Shall i return my MBA 13", 2,13 GHz, 4gb, 256gb ssd and wait for the new MBP?

[Kingsize]

Hey guys,

i got my MBA 13" 2.13 GHz, 4gb ram, 256gb ssd around christmas. I purchased it at my local apple store (no reseller!) with the option to return it until 8th of january. it was a lot of money and now i wonder whether it is really worth it since the new sandy bridge cpu's are in the line!

here are some pros and cons from my point of view...
MBA:
+ lightweight
+ very handy and stylish
+ ssd
- old cpu
- missing gigabit ethernet port (i got a NAS for filestorage)
- missing audio input for external microphone
- not as fast as i want it to be (espacially for cs:s gaming and movie editing)

POSSIBLE new mbp 15":
+ new and faster cpu
+ audio input
+ gigabit ethernet
+ option for antiglare display
- not as slim as the MBA

What do you guys think? Should i return it and wait a couple of weeks for the new MBP? This question makes me really nervous

 

[Hellhammer]

Do you have a computer what you can use in the meanwhile? There is no guarantee that MBPs will be updated within few weeks. It may as well be in April.

This is purely your choice. If you think the MBP suits you better, then go ahead and return it. Since you had to ask, it sounds like MBP might be better choice for you.

 

[Kingsize]

You might be right. Maybe a MBP would be better for me. The thing is... i thought of buying a MBP before i purchased my MBA, but i couldn't accept paying a lot of money for an old peace of Hardware which will be updated most likely in Q1/early Q2 2011.

I can use a computer meanwhile. Unfortunately it is not a Macbook. Mh..

 

[Squadleader]

You might be right. Maybe a MBP would be better for me. The thing is... i thought of buying a MBP before i purchased my MBA, but i couldn't accept paying a lot of money for an old peace of Hardware which will be updated most likely in Q1/early Q2 2011.

I can use a computer meanwhile. Unfortunately it is not a Macbook. Mh..

Then what happens when the new, new ones come out in September...??

 

[Laes]

Pretty much I had this same question BEFORE I bought my MBA 13" Ultimate, I haven't received mine yet, but hopefully the way I answered the question myself will help you...

At the moment I have an i7 Windows desktop with SLI GTX 460 graphics cards, so the reason I wanted a laptop is purely just to have a second, portable machine.

There is always something better coming out just around the corner, I myself see no point in waiting for something newer to come out

If I were to wait for a new MPB, it would be a "jack of all trades" machine - It wouldn't be as powerful as my desktop, but not ultra portable to take around with me all the time... I basically worked out an ultraportable machine is what I need.

Basically what I'm trying to say is, if you need to use this laptop as your main machine then wait for the new MBP, or if its just a secondary machine then keep the MBA as they will not update them for a LONG time.

 

[Les Kern]

You appear to need neither. But "want" is another matter...
But even if you got the MBP, you'll look to return that on the rumor of another upgrade? Round and round you go, where you stop, nobody knows, because nobody wins the upgrade shuffle.

 

[Kingsize]

Thanks for the replies.

Then what happens when the new, new ones come out in September...??

But even if you got the MBP, you'll look to return that on the rumor of another upgrade? Round and round you go, where you stop, nobody knows, because nobody wins the upgrade shuffle.

I decided to order a Macbook in december. As you might know, the MBP wasn't updated since April 2010 which is long time ago. I wouldn't even thought of an possible upgrade in case it would have just been released.

You appear to need neither. But "want" is another matter...

I surely need a notebook for the long run...

Basically what I'm trying to say is, if you need to use this laptop as your main machine then wait for the new MBP, or if its just a secondary machine then keep the MBA as they will not update them for a LONG time.

I want to use my notebook as my main machine. You mention some good points there, mmhh.. i will think about it

 

[newdeal]

...

I returned my 13" base MBA and bought a used MBP to tide me over until the new one comes out. By buying used it will allow me to resell and basically lose no money even when the new ones come out because they hold their value so well. Here is my list of why I did it, what I like and what I don't like:
Pros:
MBP has backlit keyboard
MBP has better battery life (supposedly, it is actually pretty similar)
MBP has firewire
MBP has ethernet
MBP has a better display imo (color is far better)
MBP resolution doesn't make everything look so small

Cons:
Despite faster CPU MBP feels slower due to not having an SSD (which can be added)
MBP is much heavier and much thicker, after using the air it feels like a brick
MBP hurts your wrist from the sharp front edge (MBA tapers and doesn't hurt)

Overall, even with Sandybridge you probobly won't notice a huge differance in speed except with cpu intensive tasks. I have an imac 21.5" with the i3 and 8gb of ram and while I notice its a bit quicker its nowhere near as much quicker as I thought it would be. Even handbrake encodes, which are supposed to be higher cpu dependant aren't THAT much faster than my old 2.26 macbook pro I used to own.

I am happy with my decision, if the new MBP comes out and has some serious improvements then I will sell, probobly lose nothing, and buy a refurb when they come out. If its the same MBP with sandybridge I will keep what I have and sell it once there is a better revision because most of the things I do are disk limited not cpu limited anyway

 

[stockscalper]

The poor graphics performance on the new chips is going to offset a lot of the performance gains in the new technology. I just got a new MBA 13" and I'm keeping it as I don't think the overall performance gain is going to be that great. If the MBA meets your needs keep it.

 

[newdeal]

...

well apparently the new sandybridge graphics aren't that bad. However time will tell really because they have everything set to low in their comparison tests apparently and I am sure there are things nvidia chips can do that intel chips can't. won't be able to tell for sure until they are actually released though and nvidia gets their hands on them and shows us why they suck

 

[hcho3]

You might be right. Maybe a MBP would be better for me. The thing is... i thought of buying a MBP before i purchased my MBA, but i couldn't accept paying a lot of money for an old peace of Hardware which will be updated most likely in Q1/early Q2 2011.

I can use a computer meanwhile. Unfortunately it is not a Macbook. Mh..

Don't start another thread about my MBA is not worth money with C2D.

MBA is not designed to be used for power and heavy users. Also, MBA is expensive because of it has very thin form factor with SSD. Do you know how much other manufactures charge when you add SSD as an option? Please don't post anything about C2D on Macbook air. If you want performance and want to brag about it, go buy PC laptop.

 

[gdeputy]

You know the problem is people are spoiled by new tech. My buddy brought over his laptop yesterday for me to format (yes windows) and man it was HUGE. Not to mention is had an intel duo core, 160gb HDD and 2GB DDR2 RAM. Thing honestly must've weighed 8 LB's bulky as hell.

Point is, the general population doesn't keep up with whats new whats out ect. They just buy, use and thats it. Sometimes I wish I cared less about new tech because I would enjoy the product more instead of worrying about what's around the corner or "when is sandy bridge dropping into mba?".

Realistically it won't be for a year, and honestly for my personal needs I don't need anymore more than what MBA offers currently. Would be cool to have, but I don't do video or photo editing and if I game it's on my desktop.

 

[zulumonk]

Judging from how you are feeling about your purchase I would say return it. You can always buy it later on if you aren't satisfied with whatever Apple decides to do with the new Pros.

 

[Mac Composer]

I'm always amazed when I hear of someone buying machine, then having to return it and end up paying a restocking fee. I don't mean to be rude, but is it really that hard to determine what your individual needs are, then make a purchasing decision based on those needs?

Something being cool or sexy is just slick marketing where they make us want things that we really don't need.

 

[newdeal]

...

I'm always amazed when I hear of someone buying machine, then having to return it and end up paying a restocking fee. I don't mean to be rude, but is it really that hard to determine what your individual needs are, then make a purchasing decision based on those needs?

Something being cool or sexy is just slick marketing where they make us want things that we really don't need.

I bought an air from futureshop and returned it (similar to best buy in the states) and they charge no restocking fee. I think its only Apple that charges this

 

[Undo Redo]

What do you guys think? Should i return it and wait a couple of weeks for the new MBP? This question makes me really nervous

What's important to you, light weight and portability or power and features?

There are many pros and cons to consider. I'm getting ready to sell my 13" MBP and replace it with the 13" Air. The Air is irresistibly light, and has a less glossy screen. For me, those two features outweigh the benefits of the Pro model. But that's just me.

 

[BigBeast]

Actually...

I sold my Core i7 MBP fully upgraded with 8GB RAM, 256GB OWC SSD, and Antiglare Hi-Res screen and bought an Ultimate 13 MBA. Love it. Just gotta know what your needs are.

 

[Maven1975]

The 13 MBP is a lame duck right now. I actually just ditched it for the 11" MBA. Unfortunately, I want a 13" with a dedicated GPU. I dont know why Apple refuses to create one, but I guess its integrated for me until Steve leaves.

Seriously, the Air has major appeal when it comes to resale value. Id say just enjoy your new Air and wait to see how sandy bridge pans out. Remember, it will be a revision A product, so there will be kinks that need to be worked out.

Unless your willing to tote a 15"+ laptop, you have the cream of Apples crop. Also, dont forget the Mac App store is about to launch. This should bring a bunch of new light weight apps for consumption. I for one am counting the days for a port of Angry Birds!

 

[gonnabuyamacbsh]

Why did you buy it in the first place than?

 

[telemark948]

Then what happens when the new, new ones come out in September...??

....Exactly....

Does the MPA satisfy you're needs, if not then when did you buy....If yes then it has just been released, and will be good for a long while...

If you need a laptop now , not want then work out what best fits those needs and get it now.....I bought the MPA because it was the best fit for my needs now and not in six months.

I'm just wondering all these people that bought i7 etc, when the i14, 12 core cpu with another 12 virtual cores comes out, if they will switch because....................

 

[leowyatt]

I spent around a month trying to decide between a macbook/pro/air and realised I could keep waiting and waiting and never buy anything.

Does the air do what you need it to do? If it does why return it? I could have waited for the Pro refresh but wanted a machine now and the air fits my needs perfectly.