Before we get to those: Upgrading to macOS 14 Sonoma (and iOS/iPad OS 17, if you’re not yet on it) is fine at this point. We are not seeing any problems with it. As always, we recommend that you have a full Time Machine, Carbon Copy Cloner, or Backblaze backup before you do it, just in case something goes wrong. If you’re many versions behind (such as 10.13 High Sierra or 10.14 Mojave; you can check under Apple Menu > About This Mac), talk to us first about the best approach.
Also, Sonoma changes a fundamental way that windows behave on your Mac by default — when you click on your desktop/wallpaper, all the windows scoot out of the way, to the edges of the screen. If you want to change it back to the way it’s always been, go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock, and change the setting for “Click wallpaper to reveal desktop” to “Only in Stage Manager.” If I’ve been on your computer lately, I have probably done this for you.
On to the announcements: Apple has refreshed their higher-end iPad lines, in their seeming quest to really, truly make it a “real computer.” Obviously, whether or not you personally like it better than a Mac is personal; it’s good to have choices.
Compared to a Mac computer, an iPad is in many ways simpler to use, it offers internet wherever you go without having to rely on a phone hotspot, you can use it by touching the screen rather than by moving a mouse, and you can draw or write on it by using a special stylus. (Or, put another way, it’s a big iPhone, with similar apps.)
There are three iPad families, priced lowest to highest: iPad (plain Jane), iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. The cheapest option is now 2022’s iPad 10th Generation, and it continues to represent one of Apple’s very best bangs for the buck. The mini, as the name implies, is the baby-sized iPad, and the most current model is from 2021 (which is pretty old) and remains for sale as is.
The Air and Pro models have been completely overhauled. First, let’s get some confusing business out of the way: the new iPad Pro is lighter and thinner than the iPad Air, rather than the other way around. (I am not going to even try to begin to explain this, because I can’t.) The Air is just the mid-priced model, and that’s that.
The next surprising thing is that the Pro models feature Apple’s new M4 processor, jumping over the M3. These are Apple’s first products with this new chip; Mac computers with an M3 were introduced not all that long ago, and most of Apple’s desktop computers still have chips from the M2 family (probably making this an inopportune moment to buy one, as they seem ripe for upgrade). The two iPad Pro models now feature OLED display technology, which is a particularly big upgrade for the smaller (11-inch) of the two models, which did not offer anything like it before. As before, the Air uses Touch ID (doing double duty with the power button), while the Pro has Face ID.
The new Pro and Air iPads also support a new, fancy version of Apple’s “Pencil,” with more capabilities. There is also a new iPad “Magic Keyboard,” for the iPad Pro only.
The most significant new offering is the introduction of a 13-inch iPad Air model to complement the 11-inch model; previously, you had to buy the top of the line Pro model to get an iPad with the largest screen. The new Air now offers that for several hundred dollars less, and I’m sure some will find this appealing.
So what, you ask? Well, I’m asking that too. While these new iPads certainly seem better on paper, these seem like differences of degrees, with appeal for only a subset of customers. They’re fast, and thin, and light, and they feature a new, more laptop-like keyboard, and a precise new stylus. They’re certainly better. But, if you have a recent-model iPad, these new ones probably won’t change your world, though 11-inch Pro users might enjoy the new display technology, and all iPad users might like the weight reduction.
But, if you find yourself happy, efficient, and productive on a Mac (especially with the superb MacBook Air computers), these new iPads are not going to change your world, either, because it doesn’t matter how good the hardware is when the OS it runs is fundamentally more limited in terms of multitasking and app capabilities. Still, if you love your iPad, or you’re using an old one, or you just like the expressiveness of using a stylus for control and input, you might want to check out these new models.
The iPad Pro starts at $999 in the 11-inch size and $1,299 for the 13-inch size. The Air starts at $599 for the 11-inch size and $799 for the 13-inch size. The iPad mini (from 2021) remains available for $499 and the iPad 10th Generation now starts at $349, a $100 price drop than previously. Various colors are offered.
As always, if you have any questions, please let us know!
(May 2024)