iPad Air vs. iPad Pro

I’ve had many emails lately from prospective iPad customers asking for advice when choosing between the new iPad Air and the 11″ iPad Pro. So here’s my breakdown.

The M1 Processor

Both devices use the same M1 chip. I expect that will change with the next iteration of the iPad Pro, but who knows when that will happen. Both devices also have 5G networking. The iPad Air comes with 8GB of RAM, and the iPad Pro has 8GB and 16GB builds.

The Displays

Both devices have Liquid Retina displays with 264 ppi. Both displays also have True Tone and P3 Wide color. There are differences, though: The iPad Pro screen is 11″ and the iPad Air is 10.9″. The more relevant difference is that the iPad Pro has 120 Hz ProMotion. It doubles the frame rate of the iPad Air, and depending on your preferences, it is a huge deal or not noticeable.

Camera System

Both devices have f/1.8 12MP wide rear and f/2.4 12MP front-facing cameras. The iPad Pro adds an f2.4 10MP Ultra wide rear camera with a LiDAR scanner, and TrueDepth to its front camera.

Authentication

The iPad Pro uses Face ID. The iPad Air uses Touch ID on the top button. This is another one that varies with the user. Both are fine by me, but that isn’t true for everyone.

Speakers

The iPad Pro has a four-speaker system that sounds noticeably better than the two-speaker system in the iPad Air.

Storage

You get limited options with the iPad Air at 64GB or 256GB. The iPad Pro goes up to 2TB of storage.

Colors

The iPad Air has fun, whimsical (but understated) colors. The iPad Pro comes in Silver and Space Gray.

Connectors

Both the iPad Pro and iPad Air have a USB-C connector, with the iPad Pro adding support for Thunderbolt and USB 4. Given the state of iPad OS, you don’t get much bang for your buck on that USB-C connector on the iPad Pro.

Price

The prices of these devices are closer than you’d think. While the iPad Air starts at $599 for 64GB and $799 for the iPad Pro with 128GB, if you even out the storage at 256GB, the iPad Air is $749, and the iPad Pro is $899.

Some Recommendations

You should lean toward the iPad Air if you are on the fence about this. The two devices are so close that you should only be buying the iPad Pro for a specific reason. For instance, if you love ProMotion or need better speakers, pay the extra. However, for the vast majority of folks, the iPad Air is plenty enough iPad.

Apple Business Essentials is Now Live Nationwide

A few months ago we interviewed Jeremy Butcher from Apple on the Mac Power Users about their new Apple Business Essentials program, which is now available to all small businesses in the United States.

New Calendar Tricks Webinar

I’ve been spending a lot of time figuring out how to get the most out of my digital calendar lately. We’ve been covering this in the MacSparky Labs but I’ve decided to also do a free webinar on Calendar Tricks. It’s all set for April 21 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific. I hope to see you there.

Audio Hijack 4

My congratulations to the gang at Rogue Amoeba on the release of Audio Hijack 4. Audio Hijack is my Swiss-Army Knife for audio on my Mac. Rarely do I run into a recording problem that I can’t solve with Audio Hijack. For example, when I record a Podcast, I make three recordings: 1) me alone; 2) the other person alone; 3) the two of us together. All three of those recordings are made with a single Audio Hijack workflow.

The new version keeps all of Audio Hijack’s features and adds a bunch of new features:

Powerful New Blocks

The “Mixer” block makes it easy to mix up to 5 sources, while the “Magic Boost” and “Simple Compressor” blocks provide potent audio adjustments with minimal configuration.

Improved Input and Output Blocks

To avoid inadvertently using sub-par built-in mics, the input block now requires you manually select a device, and it visually distinguishes built-in devices. As well, the Input and Output blocks also now include a “Track” option, to follow the default devices set system-wide.

Additional Block Improvements

All blocks now offer popovers, allowing them to be pinned for easy viewing and access when Audio Hijack is in the background. As well, block titles can now be edited, particularly helpful when using multiple blocks of the same type.

Manual Pipeline Editing

An oft-requested feature, it’s finally possible to edit the precise block layout of your sessions manually. We experimented with both modeless and moded manual connections, and have found this moded system to work best. Note that Undo is well supported, so fiddle without fear.

Scripting

Speaking of oft-requested features, Audio Hijack now supports scripting via JavaScript. The eventual goal is to allow you to configure and automate everything you’d want. For 4.0.0, we plan to have a solid skeleton, one which we’ll flesh out further in subsequent updates. Try it out in the “Scripting” tab of your sessions, as well as via the Shortcuts app on macOS 12 (Monterey), and let us know how it works for you.

Background Sessions

Audio Hijack sessions can now run without their window being open. Handy!

Menu Bar Control

In conjunction with background sessions, the new Audio Hijack status item provides global control from the menu bar. This global window can also be pinned, for instant access from within any application.

Always-On Sessions

With the new “Auto Run” control, you can configure sessions to run whenever Audio Hijack is launched, or even whenever your Mac launches. Have sessions running at all times, automatically.

Interface Refresh

Nearly all of the artwork within Audio Hijack has been updated and improved, and a brand new Light mode has been added. Sessions are now more robust, with Recordings and Timers contained within each session itself.

I’ve been using the updated version for the last several episodes of my podcasts and it is working without fail. If you are looking for some powerful audio tools on your Mac, look no further.

Creating a Quick Action to Convert Images

On this week’s episode of Mac Power Users, the topic of HEIC vs. JPG images came up. Sometimes you’ll end up with an HEIC image on your Mac that you want to upload or otherwise share somewhere that only accepts JPGs. So I made a simple Quick Action in Shortcuts to do the conversion. A link to the video is below and you can download the Shortcut with this link. If you dig this sort of thing, you should check out the MacSparky Labs.

Mac Power Users 634: Getting the Most Out of Your iPhone Camera

The iPhone has all but killed the point-and-shoot camera market. On this week’s episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I talk about the hardware and software that makes the iPhone such a good camera for photography.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

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Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code MPU at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Trying a New AirTag Wallet (MacSparky Labs)

Over the years, I’ve had various wallets, but most recently I’ve been switching between the Flip Side plastic wallet (when I want to carry a lot of things) and the Apple MagSafe Wallet (when I need to carry a few things). I’ve never actually lost a wallet, but the idea of having an AirTag built into my wallet seemed like a pretty good idea… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?

CleanMyMac X Can Now Remove Suspicious Apps

MacPaw, the Ukrainian company I wrote about a few weeks ago, has announced an update to their CleanMyMac X app with a new Suspicious Apps category to identify quickly, review and remove apps originating from Russia and Belarus to protect users from potential cyberthreats.

Legislation in Russia allows government and affiliated companies to access private information stored on servers in Russia without user consent or a court decision. Consequently, apps made or hosted in Russia and Belarus put your data at risk of government inspection at a minimum.

Of course, deciding what apps are safe and what apps are not is essential. The CleanMyMac X team does its best to avoid bringing safe apps to the suspicious list. Before making a decision, they use information from different sources, ask security experts, and contact the app developer whenever possible and reasonable.

I’m sure the MacPaw team has a lot on their plate right now, but as governments worldwide get increasingly aggressive about user data, I hope to see this feature expand. If you’re interested in CleanMyMac X, I’d recommend a Setapp subscription.