The Obvious Question: Air or iPad?

I’m going to play Carnac here for a bit and answer the question that I’m sure is on some of your minds…

If the MacBook Air were introduced at or near the same time, would I have bought the iPad or the Air or both? Well, I think I would have bought both eventually. The reason: They are fundamentally different devices that have much different purposes for me.

The iPad is the machine I use around the house. I use it for reading eBooks and Instapaper. I use it for playing music to my office speakers via the Airport Express. It is the machine I let my toddler use to play games and look at pictures without fear of breakage. It is familiar in the truest sense of the word.

The MacBook Air is fundamentally of a different breed and usage. I write. I research. I curate. I edit. Increasingly, I collaborate with others and do video and audio conferencing. While all of these things can be done on the iPad, for me they are more appropriately done on a Mac.

(Your actual mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. Please drink responsibly.)