Macbook Air vs. Macbook Pro vs. iPad for an author?

Simeon23 · May 11, 2013

Hello,

I hope that I am asking this question in the right section. I've never posted on a message board before - be gentle!

I have been a PC user for nearly twenty years, and have owned many desktops and laptops. Recently, my Sony Vaio died and I am considering making the move to a Mac. I'm an author who doesn't involve himself in more than word processing, surfing the web and checking e-mail when he is on a computer. With that in mind, I am wondering which Apple product I should choose that would fit my specific needs? Obviously, the bulk of use will be centered around word processing, so what would you recommend? Basically, what I'm asking is if it is worth it to spend the extra money on a Macbook Pro when my needs are simple, or would the Air do the trick? I travel a lot and the Air's lightweight construction is very attractive. The other question is if an iPad with a keyboard would do the trick just as well?

I'm not against spending money on a quality product, but I would still feel foolish spending the extra money on one model when the other model can fit my needs just fine for what I require at a lesser price. Any help is appreciated.

dtravis7 · May 11, 2013

While it true you can get keyboards for the iPad, I would for your writing get a real computer with a real keyboard. As far as the Air Vs MBP, the Air should suffice for your writing and for sure will for internet and email. The keyboard on the air has been rated as excellent in many reviews. The MBP might be a waste of $$$ for your simple uses and you would never need is more powerful CPU or Video.

With the $$$ you save on the Air you could get Microsoft Office and have 100% Compatible with PC's if you need it. I am far from a professional writer but have had good luck with Apples iWork suite for all my needs, but it's not 100% compatible with Microsoft's Office if you really need that kind of Compatibility.

Lets see what others here will tell you but I vote for the Air for your usage. I sure would not want to write whole books on the built in keyboard on the iPad! That would be interesting!

Oh and welcome to Mac Forums!!

Simeon23 · May 11, 2013

dtravis7 said:
While it true you can get keyboards for the iPad, I would for your writing get a real computer with a real keyboard. As far as the Air Vs MBP, the Air should suffice for your writing and for sure will for internet and email. The keyboard on the air has been rated as excellent in many reviews. The MBP might be a waste of $$$ for your simple uses and you would never need is more powerful CPU or Video.

With the $$$ you save on the Air you could get Microsoft Office and have 100% Compatible with PC's if you need it. I am far from a professional writer but have had good luck with Apples iWork suite for all my needs, but it's not 100% compatible with Microsoft's Office if you really need that kind of Compatibility.

Lets see what others here will tell you but I vote for the Air for your usage. I sure would not want to write whole books on the built in keyboard on the iPad! That would be interesting!

Oh and welcome to Mac Forums!!

Thank you for your speedy reply and insight, I appreciate it! I suppose an iPad with a keyboard would be good for revisions and light editing, but writing a full novel on it might be a bit of a headache! I too am interested in seeing what others have to say. All the best.

newscribe · May 11, 2013

I personally feel that for your needs a MBP would be the better purchase, as it has SuperDrive. Also for the odd late night or on the go editing and research an iPad would be a valuble addition. And will sync perfectly, so you always have your work and research fully updated which ever device you open.

It is not so much a question of cost but the tools and software to do the job. And I take it from your first post that writting is you vocation.

Have a look here at pages to see what it looks like on the iPad.
Apple iPad Pages Tutorial - how to use Pages on iPad - YouTube

cwa107 · May 11, 2013

I would echo dtravis7's comments about the MacBook Air, though I would recommend the 13" model to have a little more space for your palms/wrists. The 11" will likely be too cramped. As for the SuperDrive in the MacBook Pro - if you really need to write CDs/DVDs to backup your work (or whatever), you can just as easily purchase a $35 USB external drive for those rare situations.

The iPad is great for consumption of content, and though it can be used for content creation, the solutions that exist for it are more of a stopgap solution. None of them are meant for prolonged typing.

infocusinc · May 11, 2013

Simeon23 said:
Hello,

I hope that I am asking this question in the right section. I've never posted on a message board before - be gentle!

I have been a PC user for nearly twenty years, and have owned many desktops and laptops. Recently, my Sony Vaio died and I am considering making the move to a Mac. I'm an author who doesn't involve himself in more than word processing, surfing the web and checking e-mail when he is on a computer. With that in mind, I am wondering which Apple product I should choose that would fit my specific needs? Obviously, the bulk of use will be centered around word processing, so what would you recommend? Basically, what I'm asking is if it is worth it to spend the extra money on a Macbook Pro when my needs are simple, or would the Air do the trick? I travel a lot and the Air's lightweight construction is very attractive. The other question is if an iPad with a keyboard would do the trick just as well?

I'm not against spending money on a quality product, but I would still feel foolish spending the extra money on one model when the other model can fit my needs just fine for what I require at a lesser price. Any help is appreciated.

I'm not a writer, I'm a photographer but I have both an Air and a few MBP's.

My Air is a 2012 13" and quite frankly I love the thing for travel. Its plenty powerful, has a nice screen and the keyboard is decent. Battery life is great. Downside is storage space (I have 256gb), but that should not be a big problem for you. Purchased at the Apple refurb store this is a great deal.

The MBP, at least the 15 are much heavier, but I prefer the keyboards. And they are more powerful and have more storage..with less battery life. Mine are 2011 models.

And then there is the 13 Retina. My wife has one. Sweet machine, great screen and keyboard. Expensive. And its not much heaver than the Air.

Since this is your first foray into the Mcc world I think a 13" air and an Ipad would be a great combination. And do check out the refurbs...they are a great deal.

Now you just need the iPhone to complete the ecosystem

CanuckBoater · May 12, 2013

Go into an Apple store and compare the keyboards on MB Air and Pro.

I have the Air and love it. Others feel that the Air's keyboard is too shallow and less 'clicky'

(I've dismissed the Ipad since it's very difficult to type on for a long time period).

Good luck.

PS - Have you considered staying with PC? Many of our Apple products (Ipad 1; MacBooks) seem to have a 3 year use cycle and it's becoming expensive. We've replaced one MacBook with a PC and haven't regretted it for a moment.

DaddyWarbucks · May 12, 2013

Software suggestion

I'd strongly recommend that you check out Scrivener. It's a writer's dream product, and makes regular word processing apps feel like cement overshoes by comparison. Go to Literature and Latte - Scrivener Writing Software | Mac OS X

For normal w/p work, I personally switched to Pages and Bean years ago. If I need one of the rare features of MS Word, I just export the document to it and temporaraily endure the bloatware.

I made my living as a copywriter (and then creative director) for 35 years, and now am taking up fiction. I've had almost every permutation of Macs since the original 128k.

You can't go wrong with an Air. We just got my wife one to replace an older Macbook and I would have killed to have had it instead of the older laptops years ago. When you have to travel, every ounce counts.

As others have noted, the iPad is wonderful for many things, but not for this. I have the auxiliary keyboard, but it's a major pain to use.

Since I spend many hours writing every day, I want the biggest screen (30" Cinema Display) and most heavy-duty third-party keyboard and house available for my Mac Pro. I really hammer away. But that's just me.

RavingMac · May 12, 2013

My vote would be for the 13in MacBook Air or Pro. But, FWIW, I also use my Apple Wireless Keyboard to type on my iPad, and that works very well.

rabbitjetta · May 12, 2013

For general typing I would go with the MacBook Air. I have a retina pro and love it, it combines the portability of the MacBook Air and the power of the MacBook Pro.

Macbook Air vs. Macbook Pro vs. iPad for an author?

Simeon23

dtravis7

Simeon23

newscribe

cwa107

infocusinc

CanuckBoater

DaddyWarbucks

RavingMac

Well-known member

rabbitjetta

Shop Amazon