I wrote a year ago that I hardly use an iPad any more. With one small exception, that remains the case – but iPadOS 26 did have me revisit the question.
That’s because this transforms the device so much that, for the first time, I considered it impossible to argue that the iPad isn’t now a (proper) computer …
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I’ve often said I’m a Mac-first guy. If I were only allowed to keep one piece of Apple tech, then I’d hand in my iPhone and iPads (yeah, I’ll get to that plural …) without blinking.
If I want to work while traveling, then my MacBook Pro naturally comes with me. But you may be surprised to know that I’ve also commonly taken it with me on vacations and even some long weekends away …
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When I said I’d bought an M1 MacBook Air in 2025, I must confess I was rather expecting comments along the lines of “what were you thinking?” Instead, the prevailing view appeared to be that there really isn’t any reason to favor the latest and greatest model for my type of use.
Having had the chance to try out the new machine in an Apple Store, I’m not 100% sure I’d favor an upgrade even if it were the same price …
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I thought I had this figured out. I was making a hard-headed decision to buy a refurbed M1 MacBook Air with 16GB RAM for half the price of a new M4 one, for reasons I’ll explain in a moment.
But, ironically, it’s because the M1 version is so good that I think I’m at risk of selling it again and buying the shiny new M4 model …
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Having just returned from a 12-day cycle-touring holiday (you missed me, right?), it occurred to me how much the activity has changed over the years. The basics are still the same, of course: turning the pedals makes the scenery pass slowly by, and by the end of the day you’re 40 or 50 miles away from where you had breakfast. But what used to be a very low-tech activity, involving little more than a paper map and compass, has now turned into something of a technofest – at least for me and a fellow geek friend who joined me. And my MacBook Air, iPad and iPhone are all integral parts of the trip …
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