I'm looking at buying a new laptop for my small business and trying to decide between a refurbished 15" MBP or new 13" MBA. Right now I'm using a 14.1" Thinkpad, core i5, 4GB RAM, with a resolution of 1440x900 and it weights about 4lbs. I love the machine, but I miss OS X. Right now I use it without an external monitor, although I plan on getting one.
Main things it would be used for are: Web browsing / research , web design / coding, Office, Quickbooks, Running Linux & Windows VMs, doing UNIXy things, and perhaps a little light gaming on the off hours. I don't really see myself needing much graphics horsepower, at least right now. I do tend to use several windows at a time, usually 4-8 (stacked, not side-by-side) on the main virtual desktop, and maybe 3 or so on other desktops when I need to.
If I got the Macbook Pro, I would probably max out the RAM, and maybe put in a SSD. I would definitely need one with an anti-glare screen, the Macbook Pro glossy + glass is way too reflective for me.
On the other hand, I could get a new MBA 13", with 256 SSD and max out the ram. I'm concerned about the size of the screen, 13.3" vs the 14.1" that I have now. Its the same resolution that I have now, but I'm just concerned it would be too small. I will be taking this to client's offices, so portability is good,but not an overwhelming factor.
Any thoughts or recommendations?
Thanks!
Main things it would be used for are: Web browsing / research , web design / coding, Office, Quickbooks, Running Linux & Windows VMs, doing UNIXy things, and perhaps a little light gaming on the off hours. I don't really see myself needing much graphics horsepower, at least right now. I do tend to use several windows at a time, usually 4-8 (stacked, not side-by-side) on the main virtual desktop, and maybe 3 or so on other desktops when I need to.
If I got the Macbook Pro, I would probably max out the RAM, and maybe put in a SSD. I would definitely need one with an anti-glare screen, the Macbook Pro glossy + glass is way too reflective for me.
- Pros: More upgradeable, integrated Ethernet and optical drive (although optical really isn't needed), more screen real estate for working without external screen.
- Cons: heaver and bigger than what I have right now.
On the other hand, I could get a new MBA 13", with 256 SSD and max out the ram. I'm concerned about the size of the screen, 13.3" vs the 14.1" that I have now. Its the same resolution that I have now, but I'm just concerned it would be too small. I will be taking this to client's offices, so portability is good,but not an overwhelming factor.
Any thoughts or recommendations?
Thanks!