A confluence of events had me considering the newest revision of the MacBook Air, the recently released M4 version. One, I’ve got the itch and the budget set aside, and I love the form factor of the Air, not to mention they (sort of) gave it a new color. Also, I’ve been traveling a bit lately, to North Carolina for a week, to Poland and Hungary for a bit, to Omaha for family, etc. I also take the train to SF to work in the office once a week when I’m home. So, I’ve been thinking of my mobile computing setup. I currently carry a 14" M1 MacBook Pro and a 13" iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard.
I have a love/hate relationship with the iPad Pro, as it seems most people who have one do. On one hand, the hardware is—dare I say—perfect: the bright, high resolution, variable refresh rate OLED screen is gorgeous (it’s almost all screen!); it has an optional keyboard for when you need it to take on the role of a full laptop replacement, and is thin and delightful when you don’t; it’s always connected via built-in cellular or wifi; and it’s plenty fast for anything you might want to do on it on the go.
On the other hand, it’s not a new take to follow all of that up to say that the software lets it down. Despite all of that excellence in the hardware, I frequently find myself waiting until I get back to my Mac to do “real” work, because it’s just so much more powerful and flexible from a software and workflow point-of-view. Still, when I'm on the move, I tend to grab the iPad.
The MacBook Air could be the perfect middle ground, being if not on par, then perhaps even slightly ahead of the iPad on most weight and size measures. I went to the Apple Store to put my hands on it. The screen gave me pause, since I love the high refresh rate and brightness of the iPad (or the higher-end MacBook Pro), but I figured I could live with that compromise. I almost ordered one. But then I remembered my most recent train ride, and tethering my laptop to my phone to get online.
Tethering seems like it should only be a little bit of friction, but it always gets in the way. Moreover, it’s never as good as the built-in connection on the iPad. The iPad’s connection just works, and it’s always faster and more reliable than a tethered connection on the Mac. It’s a paper cut that just keeps nagging, over and over again. And I pulled back from the "buy" button.
It’s so frustrating that Apple won’t give me the one device I really want: beautiful screen, fast, always connected, and with the flexibility that MacOS provides today. Instead, I have a gorgeous but hindered iPad that is always connected, and a powerful, flexible Mac that isn’t, and I never quite have the machine I need.