Tablets are computers, but can they replace more traditional notebook systems? I’ve been using a new iPad Air for two months and I have to admit that it is now my third favorite portable computer.
Number one on my list remains the 12-inch PowerBook, which had the best keyboard of any Apple portable. You could easily upgrade the machine, too, with more memory and new drives. I added RAM, installed larger hard drives, and even swapped the DVD-ROM for a “SuperDrive” without any problems.
The size was perfect, and didn’t stop Apple from including every port necessary.
The second-best portable I’ve owned was the 2008-era 15-inch MacBook Pro. With ExpressCard/34 and a lot of ports, it connected to anything. Teaching at a university and speaking at conferences, I carried connectors for DVI, VGA, and HDMI projection systems. I even had a composite break-out cable just for one old lab space. I bought external SATA hard drives for media, attached via an ExpressCard.
The 15-inch model seemed a bit large after getting used to the 12-inch PowerBook. Carrying the computer across two campuses daily, I noticed the weight difference. The collection of adapters added yet more weight to my computer bag.
Now, 12 years later, I have concluded that a small fourth-generation iPad Air delivered November 11, 2020, rivals those great systems of the past.
I do not love my current 15-inch MacBook Pro, purchased out of necessity when my last system’s screen failed. I don’t care for the TouchBar. I dislike the TouchID (that rarely works). Most of all, I hate the keyboard. A lot. The dreaded butterfly keyboard has a tendency to drop keys or double-type. I’m using a free utility (Unshaky) to reduce the problem, and I also rely on an external keyboard when at home.
I’m typing this blog entry on the iPad’s keyboard. It’s not the high-end Apple keyboard-case offering, either. I’m using the more affordable Smart Keyboard Folio. It doesn’t have backlit keys or a fancy elevated iPad hinge.
This keyboard is good. Really good. It rivals the feel of the iMac keyboard my wife uses. The keys don’t travel far, but they have a distinct “snap” as you type. It’s not a loud “click” that is heard by everyone nearby. It’s something you feel, and that feel is sufficient for a touch typist.
The iPad screen? Beautiful. I know the iPad Pro has a better screen with a higher refresh rate. The iPad Air is better than most computer screen, though. Watching video on this screen feels like I’m watching our Samsung television. Actually, the picture seems better to me.
Most of what I do can be done on the iPad. Microsoft Office? No problem. Apple’s applications? Of course they work well on the iPad.
I’m not going to edit audio or video on the iPad, but I also did edit content on my PowerBook or the early MacBook Pro. Other than media production, the iPad does everything I want or need.
Using the iPad with an Apple Pencil makes me question Apple’s resistance to a touchscreen MacBook or even a convertible MacBook Pro. The Apple Pencil has me experimenting with illustration apps. I mark-up files using the pencil, too. It’s the tool I never knew I needed. I do wish it had the pressure sensitive response of a Wacom tablet and stylus, but the Apple Pencil is far more convenient.
The iPad Air has another, purely aesthetic, appeal to me. I miss the days when Apple shipped computers in odd colors or even with patterns. Remember the “Flower Power” iMac? The Sky Blue of my iPad is nice. I like the color. Yes, you can add a skin or case to any tablet or notebook. But, this iPad is a beautiful blue color.
I use the iPad every day. I read on it. I write on it. It’s the best computer I own. It might overtake the 12-inch PowerBook in my heart if it withstands a few years of heavy use.