What's better, the MacBook or iPad Pro? Here's how to pick the best Apple ultraportable for you!
Apple now offers an iPad that's close to a Mac ... and a Mac that's close to an iPad: iPad Pro and the new MacBook. iPad Pro now comes in two sizes, 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch, and runs iOS 10 on an Apple A9X processor. MacBook comes in one size, 12-inches, and runs macOS Sierra on an Intel Skylake Core M. Both are ideal for everything from planes to coffeeshops, classrooms to boardrooms to living rooms. But which one is ideal for you?
Models and price points
iPad Pro starts at $599 for the 9.7-inch 32 GB model with Wi-Fi and goes up to $1129 for the 12.9-inch 256 GB model with LTE. The processor stays constant at the Apple A9X. Apple Pencil runs an additional $99 and the Smart Keyboard, $129.
The MacBook starts at $1299 for a 1.1 GHz Core m3 with 256 GB of storage, and goes up to $1749 for a 1.3 GHz Core m7 with 512 GB. Wi-Fi is the only option.
While the MacBook is technically more expensive, adding all the accessories brings the fully loaded iPad Pro right up to the entry level MacBook price point.
Screen sizes and display densities
iPad Pro comes with two screen size options. Both have a 4:3 aspect ratio. The 12.9-inch is a 2732x2048 Retina display at 264ppi. That's the largest iOS display Apple has ever shipped. Though it's not quite as dense as iPad mini, and much less than iPhone 7 Plus, the larger size means you'll likely hold it slightly further away, making it effectively equal. The panel is LED backlit and boasts in-plane switching (IPS) technology for improved viewing angles. It's also laminated with a new anti-glare coating and sports a new variable refresh rate, making it one of Apple's most advanced displays ever.
The 9.7-inch is a 2048x1536 Retina display at 264ppi. It also features a DCI-P3 wide color gamut, and a True Tone technology that adjusts the color temperature to match ambient light, making it look paper-white.
The MacBook has a 16:10 aspect ratio, 12-inch, 2304x1440 Retina display at 226ppi. It's got larger apertures in each pixel and an LED backlight designed for maximum energy efficiency.
Physically, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro doesn't just have a bigger screen than the MacBook, it has many more pixels and a slightly higher density. The 9.7-inch iPad has a more advanced display than both.
Processor power and battery life
iPad Pro has Apple's newest A9X system-on-a-chip (SoC), which includes both the custom 64-bit ARMv8-based Twister CPU a multicore Imagination PowerVR GPU. It's also got an M9 motion-coprocessor and Apple lists it as having up to 10 hours of wireless web use or video playback.
The MacBook has a dual-core Intel Core M (Skylake Y) processor with integrated Intel HD Graphics 515. Apple lists it as having up to 10 hours of wireless web use and 9 hours of video playback.
On some benchmarks, the iPad Pro might beat the MacBook, but overall Apple's mobile processors are starting to make Intel's cry.
Input methods
iPad Pro has a multitouch display that's used for direct manipulation. You can tap, swipe, pinch, and otherwise gesture your way though the entire operating system and all of its apps. For text input, it has a virtual, predictive keyboard. There's also an optional Apple Pencil that can handle pressure sensitivity and even tilt, and a Smart Connector for direct keyboard integration.
MacBook has a Force Touch trackpad with support for Force Click and gestures, allowing for more subtle and powerful interactions. It also has a built-in full-size keyboard with new butterfly switches.
You can add a keyboard to the iPad Pro and get close to a MacBook experience. You can't add a capacitive display to the MacBook.
Ports and expansion
iPad Pro has a Lightning connector. With it, you can use adapters (sold separately) to interface with non-powered USB devices, principally cameras and SD cards, principally to retrieve photos. It can also connect to VGA and HDMI displays, and iPad-specific accessories for video, music, and more.
The MacBook has a USB-C connector. With it, you can use USB-C peripherals, or adapters for USB-A, VGA, and HDMI, to connect to almost any standard computer peripheral.
Although it has the fewest ports and expansion options of any Mac ever, the MacBook still has greater access to peripherals than the iPad Pro.
Operating systems
iPad Pro ships with iOS 10, Apple's mobile operating system. It's single user but now supports picture-in-picture, slide over, and split view multi-app multitasking. It also has an iCloud Drive app and better support for storage providers, making it easier to work with files. Beyond that, it has all the features, new and old, available to any iOS device.
MacBook runs Apple's latest laptop and desktop operating system, macOS Sierra. It's a multi-user, multi-window operating system the combines all the power of a traditional UNIX environment with a full-on graphical user interface, and even an iOS-like launcher layer. It's not as accessible to the mainstream, but it's more functional for those familiar with computers.
Software and services
iPad Pro has access to the iOS App Store which boasts over one million apps, over half of which are optimized to run on its bigger screen. It includes apps in all categories, from games to productivity, communications to entertainment. Most of them are free or extremely cheap. The iPad Pro can also run HTML5 web apps, but can't download or run apps from internet locations or any app store other than Apple's. It increasingly contains modern takes on classic apps like Microsoft Office, Adobe Lightroom, GarageBand, iMove, Coda, and Pixelmator, as well as unique apps all its own, like Procreate and Adobe Comp.
MacBook has the Mac App Store, which works similarly to the iOS App Store and provides secure access to all kinds of games, productivity, communications, and entertainment apps. Macs can also run HTML5 web apps, as well as apps downloaded from the web or other app stores. This includes desktop-class apps unavailable to iOS, like Xcode, Final Cut Pro X, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, and many more.
Who should get the iPad Pro?
iPad Pro is best suited for people for whom traditional computers have always been inaccessible, intimidating, or otherwise off-putting. It's not only as powerful as many laptops, it can empower more people to get more out of it, thanks to the directness of its interface and simplicity of its operations. It's even got a Pencil and attachable keyboard now. If sitting in front of a computer ever made you feel stuck in place, or lost, get an iPad Pro.
iPad Pro is also ideally suited for people who want the absolute lightest computing experience possible for use around the house or while traveling. For everything from gaming to working (especially with the Pencil and keyboard) it can accomplish everything but the most intense computing tasks, in the most highly portable form factor yet devised. And you can get it in 12.9-inches and the even more portable, better looking 9.7-inch model.
Who should get the MacBook?
The MacBook is best suited for people who are used to and require a traditional computing experience. From advanced keyboard shortcuts to drag-and-drop workflows, to multiple users, to Terminal, to... you get the idea. It's everything you need in a Unix box and modern graphical user interface in the best blend of portability and power currently on the market. If you need to run Photoshop, Pro Tools, Xcode, Final Cut Pro X, or other high-end software on the go, you need a MacBook.
Thanks to its adapters, the MacBook can also be hooked into most networks, and most storage, on the market, making it a useable workstation when it needs to be. If you absolutely have to have a laptop, but you want the most minimal laptop possible, look into a MacBook. If the MacBookr isn't quite enough for you, look into the slightly bigger and more powerful 13-inch MacBook Air, or even the considerably more powerful MacBook Pro
Still undecided?
Some people are mobile first and just want an iPad. Others are computer-first and need a laptop. Still others split the difference and get either an iPad mini and a MacBook, or an iPad Pro and an iMac. The great thing about options is that you can find the perfect device, or pair of devices, that best suit your individual needs.
If you're still having trouble choosing between an iPad and a MacBook, jump into our iPad discussion forums or Mac discussion forums and the best community in mobile will happily help you out.
Reader comments
iPad Pro vs. MacBook: Which should you buy?
I find I do 90 percent of my personal "computer" time on my iPad. I use a desktop at work and my desktop at home is primarily for gaming. I kept buying laptops out of habit when I was going to college in the evenings part time and then grad school, the laptop was something I would use outside of the home in the library or coffee shop.
Then the past couple of years the Macbook or Windows laptop that I owned started collecting dust and hardly used when I finished going to school. My iPad was always up to date with app updates where as when I used my laptop I would be patching it since the last round of updates came out. Then Dropbox, iCloud, iMessage, email etc would be updating the gazillion changes since the last time I booted it up.
I realize that I need a desktop and the tablet replaced my laptop, if I didn't have a desktop I would probably have a laptop and a tablet.
Good question - I recently bought a MacBook, but I if I'd seen the iPad pro before purchasing it I may have waited. I often wish I could use iPad apps on my Mac. Sometimes I want a simpler, touch interface to do things like edit photos.
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The Smart Keyboard is $169, the article has it listed as $129.
The magic keyboard is 129... The smart keyboard for iPad is 169
I know that, but the article says "The Apple Pencil runs an additional $99 and the Smart Keyboard, $129." which is why I said it's incorrect.
I mostly use my iPad over my MBP and could do with the extra screen size, but I am very disappointed Apple haven't included the 3D touch with the iPad Pro. Why ignore a significant feature they just introduced, other than to get us to upgrade again next year
That's exactly the reason why, I bet next year all the new iPad models will feature 3D Touch, encouraging people to upgrade.
only possible reason I can think of is the technology to integrate both 3D Touch & the digitizer onto the screen wasn't ready yet. A cynic would say Apple wants to force you to upgrade.
I resisted buying an iPP because of the lack of 3D Touch; however, I got sick of waiting for the new MBP and needed my fix. Honestly, I don't miss the feature and I'm not sure it makes much sense to have it on a display this big (I have the 9.7). If you have it docked in the Smart Keyboard, as I often do, you would probably knock the device over trying to Force Touch an app/ link. Instead, I'd like to see the functionality of 3D Touch implemented with a long press. I can do without the haptic feedback.
Goddamned iPad pro should be running full OS X. Problem solved....
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But then it wouldn't be an iPad. OSX isn't built for touch screens
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It could be.
Possibly, though every existing Mac app would have to be redesigned unless some sort of iOS app emulator is made, seems messy though, I can't see Apple doing this. I'd be happy if iOS got file-system support and the Pro apps (e.g. Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro)
Only way I would get rid of my MacBook.
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I'll wait for 3D Touch on the iPad Pro. Also, the keyboard add-on landscape still has to evolve. The Apple keyboard is fairly expensive, but no backlight? To me that is crucial and for that price methinks they could have incorporated it. In a year or more I expect there will be a plethora of keyboard options and the main bugs zapped from the platform.
The fanless MacBook was never on my radar, to be frank. However, if you asked me to choose between an iPad Pro (plus Pencil and Keyboard) and a 13" MacBook Pro (which costs around the same), at this point in time it'd still be the MBP, simply because of the applications. This might change in future as more of the creative app makers leverage the iPad Pro's performance potential and build apps that are truly capable of replacing their desktop counterparts, and I hope it does happen soon because I've fallen out of love with OS X over the last couple of years. Having an iPad Pro with which I could start and finalize my design and image editing work and a Linux system on the for "traditional" everyday computing is the balance I'm currently seeking.
"The iPad Pro is also ideally suited for people who want the absolute lightest computing experience possible for use around the house or while traveling."
Sorry, that would be a Chromebook, especially the touchscreen-enabled convertible models like the Asus Flip. Even among the Apple hardware sphere, that would be an iPad Mini. So, that statement was just false, 180 degrees from true, up is down, down is up, 2+2=5 type so not true.
Also, there is no reason to favor an iPad Pro over a MacBook. For goodness sakes, you would be paying $800 for a device with 32 GB of storage that is only able to run mobile apps, and at a 13' size forfeits the main benefit of tablets in the first place, which is convenient portability. For $800 get a real computer with a full-fledged OS that can run real productivity applications and actual storage. And if you are one of those famous "money is no object" Apple fans, go ahead and spend the $1300 for a MacBook.
Look, if your company decides to saddle you with one of these white elephants because their stock price is through they roof and they have money to burn in some attempt to appear west coast progressive and cool, so be it. Let them spend the money for a laptop form factor with a mobile OS. OR if you simply want to be able to play mobile games and do other casual fun stuff on a bigger screen, great. My next tablet will probably be a Lenovo Yoga Pro (the old one that is 12 inches, not the newer 10 inch version) that will be great for Google Play Movies and Kindle e-books (plus it has a pico projector). But if you are buying an $800 13' mobile device to do productivity work when there are tons of devices (including very thin, very portable laptops) at a similar price point that actually have a productivity OS and productivity software suites (as well as actual onboard storage) ... you are someone who is just into gadgets. Period.
Bla Bla Bla
"Also, there is no reason to favor an iPad Pro over a MacBook."
It's assuring to know that you speak for and know what's best or the entire computing using population. /sss
Chromebook? Really? You must be joking.
I don't know anyone who owns a Chromebook
I own one. It is fantastic for web-browsing, email, etc. Battery lasts as long as my MacBook Air does, and if I drop it, or someone steals it, I won't be as angry as I would be dropping my MacBook Air, or iPad Air 2.
Yesterday I took advantage of a $125 off sale on the iPad Air 2 and upgraded my old iPad Air. I got the 128 GB version. For $574, the extra 4 inches of space isn't really worth the extra $400 to me. The Air 2 is still a really solid device.
Yeah lots of sales in places like Target and Best Buy for the iPad Air 2, I saw 150 bucks off the 128 GB model at Best Buy
I bought my 64GB iPad Air 2 on sale at Best Buy for $299 a year ago...Haven't seen it that cheap since.
The title of the article should be, iPad Pro or Macbook Pro, and the answer is?, both.
I feel this can be made more simply...
1 - Do you want an iPad with a keyboard, and ability to run mac class apps = Macbook
2 - Do you want a portable magazine consumption device, that show the future but might not deliver it = iPad Pro
choice is yours.
"Do you want a portable magazine consumption device, that show the future but might not deliver it"
People said the same thing about the Mac when it was first introduced in 1984. Good thing Apple ignored them.
That's why he said "shows". There's no debate that tablet form factors are fantastic for most people, and the future. I just ordered a Surface Pro 4.
However, the iPad isn't there yet. This model won't be, but obviously they'll continue to improve it. Hence your comment about 1984.
Do you're both saying almost the same thing.
Just got the email:
"Your items are ready for pickup.
Just follow these instructions. We’ll see you soon."
Well heck that was fast.....
*Tin Hat On*
"Should you get an iPad Pro or a MacBook?"
No, you should get a Surface Pro and get a productivity OS in an easily switchable tablet form factor with the pen included for free.
;p
in·se·cu·ri·ty
ˌinsəˈkyo͝orədē/
noun
1.
uncertainty or anxiety about oneself; lack of confidence.
"she had a deep sense of insecurity"
synonyms: lack of confidence, self-doubt, diffidence, unassertiveness, timidity, uncertainty, nervousness, inhibition;
Yeah right.......and run the horror that is Windows? Sorry, no thanks.
I have an iPad 4 with 128 MB of RAM and I love it. I use it daily on my desk with the Noteshelf app and a 53 stylus — it has replaced my paper notebooks totally. I have a MacBook Pro 2011 at home and a rocketship Windows 7 PC at work. In addition to the notebook function, my iPad is a media and email device so the MacBook could work for that part but it can't be my notetaking device. So I'm ready to upgrade now!
I want to hold the iPad Pro in my hand and see how it feels when I write on it and carry it around. If it's too big, I'll bump down to the iPad Air 2. I want to like the iPad Pro and I'm anxious to hold it when it comes to the Apple Store.
That's a funkton of RAM you have there. What kind of voodoo-mod-shop did you have it done at?
it was the first ipad to have that much ram. it's cool to have it. my 6 has 64 and it's not enough for all my music.
Luckily it's storage space. i believe they come with 1 gb of ram. The wrong term was used.
Just came back from the Apple Store and have my new iPad pro 128 wifi in hand. It was the only color they had in stock. The keyboard case isn't available yet. I'll switch to the new iPad tonite on my Mac iTunes.
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iPad Pro if you don't need the traditional computing experience/accessibility!
I think for most people the "traditional computing experience" is what the iPad does minus not having filesystem access. The average person uses a computer for web browsing, sending emails, office work possibly, instant messaging, fairly basic tasks which can easily be done by the iPad
A few weeks ago I was trying to decide between a MacBook and an iPad Pro. I ended up buying a MacBook Pro.
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You can't sign documents on an MacBook because it doesn't have a touchscreen. There is my reason why I would go for the iPad Pro. But I am happy with my iPad mini for now.
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Not true. I do it all the time with Preview, DocuSign and other similar Apps on Macs.
In fact anyone who does daily document creation, editing, or detailed review of spreadsheets, presentations, or text, will be doing this on a Mac or PC in the MS Office suite for awhile. Despite what the fan-boys and fan-girl at iMore say, iOS, no matter how big of a device, won't cut it for these tasks. iOS is about document reading and media consumption. Not for creation or heavy editing of business documents.
There's a reason why schools and companies are not giving their students or knowledge workers iPads! Many of us will be sporting iOS devices and a Mac for awhile!
Can't you do it with the trackpad (where the whole trackpad acts as the signing box)? This is the way you use handwriting input for Chinese characters
I've been holding on to a 2011 MBP for the last year waiting patently for a well needed upgrade. The new MacBook looked like a possible candidate , and the iPad Pro was also a possibility. The stress level over this purchase for the last month has been higher than any Apple purchase. I happily pulled the trigger on ATV, Watch, 5k iMac, 6s+and the Magic Stuff. (damn I've spent too much this year) But honestly this was a significant purchase, not because of price, but it's a machine I will use more than all other combined. I was really hoping for a MBP refresh this Nov. Didn't happen, Last night I had enough, MacBook didn't feel right, and not ready to live completely in iOS, So............ Ordered a R-MBP 15 loaded, it's done. I'm still pissed because I could have had this machine 10 months ago, I wish Macs were on a cycle like iOS devices.
By and large, I like this review! It's well written, it does a good job of not only distingishing between the relative strengths and weaknesses of each OS, and the related devices in question, but also of what kind of user would best benefit from each. You also address the prospect that the only truly satisfying answer is both. To all this, I say Amen and Amen.
However, I do have some thoughts:
1) iPads (and iOS), as well as MacBooks (and MacOS) are all outstanding products. But in the Apple ecosystem, you only have three choices: a) pass on iOS and just settle with MacOS, b) pass on MacOS and just settle with iOS, or c) be required to buy two [quite expensive] devices. For many of us, that leaves us with no easy answer, other than a VERY costly answer. I think there's a VERY strong case to be made for MacOS (and a Macbook) being a better desktop solution than a Surface (though I'm not 100% sure I'd subscribe). And I think at least at this point it's all but indisputable that iOS (and an iPad) is a better tablet solution than a Surface. HOWEVER, only a Surface (or a Surface clone) is BOTH a desktop AND a tablet all in one device. The iPad, on the one hand, is an AWESOME tablet! The iPad, on the other hand, is ONLY a tablet - yes, even with a keyboard and stylus! The Macbook, on the one hand, is an AWESOME laptop. The Macbook, on the other hand, is ONLY a laptop. Only a Surface takes this "painful-no-matter-what" either/and/or dynamic and answers it with a cool, confident "¿Por que no los dos?" ("Why not both?") and tackles it all in just one device. As such, while the Surface may or may not be a match for an iPad/Macbook tag-team, it is at least indubitable (in my opinion, anyway) that the Surface is better by itself than either one of these devices standing by themselves - and less expensive than at least one of them!
2) In my admitedly limited exposure to the iPad Pro, I felt that a lot of things looked kinda smeary or stretched compared to my current iPad Air2. Also, though ---AMAZINGLY--- light, at its size in a 4:3 ratio, it all felt just a little TOO big to me. The screen size of a surface is similar in inches, but being a wider ratio, it has this magical effect of making it feel smaller and less offensive.
3) In the days before the Surface, I tried using a 13" Macbook, and it was just too small for me. I use my laptop "as a desktop", I.e. sitting under the desk, hooked to external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. But when it actually was being used as a laptop, I required a 17 ". Of course, that was less a matter of physical screen SIZE per se, and more a matter of screen "real estate" (I.e. resolution relative to pixel density.) Nowadays, the newer Macbooks run at a higher resolution, so if that increase leaves the pixel density on items the same, and increases the amount of "screen space", then my issue is resolved. However, if it takes the "retina" approach of deepening the pixel density on everything, but leaving the usasble "space" the same, then it's still going to be too cramped for me. However, since I haven't really looked too closely at the new Macbook, I am going on old complaints that may have since been rectified. The Surface has similar screen sizes, but their "screen space" tends to be better.
4) So ultimately, I find the one too bulky and unweildy, and the other one (assuming old info still holds) too cramped for their respective formats/OSs. Less than ideal, each.
So, now, ultimately, to the question of "which would I buy" between a Macbook (in general) and an iPad (in general) - pretending for the sake of discussion that I don't have my current iPadAir2, or any of my other current devices: I suppose it depends on whether I had a Mac Mini at home or not. If yes, then no question, the iPad (but the Air2 most likely, and probably not the Pro). If no, then this becomes a REALLY tough question, but I think probably a Macbook (but most likely a 15" MB Pro is what I'd require for screen space)....
...or I could just get a Surface with a more workable physical size because of the wider screen, and better "screen real estate", and have "los dos" to boot, albeit, without all the iOS apps....but again, MacOS is not exactly an app haven either, and if Islandwood pans out, the app gap will narrow anyway - with a glut, of all things, of iOS apps!
Still, the ideal is both, no doubt. But given how expensive they are, particularly the Macbook, assuming I had a Mac at home, would I still mess with getting a Macbook? Dunno. Probably not, actually since I already would have a means of "getting my Mac on", one, and two, that in that case, the cheaper iPad would probably still get most of my "out and about" time.
So to boil 10,000 characters of text that is much more praiseful of the Surface than your average "iMore'r" usually enjoys hearing down to just a simple one-word, four letter answer, here it is: iPad.
Cheers!
I'm an Apple gadget fan ( apart from the watch), and recently bought the 15" MBP to compliment my iPad Air 2. The only reason i will add the iPad Pro is if developers come up with an IOS version of Staffpad ( a music notation software programme currently only available on Windows for Surface Pro). Then for me it will be a worthwhile addition for my job.
StaffPad does not appear to be available for the iPad. Notion, however is. It has compatible versions for both the Mac and iOS and an in-app purchase for the iOS version allows handwritten scoring which it turns into proper-looking notation. Cloud-based file handling through iCloud, Dropbox, and others is available for seamless editing between devices.
I don't have an iPad Pro yet so I have not tried the handwriting score entry, but Notion is an excellent app that is regularly tended for both iOS and OS X. Presonus is a great company.
uTorrent and Football Manager the only reasons I would still use a MB over an iPad full time.
Isn't Football Manager on the iPad? I guess it's more difficult on a touch screen, but I don't play that game. I hope those are legal torrents!
I have 3 different iPads (mainly used by the young ones for gaming and ones in a while for a lecture to read a paper) but with an extra keyboard and now a pen it still isn't nice as a macbook.. Always loved the powerbooks, macbooks (also while travelling) and never got used to tablets.
I'd ask:
Do you ALWAYS want a typewriter keyboard attached, OR
do you need to connect to devices in ways not supported by iOS?
THEN consider a MacBook,
BUT if you mind being restricted to landscape orientation, you have conflicting wishes.
Do you SOMETIMES want a typewriter keyboard (or a MIDI keyboard) attached, AND don't you have to connect to devices in ways not supported by iOS, AND if you like to switch between portrait and landscape orientation,
THEN consider an iPad.
You could then choose the model that suits your needs (including amount of RAM!) and budget.
Note for road warriors:
Some iPad models come with mobile Internet capability built in. These also have GPS.
Other iPad models and all Macs have neither. You can use a mifi (mobile wifi access point) to connect these to mobile Internet, but that won't bring you GPS.
(Mobile Internet requires a SIM-card and some data plan. You knew that.)
A MacBook can also use a USB receiver for mobile data.
What is a "typewriter keyboard"? Is this supposed to be mocking physical keyboards? Because physical keyboards are much much better than touch-screen ones, mainly for the fact you can actually feel them which means you can touch type and make less mistakes, with no need for auto-correct
By "typewriter keyboard" I mean a keyboard that inputs characters. To many people that is the only keyboard they can think of. Others may remember something like a piano, having a keyboard that inputs notes. And then there is the difference between keyboards in software (like on-screen) and in hardware (keys with travel),
Hence my words "Do you SOMETIMES want a typewriter keyboard (or a MIDI keyboard) attached,"
So that's a double juxtaposition. :-)
(Note: a MIDI keyboard is a piano keyboard that sends instructions to make sound. I was actually thinking of a so called "master keyboard" that itself can't make sound, merely send instructions. If you can't imagine one connected to an iPad, browse "iRig Keys".)
I went from iPad to MacBook instead of iPad Pro because the way i used my iPad was with a keyboard attached most of the time anyway. The keyboard in question was by Brydge which was really nice but heavy and the combine weight of it with the iPad felt like more than that of the MacBook.
The MacBook is beautiful and i don't need a lot of power hence the reason for picking it over say the MacBook Pro, all i was really bothered about was lightness and aesthetics.
That is the great thing about the keyboard cover for the Pro. It just pulls right off. The sort of Apps I would need Mac OS for run better on larger more powerful machines than the Macbook.
OTOH The iPad Pro works better in mobile scenarios. It is available with an LTE modem and the OS allows fine grained control of access to that modem. Many app are available that replace websites and work better offline.
I have both the iPad Pro (12.9) and a MacBook. Both are great for portability, I use the iPad Pro at meetings or to sketch ideas, while I use the MacBook if I need to do some coding. Both are useful in their own ways, but I would side with the MacBook as I can do a little more on that than on the iPad
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One thing you didn't discuss is the cost of software. Many vendors sell their product on multiple platforms. You will find many nice products are free on the iPad and cost on the Mac platform. In addition, the Mac version is almost always more expensive. For example, Fantastical costs $4.99 on the iPad and.$39.99 on the Mac.
That's a good point. I think Mac apps are priced higher because of two things:
1. There aren't as nearly as many people using the Mac App Store as the iOS App Store, a lot of Mac apps are available without having to buy them from the App Store, and some apps that were only available on the Mac App Store have now detached themselves from the Mac App Store due to limitations (and not wanting to give Apple a cut of the money)
2. Mac apps take a lot more work than iOS apps, there's a much wider variety of hardware (especially considering how some of the much earlier Macs can still run the latest OS), there's stuff to take into consideration such as the app layout when running in a window as opposed to full screen etc.
My late 2011 MBP is seriously on its last leg. I had a spill on it of the alcohol variety and it's acting really weird. Both would prolly be better than what I've got, but I can't decide which. I spent a ton upgrading the display, memory and such back then. I think it was about 2800 total, but I honestly think the iPad Pro might suit my needs. I just worry bout not having a trackpad.
You won't need a trackpad with the iPad, gestures can be done on the touch screen and text selection can be done with the "trackpad" mode on the keyboard
The answer is simple people! Buy a surface :)
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And deal with Windows? God no
You beat me to it lol, Surface Pro 4 or Dell XPS 13 beats both of these devices (especially Kaby Lake processor) hands down. Depends on your ecosystem though if you have everything Apple then its hard to switch and vice versa, unless Windows Mobile.
I've recently got the iPad Pro 9.7" and I'm extremely happy with it. I think it has a lot of future potential. My main computer I was using is the Surface Pro 3 which is very powerful & can perform very intensive tasks. Windows 10 has more apps available for it since it has backward compatibility, but Apple isn't as pushy as Microsoft is nowadays. I now use my iPad everyday & my Surface Pro maybe once a week or so. Mainly for more intensive tasks or to back up my iPad & iPhone. I'd prefer to only visit my Surface every once in awhile & that's it. Windows still really can't compete with the mobile flexibility that iOS has. I wish iOS supported a mouse & I don't want to spend even $50 for a good keyboard. I have a small Bluetooth one, but the one the Surface has is better. Now, I've only had my iPad for maybe a couple months, but I'm trying to convert over as much as possible. I thought about getting a Mac, but it doesn't have touch capability & not nearly the amount of apps available as Windows has. Also, I can't justify going out & buying a Mac when I have a Surface & plan on using the iPad for most tasks anyway. The iPad is so lightweight & the battery lasts so long, it's incredible - The pencil is a very nice addon that I use practically every day.
Every ecosystem has things about it that I love, things about it I loathe, and all points in-between. Easily the most despised thing about the Apple ecosystem for me is the tension between iPad and MacBook. My personal use case splits right down the middle with both being equally valuable to me. I'm too tablet for MacBook, and too desktop for iPad, and there's such an incredible Berlin wall between them in terms of functionality, and yet a great wall of chine between myself and being able to afford owning both at the same time.
Apple is the ONLY ecosystem with this problem. While I personally believe Microsoft's Continuum desktop/tablet mode divide (with UWP support on both), particularly on the 2-in-1 format is the most elegant solution out there, even Google's fledgling "Chromedroid" initiative solves a problem that Apple still has no fix for. Heck, even Ubuntu with Unity 8 is ahead of Apple on this point. And an iPad Pro with a detachable keyboard does ----NOT---- a 2-in-1 make. It just makes an iPad with an easier keyboard interface, so in my mind, that's not much of a solution at all.
Now, this isn't rag on Apple time, as all the other ecosystems have problems that Apple has solutions for. In fact, Apple is the only one that has a wholly holistic and complete ecosystem that is stable across the board. Microsoft is strong in desktop/laptop and game console, but horribly, horribly weak in Mobile, and basically abandoning wearables. Google is immensely strong in mobile and wearables, but has basically nothing in gaming consoles (3rd party NVidia Shield and Razer Forge are about it), and Chrome is still a small-time player with an incredibly limited OS. So Apple has its stuff going for it in areas where the others don't. But -NOT- at the iPad/MacBook line. Dead last in tech by a LONG SHOT! And given Apples insistence on siloed OSes in its ecosystem, I really don't see a way forward for them in this space.
But still, at the end of the day, since I can't afford to have both, and can barely afford to have one or the other, I do still have to take a side here. Which one would I buy if I could only buy one. Well, I actually do have an answer for that, and it's the way we went with our wallets already - iPad. We have an iPad Air2, and do not have any sort of MacBook. So, iPad is our answer.
But why? Well, in the words of Han to Leia in Episode 7: "If I told you, you wouldn't like it". It's because it's SO MUCH easier to replace a MacBook with a Surface (or in my case, cheapie off-brand surface-clone), and/or a Ubuntu netbook (in my case, both) than it is to replace an iPad with anything but the best Android tablet, and even then, with as few Android apps as there are that are optimized for tab, even that's a less than savory option. The iPad is more irreplaceable than the MacBook.
I use a MacMini downstairs for music recording, podcasting, blogging, and the like, but I use a Windows PC upstairs for gaming, music, and movies, and use both about equally well for general internet derping. I can even say for the first time EVER that with the advent of Windows 10, I actually PREFER using Windows to Mac for general use. This reply was actually typed on the Windows PC. So since I wouldn't do a lot of recording and podcasting or blogging on the go, and I can squeak by with a Windows or Ubuntu device in a pinch to fill the void if I have to, the MacBook just lifts out of the equation way too easily. I mean, I'd like one, sure. And Apple really does rule for those purposes. But for the price, there's just no way.
So, iPad for me.......and a BIG FAT SHAME on Apple for making me have to choose in the first place! Makes me feel WAY more appreciative of my Surface - even if my Surface is not a real Surface, but some off-brand bargain shelf equivalent that still serves the same basic purpose.
Cheers!