The air is a waste of money. Unless you need the .5 pound weight loss and really bad screen. When you look at them check the viewing angle. The air has to be maneuvered perfectly and the retina looks good at all angles.
Not true. The MBA is a great machine, loaded with 8g of memory it will handle anything a normal student would need. There is no getting around the convenience of light weight and extended battery life of the MBAir. .5 pounds does add up and so does the hassle of opening you laptop to a Low Battery warning.