Macbook vs. Macbook Air vs. (2015) Macbook Pro: What's your opinion?

[neoelectronaut]

I'm having a hell of a time deciding if I should go with a Macbook Air, Macbook, or Macbook Pro.

I'd like 512GB of storage and that's my only real requirement.

I have a 10% coupon for Best Buy which can net me a Macbook for $1439.99, which is coincidentally the same price of a 2015 Macbook Pro refurbished on Apple's website.

For $250 less I can go with a Macbook Air, also from Apple's website.

I'm kind of over the whole ports thing, so the single Macbook Air port doesn't bother me...internet will be wireless, so will my Time Machine backup...I can't honestly think of much I'd need to plug into the dang thing these days, so the additional ports the Macbook Pro and Air offer aren't much of a selling point.

 

[skids929]

you can get a late 2016 MBP from Micro center doe 1300 right now. I would go with the most recent version base model. Everyone who has one loves it.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I have railed against the price of the new Pros on this site. But I don't dispute that they are great machines. And I've seen the touchbar-less Pros in store. They are marvellous to behold.

If you can afford a new Pro, with or without a touchbar, I would definitely get one. The processor gains of the past are gone. This new machine will last you a long time. Get what you'll be happy with for the longest.

 

[kahkityoong]

I've owned all three. Unless you're doing video or heavy photo editing I would get the MacBook. Best combination of a compact package, great screen and a good enough performance.

 

[zhenya]

What do you want most? Lightweight? Powerful?

I would leave the Air out of the equation unless budget is primary concern.

Then I would honestly choose between the Macbook and a new non-touch bar MBP (I presume the same coupon could be used on one of those?)

The weight and footprint of the Macbook is really noticeable - so if you are ok with the screen size and the power, it's a really nice machine to use, because it goes everywhere with you without thinking.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

@zhenya Come to think of it, you're right about the MacBook. Several of my friends have them. If you're okay with the 12" screen, it's awesome.

 

[sudhirjaipur]

@zhenya Come to think of it, you're right about the MacBook. Several of my friends have them. If you're okay with the 12" screen, it's awesome.

I am in the same delima. Want to replace my MacBook Air 11" of late 2010 vintage. MacBook 12" vs the non touch bar 13" MacBook Pro 2016. I am leaning towards the latter because of better specs vs more weight.

 

[bingeciren]

I've owned all three. Unless you're doing video or heavy photo editing I would get the MacBook. Best combination of a compact package, great screen and a good enough performance.

Having also used all three and currently using the 12" MacBook, I agree with you 100%.

 

[neoelectronaut]

Well dang, I was leaning towards the Macbook Pro but now I'll have to take a long hard look at the 12" Macbook.

My biggest concern so far in regards to ports it that I was gonna set up a firewire to thundebolt connection to transfer all my data from my iMac were I to get a MBP, I dunno how I would pull that off with the Macbook's USB-C connection.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I've owned all three. Unless you're doing video or heavy photo editing I would get the MacBook. Best combination of a compact package, great screen and a good enough performance.

I own all three. I agree, if you had to have one laptop and you have a desktop most of the time, the best laptop is the lightest one with a good screen which is the MacBook. If you have to be limited to one machine for everything, the MacBook Pro is best. You will not like traveling with it though (maybe that changed with the current one). If you have to have one machine and money is tight, then the MacBook Air is a great choice. The battery life is better than any other Mac laptop.

 

[bingeciren]

Well dang, I was leaning towards the Macbook Pro but now I'll have to take a long hard look at the 12" Macbook.

My biggest concern so far in regards to ports it that I was gonna set up a firewire to thundebolt connection to transfer all my data from my iMac were I to get a MBP, I dunno how I would pull that off with the Macbook's USB-C connection.

This was my solution to that problem: It doesn't help with the FireWire and Thunderbolt interface but it sure solves the most common complaints regarding the single port, SD Card reader and USB A. USB 3 is faster than FireWire by the way.

https://www.amazon.com/HooToo-Shutt...7472&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=hootoo+usb+c&psc=1

Go to an Apple store and play with one, try the keyboard, which is the most radically different part of this machine. It takes a bit of getting used to. Speed wise, try to tax it as much as you can to see if it will handle everything you throw at it. I have no complaints about the speed or the performance perhaps because of the excellent speed of the NVMe based flash disk and the 1867 MHz LPDDR3 memory.

 

[neoelectronaut]

This was my solution to that problem: It doesn't help with the FireWire and Thunderbolt interface but it sure solves the most common complaints regarding the single port, SD Card reader and USB A. USB 3 is faster than FireWire by the way.

https://www.amazon.com/HooToo-Shutt...7472&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=hootoo+usb+c&psc=1

Go to an Apple store and play with one, try the keyboard, which is the most radically different part of this machine. It takes a bit of getting used to. Speed wise, try to tax it as much as you can to see if it will handle everything you throw at it. I have no complaints about the speed or the performance perhaps because of the excellent speed of the NVMe based flash disk and the 1867 MHz LPDDR3 memory.

Does system migration work over USB?

 

[bingeciren]

Does system migration work over USB?

Yes it does, no problem there. BUT!!! if you were trying to use the target disk, then no. However, that's not much of an impediment. I use an external backup disk to back up my entire machine using CCC (you can use Time Machine if you want but CCC is better because it gives you a bootable backup). Then use the Migration assistant to migrate your data from the external USB disk.

Or, another solution is to connect your old machine and the new one to the same network (Gigabit Ethernet is fast, don't waste time with the WiFi) and use Migration assistant again using the network.

 

[Sam_S]

I would consider the MBP, or the nMBP as others have mentioned. However I can't stand the keyboards on those devices, you should go into the store and make sure you try those keyboards out before you make a purchase. I prefer the keyboard on the older rMBP, much nicer in my opinion, but I might be living in the past! To be fair avoid the Air and go for any of the others and you will have a wonderful machine.

 

[Tech198]

What do you want most? Lightweight? Powerful?

I would leave the Air out of the equation unless budget is primary concern.

Is this because its not updated as the only reason ? The Air is still thin, but the new Pro's are becoming "just as thin" There is still a small difference, so hooray for that small difference.

http://www.apple.com/mac/compare/results/?product1=macbook&product2=macbook-air-13

My biggest concern so far in regards to ports it that I was gonna set up a firewire to thundebolt connection to transfer all my data from my iMac were I to get a MBP, I dunno how I would pull that off with the Macbook's USB-C connection.

You would use the Thunderbolt-to-firewire lt USB-C adapter:
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD464LL/A/apple-thunderbolt-to-firewire-adapter