Macbook Pro and Macbook Air

I currently have a 2011 Macbook Pro, but recently i have been thinking about getting a Macbook Air, the design looks nice, a lot lighter (which would be useful for traveling on the bus to and from university). But is it really worth it considering i have a 15" Macbook pro? would it just be a waste of money?

The battery on my 2011 MBP is at 150 cycles and i've heard that the Air has a much better battery life.

kdoug said:

Only 150 cycles on a 3 year old laptop? I'd keep what you have and wait for the next big thing.

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Yea i keep it plugged in when i'm at home and take the charger with me every where else so its rare i run it down. I'm not sure what the count is before a new battery is needed, but i should be a few more years off.

halledise said:

you'd be wise not to keep it on charge most of the time but let the battery do its thing - even let it run right down once in a while.
better for battery longevity …

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Yea that's what i do every now and then, hence why there's only 150 cycles down.

abta1 said:

I recently switched from a 2010 15" MBP 8GB RAM, 250GB SSD to a 2013 11" MBA 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD.

My main reasoning was to slim down for travelling. I also didn't need the large screen (I connect to an external display or TV through Airplay), nor do I do anything taxing with the machine as all that is done on my workstation/server at work.

Now I have a machine that is still very snappy for all the daily tasks I need it for as my only computer at home but for travelling it is much more convenient and lighter than the 15".

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I also travel with my Mac, mainly to university, having a lighter laptop would be great as it would mean my bag would be lighter, however It would also need to be durable as I catch the bus to university and stand at the bus stop in all weathers ( UK weather is not that great ) but I was thinking about upgrading my iPad 3 and getting an iPad Air 2 (when it's announced and released) however there are some things that I just prefer on a laptop, such as typing.

There is nothing wrong with my MacBook Pro, it works fine, the battery doesn't last all day like the MacBook Air is rumoured too, especially since I do a lot of multitasking stuff, such as opening web browsers, watching movie and TV shows typing notes, using pages, numbers and keynote.

Since upgrading from a PC I have noticed a few things, the Mac tends to be more reliable, I haven't had a virus on my Mac, and after nearly 4 years my Mac doesn't seem to have slowed down like a Windows PC use to. I'm very happy with Mac, and this was another reason I was contemplating getting the Air.

kage207 said:

There are no known viruses for Mac's. There is Malware and Trojan's that are out there though. That is highly dependent on you as Malware comes from the sites you visit. The Trojan's hide inside applications and are only able to access your machine when you install them, so download from reliable sources.

Secondly, my MBA is great. I love the battery life. I usually get about 6.5-7 hours from my 2012 MBA. It's a great laptop, though I do not ever watch any videos when I'm at class or it will kill (drain) the battery, just like any mobile devices battery.

I usually have Evernote, Mail, Calendar, Safari, Reminders, Messages, DropBox, Preview and a few other utility apps. I then have either other apps open, depending what I'm developing for, like Xcode, Coda or Eclipse. This machine is plenty powerful.

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Yea I only ever download applications from Apples App Store. At the moment I've been thinking to maybe wait and see if there will be a retina display MacBook Air, that would probably make the screen better than my current 2011 MBP. That would then make it very tempting to upgrade, 12 hours battery life (13" MacBook Air), retina screen, very light and portable and decent specs.

kage207 said:

Ah ya. I know the newer one (2013) has a much better battery life than mine (2012). I'm actually waiting for a refresh of the MBA this year and then I'll upgrade. I really want the 12 hour battery life.

I'm just saying the 7 hours is great as it gets me through the day just fine.

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This is partly the reason why i have been thinking about getting a Macbook Air, with the light weight and the long battery life, it would be better to take to university. The only thing that concerns me is durability, with using public transport and waiting at the bus stop in all weathers (UK weather is so unpredictable ).

ohbrilliance said:

I would consider the 13" rMBP. It's slightly heavier than the MBA, but has a smaller footprint, which negates the added weight somewhat. Battery life is great. At least ten hours for me. And of course, you get the retina screen.

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Because i already have a 2011 MBP i was thinking about waiting until the retina MackBook Air is released by Apple, there are rumours at the moment it will be at WWDC which is in June and would be great because i'm not back at university until September due to summer holidays.

kage207 said:

The MBA is a great laptop. I have no problems with durability. Just make sure you get a good backpack or bag to carry it around. I got one from STM Bags. Soft lining and great amount of padding. It's the only thing I really carry in my bag besides cables, pens and a paper notepad. There's even a tablet pocket.

The MBP vs. rMBP vs. MBA is a silly argument. Just get what you want out of a computer as long as it handles your needs. I use my computer all day. I wanted it lightweight. I honestly have to check to my bag to make sure I didn't forget my computer. These are all just features. Pick the ones you like.

Just handle with care, like all devices. These aren't just toys, they are tools.

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Yea i do already have a good bag that i use for university, its water resistant and I've carried my Macbook Pro in it a couple of times, but with everything else inside it becomes heavy, and with the 2011 MBP it's not exactly light.

My thoughts have been to get the MBA for university purposes, internet, note taking and general internet use, and too keep my MBP at home for the more serious stuff, photoshop, light gaming and so on. With Apple rumoured to be updating the MBA i might just wait a little.

Hammie said:

Here is the deal.

If want a lighter weight laptop, the MBA is the one for you. IMO, going Retina from your non-retina is really only a nice to have. A newer non-retina display will not give you anything worse than you already have (not saying what you have is bad... ). You need to get what is best for you. Based on your needs, a retina will not benefit you -- the lighter weight of the MBA will; the processing power of the MBA will; the durability of the MBA will (my wife just throws hers in a tote bag with pens, USB drives, text books (she works in a school), folders, etc. and hers if fine. a few scratches and scuffs here and there, but it still works like a champ.

Just my two cents.

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Thats a very good point for university the MBA would be perfect, due to its lightweight and durable body. And with the new pricing, which i will get a student discount on anyway, is VERY tempting, i could get a fully maxed out 13" MBA (1.7GHZ , 8GB Ram and 512GB flash storage) for £1,245.60

I'm tempted to wait until Apple's "Back to school" offer starts here in the UK, mainly because if i order a MBA during that time, i also get a £70 iTunes card for free

mtneer said:

Other than aesthetics and the weight; do you have other reasons to upgrade? Is your 2011 Sandy Bridge laptop breaking down? Since you already said that your use pattern is not to use the battery; I am not sure what you are gunning for here.

And if you are just consuming media, reading PDF's and playing simple games on the bus to kill time - an iPad may suit your needs better.

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No there are no other reasons to upgrade really, my MBP still works great. Apart from the weight and longer battery life. My thinking was purely that i saw the Macbook Air liked the way it looks, the fact that its light and portable and the long battery life.

I use my current Mac to do different thing such as writing essays, surfing the internet, watching TV shows that i've brought from iTunes. I do already own an iPad 3, which i use for gaming and reading books on.