Can i use an ipad instead of a macbook?
Sort of. Its processor is as powerful as a MacBook Air’s and it works with Bluetooth keyboards and Apple trackpads. But it’s held back from acting as a true replacement by iPadOS; that means, among other things, no useful dual-monitor support (it can only mirror, not extend, to a second display) and no support for full desktop applications. Though you might pooh-pooh the latter — after all, Apple says you can do it all with an iPad — most school and work requires you do do at least one thing you’ll find you need to do on a laptop. For instance, even if I could do my job on an iPad Pro (and it’s not even close), in order to access some corporate locations I have to run the VPN, which is only available on company-issued systems.
Many limitations of current mobile apps have carried through into iPadOS. In some cases it may just because developers are still building out apps and haven’t yet gotten them yet to full featuredom, though there’s no guarantee they ever will get there. Adobe Lightroom is a fine «light» Lightroom, but Adobe intended it from the start to be mobile-first, and thus lack ssome features important to professionals, including wired tethered shooting, optimization for local file storage (rather than cloud) and the ability to intelligently handle raw JPEG.
For more, read Is the iPad Pro your next laptop?.
Ipad 2021 vs. ipad air 2020 vs. ipad pro 2021 specs
| iPad 2021 10.2-inch (5th gen) | iPad Air 2020 10.9-inch (4th gen) | iPad Pro 2021 11-inch (3rd gen) | iPad Pro 2021 12.9-inch (9th gen) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display resolution | 2,160×1,620-pixel resolution | 2,360×1,640-pixel resolution | 2,388×1,668-pixel resolution | 2,732×2,048-pixel resolution |
| Pixel density (pixels per inch) | 264 ppi (Retina) | 264 ppi (Liquid Retina True Tone) | 264 ppi (Liquid Retina True Tone with ProMotion) | 264 ppi (Liquid Retina XDR True Tone with ProMotion) |
| Rear camera | 8-megapixel f2.4 | 12-megapixel f1.8 | 12-megapixel f1.8 wide, 10-megapixel f2.4 ultrawide | 12-megapixel f1.8 wide, 10-megapixel f2.4 ultrawide |
| Video recording | 1080p at 30fps | 4K at 24, 30 or 60fps; 1080p slo-mo at 120 or 240fps | 4K at 24, 30 or 60fps (wide); 60fps (ultrawide) | 4K at 24, 30 or 60fps (wide); 60fps (ultrawide) |
| FaceTime front-facing camera | 12-megapixel photos; 1080p video | 7-megapixel photos; 1080p video | 12-megapixel TrueDepth; 1080p video | 12-megapixel TrueDepth; 1080p video |
| Processor | A13 | A14 | M1 | M1 |
| Dimensions | 9.8×6.8×0.29 inches | 9.7x7x0.24 inches | 9.7x7x0.23 inches | 11×8.5×0.25 inches |
| Weight | 1.07 lbs. (Wi-Fi); 1.09 lbs. (LTE) | 1 lbs. (Wi-Fi); 1.01 lbs. (LTE) | 1.03 lbs. (Wi-Fi); 1.04 lbs. (LTE) | 1.5 lbs. (Wi-Fi); 1.51 lbs.(LTE) |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours use over Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours over cellular | Up to 10 hours use over Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours over cellular | Up to 10 hours use over Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours over cellular | Up to 10 hours use over Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours over cellular |
| Headphone jack | Yes | No | No | No |
| Connector port | Lightning; Apple Smart Connector | USB-C; Apple Smart Connector | USB-C with Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 support | USB-C with Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 support |
| Apple Pencil-compatibility | Yes; first generation | Yes; second generation | Yes; second generation | Yes; second generation |
| Unlock with | Touch ID | Touch ID | Face ID | Face ID |
| Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| SIM card support for cellular model | Nano-SIM; eSIM | Nano-SIM; eSIM | Nano-SIM; eSIM; 5G support (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) | Nano-SIM; eSIM; 5G support (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) |
| iPad Keyboard compatibility | Smart Keyboard | Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio | Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio | Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio |
| Audio | Two-speaker | Two-speaker | Four-speaker | Four-speaker |
| Capacity and price: Wi-Fi models | $329 (32GB) / $479 (256GB) | $599 (64GB) / $749 (256GB) | $799 (128GB) / $899 (256GB) / $1,099 (512GB) / $1,499 (1TB) / $1,899 (2TB) | $1,099 (128GB) / $1,199 (256GB) / $1,399 (512GB) / $1,799 (1TB) / $2,199 (2TB) |
| Capacity and price: LTE models | $459 (32GB) / $609(128GB) | $729 (64GB) / $879 (256GB) | $999 (128GB) / $1,099 (256GB) / $1,299 (512GB) / $1,699 (1TB) / $2,099 (2TB) | $1,299 (128GB) / $1,399 (256GB) / $1,599 (512GB) / $1,999 (1TB) / $2,399 (2TB) |
Which is better, the ipad pro 2021 or the ipad air 2020?
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