Our Verdict
If you ’re look for a work twist first and foremost , the MacBook is the better option . There ’s a better range of work software on OS X , the hardware keyboard and Force Touch touchpad will be a all important advantage over a touchscreen , and the extra concealment space will be a blessing . If you ’re mostly going to be using e-mail , web surfing and easy gaming , the iPad is more likeable . It ’s tacky , it ’s lighter , it ’s got accession to the huge range of perfunctory games on iOS ( and has the power to deal with even the most advanced games on there too ) and it ’s incredibly drug user - friendly – even more so than the Mac .
Should I buy the Modern 12 - in MacBook or an iPad Air 2 ? I require a tiptop - portable calculation equipment for vane browsing , e-mail , some light employment and a picayune gambling on the go .
With the launching of thenew 12 - inch MacBook , Apple has added yet another super - portable computing twist to an already impressive line - up : theiPad Air 2tablet , for example , which launched in October 2014 , is similarly slimline and exceptionally portable , as well as fast and beautifully designed . But which of the two is the good option for Apple fans on the go ?
In our 12 - in MacBook vs iPad Air 2 comparison article we discuss and compare the specification , design , features and time value for money offered by the fresh 12 - in MacBook and the iPad Air 2 , and help Apple fans adjudicate which of the two is correct for them – or if some other ( Apple or non - Apple ) product could be a better option .
Read ourcomparison inspection of the MacBook Air and the MacBook , find out which is the best lightweight laptop
See also : our picture revaluation of the raw 12 - inch MacBook :
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: The basics
Apple ’s novel 12 - column inch MacBook is a marvel of portability . It ’s by a distance the slender laptop Apple has ever made , and the light too ; although some compromises have been made to achieve these things – such as , polemically , strip back its embrasure allocation to a individual USB - C breaker point for both datum and tycoon ( and a headphone port ) .
But if you care slim and spark , Apple ’s flagship tablet deserve a mention , because it ’s both of those things and ( by the standard of a tablet at any rate ) exceptionally fast too .
To get really basic , here ’s what you need to recognize about each :
The12 - inch MacBookis a laptop computer with a standard grapple design , meaning the keyboard one-half and the screen one-half fold together when it ’s closed . The keyboard is integrated and non - detachable , as is generally the case with laptops .
The ( non touchscreen ) display measures 12 inches , diagonally from quoin to street corner , and has a resolution of 2304 x 1440 pixels . The MacBook comes with a dual - core Intel Core M mainframe – either 1.1GHz or 1.2GHz , bet on how much you want to spend – and 8 GB of RAM ( but we ’ll get into tech specification in more detail in a bit ) .
It runs the Mac OS X operating scheme ( currently it comes withYosemitepreinstalled , but will most likely be able to promote toMac OS X 10.11for free when it launches later this year ) and any of the spacious range of software apps that are compatible with OS X. ( you’re able to alsorun Windows on the MacBookusing Boot Camp , and this unlocks the even gravid range of Windows - compatible software . )
Read : Is it possible to get a free iPad ? The truth about free iPad scams
TheiPad Air 2is a tablet . It does n’t have an integrated hardware keyboard , although you may buy a range ofdetachable wireless keyboards and keyboard casesto go with the iPad . In most situation a software keyboard will come along on the filmdom – this is less effective than a hardware keyboard because your fingers do n’t get any feedback ( tight , accurate touch - typewriting is n’t really an option , unless auto - correct is on skilful form ) but it usually does a hearty job .
The ( touchscreen ) presentation beat 9.7 inches , diagonally from corner to niche , and has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixel . The iPad Air 2 comes with a mobile processor , the A8X splintering . ( Apple does n’t release the eyeglasses of its mobile microprocessor chip but it ’s bruit that this is a ternary - core organization - on - a - check with a clock fastness of 1.5GHz . ) It has 2 GB of RAM .
The iPad consort the iOS operating organization ( it presently comes withiOS 8preinstalled but will be able to update toiOS 9when it follow out afterwards this year ) and virtually all of the 1.4 million or so apps available on the Apple App Store . ( A piddling over half of these are officially iPad - compatible , but you canrun most iPhone - only apps on an iPad , either blown up artificially to fill the full screen – which may result in pixellated , pitiful - timber graphics – or in a small window in the eye of the screen . ) You canjailbreak an iPadto execute unauthorized apps , but if you are n’t willing to do this you are restricted to Apple - approved apps only .
Has that helped your decision ? If not , we had well move on to more elaborate analytic thinking of the two machine .
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: Portability, dimensions and weight
We ’re looking at these devices from the view of extremely wandering substance abuser , calculation , gaming and nurse themselves on the go . So portability is a fundamental factor .
Here are the vital statistic of these two ultra - slim machine .
12 - inch MacBook:280.5 millimeter x 196.5 mm tenner 3.5–13.1 mm . Weight : 920giPad Air 2:240 mm x 169.5 mm x 6.1 mm . free weight : 437 gravitational constant ( for WiFi - only modelling ) or 444 K ( for cellular model )
( I ’ve converted the MacBook ’s figure to mm and gram for ease of comparison , so there may be some minor rounding error error . )
As you may see , the 12 - inch MacBook is corresponding in terms of height , width and deepness : it ’s about 17 percent longer and 16 pct spacious than the iPad Air 2 ( place flat in landscape painting configuration ) and similarly svelte . But it ’s more than double as heavy . If vestal portability is your purpose , the iPad Air 2 is the stronger pick here .
Part of the reasonableness why the MacBook is so much heavy is down to the integrated keyboard , which we ’ll talk over next .
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: Keyboard and touchpad
If you require to use your equipment for mobile working , think the importance to you of a hardware keyboard . If this is all important , then you ’ll need to factor out in the toll , exercising weight and general inconvenience of aseparate keyboardwhen planning an iPad leverage . TheLogitech Type+ Keyboard Folio Case for iPad Air 2 , for instance , will tot £ 79.95 to the bill and 425 thousand to the exercising weight , almost eliminate the weight advantage .
But do you postulate a hardware keyboard ? Many people find package keyboards ( such as the nonremittal system keyboard in iOS ) fine for short or even mid - length typing assignments , but almost everyone prefers a strong keyboard for prospicient - soma , proper work – they are almost always quick and more exact in the recollective term .
If you ’ll chiefly be typewrite out emails and iMessages , the software system keyboard will do you gallant . If you designate to write essays , news articles or frequent protracted web log posts , you may need to think about a separate keyboard – although the power to take the keyboard off and leave it behind when you just desire to wreak games on the caravan is a dainty fillip .
The keyboard in the 12 - inch MacBook , by the way , is clearly something that Apple is proud of . The fellowship is keen to accent that it ’s a full - size keyboard , for one thing , even though what it really means is that the keys are full - size – something that ’s impressive in a laptop that ’s so petite . Still , to press the keyboard into the portable chassis the key have been commit unusually close together , so typing may not be quite as tranquil and flowing ( at least as first ) as when you ’re using the giant modelling that came with your microcomputer .
And the keys themselves have been redesigned with a new ‘ butterfly stroke ’ mechanism instead of the old ‘ scissor ’ one . We ’re not sure that ’s such a big deal , beware you , and would sure as shooting want to spend some quality time play with it ; it seems mainly design to allow for accurate key imperativeness in a slimline laptop build .
On a related to note , the 12 - inch MacBook – like the raw 13 - inch MacBook Pro , but unlike all the other MacBooks that Apple sell – fall with a redesign touchpad . This is called the Force Touch , and incorporates some minor haptic element . In essence , you could do strong presses and soft presses , and specify to OS hug drug what each one does . It ’s fun but again , we ’re still getting used to it .
In the following video we explicate the fashion Force Touch work and some of the thing you may currently do with it :
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: Screen
The MacBook has a bigger screen , and that alone may make the decision for some potential buyers . ( Funnily enough , the dimensions of the unexampled MacBook ’s blind pretty much match what we were expecting from theiPad Pro or iPad Plus ; it ’s possible that sightings of constituent for the MacBook was what set out that rumor in the first property … )
A 12 - inch screen might not seem drastically bigger than a 9.7 - inch one , but in term of screen door country it ’s more than 40 pct extra blank . That can make all the difference if you like watching films or playing diagrammatically arresting games , or just want to be able to view the whole of a spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation . ( The level to which those latter two activities are possible on the iPad is something we ’ll discuss in the software discussion section afterward . )
The iPad Air 2 ’s screenland is a tad sharper than the MacBook ’s : its pixels are less stretched out , with a pixel density of 264 pixel per inch ( ppi ) to the MacBook ’s 226ppi . Mind you , you ’re probable to apply the MacBook with your eyes further from the concealment ( you should do , surely ) , so the oecumenical rule is that less optical sharpness is necessary to achieve a alike eye - fooling effect . Both silver screen are officially rat asRetina .
One other point that will credibly stand in the iPad ’s favour : its show is a touchscreen , which makes oecumenical use a little more instantaneous , and a trivial more visceral . You just concern the ikon with your finger and move it , or abstract the Thomas Nelson Page up and down as if it ’s a physical object you ’re moving . watch over a nestling playing with an iPad and you ’ll understand how substance abuser - friendly its control system really is , and how unnecessarily complicated we ’ve made computing , with our keyboard , touchpads and mice .
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: Performance
We ’re going to get to specs in a mo , but first let ’s pick out one finical aspect : processing power .
Direct comparability between the processing muscle of the 12 - in MacBook and the iPad Air 2 are pointless as well as dodgy , because no exclusive piece of software will run on both devices . What counts is how well each equipment copes with the reach of software usable to it . ( And how well that stove of software package accomplishes what you desire to do , but we ’ll address that in the software section . )
The iPad Air 2 ’s A8X chip is according to report clock only a little faster than the MacBook ’s Intel Core M ( although it is think to be triple- rather than dual - core ) but within its course of instruction it ’s a entirely different narration . The A8X is form - leading , and the iPad Air 2 is about as tight as any tablet in 2015 . It can take to the woods any of the software program on the App Store with contemptuous ease .
Above : Here ’s one fairly demanding 3D game that the iPad Air 2 handles with relief : Deus Ex : The Fall .
By contrast , and by the banner of the laptop computer market , the 12 - inch MacBook is generally felt to be a footling underpowered . OS decade - compatible software has the voltage to be run by a wide range of ironware , from the Mac mini to the Mac Pro , and there ’s pot of software out there that the 12 - inch MacBook will struggle to handle – such as a fair few recent games .
Best Mac games|Best iPad game
Whether this is a problem for you look on what you want to do with your equipment . The really demanding package – the stuff that people be given on aMac Pro – encompasses graphic design suite , video recording editors , photo editors and the comparable , as well as high - end game . If that ’s what you need to run for , the 12 - column inch MacBook is not for you , but then again , with the exception of gaming ( which , in the slightly more circumscribed form that iOS games take when equate to desktop ones , the iPad Air 2 excels at ) an iPad belike is n’t for you either . We would advocate one of Apple ’s powerful MacBook Pro laptop computer , most potential , or a Mac background ( an iMac or a Mac Pro ) .
If you ’re going to habituate your equipment for surfing the web , electronic mail , a little work and a piffling sluttish gaming , as we discussed at the first , the MacBook will do you ticket . As will the iPad Air 2 , although its range of usable software is more limited . More on that before long .
We ’ll update this comparison with some detailed velocity examination once we ’ve got the MacBook in our labs . But here ’s how the iPad Air 2 compares to its fellow Apple tab . It ’s a bit of a powerhouse :
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: Tech specs
Here are a few more tech glasses to give you an melodic theme of the respective power and capabilities of the two devices . One thing that may be deserving indicate out is the RAM storage allocation : the 12 - inch MacBook has four meter as much , which may help oneself to overcome some of the disadvantage of its slower central processor ( although , as we explain above , direct comparisons in that respect are mostly unhelpful ) .
12 - inch MacBook :
12 - inch ( diagonal ) LED - backlit Retina display with IPS technology 2304×1440 resolution at 226 pixels per inch 16:10 look ratio Processor 1.1GHz dual - heart and soul Intel Core M central processing unit ( Turbo Boost up to 2.4GHz ) with 4 MB shared L3 memory cache , or 1.2GHz dual - core Intel Core M C.P.U. ( Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz ) with 4 MiB shared L3 cache ; Configurable to 1.3GHz dual - core Intel Core M processor ( Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz ) with 4 MiB shared L3 hoard . 8 GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory 256 GB PCIe - based onboard flash storage or 512 GB PCIe - ground onboard flash storage Intel HD Graphics 5300 double showing and video mirroring : at the same time supports full aboriginal resolution on the build - in display and up to 3840×2160 picture element on an external display , both at millions of colours Wireless 802.11ac Wi?Fi wireless networking ; IEEE 802.11a / b / gibibyte / n compatible Bluetooth 4.0 radio engineering USB - C interface with accompaniment for : Charging USB 3.1 Gen 1 ( up to 5 Gbps ) Native DisplayPort 1.2 video recording output VGA yield using USB - C VGA Multiport Adapter ( sold separately ) HDMI TV production using USB - C Digital AV Multiport Adapter ( sold individually ) 480p FaceTime television camera Stereo speakers double microphones Headphone port Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone Keyboard and Trackpad Full - sizing keyboard with 78 ( US ) or 79 ( ISO ) individual lead backlit keys , include 12 social occasion Francis Scott Key and 4 arrow key with ambient light sensor Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure - sensing potentiality ; enable forcefulness clicks , accelerators , pressure - sensitive drawing and Multi - Touch gesture assault and battery : Up to 9 hour wireless web ; Up to 10 hours iTunes film playback . build - in 39.7 - watt - hour lithium - polymer battery 29W USB - C Power Adapter ; USB - cytosine mogul port Height : 0.35–1.31 cm ; Width : 28.05 cm ; profundity : 19.65 cm ; Weight : 0.92 kg
iPad Air 2 :
A8X processor chip with 64 - bit computer architecture ; M8 move coprocessor 2 GB RAM 16 GB , 64 gibibyte or 128 GB storage 9.7 - inch ( diagonal ) top - backlit widescreen Multi - Touch display with IPS technology ; 2048×1536 - picture element answer at 264 ppi ; Fingerprint - insubordinate oleophobic coating ; Fully laminated display ; Anti - reflective coat Rear - face iSight Camera : 8Mp still photo ; Autofocus ; ƒ/2.4 aperture ; Five - element electron lens ; Hybrid IR filter ; Backside illumination ; Face detection ; Exposure control condition ; Panorama ( up to 43Mp ) ; Burst style ; rap to focus ; Photo geotagging ; Timer fashion ; 1080p HD video transcription ( 30 fps ) ; Slo - mo ( 120 fps ) ; Time - lapse video ; television trope stabilization ; 3x video zoom ; Video geotagging Front - facing FaceTime HD Camera : 1.2Mp still photos ; ƒ/2.2 aperture ; 720p HD television recording ; Backside illuminance ; Auto HDR photos and video ; Face spying ; Burst mode ; Exposure control ; Timer mode Wi - Fi ( 802.11a / b / gibibyte / n / ac ) ; dual channel ( 2.4GHz and 5GHz ) ; HT80 with MIMO ; Bluetooth 4.0 engineering science Audio Playback : Frequency reply : 20Hz to 20,000Hz ; Audio data format supported : AAC ( 8 to 320 Kbps ) , Protected AAC ( from iTunes Store ) , HE - AAC , MP3 ( 8 to 320 Kbps ) , MP3 VBR , Audible ( formats 2 , 3 , 4 , Audible Enhanced Audio , AAX and AAX+ ) , Apple Lossless , AIFF and WAV ; drug user - configurable maximum intensity limit Video formats supported : H.264 picture up to 1080p , 60 flesh per 2nd , High Profile spirit level 5.0 with AAC - LC audio up to 160 Kbps , 48kHz , stereophonic system audio in .m4v , .mp4 and .mov file formats ; MPEG-4 television up to 2.5 Mbps , 640×480 pixels , 30 frames per secondment , Simple Profile with AAC - LC sound recording up to 160 Kbps per channel , 48kHz , stereophonic system audio in .m4v , .mp4 and .mov file format ; Motion JPEG ( M - JPEG ) up to 35 Mbps , 1280×720 pixels , 30 frames per 2nd , audio in ulaw , PCM stereo audio frequency in .avi data file format ramp up - in 27.3 - watt - hour rechargeable lithium - polymer battery ; Up to 10 hour of surfing the web on Wi - Fi , watching picture or listening to medicine ( Apple ’s claimed figure ) Touch ID fingerprint electronic scanner Three - axis gyroscope Accelerometer Barometer Ambient light sensor Siri Lightning connective Height : 240 mm ; Width : 169.5 mm ; Depth : 6.1 mm ; Weight : 437 g ( Wi - Fi simulation ) , 444 g ( Wi - Fi plus cellular model )
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: Software
Other than the hardware keyboard , this is the vainglorious differentiator between the MacBook and the iPad . They go whole different and separate libraries of package , as well as a different operating scheme under it all .
The MacBook is based on Mac OS X , a ‘ background OS ’ and one that is therefore tractable to a certain amount of tinkering and customisation . Less so than most desktop OS , admittedly , but far more so than iOS , the mobile operating system that the iPad is based on .
iOS – unless you are willing to jailbreak it – is a certain system , allowing package downloads only if they come from one specific storefront ( the iOS App Store ) and the bare minimum of customisation – you ca n’t evendelete any of the pre - installed appsthat are on the equipment when you buy it . ( This does seem to be improving slow , however . In iOS 8 , the most recent version , Apple added the power to download and install third - political party system - wide of the mark keyboards , for representative , and allowed special and mediated data exchange between third - party apps . )
More significantly than customisability , however , is the image of software that these organisation can lam . developer have been making software for OS X for more than a decade , and the range of compatible apps is huge – and that ’s ignoring the even bigger compass of Windows software that you’re able to apply if you use Boot Camp to run Windows on the MacBook . Mac software system runs the gamut from high - end graphic designer cock to round-eyed utilities and a becoming range of game . The orbit of office / productivity software on Mac is extensive .
iOS has a lot of apps too – there ’s more than 700,000 officially iPad - compatible offerings on the App Store – but they are seldom as ambitious as the top - end software on Mac OS X. The debate still rages refer the iPad ’s feasibility as a work peter : most now concord that it can answer in this capacity , with Microsoft ’s office staff apps now among the wide miscellany of productiveness tool useable on iOS , but few would refuse that it ’s more limited in this deference than a Mac .
Best iPad games|Best free iPad games|Best gratis iPad apps
So useable software package is an important factor to weigh , in tandem with careful analysis of the activeness you design to do on your equipment . Certain activities are ply for better by screen background platforms ( graphical design , foresighted - article Christian Bible processing ) , and certain sub - categories too : in the play sphere , for example , there are lots of brilliant tower - defence and puzzle secret plan on the iPad , but only a few desktop - quality first - person gun .
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: Battery life
The 12 - inch MacBook has a more significant battery whole than the iPad Air 2 ( 39.7 watt - hours , compared with 27.3 James Watt - hours ) , but because of its greater power demands it ’s likely to last a small less time away from a main supply . Malus pumila rate the MacBook at 9 hours of wireless connection surfing , and the iPad at 10 , and our testing has always backed up the honesty – modesty , even – of Apple ’s stamp battery aliveness claims .
Indeed , recent testing we ’ve been run for on the fresh MacBook Pro has resulted in some startlingly gamey anatomy , so you may find that your 12 - column inch MacBook last considerably longer than the heel figure in practice .
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: Price
The iPad Air 2 is a far cheaper option . Here ’s how the MacBook and iPad compare on price :
12 - inch MacBook:£1,049 ( 1.1GHz/256 GB model ) or £ 1,299 ( 1.2GHz/512 GB model)iPad Air 2:£399 , £ 479 , £ 559 ( 16GB/64GB/128 GB WiFi models ) or £ 499 , £ 579 , £ 659 ( 16GB/64GB/128 GB cellular model )
New 12-inch MacBook vs iPad Air 2: Buying decision
The iPad Air 2 and the new 12 - inch MacBook feel like similar products – both beautiful , faint , slimline computation gadget , available in black , flatware and gold , that are aim at the Apple fan on the go . They ’re both based on a single datum / power embrasure too .
But there are some big differences to consider . While both are very portable by the standards of their family , the iPad is a pile more portable – put on you’re able to go without a hardware keyboard . If you ’re going to be doing a lot of typing , you should factor out in the extra cost and weighting of a disjoined keyboard compositor’s case .
The fundamental divergence is the fact that the MacBook run Mac OS X and the iPad campaign iOS , and despite continual rumours that these system of rules are going to fuse they stay distinct chopine tailor to different use scenarios .
If you ’re looking for a work machine , principally , the MacBook is the better option of the two here . There ’s a better compass of employment software on OS X , the ironware keyboard and Force Touch touchpad will be a crucial reward over a touchscreen , and the extra screen space will be a blessing .
If you ’re looking at a nomadic companion for a short light work but mostly email , entanglement surfing and unclouded gaming , the iPad is more appealing . It ’s cheaper , it ’s lighter , it ’s stimulate access to the huge mountain chain of casual games on iOS ( and has the power to manage with even the most advanced secret plan on there too ) and it ’s incredibly user - well-disposed – even more so than the Mac .
But do n’t push aside your other pick . On the Apple front , remember the MacBook Air , which is also very portable and comes with more ports – this is a skillful gimmick for lightheaded work , and can amount with a 13 - inch screen if you need . It ’s also a cheaper option than the 12 - column inch MacBook . The MacBook Pro is a good option than the 12 - in MacBook for work that ’s conk out to place large demand on the processor ( music production and video editing , say ) . And there are cheaper iPads ( the older iPad Air 1 , or one of the small iPad minis ) that may miss the iPad Air 2 ’s processing ability but still do the business .
For more information on both categories , see ourMac buy guideand ouriPad purchasing guide .
Finally , even thought this is Macworld you should n’t disregard the possibility of buy from someone other than Apple . window laptops are almost always cheesy than a OS X laptop of equivalent major power , and if you like or are used to the Windows weapons platform you’re able to profit from the vast program library of Windows package . We think Macs are deserving the extra money because of their gamy soma quality and security measure , and the user - friendliness of OS X , but plenty of people disaccord with us . See ourMac vs PCarticle for more thought on that front .
And there are non - iPad tablets out there , even though we tend to think the Android alternatives are systematically of a low tone than Apple ’s tablets . An Android tablet is probable to be a cheaper option , and Android is a far more customisable operating system than iOS ; there are pros and yardbird to both side .
Hopefully this has been helpful . Good luck , and happy computation .
look at iPad Air 2 on the Apple Store|View the new 12 - in MacBook on Apple ’s website
