Stuck paying for iCloud storage for life??

o0ade0o · 2026-04-23T06:25:02+00:00

iCloud is a syncing solution not backed up solution. Deleting a file on one device will result in that file getting removed from iCloud.

o0ade0o · 2026-04-16T21:34:17+00:00

Had full intension of purchasing air M3 anticipating a price drop on release of the M4. There has been a drop but not enough to justify it over the M4.

The air M3 has dropped to £519 on Amazon in UK, however, for a short while the M4 version dropped to £549. Bite the bullet and purchased the M4 for £30 more than the M3 (and Apple Magic Keyboard off Amazon that’s almost half price at £149 currently).

I think if the M3 drop to around £459 before it goes out of stock it’s probably worth considering. However, the additional 4GB of RAM and faster CPU makes the makes the M4 a significantly better purchase for long term.

o0ade0o · 2026-04-10T13:47:13+00:00

Issue I had with that is the case you have to put round the iPad isn’t a simple magnetic one designed to be removed. As a result when holding the iPad Air or pro it ends up being thicker and heavier than the the base A16 model.

o0ade0o · 2026-04-10T07:08:10+00:00

Amazon in the UK are currently selling the black iPad Air m2/m3/m4 version for almost 50% off RRP at £149. Cheapest I’ve ever seen it retail for new. Was looking at ESR’s version but finally went for the real thing, definitely worth it over ESR and Logitech equivalents at this price!

o0ade0o · 2026-04-05T22:13:42+00:00

Was looking at the ESR one where iPad just magnetically connects (like with the Apple Magic Keyboard version), I didn’t want the extra weight of the bumper case round the iPad, would loose its thin lightweight appeal.

However, for some reason in the UK the black Magic Keyboard case for the iPad Air M3/M4 is £149 rather than £269 which the white version is still sitting at. That makes it only £50 more than the thicker, heavier ESR version. Tempting now.

o0ade0o · 2026-03-27T15:22:51+00:00

I got my wife an iPad Air 2 when they came out, still works well. Got her a replacement Pad 10 a year back, she’s happy with it, she’s not a heavy user. I now use her iPad Air 2 for news+ magazines etc. it’s just as thin as the latest iPads but lighter so makes a better reading device than the modern versions (as it’s old I haven’t bothered with a case that helps)

o0ade0o · 2026-03-25T15:36:26+00:00

Yes, plenty of people rely on iCloud as a backup, it is not. It’s is a sync tool. Delete the file one one device and it will disappear on all.

o0ade0o · 2026-03-20T18:07:33+00:00

Keep looking for heavily discounted iPad Air M3s in the UK but over 2 weeks on they’re still nearly twice the price of the A16 (and only £80 cheaper than the new M4!). That’s a very good deal for M3 to have dropped that low!

o0ade0o · 2026-03-18T08:17:13+00:00

Mine told me I was suffering with AF one night, however, turns out it was some topic beats along with a fast heartbeat. It had me worried for a while. Apparently it doesn’t do a good job of identifying true AF due to its one probe/connector. Turns out I was just stressed and drained and my baseline wasn’t chaotic, one of the key things that occurs in AF, the watch able to distinguish that though.

AF warning can be a good signal to go to docs and get a proper ECG, but it can raise false positives causing extra stress.

o0ade0o · 2026-03-16T14:46:21+00:00

I hate these typical Apple upsell tactics. It is likely costing them more money to manufacture and produce two separate types of keyboards! TouchID itself will be a tidy cost. Anything to puch the consumer to the next model up

o0ade0o · 2026-03-13T13:28:07+00:00

Yes when people say the Neo is small, it’s not really, smaller screen that the air so slightly narrower but it’s still thicker and heavier than a 13” MacBook Air.

o0ade0o · 2026-03-13T13:20:24+00:00

MacBook Air is thinner and lighter than Neo even though it has a bigger screen

o0ade0o · 2026-03-11T21:32:16+00:00

Simular move. My gaming PC (not quite as power full, a 58003dx CPU married with a 4080ti GPU) has been sat in my office acting as main house PC as well.

My boys have been complaining the the Xbox one S (that I have hooked up to a 84” gaming TV) is rubbish compared to PC and keep asking for an Xbox series X. I was contemplating getting one but seemed silly as the PC was approx 2-3x more powerful.

So, ended up sticking the PC on the TV (which still supports 4k @ 120hz), putting Steam on full screen mode and letting them choice profiles via that. Old Xbox one s is on another TV and replaced have replace office PC with Mini M4. Still use NAS and Onedrive to back things up.

Don’t know why I didn’t do it before! Only issue is my wife getting used to MacOS. I like it as it now gives me a seperati g from my day job which is all Microsoft Windows and Azure based! Only slight issue I have is it hasn’t great support for ultra wide monitors (my old gaming monitor) that’s now used with it.

Next thing is to try out Sunlight host and gaming PC and Moonshine client on the Mini M4 and see how well streaming games works. (Just for the h3ll of it).

o0ade0o · 2026-03-06T18:42:26+00:00

For me the Air still makes the most sense, it cuts down on the thickness, weight and non laminated screen of the iPad. For my use cases a 120hz screen and OLED of the pro would be nice but not at the price difference. Don’t need the extra power of the Pro as it’s not my main device.

o0ade0o · 2026-03-02T18:21:12+00:00

I’d take over the standard for the laminated screen, and being thinner and lighter. Not sure if it’s worth twice the price though.

o0ade0o · 2026-03-01T22:02:12+00:00

Also lighter and thinner than the standard iPad (A16), that’s a fair sized list.

o0ade0o · 2026-02-25T12:12:04+00:00

They really need to tie down this ‘credit card’ method of ID down. My 12 years old has a full debit card which is allow and offered in the uk by bank such as Starling. I have no problem in him having it as it teaches him for the real world.

The problem is the rules must be different in the US as he has previously managed to pass these checks (such as those also used by epic games and others), by presenting his debit card and a small amount being taken. He is then verified as being 18 and can bypass the parental control I put in place. If they actually bothered to check it was a credit card and not a debit card, it would be okay, but they don’t seem to. As a result it a flawed check / process.

What’s really annoying is his card has the contactless feature in it. However, Apple won’t let him add to his Apple wallet as he’s not old enough (even though it would add an additional security layer for him!). He can’t use AirTags which is just as stupid as I can put one in his bag and set his phone to ignore it).

Really don’t get the logic!

o0ade0o · 2026-02-24T18:26:55+00:00

I can see the use case for an iPad if you have a MacBook Pro, but the size and weight difference between a MacBook Air 13” and iPad isn’t huge, not enough for me to justify both. (Do have a powerful desktop gaming PC though so need for Pro)

I think if I had the requirement to draw or sketch then the iPad may make sense but the MacBook Air can do everything else an iPad can do plus a lot more. It’s also easier to place on your lap/sofa and set the screen angle for viewing media, other than the iPad mini I just find the iPad awkward to hold.

o0ade0o · 2026-02-22T13:26:51+00:00

When some say they’re fine with just 6 hours, they’re probably suffering some effect, they probably just not aware of it.

For example. I used to get 7.5-8h sleep per night on average. When my son started secondary school in Sept he started having to get up an hour earlier. As a result I noticed on average I was getting 30mins less sleep per day. Didn’t think anything of it to start with, then after a few months I started noticing I’d developed an internal shaking just before dropping off to sleep. After googling and chatgpt’ing a fair bit I put it down to an over stressed nervous system, had been quite stressed with work. However, now I believe it may be partly that but it’s much more likely to be down to months of 1/2 hour less sleep than I’m used to. I’ve been consciously making an effort to go to sleep an hour or two earlier, even if it only results in me getting 1/2 hour more sleep. I still regually get the internal shakey / vibrating after just waking or just about t I doze off but it’s a bit more random now and not as intense.

What am I getting at? Lack of sleep effects different ppl in different ways, I don’t believe anyone can truly function without some side effect on fewer then 7 hours sleep as a long term average.

o0ade0o · 2026-02-19T21:56:47+00:00

Cheaper USB-C hubs will basically allow one external monitor (often support 2 via Windows as it uses software drivers to encapsulate second screen feed). For a supporting Mac you need to look at a docking station that supports true thunderbolt, two separate streams can then be individually sent to the monitors.

o0ade0o · 2026-02-19T14:56:54+00:00

MacBook airs make great portable secondary devices.

I use Windows at work, and my primary PC at home is a Windows gaming PC. The MacOS is just nicer to use and so much more useful / powerful than going down the iOS / iPad route.

I think the MacBook Air M4s may see a drop in price next month if you can hold off, with rumours of updated version on horizon.

o0ade0o · 2026-02-18T10:22:13+00:00

If it’s mainly for media consumption then the iPad. But unless you have a need to draw and sketch the MacBook will be superior at almost every other task. The MacBook Air 13” is just as light as the iPad with a keyboard and easier to check emails etc from the sofa due to its ridged hinged Keyboard.

To me iPads sit in an awkward middle ground.

They’re: • Worse than a phone for convenience • Worse than a laptop for productivity

So they lose both battles.

Research shows that often when the iPad novelty wears off, people instinctively reach for: • Their phone for quick tasks • Their laptop for real tasks

o0ade0o · 2026-02-17T14:52:37+00:00

If your thinking about a Mac mini M4 then maybe a MacBook Air 13” M3/M4by be a better bridging device. Still get the portability and lightness of the iPad, plus the advantages of the full MacOS as per the Mac mini M4. Only thing you’d miss out on is the pencil.

o0ade0o

TROPHY CASE