m1Ipad vs Macbook air

[Yoyohoneywasp]

I am a grade 12 student rn going to university for engineering, and I wanted some outside opinions on an in class work machine. I think I've narrowed it down to a MacBook air( while windows is still not completely out as an option ) and the m1 Ipad pro. The reason I want to go with the Ipad is that I can use it as a notebook practically, and put all my physics and chemistry notes in their instead of losing track of paper, and if I need to I can type up documents. What my worry about getting an ipad is that, even though it is on par with many laptops its os is still that of just an ipad. So if I have a coding class where I have along with the prof I dont know if I can do that. I would really appreciate some outside thoughts on this. Thank you! 

 

Btw: I will also most likely bring my pc to university, the specs after I upgrade will be and r5 3600, gtx 1060( I will upgrade this when the market comes back down), and 16gb 3200mhz.

[AndrijaChillinInBalkan]

Well,a lot of coding programs do have a mobile/tablet version,so you would be good.

[Yoyohoneywasp]

Just now, AndrijaChillinInBalkan said:

Well,a lot of coding programs do have a mobile/tablet version,so you would be good.

are the versions robust or are they more toned down because they are mobile versions? 

[Slottr]

Neither of these options will benefit you at all for engineering, especially the iPad.

If you want notebook capabilities, get a 2 in 1 like a Surface or get an iPad Air and a Windows running system.

 

You'll be handicapping yourself going with the iPad. And to my knowledge, AutoDesk still runs meh on Rosetta.

[Yoyohoneywasp]

1 minute ago, Slottr said:

Neither of these options will benefit you at all for engineering, especially the iPad.

If you want notebook capabilities, get a 2 in 1 like a Surface or get an iPad Air and a Windows running system.

 

You'll be handicapping yourself going with the iPad. And to my knowledge, AutoDesk still runs meh on Rosetta.

I have a windows running system that im brining but that will stay in my dorm. The reason for the ipad is, their note taking software is really intuitive from what ive seen and used from other friends devices, I know its a hefty premium but I will be using a trade in to lower the cost anyways. And the reason for the pro is I would like a larger surface area, but ive never used the 11" version. Also it would nice to have a backup computer for tasks besides my main pc.  

[Slottr]

Just now, Yoyohoneywasp said:

I have a windows running system that im brining but that will stay in my dorm. The reason for the ipad is, their note taking software is really intuitive from what ive seen and used from other friends devices, I know its a hefty premium but I will be using a trade in to lower the cost anyways. And the reason for the pro is I would like a larger surface area, but ive never used the 11" version. Also it would nice to have a backup computer for tasks besides my main pc.  

I can guarantee you will regret the iPad. If a class requires an application only available to desktop OS's (or even just Windows) and you want to work on something outside of your dorm, you'd be stranded.

 

Example: You take intro CS where they need you to use Pycharm for some of its integrated features. There is no iPadOS application for it.

 

I love my M1 Air, but it lacks in places I know others in engineering wouldn't be able to live with.

 

This is my personal experience as a 4th year CS student, so take my opinion with what you will.

[Yoyohoneywasp]

3 minutes ago, Slottr said:

I can guarantee you will regret the iPad. If a class requires an application only available to desktop OS's (or even just Windows) and you want to work on something outside of your dorm, you'd be stranded.

 

Example: You take intro CS where they need you to use Pycharm for some of its integrated features. There is no iPadOS application for it.

 

I love my M1 Air, but it lacks in places I know others in engineering wouldn't be able to live with.

 

This is my personal experience as a 4th year CS student, so take my opinion with what you will.

Do the cs classes make you program in class? or is it more they give you a lecture and you do the real coding after class. Cause if thats the case than an Ipad might be a hurtful move unless they update the os. But from the macbook side of things Ive heard that most universities try to opt out of using programs that only some os can run (btw im in ontario canada). Also since you have a mac, whats your opinion on bootcamp?

[Slottr]

Just now, Yoyohoneywasp said:

Do the cs classes make you program in class? or is it more they give you a lecture and you do the real coding after class. Cause if thats the case than an Ipad might be a hurtful move unless they update the os. But from the macbook side of things Ive heard that most universities try to opt out of using programs that only some os can run (btw im in ontario canada). Also since you have a mac, whats your opinion on bootcamp?

Sometimes there may be exercises, I can't say for your specific uni. There will be times where if you want to test something out- you can't because all you have is iPad OS.

It's a great OS, but it is NOT a desktop OS yet.

 

There is no bootcamp on the M1 chips, M1 is an ARM chip.

 

You would be much better off getting a windows machine and using a virtual linux environment if you need the tools of MacOS.

[AMD A10-9600P]

18 hours ago, Yoyohoneywasp said:

I am a grade 12 student rn going to university for engineering, and I wanted some outside opinions on an in class work machine. I think I've narrowed it down to a MacBook air( while windows is still not completely out as an option ) and the m1 Ipad pro. The reason I want to go with the Ipad is that I can use it as a notebook practically, and put all my physics and chemistry notes in their instead of losing track of paper, and if I need to I can type up documents. What my worry about getting an ipad is that, even though it is on par with many laptops its os is still that of just an ipad. So if I have a coding class where I have along with the prof I dont know if I can do that. I would really appreciate some outside thoughts on this. Thank you! 

 

Btw: I will also most likely bring my pc to university, the specs after I upgrade will be and r5 3600, gtx 1060( I will upgrade this when the market comes back down), and 16gb 3200mhz.

Yes, the iPad is brilliant for taking notes, but Windows 2 in 1s exist than can do that, plus run desktop applications when you need it. As for the M1 chip, it is fine for the average consumer, but when you need to be running specific desktop software, stay away. I wanted to consider the M1 MacBook for uni later this year, but settled on my x86 ASUS ZenBook as I will need to be running desktop programs like SolidWorks, which just will not work on the M1. The case is very similar here, where software that you need just will not run on the M1, and definitely will not on the iPad. Consider the HP Envy X360, or XPS 13 2 in 1, as they both use x86 CPUs that can handle all the software you need, but can also offer you a good sized screen to take notes on with a good pen.

[Yoyohoneywasp]

8 hours ago, AMD A10-9600P said:

Yes, the iPad is brilliant for taking notes, but Windows 2 in 1s exist than can do that, plus run desktop applications when you need it. As for the M1 chip, it is fine for the average consumer, but when you need to be running specific desktop software, stay away. I wanted to consider the M1 MacBook for uni later this year, but settled on my x86 ASUS ZenBook as I will need to be running desktop programs like SolidWorks, which just will not work on the M1. The case is very similar here, where software that you need just will not run on the M1, and definitely will not on the iPad. Consider the HP Envy X360, or XPS 13 2 in 1, as they both use x86 CPUs that can handle all the software you need, but can also offer you a good sized screen to take notes on with a good pen.

the problem is I will have a machine to do all that but just in my dorm. This will primarily be a secondary machine as a note taking device as a primary functions, so thats why the Ipad  is so high on my list. I still have a lot of mixed feelings about the mac and ipad situations as Ive heard both sides of the argument. 

[AMD A10-9600P]

18 minutes ago, Yoyohoneywasp said:

the problem is I will have a machine to do all that but just in my dorm. This will primarily be a secondary machine as a note taking device as a primary functions, so thats why the Ipad  is so high on my list. I still have a lot of mixed feelings about the mac and ipad situations as Ive heard both sides of the argument. 

I personally use both a desktop and x86 laptop, and will continue to when I go to university later this year. The compatibility I need is really the main reason. Plus I prefer Windows to iPadOS and macOS.

 

I did try to use my iPad for school alongside my desktop at home but could not do it, as I needed the full desktop versions of Word and PowerPoint, and needed quick access to my specialised programs, like SolidWorks all the time, rather than just when back at home. I then had to get out an old laptop of mine to be able to use those programs on the go, which was a much better experience than on my iPad, and I really didn't miss the note taking features in comparison. This laptop was still a secondary device, but a secondary device that was able to do everything I needed. Obviously this is your choice, but I'd go for the safer option and get a Windows 2 in 1. Windows 2 in 1s can do the note taking you want from the iPad, plus also make use of all your specialised desktop software, so are really the best of both worlds. Some also come with their own pens which means that you don't have to factor anything extra into the price too.

 

Not to mention as well that iPadOS is not nearly as fully featured as it is made out to be. It is better than iOS on iPhones, but it is more comparable to ChromeOS than Windows or macOS, as you're limited to just the App Store, and everything is pretty heavily locked down. Plus transferring files can be difficult if you're using a third party service like OneDrive, which a lot of universities use. Apple markets the iPad as a computer, but that only applies to very specific workloads, and coding is not one of them. The iPad has not yet matured as a computer for your use case. The mobile versions of a lot of programs can be very lacklustre compared to their desktop counterparts, like Word and PowerPoint, which missed a lot of features I use on my laptop and desktop, and even highlighted text didn't ever show properly on Word on the iPad. Multitasking is also quite meh on the iPad, as you're stuck with predetermined window sizes, so it's not amazing if you need to flick back and forth between different things a lot.

 

If you really want an iPad for note taking, just split your budget and get a cheaper iPad plus a cheaper Windows laptop, which gives you the best of both worlds, but from different devices. This can be done rather easily, for example, you could get the iPad Air (starts at £579) with the Pencil, and then also a Ryzen 3/5 or Core i5 laptop, which can often go for around £500/600, and around the same in USD. If you go this route then Lenovo is a good bang for the buck option with their IdeaPads.

 

I would also encourage you to check what specifications of computer the university recommends for your course. The university that I am hoping to go to advises people to stay away from iPads and MacBooks when taking specialised courses, like design, engineering and computer science, and instead suggests Windows laptops that they know will be compatible.

 

Again though, I would strongly encourage you to avoid just an iPad or an M1 device for when you need specialised software. It will take time for software to be properly ported to the M1, and some may never be ported, plus the iPad is unlikely to ever get the majority of specialised desktop software. I'm not saying the iPad is bad here, as it can be brilliant, but stay away from it when your workload is very specialised. The iPad is very well suited to simple and very generic workloads, like browsing, media consumption, a bit of drawing or note taking, and some word processing.

[DwarfEngine]

You can’t do real coding on an iPad as of now. Idk what will happen tomorrow, but I’d suggest waiting for tomorrows WWDC to see if they’ll allow code compilation on iPadOS. If not, then I’d suggest the Macbook Air M1 since you already have a decent PC, that is if you want to take coding seriously and do it in classes or out of your dorm too. If you just wanna code in your dorm, iPad would be a nice companion on the go.