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Need help pro vs air

U

umee1989

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 14, 2012
49
0
I need help deciding between getting a macbook pro or macbook air 13", regardless of which one i get i will be getting the basic version of each 13".

I mainly use my laptop for:
School work: powerpoint word excel
internet browsing
itunes 10-15gb worth of music
youtube
and thats pretty much it, i don't really need optical i use it here and there but feel i can survive fine without it

But reason I'm debating is because if i get the pro i was going to upgrade hard drive to ssd and replace optical with hard drive. and air will only give me 128gb which is SSD already, but idk if that will be enough storage it maybe not sure tho. so please help me !!!
 
umee1989 said:
I need help deciding between getting a macbook pro or macbook air 13", regardless of which one i get i will be getting the basic version of each 13".

I mainly use my laptop for:
School work: powerpoint word excel
internet browsing
itunes 10-15gb worth of music
youtube
and thats pretty much it, i don't really need optical i use it here and there but feel i can survive fine without it

But reason I'm debating is because if i get the pro i was going to upgrade hard drive to ssd and replace optical with hard drive. and air will only give me 128gb which is SSD already, but idk if that will be enough storage it maybe not sure tho. so please help me !!!
Click to expand...

You noted that you were planning on upgrading to a SSD in the Pro, so why not use that ~$200-300 on the higher end 13'' Air, so you get 256GB? That is, if storage is important to you.

For what your noted uses are, the Air will hit those spot on. If it were me, I'd definitely get the 13'' Air. I currently have 2 laptops, a RMBP and 11'' Air, but I always tell people that if I had to choose only 1 laptop, I'd get the 13'' Air. You really do enjoy the portability and slimness, and it just is a lot better to use than the pro IMO.

If storage is extremely important to you, then go for the Pro, or if 256 is enough, get the higher end Air. You can always use an external drive for movies, etc. But I recommend the Air.
 
Get the Air and upgrade the SSD yourself for just over $200. I bought a 256gb SSD from ebay. It's extremely easy to swap out. Just buy one that comes with the right 2 screwdrivers.

The air won't have as bad a problem with glare when you're in the classroom.
 
Greg M said:
Get the Air and upgrade the SSD yourself for just over $200. I bought a 256gb SSD from ebay. It's extremely easy to swap out. Just buy one that comes with the right 2 screwdrivers.

The air won't have as bad a problem with glare when you're in the classroom.
Click to expand...

I wasn't aware you could upgrade the SSD for the Airs.
 
I was facing the same dilemma, I had a 13" air and it became obvious to me that the SSD was not big enough. The Macbook Pro has a traditional HDD... but so far while I have noticed the slower speed it hasn't bugged me as much. It's a matter of speed vs capacity.

I think if you're concerned about capacity, you should just get the upgraded 13" pro like I did. Or get the base i5 13" Pro and get a terabyte drive. 15GB of music isn't a lot for the base 13" Air, but later on when you try and store photos and video.. you might be begging for more space.

Because Apple has a 14 day return period, I suggest you try the air out. If you're thinking about buying a DVD drive as well as an external drive... you should probably return it for the pro. Because I definitely had that feeling..

You can't upgrade the SSD on the new Airs.. not yet at least. But I've seen the prices at OWC and they're a little ridiculous. $700 ish bucks for a 480GB SSD? I'll pass. You can get 480 gigs for around 400-500.
 
Thanks everyone

I currently have the pro 2012 and what I'm gonna do is go get the air and see how that is and make a final decision after that seems like the best option for me!!

and for the SSD for the air 2012 is that actually upgradable ??? some people say yes some say no
 
umee1989 said:
Thanks everyone

I currently have the pro 2012 and what I'm gonna do is go get the air and see how that is and make a final decision after that seems like the best option for me!!

and for the SSD for the air 2012 is that actually upgradable ??? some people say yes some say no
Click to expand...

It will be once they become available. Apple changed the connection so the older SSD's won't work.
 
antoher questions for u guys

what would preform better for applications and stuff like internet browsing, word powerpoint excel, iTunes, youtube, and basic stuff

a macbook pro with SSD or basic 13inch air

or you guys think i won't really tell the difference for such basic stuff?
 
umee1989 said:
antoher questions for u guys

what would preform better for applications and stuff like internet browsing, word powerpoint excel, iTunes, youtube, and basic stuff

a macbook pro with SSD or basic 13inch air

or you guys think i won't really tell the difference for such basic stuff?
Click to expand...

won't see much of a difference
 
umee1989 said:
antoher questions for u guys

what would preform better for applications and stuff like internet browsing, word powerpoint excel, iTunes, youtube, and basic stuff

a macbook pro with SSD or basic 13inch air

or you guys think i won't really tell the difference for such basic stuff?
Click to expand...

They should basically be identical for those tasks.
 
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