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MBA 13 vs rMBP 13

Aviatorr01 said:
How about more specifically:

Maxed out 13" MBA
2.0Ghz i7
8Gb RAM
256Gb SSD
Intel HD4000

Vs.

Base model 13" rMBP
2.5Ghz i5
8Gb RAM
128Gb SSD
Intel HD4000

Both priced at $1699 (US)

Which would you guys buy?
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Don't forget about the rather HUGE difference in displays. But I still prefer my old Air (and will plan on buying one with the next update) over the rMPB - too heavy, too thick (thicker than the 15" version), and too little of a performance advantage to make it better than the Air.
 
Thought about getting rmbp but the price was too much for me. I just ordered an air and the thinness will pay off when I carry it to school or have it on my lap at home.
 
katai said:
Thought about getting rmbp but the price was too much for me. I just ordered an air and the thinness will pay off when I carry it to school or have it on my lap at home.
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Ditto. Was going to buy the rMBP but really can't justify the 500$ difference just for the screen..
 
AlvinNguyen said:
and the max ram is the same as the Air at 8GB...wth :confused:
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Exactly. I've got a 2010 maxed MBA which I have to give away, which fitted my needs perfectly. I really didn't notice the 'bad' screen the retina-folks are talking 'bout, so I'm just going for the 2012 Air. Even saw rMBP 15 and Air side-by-side in a shop and must say the difference was small. You had to sit really close to notice any difference - but that's just me
 
Loving my '11 13" mba. The retina screen just isn't tripping my trigger and there is no way I'll go back to anything heavier.

The whole performance thing has to come down to what you're doing with the computer. My wife uses a mbp with a processor and gpu that on paper should smoke my mba. And maybe it would if she were running cpu or graphic intense programs, but in everyday use where we're both mostly using the machines for common business applications (spreadsheets, docs, presentations), my mba smokes her mbp (which is mostly related ssd vs hdd speed issues).

I know the new rmbp 13 has the same ssd, but what I'm getting at is any performance improvements between cpu (given the gpu is the same) will be negligible at best (for most common situations).
 
jmgregory1 said:
Loving my '11 13" mba. The retina screen just isn't tripping my trigger and there is no way I'll go back to anything heavier.

The whole performance thing has to come down to what you're doing with the computer. My wife uses a mbp with a processor and gpu that on paper should smoke my mba. And maybe it would if she were running cpu or graphic intense programs, but in everyday use where we're both mostly using the machines for common business applications (spreadsheets, docs, presentations), my mba smokes her mbp (which is mostly related ssd vs hdd speed issues).

I know the new rmbp 13 has the same ssd, but what I'm getting at is any performance improvements between cpu (given the gpu is the same) will be negligible at best (for most common situations).
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I've finally decided on the MBA and just ordered now! (i5, 128gb, 8gb). Can't wait!

And nah, the retina really doesn't mean anything to me neither. Not to make up the 500$ difference!
 
jmgregory1 said:
Congrats - I'm sure you won't regret your decision.
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I'm sure I won't. I've had Airs since 2008, and really like the computer! Original I waited for the rMBP but 500$ for me is a lot, and would rather put those money in the resale-lost when that time comes.
 
The real question you need to decide is what do you use your computer for? If you just surf the web, facebook, and other minor task/apps.....why do you need anything but an air? That is a very high price to pay for a 13" laptop that you will probably never come near pushing.
 
Narich918 said:
Are you saying the MBA 2.0 ghz i7 beats out the rMBP 2.5 ghz i5? Any benchmarks that back this up? Just curious.
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I doubt it would beat actually it on speed, but the 2.0 ghz i7 is going to be more than fast enough for 99% of what most people will want to do (hell, even the 1.8Ghz i5 is probably more than enough, though I wanted to get the fastest MBA I could), don't forget the 2Ghz i7 can turbo boost up to 3.2 Ghz! (see: http://ark.intel.com/products/64898/Intel-Core-i7-3667U-Processor-(4M-Cache-up-to-3_20-GHz).

I do know that the i7 on my MBA is *way* more powerful than the 2.5Ghz Core 2 Duo in my old Macbook Pro
 
Lukewarmwinner said:
Exactly. I've got a 2010 maxed MBA which I have to give away, which fitted my needs perfectly. I really didn't notice the 'bad' screen the retina-folks are talking 'bout, so I'm just going for the 2012 Air. Even saw rMBP 15 and Air side-by-side in a shop and must say the difference was small. You had to sit really close to notice any difference - but that's just me
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Plus the fact that you get a bigger real estate on the air (if the rMBP 13" is used in retina mode).

I'd be willing to sacrifice portability and pay extra $500 if the rMBP 13" had more ram options and dedicated GPU. For what you get, and for my use case, i'd rather spend the $500 on the new thunderbolt display when it comes out.

If use happen to use your laptop on the couch, plane, train, the difference in weight and thickness is a big factor, and outweigh the screen. At least that's what I told myself when I ordered a refurbished maxed 2012 MBA 13"
 
Geekbench nos are now up. 13"rMBP is 10% faster than the slowest 13"MBA. Almost negligible to me. You are basically paying additional $500 and add some weight/size burden to get a retina display.

But, I really wanted retina. =)
 
vcuares said:
Geekbench nos are now up. 13"rMBP is 10% faster than the slowest 13"MBA. Almost negligible to me. You are basically paying additional $500 and add some weight/size burden to get a retina display.

But, I really wanted retina. =)
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Wow, that wasn't much! 10 % isn't noticeable in everyday use.

You're right. 500$ for a retina screen just seems ridiculous. I couldn't justify it :)
 
What about the i7 option for the rMBP 13''? It's significantly faster at 2.9ghz, I wonder how much hotter the i7 option is.. Does anyone have an rMBP 13'' with the i7 cpu?
 
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Mac32 said:
What about the i7 option for the rMBP 13''? It's significantly faster, I wonder how much hotter the i7 option is.. Does anyone have an rMBP 13'' with the i7 cpu?
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I think people who consider the rMBP i7 goes with the 15" - might as well at least
 
Why does everyone keep repeating the same "$500 difference"?? THis thread is supposed to compare the i7 MBA and entry level rMBP.. They're both the same price, no??
 
Buy both. Take the retina screen off the rMBP and put it on the Air. :D

That is what I want.
 
caligomez said:
Why does everyone keep repeating the same "$500 difference"?? THis thread is supposed to compare the i7 MBA and entry level rMBP.. They're both the same price, no??
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Well. Initially cost was not a factor. But once you start comparing, that $500 difference starts glaring at you.
 
I have the same problem as the topic starter... I waited for the announcement of the rMPB 13 inch, but it's quite expensive.

I was chosing between these two model specs:
MBA
2,0-GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost till 3,2 GHz
8 GB 1600-MHz DDR3L SDRAM
256 GB flash-storage
€ 1.830,00

or rMBP:
2,5-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost till 3,1 GHz
8 GB 1600-MHz DDR3L SDRAM
256 GB flash-storage
€ 2.079,00

I have to say I would use it more for presentations, university (business & economics) and so on... And sometimes play a game, but no high-end games or something or watch a movie. So the Air would be enough, but the Retina would be amazing. What would you chose?
 
johnnyvh said:
I have the same problem as the topic starter... I waited for the announcement of the rMPB 13 inch, but it's quite expensive.

I was chosing between these two model specs:
MBA
2,0-GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost till 3,2 GHz
8 GB 1600-MHz DDR3L SDRAM
256 GB flash-storage
€ 1.830,00

or rMBP:
2,5-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost till 3,1 GHz
8 GB 1600-MHz DDR3L SDRAM
256 GB flash-storage
€ 2.079,00

I have to say I would use it more for presentations, university (business & economics) and so on... And sometimes play a game, but no high-end games or something or watch a movie. So the Air would be enough, but the Retina would be amazing. What would you chose?
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It really depends on how much you'd be willing to pay for the retina display. Forget the performance 'cause you'd barely notice any difference.
 
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