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sk1989

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 21, 2013
22
0
Alright, first off: thanks so much for the replies everyone. I didn't expect this thread to help me so considerably. Def. wanna stick around and maybe be a helpful member, too, in the future.

I'd get the entry-level 15 " rMBP if I were you -- it's more future-proof than any of the 13 inch laptops, not to mention the extra physical screen space is great for web work, writing, photography related tasks, etc.

a 15'' retina is out of my consideration since I don't like carrying anything that is over 13''.


gwelmarten said:
I think the MBA will struggle. Get the base rMBP...

Well, benchmarks are quite close, as people here are writing.

Brandon263 said:
If you are bent on getting a 13 inch one, I'd get the Air with 8 GB. It doesn't have to be the maxed out one, though. The entry level one upgraded with 8 GB ram should be sufficient for your needs.

That's the remark I want to contemplate on: I'm def. getting a 13'' one, and I'm not any closer on making the decision, one thing is sure: it's either the maxed out 13'' MBA or the base-entry 13'' rMBP. I won't settle for less for an Air, and won't fork more on an rMBP.
 

dollystereo

macrumors 6502a
Oct 6, 2004
907
114
France
The Air is brilliant machine, if you said the macs cost 100% more on your conutry, use it 2 years and then sell it.
It depends on portability, you will not see any difference in performance from this 2 machines. Probably the air is snappier (smaller screen to drive).
For surfing the net an i7 is overkill, and 8gb of ram is enough.
With the air you get twice the disc (256 vs 128 of the retina).
Get the Air, is sleek, the screen is beautiful and is a mature product. You will not regret any inch of it. In a year or 2 sell it and get an rAir.
 

sk1989

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 21, 2013
22
0
Still can't make up my mind. The maxed-out Air seems more mature, the safer bet, and a bit faster. The retina has the better screen and the wow effect to it. The retina might also do me good as someone who reads and writes a lot.

But I'm just not sure yet :confused:
 

B...

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2013
1,949
2
Still can't make up my mind. The maxed-out Air seems more mature, the safer bet, and a bit faster. The retina has the better screen and the wow effect to it. The retina might also do me good as someone who reads and writes a lot.

But I'm just not sure yet :confused:

At this point, I would say wait for WWDC to get the second gen rMBP. Maybe sell the Air for a little loss, then buy the pretty and second gen rMBP, which will be a safe buy by then and will be portable and more powerful then now. Maybe even cheaper; who knows?
 

sk1989

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 21, 2013
22
0
At this point, I would say wait for WWDC to get the second gen rMBP. Maybe sell the Air for a little loss, then buy the pretty and second gen rMBP, which will be a safe buy by then and will be portable and more powerful then now. Maybe even cheaper; who knows?

The machine I'm buying will be with me for at least 2 years. But I'm still leaning slightly towards the maxed out 13'' Air. It just seems like the more 'reliable' option as of now - can't go wrong. In 2-3 years retina will become a more global and more websites will start supporting it better. I guess that's when I'll hop on and upgrade. The Air's i7 and 8GBs of RAM should drift me through until then, unlike the Retina's i5 (and possible issues that often pop up with newly introduced models.)
 
Last edited:

sk1989

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 21, 2013
22
0
Ok, need some expert advice to further help me make a decision: if I do, after all, get a retina, will upgrading to the i7 processor make a noticable difference?

This is bloating the price a bit more than I'd like (— as I wrote, I was previously considering strictly a Maxed-out 13'' MBA or the base-entry Retina —) but if I end up with a computer I can use for one more year, then I'm probably willing to fork the extra dollars.
 

B...

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2013
1,949
2
Ok, need some expert advice to further help me make a decision: if I do, after all, get a retina, will upgrading to the i7 processor make a noticable difference?

This is bloating the price a bit more than I'd like (— as I wrote, I was previously considering strictly a Maxed-out 13'' MBA or the base-entry Retina —) but if I end up with a computer I can use for one more year, then I'm probably willing to fork the extra dollars.

The i7 would be overkill for your uses in my opinion. Light Photoshop and web browsing is i5 territory. Retina is great for your uses, but it is already May, so I would wait to see if any of Apple's updates make a difference in your decision (eg rMBA?)
 

Saladinos

macrumors 68000
Feb 26, 2008
1,845
4
a 15'' retina is out of my consideration since I don't like carrying anything that is over 13''.

I thought the same until I got this 15" rMBP. It's so thin and light I can (still) hardly believe it. The extra screen space makes a world of difference when reading and typing.

I'd get a multi-touch trackpad instead of a mouse. Great for working in clamshell mode because you've still got all the gestures (including the all-important 4-finger swipe!)
 

sk1989

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 21, 2013
22
0
I'm really eager to get a Mac for my workflow, so while waiting is possible - I don't know when is the next time a relative is going to be abroad (see my first post).

Anyway - so people are saying the i7 is an overkill, two reasons I'm still considering it:

1. My web browsing is VERY heavy - sometimes I load 30 tabs together at the same time while Photoshop is running, I usually have SublimeText open, too.

2. Future-proofing - maybe an i7 is better for future proofing my purchase? i.e. apps may require more processing power in the future.

What do you guys say? Still an overkill? $150 more dollars isn't a huge deal, but it's still a heavy consideration as I'd like to save it for accessories and apps I'm gonna buy if i7 is an overkill.

Thank you so much for weighing in.
 

Brandon263

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2009
404
37
Beaumont, CA
In real-life usage, especially when web browsing, there is little difference between the i5s and i7s offered in Apple laptops. Significant factors that do affect performance are hard drive speed, RAM size and whether or not the laptop uses a discrete graphics card. All versions of the Air/13 inch rMBP have SSDs and the same graphics card so you shouldn't expect a difference in performance among them because of that. You would only gain a significant improvement in gaming, video encoding and photo editing if you upgraded to the 15 inch rMBP/iMac/Mac Pro, which all have dedicated graphics cards.

Given your preferences, RAM is the only worthwhile performance upgrade, which is why people are suggesting the entry-level 13 inch Air with 8 GB of RAM.

I'm really eager to get a Mac for my workflow, so while waiting is possible - I don't know when is the next time a relative is going to be abroad (see my first post).

Anyway - so people are saying the i7 is an overkill, two reasons I'm still considering it:

1. My web browsing is VERY heavy - sometimes I load 30 tabs together at the same time while Photoshop is running, I usually have SublimeText open, too.

2. Future-proofing - maybe an i7 is better for future proofing my purchase? i.e. apps may require more processing power in the future.

What do you guys say? Still an overkill? $150 more dollars isn't a huge deal, but it's still a heavy consideration as I'd like to save it for accessories and apps I'm gonna buy if i7 is an overkill.

Thank you so much for weighing in.
 

sk1989

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 21, 2013
22
0
only about one month left to WWDC

I don't know if you've read my original post, but I cannot (or won't) purchase Apple products from within my country, since they cost about 60% more. This means I have to rely on a relative/friend to go abroad to purchase anything of substansial price.
 
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