The new MacBook lineup looks really good, but it also makes the iPad (which I love) even harder to justify.

Setting aside the fact that the base iPad still runs an A16 (I reckon it’ll be upgraded to match the MacBook Neo this year), you’re paying £678 for a 256GB model with a keyboard and trackpad, versus £599 for the Neo.

The same is true comparing the Airs. The M4 iPad Air with a Magic Keyboard and 512GB costs £1,168. A MacBook Air M5 is £1,099.

You’re paying less for a more capable computer, sans touchscreen. I think a lot of iPadOS’s shortcomings (unique differences?) would be easier to forgive if the iPad were consistently a little more affordable than its closest Mac equivalent.

As someone who has used an iPad as their primary portable computer for six years, it’s hard to justify buying one again, even though I really do love it.

(And yes, I know you can buy an iPad cheaper without the keyboard and bigger storage. But if Apple wants to make the case that iPad is a work machine, it’s only fair to judge it as one.)