11″ MacBook Air vs iPad. Given that a 2GB-RAM/64GB-HD 11″ MBA is $950 and, say, a 32GB iPad with AT&T 3G is $730, I think there’s a bit of an edge to the iPad – and not just for cost. The 3G iPad means you can use GPS and Find My iPad (which has proven its merits already). It’s half the weight, it’s easier to pull out of the bag and use, and I think in the grand scheme of things the difference in RAM and storage is made up by the difference in OS requirements. Now that Prompt and Spaces will let me mess around with ARD-type functionality, all that’s really missing is ESPN3. I could always pull on the work laptop and Chrome Canary for that.
Most of all, even with Lion, the iPad’s instant-on is faster, and the rated battery life is double. Yup, 5 hours wireless web on an 11″ MBA and 10 hours wireless web on an iPad.
So I guess that’s it. Unless something seriously changes, my target is a personal tablet and a work MacBook Air, supplemented by a Bluetooth keyboard and the home desktop and made better with iCloud for sync.
Mission – for now – accomplished.