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Help trying to convince a friend for getting the Air over the Retina

T

theuserjohnny

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 7, 2012
450
8
Back story is that the person had their old Macbook 13 stolen from them.

They're looking at the retina and the classic but says they're leaning toward the retina being thinner. Based on their needs they're just doing everyday computing and they have no interest in video editing/photography/and all that jazz. Had no intention of playing any games on it.

They don't even care about the Retina screen they just like that the 13rMBP is more compact when compared to the classic. The main goal of the computer is to find something that is light and compact.

I've tried numerous times to explain that all they're doing when paying for the 300 price difference between the Air and Retina is that they're paying for a computer that is thicker than the Air and paying for a screen that they already stated they're not really interested in.
 
U never "convince" anybody to purchase any high ticket items as there are always personal and emotional reason( s) why Mr X prefers item Y. U can only suggest and Mr X would be dumb to let u change his mind (heart) then be mad at u.
 
You've done your part. Let it be. People will buy what they want.

If we bought solely based on practicality and needs and price, I'd still be using a Dell PC.
 
The Retina is a better machine, be a good friend and don't try and force a downgrade on him/her.

If this person is not very tech savvy, your responsibility as their friend should be to make them aware of the technical differences between the machines. Once you've cured them from that ignorance, whatever choice they make is the right one for them.
 
I see a lot of people more focused on defending their choice of getting the retina... Choose whatever suits your friends needs and budget.
 
Hi,

I returned a 15" rMBP (2.3/8/256) and got a 13" MBA (1.8/8/256) last week. Here are my pro and con arguments for getting the MBA, most of them should apply to the 13" rMBP as well:

Pro:

- Lighter
- Thinner
- Less expensive
- Better form factor, better typing experience
- "Normal" screen resolution, no problems with non-optimized apps etc.
- Better UI performance
- Ability to play some games on native resolution (compared to the 13" rMBP)
- No IPS-specific problems (e.g. image retention)
- Smaller power adapter

Con:

- Lower quality screen (colors, resolution, viewing angels etc.)
- Slower

At first the lower resolution was a little bit annoying but I got used to it quite fast. I don't notice the slower processor as I don't perform any processor-intense tasks.

Greetings

Felix
 
KimHansenDK said:
I see a lot of people more focused on defending their choice of getting the retina... Choose whatever suits your friends needs and budget.
Click to expand...

Well, no. The thread starter isn't supposed to do any choosing. It's the friend who should do the choosing and buying. If that friend has the money for the slightly more expensive rMBP, that friend is getting a better computer for the money.
 
gnasher729 said:
Well, no. The thread starter isn't supposed to do any choosing. It's the friend who should do the choosing and buying. If that friend has the money for the slightly more expensive rMBP, that friend is getting a better computer for the money.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but why spend more money on a computer, if another and cheaper model fits the bill? You can always get a better/faster computer. And just face it - the current rMBP (especially the 13") does lag in the UI and when browsing. I know there are a lot of people claiming the opposite, but I have tried both machines and the experience is just not as good. Don't get me wrong. The display is absolutely gorgeous, but the lag ruins it for many. The Air can do everything you throw at it except from serious gaming and heavy video/3D. But then again, the 13" MBA 2012 is still faster than the MBP 2010 - and professionals still used that machine for heavy work....
 
If you have both I'm sure you will agree with me that the overall experience, with the lag taken into account, is better on the MBA?

No doubt that the display is better in the rMBP, but isn't it a bit of a let down to add this beautiful display and not making sure the machine can handle it perfectly with both the integrated (only one in the 13" model) and discrete graphic card?
 
KimHansenDK said:
If you have both I'm sure you will agree with me that the overall experience, with the lag taken into account, is better on the MBA?

No doubt that the display is better in the rMBP, but isn't it a bit of a let down to add this beautiful display and not making sure the machine can handle it perfectly with both the integrated (only one in the 13" model) and discrete graphic card?
Click to expand...

The UI "lag" has been fixed a long, long time ago. The overall experience is so much better that I don't use the MBA any more, even though I still love how it looks and its portability. The MBA's screen is the problem and would be the deciding factor for me.
 
gnasher729 said:
Well, no. The thread starter isn't supposed to do any choosing. It's the friend who should do the choosing and buying. If that friend has the money for the slightly more expensive rMBP, that friend is getting a better computer for the money.
Click to expand...

is that true though? obviously the mbp is a "better" computer, but for the money is ratio of computer to dollar better because i'm not sure that it is! especially with the retina display upgrade.

obviously this is subjective, but i am curious to hear your thoughts:)
 
DisplacedMic said:
really? you need BSoDs and stack memory overflow errors?

;-p
(kidding)
Click to expand...

Hahaha. Well, I know my way around Windows well enough that I could probably have avoided the worst of that crap. I switched to a PowerBook G4 back in 2003, and while I loved the machine and the whole Mac experience, from a pure cost perspective, it would have been cheaper not to switch. There was the cost of the Macs themselves (the PowerBook was $2500+ Cdn at the time), the money I lost because I sold a nearly-new Dell laptop just months after buying it, the cost of re-purchasing Office, the cost of purchasing OS X upgrades from Panther through Mountain Lion, ...

Don't get me wrong, I love the Mac, and in fact I'm looking at a similar purchase dilemma as the OP's friend. My MacBook Pro is 2007-era, and while it is still running fine as my daily driver, it is beginning to show its age and the battery does not last as long as it used to.

I am considering whether to augment it with (a) a MacBook Air, (b) a Retina MacBook Pro, or (c) a touch-enabled Windows 8 ultrabook.
 
theSeb said:
The UI "lag" has been fixed a long, long time ago. The overall experience is so much better that I don't use the MBA any more, even though I still love how it looks and its portability. The MBA's screen is the problem and would be the deciding factor for me.
Click to expand...

When using the integrared graphic card you still experience lag when swithing spaces etc. You can't deny that. Experienced this yesterday - on a brand new rMBP with 10.8.2. It should not be there even though you are not using the discrete card. Am I right?

It all depends on use and needs.
 
KimHansenDK said:
When using the integrared graphic card you still experience lag when swithing spaces etc. You can't deny that. Experienced this yesterday - on a brand new rMBP with 10.8.2. It should not be there even though you are not using the discrete card. Am I right?

It all depends on use and needs.
Click to expand...

I do not use the igp at all to be honest. I shall take a look tonight though
 
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