iPad Pro or Macbook?

Spizz

Spizz

Goat Botherer
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
37,879
Reaction score
20,334
Location
Her*anus
So I've got eBucks burning a hole in my pocket and want to replace my MB Air 2017 with something with a beautiful screen. I'm a couch surfer mainly and the odd movie etc in bed.

I like the utility of an iPad and Smart keyboard combination, my son has an iPad Air 4 with a Smart keyboard and it's pretty nifty how it locks off and on of the keyboard depending if you want a laptop or an iPad. I'm set on a bigger screen so am ruling out the smaller iPads, so now I'm currently considering...

MB Air M1 at R18-19k

Macbook Pro M2 at R25k

iPad 12.9 M1 256gb with Smart keyboard at about R30k

So if you had the eBucks available, which would you choose? Is the extra spend worth it for the iPad combo?
 
Ive got the M1 MB Air and the iPad Pro (work paid for them)

Although people will tell you that the iPad can replace a MB in truth it cannot (I have the keyboard and stylus)

Depends what you do on them daily?

Email, Browsing etc iPad will be fine

Anything that requires a little more and I prefer the MB

Both of them weigh the same and are pretty similar dimension wise.

If I was only going to choose one it would be the MB Air
 
Last edited:
Honestly, no need to look at the M2 MBP variant. You can save a nice chunk and just get the M1 Air. It will be plenty good for your use case (if you decide to go laptop route)
 
Spizz said:
So I've got eBucks burning a hole in my pocket and want to replace my MB Air 2017 with something with a beautiful screen. I'm a couch surfer mainly and the odd movie etc in bed.

I like the utility of an iPad and Smart keyboard combination, my son has an iPad Air 4 with a Smart keyboard and it's pretty nifty how it locks off and on of the keyboard depending if you want a laptop or an iPad. I'm set on a bigger screen so am ruling out the smaller iPads, so now I'm currently considering...

MB Air M1 at R18-19k

Macbook Pro M2 at R25k

iPad 12.9 M1 256gb with Smart keyboard at about R30k

So if you had the eBucks available, which would you choose? Is the extra spend worth it for the iPad combo?
Click to expand...
Of all of those I'd go for the MB Air M1. If you can find an older iPad Pro (like 2018) I'd get that, but not the iPad M1 at R30k. That's just nuts because the iPadOS isn't MacOS and that expense goes to waste. If you know you'll never really create anything, just consume, then the iPad is great as it's more compact than a laptop. But, like I said, R30k - or even R20k, is a lot of money for just a consumption device.
 
Yep, the Air M1 makes a lot of sense I guess. It was how I was always leaning and have been waiting a while for some decent discount on eBucks but it hasn't been happening.

I notice on Incredible this morning that the MBP M1 has dropped R5k to R19,999 probably with the impending release of the M2 next week. So I might wait another week or 2 or so and see if there are any more discounts to be had when they announce the Air M2 date.
 
My vote would be for the M1 MBA as well. According to your description of your needs, a MBP (whether M1 or M2) is going to be overkill for you.

The iPad Pro's are really nice but not worth the price premium over a MBA, and the latter has better battery life anyway (think loadshedding etc)
 
Oooh such a tough choice when it’s Monopoly money.

In your shoes I would probably buy the MacBook Air and then a normal iPad with the difference for when you want that kind of device.

I got that iPad 9th gen on the FNB R199 a month deal and the flexibility of switching devices again has been magical. I got the Pencil and a normal cover without a keyboard and it does the right job at the right time.

The Home button annoyed me mostly because I’m so used to FaceID and the disparity confuses my muscle memory, so even the Air would annoy me but it’s a small thing and not enough to justify the Pro.

I’ve spent plenty of time with the Pros at work and as much as I would never say no to a free one, I couldn’t justify it from a value equation.

Jumping between my M1 Pro and iPad 9 I can honestly say I’d rather have both than compromise on just the one and if I did compromise it would he towards the MacBook.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Oooh such a tough choice when it’s Monopoly money.

In your shoes I would probably buy the MacBook Air and then a normal iPad with the difference for when you want that kind of device.

I got that iPad 9th gen on the FNB R199 a month deal and the flexibility of switching devices again has been magical. I got the Pencil and a normal cover without a keyboard and it does the right job at the right time.

The Home button annoyed me mostly because I’m so used to FaceID and the disparity confuses my muscle memory, so even the Air would annoy me but it’s a small thing and not enough to justify the Pro.

I’ve spent plenty of time with the Pros at work and as much as I would never say no to a free one, I couldn’t justify it from a value equation.

Jumping between my M1 Pro and iPad 9 I can honestly say I’d rather have both than compromise on just the one and if I did compromise it would he towards the MacBook.
Click to expand...

Good points. I forgot about the iPad deal so I just went and got one now. It’s a steal at R199 a month.

On the other matters, I think I’ll use the iPad and calm down a bit with the eBucks and wait for a 40% off deal, whether that is soon or BF when it comes. As I said, it’s just burning a hole in my pocket and I’m in no rush :)
 
Spizz said:
Good points. I forgot about the iPad deal so I just went and got one now. It’s a steal at R199 a month.

On the other matters, I think I’ll use the iPad and calm down a bit with the eBucks and wait for a 40% off deal, whether that is soon or BF when it comes. As I said, it’s just burning a hole in my pocket and I’m in no rush :)
Click to expand...
Link to the deal?
 
Spizz said:
Good points. I forgot about the iPad deal so I just went and got one now. It’s a steal at R199 a month.

On the other matters, I think I’ll use the iPad and calm down a bit with the eBucks and wait for a 40% off deal, whether that is soon or BF when it comes. As I said, it’s just burning a hole in my pocket and I’m in no rush :)
Click to expand...

I know the feeling. I just bought three Airfryers to distribute amongst the family.

They were at least 25% off at the retailer so not a complete loss.

But I’m pretty damn sure the Airs will go on 40% off soon and for that money even as the M1 it’s a bargain.

To put it in context having a Pro M1 paid for by work…I would be quite happy with an Air if I spent my own money.
 
SauRoNZA said:
I know the feeling. I just bought three Airfryers to distribute amongst the family.

They were at least 25% off at the retailer so not a complete loss.

But I’m pretty damn sure the Airs will go on 40% off soon and for that money even as the M1 it’s a bargain.

To put it in context having a Pro M1 paid for by work…I would be quite happy with an Air if I spent my own money.
Click to expand...
The M2 Pros are coming in at the same price so it makes sense the M1s are being reduced now. But I reckon the M2 Air will be a lot closer the the Pro price than the current Air, so I’m not sure if we’ll see big reductions anytime soon.

But yeah, I’ll hang about and see. Should be a bargain or two in the next few months now that we have a few 40% off deals appearing again.
 
Spizz said:
It’s on the FNB app. Click on the “Product shop” icon and scroll along until you get to Connect devices or something similar. Then click on the Hero Deals tab and it’s there.
Click to expand...
Thanks - just ordered one for my kid.
 
I looked a couple of times early this morning and saw nothing. First time I looked come to think of it, was on the app there were no deals at all. The first section in the list was Apple and it was as it is now. Maybe they were updating and I was a couple of minutes early :X3:

Anyone know what time the new deals appear? I can't recall when I looked this morning because I have a couple of new puppies bouncing about the place and I checked a couple of times over the course of early morning.
 
Spizz said:
I looked a couple of times early this morning and saw nothing. First time I looked come to think of it, was on the app there were no deals at all. The first section in the list was Apple and it was as it is now. Maybe they were updating and I was a couple of minutes early :X3:

Anyone know what time the new deals appear? I can't recall when I looked this morning because I have a couple of new puppies bouncing about the place and I checked a couple of times over the course of early morning.
Click to expand...

Seems it was MacBook Pro M1 not Air.

Still either which way 40% off.

Maybe the Airs will still come.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X