MacBook Pro retina vs MacBook Air

[Stetrain]

How do I know a refurbished laptop is going to be good.

It has the same return policy and warranty as a new Apple laptop. You can buy an AppleCare extended warranty on it just like a new laptop. It will actually most likely have gotten a more thorough inspection and quality checks than a new laptop.

Most people on this forum highly recommend them, they're usually indistinguishable from a new machine and if it isn't you can send it back. I bought my 2008 model refurbished and it was just the same as buying new except it comes in a different box.

You can also now choose to have it shipped to your local Apple store so you can pick it up there. That might be a good idea so that you can take it out of the box and boot it up in the store to make sure everything's ok.

 

[Dr.Pcon14]

Is it true that apple puts in a new battery and a new outer shell. What is the worst thing that can be wrong with the hardware in a refurbished laptop?

 

[falconeight]

Is it true that apple puts in a new battery and a new outer shell. What is the worst thing that can be wrong with the hardware in a refurbished laptop?

Im not sure about a new battery. I always buy refurbished and they always have cycles on the battery. The most had 10 cycles on it.

 

[Dr.Pcon14]

Is there anything different in performance in refurbished laptops? Is there any way to see how long the computer has been used?

 

[Stetrain]

Is there anything different in performance in refurbished laptops? Is there any way to see how long the computer has been used?

If it doesn't perform the same as a new machine then Apple should fix it for you, just like if you had bought it new.

An app like Coconut Battery will tell you how many cycles the battery has on it and how much battery health you have. Most Macs (even new ones) can come with a few cycles on the battery so don't worry too much about that.

I believe the standard for battery replacement (if you're within the warranty or AppleCare period) on the newer machines is 80% health before you reach 1000 cycles.

 

[thelookingglass]

An app like Coconut Battery will tell you how many cycles the battery has on it and how much battery health you have. Most Macs (even new ones) can come with a few cycles on the battery so don't worry too much about that.

I don't think you need Coconut Battery. You just need to go into the System Information app and click on the Power section.

 

[Dr.Pcon14]

Can you distinguish a refurbished laptop from a new one?

 

[Uliman]

Can you distinguish a refurbished laptop from a new one?

I could not; looked brand new to me; battery count was around 10 or so; most buyers of refurb'd MBAs or MBPs will concur; refurbs are a good value

 

[Dr.Pcon14]

How does a laptop become "refurbished"

 

[Stetrain]

How does a laptop become "refurbished"

(1) What are Apple Certified Refurbished Products?
Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned Apple products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. While only some units are returned due to technical issues, all units undergo Apple's stringent quality refurbishment process.

Each Apple Certified Refurbished Product:
is fully tested (including full burn-in testing).
is refurbished with replacement parts for any defective modules identified in testing.
is put through a thorough cleaning process and inspection.
is repackaged (including appropriate manuals, cables, new boxes, etc.).
includes the operating software originally shipped with the unit and the custom software offered with that system. See each products "Learn More" for more details.
is given a new refurbished part number and serial number.
is placed into a Final QA inspection prior to being added to sellable refurbished stock.
Refurbishment procedures follow the same basic technical guidelines as Apple's Finished Goods testing procedures.

(2) What should I expect when I purchase an Apple Certified Refurbished Product?
Substantial savings
A fully functional unit with complete documentation
The assurance that the unit meets Apple's premiere quality standards, and that its defective components have been replaced by genuine Apple components

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/apple_certified.html

 

[Dr.Pcon14]

Are there any risks in buying a refurbished laptop?

 

[Stetrain]

Are there any risks in buying a refurbished laptop?

Just the risk that there will be a problem and you have to send it back or let Apple repair it for you. That's a risk with buying a new one too though.

 

[zipur]

I had a 2013 MBA with the i7 and ended up returning it for a 13" rMBP with the i7. Why? Because the display in the MBA is HORRIBLE.

No it is not. Dont believe the hype, the screen is great on the air.

 

[Suraj R.]

I am deciding between the 13 inch retina pro or the 13 air the 15 in pro is not an option

13 Air, it suits your needs the best, it is portable and the battery life is unbeatable. You'll be getting much greater graphic performance in the games you want to play on the 2013 Air.

The screen is not bad at all. It isn't Retina, but if you haven't used a Retina Mac as your primary device then you won't notice the difference really. Its perfectly fine, I love mine.

 

[Dr.Pcon14]

I got the retina. It is great

 

[jcpb]

No it is not. Dont believe the hype, the screen is great on the air.

Depends on who you ask, however you can get a IPS display for $500 (iPad 4), while the Air costs double that new and doesn't. The display quality difference is noticeable as soon as you don't look at it head-on.

 

[KPOM]

So overall the MBA gets better gaming performance due to the updated graphics card and the i7 1.8 ghz is faster than the i5 2.5 ghz. Is this true?

The CPUs are mostly a wash. On some tests the 2.5GHz i5 will be better, on others, the Haswell 1.8GHz i7 will be faster. Overall, the 1.7GHz Haswell i7 looks to be about as fast as the 2.0GHz i7 on the 2012 MacBook Air. I went from a 2.0GHz i7 MacBook Air (2012) to a 2.5GHz i5 rMBP last year. Overall I notice hardly any difference at all on CPU tasks. The rMBP screen is a lot nicer. However the machine is noticeably heavier than a MacBook Air (even the 13"), though the footprint is actually smaller than the 13" MacBook Air.

Choose what's more important to you. If it's battery life, gaming graphics, or portability, go with the Air. If it's the screen, go with the rMBP.

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Are there any risks in buying a refurbished laptop?

Probably fewer than with getting a new notebook. Apple refurbished products are thoroughly inspected, and parts will be replaced if necessary. I bought a refurb 2010 MacBook Air, and it came with a brand new battery (no cycles at all), and was indistinguishable from a new unit except that it shipped in a corrugated cardboard shipping box rather than the fancy boxes that Apple notebooks normally are sold in.

 

[Badrottie]

I am deciding between the 13 inch retina pro or the 13 air the 15 in pro is not an option

Go with MBA because the battery life so great than 13 rMBP with Haswell might not give battery life longer.

 

[mxidis88]

I've owned the 2012 Macbook Air and recently sold it to purchase a new one. I've been agonizing over the same issues you have(refurb rMBP or MBA) and decided to go with the rMBP. I realize it's the near the end of the rMBP product cycle, but buying one of these machines for about $1300 after tax is the best deal you'll get on a retina screen for awhile.

I am a student and would have loved the extra battery life in the new Haswell airs, but at the same time I spend 8 hours a day(most days) looking at the screen on my computer and I want to look at something stunningly beautiful. I've had the laptop now for about a week and have had zero problems with it. It's a bit smaller than air, but has a more substantial feel when you pick it up. The i5 handles everything I can throw at it(20 tabs in chrome, iWorks, photoshop, itunes, 1080P videos, and light gaming like Civ 5) and I'm excited to get more improvements when Mavericks comes out this fall(GPU accelerated UI graphics).

You can go with the Air, but now everytime I look at my girlfriend's MBA I see a huge silver bezel around a subpar screen(thanks for that retina screen). I love being able to bump my screen real estate up to the highest setting and have 2 or 3 different windows fully display(great for writing research papers cause I don't have to keep switching spaces like I did on the MBA). Overall I would give this laptop a 9/10 value proposition at a $1300 price tag.

 

[lagisibuk]

hmm, for today, maybe refurbish is best choice to reduce cost
refurbish 15 retina is not bad, you will get 1 year warranty from apple.
maybe u just got a few cycle from battrey,but it's normal.

 

[RoboWarriorSr]

13 Air, it suits your needs the best, it is portable and the battery life is unbeatable. You'll be getting much greater graphic performance in the games you want to play on the 2013 Air.

The screen is not bad at all. It isn't Retina, but if you haven't used a Retina Mac as your primary device then you won't notice the difference really. Its perfectly fine, I love mine.

uhhh how is a 650m from a retina macbook pro worse than a hd 4000? The 650m kills the hd 4000.

 

[tecknik1]

No it is not. Dont believe the hype, the screen is great on the air.

The screen is not great on the air, get a retina and an Air side by side. Once I saw the retina I gave my Air to my wife and bought the retina.

Not only is the screen better but the speakers are better as well. Another posted the keys and computer just feels more solid and I agree.

I would consider another Air if they ever go retina.

I doubt the new 13 retina well be thinner thats not Apple DNA to change form so quickly after a release.

 

[sofianito]

The screen is not great on the air, get a retina and an Air side by side. Once I saw the retina I gave my Air to my wife and bought the retina.

Not only is the screen better but the speakers are better as well. Another posted the keys and computer just feels more solid and I agree.

I would consider another Air if they ever go retina.

I doubt the new 13 retina well be thinner thats not Apple DNA to change form so quickly after a release.

What if your wife joigned MR forum and is not happy about the hype you told her to convince her to keep the Air...

 

[tecknik1]

What if your wife joigned MR forum and is not happy about the hype you told her to convince her to keep the Air...

She doesn't think the screen is so good either, she has eyes and sees the retina is superior. I didn't convince her she wanted it after I told her I was going to sell the Air.

 

[Suraj R.]

uhhh how is a 650m from a retina macbook pro worse than a hd 4000? The 650m kills the hd 4000.

I was talking about the HD 4000 in the 13" Retina vs. the HD 5000 in the new Airs haha