Help me decide!

[adgjqetuo]

Hello,

I’m having a hard time deciding between a MacBook Pro 13” or a Macbook Air.

The purchase is for my wife to use as a general purpose computer as well as my younger daughter to use during her virtual schooling this year.

I really don’t want to spend more than $1200 so my options are really a base MacBook Pro, Base MacBook Air or a slightly upgraded MacBook Air. I’m eligible for the $100 education discount.

I’m not very familiar with the processor differences other then the Pro has the 8th gen i5 and the Air has the 10th gen i3 or i5. The pro also has the Touch Bar which I’ve read conflicting opinions on.

What combination is my best bang for my buck? Is the i5 worth the $100 over the i3 on the Air? Are there other features about the pro that would negate not opting for the newer processor?

Which upgrades are worth the price vs ones that aren’t?

Thanks in advance!
Mike

 

[ilikewhey]

the air has a very lackbuster cooling system it, the fan has no direct impact on cooling the cpu.i would avoid it.

i would go for a base mbp.

 

[adgjqetuo]

Thank you for that information - I didn’t realize that. After doing more research I think I’m going to spring for the pro.

I know I wanted to not spend over $1200, but now it has me thinking - is the 10th gen CPU really worth the $500 premium over the 8th gen option?

I’m trying to keep cost down but at the same time I want to make sure the dollars are well spent. I plan to keep this computer for a long time. Thoughts?

 

[ilikewhey]

not really, its still on the 14nm die process. effectively its 14+++. you won't notice too much difference cpu wise, the only reason why i would consider getting the 10th gen is the 10th gen comes with 2 fans instead of one for cooling, 2 more tb3 connectors. and 16gb of ram and higher storage. if you can live without the better cooling, lower ram + storage. you better off with the 1200 option.

i would only advice the air if you are getting the i3 base for under 800 bucks, because thats what i consider their real worth is.

 

[adgjqetuo]

Ok, thanks. I assume the 8gb is adequate as well? I assume that’s user upgradable if I want in the future, right?

 

[Buck987]

I purchased the base air i3 for $850 from Best Buy. You can not beat that value unless you find something on the refurb site. Both the pro and the air experience heat issues depending on what you are doing. The only true pro system with good cooling is the 16” model and really only with the better GPU. I use mine for all business type tasks and watching videos. Never a heat issue. I would never buy the base pro vs the base air. If you wish to spring for the higher level pro, maybe. That’s about $750 more than the base air Taking into account Best Buy sales. Worth it? Only you can decide.

 

[ilikewhey]

Ok, thanks. I assume the 8gb is adequate as well? I assume that’s user upgradable if I want in the future, right?

no your locked into 8gb from the get go. osx manages ram pretty well so unless you do coding or video editing, or have alot of chrome tabs open i think 8gb is fine for most tasks, should apple have 16gb as standard in 2020? absolutely.

just for the cooling alone i would go for a base 13 pro.

 

[Sunshower]

I'd go for the i3 base Air - despite the cooling difference which would have an impact on performance, based on the usage you stated the i3 is a very good deal, especially with the education discount. If your wife and daughter use any pro apps with any frequency then go for the Pro, otherwise, the i3 would be more than enough.