What are the differences between the "Late 2010" MacBook Air models and the original iPad? Which is best for my needs?

Please note that all systems mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. For more recent comparison Q&As, please refer to the main MacBook Air Q&A page.

When the iPad was first announced on January 27, 2010, readers immediately began to ask if the iPad could be a substitute for a Mac notebook. Consequently, EveryiPad.com compared the iPad to the entry-level MacBook as well as the "thin and light" MacBook Air models available at the time.

As noted previously, some also viewed the iPad as a potential complementary purchase to a desktop Mac and were considering buying a powerful desktop Mac for "heavy lifting" work and an iPad for light "on the go" tasks rather than purchasing a MacBook Pro and trying to perform all of their computing needs with a single -- and perhaps less than optimal -- computer.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPad)

Just as before, the iPad remains best suited for those who primarily use a computer to surf the web, write a modest amount of e-mail, play music, present photos, and watch non-Flash videos, and only sometimes type documents, use spreadsheets, and prepare presentations (one also still would need a Mac or Windows PC to load and sync content via iTunes).

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (MacBook Air - 11-Inch Left, 13-Inch Right)

A MacBook Air, on the other hand, remains a better choice for those who write quite a bit of e-mail and type documents, use spreadsheets, and prepare presentations all the time as well as surf the web, play music, present photos and watch a variety of video formats (but not do technically demanding tasks like heavy photo work or high-end video editing, for example).

This general assessment has not changed and those only interested in the shortest answer may choose to stop reading at this point. However, with the introduction of the "Late 2010" MacBook Air line -- Apple both has added a smaller 11-Inch model and lowered the price -- which dramatically changes the evaluation for many. For these readers, an in-depth comparison of the iPad and "Late 2010" MacBook Air can be quite worthwhile.

The iPad models -- the iPad (Wi-Fi) and iPad (Wi-Fi/3G/A-GPS) -- have a 9.7-Inch 1024x768 LED-backlit IPS glossy touchscreen display with an onscreen "soft" keyboard (and a US$69 keyboard dock option), run iPhone OS 3.2 (and iOS applications, but cannot run Mac OS X or Windows applications), and have the option of 3G wireless and A-GPS. For connectivity, they only have a 30-pin USB-based iPod dock port and a headphone jack as well as 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, a built-in speaker, and microphone. No other ports are available and both lack a webcam, but both do include a digital compass.

By contrast, the "Late 2010" MacBook Air models -- the MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.4 11-Inch and MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.86 13-Inch -- have non-touchscreen displays that are much higher resolution for their physical dimensions (1366x768 for the 11-Inch and 1440x900 for the 13-Inch) -- and can run Mac OS X 10.6.4 and higher as well as Windows 7 and higher (as well as Mac OS X and Windows 7 applications, but they cannot run iOS applications). They also have "traditional chiclet" MacBook keyboards, but lack backlighting, and also have glass "no button" trackpads with "inertial scrolling" support.

The MacBook Air's connectivity is modest compared to many other Macs, but nevertheless significant compared to the iPad. Both MacBook Air models have AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, dual USB 2.0 ports, analog audio out (that also supports an iPhone/iPod touch headset with microphone), and a Mini DisplayPort that supports an external 30-Inch display (2560x1600) as well as a side mounted internal microphone. A 10/100Base-T Ethernet adapter is available for US$29. The 13-Inch model additionally has an integrated SD Card slot. Both MacBook Air likewise have integrated stereo speakers and an integrated "FaceTime" webcam.

The iPad models are 9.56 inches by 7.47 inches by 0.5 inches and weigh either 1.5 pounds or 1.6 pounds, depending on whether or not it is equipped with 3G/A-GPS support, respectively. The MacBook Air models are not quite as small or as light as the iPad, but the 11-Inch model comes fairly close. Both are 0.11 of an inch at the front and taper to 0.68 of an inch at the rear, but the 11-Inch model is 11.8 inches by 7.56 inches when closed and the 13-Inch model is 12.8 inches by 8.94 inches when closed to accommodate the larger display. The 11-Inch model weighs 2.3 pounds and the 13-Inch model weighs 2.9 pounds.

Battery life is estimated as 10 hours for the Wi-Fi only iPad model and 9-10 hours for the Wi-Fi/3G-equipped iPad model (the lower estimate reflecting use over a 3G network as well as Wi-Fi). Battery life for the MacBook Air models is estimated as 5 hours and 7 hours for the 11-Inch and 13-Inch model, respectively. Neither MacBook Air has 3G networking support.

Internal technical differences are substantial -- the iPad line uses a 1 GHz "Apple A4" processor with 256 MB of RAM and 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of internal flash memory for storage and the MacBook Air models use Intel Core 2 Duo processors of varying speed with 2 GB of standard RAM (upgradable at the time of purchase to 4 GB for US$100) and 64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB of internal flash memory for storage. Neither series has a hard drive or an optical drive. However, the MacBook Air can be configured with an external optical drive for US$79 and like all other Macs can be used with any external USB hard drive. The iPad does not support an external optical drive or hard drive.

The major differences between the iPad models and the MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.4 11-Inch and MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.86 13-Inch are summarized below:

	iPad	MacBook Air 11"	MacBook Air 13"
Display Size:	9.7"	11.6"	13.3"
Resolution:	1024x768	1366x768	1440x900
Keyboard:	Onscreen/Dock	Keyboard	Keyboard
Trackpad:	Touchscreen	Inertial Multitouch	Inertial Multitouch
Standard OS:	iPhone OS 3.2	Mac OS X 10.6.x	Mac OS X 10.6.x
Windows:	No	Windows 7	Windows 7
Full Multitasking:	No	Yes	Yes
Processor Speed:	1 GHz	1.4 GHz*	1.86 GHz**
Processor Type:	Apple A4	Intel Core 2 Duo	Intel Core 2 Duo
Standard RAM:	256 MB	2 GB	2 GB
Maximum RAM:	256 MB	4 GB†	4 GB†
Storage:	16, 32, 64 GB	64 GB, 128 GB	128 GB, 256 GB
Optical Drive:	None	External (Opt)	External (Opt)
Data Networks:	2G/3G†† & Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi
Bluetooth:	2.1+EDR	2.1+EDR	2.1+EDR
Ext Disp Support:	1024x768	2560x1600	2560x1600
Flash Support:	No	Yes	Yes
WebCam:	No	Yes	Yes
A-GPS:	No/Yes††	No	No
Digital Compass:	Yes	No	No
USB 2.0:	None	2	2
SD Card Slot:	None	None	Yes
Ethernet:	None	10/100Base-T§	10/100Base-T§
Max Battery Life:	9-10 Hours	5 Hours	7 Hours
Dimensions (In):	9.56 x 7.47 x 0.5	.11-.68 x 11.8 x 7.56	.11-.68 x 12.8 x 8.94
Weight:	1.5 or 1.6 Pounds	2.3 Pounds	2.9 Pounds
Model Numbers:	A1219/A1337	A1370	A1369
Intro Price:	US$499-US$829††	US$999, US$1199	US$1299, US$1599

* The MC506LL/A configuration of the 11-Inch MacBook Air, which has 128 GB of storage, can be upgraded to a 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo (SU9600) processor as a US$100 option at the time of purchase.

** The MC504LL/A configuration of the 13-Inch MacBook Air, which has 256 GB of storage, can be upgraded to a 2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo (SL9600) processor as a US$100 option at the time of purchase.

† Either MacBook Air can be upgraded to 4 GB of RAM at the time of purchase. This RAM is soldered in place and cannot be upgraded after purchase.

†† Only high-end iPad models (US$629-US$829) have 2G/3G networking and A-GPS.

§ The MacBook Air models provide Ethernet via an external Apple 10/100Base-T Ethernet adapter as a US$29 option.

Ultimately, if your mobile needs lean more toward consuming content rather than producing content, an iPad possibly could be ideal. If you need to produce content while on the go -- but still have modest technical requirements -- a MacBook Air is a better choice. As always, however, the decision is up to you.

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