13" MacBook Air, or 15" Retina MacBook pro?

[The Clark]

Hello MacRumors! Forgive me if this is in the wrong section.

I have the opportunity to either purchase a MBA 13 inch (8gb/256/i7) or wait a month and purchase the 15 inch rMBP. I'm starting College in February and I need to make sure I have a laptop that suits my needs. I will use the laptop primarily for:

1. Web browsing/youtube videos
2. Microsoft office
3. JavaScript/HTML/CSS/PHP development
4. Photoshop
5. Video Editing
6. MacRumors ?

I'm sure that the MBA will suffice for all of my needs and forgive me for sounding shallow but it looks AMAZING. However I do have two concerns.

1. How much worse is the MBA screen vs the rMPR? (Is it still easy to read text on the MBA?)
2. Will the MBA suffice for editing and photoshop?

If anyone can offer me some insight I'd be grateful. Thank MR

 

[pickaxe]

1. Not much worse. Unlike what people here may have you believe, the rMBP's screen is actually pretty bad in parameters other than resolution.

2. Absolutely. If you need color accuracy connect to an external display.

 

[Jim Campbell]

2. Absolutely. If you need color accuracy connect to an external display

Yep. I'm running CS6 Design Standard hooked up to a Cintiq doing print design and production work seven days a week, and the MBA is easily up to the job, provided you stick 8Gb in it.

I have my eye on one of these as a single-cable solution for docking the MBA when it's on my desk.

Cheers

Jim

 

[mrjohnnyglass]

Yep. I'm running CS6 Design Standard hooked up to a Cintiq doing print design and production work seven days a week, and the MBA is easily up to the job, provided you stick 8Gb in it.

I have my eye on one of these as a single-cable solution for docking the MBA when it's on my desk.

Cheers

Jim

This. Airs are perfectly capable machines if you go i7 and 8gb. Their Geekbench scores in some areas are just as high as the 15-inch MBP from mid 2012. So, with the right configuration you're going to be just fine. I use Logic Pro and Izotope Ozone for heavy duty recording, mixing, and mastering of real recorded music at full fidelity, and the MBA handles it with aplomb.

 

[The Clark]

Thanks for all of your replies. It's settled, I'll be picking up the MacBook Air in a week! My iPhone will no longer be so lonely. Thanks again.

 

[lagisibuk]

i will go with 13 MBA...
with the right configutation, you will get the best MBA
the problem in indonesia is : i cant configure MBA or whatever apple macbook in here, apple store not available in my country very very sadness

 

[The Clark]

i will go with 13 MBA...
with the right configutation, you will get the best MBA
the problem in indonesia is : i cant configure MBA or whatever apple macbook in here, apple store not available in my country very very sadness

It looks like you and I both will resort to the Apple Store online. We don't have an Apple store here in Victoria, BC.

 

[lagisibuk]

It looks like you and I both will resort to the Apple Store online. We don't have an Apple store here in Victoria, BC.

the last option for me, go to singapore, find the right macbook and bring to indonesia