Which one will you pick? 2014 MBA 12" w/ Retina or rMBP Broadwell 13"?

Neither.
Also will not release a rmbp update this year.

Well, I was waiting for the Retina MacBook Air. However, I realized that it won't release this summer, or possibly even this autumn. Moreover it seems uncertain that we'll even be given a 13" option. As I can't do any proper work on something smaller than 13", I started having my doubts.

At that same time last week, an Apple Premium Reseller nearby had great deals going on, and I found the rMBP 13" 2.4/8/256, brand new for a price I couldn't resist. So yeah, I already made my choice. rMBP and lovin' it. Putting my MBA up for sale in the coming week. I must say I will miss it however..

Read this thread while sitting outdoors with my rMBP...... At the beginning of April I was aware that at some point there would be an update to the MBA, but at that time I was ready to buy, pretty much needed to buy, and I had specific criteria for my next notebook computer. I was not comfortable with the idea of a 12" MBA replacing the 13" and I also was not happy with the ports on the MBA. A half-pound difference in weight wouldn't matter to me one way or another. So... The rMBP 8 GB/256 SSD hit the "sweet spot" for me and I brought her home. I have no regrets. Now the new specs have been released for the MBAs and I still have no regrets.

If you've got the need or the urge to buy a new machine, sit down and analyze your priorities and then see what is out there in the current market that matches or comes close to matching those priorities....play with the machines in the Apple store. Read comments and reviews. What's out there right now is a known factor; what may be released in coming months is still an unknown factor. Make the purchasing decision accordingly.

unknownfps said:

Rumor source?

Click to expand...

Wait and see ...

unknownfps said:

I've been using MBA for a year now and while I like the portability of this machine, I have a little bit of Buyer's Remorse for not getting a rMBP instead, even if it is .5 lb heavier.

What I know so far (according to rumors) is this:

In mid-late 2014,
Apple will finally release a lighter, retina MBA... but the opportunity cost is that it will be presented with 12" display.
I'm not sure if the rMBA processor will be Broadwell, but knowing Apple, I believe that it will have Haswell 2.0 processor.

As for 13" rMBP, it will be presented with Broadwell processor and (maybe) IGZO display. This will increase 30% battery life - so now it gets all-day battery life.


I'm more inclined to side with the rMBP 13" for 2014 model, because decreasing 1" screen size will now be too small for me to work on.

Anything else to add?

Which model would you buy?

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The Apple update cycle is based mostly on the Intel refresh cycle. Since they already upgraded Haswell processors on the MBA, they will almost certainly get Broadwell in the major refresh. Broadwell will be released Q3 this year, or a quarter behind schedule. Last year, when haswell was released, the MBA's got the first haswell processors. Apple will probably have broadwell processors by the start of fall. I can't imagine a 2015 Broadwell MBA because the 2015 processor will be on the same die size, allowing for a June release of the 2015 MBA with that processor. If they don't update in 2014, Apple will not have a Broadwell MBA, which is unlikely. The most likely event is Apple releasing a new MBA 6 months from now right before the holiday season, lining up their update so it isn't too close to this update, but not too close to the next update. I would hope for it to be earlier, but that is not likely.

Since there hasn't been a major update on one of their flagship computers this year, this is most likely just a mid-cycle update because of the broadwell delay. Marketshare typically drops off before expected updates, and since many people know that the MBA has a release date of around June, they would have taken a pretty big hit this year when people stopped buying MBAs before June. They manage to cut losses by releasing an updated version during the slump, and dispell any thoughts of an iminent release in June, so consumers will not worry about buying a MBA. It will most likely be released fall 2014.

unknownfps said:

Do you feel any noticeable difference between the weight? And the battery life?

Also what kind of work do you do on your laptop? I mainly use my MBA for coding, word processors, watching videos, and web browsing. Never uses video making software or anything like that.

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We habe the mba and rmbp haswell at home. The mba is very noticabely slimmer and lighter

Neither

Neither , because if and when they bring out a MBA retina it's going to be a redesign I feel because of battery to power the updated display.

Tried the 13" rMBP that everyone was hooting and hollering about at the Apple store and the graphics to play some of the simplest games available on the App Store were horrible. Granted I play a game maybe once or twice a month but I have a laptop for portability and not being tethered to an AC outlet, I move around and go here and there and getting 11 sometimes 12+ hours on a 13" air is fantastic.

If the do release a MBA with retina, I would probably wait until the second release or update to work out all the undocumented features.

unknownfps said:

Oh yea, definitely. I remember when the retina MBP 15" first came out, there were a lot of annoying issues like graphics, displays, and etc.

Maybe when rMBA with fanless, and buttonless trackpad isn't the way to go, that'll settle a lot of problems

Click to expand...

To me the track pad is buttonless and my settings are so that I am NOT clicking it. As for fan-less, based on my day to day use the only time the fan come's on is when installing software from the App Store. Buying the 1st generation is always a trial and error.