Macbook Pro 2011 w/ SSD vs Macbook Air 13 2010

[brentsg]

Cute. Don't brag about your machine like it's hot **** when it's really just a subpar laptop.

What do you mean cute? You were the one making no sense.

Your statement is like saying your 1 ton truck can haul more stuff than my BMW. Well yeah, no ****...

 

[Tapiwa]

I have no buyers remorse. My hackintosh is 5x more powerful than your 13" MBP. I love my MBA; I've owned a 13" MBP twice and hated it. The new NAND flash in the MBA's is faster than the stock SSD from Apple on the 13" MBPs. Please stop trying to justify your purchase of a laptop with a much larger screen with lower resolution, and an immensly useful optical drive.

The "NAND flash" in the MBA are simply blade SSDs plugged to the same SATA ports as in the MBPs...
A MBP with BTO SSD will completely smoke a MBA in every possible way.
Take a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp720fEnuRs

It benchmarks faster.
It boots faster. (even though it wastes time checking the OD, it's still done first)
It loads apps faster.
It performs better in apps.

 

[tim100]

vote for macbook air

 

[DarwinOSX]

Get real. Thats the lowest specced slowest 11 inch Air with a 1.6 ghz proc and 2 GB of ram. Comparing a 13" Ultimate Air would make alot more sense. Yes the MBP will have much better processor scores but daya to day use for most people wont be a significant difference.

The "NAND flash" in the MBA are simply blade SSDs plugged to the same SATA ports as in the MBPs...
A MBP with BTO SSD will completely smoke a MBA in every possible way.
Take a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp720fEnuRs

It benchmarks faster.
It boots faster. (even though it wastes time checking the OD, it's still done first)
It loads apps faster.
It performs better in apps.

 

[Tapiwa]

Get real. Thats the lowest specced slowest 11 inch Air with a 1.6 ghz proc and 2 GB of ram. Comparing a 13" Ultimate Air would make alot more sense. Yes the MBP will have much better processor scores but daya to day use for most people wont be a significant difference.

Oh I'm aware of that. Clearly the difference would be less significant compared to an ultimate air (but still noticeable) and will be even less significant once the MBA is updated to Sandy Bridge.
This post was simply to point out that the idea that the MBA has some "special" kind of flash memory that makes it faster than a MBP with SSD is ridiculous.

The MBP offers way more raw performance.
The Air offers an awesome form factor.
One is not "better" than the other, which I believe is the point of this thread.

 

[kobyh15]

I have a question pertaining to this discussion. I have been planning on getting a 15" MBP for medical school this fall. However, the more I think about it, the more I am intrigued by the smaller 13" Macbooks (13" MBP and 13" Macbook Air). I am really going to need portability in school as I will have my MBP on my person everyday. So I was thinking about picking from the 13" MBP and Air and having an external monitor at home if I need more screen real estate. Any thoughts on which would be better for my needs? Any previous medical students that had either?

Computer will mostly be used for web surfing, research, lecture streaming, and slide viewing. Kind of hard to justify the 15" for this type of workload isn't it?

 

[applefanDrew]

I have a question pertaining to this discussion. I have been planning on getting a 15" MBP for medical school this fall. However, the more I think about it, the more I am intrigued by the smaller 13" Macbooks (13" MBP and 13" Macbook Air). I am really going to need portability in school as I will have my MBP on my person everyday. So I was thinking about picking from the 13" MBP and Air and having an external monitor at home if I need more screen real estate. Any thoughts on which would be better for my needs? Any previous medical students that had either?

Computer will mostly be used for web surfing, research, lecture streaming, and slide viewing. Kind of hard to justify the 15" for this type of workload isn't it?

I think pro would be better.

 

[kobyh15]

I am liking the Pro as well. The 3000 shouldn't have any trouble pushing an external monitor at 1080p right? I don't game at all.

 

[jvmxtra]

I recommend mbp 15 w/ high res and ipad 2 .. just like me

 

[Verix]

I am liking the Pro as well. The 3000 shouldn't have any trouble pushing an external monitor at 1080p right? I don't game at all.

The 3000 is perfectly capable of doing that.

 

[kobyh15]

I recommend mbp 15 w/ high res and ipad 2 .. just like me

Carry around the iPad to class and leave the 15 at home? Or do you carry both?

 

[cptcolo]

2011 13” MacBook Air vs. 2011 13” MacBook Pro

2011 13” MacBook Air vs. 2011 13” MacBook Pro
Both are the base models, the Pro has the optional 128GB SSD to match the Air.
Cost:
MacBook Air - $1299
Macbook Pro - $1449
Winner = MacBook Air
Screen:
MacBook Air – 13.3” 16:10 1440x900
Macbook Pro - 13.3” 16:10 1280x800
Winner = MacBook Air
CPU Performance:
MacBook Air – i5-2557M
Macbook Pro – i5-2410M, Single Thread 5.5% faster, Multithread 13.5% faster
Winner = MacBook Pro
GPU Performance:
MacBook Air – 384MB Intel HD 3000 (Integrated Graphics)
Macbook Pro - 384MB Intel HD 3000 (Integrated Graphics)
Winner = Tie
Size:
MacBook Air – 0.68 in thick max, 45.2 in^2
Macbook Pro – 0.95 in thick max, 108.5in^2
Winner = MacBook Air
Weight:
MacBook Air – 2.96 lbs
Macbook Pro – 4.5 lbs
Winner = MacBook Air
Battery Life:
MacBook Air – 50WHr, 7 hours
Macbook Pro – 63.5WHr, 7 hours
Winner = Tie

Winner:
13.3” MacBook Air by A LOT
So you give up slight loss in single thread speed, for something that is much heavier, much larger, and has a worse screen. Basically you would be mad to pay more for a MacBook Pro.

 

[Weaselboy]

2011 13” MacBook Air vs. 2011 13” MacBook Pro
Both are the base models, the Pro has the optional 128GB SSD to match the Air.
Cost:
MacBook Air - $1299
Macbook Pro - $1449
Winner = MacBook Air
Screen:
MacBook Air – 13.3” 16:10 1440x900
Macbook Pro - 13.3” 16:10 1280x800
Winner = MacBook Air
CPU Performance:
MacBook Air – i5-2557M
Macbook Pro – i5-2410M, Single Thread 5.5% faster, Multithread 13.5% faster
Winner = MacBook Pro
GPU Performance:
MacBook Air – 384MB Intel HD 3000 (Integrated Graphics)
Macbook Pro - 384MB Intel HD 3000 (Integrated Graphics)
Winner = Tie
Size:
MacBook Air – 0.68 in thick max, 45.2 in^2
Macbook Pro – 0.95 in thick max, 108.5in^2
Winner = MacBook Air
Weight:
MacBook Air – 2.96 lbs
Macbook Pro – 4.5 lbs
Winner = MacBook Air
Battery Life:
MacBook Air – 50WHr, 7 hours
Macbook Pro – 63.5WHr, 7 hours
Winner = Tie

Winner:
13.3” MacBook Air by A LOT
So you give up slight loss in single thread speed, for something that is much heavier, much larger, and has a worse screen. Basically you would be mad to pay more for a MacBook Pro.

I think you are kind of cherry picking the comparison points to favor the Air. What about no ethernet port and no optical drive on the Air? Both of those are important issues to consider for some users.