Can't decide, maxed out air vs 13 inch pro

M

mwfernandez80

macrumors newbie
I'm debating between buying a refurbished macbook air that's maxed out (2.13 core 2 duo, 256 ssd), or getting a preferably refurbished 2.7 i7 macbook pro 13 inch then buying a ssd and installing it myself. Or a 15 inch pro. Should I wait until the macbook air gets another upgrade (maybe to intels sandy bridge processors?).

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To get similar specs you'll always pay more for the Air. It really comes down to what you'll be doing. If you need the power go Pro. If portability is key go Air.

Do you have a desktop system for more power hungry things?
 
wait. that way you can make an informed decision. it should be on the market in a matter of hours (sometime this week).

then, buy what fits your needs best, keeping in mind the pros and cons of the computers.

you'll probably enjoy whatever you choose :)

if you want more detailed advice, you'd better at least tell us what you plan to do with the computer. an 11" mba will be plenty if you are buying it to view porn in the park, but you may want a 15" mbp if you plan to do video editing for your company...
 
I prefer the 13" over the Air because the 13" it's faster and has a lighted keyboard. Plus I like the black boarder around the screen.

For me, the lighted keyboard is a huge plus and very handy when using the computer in a dark lit room while watching TV. But if the Air had the same specs and features as the 13", then I'd get one.
 
The updated Airs are rumored to have backlit keyboards. The updated Airs will certainly have higher computing power but will still be less powerful than the Pros. Thus, go with an Air for light computing, with a Pro for a little heavy computing, with an iMac for some heavy computing, with a Mac Pro for heavy computing, and with a supercomputer that Apple does not make for tremendously heavy computing (like simulating the explosion of an atomic bomb, forecasting the weather, analyzing the DNAs of an alien, and etc).
 
Ya I think I will wait until they upgrade the airs to make a better decision. Or wait until they upgrade the pros as well to see how those are. I dont know
 
The MBP won't see an across the board update for many months, can't remember but maybe as far off as 2012, although I haven't look at the roadmap in awhile.

The refurb prices for the 2010 MBA will drop within 2 weeks of the new ones being released. I think that the refurb ultimate 2010 MBA 13" will drop from the $1500 to the $1300 range.
 
No Question MBA

I have previously had the MacBook and looked at going for the MBPro 13 but ended up getting a maxed out MBA 11" for me and a Maxed out MBA 13" for my wife and I can tell you its all about the resolution on the 13" MBA vs the 13" MBP. The 13" MBP is stuck at a max resolution of 1280x800 just unacceptable while the 13"MBA has a resolution of 1440x900 and it is a HUGE difference. The startup times and speed of the hard drive are WAY faster than the MBP. Maxed Out MBA all the way.

On a side note why the hell do you have a DroidX?!?!
 
FrankHahn said:
The updated Airs are rumored to have backlit keyboards. The updated Airs will certainly have higher computing power but will still be less powerful than the Pros. Thus, go with an Air for light computing, with a Pro for a little heavy computing, with an iMac for some heavy computing, with a Mac Pro for heavy computing, and with a supercomputer that Apple does not make for tremendously heavy computing (like simulating the explosion of an atomic bomb, forecasting the weather, analyzing the DNAs of an alien, and etc).
Click to expand...

Define heavy computing o.o. My MacBook Air does all the heavy computing I need it to do. Runs every game. What more do I want?

I say go for the MacBook Air. Even if the refresh wasn't coming. But definitely wait a week for the refresh if it has a backlit keyboard. The 13" maxed out MBA kicks complete ass and is the sexiest laptop ever made.
 
Ya I'm kinda leaning towards a maxed out 13 inch air. Especially the upgraded ones that will be released soon, since I'm guessing that they will have backlit keyboards as well as sandy bridge processors. It will probably get an upgrade in price too. Oh well.
As for my Droid X, I just prefer the Android operating system over iOS.


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MBA Ultimate has a lot of good value going for it, good not great.
SSD - beyond belief the performance it brings
NVidia 320M - man I REALLY wish Intel would get off their high-horse on this and NVidia get back in the game for imbedded GPU solutions. (Maybe their mobile division can bring the Tegra 3/4 back into the mix?!)
Slim unibody structure.
(I wonder how the trackpad handles over daily productivity use. In the store feels so flimsy).

I REALLY feel that Apple is doing to the 13" MBP what was originally done with the 12" PowerBook for the first 4 product cycles. It was ONLY until the 1.5Ghz version did it get the full 64MB of Video RAM to match the 15" initial models.
 
Mba

I will go with the MBA. The screen resolution alone is worth it - MBA 1440x900 vs MBP 1280x800.

I recently got an MBP 13" inch, not that thrilled, waiting for a new MBA. The HDD doesn't cut it anymore, SSD is a must. I still love my original rev a MBA.
 
I've been hearing across the forums that apparently if the new airs get intel graphics, it will be a downgrade from the current Nivdia one? Also what would be the main differences between the current core 2 duo processor and the suspected sandy bridge ones? Now I'm debating between waiting for the new ones to come out and saving big on the current version of the airs or actually getting the new one. Predicted pros and cons of the current, and to come versions of the air?

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Re the OP's first question, it's a question of deciding which you want or need more, power or portability. For the former, undoubtedly the MBP is a good choice, and offers more specs, greater power, and better value for money.

However, the MBA has better screen resolution, faster speed (the SSD does make a difference) and, of course, is incredibly portable. I have one and it is excellent.

I would recommend the maxed out MBA, but I'd also suggest that you wait until you see what the upgrades bring. If that doesn't answer your needs, then I suggest that you go for a refurb of the current model, as, the prices should come down considerably with the launch of the new models.

Cheers
 
mwfernandez80 said:
I'm debating between buying a refurbished macbook air that's maxed out (2.13 core 2 duo, 256 ssd), or getting a preferably refurbished 2.7 i7 macbook pro 13 inch then buying a ssd and installing it myself. Or a 15 inch pro. Should I wait until the macbook air gets another upgrade (maybe to intels sandy bridge processors?).

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I would hold on about making a decision until the upcoming Air is out. Rumors say that these will have the SSD soldered onto the board, which in my opinon is a far worse drawback than a barely noticeable GPU-downgrade.

I had to make a similar choice earlier this year and ended up with the MacBook Air (same config as you have described). One very important reason for my choice was the screen; more pixels and less glare. It's also more comfortable to type on than the MBP which by far makes up for the non-backlit keys.
 
torbjoern said:
I would hold on about making a decision until the upcoming Air is out. Rumors say that these will have the SSD soldered onto the board, which in my opinon is a far worse drawback than a barely noticeable GPU-downgrade.
Click to expand...

What does the SSD being soldered onto the board mean, and how is it a drawback? Also could you explain how the GPU would be a downgrade? I'm not understanding properly, sorry.


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mwfernandez80 said:
What does the SSD being soldered onto the board mean, and how is it a drawback? Also could you explain how the GPU would be a downgrade? I'm not understanding properly, sorry.


Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

The GPU will be Intel HD 3000 instead of the current NVIDIA 320M if SandyBridge CPUs are being used. This has to do with licensing. The latter can handle a little bit higher frame rate than the former, but this is significant with gaming basically.

The current MBA has a SSD that can be swapped out without too much hassle, even though it's not completely as easy as on a MBP. You just need a couple of screwdrivers. This, however, might come to an end from the upcoming release forth, meaning you'll be stuck with the internal storage for the rest of the MBA's lifetime (when attached to the logic board by soldering, it can't be swapped out). This is a drawback if you later need more internal storage for your MBA.
 
I have a 15" 2008 MBP and am looking to change. Whats frustrating is the screen resolution to me.

13" Air - 1440x900
13" pro - 1280x800
15" pro - 1440x900

If the 13" pro had the same res as the 13" air, I'd probably get the 13" pro to get a little more oomph. But I had a MB before and didn't like the resolution. So for me it'd be between the 13" air and the 15" MBP. And then I'd want the MBP to have an SSD. So the price difference suddenly gets very large, so the MBP better offer significant actual benefits to warrant that, and I'm not sure it does.

I mostly just browse the internet, do some remote administering of my mac mini/NAS, and photo editing. 13" air should be fine. Also some AVCHD editing but thats quite rare - just family stuff. Either the 13" air should manage the edits with rendering left overnight, or I can move that specific task to my i5 2500k gaming PC (plus thats connected to a 1080p TV so perhaps handy for video editing)

Leaning towards the air, especially with the spec bump, but still not sure

Is the keyboard and trackpad on the 13" air identical to the MBP in size and feel?
 
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