As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve decided I need a new laptop before I move to South Korea at the end of September. Although it’s a big expense, my current MacBook is almost six years old, and the last thing I want to do is have it crash on me while I’m working full time in a foreign country.
A co-worker recently suggested I invest in an iPad and wireless keyboard instead. She rationalized that it wasn’t only a lot cheaper, but much more travel-friendly. Although these are definitely good points, I don’t know if I’m ready to give up having a laptop. Although I do a lot of web surfing, I primarily use my laptop for writing, and I don’t know if I’d ever get used to the small screen and keyboard or the inability to comfortably type on my lap.
Despite my reservations about investing in an iPad, I’ve crunched the numbers to see what the cost differences are between the two products:
| Item |
iPad 3 (32 GB) |
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2.4 GHz) |
|
Device |
$619* |
$1,149** or $1,249 |
|
Keyboard |
$69 |
N/A |
|
Travel Case |
$45 |
N/A (already have one) |
|
Apple Care |
$99 |
$199** or $279 |
|
TOTAL |
$832 |
$1,348**(student discount) |
|
Difference (including student discount) = $516** |
||
* All prices listed as they appear on Apple’s Canadian website
** Please note the price of the MacBook Pro is significantly cheaper than the regular retail price because I’d be getting my sister to purchase it through Apple’s education program for students. The discount doesn’t apply to iPads.
The difference is between $516 and $696 (depending on whether or not I use the student discount) and is a lot of money.
If I buy an iPad, the savings of between $516 and $696 can grow in my tax-free savings account (TFSA) and go toward travelling. Since I don’t plan on buying a new device until the beginning of August, I’ve decided to save up enough money for a MacBook Pro and do some research on the pros and cons of each. Although I haven’t fully made up my mind yet, I have a feeling that, despite the savings, I’ll be getting the MacBook.
Which one do you think is the better deal – MacBook Pro or iPad?
Have you considered buying used? We had great success with our iPad purchase. We bought it from someone on kijiji, for a third of the cost above, and it came with the keyboard and case. Every time Apple comes out with a new model, there’s a lot of people unloading the last version.
I would definitely go for the Macbook.. I have a friend who bought an IPad to replace her laptop and she was so dissatisfied. It was much more difficult for travelling because everything is in pieces, and she blogs on a daily basis so she wasn’t comfortable with the writing.
She ended up buying a new laptop and she uses the IPad for fun or for quick searches… but she is still devoted to her Macbook!
The better deal just depends on your needs. As a machine to browse the web and even type simple documents, a tablet it likely the way to go, if you also want the convenience of the tablet. There are plenty of ultrabooks/netbooks out there that can fulfill that need at a price that comes in a lot less than an iPad, but you are going to lose some of the touchscreen functionality.
If you will ever need any programs other than a simple doc or spreadsheet, you will likely have to forgo the tablet and purchase a real laptop. Again, depending on your needs, you could likely get away with a machine that is a lot less powerful than a MacBook, and less expensive.
That being said, I am a big believer in buying a nicer machine upfront and hanging on to it for 4+ years. Buying a tablet now, means that in two years your tablet will lack 2 generations of features and functionality. Computers, on the other hand, don’t seem to get displaced by upgraded models as easily, and, as a result, you are able to hang onto a good laptop for 4+ years if you take care of it. If you amortize the price of you machine over its expected lifetime, how much will you pay for a year of use?
The decision to purchase a tablet or laptop is a tricky one. I will be waiting around until tablets gain a bit more functionality than a big smartphone, but I have always believed in staying on the later end of the adoption curve for the “bang for your buck.”
Hi everyone, thanks so much for the advice!
I actually ended up buying a Macbook laptop in the U.S. last week (took advantage of the good U.S./CNDN exchange rate and cheaper U.S. tax). Like you both said, Sam and Derek, I realized because I do a lot more than surfing and using simple word docs/spreadsheets, the MacBook was the better, long-term investment. Both of your comments definitely reassured me that I made the right decision, so thanks for that!
And Robin, thanks for the iPad advice! When you bought your iPad were you able to bargain with the seller at all, or was it a set price? I’m looking to buy an e-reader and haven’t ever bought anything second-hand online, so I have no idea what the etiquette/best way to bargain is.
Hi Emily – We didn’t do any dickering for our iPad. The seller was very motivated to get rid of his, and the price was very reasonable. It took months of searching to find the right seller and we jumped! There was a line of people behind us who would have paid full price.
Generally, people ask for a bit more than what they will settle on selling for. It depends on how rare the item is, whether we will bargain or not. We’ve dickered a bit for furniture and kid’s toys and other stuff that’s more common.
The beauty of a used ereader could be in the books on it – if you and the seller have similar interests.
R
Or, hey, you could always buy a windows-based laptop, for $400-$600.
There ARE alternatives to Apple. An android tablet will cost half what an iPad does.