Swapped New MBA 13 for MBP 13

jordanallen73 · Jul 16, 2012

Howdy Y'all,

I was very unsure which Macbook to get. The last Macbook I had was the 2006 Black Macbook, which was stolen in 2007. I read at least a hundred reviews of each one and finally settled on the 13 inch Macbook Air with 256 SSD. I really enjoyed the form factor for a few days, but I was having some serious doubts about upgradeability as well as the usefulness of the optical drive. I was really held back by many reviews and people stating how crazy it would be to buy from the current crop of classic MBP's. I just couldn't justify the price of the SSD when I was going to have to buy an external as well, along with some sort of external optical drive. People online acted like the Air's screen was so much better with it's higher resolution. So far as I can tell it was simply less reflective and gave a little more screen real estate.

I decided to take that awesome Macbook Air back and got the base MBP 13''. I realize how much faster the SSD is but I think this will be fine for me at this point. I decided to try this out for a few days to see if it would be worth switching back to the MBA. I am mostly needing it for school online - Business major. My wife and I are also having a baby so I know we'll mess with iPhoto and all of the other goodies included in iLife.

I'm pretty happy thus far with this MBP but wanted to give my input should there be anyone in a similar situation.

Anyone have any experience with this same decision or similar? This is a big decision for me and I just want to make sure I'm gonna be happy with it for the next few years. Either way I sure am happy to be back on a Mac!

user418 · Jul 16, 2012

The current MBP's are excellent machines. When you can afford it you can install your own SSD to regain the speed you were accustomed to with the Air. The prices of SSD's have declined drastically recently and you can find a 256 GB version for around $185 or less. There are also online videos to show you how to make the upgrade. If storage becomes an issue, and you find you can do without the ODD, you can replace the ODD with the HDD you replaced with the SSD. I opted for the 15" MBP and installed my own SSD and additional RAM. I've been very pleased with my decision and haven't looked back. Although I don't use my ODD very often I like having the option of changing it out in the future if I so desire. I think you will be pleased with your decision as well.

Davy.Shalom · Jul 16, 2012

igiboi · Jul 16, 2012

jordanallen73 said:
Howdy Y'all,

I was very unsure which Macbook to get. The last Macbook I had was the 2006 Black Macbook, which was stolen in 2007. I read at least a hundred reviews of each one and finally settled on the 13 inch Macbook Air with 256 SSD. I really enjoyed the form factor for a few days, but I was having some serious doubts about upgradeability as well as the usefulness of the optical drive. I was really held back by many reviews and people stating how crazy it would be to buy from the current crop of classic MBP's. I just couldn't justify the price of the SSD when I was going to have to buy an external as well, along with some sort of external optical drive. People online acted like the Air's screen was so much better with it's higher resolution. So far as I can tell it was simply less reflective and gave a little more screen real estate.

I decided to take that awesome Macbook Air back and got the base MBP 13''. I realize how much faster the SSD is but I think this will be fine for me at this point. I decided to try this out for a few days to see if it would be worth switching back to the MBA. I am mostly needing it for school online - Business major. My wife and I are also having a baby so I know we'll mess with iPhoto and all of the other goodies included in iLife.

I'm pretty happy thus far with this MBP but wanted to give my input should there be anyone in a similar situation.

Anyone have any experience with this same decision or similar? This is a big decision for me and I just want to make sure I'm gonna be happy with it for the next few years. Either way I sure am happy to be back on a Mac!

I too bought the mbp instead of the air. If I could afford the rMBP I would. I also was looking for something for school and I wanted the air as I used to own a 2010 mbp. But the upgradeability bother me. And with all the discounts given to me, I was able to put it to a 128gb ssd and a copy of windows 7

jordanallen73 · Jul 16, 2012

Thanks!

Thanks for the great reply! So far I've been very pleased and I haven't felt a bit of remorse for saving 400(+) dollars by going with the classic! I am well aware of the upgrades available to me in the future and that was a huge help in making my decision to switch from the air, which as you know is not upgradeable in the least.

I feel like for me, this was a no brainer and I got a lot of "bang for my buck"!

:apple:

----------

igiboi said:
I too bought the mbp instead of the air. If I could afford the rMBP I would. I also was looking for something for school and I wanted the air as I used to own a 2010 mbp. But the upgradeability bother me. And with all the discounts given to me, I was able to put it to a 128gb ssd and a copy of windows 7

I think another reason I went with this is the fact that it's probably one of the last updates to this line before they change it completely. I know for a lot of people the fact that it's being phased out is a deterrent, but for me it was a plus because I know it's been refined as far as Apple was going to take it. As far as I'm concerned I've got an incredible machine that will last me 3-5 years no problem. And like you both stated...it's upgradeable!

leman · Jul 16, 2012

IMHO, the air is a better machine. I just don't see the point of the bigger and bulkier mbp For most users, air's CPU will be more than fast enough and the small form factor with better real screen estate is very good for productivity. SSD is amazing and 256gb is plenty for anything but video/photo/audio editing. The optical drive is not needed in this day and age anymore. The air is a perfect business laptop because it it's great mobility paired with excellent performance. Upgradeability is something which many people are concerned about, but I don't really see a point. The offered configurations will serve you for at least 4-5 years (get the 8gb option if you wish) and after that you should get a new machine anyway. And if you need more storage, get a usb3 external drive - you should have one with any machine for backups anyway.

Than again, people's needs differ. Still, from your usage description I would say that air is much better for you.

mofoliar · Jul 16, 2012

I did also have a MBA for bout 3-4 months... I5 was nice,had the 128G ssd and 4G ddr3.. It was nice booted up in matter of seconds. but i felt too no upgrades feeable, so i sold it now using MBP i7 quad,16G of Ram and 750G hdd... I do miss the speed on ssd, but other than that MBA was a great machine, loved the form factor... It was some getting use too from 11'' to 15''... but like it... just will go to ssd in 6months or so..

SR71 · Jul 16, 2012

jordanallen73 said:
Howdy Y'all,

I was very unsure which Macbook to get. The last Macbook I had was the 2006 Black Macbook, which was stolen in 2007. I read at least a hundred reviews of each one and finally settled on the 13 inch Macbook Air with 256 SSD. I really enjoyed the form factor for a few days, but I was having some serious doubts about upgradeability as well as the usefulness of the optical drive. I was really held back by many reviews and people stating how crazy it would be to buy from the current crop of classic MBP's. I just couldn't justify the price of the SSD when I was going to have to buy an external as well, along with some sort of external optical drive. People online acted like the Air's screen was so much better with it's higher resolution. So far as I can tell it was simply less reflective and gave a little more screen real estate.

I decided to take that awesome Macbook Air back and got the base MBP 13''. I realize how much faster the SSD is but I think this will be fine for me at this point. I decided to try this out for a few days to see if it would be worth switching back to the MBA. I am mostly needing it for school online - Business major. My wife and I are also having a baby so I know we'll mess with iPhoto and all of the other goodies included in iLife.

I'm pretty happy thus far with this MBP but wanted to give my input should there be anyone in a similar situation.

Anyone have any experience with this same decision or similar? This is a big decision for me and I just want to make sure I'm gonna be happy with it for the next few years. Either way I sure am happy to be back on a Mac!

I had the exact same problem, but I had had one of the "newer" MacBook Air's (as in the ones that came standard with an SSD) early last year and it was great and all, but the points that you brought up got me thinking "Did I make the right purchase?". That changed when my MacBook Air was stolen a year later in April 2012. I knew that the next time I got a MacBook, it'd be a MBP.

My reasoning for this was the following: Yes, the Air has an SSD which makes it seem super fast, but the MBP can also gain these same advantages by putting in an SSD manually (and also is much cheaper... $399 for a 512GB Crucial M4 SSD on Amazon, was $350 for a short time a few weeks ago). That, coupled with upgrading the RAM to 8GB or 16GB BLOWS the Air out of the water. Not to mention upgradability, more space, and the optical drive, which for some is very handy. Also, people always seem to mention the Air's screen. People say "it's a better display because it has a higher resolution in the same 13" space as the 13" MacBook Pro". While this is true, it is a negligible difference that most people (read: all) will not notice.

jordanallen73 · Jul 17, 2012

Agreed

SR71 said:
I had the exact same problem, but I had had one of the "newer" MacBook Air's (as in the ones that came standard with an SSD) early last year and it was great and all, but the points that you brought up got me thinking "Did I make the right purchase?". That changed when my MacBook Air was stolen a year later in April 2012. I knew that the next time I got a MacBook, it'd be a MBP.

My reasoning for this was the following: Yes, the Air has an SSD which makes it seem super fast, but the MBP can also gain these same advantages by putting in an SSD manually (and also is much cheaper... $399 for a 512GB Crucial M4 SSD on Amazon, was $350 for a short time a few weeks ago). That, coupled with upgrading the RAM to 8GB or 16GB BLOWS the Air out of the water. Not to mention upgradability, more space, and the optical drive, which for some is very handy. Also, people always seem to mention the Air's screen. People say "it's a better display because it has a higher resolution in the same 13" space as the 13" MacBook Pro". While this is true, it is a negligible difference that most people (read: all) will not notice.

I think the MB Air's are going to get better and better, and cheaper with the falling prices of the SSD's. I loved the SSD functionality, but not enough to sacrifice storage space, and more importantly the cash. I decided if I was going to keep the MBA with 256GB SSD I might as well splurge the extra cash and go with the new rMBP. I definitely didn't need that right now and I figured I would rather wait till the 2nd or 3rd gen on it.

As far as the screen goes, the only thing the Air had better was more screen real estate and a little less glare. The MBP actually has a larger color gamut and for me it is very clear. Things seem to "pop" more on this screen!

I've always liked burning CD's for people even though I know the world is moving away from them. I think of this like the cassette tape. For several years after nobody bought cassettes anymore auto manufacturers still included a tape deck alongside the CD slots. I love Blu-Rays but when I cruise down to Brasil to visit family and friends I buy a lot of cheap music DVD's. I have a feeling my built-in ODD has a good number of useful years ahead of it, and when it becomes totally obsolete, SSD will be so cheap that I'll have extra space and upgradeability.

All things considered, I am happy with my new MBP for now. I have no doubt I will own an Air or rPro in the future but for now I got my money's worth. I am even considering taking the cash I saved and instead of upgrading to SSD right now I can surprise my wife with a new iPad. I could use it for my college reading too. So many options!

colour · Jul 17, 2012

jordanallen73 said:
I think the MB Air's are going to get better and better, and cheaper with the falling prices of the SSD's. I loved the SSD functionality, but not enough to sacrifice storage space, and more importantly the cash. I decided if I was going to keep the MBA with 256GB SSD I might as well splurge the extra cash and go with the new rMBP. I definitely didn't need that right now and I figured I would rather wait till the 2nd or 3rd gen on it.

As far as the screen goes, the only thing the Air had better was more screen real estate and a little less glare. The MBP actually has a larger color gamut and for me it is very clear. Things seem to "pop" more on this screen!

I've always liked burning CD's for people even though I know the world is moving away from them. I think of this like the cassette tape. For several years after nobody bought cassettes anymore auto manufacturers still included a tape deck alongside the CD slots. I love Blu-Rays but when I cruise down to Brasil to visit family and friends I buy a lot of cheap music DVD's. I have a feeling my built-in ODD has a good number of useful years ahead of it, and when it becomes totally obsolete, SSD will be so cheap that I'll have extra space and upgradeability.

All things considered, I am happy with my new MBP for now. I have no doubt I will own an Air or rPro in the future but for now I got my money's worth. I am even considering taking the cash I saved and instead of upgrading to SSD right now I can surprise my wife with a new iPad. I could use it for my college reading too. So many options!

The points you make are very logical and this is what I have decided on doing. I have been debating whether to get a MBA, MBP or rMBP. I am someone who has owned a few macbooks and even a macpro but I'm going to buy a 13 MBP again, possibly a refurb from last year even.

Reasons are that for $1000-$1400 you can get a machine that you can upgrade yourself to any SSD + optibay and 16gb or ram ... when the price is right or when you want. They are more than powerful enough to run almost all tasks. I want this to last me a few years hopefully the machine is sufficient in power and I hope to use the money I save to buy a new iphone 5 and tablet possibly ipad mini all for the price of a Retina MBP.... who is the real winner?

I will probably upgrade in 2-3 years when the retinas MB's are finessed, but in the meantime you're getting a well rounded machine with features that outdo airs and in some cases RMBP's for an unbeatable price.

jordanallen73 · Jul 17, 2012

Yup

colour said:
The points you make are very logical and this is what I have decided on doing. I have been debating whether to get a MBA, MBP or rMBP. I am someone who has owned a few macbooks and even a macpro but I'm going to buy a 13 MBP again, possibly a refurb from last year even.

Reasons are that for $1000-$1400 you can get a machine that you can upgrade yourself to any SSD + optibay and 16gb or ram ... when the price is right or when you want. They are more than powerful enough to run almost all tasks. I want this to last me a few years hopefully the machine is sufficient in power and I hope to use the money I save to buy a new iphone 5 and tablet possibly ipad mini all for the price of a Retina MBP.... who is the real winner?

I will probably upgrade in 2-3 years when the retinas MB's are finessed, but in the meantime you're getting a well rounded machine with features that outdo airs and in some cases RMBP's for an unbeatable price.

I absolutely agree with your assessment. The more I play with this amazing new machine the more I realize I made the right choice to swap. I love the coolness of the air but this is much more practical for a typical working college student - IMO.

I also considered a refurb considering the specs > price, but I really liked the USB 3 on these new ones and I think I'll use it.

Cheers to the classic MBP 13" - it's served many people well for a very long time, and will continue to for many years to come. :apple:

igiboi · Jul 17, 2012

jordanallen73 said:
Thanks for the great reply! So far I've been very pleased and I haven't felt a bit of remorse for saving 400(+) dollars by going with the classic! I am well aware of the upgrades available to me in the future and that was a huge help in making my decision to switch from the air, which as you know is not upgradeable in the least.

I feel like for me, this was a no brainer and I got a lot of "bang for my buck"!

----------

I think another reason I went with this is the fact that it's probably one of the last updates to this line before they change it completely. I know for a lot of people the fact that it's being phased out is a deterrent, but for me it was a plus because I know it's been refined as far as Apple was going to take it. As far as I'm concerned I've got an incredible machine that will last me 3-5 years no problem. And like you both stated...it's upgradeable!

hey Im with you on this. I'm the type of person that buys products thats been out for years and I know it works! I try to look at it like cars too, never buy the first and 2nd year its out cos they tend to fix the kinks on the later year models

Tho if I can afford the rMBP I would get it, but hey I still enjoy this macbook like I enjoy my iPhone 4s even tho it has the same exterior as my iPhone 4. lol

Mags88 · Jul 18, 2012

I decided to get the MBP 13" 2012 opposed to the air also. It just felt more sensible at this point as I could add in SSD and keep HDD. Add the superdrive to a USB enclosure and I didn't mind the weight/size compared to the air as I don't have it on the move a lot right now.

The Air is a great laptop but not what I am in the market for. For now the MBP 13" suits me fine I will wait to see how the line changes

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Swapped New MBA 13 for MBP 13

jordanallen73

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user418

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Davy.Shalom

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jordanallen73

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leman

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SR71

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jordanallen73

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