil, and (if you want) mouse, though the trackpad is fine on the Magic Keyboard too.

4. Screen — it’s amazing.

To return to @rgames ’ point that the iPad/tablets generally are more for consumption and laptops more for getting things done and working, I think that, in the past, he’s been right.

*Best of Both Worlds, More $$*

By contrast with the older renditions of the iPad, however, this combination, for me, provides the best of both worlds. Its extraordinary screen makes it fun to watch anything you want and very easy to use your fingers to zoom in if you’re looking at a diagram or something, so it’s still superb on the “consumption” side. But it also acts a genuine laptop substitute, the iPad plus touch-screen and Apple input devices far surpasses my now-totally-outdated 4GB RAM MacBook Air.

I can’t see any deficiencies to it except that, if you ONLY want a laptop, this setup is more expensive and may not be as sturdy for travel.

1. Cost: If you get the pencil and the Apple branded Magic Keyboard, the total for iPad Pro and accessories is much more expensive than a comparable MacBook Air M1; and

2. Durability? — this is a question-mark. I would guess that the laptop, being more self-contained, has meaningfully better protection from bumps or drops than the iPad combo.

My conclusion, unless you want the touch screen and Apple Pencil, is that it makes more sense to get the laptop. If you _do_ want to use an Apple Pencil, say with Staffpad or something else, this combination is superb.


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## thesteelydane (Sep 12, 2021)

JohnG said:


> Results after several busy days of use:
> 
> 1. Also, like @nas got the <1GB (in my case 512 GB) storage / 8GB RAM version. Works with the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Already had a spare Magic Mouse.
> 
> ...


Just wait till you try Staffpad with the pencil and some of the expansion libraries. It's frustrating in the beginning, but once it clicks, you'll wonder if you can ever go back to writing music on a computer - at least for the composition phase.

Edit: Oh, I see you may already have.


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## rnb_2 (Sep 12, 2021)

JohnG said:


> Results after several busy days of use:
> 
> 1. Also, like @nas got the <1GB (in my case 512 GB) storage / 8GB RAM version. Works with the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Already had a spare Magic Mouse.
> 
> ...


Happy you're enjoying the new iPad!

Believe me, I would really have preferred to use an 11" iPad Pro as my portable solution, and tried to make it work, but Adobe and Apple just couldn't find a way to provide a solution for my one real need in a portable computer: importing lots of photos (and a bit of video), applying keyword hierarchies, geocoding, and easily making backups to external media.

Unfortunately, the version of Adobe's Lightroom photo software on the iPad is not the same as Lightroom Classic on Mac/Windows, and making the two cooperate in a sensible way just wasn't possible. Plus, there's no automatic way to make backups when importing photos on an iPad, either, which leaves manually dragging and dropping in the buggy Files app as the only option. With a MacBook, these issues were solved years and years ago.

Fortunately, mine is very much an edge case, and for the vast majority of people, the iPad Pro (with or without the Magic Keyboard) is a totally viable laptop replacement, and preferable to a laptop for some.


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## wayne_rowley (Sep 13, 2021)

Nice update/review - thanks! How do you find it for productivity work? One of the frustrations I have with an iPad and bluetooth keyboard is in document creation - specifically I found copying and pasting content between Apps much slower and fiddly with the iPad/touch screen than on a laptop.


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