Query regarding real-world performance of two Mac's

[MLing]

Hi,

This is my very first post here. I'm in a dilemma as to which of the following 2 laptops to choose:

1) 13'' rMBP - the basic config with the i5 and 128 GB
2) 13'' MBA - the highest end model with the i7 and 256 GB

For the price, it certainly looks like the rMBP oughtn't be worth it, as especially since it is a first-generation one and has probably been designed with Haswell in mind. But, the specs are fairly OK with me, even at the price I'm paying for them. The main two-three questions I have are as follows:

a) How exactly do the i5 on the rMBP and the i7 ULV on the MBA compare in real-world scenarios? Since the rMBP has far more pixels would this mean that despite the presence of an i5 full-voltage processor, the rMBP will run slower than the MBA with its ULV i7?
b) Just how much, qualitatively speaking, is the difference between the screens found in the rMBP and the Air?
c) Artificial battery benchmarks, performance and graphics benchmarks appear to throw up fairly similar stats for the two models mentioned above, but I'd be most grateful if someone who's worked or studied the two models could let me know how it all translates to in real-world scenarios.

 

[leman]

a) How exactly do the i5 on the rMBP and the i7 ULV on the MBA compare in real-world scenarios? Since the rMBP has far more pixels would this mean that despite the presence of an i5 full-voltage processor, the rMBP will run slower than the MBA with its ULV i7?

The real world difference is basically zero, unless you rely on some computationally heavy workflows (like video encoding), but even than the difference won't be that great. It can be that the rMBP will appear slower sometimes because Apple's HiDPI (retina) rendering stack is not fully fleshed out and optimised yet

b) Just how much, qualitatively speaking, is the difference between the screens found in the rMBP and the Air?

Quantitatively speaking? A dozen and then some more The Air will appear washed out and bleak compared to the rMBP. Don't get me wrong, the Air still has a very decent display, but the HiDPI IPS retina screen is probably the best customer laptop screen in the world; the only displays to compete with it are Sony Vaio Z and the like.

 

[dusk007]

Here is the data
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Apple-MacBook-Air-13-Mid-2012-Subnotebook.80041.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.com/Test-Apple-MacBook-Pro-13-Retina-2-5-GHz-Late-2012.84077.0.html

The second hasn't been translated yet but you can read the numbers in the sections just the same. The blabla in between isn't really necessary.

The gist seems. Retina is full sRGB colors. Air Panel is like any average panel in this regard. Air is more evenly lit but not quite as bright. Kontrast is a bit different but not significant 650/830.