September. Temperatures begin to drop, promises of new habits begin and go back to school. Thousands of students change institute for university to pursue the desired degree and with the hope of working on what they like tomorrow. They enter a world full of doubts from which they seek answers.
One of the possible questions in this new stage is Whether to use the reliable laptop or the dynamic tablet. Two seemingly similar devices but with many nuances that may not fit all user needs and profiles. They are complementary, but if you are not willing to buy two products to accompany you in this new adventure, it is best to be completely sure of the choice.
If you are not sure whether to buy a MacBook or an iPad for collegeIn this article we will give you the keys to avoid making a mistake in the decision to choose a partner for your next years as a student.
MacBook or iPad, that’s the question
Apple devices are one of the preferred option of many students for offering good performance and long-lasting upgrade policy. Their selling price is more expensive than that of alternatives from other manufacturers, but they end up being amortized over the years if they are chosen well and meet the needs. A university degree has an average duration of four years, so that is the minimum time that you will want to maintain, and with a MacBook or iPad there will be no problem due to its extended support.
The first thing to do to determine if the best is a MacBook or iPad is consult the curriculum of the degree we have chosen. All the information related to the subjects, evaluation criteria, software and services that will be used for assignments and so on should appear on the university page. Why is this point so important? Because it can tip the scales one way or the other.
If you are going to study engineering, architecture or other degrees in which you are going to require certain software that is only available for conventional computers, the MacBook is the clear winner. You may even need to use a Windows program, and Microsoft’s operating system can be virtualized with Apple’s laptop through Parallels and the like. With an iPad this is unthinkable.
The iPad, despite its powerful hardware, has limited software and lacks many professional apps that are available for macOS or, at least, can be used by virtualizing Windows
Apple tablets, like the iPad Pro, have very powerful hardware, but the software is not up to par. There was hope that with the launch of iPadOS 15 there would be news to get more out of these gadgets (improved support for external monitors or Apple applications aimed at the professional field such as Final Cut Pro), but it is still a fairly limited version of iOS and with notable shortcomings.
Does this mean that an iPad cannot be used for studying? Not much less, but you have to know what it is used for. During confinement, it was the vehicle for many children and adolescents to communicate with their teachers and the rest of the class through video calls and the preparation of work using word processors such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, taking advantage of the fact that a good number of educational centers makes use of the services of the Internet search engine.
With the App Store you have access to a good number of apps adapted to the iPad and some of them have a lot of quality and little to envy their homonyms for macOS. Interestingly, most of them are aimed at artists and the Apple Pencil: Procreate, Affinity Photo, Design and Publisher, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Astropad or Pixelmator. But also for other areas: Scrivener (writers), Ferrite (podcast recording) and LumaFusion (video editing).
However, it is advisable take a look at the features of the apps, as they are not usually as complete as their computer equivalents (Photoshop and Illustrator for iPad have many tools available in macOS and Windows, but not all), nor do they allow to develop a projector, many times, so elaborate (LumaFusion, despite its possibilities , it is very limited compared to Final Cut Pro).
That is why an iPad is recommended for students who are going to use mainly word processors, presentations and reading PDFs, maybe also for graphic design and photo editing, but not so much for video editing, 3D modeling, AutoCAD …
MacBook Air, the safe bet for (almost) all students
Today, the laptop continues to be the most suitable device for the majority of students and users. The MacBook Air will not have a touch screen and will not be as light as an iPad, but it does not raise as many questions as to whether it can be done X thing or Y task, and if it is going to be used for graphic design (where the iPad can be interesting and comfortable ), a USB digitizing tablet is usually the tool you work with.
The latest model has been updated with the M1 chip, the first to be developed by Apple and which provides a balance between performance and efficiency. In fact, autonomy is one of its strengths with up to 18 hours of battery life per load executing not very demanding tasks (consuming multimedia content, mostly). macOS and Apple apps have also been optimized to make the most of it, resulting in a smooth operating system and apps that launch instantly, with more capable workflows (high-resolution video editing is possible with a MacBook Air and Final Cut Pro with almost no mess).
Apple offers two preconfigured options of the MacBook Air with M1 chip. The main difference between the two is in the internal storage capacity: 256 GB or 512 GB of SSD, although there is another one related to the GPU with an additional core in the version with more space. They have the same 13.3 “Retina IPS LCD screen with a native resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels and compatible with millions of colors and wide P3 color gamut. The unified memory is 8 GB, although in the Apple Store configurator you can expand up to 16GB, same with SSD (up to 2TB).
The official price of the MacBook Air starts at 1,129 euros and it is available in three colors (Space Gray, Gold and Silver), although it is common to find it significantly cheaper in other stores. At Amazon itself we can buy it, at the time of writing, for 975 euros; a discount of almost 155 euros that we can use to buy a case, a USB-C hub, a wireless mouse, etc.
2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13-Inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) – Silver
Is it worth investing a little more for the MacBook Pro? Apple’s other laptop is not much different in hardware to the Air, but includes a fan (in the Air it has been removed to make it totally silent) so that, in theory, it can perform more demanding tasks without the processor suffering so much from overheating. You are not going to get a huge additional benefit, but it is there. And it also has the Touch Bar, the touch bar that changes depending on what is being done. It may be a must-have for some users, but Apple is rumored to dispense with it in future reviews.
MacBook Pro with M1 chip starts at 1,449 euros for the version with a base configuration of 256 GB of SSD and 8 GB of unified memory, but in Amazon it can be purchased with a striking discount of 250 euros that leaves it at 1,199 euros, almost the official price of the MacBook Air.
2020 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Chip (13-Inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) – Space Gray
iPad Air, for those who go all out with a tablet
Apple offers more tablet options than ever in its catalog. It could be said that there is an iPad for every user and pocket. But of all the available models there is one that stands out above the rest: the iPad Air. The fourth generation of this device distances itself from the “cheaper” versions to approach the Pro proposals of the bitten apple with a nearly borderless design and compatibility with more advanced accessories.
The iPad Air (2020) has a 10.9 “Liquid Retina IPS LCD display, slightly higher than the 10.2 “entry model and one tenth below the 11” Pro. Its resolution is 1,640 x 2,360 pixels, which means a good level of detail. Color reproduction is good too. The refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz, the main difference compared to its older sisters (although the 12.9 “new generation has a Mini LED panel and represents a notable change in quality). It is neither too big nor too small ; It is at the right point of portability and usability.
It has the Apple A14 Bionic processor and 4 GB of RAM memory, the same configuration that we find in the iPhone 12 mini and 12 “normal”. It is more than enough to move easily iPadOS 14-15 and all the compatible apps from the App Store. Considering the long-standing support of the iPad Air 2, the fourth-generation iPad Air is expected to receive software updates for many years to come. Not surprisingly, the tablet’s internal storage cannot be expanded, but it is easy to connect external hard drives and flash drives via the USB-C port.
its 7 MP FaceTime HD front camera offers more than decent quality for video calls, and with its 12 MP rear, which is capable of recording video in high 4K resolution, it is possible to “scan” documents with apps such as Scanner Pro, CamScanner or Scanbot and consult them digitally or make notes with the second-hand Apple Pencil. generation, which is the one that magnetically adheres to the side of the tablet to recharge its battery.
One of the most useful accessories for the 4th generation iPad Air is keyboard, and Apple offers two official options: Smart Keyboard Folio and Magic Keyboard. The cheaper former provides a cover and keyboard, while the more expensive Magic Keyboard adds a backlight, trackpad, adjustable vision, and additional USB-C to recharge the iPad battery. Both connect via the Smart Connector, so they do not require additional power.
Apple Magic Keyboard (for 11-inch iPad Pro – 3rd Generation and iPad Air – 4th Generation) – Spanish – Blank
The fourth generation iPad Air is available in various colors and configurations. The cheapest is Wi-Fi with 64 GB of internal storage for 649 euros, although it is currently on sale on Amazon for 569 euros.
2020 Apple iPad Air (10.9-Inch Wi-Fi 64GB) – Space Gray (4th Gen)
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