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BornAgainMac

macrumors 604
Feb 4, 2004
7,283
5,268
Florida Resident
2015 Retina Pro 2.9 ghz i5 to a 2012 Non Retina Pro 2.9 ghz i7. Very happy I sold the 2015 Retina, as I much prefer the Non Retina pro.

Good machine. If I remember correctly, those are easy to swap out the hard drive. If you don't have SSD now, you can get one and it wouldn't cost a fortune.
 

oldmacs

macrumors 601
Sep 14, 2010
4,924
7,122
Australia
Good machine. If I remember correctly, those are easy to swap out the hard drive. If you don't have SSD now, you can get one and it wouldn't cost a fortune.

The funds from selling the retina pro (which was an apple warranty replacement) covered the price of the non retina pro + a 1TB SSD :)

It's benchmark in geekench is quite close to the 2015 machine which is good. The true downside is really only the graphics which are ageing. Having said that though, the 2015 retina MacBook features much worse CPU performance and barely better graphics so I think I'll be fine for a while yet :p
 

capathy21

macrumors 65816
Jun 16, 2014
1,418
617
Houston, Texas
I made this move in a round about way. I had an Air but sold it due to not having retina. I got the rMB and loved everything about it except that it felt a little small, and I missed having usb ports. My wife took it over so I decided to just go with the iPad Pro as my main machine. I still love the ipp but I realized that I do prefer a Mac when doing certain things. I wanted to keep my ipp so my budget didn't really allow the purchase of a rMBP. I picked up a 2012 cMBP off of Craigslist for 400 a couple of days ago. I liked the machine a lot but the 1280x800 display was just too much of a contrast from the retina on my 6s plus and ipp to deal with.

Back to Craigslist today and I found a Mid 2013 13 inch base model MBA for 475. Machine is is pristine condition. Very happy to be back with the MBA. I still hate the screen but compared to the cMBP, it's not terrible. Everything else about the MBA is better than any other notebook, both Apple and non.

After initially ditching the Air due to its sub par display, I have decided that even with its display, it is still the best overall notebook in Apple's lineup.

Until they release a rMB in a 13/14 inch size with at least 2 USB C ports, the Air will be my preferred Macbook, 2010 display and all:)
 

bingeciren

macrumors 65816
Sep 6, 2011
1,069
1,009
Never had the desire to switch from my 11" Air to the rMB because for me connectivity and power outweighs a pretty screen. I can wait for the 12" MB to grow and put on some muscle.
 

jmoore5196

macrumors 6502a
May 19, 2009
840
339
Russellville AR
My dad was a commercial artist, so he was a big Don Martin fan. My brother and I bought as many Don Martin paperbacks as our allowance would ... well, allow. I well remember the Captain Klutz storylines. Even Batman had no nemesis like Sissyman! The late 60s and early 70s were a Golden Age for that sort of stuff, and we didn't even know it.
 
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stockscalper

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2003
917
235
Area 51
The MacBook Air screen doesn't bother me. My wife has the new small MacBook and I hate the keyboard and trackpad. I hope Apple doesn't drop the Air line. It's the right size. You can get too small and thin like the new HP.
 

throAU

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2012
8,831
6,997
Perth, Western Australia
You should try rendering audio or video (via Adobe Audition or Premier) with an i5 MBA and then compare the times to your i5 MBP. I think you'll find that the MBA is significantly faster.

Oh, wait ... you don't own an MBA.

And where is your evidence?

The MBP has a higher clocked CPU, higher turbo speed, better GPU, higher RAM capacity, and more thunderbolt expansion.

Never mind that it has a screen you can actually use for HD content.
 

jmoore5196

macrumors 6502a
May 19, 2009
840
339
Russellville AR
And where is your evidence?

First-hand experience typically counts for something. I had a 2.8GHz i7 13" MBP (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) and finally gave up running Adobe Audition and Premier. The lag was intolerable. My 11" MBA will run both programs without a hiccup, and does not slow down in InDesign or Photoshop.

I don't argue with your comment about the display quality. My point is that for processor-intensive tasks, the MBA wins despite the slower clock speed.

I'm not sure how "more thunderbolt expansion" adds to the discussion. Both machines have Thunderbolt ports.
 
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throAU

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2012
8,831
6,997
Perth, Western Australia
First-hand experience typically counts for something. I had a 2.8GHz i7 13" MBP (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) and finally gave up running Adobe Audition and Premier. The lag was intolerable. My 11" MBA will run both programs without a hiccup, and does not slow down in InDesign or Photoshop.

I don't argue with your comment about the display quality. My point is that for processor-intensive tasks, the MBA wins despite the slower clock speed.

I'm not sure how "more thunderbolt expansion" adds to the discussion. Both machines have Thunderbolt ports.

More thunderbolt expansion = you can run an external GPU (for assistance with rendering and other stuff that can make use of a GPU) plus external thunderbolt storage, both at full speed. The Pro has 2 thunderbolt ports, the air has 1.

And for CPU intensive tasks the Pro has higher max clock speed and will run those things faster.

My "first hand experience" is as good as yours, an i've used both MBA and MBP.
 

\-V-/

Suspended
May 3, 2012
3,153
2,688
The Air screen is utter crap compared to the rMBP. I can't go back now. Might be getting a MacBook when they update it, but I can't go back to that washed out, non-HD display.
 

jmoore5196

macrumors 6502a
May 19, 2009
840
339
Russellville AR
And for CPU intensive tasks the Pro has higher max clock speed and will run those things faster.

No, it won't ... that's the point. I've used every iteration of Apple notebooks since the PowerBook 100, and I can tell you that the higher clock speed doesn't mean a thing when paired with a retina display. When the processor has to pump out to all those pixels, clock speed is irrelevant.

I'm not disagreeing with V's assessment of the display. For the couple of weeks that I had it, I enjoyed the display in the 12" MacBook. Of course, even the high-end Core M cannot compare to the dual-core i7 in the MBA or MBP.

I have a 2014 15" MBP, which I take with me on trips that last several weeks. I cannot do without the screen resolution and larger display that long. The 11" MBA is my daily go-to machine; anytime I go out of the office, it's usually with me. In the office, I often have it connected to a TBD, which makes the display a non-issue.
 

ET iPhone Home

macrumors 68040
Oct 5, 2011
3,823
529
Orange County, California USA
Hi there

I recently sold my 11" MBA and bought a rMB when I was visiting the US (BB $999), and whilst I love the screen, after 2 months I am still struggling to get used to the keyboard, and taken together with the other compromises I am now thinking about selling it and buying a new MBA 11".

I just wondered if anybody else had made the switch back? My only concern is getting used to the MBA screen (again....).
Thanks
Tim
Thanks for posting this. I thought, today, I needed to replace my 2011 MBA. I was going to consider the rMB, but thought, if ever I need to replace my MBA, it wold be for another MBA. It turns out my MBA is fine. I'm waiting for the new redesign MBA. Do you think one will get released or should I purchase a 2016 MBA?
 

jmoore5196

macrumors 6502a
May 19, 2009
840
339
Russellville AR
I just bought a new (Apple refurbished) 2015 11" from fear that the 11" model will be discontinued at WWDC. Time will tell whether my fear was justified, but I felt a little better paying refurb prices for the 2015 model.
 

navaira

macrumors 68040
May 28, 2015
3,914
5,138
Amsterdam, Netherlands
I saved a hundred euro by buying on Black Friday, 8/128/i5. I expect it to last five years with my usage. It's mostly plugged but I can unplug it anytime I want, and 128 GB is enough for me as I don't do heavy graphic/sound editing on it, I have the desktop for that. And yes, it was 90% because of the rMB keyboard.
 

SusanK

macrumors 68000
Oct 9, 2012
1,676
2,655
You know, Susan, I hadn't thought about that! Might make me rethink being cremated.

They'll have to bury me with it unless they can pry it from my cold dead hands ;)

Crematories do permit items to be with the person. Maybe cremation is good for me too. As long as I have my MBA either disposition is OK with me.
 
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VTPete

macrumors member
Apr 19, 2009
47
10
My 2010 CTO 11" Air is *still* my grab and go computer at home. Through work and other opportunities, I've used at least a half dozen other Mac laptops and darn, I still keep going back to my old 11 inch Air. I've replaced the battery only once, keep an Invisible Shield skin on it and wow, it still runs great with its low-glare screen and just-right keyboard. (And magsafe connector.)

I too will likely be buried with my MBA in my arms. Maybe my 17" Macbook as a headrest to boot. Nyuck Nyuck.
 
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SusanK

macrumors 68000
Oct 9, 2012
1,676
2,655
I'm glad I didn't weird everybody out with my comment about being buried with my MBA. There is something perfect about the 11 inch Air for me. It just fits. I really love it! Hope TC doesn't go crazy and discontinue it. I'll be talking about him like a dog if he does. Doubt he cares but I really do.
 
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SusanK

macrumors 68000
Oct 9, 2012
1,676
2,655
Just be sure to have someone watching while your casket is closed! Lock your firmware and make sure FileVault is enabled.

Good advice. Thank you. Maybe I should have my AE in there too. It's been with me since iBook days. :)
 
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