Long term MBA user - switch to MBP?

[jabalczar]

Hi,

Any advice?

A long term MBA user since 2010. I've had four models. Currently have the 2013 base 13-inch.

Wondering which would be faster most hassle free for everyday use: chrome multiple tabs, Zotero, Word, Nisus, plus some reasonable heavy graphical 300 page PDFs. I usually have all of the above open plus iMessage, Mail, Calendar, and the odd FT call.

This is entirely subjective, but as software demands increase, the Airs seem to be getting slower and less 'instant' for multi-tasking, despite CPU improvements.

The choice is:

MBA - 13-inch - i7 - 8GB - 128 GB (I don't use much storage not bothering with photos or films)

MBP - 13-inch - i5 - 8GB - 128 GB SSD (bto)

Just want a system which is nippy and reliable. Portability and battery life is not a concern. The MBP screen resolution seems better for anyone with eyes over 40 years old.

 

[sonicrobby]

Seems odd that the air is getting sluggish for that. It should be able to handle it.

Overall, Ive never seen much of a difference in going from a 13" MBA to a 13" MBP. The MBP will have a better processing speed, but Im not so sure if its significant enough to notice a difference.

But if you have the money, and sacrificing a bit of portability and battery life is no issue, it wouldnt really be a downgrade to go to a MBP. But if youre looking for significant improvement in performance, I dont think its the way to go.

 

[Mike in Kansas]

The i7 may be overkill for your needs; you may benefit from the 256GB hard drive instead as it has twice the write speed as the 128GB.

In my personal experience, my 2013 i7/8GB/512GB MBA is all around faster than my 2012 i7/8GB/256GB MBA. Boots faster, launches programs faster, definitely faster with Aperture edits and iMovie timeline edits. It's the zippiest machine I have ever owned or used. I've used quite a few non-retina MBPs, some iMacs, some Mac Pros, and myriad Dells. The SSDs make a huge difference in every day tasks, and even the dual core processors in turbo can give some quads a run for their money in real life instances ( vs. benchmarks).