A Comparison Of The Best Available Ipad Models For University Students
So youre considering an iPad for college or university?
Theres the original iPad, iPad Pro, the iPad Air and each model comes in varying specs, sizes, and price points. With so many choices, which iPad is the best for students?
The best pick for you will primarily depend on how you want to use it at school. Will it be a replacement for your laptop or more of a portable secondary device? Will you be using it for studying at a desk, or on the go as a lecture companion?
First of all, heres what all current iPad models have in common:
- Apple Pencil support
- Retina display
- 10-hour battery life
At its core, any iPad model can be a good companion for school, as you can use any one of them for handwriting notes as well as typing.
But to find the one most suited for you, lets compare the most current iPad models available:
Ipad Or Macbook For College: Which One Looks Better
Its safe to say that whichever one you choose, the iPad or the MacBook, youre going to get past the fashion police at college. But could one look a bit better than the other? And were not just talking about the design, were also talking about the display.
Design
This one is undoubtedly the most subjective of all our comparison parameters. If youre a fan of the latest crop of iPhones, with their flattened sides and rounded corners, then iPad Air is the closest youll get.
The MacBook Air is still unmistakably Apple though. It comes in a very recognizable wedge shape, for a slimmer build and a more comfortable typing experience. Though it does kind of look like a ducks beak in profile.
Display
To be honest, theres not a lot to separate the two displays. The most obvious difference is size. Whereas iPad Air comes in at 10.9 inches on the diagonal, MacBook Air is a tad larger at 13.3 inches.
This might seem like a deal-breaker. But its worth considering that when holding the iPad, its going to be closer to your eyes, making the visual experience larger. This effect is further enhanced by its noticeably slimmer bezels. And even when youre typing with the iPad, by using a separate Bluetooth keyboard, you can position the screen on a stand and have it much closer than the MacBook with its fixed keyboard.
Image Quality
Best Overall
Based on the iPhone-like look and higher pixel density, contrast ratio, and brightness, the decision is
Winner: iPad Air
So Which Ipad Is The Best For Students
Overall, we think the iPad Air at 64GB is a solid choice for college. Its more affordable than the iPad Pro, yet offers comparable performance for all your studying, research, and note-taking needs. Plus, it can support the more intensive tasks too with ease, such as working in large spreadsheets or even video editing, so you dont necessarily require a laptop to get most of your work done while youre at school.
In terms of storage size, we asked 3000 of our student followers on Instagram, and 60% of respondents said they dont need more than 64GB on their iPad.
If you need more than 64GB but dont need any fancy features, were confident the original iPad at 128GB should be plenty sufficient, especially with the new upgrades Apple has introduced in its 2020 model.
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You Consume A Lot Of Media
Whether you love binge-watching Netflix, spend all day listening to music or podcasts, or are an avid reader, an iPad represents an upgrade over using a phone or laptop. The big screen is better for video content and e-books, and the built-in speakers provide better sound for instances where you find yourself without your earbuds. An iPad is also easier to carry around and hold for long periods than a laptop.
Ipad Or Macbook For College: Which One Lets You Do More
You dont get a computer to hang up your wall, you get it to do stuff. And when youre going off to college you want to have the right equipment to steer you through a bunch of new experiences. So, lets look at which is better for college, iPad or MacBook, when it comes to practical matters.
Chip
When we talk about what a computer can do, were essentially talking about processing power. iPad Air uses the A14 Bionic chip, the same as youll find on the iPhone 12 range. The MacBook Air, on the other hand, features the new Apple M1 chip.
Though similar in terms of architecture, theyre built for different purposes. Since the A14 chip is also used for iPhones, its power has to be restricted to drawing on a smaller battery size, whereas the M1 chip has far fewer power restrictions. This allows the M1 chip to pack in more cores, increasing how many processes it can run simultaneously. The M1 chip has an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU . The A14 Bionic has a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU.
Though this difference may not be noticeable for basic operations such as web surfing and video playback, its going to become obvious when using heavy-duty applications. If youre an engineering major, IT major, or need to use music production or video editing applications for your course, then the M1 chip on MacBook Air is the preferable option.
Applications
Not only that, some larger office and gaming apps run in their full form on MacBook, whereas on the iPad theyre in a slightly watered-down form.
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Ipad Pro Vs Macbook Air: Battery Life
This round used to be close. On our battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of screen brightness, the iPad Pro lasted a very good 10 hours and 16 minutes. The Intel MacBook Air could not match that, turning in a time of 9:31.
But once Apple dropped Intel for its own ARM-based Apple Silicon, the MacBook Air lasted a lot longer, with a time of 14:41.
Winner: iPad Pro
Is It Common For People To Use Ipads For College
So, is it usual to see students using iPads instead of laptops in college nowadays? The answer is yes! As mentioned above, in the last couple of years, Apple has developed an advanced Operating System and combined it with solid performance builds for the iPads to become stronger and much more comfortable than their ancestors.
f you add to that, the bigger screens they now have, the supreme portability, and some unique new functions like drawing and writing notes with the pencil, it can be said that iPads are, and will continue to be, a great purchase that will cover your needs as students.
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Ipad Vs Ipad Pro: Which One Should You Buy
ByMatthew Boltonpublished 20 September 21
Can you get by with the budget iPad, or will only the full-on iPad Pro meet your needs? We break down all the differences.
If you’re looking at the iPad vs iPad Pro for creative use, then you’re really asking about budget vs high-spec the price difference is large, but ultimately they’re both tablets that run the same operating system.
The iPad 10.2-inch has just got an upgrade, but we’re going to look at last year’s version compared to the M1 iPad Pros . They do all the same core stuff, and are both designed just as big screens in thin and light bodies but there are significant differences.
In fact, though they look so similar, they barely share a single component in common, so does the ‘Pro’ name mean you really need the more expensive option if you’re buying one for your work?
It really depends on your work. The iPad Pros are creative powerhouses, released this year using Apple’s desktop-class processor, and really staking a claim to be your primary creation tool, depending on the task.
The 10.2-inch iPad mostly finds its home as a general tablet for around the house ideal for browsing the web, watching video, playing games and more. But it has a huge amount of creative potential itself, or could be a great tool in your bag for showing off creative work.
Don’t forget to check out the best iPad Pro deals, and the best iPad mini prices, if you’re on the look out for your next Apple tablet.
Ipad Pro Vs Macbook Pro For College 2022
For college-going students and even their teachers, a portable computing device is very important. With the ever-changing technology scenario, there are more and more options available now. We get to new, powerful, and more portable devices with each passing year, which is great news for everyone, but especially for students.In this article, are going to compare two such devices. We will compare Apple iPad Pro vs. MacBook Pro for college students to decide which one they should buy. You might think, how is a comparison between a tablet and a laptop fair? Well, all we can say is, its Apples tablet and laptop.
Apple has been saying that its iPads are a great alternative to any laptop. However, the previous models just werent as powerful and well-equipped to match any laptop. They lacked the power and the features as well. But with the new iPad, we think Apple has finally achieved that goal.Well start by comparing the hardware specs of the iPad Pro vs. MacBook Pro and then see complete reviews of both these devices. So, this comparison of iPad Pro Vs. MacBook Pro for college students will help you as a buying guide to decide which one is the right device for you.
As you would expect, there are a lot of hardware differences between the two devices. From processor chip to graphics card and RAM, the MacBook Pro has the bigger options. The MacBook Pro even has a bigger screen size, a slightly better battery life, and better connectivity ports too.
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An Ipad Can Be Your New Best Friend
When deciding which iPad to buy for college, its important to consider the features that are important to you. Some students may prioritize price, others performance, and others the iPads convenience.
College is a great place to learn and grow. If you are a non-traditional student and think that having a desktop or laptop computer doesnt suit your needs, an iPad may be a practical and good solution. The best way to decide which iPad is the best fit for you is to break down your priorities and determine which features are critical to your college lifestyle.
Major Reasons Why You Need An Ipad For College
- Post category:iPad Notes for School & Work
I remember debating whether or not I should get an iPad for college.
Like you, I saw a lot of videos and social media posts about studying with an iPad. Photos of iPad notes, videos about digital note-taking, and more.
I saw people talking about how effective it was and how easy it made studying I was convinced but was also shocked by the price.
As a student, justifying spending a few hundred to a thousand dollars wasnt easy.
But after thinking things through, I finally decided to purchase an iPad
Honestly, it was one of the best decisions I made for my college career.
My friends from all different majors also agree that an iPad upped their studying game.
In this blog post, I will be going over the top10reasonswhy you should get an iPad for college.
This also applies to you if youre in high school, university, graduate school, or maybe even just enrolled in some online courses!
Full Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.
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How To Get An Ipad Student Discount
If youre still thinking that the price of an iPad is a little more than you want to spend, heres some good news: you dont have to pay full price at all.
Apple offers a student discount via its Apple UK Education Store or Apples US Education Store. Sign up with details of your student status and course, and prove your identity. We explain how to do this in our article How to get an Apple student discount.
If you cant get a student discount that doesnt mean you wont be able to get money off a new iPad. Read our round up of best iPad deals.
If Youre Using A Laptop & An Ipad:
If you have a laptop and want to add some spice to your studying game by adding an iPad to the mix, then welcome to the group me and you group
So why does it matter whether you use a laptop or not?
If youre using a laptop, then you can easily take notes that need a keyboard using that. You can also edit photos, play games, attend classesetc using your laptop.
The iPad then is just mostly for taking notes using the pen for classes that require that like maths, physics, chemistryetc. Or maybe you just like using a pen.
So the entire focus in this section is about taking notes using an Apple Pencil. Everything else is just an extra.
This way you can save up on money and get a cheaper iPad than if it was your daily driver.
So lets start with the first model:
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Do You Need An Ipad To Increase Productivity And Enjoy Multimedia
An iPad can help you increase your productivity if you’re an artist or you find yourself in many video calls, spend a lot of time out of the office, or take lots of notes. While you can do a lot of the same things with a phone and laptop that you can also do with an iPad, there are a lot of situations where an iPad is the more efficient option, is easier to carry around, and provides a superior experience. An iPad is also handy to have around during downtime, as the big screen is great for streaming media and reading e-books, especially if you currently do those things on a cramped phone screen.
All Books Compressed In One
You can download your textbooks on your iPad and read them whenever and wherever you want as its not feasible to bring those thick and huge books to the university. Its all your preference if you can bear the screen for a long time.
You can still use textbooks when at home as some students love and understand well with that pen and paper feel.
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Ipad Pro In Class How It Feels How People React
During this college year I’ve been using the iPad Pro 12.9 from day one. Prior to that I used an iPad Air 2 with a stylus for almost 2 other college years. This is my experience with it, in case anyone was wondering or wanted to know how it’s like.
Obviously, iPad Pro + Pencil and the Air 2 with a spongy stylus are night and day. I couldn’t believe how smooth and pinpoint the pro + pencil was. I went from using the Air 2 to briefly annotate and highlight powerpoints in class and then tediously make my notes at home, to straight up having not touched a paper for 8 months now.
I use Notability in class, recording the teacher, and it’s incredibly useful later at home when I visit again my notes for that day. It’s funny because the first thing I noticed was everyone was staring at me. Or, at the iPad actually. I share class with around 180 other people, and most of them discreetly stared at me going at it with the iPad. 5 or 6 guys even went up to me and straight asked me about it, and wanting to try it.
Now, I wasn’t the only one with tablets at class. Come on, it’s 2018, more than half the class have their tablets or laptops at the table. But so far, I was the only one taking notes as is on it. And what I love is that 2 other people have bought it and have started taking notes the same way I do, they even asked me for tips and stuff. They said they were just amazed watching me and instantly knew they wanted one.
Why You Shouldnt Get An Ipad
- Price: the iPad is a serious investment. Money is a big reason why medical school is so stressful. Is it worth it?
- Efficiency: its a little more difficult to switch between apps, run different software programs and produce work fast than it is on a laptop. Not much slower but marginally.
- External peripherals: wiring an iPad up to a USB monitor or printer, as it lacks ports, isnt an option. Definitely, something to consider if you ever need a bigger screen to work with or the odd thing to print.
- Apps: having an iPad limit you to the apps that Apple approves. Windows laptops or Android tablets give you much more freedom here. The apps are often cheaper to purchase on these platforms too.
That last one is especially relevant in terms of Anki . The iOS app for Anki is the only paid version of it across any device .
Its also, due to cumbersome functionality, much more difficult to edit and make flashcards on Anki using the mobile version.
In fact, its for this reason I told a good med school friend of mine to really think twice in terms of opting for an iPad over a laptop.
Such is the power of the flashcard
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