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MacBook Air OR 15" MBP?

If you HAD to which one would you buy?

  • MacBook Air

    Votes: 22 29.3%

  • 15" MBP

    Votes: 38 50.7%

  • Screw that! I'd save some money and get a MacBook

    Votes: 15 20.0%
  • Total voters
    75
Neutral Gamer

Neutral Gamer

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 8, 2007
504
1
The fitting blend of Socialism and Capitalism that
A simple one this. If you HAD to buy one which one would you get considering their prices are similar and you get the following advantages with each:

15" MBP
Faster processor
Larger and faster hard disk drive (compared to base MBA)
Larger screen and higher resolution
Matte option
Optical drive
Dedicated graphics card
Stereo speakers (Mono on MBA)
More ports

MacBook Air
Thinner
Better looking? (Personal preference may prevail)
Multitouch trackpad
Solid state drive option
 
Neutral Gamer said:
A simple one this. If you HAD to buy one which one would you get considering their prices are similar and you get the following advantages with each:
Click to expand...

Not really a similar price point if the 64 GB ssd is an option.

Really the only thing the Air has going for it over the Pro is that it is lighter and thinner. That's it!
 
Well what do you need it for?

Travel/Internet/Medium Apps = Macbook Air
Home/Gaming/Hungry Apps = Macbook Pro
 
If you can put up with the Air then what you're actually saying is that you are fine with a regular MacBook. Save yourself a LOT of money and get a black or white one.
 
i switched from a MBP 2.16ghz c2duo to a MBA 1.8ghz and i'm completely satisfied with the machine :D
 
seconded

Neutral Gamer said:
Couldn't agree more mate! :D
Click to expand...

I see quite a few people asking is the MBA for me? Then list out the specs- totally neglecting the fact about the size and weight.

There are only 2 reasons for getting an MBA
1) size and weight
2) boasting rights.

It's frustrating to read posts from people who want an MBA, have no real need for a light and thin PC ( i.e. it always stays on their desk or carried in their car from A to B) and want some sort of justification for their purchase.
If you don't need it for 1) or 2) get another model. It's that simple.
 
I voted for the Macbook. The Air whilst a great machine is just not for me. The Pro is a joke in terms of pricing for what it offers over the Macbook.
 
Both machines are nice. If this machine is going to be your primary machine I would suggest the MacBook Pro (or a MacBook).

If this is a second or third machine and you just want something light to zip out of the house with then a MBA is an acceptable choice.

What do you plan on using the computer for?
 
How Things Have Changed

Wow, I can't believe this thread has been resurrected after 8 months ... but it's actually a good time for it to be so as things have changed a lot in that time.

Netbooks are all over the place now and a lot of their criticisms have now been rectified. Taking the Asus EEE 1000H as an example; the screen is bigger with a higher resolution, the keyboard is easier to type on, the hard disk drive is larger and most importantly of all the battery life is far greater. If you don't like Windows the option of Linux is still there and I'm sure you can even turn it into a Hackintosh.

Basically, if I had to choose NOW (after waiting for the new MB's and MBP's of course), I'd get a powerful laptop as a desktop replacement that is still semi portable and a netbook for everything else. That way you get the best of both worlds for when you're around the house / office and when you're out and about.

Although with upcoming high resolution phones such as the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and HTC Touch HD and the existing HTC Touch Pro and of course even the current iPhone, you may be able to get away without the netboook or MBA for true portability.
 
I would still get a MacBook Pro, I don't think the air could handle some of my tasks. While I do think it looks a lot better than the pro, I really wish it was more powerful.
 
Neutral Gamer said:
Wow, I can't believe this thread has been resurrected after 8 months ... but it's actually a good time for it to be so as things have changed a lot in that time.

Netbooks are all over the place now and a lot of their criticisms have now been rectified. Taking the Asus EEE 1000H as an example; the screen is bigger with a higher resolution, the keyboard is easier to type on, the hard disk drive is larger and most importantly of all the battery life is far greater. If you don't like Windows the option of Linux is still there and I'm sure you can even turn it into a Hackintosh.

Basically, if I had to choose NOW (after waiting for the new MB's and MBP's of course), I'd get a powerful laptop as a desktop replacement that is still semi portable and a netbook for everything else. That way you get the best of both worlds for when you're around the house / office and when you're out and about.

Although with upcoming high resolution phones such as the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and HTC Touch HD and the existing HTC Touch Pro and of course even the current iPhone, you may be able to get away without the netboook or MBA for true portability.
Click to expand...

LOL, I didn't pay any attention to the dates. I just saw it bolded as a new post and went for it. What did you end up getting?

As for your question about the netbooks and MBA, I would still get an Air. I don't have one now but I'm considering the next one.

I would choose it because of OS X. I dislike Windows and don't have any experience with Linux to be hacking and playing around with things to get it to work properly. I also think that syncing would be easier to handle.
 
I say the MBA.

I use an iMac at home. If I was looking for a replacement for my iMac I would go with the MBP. As you a second computer the MBA is a good choice.
 
I chose the MBA for a few reasons over the MBP:

1. Smaller: can't emphasize this enough. Because it's smaller, I USE it much more frequently. No second thoughts on grabbing it on the way out the door, easily fits into any of my bags. Plenty sturdy.

2. Screen: supposedly the same LED technology as on the MBP, but IMHO my MBA's screen is MUCH MUCH MUCH brighter and easier to read. This was the reason to go MBA over the MB, and even the MBP.

3. Keyboard: Mild point, but imporant. With the huge touchpad (in hindsight, a very big plus; have a hard time going back to the average-sized touchpad on my wife's windows box) and smaller size, your hands can reach the keyboard easily from wherever they are on the computer. On the MBP 15", I had to reach forward. Sounds like a minor point, but in real-life conditions makes a difference. I'm also partial to the MBA chiclet keyboard, even though I loved the MBP's.

4. Power: Perfect for what I use it for. To be honest, I probably wouldn't use a laptop for intensive graphics work regardless of the power, because I have a 20" iMac which makes this type of effort much easier.

5. I put the little guy through the paces, TRYING to find a reason to go back to a MBP. Aperture? Not super-fast, but works just fine on the go. Blogging, wordprocessing, browsing, researching, Papers, email, netnewswire, itunes, HD movies on itunes...all with no problems. A mild slowing when opening multiple indesign posters while using itunes, safari, forefox, mail, preview, open office and excel with a 2nd monitor.


In the perfect world, I'd replace my iMac with a MacPro, purchase a 17inch MBP as a portable desktop and a MBA for actual travel work. But I'm sitting here writing this while watching the Bucs, doing most of what I need to do where I want to do it. Without thinking twice.
 
Personally I'm waiting for the whole line to be refreshed. This means a redesign for the MBP and the Macbook. And a processor, hdd, gpu upgrade in the Air. When that happens then I'll consider buying. But the next laptop I buy, I'll be keeping it for over 4 years. So to me waiting 6 months or so is worth it. But let's see what these new Macbook's have to offer come rumored October. If they are aluminum, faster, upgradable, better screen and gpu, that may be my ticket. :D
 
I've owned both before. I sold my 2.0 CoreDuo to get the Air. I found that it was not at all what I was hoping for and ended up buying a 2.4 Core2Duo MacBook Pro and couldn't be happier with my purchase.
 
Quoting Everyone ... !

Techguy172 said:
I would still get a MacBook Pro, I don't think the air could handle some of my tasks. While I do think it looks a lot better than the pro, I really wish it was more powerful.
Click to expand...

AAPLaday said:
Dont think i could use a macbook air out of the house, id be too worried about damaging it when travellling. Gorgeous machine though :)
Click to expand...

CaptainCaveMann said:
Personally I'm waiting for the whole line to be refreshed. This means a redesign for the MBP and the Macbook.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping (and I'm sure many others are) that the forthcoming MBP updates will close the gap between the MBA and MBP. Retaining the raw power while adding some of the design cues of the MBA to the already good looking MBP would keep it fresh and even more desirable.

CaptainCaveMann said:
And a processor, hdd, gpu upgrade in the Air. When that happens then I'll consider buying. But the next laptop I buy, I'll be keeping it for over 4 years. So to me waiting 6 months or so is worth it. But let's see what these new Macbook's have to offer come rumored October. If they are aluminum, faster, upgradable, better screen and gpu, that may be my ticket. :D
Click to expand...

Keep your fingers crossed mate! I've always found the MacBook screens too washed out and I hope Apple improve the quality. Add Multitouch and a DVD rewriter on the base model and it'll be a worthy upgrade.

yoppie said:
LOL, I didn't pay any attention to the dates. I just saw it bolded as a new post and went for it. What did you end up getting?

As for your question about the netbooks and MBA, I would still get an Air. I don't have one now but I'm considering the next one.

I would choose it because of OS X. I dislike Windows and don't have any experience with Linux to be hacking and playing around with things to get it to work properly. I also think that syncing would be easier to handle.
Click to expand...

Haha, often people search for something specific in the forums and find a thread that matches their query but don't realise how old it is. I always find it funny when an old thread pops up again, like an old friend I'd completely forgotten about. Always good to see him again though!

As for which computer I bought, I already had a 17" Hi-Res MBP when I wrote this thread but I needed something more portable and with a better battery life for commuting and travelling about so I sold the MBP and got the 11" Sony VAIO TZ instead can you believe! ;)

I LOVE it's battery life (I average 6.5 hours) and how small and light it is while having a HIGHER resolution screen than the larger MBA and MB. But after all this time Windows Vista with apps wanting to crash randomly (Microsoft's own Internet Explorer is a good example) and its desire to slow down over time (I'm sick of having to reinstall Windows every six months to keep it fast) has made me want to get a simple netbook and a MBP combination. Linux and Leopard are a good combination, even Windows XP is pretty efficient compared to Vista and there's some great features I miss from Leopard. Just waiting for what the new MBP updates have to offer. Any day now ...

Cynicalone said:
I say the MBA.

I use an iMac at home. If I was looking for a replacement for my iMac I would go with the MBP. As you a second computer the MBA is a good choice.
Click to expand...

I can definitely see the MBA as a good second computer, albeit an expensive one. Great fashion statement when you've got it on show around town and in cafes for example. But I'd find it far more desirable if it had a really high battery life, to me personally, that's one of the most important factors of an ultraportable and helps to keep it mobile.

gator05 said:
I chose the MBA for a few reasons over the MBP:

1. Smaller: can't emphasize this enough. Because it's smaller, I USE it much more frequently. No second thoughts on grabbing it on the way out the door, easily fits into any of my bags. Plenty sturdy.
Click to expand...

Yep, I agree with you on that one. Having a portable laptop definitely makes you want to use it more. The thing I love the most is being able to have a small laptop balancing on your thigh while watching TV; I always find myself wanting to quickly look something up when I'm watching a programme / advert. In my opinion something as small as a netbook (or VAIO TZ in my case) is perfect for this.

gator05 said:
In the perfect world, I'd replace my iMac with a MacPro, purchase a 17inch MBP as a portable desktop and a MBA for actual travel work. But I'm sitting here writing this while watching the Bucs, doing most of what I need to do where I want to do it. Without thinking twice.
Click to expand...

At the end of the day as long as YOU'RE happy that's all that matters as everyone has different needs. But obviously in an ideal world having different computers for different uses and cirumstances would be great but for most people money IS an object! :p

crobbins said:
I've owned both before. I sold my 2.0 CoreDuo to get the Air. I found that it was not at all what I was hoping for and ended up buying a 2.4 Core2Duo MacBook Pro and couldn't be happier with my purchase.
Click to expand...

Sometime it takes a bit of time to realise how good or bad a purchase is. Going into a shop and having a good play around with a machine and holding it is the best way of determining whether a specific machine is right for you. Thankfully here in the UK Apple allow us to return a item within 2 weeks for a complete refund or replacement (there's a 10% restocking fee in the US right?) so you can really take a machine for a ride before deciding if it's really right for you or not.
 
To make the MacBook pro perfect IMHO.

  1. ATi 4850
  2. Nehalem Chipset
  3. Firewire 3200
  4. Tapored Design
  5. Macbook's Keyboard
  6. 1920 x 1200 on the 15" (Atleaset 1680)
  7. Glass screen
 
Personally, when you look at it from a bang for buck perspective, the MBP is a much better deal. Much more ports, power, dedicated graphic card, ability to get matte, dvd drive, and it's only 2 pounds heavier. I'd go with the MBP.
 
madfresh said:
Personally, when you look at it from a bang for buck perspective, the MBP is a much better deal. Much more ports, power, dedicated graphic card, ability to get matte, dvd drive, and it's only 2 pounds heavier. I'd go with the MBP.
Click to expand...

First, it's 2.4lbs heavier.

Second, if you can live w/ a 5lbs+ laptop, a Macbook gives you more for your money, IMO. I couldn't find a reason to justify to buy the Pro. over the Macbook but I don't have a problem between Macbook v. Air.
 
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