The iPad and MacBook Air are two devices which presently enjoy much hype in the tech world. Some people see the possession of both devices as must because of their usefulness for performing certain everyday tasks while some people chose to opt for just one instead of both as they feel the functions they perform are similar to each other.
Many people find it curious why Apple decided to go ahead and design the MacBook Air when they had already created the iPad. However, despite their similarity in size, there is a divergence in the functionality of both devices. The iPad device for instance is not presently designed to run more complex applications or software. Photoshop for one would not run on the iPad but works quite well on the MacBook Air. The iPad and the OS that runs on it is more suited for simpler everyday tasks such as surfing the internet, multimedia activities and creating notes.
The MacBook Air has a screen size of 11 inches, a measurement which that of the iPad closely matches. There is a slightly higher difference in terms of weight for those who require their devices to be lighter. The MacBook Air has a weight of 2.3 pounds while the iPad weighs 1.6 pounds. However, this weight could increase for those who need to make use of an external keyboard for their iPads. There are no ports on both devices but files can be shared with other devices or on networks using the integrated Wi-Fi features on the MacBook Air and the iPad
The decisions on which one of the devices to purchase will depend mostly on what kind of work needs to be done. Creating or managing content that requires the use of programs such as Photoshop or the full Adobe Creative Suite is not a task that the iPad can presently handle. Programming or writing codes in languages like LISP is also not supported by the device, hence users who need to engage in high end tech activities may find the iPad unsuitable for much of their tasks.
However for those who spend a lot of time surfing the internet doing research and developing written content then the iPad would do pretty well. Other multimedia activities such as playing games, listening to music, watching online videos and favorite TV shows are everyday tasks that are well handled by the iPad.
There is however the possibility for the iPad to take on some heavy duty work in the not too distant future especially as third party app developer keep churning out applications for the device at a very high rate. A visit to the Apple’s App store should turn up some interesting apps that could help make your iPad a better productivity tool than it presently is.