Mbp with 256gb SSS or MBA???

[monaarts]

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Hey guys,
I am not sure what to purchase. I need a new laptop so I need your help. I use my laptop for school, some Photoshop, video encoding with handbrake, but mainly Internet browsing. I do have about 150gb of videos which I am going to store on a bad drive for access on my apple tv 2.

My options are either a 2.4ghz 13" mbp with 4gb ram, and a 256gb SSD drive or a 2.13ghz 13" MBA with 4gb ram and a 256gb ssd. Either will be about the same cost, so that really isn't an issue.

I'm more concerned about performance for what I use. I must admit though, I really like the higher red screen on the MBA though. Thanks guys!!!

 

[Hellhammer]

Do you need it now? MBPs are expected to be updated soon so if you don't need it right now, you could wait for the new ones and then decide. They should offer a great bump in CPU power which would help with HandBrake.

 

[monaarts]

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I have a couple offers to sell my current one for $900 so I don't wanna miss out on it, hence why I am lookin at what is available now.

- Joe

 

[orfeas0]

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I have a couple offers to sell my current one for $900 so I don't wanna miss out on it, hence why I am lookin at what is available now.

- Joe

get the mbp. not only it has a faster cpu, but you can get a better ssd than the one that apple offers in air (and in the built-to-order MBP).

 

[Hellhammer]

What is the price difference between those two machines? How much is the extra portability offered by MBA worth for you? Do you need an optical drive or more than 256GB of storage?

IMO MBA is a better bang for buck at the moment as it's newer while MBPs are pretty much at the end of their cycle. However, MBPs still offer things that MBA does not so you just have to value these things and then decide what machine is more suitable for your needs. The performance difference between these two machines is almost negligible so I wouldn't let that affect your choice. MBP might be few seconds faster in HandBrake but it's not that big deal unless you run HB 24/7.

 

[monaarts]

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The cost will be almost the same. About $1700 for either one. I think the portability and the fact that everything was made to work with everything else on the MBA is going to make me get it. I have heard too many stories about people either receiving broken SSD's or the SSD causes issues like no wake on te MacBook pro.

- Joe

 

[WardC]

You also get a much higher resolution display with the MacBook Air. 1440x900 resolution gives you considerable more screen real estate than the tiny 1280x800 resolution of the 13" MacBook Pro.

 

[NickZac]

If you do the MBP, get it with the cheapest hard drive and buy a good SSD of as large of size as you can afford. If it is also SATA3 compliant, even better. Then use it for your next few computers as they will last a long time. I plan to use mine for at least 5 years, and the enhanced data write/rewrite testing being done by Crucial and Micron are showing that expecting a 10 year service life of the SSD is not unreasonable at all.

 

[macthismacthat]

get the mbp. not only it has a faster cpu, but you can get a better ssd than the one that apple offers in air (and in the built-to-order MBP).

I think that you are mistaken my friend.....the MBA has a faster cpu,don't look at the clock speed 2,13GHz(MBA) vs 2,4GHz(MBP). The primary thing is the L3 cash which the Core 2 Duo on the 13" MBA has 6MB versus the Core 2 Duo on the 13" MBP which has 3MB. I'm pretty much sure about this.
Cheers.

 

[lifeguard90]

get the mbp but youll regret doing it now