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I still don't understand why one would get a MBA over...

I agree with the op, and would further say. Why would you buy a Mac pro when you can just buy an iPad. I can put my iPad in a waterproof case and film underwater! Can you film underwater with a mac pro 12 core.

Anyone who buy an a mac pro is an idiot since you can surf the net with an iPad for 1/8 the cost
 
Yumunum said:
I did get one however, because it would cost less for me to get the 13" Air instead of the 13" Pro with an SSD. If I buy in Oregon at the Apple store, I don't pay tax. If I custom order the Pro, I pay tax. So yeah, that's why I didn't get the Pro. But if someone was getting the 13" Air for portability, I do think it'd be kinda dumb. It has the same footprint as the 13" Pro and it's not too much lighter, or atleast not light enough to knock your socks off.
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Aside portability, you get 26.5% more screen pixels on MBA, about 33% less weight, and 256GB speedy instead of 320GB slow 5400rpm. Price is $400 and a slower CPU - entirely worth it from my POV. Upgrading to the same SSD alone, would set you back $650 in the Apple Store.
 
cfedu said:
I agree with the op, and would further say. Why would you buy a Mac pro when you can just buy an iPad. I can put my iPad in a waterproof case and film underwater! Can you film underwater with a mac pro 12 core.

Anyone who buy an a mac pro is an idiot since you can surf the net with an iPad for 1/8 the cost
Click to expand...

heh. I just don't see sarcasm when it's right there in front of me. sorry. :p
 
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I think a mbp is a waste... You can do so much more with a desktop and for portability you can use the ipad &/or mba.
 
surjavarman said:
One reason to get the MBA11/13 is portability. But why wouldn't you just get an ipad AND a MBP15.
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Because not everyone is rich, the iPad is not a laptop and it can't replace one (at least for my personal uses)
surjavarman said:
For home situation its really a no brainer too. Moving the MBP15 from your desk to the toilet to the bed is just as easy as moving the MBA11/13.
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No. 15" mbp is a lot bigger and heavier than the 13" air, and don't even compare it to the 11".
It's all about preference. You like big screens, get the pro 15. Some people prefer small screens and thin laptops.

To answer your question with another question, why do you think people buy branded clothes that are the same as others but triple the price?
I'll soon buy a 13" apple macbook. It will be the air, because compared to the 13" pro it's thinner, lighter, has a better resolution and has an SSD which makes it faster. Why would I buy the pro instead of the air is the question, not the reverse.

3dflyboy1 said:
obviously you're very ignorant because you can't see what people use Mac Pro's for. :p

not to mention the "filming underwater" bit is an absurd comparison.
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You're either ignorant for ignoring his sarcasm, or you're spreading his sarcasm in which case, keep it up.
 
surjavarman said:
I am going to get flamed for this. But I still don't understand why one would get a MBA of any kind (especially the 11 inch).

I am trying to think of a situation where one would use a MBA over a MBP15 or even the MBP13. Now I myself made the mistake of getting the MBP13 myself. Though it wasn't really a mistake cause I was expecting a redesign next year but I needed a laptop now so I went for the cheapest offering with the intention of selling it next year for a redesigned fully loaded MBP15.


One reason to get the MBA11/13 is portability. But why wouldn't you just get an ipad AND a MBP15. You wouldn't bring the the MBA13 with you every time anyway unlike the ipad and you can't just flash it in public as easily as an ipad so its function is limited to doing pure computer related stuff. Plus for the occasions that you do bring it with you, how much of a hassle for that rare occasion is it to bring the MBP15 with you. For home situation its really a no brainer too. Moving the MBP15 from your desk to the toilet to the bed is just as easy as moving the MBA11/13.
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I plan to purchase an iPad with the next update. As for the 15" Pro, the 13" air has more than enough power for what I do. Word processing, light photo editing, internet, movies. I did not need the super drive or much of the other ports and expandability the PRO offers. I have thunderbolt, USB, and an SD card slot.

This iteration of Macbook Air offers users the power of much of the PRO line up, up to 2010 in a new form factor which is light weight and easy to use.

Apple gave us SSD's stock (not upgraded from a base price of 1799).
Highly efficient Core i processors (long batt life, turbos past 2.5GHz).
Newly designed form factor (direction the MB Pros will hopefully take this year)
Light weight.

The most common post I read on the forums are members who own many other Mac computers. iMacs, MB Pros, and they all say the same thing. Yes the Air is not as powerful as its larger brethren, but it is more than capable of handling almost 90% of the tasks they run on their larger "more powerful" computers. And they cannot believe they can carry it around for 2.95lbs. There is a novelty in slim, slick, and powerful. What if your iPhone were not the size it is now? What if it were a giant brick a foot long? But never ever drops a call and the battery life is 10 days. And then the iPhone as we know it were to come out...does everything the bigger brother does, but smaller, just as fast, and easier to carry. People would consider the tradeoffs...

Using Airs, we are carrying around MB Pro's-slightly less powerful & 3lbs lighter. An iPad would make a nice addition, but it is no where near as powerful as the base 11" Air.

And if it makes any difference, I also plan on purchasing a new MB Pro, but only after a form factor update (which hopefully happens this year). I will consider that a portable as well. Just a more powerful one, where if I need the raw processing power of a quad core, and a discrete graphics card, I will have it. And it's not as if I could not carry it to wherever I needed to go. The Air would be my go to laptop, the Pro a powerful alternative when needed.
 
  • The things I use my MBP for at school can not be done on an iPad. Can't exactly bring an iMac to school.
  • 13" is enough for me
  • MBA is powerful enough for me, I don't need 15" MBP performance
  • MBA is more portable than MBP

So for me, an iMac + iPad does not get the job done.

Also, I very much dislike iMacs. I'd rather have a hackintosh for a fraction of the costs with everything user replaceable :D
 
surjavarman said:
I am going to get flamed for this. But I still don't understand why one would get a MBA of any kind (especially the 11 inch).

I am trying to think of a situation where one would use a MBA over a MBP15 or even the MBP13. Now I myself made the mistake of getting the MBP13 myself. Though it wasn't really a mistake cause I was expecting a redesign next year but I needed a laptop now so I went for the cheapest offering with the intention of selling it next year for a redesigned fully loaded MBP15.


One reason to get the MBA11/13 is portability. But why wouldn't you just get an ipad AND a MBP15. You wouldn't bring the the MBA13 with you every time anyway unlike the ipad and you can't just flash it in public as easily as an ipad so its function is limited to doing pure computer related stuff. Plus for the occasions that you do bring it with you, how much of a hassle for that rare occasion is it to bring the MBP15 with you. For home situation its really a no brainer too. Moving the MBP15 from your desk to the toilet to the bed is just as easy as moving the MBA11/13.
Click to expand...

Go buy a MBA and come back and tell us how you feel after. You can't judge any product by justifying your personal opinion before actually owning one. You can spend countless hours at an Apple store using the MBA but at the end of day its a personal choice for the consumer. Why did I go after a MBA instead of a Macbook Pro? I know a new design is coming out and I don't want to waste my time and money dealing with reselling the product when I have more important things to do with my life.
 
Well you guys make a big mistake about one thing. There is no 15 inch MBA.

So there is still a reason to go for a MBP15 other than power. In fact the hi-res 15inch screen is the main reason to go for it over a MBA11. It's about the real estate and the increased productivity that comes with it. Being more powerful and expendable is just an extra bonus.


Now a hi-res 15 inch MBA would be a different story and worth considering over a MBP15. So yeah even if you the MBA11 is enough for your demands you're not getting the MBP15 for its power. You're getting it because its 15 inch. I doubt that anyone would need more than a C2D. Only gamers would need more. The majority are just using computers for facebook, webbrowsing and watching movies.


vkuber said:
Go buy a MBA and come back and tell us how you feel after. You can't judge any product by justifying your personal opinion before actually owning one. You can spend countless hours at an Apple store using the MBA but at the end of day its a personal choice for the consumer. Why did I go after a MBA instead of a Macbook Pro? I know a new design is coming out and don't want to waste my money buying one now then reselling it down the road. It's just wasting my time and money at the end of the day.
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I had a thinkpad thats lighter than the MBA13 as well as a sony vaio that had the same footprint and weight as the MBA11. So yeah I know this segment of laptops better than anyone else. And ofcourse I took all of the MB's for a test drive at an apple store.

And well if you needed a laptop now and have plenty of money to spent and you are not satisfied with the current lineup yet just cannot wait one more year then the choice is easily made. In fact I could even go for a MBA11+MBP15 instead of an ipad+MBP15 if I wanted to. I have the resources to do that but I don't want to. Ideally I don't even want to throw in the ipad, I just want one laptop that does it ALL and doesn't have to sacrifice anything at all.
 
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surjavarman said:
I am going to get flamed for this. But I still don't understand why one would get a MBA of any kind (especially the 11 inch).

I am trying to think of a situation where one would use a MBA over a MBP15 or even the MBP13. Now I myself made the mistake of getting the MBP13 myself. Though it wasn't really a mistake cause I was expecting a redesign next year but I needed a laptop now so I went for the cheapest offering with the intention of selling it next year for a redesigned fully loaded MBP15.


One reason to get the MBA11/13 is portability. But why wouldn't you just get an ipad AND a MBP15. You wouldn't bring the the MBA13 with you every time anyway unlike the ipad and you can't just flash it in public as easily as an ipad so its function is limited to doing pure computer related stuff. Plus for the occasions that you do bring it with you, how much of a hassle for that rare occasion is it to bring the MBP15 with you. For home situation its really a no brainer too. Moving the MBP15 from your desk to the toilet to the bed is just as easy as moving the MBA11/13.
Click to expand...

The problem is you're ignorant to others needs or desires, that's all.

I void just about every point you make ... I'm a CEO of a company and an Industrial Designer. I employ a team of Engineers and do a lot of concept drawing, AI, PS through CAD and extremely heavy emailing .... literally 7 days a week, 18 hours a day I'm paying attention to it.

My tool of choice and the computer I use the most by FAR ... the 11" i7 MacBook Air :eek:

Yep, I can concept draw and work in CAD just fine, nothing is handier to pull out and efficiently and quickly reply to emails, research, surf, design, draw, even work in Excel.

My 11" works great anywhere. Some of my best idea's come when I'm not working in my office or at a desk. I prefer to be outside, working in the Great Room or Den of our house.

If necessary for finishing my drawings or detailed work I'll hook up to my 27" ACD for an hour or two. Otherwise I use my Air ALL the time everywhere ... I do that over using my Mac Pro in my office.

Right now I'm sitting in my backyard on the shores of Georgian Bay, running my company, doing design, problem solving, emailing and surfing MacRumors in between for a break.

No way I could do all that on an iPad, lol. And why do I need the footprint, size, weight, disc drive or power of the 15" MBP? The 15" MBP may be the Mercedes 500 or BMW 7 series of notebooks ... not everyone wants or needs that.

I prefer my cars sporty, quick and snappy ... just like my 11" i7 :D

The 11" Air is the best computer I ever owned. (I've used and buy all sizes Mac for my staff, 13" to 17" MBP's, iMac's and iPads too). Every person in my office who does not own an Air, lusts for one.
 
surjavarman said:
Well you guys make a big mistake about one thing. There is no 15 inch MBA.

So there is still a reason to go for a MBP15 other than power. In fact the hi-res 15inch screen is the main reason to go for it over a MBA11. It's about the real estate and the increased productivity that comes with it. Being more powerful and expendable is just an extra bonus.


Now a hi-res 15 inch MBA would be a different story and worth considering over a MBP15. So yeah even if you the MBA11 is enough for your demands you're not getting the MBP15 for its power. You're getting it because its 15 inch. I doubt that anyone would need more than a C2D. Only gamers would need more. The majority are just using computers for facebook, webbrowsing and watching movies.
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Well there's no 27 inch MBP so why would i get an MBP? the iMac is all you need... :p

Not everyone needs or wants that much resolution, some can do work with the 11" display OMG *gasp* yeah some can, i didn't want to because i grew accostumed to the imac so i got the 13"

As someone has said, you're not everyone and you don't seem to have much empathy so get what you need/want we won't be mad because you didn't buy an MBA :)

I program phps/c over the terminal on a server most of the time, so i could really do it with an android tablet if i wanted to, the ipad sucks for that (real multitasking), i buy what i want and what i think i might need, not what someone else does.
 
surjavarman said:
I am going to get flamed for this. But I still don't understand why one would get a MBA of any kind (especially the 11 inch).
Click to expand...

Ok, I have the 11-inch air, also have the 17-inch pro, iPad2 and have had several 13-inch macbooks.

Why I like air over MBP 13, 15, 17, iPad.

Best all around.
 
The 15 inch is just too big for travel.

At my last job, I would have killed to have an air. When we traveled in and out of our work zone we were extremely limited on the weight we could carry (16 lbs if I remember right) and a 15 inch macbook pro ate up a good chunk of that, but I needed a full computer so I'd have to make sacrifices on what I could carry.
 
The MBA is a heck of a lot more sexy looking than the MBP. That's why I got mine. Isn't this the reason anyone would get an MBA? :confused:

:D
 
I don't understand why anyone would want a 15" laptop, if you need hat much screen realestate get a desktop. I have an iPad, and it aint no pc replacement, whie my 11" air is just as portable, I take it everywhere, and don't have to worry about bringing a bag or charger or anything else with me, just grab it and go.
 
surjavarman said:
I had a thinkpad thats lighter than the MBA13 as well as a sony vaio that had the same footprint and weight as the MBA11. So yeah I know this segment of laptops better than anyone else. And ofcourse I took all of the MB's for a test drive at an apple store.

And well if you needed a laptop now and have plenty of money to spent and you are not satisfied with the current lineup yet just cannot wait one more year then the choice is easily made. In fact I could even go for a MBA11+MBP15 instead of an ipad+MBP15 if I wanted to. I have the resources to do that but I don't want to. Ideally I don't even want to throw in the ipad, I just want one laptop that does it ALL and doesn't have to sacrifice anything at all.
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I sold my 2010 Z series model for a MBA. I currently have a Lenovo Thinkpad X series that I use for my IT consulting business. I've owned an iPad, XOOM and Playbook and have returned them all because for my needs I had no use for them what so ever. I believe your just having a hard time grasping the fact that you have a Macbook Pro (nothing wrong at all with the product) and are now regretting your purchase for some odd reason. Everyone uses a laptop for there own needs and there are some consumers out there that are big tech enthusiasts that enjoy having multiple products because its there personal preference at the end of the day.
 
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Fernandez21 said:
I don't understand why anyone would want a 15" laptop, if you need hat much screen realestate get a desktop. I have an iPad, and it aint no pc replacement, whie my 11" air is just as portable, I take it everywhere, and don't have to worry about bringing a bag or charger or anything else with me, just grab it and go.
Click to expand...

That's why 13" exists. When 15" is too much, but 11" is just not enough... :p
 
Some people want to use their laptops in bed and on the sofa. And thats not possible with a desktop. So you have to resort to laptops

Then some people are exclusively using their laptops for watching movies, reading websites and reading pdf's. A hi-res 15inch screen would annihilate anything else for that purpose yet still be reasonable portable. GUYS ITS NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO BRING YOUR 15INCHER TO SCHOOL OR WORK! The footprint of the 15inch is barely larger than that of the MBA13. So you only have consider the weight

If there was a MBA15 that is lighter than the MBP13 inch than it would ofcourse be another discussion.
 
15" is too expensive for me. I did buy one once but sent it back for a 13".

I'm lazy, I'll admit that. I prefer to have everything on one decent laptop, so the 13" is perfect.

When I'm travelling, my iPhone is perfectly fine. It has all my music and I can put up with web browsing on it as a lot of sites I use are mobile optimised.
 
I have an older MBP 15" and the new 2011 11" MBA.

The Air is so light and portable, I take it everywhere. The whole "I don't want to lug along my laptop" goes away with the air. It goes with me to work every day in my briefcase.

And, the sleep mode gives it near instant on when I lift the lid and the trackpad is so good I don't need a mouse. Battery life is good enough that I rarely have to plug it in during the day....I just charge it at night as needed. So that's why I use the MBA. Goes everywhere because it's so light and portable, turns on instantly, computer is fast, battery lasts long enough, don't really need a DVD/CD player on the road anymore. And for $999/$1199, it's not outrageous in price. It's not cheap, but it's also not outrageous.
 
vkuber said:
I sold my 2010 Z series model for a MBA. I currently have a Lenovo Thinkpad X series that I use for my IT consulting business. I've owned an iPad, XOOM and Playbook and have returned them all because for my needs I had no use for them what so ever. I believe your just having a hard time grasping the fact that you have a Macbook Pro (nothing wrong at all with the product) and are now regretting your purchase for some odd reason. Everyone uses a laptop for there own needs and there are some consumers out there that are big tech enthusiasts that enjoy having multiple products because its there personal preference at the end of the day. You need to spend your time more on something else other then making posts that have no significant effect on your personal opinions.
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Yep I regret it. And not a little bit either. Even though I always knew it would be a laptop that I would use for 1 year and then sell it.

The thing is is that I am not convinced with the MBA11 or 13 on one hand or the MBP15 on the other hand.
 
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