Do You Need an iPad for University?
Do you need an iPad for uni? That is one of the most frequent questions i get on a regular basis. So today i'm gonna be answering that 1million dollar question.
I have had my iPad pro since 2018 back when it was released. Overall its been amazing. Now for comparison, I'm gonna use an average Lenovo laptop which costs about £1000 (with MacBooks being even more expensive). There's plenty of articles out there but i'm gonna give my opinion as someone who represents the average university student.
Let's start off with some pros and cons...
🟢 Pros:
- Lightweight & portable 🪶
- Always connected
For an extra £150 you could get the cellular version which can come in handy at times when you need internet but there is no wifi. Realistically tho, places like London and other major cities have a lot of wifi hotspots and you're rarely without internet and when you are, you could just use your personal hotspot form your phone.
- Powerful and fast
Editing pics or videos on this feels like a breeze. It doesn't lag, screen is super smooth. For all you nerds out there it's got a 120Hz screen. From editing documents, drawing, to light video editing - it can handle that with ease. Plus it's really good at multitasking, making it easily one of the most powerful apple devices.
- Cheaper than a laptop
If you think about it, a typical decent laptop would cost you easily £800+. Unfortunately, it's gonna be most likely less powerful, slower, heavier and an all round piece of crap in comparison.
- Apple pencil
At £120, it is certainly not cheap! But i think if you're gonna get an iPad, defo get the apple pencil. This is amazing for drawing, especially for all you creatives out there (procreate) and handwritten notes. This came in very handy for me when i make notes on hospital wards. What's really cool is that you can convert all your handwritten notes into text with a single tap.
- Apple ecosystem
iMessage, Facetime, iCloud - everything just works smoothly with your other apple devices if you got any.
- Future of education
We're in a pandemic and the way education and work is moving in this current climate involves a lot of zoom video calls and online work. Especially at uni, you need something fast, reliable and with a long batter life. It's got all that, loud speakers, clear microphones and plenty more to get things done.
- USB C
Besides fast charging, you can access a hard drive or even display the screen on a TV or mac wirelessly, making it very useful in different work scenarios.
🔴 Cons:
- iPad vs Mac
Not as powerful as a high end MacBook. If you got the money, i'd recommend buying a mac. having a keyboard and trackpad makes things like dragging the cursor when writing a document smoother and more precise on a laptop. That being said, you can buy a keyboard and trackpad for the iPad anywhere between £50 to £100, but it's just not as good as the real thing.
- Limited functionality
When it comes to heavy video editing or heavy programmes, there is a limit to what you can do. Also, because it is a touch screen based device, carrying out certain film projects can take longer.
- Locked in the apple ecosystem
Buying an iPad means you are more likely to buy more apple related products and spend more money due to the way their ecosystem works. It makes it harder for you to switch to another brand = apple makes more money.
- iPad ≠ success
It's quite important to know what your reasons are for wanting to buy an iPad. If that's an excuse for you to getting better grades or whatever, then buying it won't really change things. It's a niche product that can be very useful, but understand it may make your life easier but won't be a big factor in achieving better grades.
- Overkill
Most people buy it and never use it for its intended use. What i mean is that it's a bit of an overkill. It looks nice, performs exceptionally well, but for some reason you don't use it as much. It turns a bit more of an entertainment purposes device.
Summary:
- If you have the money and already got an average laptop, I'd say buy it.
- If you have a good or top notch laptop like a MacBook pro or new MacBook air, unless you got money to burn you don't really need it.
- If you don't have a laptop or you're looking to buy one then i would definitely recommend buying a Mac over an iPad because i still don't think it can replace a MacBook (but maybe a laptop).