Going from a 17" MBP to a 13" MBA. Advice?

[NiroshanMan]

So currently I'm living with my lovely 2.5 year old 17" 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 8GB MBP with 512mb 9600m GT VRAM with a 500GB 5400RPM HDD. I love it, but I'm looking to replace it with a lighter and faster machine. I've owned this baby since Mid-2009 and cared for it ever since, i'm also lucky enough to work at an authorized Apple repair shop and get parts on it replaced easily (even cosmetic ).

A) How much should I sell my MacBook Pro?
Anyways I'm trying to figure out a good pricepoint to sell this at. It's hard to say what the price has dipped down to for this model. I put it on CL and someone offered me a new 11" base model MBA (2GB/64GB SSD/i5) + $450 in cash. I'm really looking to upgrade to a 13" model, but I could take this as a deal (if it is one) and resell the 11" and purchase a used/refurb 13" current model. The MacBook Pro is in great condition, I have the original box and CDs and unopened charger and such and has AppleCare until mid-2012. What is a good price point for this machine?

B) Should I sell now or wait until the rumored 15" MBA or new models arrive?
I'm worried that my MBP will depreciate in value even more in the time I wait from now until the next refresh (which seems fairly imminent). I feel like I could get a fairly good swap for my MBP for a current gen MBA and then resell it again in time for the new refresh and not lose a terrible amount of money. Instead of waiting until the refresh and selling my current MBP which could lose even more value.

C) Will a MacBook Air fulfill my needs that my MBP served?
I'm a graphic designer and I do quite a bit of photoshop/illustrator work, but I'm also an avid cinematographer, but I'm not too too serious. I don't do it often enough to really need super fast renders, but then again i'm used to my MBP speeds and that may be a bit bias. Will a 4GB/256GB SSD/i5 or i7 processor be enough to outweigh or even match my dated MBP? I did do a bit of gaming a while ago, but now I don't do it as much, but I'd still like to be able to run graphics at good speeds. All I really want is a lighter version of my current MBP and I'm willing to downgrade in screen size, since the 13" MBA has a hi-res screen and I use an external monitor.


Phew, that was quite a lot to write out. Sorry if this is a lot to read, but please help me!

 

[pieuk]

if your MBP still works and serves it purpose... seems pointless to do anything!

if you can wait for the 15" air i would... to be honest, you need screen size being a designer.

mba hasn't got a dedicated graphics processor, so bare that in mind.

but programs such as cad or photoshop don't usually utilise this anyway, it comes down to the processor and memory. i think you can only get 4gb in the mba?

either way, wait at least until the new intel processors are out ivory core i think its called :S even if you were to go for the 13"

 

[Skika]

if your MBP still works and serves it purpose... seems pointless to do anything!

Did u miss the part about the OP wanting something lighter/smaller than his current MBP?

 

[pieuk]

Did u miss the part about the OP wanting something lighter/smaller than his current MBP?

no sorry i didn't, quote op "replace it with a lighter and faster machine"

id still say wait not worth selling, plus 15" air is likely at some point from what I gather.

 

[JTravers]

I think the 2 biggest things you have to take into consideration with the MBAs (since you're coming from a loaded MBP 17) are the 4GB RAM limitation and the inferior display quality (namely, the limited color gamut and the poor viewing angles compared to the 17" MBP display).

Because of those 2 issues, I think you should wait for the next MBA refresh. Who knows, they may start offering 8GB configs and could have a better display. Your MBP 17 has probably already seen the bulk of its depreciation, so I'm not sure you'll lose that much by waiting (no guarantees, of course).

 

[NutsNGum]

You might be better posting this in the buying advice section rather than the Air and Pro sections as you're likely to get slightly weighted opinions depending on which area you're in.

Just a thought.