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Deciding between the new MacBook Neo and the iPad Air comes down to one question: do you need a traditional computer or a versatile creative tablet? In this video @PaulAntill compares Apple’s first true budget laptop, the $599 MacBook Neo, against the 11-inch iPad Air to see which offers the best value for casual users, students and even some content creation.
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Should you buy Apple's MacBook Neo or just get an iPad
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The Neo is Apple's newest and first true budget laptop that's aimed at more casual users
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But depending on what you actually need your device to do, whether that's productivity, creativity, or entertainment
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the iPad still might actually make more sense. So before you spend your money, in this video I'll break down everything you need to know
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Now, a big part of the MacBook Neo versus iPad decision is going to come down to cost and value
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So let's start there. Chances are, if you're considering a Neo, it's because of that $599 starting price point for the base 256 gigabyte model or $699 for 512 gigabytes and a fingerprint reader like the model I personally bought
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That's almost half the price of a MacBook Air. But what does that get us on the iPad side
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An 11-inch iPad Air also starts at $599, but you only get 128 gigabytes of storage
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which, depending on how large your files are, may or may not be enough
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Also, 11-inch may feel a little bit cramped, especially if you're used to using a larger display, which you get with most laptops
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So, if you wanted the closest iPad-equivalent experience to the Neo, a 13-inch iPad Air with 512 gigabytes of storage set you back $1,100
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and that's before adding some must-have accessories. Now, if the iPad Air is going to have any chance at replacing your laptop
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you're also going to need a solid keyboard. Apple's Magic Keyboard is really great, but it costs $269
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So if you want to save a bit of cash, I'll link some of the best deals for third-party options. One of my favorites is actually right here
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the $120 ESR Rebound Magnetic Case, which is very similar to the Magic Keyboard
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but actually has a few tricks up its sleeve. First, you can completely rotate your iPad vertically
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if you want to type that way. It comes with a case so you have added protection
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and you can completely use it wirelessly, which is a really nice touch
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But besides the keyboard, choices are you also want to pick up one of these the Apple Pencil which is going to set you back at least another 80 bucks So while the ipad air does start at that same 600 price point you can easily spend twice as much with all your accessories obviously you are paying a premium for this tablet form factor so i be giving you
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some side-by-side comparisons to help you figure out which one of these works best for you
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ipads are known for being lightweight but once you throw on a quality keyboard the ipad air
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is basically the same way as the Neo, even if you do opt for the smaller 11-inch model
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like I have here. So when it comes to taking these both on the go, they're going to be a tie
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Opened up though, the iPad actually feels a little bit top-heavy and can be a little bit awkward to bounce
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especially when I'm using it on my lap, while the Neo doesn't. Surprisingly, typing on the Neo feels very on par
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with every other MacBook that I've tested, but I am bummed that there is no backlighting
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on the keyboard here, something that you will find on many of the best iPad Air keyboard cases
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As far as ports and connectivity go, the Neo has two USB-C ports, one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0
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So I can connect an accessory and charge this at the same time, but since the iPad Air only has the one USB-C port, I almost always need to bring a dongle with me
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That said, what I really like about iPads right now, especially with iPadOS, is that you can now connect external drives if you ever need extra storage or want to quickly copy over files
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And with the M series models, like the iPad Air, you can also connect and extend to a second monitor like you would on a MacBook
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It works really well, and Apple is definitely blurring the lines between these two devices now
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Of course, one thing the iPad Air has that the Neo doesn't is a touchscreen as well as pen support
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So whether you're just swiping, gesturing, drawing, or playing a game, the iPad lets you feel more connected with what you're doing on screen in a way that a laptop can't
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For me, though, one of the biggest things that I'll make or break this entire comparison is whether or not an iPad Air can get real work done
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So as a video editor, I'm really curious to see how they handle video editing
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On the Neo I can just drag and drop these files directly into a folder On the iPad I feel like I more constantly jumping in and out of the files app and it feels like an extra step every single time I don even want to get into how difficult it was to get
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not even the same, a comparable project imported over here. I still need to recolor grade this right now
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I am very frustrated. Now, this is where you need to be really careful before buying either your iPad Air or a Neo
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If I know I'm going to be working with a lot of files, especially larger projects
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I definitely want to have at least 512 gigabytes of storage, which happens to be the max amount that you can get on the Neo
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Sure, you can just edit off of a large SSD, but that's going to be another accessory you always need to carry around
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and that's just not as seamless. Okay, back to the edit. I have to give props to the iPad Air with the M4 chip
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because this is playing it back smoothly. No drop frames. This is actually kind of good
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Like, once you get past all the BS, this is actually kind of good
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And while both of these are going to export the file in about the same time, maybe a slight edge to the iPad Air
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it's the combination of better file organization, better available tools, larger screen size
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that really add up in the Neo's favor. And while I definitely wouldn't wanna make
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either of these my full-time video editing machine, the Neo handles these lighter workflows a lot better
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But when it comes to the creative side of things, a touchscreen and pen support are still going to be a must for me
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I edit most of my photos in Lightroom and I actually use a combination of a MacBook
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and iPad for my workflow. For batch photo editing, I actually prefer the Neo, but with the iPad's touchscreen, it lets me be more precise for masking or making finer adjustments, especially with a pen
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And speaking of the pen, if you're more artistically inclined, not that I really am, the iPad is going to be the obvious choice if you do any kind of drawing or handwritten notes
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I actually bought my first ever iPad just so I could take notes during class, and for me, it was a great substitute for a physical notebook to keep everything digitized and easy to find
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As a school companion, especially for your maths and your sciences, where you have complex formulas the iPad Air could be a great pick because you can easily switch between typing and handwriting What about gaming Neither of these is going to replace your gaming laptop anytime soon Actually if you interested in
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learning about some of the best gaming laptops, I have a video linked down below if you want to learn more. That said, both of these do offer really great entertainment value and have access
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to a huge library of games. For more casual games, which are usually designed with touch controls in
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mind, the iPad is just going to be better. It feels more immersive and these games are really
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fun to play when you're on the go and you just want to kill some time. You can find a lot of
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these same games on the Mac App Store too, but it's just not the same with a mouse and keyboard
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That said, with support for AAA native games as well as Steam support, you can access a huge
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library of once PC exclusive games right on your MacBook Neo. And just sticking with gaming for a
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little bit more here, something I've been really into lately is turning my iPad into a giant gaming
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handheld especially with support for cloud streaming now when you pair this with a controller
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like the Razer Kishi XL this is one of the best way to play a huge library of games including PC
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games on the go look neither of these is going to blow you away with console like graphics but if
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you want access to a bigger library of more PC like games go with the Neo if you want to play
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on the go go the iPad Air so that should hopefully give you a better idea whether the MacBook Neo
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or the iPad Air combo makes most sense for you. While iPads are much more capable
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and continue to blur the line between laptop and tablet, its software and smaller touchscreen
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especially on the 11-inch, still makes this better as a media consumption and creative tool first
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while the Neo is still gonna have the edge with productivity. Let me know which one you're leaning towards
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or if you wanna see any other head-to-head comparisons with the Neo. You can find the best deals
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for everything that I share linked below. Don't forget to like and subscribe, follow me to see what other cool tech I'm reviewing
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and until the next one, I'll catch you later
#Computers & Electronics