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In a Dilemma

I

imanbrar06

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 28, 2014
4
0
hello everyone



I study business and am planning to buy a macbook for my university work. My requirements would MSOFFICE, SAFARI, SKYPE, WEB BROWSING,WATCHING MOVIES,DROPBOX, BASIC PHOTOSHOP and similar simple needs, currently two models fit in my budget :



A) 13" MBA 1.3/8gb ram/256gb ssd.
B) 13" rMBP 8gb/128gb ssd



I had made up my mind for MBA but when i went to store and checked the retina macbook pro, i was kind of impressed by it. But due to tight funds, i would be able to buy just 128gb of hard disk space in the pro, if i go for it. Is losing 128gb space over the pro is worth it? Someone told me about the sd cards that just fit in the slot and doesnot hang out. Are those fast enough in speeds and should i go that way? The 128gb will be less in the sense that i am going to use the machine for few years. Also, i will be taking the macbook with me in the university. So the weight and size difference between MBA and rMBP will be a big issue? I will be ok with the 9 hour battery life of rMBP.



I love the sleek design of MBA but i am also impressed with the display of rMBP. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I am planning to keep my machine for 3-4 years (not more than 4 yrs though). My requirements won't change in the future and i would be using these kinds of apps only in the machine. Its going to be my main machine.:confused:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I feel like the MBA would be ideal for you.

Now if you were a professional photoshop user than I might say go for the Pro, but it sounds like you're buying this laptop for more of a casual use to use for a variety of things.

Also the more memory on the Air would give you more options for future software on your computer. Also the Air is quite perfect for a university computer, it's size is great for any student.

It's honestly up to you.
 
i say go with the rMBP those screens are a pleasure to spend time on, everything is so much clearer and sharper...

the 128 will be enough as long as you don't have large music/movies and photo libraries (and if you do, then just move them to a cheap external drive...)

Also, both OWC and Transcend have said that they are working on PCI-E flash storage for the 2013 and later rMBP so eventually the upgrade won't be as prohibitive, cost wise as it is now....
 
mvmanolov said:
i say go with the rMBP those screens are a pleasure to spend time on, everything is so much clearer and sharper...

the 128 will be enough as long as you don't have large music/movies and photo libraries (and if you do, then just move them to a cheap external drive...)

Also, both OWC and Transcend have said that they are working on PCI-E flash storage for the 2013 and later rMBP so eventually the upgrade won't be as prohibitive, cost wise as it is now....
Click to expand...


thanks, and what about the size difference? Is rMBP easy for a university study to sustain with. i will be taking the macbook to my university.
 
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imanbrar06 said:
thanks, and what about the size difference? Is rMBP easy for a university study to sustain with. i will be taking the macbook to my university.
Click to expand...

dimensions wise the rMBP is smaller than the air (i have both) but weight wise its a little heavier. like 1/2 pound heavier. for both you won't need the charger so that's not an issue. but if you carry it a lot the entire day it may make a difference. However, as i said the screen is amazing.... in the sense that your eyes will not get as tired staring at the rMBP as much as staring at the Air (i stare at my screen all day and notice a difference) for that alone i think the extra weight is worth it...
 
I have both and I think they have their pros and cons.
I personally prefer to carry the MBA around campus because its battery life is ridiculously long (I average 12-13 hours a day...).
The rMBP however has a much better screen, it's a joy to look at. But the rMBP tends to run hotter than the MBA, I guess it's because of the processor and graphic card driving that display. So if you like to place the laptop on your laps like me, the rMBP can be quite a challenge.
You could also opt for an external SSD or HDD to store more files.
 
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