13" Air vs 13" rMBP - which is better for streaming & airplay

[hotttnickkk]

Guys.. I posted this in the MacBook Air forum but got very limited answers.. so I thought I might try my luck here in the "Pro" forum:

I've been using a 15' HP notebook / desktop replacement for about 4 years. It's showing its age.. so I'm thinking about getting a Mac instead just for a change.

So I'm currently comparing the 13" Air and 13" rMBP as they're both within my price range.

I'll be using it mainly for:

- Surfing internet, youtube, streaming shows on demand

- Word processing, some photo processing, some video processing

- The function I'm really interested in is using the Airplay capability with Apple TV and using TV as a dual monitor/increased desktop space, i.e., watching a streaming show or Youtube video on the TV and at the same time doing some work on the notebook, through: http://www.airsquirrels.com/airparrot/

So my question is would the 13" Air be suitable for this? Or would the task be too intensive? Would the 13" rMBP be any better? I see that it also doesn't have a dedicated graphics driver...

 

[Ricanlegend]

for what you describing even an iPad will do yes the MacBook air will handle everything you want, if I was go retina especially if you going to watch alot a shows and movies in it.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I have a 2011 MacBook air and I prefer it to my girlfriends' 13" rMBP. It works great for airplay streaming.

 

[Lunfai]

MBA13" if you do light photo/video editing.
Unless you want a retina display then opt for the rMBP. But I would recommend you save the money and just invest in other hobbies.

 

[hotttnickkk]

I have a 2011 MacBook air and I prefer it to my girlfriends' 13" rMBP. It works great for airplay streaming.

Thanks Yoda - could you please elaborate on why you'd prefer the Air? Also I heard the sound of the fan on the Air is more prominent than the rMBP - is it true?

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Thanks Yoda - could you please elaborate on why you'd prefer the Air? Also I heard the sound of the fan on the Air is more prominent than the rMBP - is it true?

I couldn't say, as white noise like that goes in one ear and out the other

As to why I prefer the air, there's a few reasons - in order: First being weight, second being the lack of an ugly black border around the screen, third being that it says "MacBook" on the front, and fourth being I just can't see the justification on price difference (although the 2 TB and HDMI ports are nice).

 

[Mercmanman]

rMBP has better wifi antennas and runs 450mbps. Air has two antennas and only runs 300mbps max. So for AirPlay and heavy wifi activity, rMBP is far better. I own both in my house and in good connectivity areas its not a huge deal, but when signals are weaker, rMBP is way better

 

[KylePowers]

As to why I prefer the air, there's a few reasons - in order: First being weight, second being the lack of an ugly black border around the screen, third being that it says "MacBook" on the front, and fourth being I just can't see the justification on price difference (although the 2 TB and HDMI ports are nice).

Weight is understandable, a whopping 0.6lbs! But I understand, I noticed the difference moving from an 11in MBA to a 13in MBA.

And while it is preferential, most people like the black border. It also creates a better contrast with the screen. Model name on the front doesn't seem to have any particular use, however.

As for the difference in price ($300), you get a higher clocked CPU, twice the RAM, an extra TB port and HDMI (as you mentioned), SDXC card slot (vs SD in the MBA), and of course the retina display, which you can scale to 1680x1050 (which is higher than the MBA's 1440x900).

IMO, completely worth the $300 if you value the extra screen real estate (let alone its quality) and better hardware, at the expense of 0.6lbs

EDIT: Also, the 13in rMBP has a smaller footprint than the 13in MBA, weirdly enough.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

As for the difference in price ($300), you get a higher clocked CPU, twice the RAM, an extra TB port and HDMI (as you mentioned), SDXC card slot (vs SD in the MBA), and of course the retina display, which you can scale to 1680x1050 (which is higher than the MBA's 1440x900).

I've had this debate with another member of the forum, but IMO the rMBP is oddly placed. Most people wont notice the addition of the faster CPU, more RAM, or extra TB port, and those who would, would want a dedicated GPU a la the 15" (r)MBP.

To each their own though.