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New MacBook or 11.6 MBA

Wicked1

Wicked1

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 13, 2009
3,283
14
New Jersey
I am in the market for a new Mac, and I was considering a 11.6 MBA Loaded or the new 12" MB

Anyone go from an Air to the new MB 12? How do you like it? I do not do much with my Mac other than email, photos, videos, music, and watching Movies on iTunes to my ATV.

I was looking at it for the new features, but are they worth the $, or should I just get a Refurbished 2015 MBA 11 loaded?
 
I went from an 11" air to a 12 macbook. Thought itd be an upgrade... Man how wrong was i... Only great thing is the retina display everything else is too much of a compromise

Apart from the technical nightmare i got, i didnt imagine the lack of ports to be such an issue.

Also not having a fan means playing YouTube 1080p sends the processor over 80c and that severely throttles your pc
 
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I went from an MBA 11", one revision old, to the base rMB and it's been a pretty amazing switch. The retina screen is an absolute game changer, as is the overall size and speed of this device. I thought that the keyboard would drive me nuts, but I've actually grown to like it a lot.

For reference, I use the applications listed below every day:

  • Safari (of course)
  • Mail
  • Omnifocus
  • Evernote
  • PowerPoint
  • Fantastical
  • a whole host of other apps like (DayOne) are always running
I've had no speed related issues, and unlike @Cerano, I have had no issues with Youtube. I often run podcasts in the background while working, and no processor issues there as well.

I've recently migrated to the El Capitan beta, which is pretty solid, and I suspect will further fine tune the rMB.

The single port is an annoyance only when I want to use an external monitor; other than that, having the smaller power brick and one port has been a non-issue.


I don't want to leap so far and say that this is probably the best computer I've ever had (I want to reserve that judgement until I've had this thing for at least a year), but this is one sweet machine.
 
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roguefury said:
The single port is an annoyance only when I want to use an external monitor; other than that, having the smaller power brick and one port has been a non-issue.
.
Click to expand...
It certainly depends on how you use your computer, but for my usage patterns, the single port is actually an asset. Previously, with my MBA I would have to disconnect 4 wires every time I took it away from my desk. Now there is just a single wire to disconnect.
 
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Just downsized from a retina macbook pro 15 to the new macbook. This thing is great, and i only use it for web, youtube, Facebook, email, word processing, and basic tasks. The keyboard is fantastic but I would recommend that you visit an apple store to give the keyboard a try first.
 
its amazing that someone would pay at least $1300 for a laptop just to do email, Facebook, youtube, and so-called basic tasks. its just .03 of an ounce, i believe, lighter than a mba 11" and teensy tiny less thick. i bought a new 2014 base 11" for $720 at BB and it does all that and MUCH MUCH more. weird.
 
Cerano said:
Also not having a fan means playing YouTube 1080p sends the processor over 80c and that severely throttles your pc
Click to expand...

Then you should speak with Apple, am playing YouTube 1080p now on my 1.2 MacBook CPU temp is in the mid 50`s centigrade max, also open Mail, EverNote, Preview & multiple tabs Safari, Intel power Gadget...

n.b.. No Flash installed

Q-6
 
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I went from a 13" MacBook Pro Retina to the base 12" Macbook, and I love it. My needs had changed about 3/4 of the way through my ownership of the MBP. I found myself not really plugging anything into my Pro other than a MagSafe, so the lack of ports really has not been an issue for me. I do almost all my file transfers online or through AirDrop.

The most extensive app I use now is Photoshop and I'm happy to say even the base 12" handles that without a sweat. The ultra portability and advertised battery life was what ultimately drew me to this machine.
 
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For your needs either will be a great choice. The one thing you haven't referenced is which model of rMB you're looking at. If you compare an 11" Air with 8gb RAM and 256gb HD, it comes out to only $100 less than the rMB with similar specs. It's well worth the extra $100 for the screen alone, assuming you're OK with the keyboard and single port.

If you were only going to pick up an 11" Air base with 4gb RAM and 128gb SSD, then the value proposition becomes more difficult to justify.

I don't think you can go wrong with either, it's just more a question of what you value in a computer at this point.
 
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RUGGLES99 said:
its amazing that someone would pay at least $1300 for a laptop just to do email, Facebook, youtube, and so-called basic tasks. its just .03 of an ounce, i believe, lighter than a mba 11" and teensy tiny less thick. i bought a new 2014 base 11" for $720 at BB and it does all that and MUCH MUCH more. weird.
Click to expand...

You believe wrong. It's nearly .4 pounds lighter.

What someone chooses to spend their money on shouldn't worry you one bit.

I would not touch the Air today because of the screen which is woefully outdated, regardless of the price. The lack of Force Touch, and the fact that it has a fan that is often extremely loud are additional features the Air lacks that would be hard to live with now that I'm used to the rMB. If you spend a lot of time on your laptop, and have the budget, the Macbook is undeniably a more modern device and is plenty powerful for the workload described in the original post.
 
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zhenya said:
You believe wrong. It's nearly .4 pounds lighter.

What someone chooses to spend their money on shouldn't worry you one bit.

I would not touch the Air today because of the screen which is woefully outdated, regardless of the price. The lack of Force Touch, and the fact that it has a fan that is often extremely loud are additional features the Air lacks that would be hard to live with now that I'm used to the rMB. If you spend a lot of time on your laptop, and have the budget, the Macbook is undeniably a more modern device and is plenty powerful for the workload described in the original post.
Click to expand...
And not to mention a slighty larger, and significantly more dense screen.
 
Ridicule???? Where do you see ridicule??? The weird i was referring to was $1300 v $720. And yes i have an opinion mr. Pc.

Laxex Valentine said:
Right, you are entitled to your opinion. But there's no need to ridicule someone's preference or purchase habits because you find it "weird".
Click to expand...
 
Yes, the screen is the ONLY pro, agreed. Force touch is bs. I have never once heard the fan on my 2014 mba. Have the budget. Its a rich kid's toy or someone who is such a apple kool aid fan boy that they must have anything apple puts out, even going into debt. I know you drank the kool aid because i read your over-written paen to the rmb. As ive said in other posts i really like the rmb, but its waaaaay overpriced and i'll probably get one when the price becomes realistic. I spend considerable time writing on my '14 mba 11", actually a recent major news piece of 2000 words, and a few book chapters. It's been fine.


zhenya said:
You believe wrong. It's nearly .4 pounds lighter.

What someone chooses to spend their money on shouldn't worry you one bit.

I would not touch the Air today because of the screen which is woefully outdated, regardless of the price. The lack of Force Touch, and the fact that it has a fan that is often extremely loud are additional features the Air lacks that would be hard to live with now that I'm used to the rMB. If you spend a lot of time on your laptop, and have the budget, the Macbook is undeniably a more modern device and is plenty powerful for the workload described in the original post.
Click to expand...
 
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RUGGLES99 said:
I have never once heard the fan on my 2014 mba. Have the budget. Its a rich kid's toy or someone who is such a apple kool aid fan boy that they must have anything apple puts out, even going into debt. I know you drank the kool aid because i read your over-written paen to the rmb.
Click to expand...

Sorry, Force Touch is not BS, it's a huge improvement in consistency and ease of use. It actually makes a user more productive. It's the real deal. And I'm pretty sure you meant paean.

If you have never once heard the fan on your MBA you are either deaf, oblivious, or could be doing just fine with a $200 Chromebook given your power requirements. The fan on the Air is clearly audible even under moderate load.


RUGGLES99 said:
Rmb is .35 of an ounce -- of an ounce --lighter than 11" mba. Do the math cost-wise.
Click to expand...

You cannot possibly be this bad at math, but then, given that writing... :eek: Do you know what an ounce is?
 
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zhenya said:
Sorry, Force Touch is not BS, it's a huge improvement in consistency and ease of use. It actually makes a user more productive. It's the real deal. And I'm pretty sure you meant paean.

If you have never once heard the fan on your MBA you are either deaf, oblivious, or could be doing just fine with a $200 Chromebook given your power requirements. The fan on the Air is clearly audible even under moderate load.




You cannot possibly be this bad at math, but then, given that writing... :eek: Do you know what an ounce is?
Click to expand...
i'm deaf and oblivious to your comments but not to the fan that is deadly quiet. can you rationalize your rmb purchase a bit more, lol.
 
zhenya said:
Sorry, Force Touch is not BS, it's a huge improvement in consistency and ease of use. It actually makes a user more productive. It's the real deal. And I'm pretty sure you meant paean.

If you have never once heard the fan on your MBA you are either deaf, oblivious, or could be doing just fine with a $200 Chromebook given your power requirements. The fan on the Air is clearly audible even under moderate load.




You cannot possibly be this bad at math, but then, given that writing... :eek: Do you know what an ounce is?
Click to expand...
it is truly a very tiny teeny miniscule difference in weight.
 
Last edited:
Wicked1 said:
I am in the market for a new Mac, and I was considering a 11.6 MBA Loaded or the new 12" MB

Anyone go from an Air to the new MB 12? How do you like it? I do not do much with my Mac other than email, photos, videos, music, and watching Movies on iTunes to my ATV.

I was looking at it for the new features, but are they worth the $, or should I just get a Refurbished 2015 MBA 11 loaded?
Click to expand...

Depends on your need;
The Air can be cheaper, equally if spec up the Air same as the MacBook the diffidence is marginal. The Air has a stronger CPU & GPU and traditional ports, however for many the 11" is crippled by the 16:9 TN display. The MacBook has a far superior display and it`s 16:10 aspect ration make more impact than one would initially expect, Force Touch is nice and it does bring a level of increased precision.

Portability there`s nothing in it, and I would tend to shy away from Apple`s upgrades as they very much hike up their margins on BTO upgrades. I was in exactly the same purchase "space" and came down on the MacBook as for me it presents better value and productivity. I am certainly doing a lot more on my 1.2 MacBook than you state for your needs, and have yet to have any performance issues, unless you push the CPU/GPU hard then it will throttle. I have a base model 2011 Air that my wife used to use, the 1.2 MacBook is a significant improvement all over.

Q-6
 
It was a tough decision choosing between full loaded 11" air and the Macbook 12. I wasn't sure the Macbook 12 could handle 36megapixel RAW photos in Capture 1 on very short deadlines. I am so glad I went with the Macbook 12 8gb 1.3ghz. A month later and I'm still in shock how good the screen is. The clarity of the hi-res images is stunning on this laptop and I can often judge if images are out of focus without zooming in.

My wife has the 11 and the screen is fuzzy compared to 12. YES, the computer is not as fast as my 2.3 ghz laptop but it handles everything very well. I spent $1600 and Macs are worth every penny because our 2011 macbook is still going strong as a home computer.

I have had back problems carrying older Macbooks as I have to be very mobile. Now I have to make sure the 12 Macbook is IN my Camelback MULE when I leave the house because it is SO light.

There are tons of cables, accessories, hubs on amazon that are reasonably priced. There is also the HUB+ which is something I would like to get but don't need right now.
 
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RUGGLES99 said:
its amazing that someone would pay at least $1300 for a laptop just to do email, Facebook, youtube, and so-called basic tasks. its just .03 of an ounce, i believe, lighter than a mba 11" and teensy tiny less thick. i bought a new 2014 base 11" for $720 at BB and it does all that and MUCH MUCH more. weird.
Click to expand...

MBA doesn't do much more than the rMB. Can you point to anything specific? It's not much more powerful.
 
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rMB all the way! No comparison. To me, the rMB is superior in every way, especially when it's running El Capitan. The rMB is darn near perfect for its intended target market, save the one port.
 
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