iPad or Laptop: Choosing the Right Device for College

The digital age has brought about a dizzying evolution of computing devices, from room-filling computers to portable laptops, tablets, and cell phones. As technology advances, devices shrink in size while increasing in power and functionality. For students heading off to college, the question of whether to choose an iPad or a laptop is a crucial one. This article will explore the various factors to consider when making this decision, including price, design, performance, user experience, portability, battery life, security, and durability.

Price Comparison

One of the first considerations for students is the cost. Getting value for money is always a top priority. However, comparing the prices of iPads and MacBooks isn’t straightforward due to the different models and configurations available. For instance, the MacBook Air has a wide price range, with a significant difference between the base model and the high-end version.

To make a fair comparison, it’s essential to consider the accessories needed to maximize the iPad's functionality as a laptop replacement. Most users would agree that a stylus and keyboard are necessary. The price changes significantly, especially if you opt for official Apple accessories. However, cheaper third-party peripherals are available.

Design and Display

The MacBook Air comes in a recognizable wedge shape, offering a slimmer build and a comfortable typing experience. While both devices feature Apple’s Retina display, the iPad Air’s display has a higher pixel density of 264 pixels per inch compared to the MacBook Air’s 227 PPI. This results in clearer and more natural-looking images, thanks to the higher contrast ratio of 1355:1. The iPad Air’s display also tends to be brighter, which is especially important for outdoor use, such as studying on campus lawns. The most obvious difference is size. But it’s worth considering that when holding the iPad, it’s going to be closer to your eyes, making the visual experience larger. This effect is further enhanced by its noticeably slimmer bezels.

Performance

Processing power is a critical factor to consider when choosing a device for college. The iPad Air uses the A14 Bionic chip, similar to the iPhone 12 range, while the MacBook Air has an M1 chip. Although similar in architecture, they are built for different purposes. The M1 chip has an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU (for the model we’re comparing). The M1 chip can run more processes simultaneously. Though this difference may not be noticeable for basic operations such as web surfing and video playback, it’s going to become obvious when using heavy-duty applications.

Read also: Savings on iPads for Students

User Experience

The iPad offers more ways to interact, including touch, stylus, and keyboard input. The best thing about iPad Air is that you can have all those options at your fingertips, since you can add keyboard and mouse capabilities to the native touchscreen option. While many laptop manufacturers have moved to touchscreens on at least some of their models, Apple has declined till now to do so on any Mac, leaving that feature solely to its iPad range and restricting MacBook users to a trackpad. Simple, everyday actions, such as opening apps, selecting YouTube videos, skipping music tracks, etc. So, it would be safe to say that for entertainment purposes a touch screen is going to make life a lot easier.

Both devices feature split view, whereby you can have two applications open on either side of the screen.

Touching fingers on a screen day-in-day-out inevitably means it’s going to get dirty fast. And thanks to the multi-touch gesture controls on the MacBook Air’s trackpad you can do pretty much everything you can do on a touchscreen: zoom, scroll, and swipe for multiple functions. You can of course get the best of both worlds with the iPad Air if you pair it with the Apple Magic Keyboard, which features a built-in trackpad. Alternatively, there’s the cheaper standalone Apple Magic Trackpad. First is size. The MacBook Magic Keyboard is some two inches wider and about half an inch deeper, giving you a slightly more spacious experience when typing. Also, there are no function keys on the iPad’s Magic Keyboard. In every other respect, though, they’re the same. This includes key travel, the distance a key goes down when you press it, undoubtedly a big factor for many when it comes to typing. On both Magic Keyboards, the travel is 1 mm.

The benefits are, of course, huge for art and design students. But it doesn’t stop there. Thanks to the laminated display on the iPad Air, drawing or writing on it using a stylus is very much like applying pencil to paper.

Portability

When it comes to portability, though, the iPad Air is pretty much unbeatable. At a measly 0.24 inches thick, 9.74 inches wide, and weighing 1.01 pounds, you’ll be able to slip it into your book bag as easily as you would a notebook. Now, MacBook Air is hardly heavy, it’s called ‘Air’ for a reason.

Battery Life

The official battery life for web browsing on MacBook Air is 15 hours, and for video playback that goes up to a massive 18 hours. iPad Air is not too far behind, though, on 10 hours for all-around use.

Security

For logging in, both devices utilize touch ID. This may be a letdown for some, considering iPhones all now offer Face ID. But, in this era of face masks, it has to be said that touch ID is a lot more practical. However, because of the iPadOS’s compartmentalized architecture, iPad Air is immune from viruses and carries very little risk of malware.

Durability

As a student, you’ll likely be carrying your device with you on a day-to-day basis. Though it’s great to get the most use out of your device, it does increase the risk of drops, scratches, bumps, cracks, and overall wear and tear. An obvious solution to the iPad’s vulnerability would be a screen protector. However, applying one will cancel out the anti-reflective properties of the laminated screen. Another option would be to add the Magic Keyboard case. A better method would be to use a lighter folio cover for iPad Air 4, which will provide screen protection as well as acting as a stand. Although the back of iPad Air 4 is made of sturdy aluminum, that doesn’t mean it can’t still get scratched and beat up if you use it out of its cover.

Additional Considerations

Software and Apps

The iPad excels in providing a wide array of apps tailored for various tasks, from note-taking and organization to creative endeavors. The availability of apps like Pages and Numbers offers alternatives to Microsoft Office programs. However, these apps might not be as sophisticated as their desktop counterparts.

Accessories

Pairing the iPad with accessories like the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard significantly enhances its functionality. The Apple Pencil is invaluable for tasks such as drawing, note-taking, and annotating, while the Magic Keyboard provides a more traditional typing experience.

Read also: Choosing an iPad for Education

Storage

iPads offer various storage options, ranging from 64GB to 2TB. The integration of iCloud allows for offloading files, ensuring access from anywhere without extensive local storage. However, larger storage options often come at a higher price point.

Use Cases

The iPad is well-suited for tasks such as:

Taking notes in class
Reading and annotating documents
Creating presentations
Browsing the web
Streaming videos
Playing games

Laptops, on the other hand, are better suited for tasks such as:

Writing long papers
Coding
Video editing
Running complex software

Alternative Options

Chromebooks

Chromebooks are ideal for students who don’t need Windows or macOS for specific programs. A good Chromebook can do almost anything a regular laptop can do, including document work, video calls, and streaming video - as long as it’s possible in a web browser or via Android apps. And $500 Chromebooks tend to be faster, lighter, and sleeker than similarly priced Windows laptops. But Chromebooks may have trouble connecting to campus printers, and they can’t play Windows games. And they’re not good for people who need access to Mac or Windows apps for photo, video, or audio editing, or other specialized software.

Budget Laptops

If you need a Windows laptop for school and can’t afford to spend a lot, you can find a decent one for less than $500, but you have to make some compromises. These models are best suited for grade-school or middle-school students, because most budget Windows laptops that are fast enough for schoolwork tend to be bulky and heavy, and their batteries can’t last through a full day of classes.

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