Another to buy a MBP or MBA thread

[Kajje]

I know I know, this issue has been discussed over and over again.
But still I have some questions.

I currently own a MBP 13 i5 (early 2011) upgraded with 8GB ram.

Time has come to go for a replacement.
My options:
EITHER a MBP 13" mid 2012 i7 with the standard 8GB ram
EITHER a MBA 13" mid 2012 i5 with the standard 4GB ram
EITHER a MBA 13" mid 2012 i7 with the standard 4GB ram

I do know the difference between the models. I've been using a MBP since many many years and Macrumors/9to5Mac/C.O.M. are part of my daily routine.

Doing a BTO MBA 8GB is no option for where I live.

1) I don't need the HD space (an external USB 3.0 harddisk will do fine when I would need it)
2) I don't need the optical drive
3) I use VMWare with XP for php development with WAMP and Notepad++ (I know MAMP but just I cannot leave my Notepad++)
4) I use Photoshop and Illustrator every couple of days for editing some small web resolion picture stuff & logos
5) I'm on the road every day, have my laptop in my backpack every day, I'm Starbucks best customer.
6) I use my laptop about 100 hours per week (mostly for work but also for watching movies)

I would buy the MBP i7 without any hassle - I know this machine would do what I want.

However I really like the MBA - it's just a cool machine. What makes me afraid though is the 4GB. That's all, the 4GB. Again, BTO is no option for me ;-(.

Please give me some advice.
I would go for the MBA because...
I would not go for the MBA because...

Thanks!
Kajje

 

[T5BRICK]

If I were in your position I'd stick with the MBP because you will probably need the extra RAM.

Although, instead of the i7 model with 8GB of RAM, I'd buy the i5 model and upgrade the RAM yourself. Here in the US there is a $300 price difference between the two, and that difference could pay for 2 x 8GB of RAM and even a 256GB SSD if you shop around. You'd end up with a very fast computer.

 

[teaophile]

I would find a reseller with an 8gb Air for sale since you can not do BTO. If that is not possible then get the pro because you're going to need the RAM. Why are you upgrading so soon? An early 2011 MBP is not old.

 

[Kajje]

@teaophile: I got one of those 'cannot refuse' offers on my current one.

@T5BRICK: You're absolutely right! But there's so much SSD's to choose from.

This are the ones I can get over here, highest price on top.

USD 370 CORSAIR Force GS 350GB [CSSD-F360GBGS-BK]
USD 315 TRANSCEND SSD Standard 256GB
USD 315 INTEL Solid State 240GB [520 Series]
USD 290 CORSAIR Neutron Series GTX 240GB [CSSD-N240GBGTX-BK]
USD 290 SANDISK Extreme 240GB [SDSSDX-240G-G25] "Next-Level Speed For Your Graphic-Intense Games"
USD 270 INTEL Solid State 180GB [520 Series]
USD 265 OCZ Vertex 3 - 240GB [VTX3-25SAT3-240G]
USD 260 SANDISK Solid State Drive 256GB [SDSSDP-256G-G25]
USD 260 TEAM Xtreem-S3 Pro 240GB [T253SP240GMC103]
USD 260 TRANSCEND SSD720 - 256GB
USD 250 OCZ Vertex 4 Series - 256 GB [VTX4-25SAT3-256G]
USD 250 CORSAIR Force GT 240GB [CSSD-F240GBGT-BK]
USD 250 CORSAIR Force GS 240GB [CSSD-F240GBGS-BK]
USD 245 TRANSCEND SSD320 - 256GB
USD 240 TEAM Xtreem-S3 240GB [T253S3240GMC103]
USD 240 CORSAIR Force Series™ 3 240GB Notebook Upgrade Kit [CSSD-F240GB3A-NB]
USD 240 INTEL Solid State 240GB [330 Series]
USD 235 CORSAIR Force 240GB [CSSD-F240GB3-BK]
USD 230 OCZ Agility 4 - 256GB [AGT4-25SAT3-256G]
USD 210 KINGSTON HyperX 3K Series 240GB [SH103S3/240G] (NEW ARRIVAL)
USD 210 ADATA Solid State Drive Premier Pro 256GB [SP900]
USD 210 CORSAIR Force GS 190GB [CSSD-F180GBGS-BK]
USD 210 KINGSTON V+ 200 Series [SVP200S37A/240G] (NEW ARRIVAL)

Which one I should choose - and probably more important - which ones are a big no-no? SSD's are new to me and I understand there are some issues with using some of them on a MBP

----------

I would find a reseller with an 8gb Air for sale since you can not do BTO. If that is not possible then get the pro because you're going to need the RAM. Why are you upgrading so soon? An early 2011 MBP is not old.

I'm afraid it's next to impossible to find one that new over here.

 

[mslide]

IWhat makes me afraid though is the 4GB.

You should be considering you're running a VM a lot. You'll want 8GB. 4GB might be ok for now but you'll regret it in a year or 2. I didn't go the MBA route because I wanted the option for 16GB RAM. It's not too uncommon for me to run more than one VM at a time and the more ram the better for that.

What's wrong with your current MBP? It's not old at all. If I were you, I'd keep it and upgrade the HD to an SSD. That will make a huge difference. Your current MBP with an SSD will feel faster than a new MBP/i7 without an SSD.

 

[FuNGi]

MBP because you need more RAM to run VM's.

Intel SSD's are considered very reliable. You might want to avoid any SSD's with Sandforce controllers.