I'm a graphic designer who has a 21" iMac. Basically just wondering whether I should get the new 13" Macbook Air or the 13" Macbook Pro Retina?
Portability isn't a huge issue and whilst the 12 hour battery life would be nice it isn't necessary. I guess it's more of a question performance wise between the two?
there are a million threads about this that you can read here, and i'm sure you've googled it but one thing i think you should really do is go get some hands on experience in the Apple Store. You'd be surprised how many of us (myself included) who do most of our shopping online forget the benefits of actually using the device in person.
I wanted the 13" MBA when I walked in, but after holding it and the 13" rMBP i didn't really notice a big difference in weight - and the pro actually seemed to balance better. I decided that I really wanted the 11" MBA. The reason being was to me the real choice was between ultralight and power - so in other words the 11" or the 15" rMBP.
Two things I don't like about the 13" rMBP is 1- i don't like buying 1st gen tech and 2- i don't like the lack of a dedicated GPU.
But it's a fine computer - and since you asked, definitely "superior" to the mba in terms of power. That being said i think the 13" MBA is a better deal in terms of bang for your buck.
The other variable here is that they might be updating the pro line for the Holiday market at the end of the year. You could always wait and see what pops out next. But, that's always the case isn't it?
