Apple has three levels of iPad and a sliding scale for what you could pay…well, four if you count iPad Mini, last updated in 2024, but I'm not getting into that one here. And the question, as always, is: which one? As the M4 iPad Air gets ready to arrive March 11, let's figure it out. While Apple clearly has different people in mind for different tiers of its phones or Macs or iPads, the iPad's always been tough because the sliding scale depends on what you define an iPad to be. Is it a casual couch companion? A graphics machine? A full laptop-like option? And how much money do you have to spend? I've reviewed just about every iPad for over a decade now, so I've seen all the iterations. And I'm one of those people who uses the iPad to write a fair amount with a keyboard. Plus, I definitely use it for movies and videos and checking up on things when I travel. It's still not a full laptop replacement for me, but in a lot of ways, it gets close if you pair a keyboard case. I love a cheap iPad.…