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MBP + SSD = Profit???

R

roofz

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 23, 2012
154
0
Southern California
Hi everyone, I'm a long time lurker first time poster.

I am looking to buy a macbook notebook, i'm just not sure whether I should get an Air or a Pro. Please help me decide :confused:

Here are some things you should know:

I'm a student of finance / accounting, so I work with multiple excel spreadsheets at a time and use other accounting programs too. I surf the net all the time and like to watch movies and play videos. Large screen resolution is a plus. I take it to class sometimes to take notes, so I need decent battery life.

I currently have a late 2008 MBA :eek::eek: and it has a lot of trouble doing the things I have just described. I like that my MBA is super portable and that it easily fits in my backpack, but neither size nor weight is a determining factor for me as I work out 4 days/week and a little extra weight on my back is no big deal. I definitely want a SSD in my next notebook as I can see the immense benefits it has provided me in this MBA.

I feel that i'm leaning towards the MBA because of the SSD, and the screen size. However, the MBP tempts me with it's superior power and ability to be upgraded if need be.

Thoughts on what I should pull the trigger on? All replies are veryy much appreciated!
 
Power-wise... the Air is definitely inferior to the pro. You can always get the MBP and install your own SSD and even more memory. (You can't expand the Air at all).
 
I've been very satisfied with my 15" MacBook Pro with it's optional hi-res anti-glare display. I too am very fit & strong, so weight is not an issue. I carry it daily. Being much thinner & lighter than the 15" Windows Laptops I used to use, the MBP exudes quality in a compact size.

I just bought a 13" MacBook Air for my wife. It's nice, but it's low-res glossy screen is disappointing. The fact that it's not built to be upgradeable is another very big drawback as I see it.
 
Just use the Air for notes/class and get a Pro for heavy workload. Unless you are planning on selling the Air to pay for part of the new computer in which case you're back to square one.

The real question is whether you should buy now or wait until the 2012 MBPs/MBAs come out. I think there is a thread about that somewhere...
 
hotgrease said:
Just use the Air for notes/class and get a Pro for heavy workload.
Click to expand...
Isn't that a little excessive and expensive. Buying both a MBP and a MBA?

If you have the money by all means but its a little pricey for most others.

I think the 15" MBP best fits the OP's needs and I'd recommend that option over the MBA.
 
The Pro if its your primary computer


why do you say your 2008 MBA cant handle your workload, all you said you do is use excel and surf the net, are 2008 MBA really not that good?
 
I also say the Pro, if only for its capability to upgrade the RAM. 8GB is becoming kind of a necessity, nowadays, and the Air just comes with a maximum of 4GB that is not user upgradable.
 
Pro all the way. Especially now, even the base Pro with the screen upgraded to the highres antiglare is a phenomenal value with a student discount. I believe the one I priced ended up around $1749? Hefty, but not bad when you shop around.

If you are comfortable doing your own drive upgrade, I'd say go with that and add your own SSD. If not, give Apple the ~$90 (student discounted, again :)) for their 128GB SSD as it's really not a bad price, and it's highly unlikely you'll ever notice a performance difference between that and others unless you've had something like a C300 or Intel 510 in another machine :).

In fact, I'll be honest here, I don't really notice much of a performance difference between the Intel X-25M G2 SSD in my white MacBook and the Crucial C300 SSD in my MacBook Pro despite the fact that the C300 is almost twice as fast.
 
I've just gone 15" MBP (HR).

I had the 13" Air, but I was using it more and more and it was just too difficult to work with large Excel sheets and generally manage a lot of windows on.

Loving the extra screen space on this. I ordered BTO with 512GB SSD and 8GB RAM.
 
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Agreed. Get the pro. I feel it will last you much longer than an air will. Plus, you won't be in school forever, right?

Kudos from another finance/accounting guy. (even got a master's)
 
I'd go for the MBP. As others have said, the nice thing about the MBP is that you can do a few upgrades on your own. If you're sure you want an SSD, you can install one yourself (remove the optical drive and put the SSD there). Also, if you think you'll need more RAM, 8GB is pretty cheap right now and is super easy to install on your own. Definitely don't pay Apple for a RAM upgrade.
 
miniConvert said:
This isn't gospel; not everyone wants to open up their computer, or deal with the (albeit rare) problems that can arise when things don't go as planned.
Click to expand...

have you ever seen the process?

taking RAM out and puting new RAM in could not be an easier task


not trying to sound like some computer repair guy but its actually made for anyone to do themsleves
 
You can remove the optical drive in the MBP for more space. I really couldn't recommend the MBP more than the MBA, you could have more portability wise with the MBA but you don't care about the extra weight, the MBP will also last you longer then the 2008 MBA, you won't regret it, it's a more solid device overall.
 
I don't really understand the title of this thread.

What does the question or any of the replies have to do with the combination of a MBP and an SSD to make a profit?
 
Thanks for all the responses :D!

I'm pretty okay with doing my own upgrade, as I replaced the SSD on my air when it went bad and it wasn't too hard. I think i'm leaning more towards the pro.

With a student discount, would it be worth it to just have apple install a 128gb SSD, or should I just go out and buy my own?



Not sure how to properly quote, but the reason for the thread title is because in the past few months I have been leaning towards buying a new macbook air to replace my current one, part of the reason was that it included an SSD. But i recently learned that the MBP can be upgraded with an SSD, so that was a game changer for me. Sorry for the confusion!
 
roofz said:
Thanks for all the responses :D!

I'm pretty okay with doing my own upgrade, as I replaced the SSD on my air when it went bad and it wasn't too hard. I think i'm leaning more towards the pro.

With a student discount, would it be worth it to just have apple install a 128gb SSD, or should I just go out and buy my own?



Not sure how to properly quote, but the reason for the thread title is because in the past few months I have been leaning towards buying a new macbook air to replace my current one, part of the reason was that it included an SSD. But i recently learned that the MBP can be upgraded with an SSD, so that was a game changer for me. Sorry for the confusion!
Click to expand...


ive never priced it out but ive seen more than a few threads that people say having apple do the SSD 128GB upgrade is not far off doing it your self, than again if you buy your own SSD and you have use for the HHD that would come with the MBP than of course its better to buy the SSD yourself

of course RAM is another story, dont every pay apple for RAM
 
the only way anyone can justify buying an Air is that they like the way it looks. there is a pound and a half difference between the 13" air and pro. you can take the 13" anywhere you can take the air. if you like the slim air design then go for it. if you need a computer to handle more tasks than just internet and notes, get a pro. you can upgrade to the 120gb ssd in the base model 13" for $180. or the next model up for $90. same with the 15". If you want a better resolution go with the 15". all these things I am sure you can figure out for yourself by simply going to an apple store, or going to the apple store online if you aren't anywhere close to one.
 
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