MacBook or iPad — Your Choice for Studying?

Although iPads are sold in large quantities everywhere, their appeal for back-to-school use is still being tracked. Not everyone can afford to own both, particularly students, who need to select one or the other. So how does anyone know what to buy? An iPad or a refurbished MacBook Pro or MacBook Air?

How Much do they Weigh?

All three devices are light and portable enough to carry from class to class, even on a large campus. The iPad is the lightest of the three at around 1.5 lbs. The MacBook Pro 13” weighs about 3 lbs; the MacBook Pro 16” is nearly 4.5 lbs. The older MacBook Air is not much lighter and weighs around 3 lbs, while the new models are much closer to the weight of an iPad but are also more costly. If you are using a backpack, carrying any of these devices will work.

Cost and Value

We would have to agree with other tech pros in the industry; students will always get the best value and price when buying a refurbished MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. Although refurbished Apple laptops are not the newest devices on the market, they are sold and certified to be nearly new. The refurbishment process is stringent and brings pre-owned MacBook up to current Apple standards. Faulty components are replaced, and the displays are rid of scratches and or dead pixels. Why pay a huge price tag for a new MacBook when you can get nearly the same thing in a refurbished product?

Unless purchasing a new iPad Pro, refurbished iPads do not hold the same appeal as the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops.

Software Options

An iPad is not a full-blown computer, so one of the most significant drawbacks of buying a refurbished model is that you cannot use any computer applications from Mac OSes or Windows. You must use apps designed specifically for iOS/iDevices, which are truncated versions of the computer software. Some students find the app versions are acceptable for their purposes. Most students want the full software versions that they are accustomed to using. There are ways around the iPads software shortcoming, specifically by using a third-party cloud application. If you want easy access to the most popular software buying a refurbished laptop wins over the iPad.

If the intention is to use an iPad to take notes while in class or use it for doing homework, it can be a perfect solution. Once the courses become more sophisticated and require multiple software programs and possibly more displays, the refurbished MacBook Pro or MacBook Air laptops will always be the best option.

Unsure and Need Help?

DV Warehouse specializes in helping students and businesses find the best-refurbished product solutions. We understand that it can be confusing, and our expert techs genuinely want to help. Our inventory changes frequently, and we always have monthly specials, so be sure to check back often.