Went in for MB Air, left with MBP 13"

Today, I originally planned to buy a MacBook Air 1.86 GHZ Rev C. I really thought I had my mind set on the computer. I tried justifying reasons why I needed something that portable. I also tried justifying a performance loss with more expense attached.

I have a 2006 Mac Pro at home, so it wouldn't have been my main machine. I previously had a PowerBook 12" that I purchased 4 years ago for $1700. I sold it after 3 years, and I decided to wait till the time was right to buy another laptop.

I wanted the Air badly when it first came out, but it was way to expensive. Today was the closest I've ever been to buying one, but I just did not see a future in the system. I knew I could live with the specs today, but I didn't feel like 2GB of RAM would be enough in the future. It seemed as if the Air would not last as long as the PowerBook did.

I really liked the fact that I could buy the 2.26 GHZ MBP 13" and upgrade the RAM and HD later if I needed to. If I could have done that easily on the MB Air, I probably would have gotten it. I also liked the MBP's longer battery life and cooler operating temperatures.

So far I haven't had any problems performance wise with the MBP. The portability is also really good. It is obviously a little bit heavier than the Air, but not enough for me to really care. I don't notice the thickness at all because the build quality is so good; it is definitely the sturdiest portable I have ever owned.

I see people rushing around to meetings with their laptops in their hands at work, and I feel like they would be better off with Airs. I need portability, but I know that I will not need to move the computer more than a few times a day.

Everyone has different needs, and I thought that the MBP 13" would not meet mine, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I was prepared to pay the 10% restocking fee if I needed to return it for the Air, but I don't think that will be happening. I will give it a week just in case to see how it goes, but I think I might have made the right decision and saved $300 in the process.

Sijmen said:

I was in doubt between the Air and the unibody MacBook for a long time. I leaned towards the Air because of the far, far superior screen. The one in the MacBook felt cheap to me.

Then the MBP 13" came out and I got it as soon as I could. The screen is brilliant and the battery life was the nail in the coffin for my plan to purchase an Air.

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Ya, I would have gotten the Air if they didn't upgrade the screens.

opera57 said:

Congrats on your purchase! It was between the air and the MBP for me as well, but I ended up going for the air as I don't need the dvd drive etc due to having an iMac. Both machines are awesome though and I would have been happy with either!

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I don't need the drive either. I still kinda want the air, but I would like to put one of the Intel SSDs in the MBP and upgrade the RAM later. I've got a few days to decide if I want to keep this, and so far everything has been good.

bossxii said:

Congrats indeed! The MBP is a very nice machine. I did the exact same thing you did, I did however own the Rev B 1.86/SSD for about 4 or 5 months and now after owning a 13" MBP 2.26 which I upgraded the ram to 4 gigs, put in a 320 gig 7200 rpm drive here is what is keeping me on the MBP.

First off the trackpad on the MBP vs the Air hands down I love the glass trackpad. The other big factor was the hinge on the MBA after 90 days was already developing "slop" or loose movement that my MBP and past MBP never showed any signs of. The MBA's venting system seems rather poorly designed considering it's very moblle, people will use it on their laps... err wait don't block the vents! Not a good idea imo. Last but not least is the issue of heat, this MBP rarely has the fan kick in over 2500 while the MBA runs at 6k+ rather often if you watch any video or work it at all. I found this to be rather annoying with the MBA's fan going full bore most of the time I used it.

I don't need the DVD drive at all, remote install, external drive etc.. not a factor. The battery however is amazing on the new MBP's, the air was good but for me being mobile means out on jobsites and away from an outlet.

I would love to see a revision of the MBA with a better hinge, better venting design and the glass trackpad. I was temped again just this past weekend when Best Buy had a Rev B 1.6/120gig model that had been returned after a week for $850 bucks, but after opening it and checking it out, the hinge already had nearly 1/2" of slop so it was an easy no go for me even as a second machine to my MBP. The new MBP with backlit keyboard, upgraded screen, longer battery life and FW 800 really made it a great portable and all the while only adding a pound and a half. (over the MBA)

Whichever you finally land on just be aware the MBA is not all things to all people, some love it and swear by it, some (like me) thinks is has it good points but just not "there" yet. Good luck with your final decision!

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What kind of battery life did you get with your air? I am routinely getting somewhere between 6 and 7 hours on the MBP. I browse the internet on it with lots of tabs open, and I chat a lot. I usually keep the brightness on half or above depending on the lighting conditions in the room.

Also, are the fans on the MBA loud? So far I've only heard the fan on my MBP once, and it only went to 4000 RPM.

manhattanboy said:

13"MBP
Height:
0.95 inch (2.41 cm)
Weight:
4.5 pounds (2.04 kg)

13" MBA
Height:
0.16-0.76 inch (0.4-1.94 cm)
Weight:
3.0 pounds (1.36 kg)

The SIZE and WEIGHT are really what makes the computer.

It really is like moving from a regular cell phone to a smart phone. You don't absolutely need it but once you've tasted what it's like to have full computer access with you ALL of the time, you don't want to go back.
My MBA has become part of my daily bag I carry around, right in there with things like pens, etc. I don't use it everyday, but its there when I do want it.

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Hmm. The thinness doesn't tempt me that much, and the weight kinda does. I just don't feel like the MBP 13" is heavy though. I would describe it as a nice solid feeling.

entatlrg said:

thinness is indeed an appreciated feature, the weight of the MBA is for sure imo noticeably less than the 13" MBP, I've carried both in a bag and handled both, the Air won for me hands down.... everytime I used the 13 MBP on the couch I'd wish it was the Air and I'd go get it ... the 13" MBP is now with one of my staff, he loves it btw ... it does have more power over the MBA...

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lol, I'm on the couch with the MBP having second thoughts I'd do it if I really needed a laptop, but I don't really need one so I'd probably be better of with the value option. Hopefully the MBA gets updated to the point where I have no choice to get it. I feel like I am really close this time, but I will hold off until I know I will be 100% satisified.

entatlrg said:

that's a good idea, congrat's and you'll really enjoy the 13" MBP I'm sure.

sometimes I wish I'd never seen or used an MBA, lol, then I'd just have one 13" MBP and I'd have a great small computer with power ... since I've got taste of the Air I can't give it up ... not necessarily a good thing at all times...

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I probably will stick with the MBP for sure. My 1900XT in my Mac Pro died so I need to replace that soon. I also had a Raptor HD fail in the Mac Pro, so that needs to be replaced. If I didn't have so much other stuff to work on I'd "taste" the Air, but I guess I'll put the $500 to a new video card and a 500GB drive. I also want to get the new iPod Touch this fall lol, so I'd put myself in a pinch by spending the extra money.