Second Thoughts

[jmjava]

I purchased the base 2012 MBP 13" and added 8GB of RAM. It is supposed to arrive on Tuesday, but I am having second thoughts about whether I made the right choice between it and a 13" MBA with 8GB of RAM. Same Price.

My reasons for the choice was upgradeability, CPU performance edge, for processor intensive apps or games. I had also read that the Ivy Bridge chip in the Air does not have the same amount of power to drive the HD4000 GPU as hard as the chip in the MBP.

My question for you guys is this: I have seen so many people advising buyers to go with the MBA after making my decision that it is causing me second thoughts. Should I return the MBP when it arrives for the MBA or go with my gut.

 

[charlieegan3]

My reasons for the choice was upgradeability, CPU performance edge

If both of those points are really important to you then you made the right choice. If you think you need something a bit more portable then maybe think about the air. (also faster SSD memory)

Might want to give us all a bit more info on what the use is going to be like? Why you want the extra CPU performance for example.

 

[jmjava]

If both of those points are really important to you then you made the right choice. If you think you need something a bit more portable then maybe think about the air. (also faster SSD memory)

Might want to give us all a bit more info on what the use is going to be like? Why you want the extra CPU performance for example.

Portability is the reason I stayed with the 13" size vs 15" which would have also stretched my budget. I see either the Air or Pro as portable, but saw the pro as rugged and having the edge in raw processing power, able to outlast the Air in longevity.

I will be using Aperture, Photoshop, Illustrator and play some games like Guildwars 2 & Skyrim. I will also be running a Win7 work image on VMware with Office 2010 apps and an XP image for gaming.

I understood the resolution difference but figured that I will be doing heavy computing at the office or home and could attach to an external monitor. Thanks!

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BTW, if I stay with the MBP, my plan was to eventually add an SSD and eliminate the DVD.

 

[jmjava]

How do current 13" MBP users see things?

 

[jmjava]

Anyone?

 

[Mojo1]

I have a 2011 13" MBP and I am considering getting another 2012 13" MBP.

I carefully considered the MBA and I don't regret my decision one bit. The 11" MBA display gave me a splitting headache and severe eyestrain. The 13" MBP screen res is just fine as far as I am concerned; I use a high-end 24" display for those times when I need more screen real estate.

Windows 7 and VMWare Fusion with 8GB RAM will run just fine. I set up a medical practice with that only using a Core2Duo MacMini. They run a bunch of high-powered medical software and it purrs like a kitten. The Intel i5 CPU certainly tops the C2D CPU.

On another forum a Mac repair person wrote that he sees a lot more MBAs coming in for repairs than MBPs. (He is affiliated with a university.) He described the MBA as being more fragile than the MBP. That is certainly my impression.

Enjoy your MBP. It's a great value and should serve you for years if you take care of it.

 

[adamryan1983]

Air

13" pro feels too much like the new white macbook....

 

[Geo411m]

I had a Macbook air (that I sold) and now the Macbook pro and I love the pro. I upgraded the HD to a samsung 830 SSD and this thing is blazing fast. I think you made a good choice. The air battery dies quicker and isn't quite as fast as the pro. I did like the resolution of the air better however.

 

[jmjava]

thanks for the responses all... i think i will stick with the MBP.... at least i have the 14 day window to try it out. It just left anchorage so the anticipation is killing me. If i dont like it I can return it and go with the MBA, but I like to tinker and the upgrade option is quite appealing.

 

[boto]

I think the MBA would of been the better choice. It has higher resolution, SSD, matte screen, thinner profile, lighter weight, and is better for the buck. I just can't find myself paying even more to upgrade the MBP in the future to installing a SSD and ram modules, too many expenses and most likely lesser resale value.