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Just sold my air...
- Thread starter mshepherd
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Absolutely, the high-end MBA out of box OUTPERFORMS the high-end MB out of box. But, set aside that, moving to subjective interpretation of performance, the MBA is an ultra portable with an amazing display in addition to OUTPERFORMING the MB in benchmarking!
This all comes down to somebody wanting to SPEND LESS MONEY. And, to each his own when coming to value shopping. But, just because the OP wants to bash the rev B MBA, perhaps because he/she doesn't want to pay the difference, does NOT mean the MB outperforms the rev B MBA. It just means that the OP is getting what he/she is paying for... an INFERIOR Mac! I get the reason for bashing the rev B MBA, it's more money... that is all! But does not mean on paper or in real life use the rev B MBA is inferior to the MB.
are you saying that a 2.4GHz UMB with SSD is slower than the 1.8ghz Air with SSD?
Lets see you can get a UMB with 2.4GHZ 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD or the Air with 1.8GHZ 2GB RAM 128GB SSD and throttled 9400 for the same price out of the box from apple. The UMB smokes the air in performance tests and real life use. Stop lying to yourself scottsdale!
The Macbook with an SSD would blow the air out of the Air's azz. Scottsdale, How can you even compare the Macbook high end to the Air high end when they are CLEARLY at two WAY different price points. You can max the Macbook out to 4gb AND add a blazing fast SSD and still come out cheaper. 
You want to put the screen into question, for the average person that is using the Macbook, the screen doesn't bother them. If the screen was such a big issue, then the Macbook wouldn't be Apple's BEST SELLING notebook. I mean seriously, how many times are you looking at your computer screen at wierd angles, and besides when watching movies, how much black is there on your screen? I'd imagine for the average person, the most black they'd see that actually makes a difference is when the screen is off.
You want to put the screen into question, for the average person that is using the Macbook, the screen doesn't bother them. If the screen was such a big issue, then the Macbook wouldn't be Apple's BEST SELLING notebook. I mean seriously, how many times are you looking at your computer screen at wierd angles, and besides when watching movies, how much black is there on your screen? I'd imagine for the average person, the most black they'd see that actually makes a difference is when the screen is off.
I didn't lie to anyone. Look, out of standard BOXED low and high end MB, it does NOT include an SSD. The high end MBA does. I simply compared factory standard models. I DEFINITELY stated the SSD changes the game for the MBA and makes up slight differences of CPU and etc.
You really should get your facts straight before you call somebody a liar.
I will take the MBA's 1.86 GHz CPU over the 2.4 GHz in the MB. Notice the MBA has DOUBLE the L2 Cache as the MB. Go read about L2 Cache before you go trashing the MBA's CPU. These two chips are very similar. They both are Penryn 45 nm process CPUs. The original MBA did NOT have a Penryn CPU. Clock speed is NOT EVERYTHING when it comes to performance of a chip.
As two standard configurations, the MBA is faster. Sure, you can make a custom order MB with SSD, but that isn't what I said or compared.
AND, the MB even with SSD, isn't going to outperform the MBA with SSD by much. They are essentially the same computer... the reason why the MBA is faster as a boxed unit is it comes standard with SSD and 1.86 GHz CPU for $2499.
Bottom line is no matter how you cut it, it's a DOWNGRADE and NOT the upgrade you claim. I used the MB, and the display is horrible compared to the MBA display. Slightly faster clock speed and that is about it. I have had my unibody MB in a drawer of my desk since the day I bought the MBA. It is simply NOT fun to look at.
We all know the shortcomings of the original MBA, and you are talking about the original MBA. But why don't you compare the CURRENT MBA with the current MB? This is why your position is LAME! This is the problem, you are comparing OLD technology to new technology... it just doesn't make sense.
If you gave up a rev B MBA for a unibody, that would be news... but you gave up an original MBA, with its problematic track record, for a unibody MB. That is an obvious move given the limitations of the original MBA.
This seems to be about nothing more than money. I bet if they cost the same you would JUMP on a rev B MBA with SSD over the MB. I really believe that. So often this comes down to money, but people just bash a product if they don't want to spend the money... seems like this may be the story here.
If you had two weeks with a rev B MBA, you would change your tune in a hurry. It is completely different than the original MBA which you got rid of. BIG differences!
Until you use a rev B MBA for a few weeks, you will NEVER get just how different it is than the original MBA.
POINTLESS in even trying to explain further. Just a waste of time...
Go play with your MacBook...
All he's saying is that the MacBook with a 2.4GHz processor and 128GB SSD is $500 cheaper than the 1.8 SSD MacBook Air. If he doesn't need the extra 1.5lbs of portability, then it doesn't make much sense for him to get a MacBook Air. The only thing is that the screen on the MBA has a much better viewing angle and deeper blacks. But a MB 2.4 w/ SSD would completely destroy the 1.8 SSD MBA in benchmarks.
Scottsdale you seem like a tool, why would you buy a UMB and just leave it in the drawer. It's like you are trying to justify spending 2500 on a laptop that you could have gotten for $1000 less. Its ok, we all understand why you are so upset.