MBA 13" vs MBP 13" (again)

[NordicMac]

Ive been using 13" MBA mostly for home but did go on a business trip recently with it. Was great to use. I ended up buying a USB to ethernet and the limitation is it is only 10/100 because of the USB. Belkin is apparently releasing a Thunderbolt port replicator in the future. I also use a LG external lightscribe drive i picked up on ebay for $30 and works perfectly.

I dont see any benefit getting a MBP if you are going SSD. Unless you need drive and ethernet. Also consider you could do the SSD and memory upgrade yourself and save some money.

Thanks,
getting more and more good reasons to buy an MBA.
Doing an SSD memory upgrade myself on MBP is of course an option. But I'd like to get a ready-to-use laptopm with no hassle and no potential problems. I don't want to mess up with the guarantee with a brand new Mac.

I'll be looking for the Belkin Thunderbolt when it comes.

----------

I might not buy the Super Drive USB with my initial order as I am cheap, but I'd probably get it a few weeks later. I personally wouldn't find it a waste of money.

However, I'm not sure I would want to travel with it. It would probably just be something I'd use with it at home.

The MBA processors aren't that much worse than the MBP this year especially compared to the 13 models since they are not Quad like the 15 & 17.

I think the Air you want could be pretty competent at many of the things you want to do, the hindrance someday may be the RAM. If you're doing a lot of Pro work, 8GB of RAM could be nice, which is easy to upgrade in the Pro.

However, the Air sure has its strengths.

If you have good eyes, don't discount that extra screen real estate of the Air too, lets you get more of your windows onto the screen when doing your editing and whatnot.

Thanks!

I think I'm going to decide that 4GB is enough, as I'll probably not have to run FinalCut AND Photoshop AND another heavy application at the same time. I'll just close one of them, edit what I want, and then go on. Thus, I'll order an Air

Thanks to your advice I'll also find the cash for a SuperDrive while I order the Air (why not). Sounds convenient, and I'll bring it with me on some occasions ("what if" work-related).

Looking forward to my new Air!

 

[powerbook911]

Thanks,
getting more and more good reasons to buy an MBA.
Doing an SSD memory upgrade myself on MBP is of course an option. But I'd like to get a ready-to-use laptopm with no hassle and no potential problems. I don't want to mess up with the guarantee with a brand new Mac.

I'll be looking for the Belkin Thunderbolt when it comes.

----------




Thanks!

I think I'm going to decide that 4GB is enough, as I'll probably not have to run FinalCut AND Photoshop AND another heavy application at the same time. I'll just close one of them, edit what I want, and then go on. Thus, I'll order an Air

Thanks to your advice I'll also find the cash for a SuperDrive while I order the Air (why not). Sounds convenient, and I'll bring it with me on some occasions ("what if" work-related).

Looking forward to my new Air!

I hope you will share your experience with the Air once you get it.

There are third party USB DVD drives you could get too, but the Apple one is so small and light. Seems like a nice choice. I plan to get it, when I get a new Mac Mini.

 

[BadaBing!!]

Why don't wait until you actually need a dvd-drive before buying it ? You might end up never buying it this way ...

 

[akdj]

As a MBA owner, I can tell you that you will probably use the iPad far more than any laptop, MBA included.

It is just faaaaaaaaar more convenient to pick up and use for browsing the web, watching media, and checking email. From form factor, to boot time, to battery life. The things that a laptop does better you don't actually spend most of your time doing, -typing papers, accessing apps that don't exist on iOS, etc.

I need a real computer that is capable of letting me get any kind of work done. An iPad is not there yet. But make no mistake, -if I (and you) had one, that would be the device you pick up 90% of the time for the use-cases you described.

They're way cool, I'm just personally not gonna bite until it gets a Retina Display, since the display is such a core part of the experience and utility on a device like that.

I agree with most of your response I say most, because your last paragraph/sentence just kills me! It's not just you (in fact, I gave your post a thumbs up)...but anyone that hasn't owned an iPad yet that dismisses it because of the lack of a "retina" or high rez display of sorts...as I am an iPad owner (I've owned both, the iPad 2 since launch day), and a Mac owner...several iMacs, 2 MBPs (17" 2010 and 2011) and three MBAs...1x11" 2010 Ultimate and two 2011 MBAs...the 11" i7 and 13" i5. My wife and I make our living doing audio and video production...and I can't tell you how incredible it is to own these Airs...& to augment them with the iPads on location. Their possibilities together are almost endless...from using as a slate, to camera operation and live view tethering, to data transfer and on location editing...the list goes on forever!!! We've dedicated our 2010 11" air to audio capture only...as it's got the 128gig SSD...

Our 17s are actually now devoted primarily to host duties for On Location or Scopebox on our cameras for capture (on a static camera)...or office and clerical type stuff! Our iMacs and Mac Pro are the editors and encoders in the family. However...for FCPx and FCP7 (*which I run in tandem, as there are big positives to both), I run them along with the Adobe Production package (we use PS and After Effects a lot!!!) on our 2011 Airs. Un-REAL!!! These little guys are beasts!!! They truly are! I can't tell you how much we've used PS and FCP simultaneously...or moving back and forth from PhotoShop to AE to Premier. These little Airs (from 2011) are all that and a bit more! Couldn't be happier, and again...I do own the 2011 17" MBP 2.3 core i7. It's a helluva machine. But I can't survive any longer without my Airs!!! They're awesome!

As far as the screen of the iPad (sorry, I got completely sidetracked), it's really, actually ABSOLUTELY not a detriment to it's performance. After you've owned it and used it in your own lighting/environment...it becomes a non-issue. (I'm also an iPhone 4 owner...so I'm familiar with the high rez beauty that comes with "retina display" technology). It's an IPS panel, which in and of itself is a better monitor than they put on their laptops...the color, the vivid-ness, the brightness (in all but the most direct sunlight), it's ALL there! And that's exactly why I gave you a thumb's up on your post...because you DO get it! Once an iPad owner, you'll understand...whether or not you decide to wait for Apple to double the resolution or take the plunge now...you'll be happy either way. Once you own one, that's literally the LAST thing on your mind...followed closely by the lack of flash

Sorry for the diversion...to the OP. No need to debate any longer...as an owner of both (I've also got a 2008 13" white MacBook)...if you absolutely don't need the disc drive (I bought the Air drive just in case...last October with the first Air I bought...it's still in the plastic wrapping, I've NEVER used it), or FW for some reason...the Air is perfect in every way. And don't even worry for a second about video editing on them...they are far, FAR more powerful than the systems both Premier and FCP were designed for. Obviously, faster and more powerful computers can aid in speed of transcoding/encoding...but for the purpose of editing, the Air, no matter the flavor will Flat FLY! As far as photography...again, having an Air and an iPad...WOW! A Match made in Heaven!

J

 

[jacob.schmidt]

I agree with most of your response I say most, because your last paragraph/sentence just kills me! It's not just you (in fact, I gave your post a thumbs up)...but anyone that hasn't owned an iPad yet that dismisses it because of the lack of a "retina" or high rez display of sorts...as I am an iPad owner (I've owned both, the iPad 2 since launch day), and a Mac owner...several iMacs, 2 MBPs (17" 2010 and 2011) and three MBAs...1x11" 2010 Ultimate and two 2011 MBAs...the 11" i7 and 13" i5. My wife and I make our living doing audio and video production...and I can't tell you how incredible it is to own these Airs...& to augment them with the iPads on location. Their possibilities together are almost endless...from using as a slate, to camera operation and live view tethering, to data transfer and on location editing...the list goes on forever!!! We've dedicated our 2010 11" air to audio capture only...as it's got the 128gig SSD...

Our 17s are actually now devoted primarily to host duties for On Location or Scopebox on our cameras for capture (on a static camera)...or office and clerical type stuff! Our iMacs and Mac Pro are the editors and encoders in the family. However...for FCPx and FCP7 (*which I run in tandem, as there are big positives to both), I run them along with the Adobe Production package (we use PS and After Effects a lot!!!) on our 2011 Airs. Un-REAL!!! These little guys are beasts!!! They truly are! I can't tell you how much we've used PS and FCP simultaneously...or moving back and forth from PhotoShop to AE to Premier. These little Airs (from 2011) are all that and a bit more! Couldn't be happier, and again...I do own the 2011 17" MBP 2.3 core i7. It's a helluva machine. But I can't survive any longer without my Airs!!! They're awesome!

As far as the screen of the iPad (sorry, I got completely sidetracked), it's really, actually ABSOLUTELY not a detriment to it's performance. After you've owned it and used it in your own lighting/environment...it becomes a non-issue. (I'm also an iPhone 4 owner...so I'm familiar with the high rez beauty that comes with "retina display" technology). It's an IPS panel, which in and of itself is a better monitor than they put on their laptops...the color, the vivid-ness, the brightness (in all but the most direct sunlight), it's ALL there! And that's exactly why I gave you a thumb's up on your post...because you DO get it! Once an iPad owner, you'll understand...whether or not you decide to wait for Apple to double the resolution or take the plunge now...you'll be happy either way. Once you own one, that's literally the LAST thing on your mind...followed closely by the lack of flash

Sorry for the diversion...to the OP. No need to debate any longer...as an owner of both (I've also got a 2008 13" white MacBook)...if you absolutely don't need the disc drive (I bought the Air drive just in case...last October with the first Air I bought...it's still in the plastic wrapping, I've NEVER used it), or FW for some reason...the Air is perfect in every way. And don't even worry for a second about video editing on them...they are far, FAR more powerful than the systems both Premier and FCP were designed for. Obviously, faster and more powerful computers can aid in speed of transcoding/encoding...but for the purpose of editing, the Air, no matter the flavor will Flat FLY! As far as photography...again, having an Air and an iPad...WOW! A Match made in Heaven!

J

Great post! An well-written

I'm deffinately hooked on the iPad 2 and gonna buy the entry-level with 16gb and wifi. No need for 3g since I'll be using it around hotspots only.

About the laptop. I think I'm gonna be happy going Air, but also is really excited to see the redesign of the pro. I've just came to the attention that I can have a discount on a mac from my campus so the saving isn't that high when buying on vacation - no discounts on iPad though - so I'll by that one right away. Maybe hold of the Air a biiiiiit longer.. don't really know.. Yo all do, however, make a compelling point

 

[NordicMac]

I hope you will share your experience with the Air once you get it.

There are third party USB DVD drives you could get too, but the Apple one is so small and light. Seems like a nice choice. I plan to get it, when I get a new Mac Mini.

Thanks, I'll drop a few lines when I get it

I'll look around for third party drives as well. They could be good, I guess. I just bought three cables/adapters (for ethernet, HDMI and VGA) and a case on the super cheap at DealExtreme.com to keep the costs down a bit, don't need original (and expensive) Apple stuff for everything.

----------

Why don't wait until you actually need a dvd-drive before buying it ? You might end up never buying it this way ...

Good point, thanks.
I could check out third party devices as well.