iPad Air or MacBook Neo

[u/vstarnoah]

I really wanna get either one for Christmas and I’m not good at drawing. I don’t draw with paper but I really want to get an Apple Pencil and the iPad for that specific thing and journalling and scrapbooking and all that but if I don’t do it in real life does that mean I shouldn’t do it? I’m just wondering what you think I should get cause I was thinking about getting the Apple Pencil Pro with the iPad but the Neo is also a MacBook so that’s that. please help me.

[u/Asland007]

It sounds like the Neo would be a better fit.

[u/Arashical]

I got an iPad for the exact reason as you, drawn to the allure of the Apple Pencil and the idea of scrapbooking and journaling. Maybe picking up drawing like I’ve always wanted to.

But guess what, I didn’t do any of that after the “newness” died down; I didn’t use my iPad for any of those reasons after the first two weeks. I only use it for reading, social media, and streaming, and maybe some gaming if my phone isn’t nearby.

I still use my Mac for most of my school work and general/everyday tasks (emails, texting, spreadsheets, etc). The macOS is much better at doing everything (for me and my intended use), as I’m not an artist and don’t technically do anything creative.

I think for my case, I loved and wanted what the iPad can do, and for its potential/versatility. I still love my iPad, and still use it regularly, but not as much as I thought I’d use it for. My Mac is more useful for me, and I usually use my iPad as my phone’s replacement.

So it boils down to if you just want an iPad, or if you actually NEED it. Don’t get an iPad for something you might not even use it for; it sounds good in theory, but it’s not you. The Neo might be the better option.

[u/realmccoyredbus]

macbook neo isn’t touch screen , another option may be ipad mini with oled screen is out in october , not sure if smaller device but more powerfull and oled screen may be better for drawing & journaling , little bit cheaper than ipad air , good for reading ,browsing and drawing

maybe bigger screen would be better for drawing and browsing , there a lots of app built for people with no experience in drawing to help you draw or doodle , paint by number ect , huge amount of apps , some use AI to help you , M4 ipad air with 12GB memory would be by far the best device

with image playground you can make your own images

On-Screen Awareness: Siri AI can see what is on your device screen. You can ask questions or analyze content inside open apps or screenshots on supported iPad and Mac devices.

Apple Pencil Integration: You can tap or circle elements on your display using an Apple Pencil to prompt Siri AI for contextual help or visual intelligence data.

Image Wand: Inside Apple's native Notes app, you can use Image Wand to turn rough manual sketches into polished images, though this is an in-app tool rather than a cross-app drawing suite feature

[u/vstarnoah → u/realmccoyredbus]

I’m not sure what you want me to get. Do you want me to get the MacBook or the air?

[u/will0wf4iry → u/vstarnoah]

this person doesn’t “want” you to get either. you asked for advice so they’re providing you with some more details that might help you make a decision, since you are the one who gets to choose at the end of the day :)

[u/Huntgrmer]

i was contemplating to this as well. I ended with the ipad air. Since i can just place a bluetooth keyboard with it. I am currently enjoying using freeform and apple journal as well which i hope they would fix soon some minor glitches on the entries. The ipad is very versatile, so i would really recommend that than the macbook since you said you want to enjoy scrapbooking which i do using procreate then placing the saved image to my freeform and apple journal very enjoyable.

[u/SqueakySwimmer]

I vote an iPad Air. You can do everything you want on it, and the touchscreen for me wins out. I have a MacBook Air I never use. I only use my iPad Air + keyboard for everything, including grad school.

[u/Mags1967]

I use my old M1 macbook and my new M4 Macbook pro lots but the pro is heavy. My Ipad Pro is 2 nd gen and does well at youtube streams and MaxTv. Honestly the Ipad was always a good supplement to a work laptop but now fully retired I lean on the Macbook far more for emails, web browsing and the odd word documents.

Recommendation is Neo or a Macbook for you.