Ipad Air 5th Gen M1 Hardware properties compared to Intel i5-7200U CPU

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around comparing the hardware properties of the iPad Air 5th Gen with the M1 chip to an Intel i5-7200U CPU. Participants explore the implications of these specifications for coding, general usage, and performance, particularly in the context of using the iPad as a laptop replacement.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks detailed specifications for the M1 chip in the iPad Air 5th Gen and questions whether all M1 chips are the same.
  • Another participant argues that comparing core counts and clock rates between RISC (M1) and CISC (i5) architectures is not meaningful due to differences in performance optimization techniques.
  • Several options for coding in Python on an iPad are mentioned, but one participant notes that these options come with compromises and are not necessarily easy.
  • It is suggested that for many programming tasks, using the iPad would require connecting to a server, limiting its functionality as a standalone device.
  • Participants discuss the suitability of the iPad for various tasks, with one noting that it may not be ideal for spreadsheets and games, while another mentions using it primarily for note-taking and reading PDFs.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the practicality of using the iPad for coding and as a laptop replacement. There is no consensus on the effectiveness of the iPad for tasks typically performed on a laptop.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the performance comparison between different CPU architectures and the specific capabilities of the M1 chip. Limitations in coding options on the iPad are also acknowledged.

Arman777
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Hey all,

I want to buy Ipad Air 5th Gen Tablet. Currently My computer has this specs:

Code: 
CPU(s):                  4
  On-line CPU(s) list:   0-3
Vendor ID:               GenuineIntel
  Model name:            Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7200U CPU @ 2.50GHz
    CPU family:          6
    Model:               142
    Thread(s) per core:  2
    Core(s) per socket:  2
    Socket(s):           1
    Stepping:            9
    CPU max MHz:         3100.0000
    CPU min MHz:         400.0000
    BogoMIPS:            5399.81
Caches (sum of all):    
  L1d:                   64 KiB (2 instances)
  L1i:                   64 KiB (2 instances)
  L2:                    512 KiB (2 instances)
  L3:                    3 MiB (1 instance)
NUMA:                  
  NUMA node(s):          1
  NUMA node0 CPU(s):     0-3

from this site https://www.apple.com/ipad-air/specs/ there's some specs given for M1 chip but I don't see much about detail. Can someone point on these informations for ipad air 5.th gen's M1 chip ? I have found out this site but I am not sure every M1 chip is the same or not ?
https://cpufun.substack.com/p/more-m1-fun-hardware-information?s=r

It seems like with M1 I am buying an really powerful tablet (kind of a computer actually) which is much much powerful than my computer. Also is it easy to code in Ipad (such as python). I also kind of want to use it as laptop.

Thanks
 
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It is pointless comparing numbers of cores and clock rates between a RISC processor like an M1 with a modern CISC processor like an i5; the latter's performance comes from pipelining and cacheing optimizations that do not show up in these figures.

There are a few options for coding in Python on an iPad but each has compromises and I wouldn't call any of them "easy". For most other languages your only option is to connect to a (remote or local) server and use your iPad as a really expensive dumb terminal.

For "use as a laptop" it depends what you use your laptop for. Apart from coding I use mine mainly for spreadsheets and games: both are useless on an iPad.
 
pbuk said:
It is pointless comparing numbers of cores and clock rates between a RISC processor like an M1 with a modern CISC processor like an i5; the latter's performance comes from pipelining and cacheing optimizations that do not show up in these figures.
Oh I see I was not aware of that processor types...
pbuk said:
There are a few options for coding in Python on an iPad but each has compromises and I wouldn't call any of them "easy". For most other languages your only option is to connect to a (remote or local) server and use your iPad as a really expensive dumb terminal.
I have heard google colab..but ofc coding is not necessary...
pbuk said:
For "use as a laptop" it depends what you use your laptop for. Apart from coding I use mine mainly for spreadsheets and games: both are useless on an iPad.
I wlll mainy use for note-taking, reading pdfs etc...I guess I don't need M1 for that..
 
Arman777 said:
I wlll mainy use for note-taking, reading pdfs etc...I guess I don't need M1 for that..
An iPad is great for that - it's what I use my ancient iPad Air 2 for.