Since the release of the iPad in April 2010, the question among many consumers, bloggers, and tech reviewers has been; what is better, iPad or Mac? With the cost of a fully loaded iPad approaching $900 and an entry level Mac Air costing only $100 more, this question has become more relevant. Further complicating matters is the approach from Apple arguing that we are now in a “post PC” world with the need for Mac’s or PC’s declining in the wake of the iPad.

I currently own a 3rd Generation 32GB Verizon LTE iPad and recently acquired a MacBook Air which has 4GB of memory and 128GB of flash memory.  Many people have already begun to ask; which one gets used more, which one is better, and if  your could only afford one, which one should you get?

Unfortunately, I find that these two products are distinctly different and are used for different purposes so my answer to these questions is “it simply depends on what you need to do”.

 Reading

When it comes to reading magazines or books, the iPad is the best choice. The retina screen and ease of use makes this task so much easier and better than a Mac. I love to read before bed and using the iBook app makes this a no-brainer. While I could take my Air into the bedroom and read before bed, it would not be nearly as easy.

Winner: iPad

Browsing  

The biggest compliant most people have about browsing the web on the iPad is the lack of native flash. I actually don’t find that to be as big of a problem with many web pages being optimized for HTML5. The bigger issue I have is that Mobile Safari still forces many web pages into a mobile or tablet mode, which I find more annoying. I like the full desktop view and being forced into a mobile view is a pain in my mind. For me, browsing the web is better on an Air.

Winner: Air

 

Productivity

Regardless of Apple’s efforts to make the iPad a more productive device, the iPad remains largely a consumption device. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are all fantastic apps on the iPad, but their grown up counterparts on the Mac blow them away. Using a built in keyboard and full blown features on a Mac make this a no brainer when it comes to choosing a Mac or iPad to bust out a large document or work in a big spreadsheet.

When it comes to photo and video editing, the Mac simply has the ability to do more. The iPad requires you to be fully engaged in one application, whereas with the Mac you have the option of having multiple windows open which makes photo and video editing a breeze and the end quality is substantially better.

 Winner: Air

Gaming

To be fair and with full disclosure, I hate computer gaming. I find that computer games can vary in terms of quality depending on the set up of the computer and settings of the game.  Whereas game consoles like the Xbox or PS3 give the gamer a unified experience. As Steve Jobs would say, keep it simple. For me, computer games do not adhere to this philosophy and it explains why computer games have been declining.

When it comes to gaming, the iPad is the way to go. Much like an Xbox or PS3, the iPad provides a fairly unified experience so users do not have to stress about their specs before downloading a game. I do believe that Apple is making improvements with the App Store for the Mac, but the graphics and processor requirements for most games limit what can be played on a Air.

 Winner: iPad

 Media

Viewing videos or listening to music is fairly uniform between the Air and the iPad. Both are products that are too big to take to the gym (although I do see some idiots on the treadmill with their iPad’s). The only large difference between these two is A) the quality and size of the screen and B) the amount of storage available for those purposes. With respect to screen quality, the retina display makes watching HD video’s a dream. However, the 64GB limit to the iPad limits how many movies that can be stored.

 Winner: Tie

 Conclusion

As can be seen above, the answer to choosing a Mac or iPad is: “it depends”. The one thing I do believe is that we are not yet in a post-PC world. Until the iPad has the CPU power and storage capacity to handle full blown desktop quality applications, we will continue to need Mac’s or PC’s.

I do feel that Steve Jobs said it right; there are cars (read iPad’s) and Trucks (read Mac’s or PC’s). We will most likely need both. There are some that may only need an iPad and those that will need a Mac.