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13inch MacBook Pro retina question

A

AppleHater

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 9, 2010
788
104
Compared to 13inch MacBook Air with 256gb at $1300, is 13inch rMacbook Pro with 256gb worth extra $200?
They both have Haswell I5 although not sure how close/different the CPUs are.
 
Having been in this exact dilemma not even a couple of weeks ago I can sympathize.
I ended up taking the Retina 13" over the 13" Macbook Air. At the expense of a half pound more weight and about 2 hours less battery life compared to the Air the superior CPU, Iris, the possibility of 16GB ram and the Retina display is well worth it.
 
AppleHater said:
Compared to 13inch MacBook Air with 256gb at $1300, is 13inch rMacbook Pro with 256gb worth extra $200?
They both have Haswell I5 although not sure how close/different the CPUs are.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is very much worth it IMHO.

The US$ 1,499 13-inch MacBook Pro has 8 GB RAM, while the US$ 1,299 13-inch MacBook Air has only 4 GB. If you put an additional 4 GB in the Air, it will cost an additional US$ 100, and the price will raise to US$ 1,399.

In addition, the Pro has a Haswell 2.4 GHz dual-core Core i5, while the Air has a Haswell 1.3 GHz dual-core Core i5. Therefore, the processor in the Pro is faster than the one inside the Air.

In addition, the integrated video card in the Pro (the HD 5100) is superior to the one found in the Air (the HD 5000).

Finally, the Pro has the dazzling IPS 2560x1600 retina display, while the Air has a TN 1440x900 display, which is a low-end display these days.

Of course the Air also has some advantages. It is lighter than the Pro (the Air has 2.96 lbs while the Pro has 3.46 lbs), although not by a huge margin. In addition, it reportedly has a better battery life, due to the lower-resolution display (12 hours in the Air and 9 hours in the Pro, although these times may be different in real-world situations). However, battery life in both is breat.

All in all, I think the 13-inch retina Pro is a much better value than the 13-inch Air.
 
Best buy recently lowered the price of the Macbook Pro as well as the the Macbook air by $100. If you can time this accordingly, then the price difference is only $100 instead of $200 for a far superior machine in the Macbook Pro. I believe other retailers are also doing the same thing.

Regards
 
I also agonized over this decision.


In the end I realized the crisp display trumps it all, for me. Most of the time I'm not carrying the computer. Most of the time I'm not that far from a power outlet... (Personally)

Most of the time, I'm working, staring at that gorgeous, precise display. It's the most important part of any computer, for me, now. Wouldn't dream of trading down to lose a few ounces.
 
I also just went through the same decision and went with the rMBP. However for me I went with a better spec rMBP with 16GB of RAM, which wasn't even an option with the MBA. I have a 2011 MBA, having the same screen as the current MBA, and it really is a big difference.

I run the rMBP at the 1440x900 scaled resolution and it's just much better than the MBA. Not really any different to carry around either, I don't really notice the extra .5lbs and the MBP dimension wise is smaller, and I always carry my laptop in a sleeve anyways (using the MBA sleeve for my MBP...) so there is really no difference.
 
philxor said:
I also just went through the same decision and went with the rMBP. However for me I went with a better spec rMBP with 16GB of RAM, which wasn't even an option with the MBA. I have a 2011 MBA, having the same screen as the current MBA, and it really is a big difference.

I run the rMBP at the 1440x900 scaled resolution and it's just much better than the MBA. Not really any different to carry around either, I don't really notice the extra .5lbs and the MBP dimension wise is smaller, and I always carry my laptop in a sleeve anyways (using the MBA sleeve for my MBP...) so there is really no difference.
Click to expand...


I would have made the same choice. The 13" rMBP is superior to the 13" MBA.

The MBA may be lighter, but not that much. It may also have a bigger battery life, but not a huge difference either.

But the screen in the rMBP is really something much better than the one in the MBA. And the laptop is more well designed overall, managing to be more compact.

And, in addition to all that, it is also more powerful.

The rMBP wins hands down! No contest!
 
AppleHater said:
Compared to 13inch MacBook Air with 256gb at $1300, is 13inch rMacbook Pro with 256gb worth extra $200?
They both have Haswell I5 although not sure how close/different the CPUs are.
Click to expand...

The 13" rMBP is superior as stated below, mainly for the screen and highest ram capacity (8GB maximum with the Air, 16GB with the rMBP). It is rumored that the MacBook Air will be released this year on a new 12 inch screen size with the retina display and the IGZO technology. If you are not in a hurry to buy, that new MB Air machine may be something to take a look at. :rolleyes:
 
I had this problem as well but one trip to the Apple store sold me on the rMBP due to he display. I did get the 512gb SSD and 8gig ram. So far happy but I have a lot to learn since iv never had a Mac before.
 
Retina all the way. I really don't even see the need for the 13" air in the lineup anymore seeing as the MBP is just getting thinner.

I was never a fan of the air to begin with. I am not a fan of non-symmetrical designs.
 
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