I will be using it for photo editing in aperture and photoshop CS5. I only edit around 15 weddings a year. It will mainly be used for sermon writing, light imovie editing, email, web, calendar. I currently use a 2010 macbook pro, so having a DVD burner is not need with a new machine. Thoughts, thanks
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Help...Air or rMBP
- Thread starter hulfordp
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Budget - around $2000
Portability - IMPORTANT
Currently using a 13 inch, with a 23 inch external monitor.
With $2000 limit I can max out an air or get a basic rMBP. I also am eligible for an eduction discount.
after a few years of Airs, I just bought a 15" rMBPro.
absolutely love it and don't regret the change at all.
not only is is clear and fast, but still just a snip over 2kg
here is Aus they're 2279 with Edu discount - worth every penny
+1 for rMBP
absolutely love it and don't regret the change at all.
not only is is clear and fast, but still just a snip over 2kg
here is Aus they're 2279 with Edu discount - worth every penny
+1 for rMBP
Because you say portability is important (in all caps), I'd have to suggest the Air 13" 100%. The rMBP, while lighter, is still a 15 inch laptop. When you put that down on a table (such as an airplane seat back tray), its size really shows. On the other hand, the MBA (13 inch and 11 inch) both can be very powerful and can drive an external display with no issues, and are extremely light.
I have a short comparison on Macbook Tips.
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If performance is adequate for your needs on your 2010 MB Pro, then a 2012 Air will blow it away.
Of course the Retina even more so, but I wanted to dispel any apprehensions you might have about the Air not being up to the job.
Of course the Retina even more so, but I wanted to dispel any apprehensions you might have about the Air not being up to the job.
I would go with the maxed out MBA 13". You are more likely to get a more solid unit right now with the MBA over the rMBP.
The Best Buy right by my house has both the MBA and the rMBP. While the rMBP has a nicer screen, the MBA has a pretty good display as well.
Yeah I have a Apple Store near my place and every time I go in I feel like they are trying to sell my the rMBP. The display is amazing, but the portability of the Air is amazing. To bad no 13in rMBP announced, bet 2 months after I get an Air it will be
You're shooting weddings. This means cameras, flashes, computers, cf cards, possibly strobes with stands, grips, brackets, backup body, different lenses, etc. No one in this thread has given a response with any thought put into it, and you aren't helping, as you haven't given any indication of what makes your current machine inadequate. Without knowing that, how does anyone know what to suggest? If the 2010 is a 15" i7, the Air will be around the same speed, maybe a bit faster on the maxed one. The maxed Air is still less powerful than the base rMBP by a fair margin if you're processing out a bunch of images on the fly. I have no idea if you're downloading to the internal drive, or whether you're doing this on location. If you're mass processing images later, the rMBP will finish faster. In terms of color reproduction and viewing angles, the Air's display is pretty bad. The rMBP is decent in that regard. It's not perfect. It's decent. It's exceptional for a notebook, and possibly better than a number of budget desktop displays. The smoothness from the resolution is excellent, although some applications may not be "retina ready" as in they don't scale well. CS5 will never receive this. CS6 has it scheduled, but you'd need to upgrade to CS6 to maintain further upgrade eligibility anyway as Adobe cancelled the up to 3 versions back policy they used to have.
In terms of weight, you're sweating a little over a pound. It makes a difference if you apply the same thing to several pieces of gear. If you're talking about one piece on its own, it shouldn't be a big deal. If you're dealing with a 15" now, the rMBP is still more compact. You haven't given any indication what size you currently use, and you should have done so if you expected any kind of decent response as opposed to random commentary. In terms of the Air, I'm not sure the upgrades offer great returns. Typically I'd just suggest the Air to save money. If you're going to spend the same amount either way, I'd rarely suggest it.
I went back to the Mac Store and looked at both of them again. I think I'm going to go with the rMBP. Has the same HD space, 256gig, as my current macbook pro. The 15 inch screen is really nice, specially when editing photos. The portability is still there for me seeing I don't take it to shots, but I take it too and from the church office. Now the choice is 8gig or 16gig RAM. I'm probably going to stick with 8gig, nothing is going to require 16gig in the next 5 years or so. Anyway it will be a huge upgrade from a 13inch Macbook Pro 2.4 Core2Duo, 8gigs, 256 with integrated video card