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MacBook Buyer's Guide: Which MacBook is Right for You?

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Apr 12, 2001
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With the recent introduction of the 12-inch MacBook, Apple's added a whole new product to the existing MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineup, making it more difficult than ever to decide which MacBook is right for you.

If you're planning a purchase and you just aren't sure which Apple notebook suits your needs, read through this guide, which will walk you through all of the options and give you the pros and cons of each machine.

You can basically think of Apple's product lineup as meeting two different needs: power and portability.

macbooks-800x234.jpg
If you're looking for a machine that's going to handle whatever you can throw at it, you're going to want the MacBook Pro. If you're looking for something that's portable and more than capable of handling every day tasks, you're going to want to look at the MacBook Air. And if you want the newest technology, the latest form factor, the ultimate in portability, and you don't mind the price tag, the MacBook is the machine for you.

Retina MacBook Pro

The Retina MacBook Pro is Apple's workhorse MacBook, with the fastest processors, the best graphics, and the most available RAM (via upgrade). If you want to do things like serious photo, video, or audio editing, this is the Mac for you. Use Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, or Logic Pro X on a regular basis? You probably need a MacBook Pro.

You're also going to want to choose a MacBook Pro if you want a machine capable of playing modern system-intensive games. Don't care about games and just want to do things like browse the Internet, write papers, and answer emails? The MacBook Pro may be more computer than you need -- consider a MacBook Air if you don't care about a Retina screen, or a MacBook if you don't mind the price.


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Article Link: MacBook Buyer's Guide: Which MacBook is Right for You?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/macbook-air-vs-macbook-pro-vs-macbook/
A good write up, and one that shows just how much overlap there is in apple's current lineup. The decision process will be simpler once they phase out the MacBook Air in a generation or two.
 
It's statements like the following that concerns me with the new MacBook "With the entry-level 1.1GHz Retina MacBook model, you can think of it as an iPad Air 2 that runs OS X -- the speeds are fairly similar. " if all I am doing is browsing the web, checking email, and writing the occasional document then I really don't need OS X. IOS has optimized apps that can perform all of those tasks very well. Get an iPad Air 2 and a lightweight Bluetooth keyboard cover and you pretty much have a better and cheaper version of the MacBook. Better yet wait a few months for the iPad Air 3 which will be even faster then the MacBook.
 
QCassidy352 said:
A good write up, and one that shows just how much overlap there is in apple's current lineup. The decision process will be simpler once they phase out the MacBook Air in a generation or two.
Click to expand...

They are probably not going to phase out the MacBook Air that soon. They will likely lower the price of the MacBook and same way they did with the Air
 
b0nd18t said:
If the MacBook Air had retina it would be game over
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Hopefully, it will be game over next year, because honestly, I can't see the current retina-less MBA continue beyond 2016. What I suspect is the retina MacBook is really the MBA successor, but it will take next year's revision to make that happen, maybe with the addition of a 14" model. In other words, if you can wait another year, don't get the MBA this year.
 
PortCity said:
It's statements like the following that concerns me with the new MacBook "With the entry-level 1.1GHz Retina MacBook model, you can think of it as an iPad Air 2 that runs OS X -- the speeds are fairly similar. " if all I am doing is browsing the web, checking email, and writing the occasional document then I really don't need OS X. IOS has optimized apps that can perform all of those tasks very well. Get an iPad Air 2 and a lightweight Bluetooth keyboard cover and you pretty much have a better and cheaper version of the MacBook. Better yet wait a few months for the iPad Air 3 which will be even faster then the MacBook.
Click to expand...

That is probably the right answer for you. For me, I need to be able to do serious word processing and a number of other full application types of activities away from my desk. I do need OS X, but not the power of a desktop. I have an iMac for when I need a powerful machine, but writing and editing long papers would prove quite tedious on an iPad, and if I'm going to need to drag along a keyboard anyway, it might as well be attached and high quality.

I'm going to replace my 13" MBA with a New MacBook, mainly because of the retina screen. It would be nice to have the power of an MBA with a retina screen, but to be honest, I'll bet I never tax the NMB with the activities that I need while mobile.
 
I feel like this whole write up could just get replaced with a flow chart graphic. Something like:

Do you edit pictures, videos, audio, 3D models, code, or play games?
-> Yes: Do you want Taptic and Force Touch?
--> Yes: Get 13" MBP now, or wait for new 15" MBP.
--> No: Get the 13" or 15" MBP now.
-> No: Do you do anything besides surf the internet and type emails?
--> Yes: Do you want retina?
---> Yes: Get the new MacBook.
---> No: Get the MacBook Air.
--> No: Get an iPad.
 

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This article doesn't mention the negative of the camera on the MB.

I like the flow chart in the post above mine, but it doesn't capture ports.

Also even if you only surf the web, if you want to work with regular websites and not the mobile version, you still need a laptop rather than an iPad.
 
Making this decision is easy just by answering these two questions:

- Don't have a lot to spend but really want a Mac? -> But the Air.
- You have money to spend? -> Buy the MacBook Pro Retina.

No reason really to buy the MacBook when its priced the same as the Pro while offering so much less. Yeah, you can say ''I'll only use it for browsing and email.'' But as soon as you start going anything else you're regret your decision.
 
ghanwani said:
This article doesn't mention the negative of the camera on the MB.

I like the flow chart in the post above mine, but it doesn't capture ports.

Also even if you only surf the web, if you want to work with regular websites and not the mobile version, you still need a laptop rather than an iPad.
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It's mentioned! I didn't go into a lot of detail on it because I don't think it's the biggest negative about the machine, but I did make sure I covered it.
 
jclo said:
It's mentioned! I didn't go into a lot of detail on it because I don't think it's the biggest negative about the machine, but I did make sure I covered it.
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Thanks. Sorry I missed it as I (speed) read the article and spent most of my time on the "which to buy" section.
 
2012 Macbook

Still have my 2012 MBP. Just upgraded the HD to a SSHD and ram. My only issue is I feel like I need the new model just to get a better WiFi board and HDMI Out. I don't like using the dongle. Upgrading to a SSHD also seems to have improved my battery life by a bit.
 
PortCity said:
It's statements like the following that concerns me with the new MacBook "With the entry-level 1.1GHz Retina MacBook model, you can think of it as an iPad Air 2 that runs OS X -- the speeds are fairly similar. "
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That statement is highly misleading. For short processor-intensive tasks and even single-threaded longer ones, the new MacBook is quite a bit faster, thanks to the turbo boost to 2.3x the base speed. Read the review at Anandtech, or pretty much any review written by someone who's used one at length -- the writer of this guide clearly has not, and is just comparing published specs.
 
aside from the 13-inch MacBook Pro priced at $1,099. You don't want to buy this model -- it's years old and technologically lagging way behind newer models.
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Even though it's still a nice solid computer and the only one with upgradeable RAM?
 
ApolloBoy said:
Even though it's still a nice solid computer and the only one with upgradeable RAM?
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I have only owned PC, but need to use MAC for work. I think you are correct re: MBP. Isn't it the only one with a Ethernet and CD port? Tx.
 
ghanwani said:
Why? It doesn't look like there is any new hardware on the horizon.
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There is a good chance that the 15" MacBook Pro will get updates to match those of the 13" MacBook Pro around the time of the WWDC. Intel Broadwell quad cores or now readily available.
 
i just hope when they update the 15 to whatever size/color that posters think they will apple doesn't increase the price
 
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