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 … MacBook Pro for travel Admittedly this may be an eccentricity on my part, as I’m genetically incapable of doing nothing.Put me on a lounger on a beach, and I’ll last a couple of hours on the first day if I’m reading a particularly good book, and that will be it for the week.Mostly I want to do stuff and see stuff.
Additionally, seeing and doing stuff generally used to involve taking photos.While I’ve very recently switched more to video.There are those who argue that shooting photos or video distances you from an experience, and I can see how that could be true for some.
For me, though, it’s always had the opposite effect, of making me more observant and more appreciative of what I see.It’s also meant that what would otherwise be a rather fleeting experience, whose memories would fade over time, are revitalized when I look back at my images.In theory, none of that requires a Mac – I could simply shoot the photos or video at the time, then transfer them at home.
But back in the days when I used standalone cameras, I wanted to at least be able to backup my photos, and if it was a long-haul flight then editing them was the perfect way to make the return flight, well, fly by.Even now, using an iPhone and with automatic iCloud backup, I still feel happier when I have another copy of my memories on my Mac.But I also prefer a Mac more generally.
While I sometimes put together a detailed travel itinerary in advance, there are other times when I prefer the flexibility to schedule things while there.That might involve persusing the Notes app for my plans and ideas, checking the weather, looking up transit times and routes, reading Trip Advisor reviews, and using web pages to book tickets for both attractions and travel.I just find that kind of multi-tasking so much easier on a Mac.
All of which means that I used to take my MacBook Pro on most trips.The MacBook Air experiment However, there are some downsides to this.First, and most obviously, it’s a relatively large and heavy device to carry around.
With the sole exception of tango trips – which requires hold baggage to accommodate the additional clothing and dance shoes – I only ever travel with hand-baggage.A MBP, charger and protective case does take up a fair amount of room in my cabin baggage.Second, if I do want to use it during flights, a 16-inch MBP is a fairly large device to have on a tray table.
Third, my life is on my MBP.Of course, it’s all backed-up, but it would still be a major pain if it were stolen, and hotel rooms and holiday apartments aren’t always the most secure of places.But I’ve been incredibly impressed by the M1 MacBook Air I bought last month, so decided to install the other apps I might need, and then travel with that instead.
It immediately felt like a good decision.It’s even lighter than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard I’d use on the rare occasions when I left my Mac at home; offers similar battery life; and is just as easy to use on board an aircraft.While I have been something of a convert from still photos to video for my trip memories, the videos I create are very much informal ones – like the Niagara Falls one above.
All I did was to shorten some clips and glue them together.So while I could have installed Final Cut Pro, I opted instead simply to download iMovie and use that.Which was where I got to experience another benefit of the MBA.
If I’m out all day sightseeing, I typically use a slim backpack to carry a few essentials: a compact umbrella if it might rain, a sweater if the temperature is changeable, a Kindle if I’m traveling on a Metro, a water bottle, and a travel mug (I’m a Brit – we can go an absolute maximum of one hour without tea).For this trip, it was the Shinjuku backpack I reviewed last month.What I found was that the MacBook Air was so light that I barely noticed when I slipped this in too.
That meant I got to put the Niagara video together on the train ride back to the city.It was a really great use of the time given the view from the train was mostly rather industrial, and I’d seen it all on the way out.I honestly wasn’t aware of any extra weight or bulk while wandering around, despite doing a fair bit of walking (including wandering down to the Rainbow Bridge for my shortest ever visit to the US, lasting around five minutes).
I didn’t experience any ‘damn, I wish I had my MBP with me’ moments, so I think this is going to be my travel device from now on.About those iPads … Yeah, so I do still have not just one but iPads, despite saying more than a year ago that I hardly use one any more.I honestly can’t remember the last time I used my 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
I haven’t sold it because (a) it’s not worth much any more and (b) I plan to use it as a dedicated smart home control panel at some point, replacing an older and smaller one.As for that other iPad? I thought I hadn’t succeeded in finding an excuse to hold onto an iPad mini 6, but as it turned out it became a dedicated ebook reader for Libby.Unlike the US, you can’t borrow ebooks from the library on a Kindle in the UK, so I’ve been using the iPad mini for that.
I found I get enough value from that one use that I’ve kept it (plus it’s, you know, cute).But while that feels like a somewhat spurious justification for a rather pricey ebook reader, I don’t have any sense of needing to justify the MacBook Air to myself – it’s demonstrated itself to be a very solid buy! You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
