MacBook Air or Pro?

[lostcech]

I want to buy a MacBook for graphic design use (Adobe CS6) but dont know which one. 90% of my work is about websites, mobile apps, banners etc. and 10% is print and video editing.

I have budget only for one of these configurations:

1, MacBook Pro 13" 2.6 GHz with Retina display, 256 GB storage, 8 gb ram

2, MacBook Air 13" 1.7GHz, 256GB storage, 8 gb ram

Which one should i take??

Thanks

 

[redheeler]

I'd go with the 13'' rMBP. These machines are great for graphic design, especially with the retina display. It also gives you a more powerful CPU for rendering in Photoshop or video editing.

 

[mad3inch1na]

Get the pro. The only reason to get a MBA is if you get a baseline model, because you can find those new for around 700$. An 8GB/256GB model costs about as much as two baseline models, and you barely get any performance boost for the money. Might as well get a retina display, better graphics, and a nicer overall design if you are going to drop 1400$ or more on a computer. The only reason to get an upgraded MBA is if you really need an extra hour of heavy usage. There is no noticeable benefit other than battery life.

Matt

 

[redheeler]

Get the pro. The only reason to get a MBA is if you get a baseline model, because you can find those new for around 700$. An 8GB/256GB model costs about as much as two baseline models, and you barely get any performance boost for the money. Might as well get a retina display, better graphics, and a nicer overall design if you are going to drop 1400$ or more on a computer. The only reason to get an upgraded MBA is if you really need an extra hour of heavy usage. There is no noticeable benefit other than battery life.

Matt

Or if you MUST HAVE the thinness/lightness of the Air, which in my opinion does not justify the decrease in performance/loss of a retina display.

 

[lostcech]

Thank you guys. I think i will go for rMBP

 

[jmoore5196]

Much as I hate to muddy the waters after you've made a decision, I'd point out that there's still significant "lag" on the 13" retina MBP when using CS6 or CC apps. I bought a high-end 13" - 2.8 i7/16/512 - and sold it after about three months. My machine of choice is my MBA, purely because there's no lag. If you don't mind waiting around for the machine to pump out to all those pixels, the 13" rMBP is a great notebook. For my purposes, which may be more demanding than yours, it was a monumental (and expensive) disappointment.