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New MacBook Air vs. refurbished MacBook Pro with Retina

gabberkooij said:
Maybe I should stop reading those forums posts :) I had just convinced myself to go for the 13" Air and now I read some very good reasons to go for a rMBP 15" (I really loved the screen when I visited a Mac reseller yesterday)

I want to buy a Macbook (Air 13" or retina 15") before august. So I can start working on a Mac (Wineskin) version of my software. Because of this I can not wait for a Haswell update in october (if they update the 15" Retina within 14 days after I bought it, I will return it for a newer version)

Now I'm thinking again to get a 15" retina instead of the Air. But it is still a shame to spend that amount of money on a system that will be updated very soon. But maybe that is the story of all computer buyers...

Getting 6 hours is still nice, I just should not forget to take the adapter with me on my weekly travels (by train 4 hours).
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If you want to save some weight on commuting, buy a second Air power supply; it is smaller that the one from the rMBP and will also charge your machine (my wife has a 2012 air and have tried it, will take longer to charge, of course)
 
fskywalker said:
If you want to save some weight on commuting, buy a second Air power supply; it is smaller that the one from the rMBP and will also charge your machine (my wife has a 2012 air and have tried it, will take longer to charge, of course)
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I wouldn't recommend doing that too often. It's taxing the smaller power supply and will likely lead to premature failure. I don't charge my retina with my wife's Air charger for this reason. Feel it and you can tell how much it heats up.
 
My 2 Cents

The new Macbook Air is a fine machine. I owned it for 12 out of the 14 day return period. I exchanged it for the refurb 15" rMBP. The base model 13" Air is $1299 the refurbished 15" rMBP (if you can find one) is $1599.00. After ussing both machines, I can tell you that the 15" is is much better for me. You still have some portability but great screen real estate, a dedicated graphics card and an HDMI port (monitor). $1599 is an awesome price for that computer, it was $2199. Apple refurb products are fine and come with the same warranty. I can without hestiation recommend the refurbished rMBP.

For those of you who think the 15" Pro is too heavy, you need to workout a little bit more :)
 
ggibson913 said:
The new Macbook Air is a fine machine. I owned it for 12 out of the 14 day return period. I exchanged it for the refurb 15" rMBP. The base model 13" Air is $1299 the refurbished 15" rMBP (if you can find one) is $1599.00. After ussing both machines, I can tell you that the 15" is is much better for me. You still have some portability but great screen real estate, a dedicated graphics card and an HDMI port (monitor). $1599 is an awesome price for that computer, it was $2199. Apple refurb products are fine and come with the same warranty. I can without hestiation recommend the refurbished rMBP.

For those of you who think the 15" Pro is too heavy, you need to workout a little bit more :)
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Nice find! Hope you enjoy it! Did you ran the script to check if got the LG SJA1 or 2 series or the Samsung screen? I'm curious what Apple is supplying on the refurbished units these days.
 
The 13 rMBP is a bit larger and heavier then the MBA, its native resolution is less then that of MBA. The battery is also inferior to the MBA.

That said while the native resolution of the rMBP is less then the MBA, its display is superior.

I'd go with the MBA just because you have a small very portable laptop with a 13" display that provides decent screen real estate and a battery that lasts all day.
 
Really i wanna how much of difference is there in rMBP and MBA

While using it in Lap and carry around ?
 
And earlier i read about retina issues with framerate drops and not buttery smooth experience
Is it still like that.
 
I had this exact same dilemma. I ordered the new MBA and returned it a week later for a retina MBP. Ended up only being a $10 difference between them, and I am very happy with the Retina. The screen is the selling point for me. Weight was negligible for me, and battery life of 12 hours was great, but I can get by on 6-7 hours.
 
maflynn said:
The 13 rMBP is a bit larger and heavier then the MBA, its native resolution is less then that of MBA. The battery is also inferior to the MBA.

That said while the native resolution of the rMBP is less then the MBA, its display is superior.

I'd go with the MBA just because you have a small very portable laptop with a 13" display that provides decent screen real estate and a battery that lasts all day.
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The rMBP has a smaller foot print and is only .5 pounds heavier and the resolution is adjustable to a setting that is not capable on any other mac/pc and still looks better than the MBA on its native setting. Yes the battery on the air lasts long. That and price is the only benefit that I have seen. It does have a newer graphics processed but they both are poor at best for gaming. Before I returned my 11 inch MBA 2013 I tried to encode a video using tune4mac and it killed the battery in 3 /12 hours and it wasn't complete. The same video on my rMBP took 2 hours and I had 40% battery life remaining. It was the deciding factor(and the screen being washed out) for the switch. Its cool that the battery lasts 9 hours surfing the web but once you start taxing the cpu the battery is depleted quick.
 
Yeah, not sure if the people complaining about the weight of the rMBP have ever carried one around. I carry my 15" rMBP around campus every single day and don't even notice it in my bag. Super light for its size. The cMBP is a bit clunkier, however.

I'd definitely go with the rMBP. The screen really is worth it alone. Still amazed by this machine after nearly a year. ;)
 
fskywalker said:
Nice find! Hope you enjoy it! Did you ran the script to check if got the LG SJA1 or 2 series or the Samsung screen? I'm curious what Apple is supplying on the refurbished units these days.
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I would like to know the answer for that aswell...
Any idea how apple warranty works with premium resellers?
 
So I still haven't made my decision yet, should I wait for the Haswell rMBP or just get the refurbished rMBP?
 
questionmark said:
So I still haven't made my decision yet, should I wait for the Haswell rMBP or just get the refurbished rMBP?
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If you can wait, then wait. At this point, people should only buy now if they absolutely need it right now and waiting is not an option.
 
I'm deciding between the two lines as well (though the 13" MBA and 13" rMBP). The 13" rMBP refurbished is $1,269. Is a price drop expected to clear out refurbished stock when the Haswell rMBP come out, or will they remove it as a store option and I have to wait (3-6 months after launch?) for a refurbished Haswell rMBP?
 
7 plus hours on the retina 13" seems possible, I manage to get around 2-3 hours working on fcp/motion and listening to some music in between with screen at 70% all wireless of and around 4-5 hours with internet and music/some movies. Gaming i get around 1 1/2-2 hours. Seems pretty good for me.
 
Not Quite Sure How

Tomerco said:
I would like to know the answer for that aswell...
Any idea how apple warranty works with premium resellers?
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I am not quite sure how to check the display model but everything seems to be fine so far. Not having any issues with image retention or ghosting the diplay is gorgeous. I bought this as an Apple Store Refurb so the warranty is the same and I intend on getting the AppleCare as well.
 
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perry8912 said:
Does anyone know the battery life of 13 rmbp?
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Not very good would be my answer! While I love the machine, and would not go back to a reg screen like the one on the air...I'd have to say Battery life on the 13 inch rMBP is not very good.

Example- My battery percentage is at 92% right now and when I click on it I get a reading of 4:40 hrs remaining...Ehhhhhh! I've been using my machine for about 6 months now and really love the screen, but the battery life gets a big thumbs down IMO.
 
falconeight said:
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.
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Well this is true. I bought an Air last year, and even though the computing power would suffice, I couldn't stand the screen and the thick non black bezel.
I returned it and for now I continue on my iMac 2007!!!

I don't need the 'amazing' battery life, nor a retina screen. it's way too prolific with both laptop lines. there's nothing 'just right in between'.

It's either a fugly screen you can frisky carry around, or the 'best' screen in the industry with computing power I don't really need.
 
dranakin said:
I'm deciding between the two lines as well (though the 13" MBA and 13" rMBP). The 13" rMBP refurbished is $1,269. Is a price drop expected to clear out refurbished stock when the Haswell rMBP come out, or will they remove it as a store option and I have to wait (3-6 months after launch?) for a refurbished Haswell rMBP?
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I am wondering the same thing also. Does anyone know more about the release dates of refurbished items?
 
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