i am a grad student and i have an mbp 13 and an ipad 1. i am sure i would be happy with any combination of mbp (13 or 15), mba (11 or 13), and ipad (1 or 2). you'll win no matter what you choose. it's apple
i bought the mbp 13 for three reasons: 1. the mba is outdated (until refresh), 2. i wanted (but really don't need) the extra hdd memory, and 3. it's also nice to have 8gb of ram (i use adobe acrobat pro constantly to combine files, do ocr, and optimize).
anyhow, i recommend you think about your workflow. how will you use the devices and how do you learn best? here is what i do:
1. i take handwritten notes in class (i remember better this way and have better-organized notes)
2. i read the ipad in between classes (digitized everything)
3. i scan handwritten notes at home (paperless life)
4. i write papers on the mbp at home or in coffee shops
5. i might type up notes letter when reviewing, but only if necessary
basically, most days i just carry the ipad, pen/pencil, and a notebook to class. all of this easily fits into a handsome man purse (small waterfield vertigo
http://www.sfbags.com/products/vertigo/vertigo.htm). no need for books--they are digitized. no need for a computer--i have writing materials for content creation and the ipad for consumption.
this won't work for everyone, of course, but it is something to think about. here are some more details for putting this into practice if you are interested. it's long, so don't bother reading unless you want to give this method a try!
-------------------READING ON THE IPAD-------------------------
I purchased a first generation iPad at a discounted price after Apple released the iPad 2 in March of this year, because I wanted to view PDF files of scanned / photographed materials. I highly recommend the device for this purpose, especially if you do a lot of traveling, or want to go paperless. No more heavy backpacks full of library books and no more agonizing over which materials to pack for a trip. I have gone for days without touching the computer, and just carry around a Moleskine notebook and the iPad, because everything I want to read is inside it.
GOODREADER
After trying several PDF readers, I have settled on GoodReader. It is relatively inexpensive (600 yen / 5 USD) for the wide range of features that it offers.
http://www.goodreader.net/goodreader.html
FILE OPTIMIZATION
Initially, I found the iPad's performance disappointing, because it frequently crashed when trying to read my documents. I do not know the technical details, but it appears that some elements in newer versions of Adobe are incompatible with the iPad. Fortunately, there is a simple solution. If you optimize the file for an earlier version (I usually choose the "Adobe Acrobat 4.0 and later" setting) then everything works great. If you are scanning something black and white, then your files will be fine, but grayscale and color sometimes introduce these incompatible elements.
GOODREADER USB
Apple forces users to go through iTunes in order to transfer files between devices, and this causes headaches if you have a lot of PDF files organized into folders, because iTunes strips the folders away. GoodReader USB is a free app available outside the Apple store. Download it onto your computer and you can easily transfer everything without having to go through the clunky iTunes interface. As an added bonus, unlike iTunes, you can still use your iPad while everything is syncing.
http://www.goodreader.net/gr-man-tr-usb2.html
-------------------GOING PAPERLESS-------------------------
Besides books, dissertations, and articles already in digital form, I have scanned most of my personal library of printed books and all of my research notes into PDF form. It is incredibly liberating. Not only does this enable me to carry everything with me wherever I go for instant access, it also allows me to search through everything as I would a database online. The OCR (Optical Character Recognition) in programs isn't perfect, but it is quite helpful nonetheless.
SCANSNAP
For bound materials (books), an office-quality scanner/photocopy machine will be the fastest and easiest way to digitize them. I recommend the black and white, 600 dpi, lowest compression settings. For unbound materials (handouts, pamphlets, etc.) the office machine will still be the best choice, but you can also use Fujitsu's ScanSnap. Because it is portable, you can also use it while traveling. Be careful to purchase the one compatible with both Macs and PCs. I did not, and had to hack the files to get it to work with my Mac.
ORGANIZATION
When you generate tens of thousands of PDF files, it is a good idea to keep things organized. I have heard that some people dump everything into a single folder. However, that seems unwieldy to me, and you'll undoubtedly have difficulty once you outgrow your hard disk drive.I recommend a few simple rules I've developed over the years. Basically, put a date on everything.
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12580806/
OCR
If you want to search your files for information (basically using your collected materials as a massive personal database) you'll probably want to get Adobe Acrobat Pro. The student discount makes it quite reasonable.
