Macbook Pro Retina or Macbook Air (Haswell)?

[GreenApple29]

hello all
i am in the process of buying a macbook and to be honest I'm struggling with the final decision
First of all i am an owner of a mac mini quad core 16gb ram and 256 SSD drive in the house on a Apple thunderbolt display and an iPad 4
Also, im visual impaired using all devices with the accessibility tools that are built into OS X system such as zoom and voice over
Today i had a look at two models
1. Macbook pro 13inch retiina 2.4 8GbRam 256SSD
and
2.Macbook Air 13 i7 1.7ghz 8Gb Ram and 256SSD

of course the later one isn't retina but would really like to know what will be the best option
the two models above have advantages and disadvantages (battery life, cpu power etc)

The thing that worries me most is
will the retina be a good ting taking into account my low vision?
will it be useless or help making things better?
I'm frustrated and still haven't decided
any ideas, opinions suggestions??
thank you all

 

[lagisibuk]

hello all
i am in the process of buying a macbook and to be honest I'm struggling with the final decision
First of all i am an owner of a mac mini quad core 16gb ram and 256 SSD drive in the house on a Apple thunderbolt display and an iPad 4
Also, im visual impaired using all devices with the accessibility tools that are built into OS X system such as zoom and voice over
Today i had a look at two models
1. Macbook pro 13inch retiina 2.4 8GbRam 256SSD
and
2.Macbook Air 13 i7 1.7ghz 8Gb Ram and 256SSD

of course the later one isn't retina but would really like to know what will be the best option
the two models above have advantages and disadvantages (battery life, cpu power etc)

The thing that worries me most is
will the retina be a good ting taking into account my low vision?
will it be useless or help making things better?
I'm frustrated and still haven't decided
any ideas, opinions suggestions??
thank you all

Hi GreenApple...
a few month ago, i have the similiar situation with you.
but, i decided to buy MBP retina 15 and amazing... i'm satisfied.

from performance overview, i think air 1.7 and retina dual core 2.4 will be same. (you can't see significant performance).
from batre performance, ofcourse MBA win.

which the best? retina or air? it depends on what are you doing with your macbook. are you traveling? high mobile activity? or just using as a desktop computer?

and if price not a "problem", please go with MBP Retina 15.

 

[GreenApple29]

Hi GreenApple...
a few month ago, i have the similiar situation with you.
but, i decided to buy MBP retina 15 and amazing... i'm satisfied.

from performance overview, i think air 1.7 and retina dual core 2.4 will be same. (you can't see significant performance).
from batre performance, ofcourse MBA win.

which the best? retina or air? it depends on what are you doing with your macbook. are you traveling? high mobile activity? or just using as a desktop computer?

and if price not a "problem", please go with MBP Retina 15.

hello and thanks for getting back
i definitely cant go to the 15 MBP due to high price..at least for me anyway
what ill be doing with laptop??
right...will be used generally at my work...and will be doing a few xcode projects and a bit of photoshop..nothing vdeo editing or any other heavy duty apps

Im starting to think that even the macbook air 13 1.3 with 4gb ram wil be enough for work and the few extra things i metioned above?
so the only question here is...will the retina help me (as a visual impaired person) or should i go to the Macbook Air either base or higher model?
still confused

 

[Bri in Mtl]

Can you get to an Apple store and actually try out the 2 models? This way you'll know for sure.

 

[GreenApple29]

Can you get to an Apple store and actually try out the 2 models? This way you'll know for sure.

Saw both models
Of course on the MacBook Pro retina the difference even with my eyesight is clear
The text and images are more crispy even on websites that have t adopted the retina on their site ( higher resolution images I mean)
Hiwever I'm thinking that if I go to the retina model and usually I zoom in constantly so I can actually see will this make the retina useless or am I talking rubbish here??
Still haven't decided but leading towards the MBP Retina

 

[jamezr]

Saw both models
Of course on the MacBook Pro retina the difference even with my eyesight is clear
The text and images are more crispy even on websites that have t adopted the retina on their site ( higher resolution images I mean)
Hiwever I'm thinking that if I go to the retina model and usually I zoom in constantly so I can actually see will this make the retina useless or am I talking rubbish here??
Still haven't decided but leading towards the MBP Retina

Are you talking about the 15 or 13 inch rMBP?
I have the 13 MBA with the Haswell processor......i get a consistant 12 to 14 hours of battery life. So what is most important to you and how you use yoyu machine. Mobility and battery life or larger more crisper screen?
Its really upto you and how you use the your machine....

 

[GreenApple29]

Are you talking about the 15 or 13 inch rMBP?
I have the 13 MBA with the Haswell processor......i get a consistant 12 to 14 hours of battery life. So what is most important to you and how you use yoyu machine. Mobility and battery life or larger more crisper screen?
Its really upto you and how you use the your machine....

yes thats quite true
as i said...im visual impaired have a very low vision and even though in the house have a big screen and a very fast machine i would like something for my work
it won't be that mobile and as far as i can remember the MBP's offer 7 hour battery life or 9 i think
of course there is the money issue i think the retina is more expensive


just by curiosity which macbook air do you have?

 

[lagisibuk]

yes thats quite true
as i said...im visual impaired have a very low vision and even though in the house have a big screen and a very fast machine i would like something for my work
it won't be that mobile and as far as i can remember the MBP's offer 7 hour battery life or 9 i think
of course there is the money issue i think the retina is more expensive


just by curiosity which macbook air do you have?

I think you can go with "MBP Retina 13 - late 2013".
you will get a balance performance and best screen display.

 

[GreenApple29]

will the MBP retina with default 4 gigs of ram be sufficient ?
for web dev/xcode and a bit of photoshop or will i need more ram?

 

[lagisibuk]

will the MBP retina with default 4 gigs of ram be sufficient ?
for web dev/xcode and a bit of photoshop or will i need more ram?

Hmm, please costume to 8GB and it will be enough.
i'm developer too, using xcode, dreamweaver, mamp and adobe CS3
you know where i'm running this apps? using MBA 13 haswell with 4GB ram

so, 8GB in retina will be better...

 

[GreenApple29]

Hmm, please costume to 8GB and it will be enough.
i'm developer too, using xcode, dreamweaver, mamp and adobe CS3
you know where i'm running this apps? using MBA 13 haswell with 4GB ram

so, 8GB in retina will be better...

thats exactly what I'm thinking and still with a dilemma
just saw your signature..and these are the two models that you have and i am in the "no decision" yet
obviously a huge difference money wise
if you are running all these on the air with 4 gigs memory..that would be more than enough since a.not doing so much bevy work on all the apps mentioned above
b. i have a mac mini quad 2012 16gb ram 256 ssd
in euros the price difference between these two models that you have and I'm thinking to buy too is more than 500 euros!

 

[lagisibuk]

thats exactly what I'm thinking and still with a dilemma
just saw your signature..and these are the two models that you have and i am in the "no decision" yet
obviously a huge difference money wise
if you are running all these on the air with 4 gigs memory..that would be more than enough since a.not doing so much bevy work on all the apps mentioned above
b. i have a mac mini quad 2012 16gb ram 256 ssd
in euros the price difference between these two models that you have and I'm thinking to buy too is more than 500 euros!

Hmmm, in 1 month later, i'm just using MBA haswell and i think is enough for me...
MBP Retina just a desktop laptop in my home.

a. so far, with 4GB it's enough for xcode, dreamweaver cs 3 and mamp pro... maybe u need to upgrade ram 8 GB.

b. for mac, i no have idea , u can't using mac-mini in mobile activity right?

all you need is what you do

 

[GreenApple29]

Hmmm, in 1 month later, i'm just using MBA haswell and i think is enough for me...
MBP Retina just a desktop laptop in my home.

a. so far, with 4GB it's enough for xcode, dreamweaver cs 3 and mamp pro... maybe u need to upgrade ram 8 GB.

b. for mac, i no have idea , u can't using mac-mini in mobile activity right?

all you need is what you do

exactly!and this is something that io alway have in mind
to be honest after hardthoight i said...ok lets go for the macboo air with 8gb of ram..just to be safe with ram esecially if i want to keep the machione for a couple of years


THE ONLY THING that worries me is how my low eysight wlll cope with the "normal" resolution of the macbook air
i mean if there is a huge difference in image quality that will affect in a positive way my interactions with the machine..then ill have to spend the extra hundred euros for the retina model

if the difference isnt that big...well then ill have to stick with the Macbook air choice with the extra ram

i think ill need to see both models side by side..and try and work around the best choice

 

[lagisibuk]

exactly!and this is something that io alway have in mind
to be honest after hardthoight i said...ok lets go for the macboo air with 8gb of ram..just to be safe with ram esecially if i want to keep the machione for a couple of years


THE ONLY THING that worries me is how my low eysight wlll cope with the "normal" resolution of the macbook air
i mean if there is a huge difference in image quality that will affect in a positive way my interactions with the machine..then ill have to spend the extra hundred euros for the retina model

if the difference isnt that big...well then ill have to stick with the Macbook air choice with the extra ram

i think ill need to see both models side by side..and try and work around the best choice

Upsss... if you're talking about SCREEN RESOLUTIONS, retina is winner.
if you need performance, resolutions and small size... please go with retina 13. maybe price not significant from air.

I'm using air because have a high mobile activity. do you really resolutions is important?

 

[GreenApple29]

Upsss... if you're talking about SCREEN RESOLUTIONS, retina is winner.
if you need performance, resolutions and small size... please go with retina 13. maybe price not significant from air.

I'm using air because have a high mobile activity. do you really resolutions is important?

Again
I'm visual I pared having very low vision
I use a Mac mini with Thunderbolt Display an iPhone 5s an iPad 4
There a few folks that say that retina makes things crispier which will be better for my eyesight
Others have a different opinion
Won't use the machine as my main one since at home I have a small beast!
So the only question is
Does this high resolution affects positive or negative people with low vision??
That's the thing that worries me

 

[lagisibuk]

Again
I'm visual I pared having very low vision
I use a Mac mini with Thunderbolt Display an iPhone 5s an iPad 4
There a few folks that say that retina makes things crispier which will be better for my eyesight
Others have a different opinion
Won't use the machine as my main one since at home I have a small beast!
So the only question is
Does this high resolution affects positive or negative people with low vision??
That's the thing that worries me

For low vision, i think MBA is better options than retina.
btw, have you try at store? you can see detail different from Retina and Air.
you can try type or read something.

retina is very smooth, everything less size than original, because screen have a high density pixel.

you can try at store before decide to buy. at least, you have to know "what you need to make you comfort".

 

[Bri in Mtl]

Only thought of it when I went in the Apple store yesterday but unless you really need the portability would not a iMAC be a much better option?
Those screens are huge.

 

[GreenApple29]

Only thought of it when I went in the Apple store yesterday but unless you really need the portability would not a iMAC be a much better option?
Those screens are huge.

well at home i have a huge screen a thunderbolt display 27 inches
wanted something more portable
both air and pro are almost the same size..well not exactly but very close....

----------

For low vision, i think MBA is better options than retina.
btw, have you try at store? you can see detail different from Retina and Air.
you can try type or read something.

retina is very smooth, everything less size than original, because screen have a high density pixel.

you can try at store before decide to buy. at least, you have to know "what you need to make you comfort".

just went to a store...
had some sites open and thankfully had the air next to the pro retina
so the comparison started
websites....apple.com the differences are huge..i mean my vision is quite low..like 15% working eyesight!
text is much crispier and easy to read tha the air
i suppose ill be going to the pro retina 13 inch...
the machine (pro retina) was actually the previous generation the one i think with the intel graphics 4000
as i have compared characteristics for my needs even the ones on the air are more than enough at lest "on the go"
the ideal thing will be to have a macbook air for a week just to play around
leading towards the Pro Retina.....