Bought new 13" Air, thinking about returning it

[humanliberty]

I am coming from a 2006 original macbook. I also own an iphone 5 and an ipad 3.

The screen of the air is just not good. I guess I've been spoiled by using retina iOS devices for three years already. When scrolling I see ghosting. The colors don't seem very vivid, despite having used the calibration tool. It all looks a bit grayish, and the font smoothing seems to wash it all out even more. Turning that feature off doesn't seem to change much. Yes, the speed, weight and battery life are awesome, and the design the keyboard and trackpad are great. But you look at the screen all the time, and I can't but feel I am looking at a laptop that would have been great, in 2009.

I'm considering swapping it for a retina pro. At first the cost held me back, and I am going on a 6 month trip and figured carrying around the extra weight would be a hassle. But it's not that much heavier, and the battery life is still 7 hours from what I've read. If the haswell retina pros would have been released already the choice would be obvious.

I might end up taking the air on the trip and selling it upon return to get the retina pro haswell—then I have the best of both worlds. Just hope I won't lose much money this way.

In any case, it's a shame to be disappointed after paying almost $1400.

(By the way, what's up with Mountain Lion? Scroll to the top or bottom and you're treated by a bump and a piece of gray felt. And a notification center is irritatingly placed where search used to be.)

 

[PDFierro]

Well the 13-inch rMBP is only half a pound more in weight, plus the footprint is smaller than the 13-inch Air.

I say go for it. I felt the same way.

 

[johnjey]

Well the 13-inch rMBP is only half a pound more in weight, plus the footprint is smaller than the 13-inch Air.

I say go for it. I felt the same way.

Lol, don't come back later ranting about:

1. Retina Eye Strain
2. Old clumsy last generation non-haswell processors
3. pathetic battery life
4. pathetic big size
5. pathetic weight

 

[oldtime]

The screen (and the fragility of the machine) are the two things that made me hesitant about buying an MBA, but I ultimately did and am glad I got one. Obviously if you're used to retina screens you'll be disappointed, but like anything else you'll get used to it. Then again, I'm not a stickler about having a gorgeous screen on my portable device -- it's low on my list of wants. I have a desktop that serves that purpose. Light weight, good battery life, and an amazing trackpad trump the screen issue for me.

 

[Mavericks]

The smaller form of the rMBP13 is what keeping me away from buying one. It looks like a toy compared to MBA13.

 

[MacGuru100]

Goodness, dont even THINK of getting a current Retina MBP

NO WAY NO WAY

5 known issues, burn in screens on LG screens (but not on samsung, but when you get a retina, you have NO WAY of knowing who made your screen)


the Retina is like a 900 pound fat chick riding on a scooter,......it works,.....but ehhhhhhh

the retina display treats the logic board and speeds like a red headed stepchild.

 

[SusanK]

Hi, I have 2012 MBA. Screen is nice. It's not retina but very pleasant. I was at Apple yesterday checking out the newMBA. Display units had good screens. Do you think there may be an issue with yours?

May be worth a trip to Apple if you are near a store.

Hope it works out to your satisfaction.

 

[humanliberty]

Hi, I have 2012 MBA. Screen is nice. It's not retina but very pleasant. I was at Apple yesterday checking out the newMBA. Display units had good screens. Do you think there may be an issue with yours?

May be worth a trip to Apple if you are near a store.

Hope it works out to your satisfaction.

That's a good point, I'll take mine to an apple store and put it side by side with the airs there just to make sure my screen is fine.

Also interesting to hear about the problems with the retina pro. I think I'll stick to my current plan: keep it for my 7 months of travel and then sell for a new generation of macbook pros.

 

[JoEw]

The screen on the MBA while not retina should not look as bad as how you are explaining definitely take it and make sure it is not faulty.
If you plan on getting a Retina MBP i would wait at least until Haswell and the rumored slight redesign (should be soon).

 

[entatlrg]

Lol, don't come back later ranting about:

1. Retina Eye Strain
2. Old clumsy last generation non-haswell processors
3. pathetic battery life
4. pathetic big size
5. pathetic weight

As an owner of MacBook Air's and a Retina MacBook Pro I say your post is ridiculous!!!

1. Explain "Retina Eye Strain" please.
2. Does everything I need it to do, through to AutoCad and Illustrator drawings.
3. Battery life is great.
4. Footprint is smaller than 13" MBA.
5. A half pound, LOL.

Go for the Retina for sure, I agree the Air's display sucks, waiting for Haswell is a good idea if you can, but who knows when they'll be released, could be the fall.

----------

Goodness, dont even THINK of getting a current Retina MBP

NO WAY NO WAY

5 known issues, burn in screens on LG screens (but not on samsung, but when you get a retina, you have NO WAY of knowing who made your screen)


the Retina is like a 900 pound fat chick riding on a scooter,......it works,.....but ehhhhhhh

the retina display treats the logic board and speeds like a red headed stepchild.

TOTALLY UNTRUE and misleading ... this forum is going nowhere with posts like this. What a
joke.

Wanna talk about Retina Displays versus non Retina Displays and eye strain? Read this whole article, including comments by an expert ... > http://interchangeproject.org/2013/...ce-eyestrain-and-should-lead-to-more-reading/

 

[mattferg]

As an owner of MacBook Air's and a Retina MacBook Pro I say your post is ridiculous!!!

1. Explain "Retina Eye Strain" please.
2. Does everything I need it to do, through to AutoCad and Illustrator drawings.
3. Battery life is great.
4. Footprint is smaller than 13" MBA.
5. A half pound, LOL.

Go for the Retina for sure, I agree the Air's display sucks, waiting for Haswell is a good idea if you can, but who knows when they'll be released, could be the fall.

----------



TOTALLY UNTRUE and misleading ... this forum is going nowhere with posts like this. What a
joke.

Wanna talk about Retina Displays versus non Retina Displays and eye strain? Read this whole article, including comments by an expert ... > http://interchangeproject.org/2013/...ce-eyestrain-and-should-lead-to-more-reading/

that 'expert' isn't very smart - eye strain from computers is due to staring into a light source for a long period of time - a problem only eInk resolves, NOT Retina.

 

[falconeight]

Lol, don't come back later ranting about:

1. Retina Eye Strain
2. Old clumsy last generation non-haswell processors
3. pathetic battery life
4. pathetic big size
5. pathetic weight

It weighs less than 1/2 a pound more than the air 13.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

Lol, don't come back later ranting about:

1. Retina Eye Strain
2. Old clumsy last generation non-haswell processors
3. pathetic battery life
4. pathetic big size
5. pathetic weight

Pathetic weight?

Oh the humanity!! How in the world will we be able to figure out how to lug around that incredibly heavy 3.5lbs retina pro? The massive, back breaking difference between that and the 3 lbs MBA is really just too much to ask of the average person.

C'mon.....

 

[jmoore5196]

(and the fragility of the machine)

I've had at least one of every MBA iteration since inception, and I have to say that "fragile" is an adjective I've never applied to any of them. To the contrary, the Air is a very solid notebook. I've carried several of mine internationally without so much as a scratch.

In what way do you think it "fragile?"

 

[falconeight]

I've had at least one of every MBA iteration since inception, and I have to say that "fragile" is an adjective I've never applied to any of them. To the contrary, the Air is a very solid notebook. I've carried several of mine internationally without so much as a scratch.

In what way do you think it "fragile?"

You are correct. I don't know how you could make it any stronger without turning it into a tank.

 

[MacGuru100]

As an owner of MacBook Air's and a Retina MacBook Pro I say your post is ridiculous!!!


TOTALLY UNTRUE and misleading ... this forum is going nowhere with posts like this. What a
joke.

Wanna talk about Retina Displays versus non Retina Displays and eye strain? Read this whole article, including comments by an expert ... > http://interchangeproject.org/2013/...ce-eyestrain-and-should-lead-to-more-reading/

Actually its COMPLETELY TRUE

Current RETINA MBP have EITHER LG or Samsung screens, Apple is being sued over the issue.

proof:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1392854/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdhIA8-UIRQ
YOU ARE PROVEN WRONG

 

[jjfactory]

I was very disappointed on air's screen too. Not to mention about comparing with retina screen, it looks burier than unibody MacBook Pro screen when I checked them in apple store.

 

[OnlyGerman]

Lol, don't come back later ranting about:

1. Retina Eye Strain
2. Old clumsy last generation non-haswell processors
3. pathetic battery life
4. pathetic big size
5. pathetic weight

1,4,5 = not true.

 

[RAPTORSKI]

I have a rMBP 13" and the only thing I wish it had was some longer battery life. Weight is okay (could be a touch lighter for perfect), thickness is good, and laptop is actually smaller than MBA.

But then again I probably wouldn't give up the Retina display, and extra power, for battery life. Sure the next rMBP with Haswell will fix many of the current issues of the rMBP but there will always be something better around the corner. I needed a new laptop last month and I am overall very happy with my choice.

The Retina display is a beauty and you only notice it when you go back to a non-retina, lower resolution display, when all of the sudden, you notice the lack of crispness and inferior clarity.

 

[majkom]

I am in market for 13ich laptop, and truly, despite retina wonderful screen, I wouldnt buy current gen, even for less than new air. That computer is underpowered and overheating - never seen retina that is not laggy - all because of too heat inside that form factor... retina is no way, at least till haswell generation

 

[BJJBear]

I was quite worried before my MBA arrived because of the amount of people that go on about the poor screen quality. Maybe I'm just not that tuned in to these things but I really didn't notice much difference, colours not as bold/strong as on my iMac but everything else seems fine. I don't have any retina devices though, maybe that's the clue...

 

[oldtime]

I've had at least one of every MBA iteration since inception, and I have to say that "fragile" is an adjective I've never applied to any of them. To the contrary, the Air is a very solid notebook. I've carried several of mine internationally without so much as a scratch.

In what way do you think it "fragile?"

Sorry, I should have been more clear. "Supposed fragility," as that's the impression I got about the MBA when reading the forum when notebook-shopping last year.

 

[PDFierro]

The smaller form of the rMBP13 is what keeping me away from buying one. It looks like a toy compared to MBA13.

How? To me, the MBA13 looks more like a toy. The 13-inch rMBP design screams Pro.

Bunch of posts in here trashing the rMBP. Me personally, the Retina display is a huge step-up form the Air screen.