2012 how many would buy a mba over mbp

[Sciencia]

Just did it...

I had a 2011 MPB 13'' i7 8GB RAM for over 8 months... At home I have an 2010 iMac i7 (the best computer I ever have). I bought the MPB 13'' thinking about a mobile power house and It does a great job in that direction. The problem is it will never be my iMac and it is too bulk to carry everywhere, it is a great computer anyway and with a SSD it would be much harder to let it go.

I sold my MPB 13'' and got a MBA 11'' i7... I'm really glad I made the chance and I'm using it right now to write this... and I'm at home with my iMac resting. I have never used much my MBP at home... kind of lazy to wait for it to boot or carry it around. The 11'' breaks both downsides... Best laptop I ever have.

Literally best of both worlds. If you are thinking about a mac laptop of 13'' or less, you should definitely go for a MBA, something higher than that I would get an iMac but if you are thinking in unity, 15'' and above MBPs are the way to go.

Well, just my view.

 

[Naimfan]

The Air commands a huge price premium to give you . . . less.

Less performance, zero expandability, a worse screen, limited storage, etc. And a substantially higher price tag in exchange for it being lighter? Sorry, that makes no sense, and I travel every week for work. I owned a 13" Air. If you think the weight difference is significant, you need a gym membership, not a different laptop.



If you like the Air for style reasons, fine, but at least be honest enough to say so.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

We have 3 2010 Ultimate MBA's, still in love as much as day one

 

[Cubytus]

The Air commands a huge price premium to give you . . . less.

Less performance, zero expandability, a worse screen, limited storage, etc. And a substantially higher price tag in exchange for it being lighter? Sorry, that makes no sense, and I travel every week for work. I owned a 13" Air. If you think the weight difference is significant, you need a gym membership, not a different laptop.

0wned.

Same here. Had periods of my life I was without a place to live, the dual-Mac paradigm is moot to me. I'd rather have a reasonably powerful computer I can haul almost everywhere without a second thought or needs for additional hardware.

Adding an external DVD drive in my bag for the unpredictable times I may need it, the battery charger and its long cord, all this adds bulk.

Optical discs: I don't know where you live and work, guys, but here in college they are still very commonplace, either as write-protected data exchange vehicle (including large applications), textbooks multimedia files, movies and of course, a very large collection of backup amassed over the last decade DVD-Rs were (and still are) cheaper per-GB than the cheapest of hard drives. I'm not even counting when I need to make a DVD-Rip. Jeez, they even still have VHS tapes in common use in the library!

Granted, DVD-R-based backups take a very large amount of space compared to a hard drive.

Transition is underway, and only delayed by fortuitous events such as Thailand's floods that raise hard drive's prices and seasonal price slashing on DVD-R spindles.

Ethernet: some places such as research centers in hospitals don't allow for wifi access, and must be connected through Ethernet. Other places have poor wireless coverage, and yet other places use Ethernet as a faster access while wifi is still available for lower-priority traffic.

Battery life: a no-brainer: since the MBA battery is smaller, it delivers less runtime than a MBP battery. So, for the same runtime, the MBA is more likely to need its charger than a MBP, offsetting the weight benefit.

And why settle with less power? SSD will offset part of the issue, but it's not always convenient to run virtual machines out less powerful laptops that also have less cooling power.

Finally, last but not least, I doubt the MBA would be very tough in case of shock. One cannot simply go against the law of physics.

 

[Kebabselector]

I would've preferred an update to the white MacBook, but would go for the 13" MBA as it does seem the better device out of the 'entry level' Macbooks

MBA 11" - nice but too small for me, woeful SDD and memory size
MBP 13" - great package, but let down by screen resolution/glass
MBA 13" - good mix of decent screen resolution, memory and SDD capacity

If the 13" MBP had a matte option and better resolution then that would be the preferred option.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

I do, and I have!

 

[pgiguere1]

The Air commands a huge price premium to give you . . . less.

Less performance, zero expandability, a worse screen, limited storage, etc. And a substantially higher price tag in exchange for it being lighter? Sorry, that makes no sense, and I travel every week for work. I owned a 13" Air. If you think the weight difference is significant, you need a gym membership, not a different laptop.



If you like the Air for style reasons, fine, but at least be honest enough to say so.

Less performance? Most daily tasks made by regular users are limited by the storage speed, not the CPU. I have iStats monitor to see my usage in real time, and the CPU is almost never fully used. Sometimes if I encode a video, unzip a large file, apply an effect to a large Photoshop file, but that's really about 1% of the time where I have to wait about 25% longer than a MBP user because of my CPU. The other 99% of the time, my Air is as fast since it's not limited by the CPU, and I do other things like booting, launching apps and transfering files like 3x times as fast as on a MBP.

You will tell me that's because of SSD and a Pro can have it too. Right. Then your price argument becomes invalid. A 13" MBA with 256GB SSD is 1600$, while a 13" MBP with 256GB SDD is 1800$. Where's the huge price premium now? You could use the extra 200$ to buy the gym membership you talked about, and you'd still have a better screen.

Yes, I think the Air has a better screen. The higher resolution makes you much more productive. The color accuracy thing is not a big deal, unless you're a photographer/artist in which case you'd use a professional external monitor anyway, not a ultra-glossy MBP screen. In fact, I think the higher resolution of the MBA will give you a much better productivity gain than the faster CPU of the MBP for most uses.

If you're into SSD drives like a lot of us are, it's actually for the MBP that you will have to pay a price premium. All that to have a lower-res screen on which you're less productive and a computer that's much bulkier. What do you think the logic is here? That a i5-2435M is more expensive than a ULV i5-2557M for Apple to buy? That the SuperDrive has a considerable cost? Or maybe is it the piece of glass on the screen?

Nope. The Air has a better value for what it is. You may not like/need SSD in your computer, but please don't insult MBA users and their buying decisions when they are, in fact, buying one of the computer with the best value for its hardware on the market.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I have the i7 MBA (still 100$ cheaper than a MBP with the same RAM/storage). There's actually not even a 25% performance difference when the CPU is fully used.

It's actually 5% faster than the (cheaper) i7 MBA.
And that's not even really fair since this version of the MBP wasn't out when I got my MBA.

 

[sundragon]

The Air commands a huge price premium to give you . . . less.

Less performance, zero expandability, a worse screen, limited storage, etc. And a substantially higher price tag in exchange for it being lighter? Sorry, that makes no sense, and I travel every week for work. I owned a 13" Air. If you think the weight difference is significant, you need a gym membership, not a different laptop.



If you like the Air for style reasons, fine, but at least be honest enough to say so.

"Gym membership"?

I do one handed pull ups, finished a marine corps approved workout exam, and I cross-train with mile long sprints 5 days a week...

I'll take my thin and light with no neck and shoulder pain and you can have your George Foreman grill laptop and make someone burgers and go to a chiropractor in a few years...

Being so drunk, you think your Laptop is a George Foreman Grill.

 

[jterp7]

wow the apple on apple hate is quite real.

13" vs 13" definitely MBA as it stands. SSD + 900p sealed the deal.

If the 13MBP had the same/better screen, dedicated graphics and actually cost less with ssd factored in, maybe.

 

[Naimfan]

wow the apple on apple hate is quite real.

Heh. Obviously struck a nerve . . .

If you bought the Air because of how it looks, fine. But the fact remains that it provides less performance, less storage, less expandability, etc., in exchange for a substantially higher price and a bit less weight. Oh, and don't forget the need to replace the Air in a year or two when you need more than 4 GB of RAM . . .

If you don't mind paying more for something you like more, great. Let's just not pretend the Air matches the capabilities of the Pro at the same price point.

 

[JBazz]

I sold my 13" MBP and bought an 11" MBA with no regrets. I can't image lugging around another full size laptop again. Now if the MBA would get an iPadesque 3G option, I would probably give it up too and just roll withan iMac and a 11" MBA.

For me personally, which means it reflects on no one but me, the size is a premium feature. I have greater purse options and it doesn't stress, stretch out, or cause my bag to go out of shape.

 

[jterp7]

Heh. Obviously struck a nerve . . .

If you bought the Air because of how it looks, fine. But the fact remains that it provides less performance, less storage, less expandability, etc., in exchange for a substantially higher price and a bit less weight. Oh, and don't forget the need to replace the Air in a year or two when you need more than 4 GB of RAM . . .

If you don't mind paying more for something you like more, great. Let's just not pretend the Air matches the capabilities of the Pro at the same price point.

I don't get you at all...if you don't care about weight and want power and expandability you get the real pro, the 15" with dedicated graphics and high res screen and quadcore i7. The 13"MBP is an in between for people who can't afford the 15".

 

[tryst3]

Heh. Obviously struck a nerve . . .

If you bought the Air because of how it looks, fine. But the fact remains that it provides less performance, less storage, less expandability, etc., in exchange for a substantially higher price and a bit less weight. Oh, and don't forget the need to replace the Air in a year or two when you need more than 4 GB of RAM . . .

If you don't mind paying more for something you like more, great. Let's just not pretend the Air matches the capabilities of the Pro at the same price point.

As stated above, i7 13 inch MBA is priced at $1600 where as the i5 13 inch MBP w/ 256gb SSD is at $1700. I'm waiting for the refresh before I get my MBA, but if I were to choose now it'd be he MBA. Until the price of SSD's come down a bit more to where I can buy the base 13 inch MBP and replace the HDD and superdrive w/ my own choice SSD's and it's a cheaper option than the MBA, I'll choose the MBA every time. At $1700 and with the performance difference negligible I'd be paying $100 more for more bulk and a superdrive I'd never use.

 

[sundragon]

Heh. Obviously struck a nerve . . .

If you bought the Air because of how it looks, fine. But the fact remains that it provides less performance, less storage, less expandability, etc., in exchange for a substantially higher price and a bit less weight. Oh, and don't forget the need to replace the Air in a year or two when you need more than 4 GB of RAM . . .

If you don't mind paying more for something you like more, great. Let's just not pretend the Air matches the capabilities of the Pro at the same price point.

Not a nerve, just disrespectful - Tell us why you made your decision with facts and it's useful to people reading. Putting down other people isn't useful to anyone on here...

 

[pgiguere1]

If you bought the Air because of how it looks, fine. But the fact remains that it provides less performance, less storage, less expandability, etc., in exchange for a substantially higher price and a bit less weight.

Did you read my last post?

I said a 13" i5 MBP had a 5% faster CPU for 100$ more than a i7 MBA.
That means you pay 6% more to have a 5% CPU increase.
The MBA offers a better CPU performance/price ratio, and that's not even considering the high-res screen and thin and light body.

Stop neglecting the fact that MBA has SSD and that it's important for us. It's OK to give your opinion, but don't claim "facts" about the MBA offering less performance for the price.

 

[ajohnson253]

All I've used for laptops were pro's. My recent late 2011 13" MBP 2.8ghz 750gb i7 just got sold today. Tomorrow I am picking up a 13" 1.8 i7 256ssd air. I chose the air over the mbp simply over the form factor, & SSD.

 

[ixodes]

For ultimate enjoyment, it's very important to spend time identifying your needs vs. wants.

Its only natural for most to want the "latest" most popular model. Yet after the "newness" wears off we're left with the day to day experience. Therefore there's simply no substitute for accurately assessing what you will be using it for.

In my case it's been 15" MBP's for the last few years.

That said, my wife's needs are not as resource intense as mine so I just replaced her 2009 MBP with a 2011 13" MBA.

MBP's & MBA's are both terrific machines.

You cannot go wrong as long as you match your choice with your needs.

 

[mrsir2009]

MacBook Air now probably

 

[BigSaintDogs]

I choose the Air and here is why!

In 2010 I saw the need for smaller computer in my life. I work for _______ which has the computer systems, e-mail, internet so locked down that you HAVE to use the issued laptop through a hard hotel connected etehrnet just to do minimal e-mail and office work. So being on the road w/out personal computing was not an option. I have a 2009 MBP 17 and carring the work POS Dell and the MBP 17 was actusally ripping the straps off of my back pack. When you check a 30 pound bag and your backpack weighs 40 pounds you are traveling wrong!.

I was told "iPad" but I like to shoot D-SLR pictures in RAW so the iPad was too limiting.

I looked at the MBP13 and was considering it. I looked at the 2010 MBA and it did not have the horse power I needed for RAW. I based this on a simple test I performed in a local Apple store. Both the MBA and the MBP had Aperture which is the program I like to use and the Apple store had the program installed on both computers. The program include several sample projects of photos in RAW. To perform my test I selected a folder of 24 RAW photos and transfered them from Aperture to the desktop. This converts the photos to JPeg. The 2010 MPA to near 20 minutes where the MBP 13 took about 2. I had a lull in travel wher I could do most by personel vehical so The smaller computer was not so presssing through last summer so I waited for the 2011 refresh of the MBA. I performed the same test against the 2011 BP and the 2011 MBA I chose the i5 versions as the i7 were not on the floor. The MBA actualy beat the MBP and I purchased a MBA 13 i5 with a 256 ssd on that visit. I have not regreted the decision in the least. my only need for an optical drive was to add my Office Suite to the MBA and I shared the drive from my MBP17 without issue. Traveling with this computer is a dream compared to anything I have ever used on the road. It has never not been able to perform what I need of it but this laptop out-performs my highest expectations which I have not experienced much as a consumer. I have paired this computer with an iPhone 4S and have been leaving my phone number in my out of office response when I travel. I have been leaving my Dell Brrick home and travel with a smaller shoulder bag. i am able to travel with my camera more and my back feels great!

I have come to realize that buisness travelers using iPads tend to have keyboards of keyboard cases that make the MBA a smaller travel package than the iPad.

I did purchase 2 must haves for the road for my MBA, I have a 10 foot Mini Display port (fits in the Thunderbolt Connection) to HDMI Cable to connect to the TV in the hotel. I find it works in about 4-5 hotels. I use the second dsipaly to watch media I bring or streaming media in the room. The other is the USB to Ethernet dongle, you never know...

Anyones choice is based on the needs of that user and the reasons they choose. I find that like many things, most truely upper end equipments are rarely purchased for need but desire to have the best or better than the next and will usually never be used to they're capability. Just like Cars, Computers satisfy those needs in people on a less costly scale!

Good luck on your choice.

MBP 17 2009 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 500G
MBA 13 2011 i5 256G
iPhone 4S 64G
iPod Classic 160G
Time capsule 2010 2TB

 

[Tastydirt]

IMO the only reasons to go with a 13" MacBook Pro over an Air are:

• You need more han 8GB of RAM
• You value quantity of storage over speed
• You need a DVD drive
• You think the Pro name implys that it's for serious work

The small price premium of the Air is easily justified by the SSD and higher resolution screen.

The people here touting the performance of the MBP over the Air, they haven't taken into account the standard SSD in the Air which makes a much bigger difference than the CPUs.

The 15" MacBook Pro is a completely different beast however, it has a quad core CPU that makes a much bigger difference, a good GPU, and a better screen with high resolution option.

IMO there's a good chance Apple will drop the 13" MacBook Pro in the next round of refreshes, I'm sure it still sells well but judging by how the current 13" MBP is specced, I think Apple would prefer to sell you a MacBook Air.