Compare the Apple iPad Pro to the Apple MacBook

When I browse, I tend to have many open tabs. On the iPad, I can easily switch from one tab to the other. When I check my finances online and need a calculator, I don't want to exit the Safari app to open the Calculator app. Now, I don't have to any more thanks to the split-screen function. I see Safari on the left and my calculator on the right. If the iPad Pro didn't have this, it would be nowhere near as productive as my MacBook.

Of course I can open 2 or 3 apps next to each other on the iPad Pro, but it doesn't work as smoothly as on a MacBook. On that, I can have 5 different Word documents open simultaneously, for instance. Not that I necessarily do that regularly, but at least I have the option. It's a luxury, but not a necessity per se.

When I type long texts, I prefer a keyboard. Luckily, I can connect a Magic Keyboard to the iPad Pro. That way, I can turn an iPad into a Notebook. Thanks to the trackpad, I don't necessarily need a mouse. I can make edits to my texts with my fingers as well. In addition, the iPad Pro supports the Apple Pencil. In practice, I hardly use the Pencil for writing and it doesn't replace the functions of a mouse. Pressing long in order to simulate a right click takes just as long as using my finger to press the screen.

I can transform the iPad Pro into a notebook by adding a keyboard, but a MacBook is a MacBook. It doesn't have a touchscreen display. Sometimes, that would've been nice, since I'm so used to touchscreen controls on my iPhone. On the other hand, I prefer doing my text processing on my MacBook over the iPad. I type on a full-fledged keyboard with backlight. I can make corrections in the text using the trackpad, but I prefer to use a mouse. That allows me to quickly cut and paste passages and change things like font size and boldness. I sort of miss this efficient way of working on the iPad.

Apple iPad Pro has 4 dynamic speakers. That means I always have sound, regardless of how I hold the iPad. Even when I rotate the iPad, I barely hear a difference. The Apple iPad knows its position exactly, and uses that to adjust how sound is distributed. In addition, the iPad Pro has a Retina display with True Tone that gives you a razor-sharp image with lifelike colors. The iPad gets really close to my traditional TV screen.

Whereas the iPad Pro has 4 speakers, most MacBook models have 2 speakers. Only the newest MacBook Pro wins in this respect it compared to the iPad. All MacBook models have a Retina display, with MacBook Pro as winner with the best screen. Still, this screen is almost comparable to the iPad Pro. In addition, when watching series, I prefer the iPad because it's comfortable to hold in your hand and doesn't have a distracting keyboard.

When it comes to taking photos and recording videos, the iPad beats the MacBook hands down. The MacBook just has a selfie camera; the iPad has a front and a back camera. Although you probably won't actually use that back camera on the iPad all that often. I tend to get out my iPhone for that. If I want to edit photos, I can do that on the iPad too. I choose a filter and fiddle with some settings. Combined with the Apple Pencil, I can edit really detailed photos.

The MacBook only has a selfie camera, but how many people would use a rear camera on a MacBook? It's not exactly the perfect device for taking photos. Editing them, on the other hand, that the MacBook is definitely suitable for. Especially once I install programs like Photoshop. The options for photo editing are endless.

The Apple iPad Pro has integrated 4G connectivity. A mobile service like 4G means I never have to worry about my cloud services not being available. Especially on the go, for instance on a train, I tend to use them quite frequently.

MacBook doesn't offer integrated 4G internet. I can of course use my iPhone as a hotspot to connect my MacBook to the internet, but that quickly drains my iPhone's battery. I do often use the MacBoo at home where I have WiFi, but on the road, for instance in the train, it's sometimes difficult to get a stable WiFi connection. Nor do all the coffee places I visit offer decent WiFi.