First, it depends on what you have to do and what you like. I like my life very simple with minimal device management. I went through this same dilemma my life/work kept changing (laptop, then macmini with monitor and laptop, then imac and laptop, then laptop with display, and finally...a laptop. Throw an ipad, both sizes, in there too....), I will tell you what I learned.
managing 2 hard drives is a pain; don't do it unless you need to eg you are a photographer for a big company and need to do field work before you return to the main office computers.
managing 2 idevices was also a pain for me.
My current config is a MBA (soon to be upgraded) and an iphone. The Air does everything I need and is as portable as a tablet. If I really need something portable, my iphone can do almost everything an ipad can. And if it can't, the Air is very light and comes along. The current MBA is about as fast as a 2 year old MBP...which is pretty fast. Alternatively, a rmbp 13 would suffice if you really need the retina screen.
Another good setup is an imac and a full size ipad, or, a rmbp used as desktop and sometimes portable, with an ipad mini...it really depends on how mobile you are and what you do.
Here is how I think of the different devices I owned:
-The MBA can fill the spot of a computer and tablet; no need for a tablet if you own one. Even my 2010 can do all of my computing, including photo editing in aperture off a 5dMkII, albeit a little slow.
-The full size ipad is almost as a good as a laptop if you put a lot of work into syncing it and getting good apps; if you do light road work and need a desktop for power, get an ipad to complement a desktop. Unfortunately its hard to do certain kinds of work on an ipad.
-The imac is beautiful but takes up lots of space and can't work on the couch. It also can't go anywhere if you need to do lots of emails/editing/programming what not.
-The macmini is a good if you "kind of" need a desktop AND a laptop but don't want to buy an imac. Its portable enough to take places or store if you don't need it.
-An external monitor is a great idea for a laptop, but I hated having to plug and unplug all the time. Its a good if you sometimes need a desktop or sometimes need a laptop in an 80/20 split.
So I suppose if you just do office type work, get a MBA or rMBP13 and an iphone, and keep it simple. If you need to do heavy computing, I'd get a rMBP or imac along with an ipad. If you really need two computers, a desktop and a MBA (maybe the 11inch depending on your needs) might suffice.
Anyhow, thats my 2 cents, hopefully these posts save you some running around. A lot of it is just determining your needs and trying things out.
managing 2 hard drives is a pain; don't do it unless you need to eg you are a photographer for a big company and need to do field work before you return to the main office computers.
managing 2 idevices was also a pain for me.
My current config is a MBA (soon to be upgraded) and an iphone. The Air does everything I need and is as portable as a tablet. If I really need something portable, my iphone can do almost everything an ipad can. And if it can't, the Air is very light and comes along. The current MBA is about as fast as a 2 year old MBP...which is pretty fast. Alternatively, a rmbp 13 would suffice if you really need the retina screen.
Another good setup is an imac and a full size ipad, or, a rmbp used as desktop and sometimes portable, with an ipad mini...it really depends on how mobile you are and what you do.
Here is how I think of the different devices I owned:
-The MBA can fill the spot of a computer and tablet; no need for a tablet if you own one. Even my 2010 can do all of my computing, including photo editing in aperture off a 5dMkII, albeit a little slow.
-The full size ipad is almost as a good as a laptop if you put a lot of work into syncing it and getting good apps; if you do light road work and need a desktop for power, get an ipad to complement a desktop. Unfortunately its hard to do certain kinds of work on an ipad.
-The imac is beautiful but takes up lots of space and can't work on the couch. It also can't go anywhere if you need to do lots of emails/editing/programming what not.
-The macmini is a good if you "kind of" need a desktop AND a laptop but don't want to buy an imac. Its portable enough to take places or store if you don't need it.
-An external monitor is a great idea for a laptop, but I hated having to plug and unplug all the time. Its a good if you sometimes need a desktop or sometimes need a laptop in an 80/20 split.
So I suppose if you just do office type work, get a MBA or rMBP13 and an iphone, and keep it simple. If you need to do heavy computing, I'd get a rMBP or imac along with an ipad. If you really need two computers, a desktop and a MBA (maybe the 11inch depending on your needs) might suffice.
Anyhow, thats my 2 cents, hopefully these posts save you some running around. A lot of it is just determining your needs and trying things out.
has been able to change my mind. I notice the Air still maxes out at 8gb RAM which i'm currently running. But my 100 minute battery versus 12 hours of battery in the new Air is no contest.