I think the iPad feels more futuristic in general, but especially compared to the MBA. Otherwise, I find the iPad Pro is more versatile, more fun to use, and generally works better than any computer I’ve ever used (I’ve never tried an Apple Silicon computer) I’ve barely touched my MBP except on rare occasion when I need to do things I can’t do on my iPad (torrents, test proctoring software). And the things I was doing on my MBP, I enjoy doing more on the iPad. Every year, the iPad seems to become more capable, and with M1 + Magic Keyboard + Thunderbolt 4 + Safari Extensions + flash player being retired, I feel there’s very few things I can’t do that I was doing on my MBP. I much prefer the iPad, have always dreamed of making it my all-in-one main device, and this is the first year I feel that I’ve been able to switch to iPad without seriously missing anything about having macOS. That’s not something I’m here to debate with any security experts, just relaying how it’s been justified to me. Our policies are more permissible to iPads as BYOD devices than laptops, mainly because they are more locked down and considered “safer’.

This may be more specific to my employer and it’s policies, but despite preferring the MacBook Air, it’s till the iPad that I carry around to meetings for note taking.

Web browsing and content consumption, of course, are both excellent on the iPad. For me, the MacBook Air wins hands-down for office-type applications. While MS Office is available on the iPad and has been greatly improved over the years, I still find it a tedious and inefficient experience for anything but the most minor of edits, even with the magic keyboard. I have a 2018 12.9” iPad with magic keyboard and a 2020 M1 MacBook Air. Subtle or not-so-subtle nuances of a particular device can give a particular user a vastly different experience on two equally capable devices. I agree with that everyone has different needs and wants.

Microsoft office on ipad pro 12.9