Should I buy a MacBook Air or a MacBook?

[AnrBjotk]

I'm really stumped. The Air looks awful and a lot of people are saying it's a bad choice, but others say it's a good buy. I'm used to a MacBook Pro from 2011 so any of these feels like a step down, but is it?

In my country a MacBook is $250 more than the MacBook Air, but is it better?

 

[kissymac7]

Hi

I'm really stumped. The Air looks awful and a lot of people are saying it's a bad choice, but others say it's a good buy. I'm used to a MacBook Pro from 2011 so any of these feels like a step down, but is it?

In my country a MacBook is $250 more than the MacBook Air, but is it better?

Hi, well it actually depends on your needs..
Macbook air works great if ports are important to you. If you mainly surf the web, watch movies, and use word, the air is great

If you edit in photshop than def the macbook 12 inch. Your eyes will regret it if you edit on a air

Now is portablity important to you? If so def the macbook 12 inch the more conveince I love about the macbook over the air( i have both)
Is portable charging. I can charge my macbook 12 inch in my bag with a portable charger, you cant do that with the air.

Now the 2017 macbook 12 inch says improved keyboard so if you type a lot it would be great.
I would go with the macbook 12 inch if i were you, the dongle situation is not bad because now you can have an all in port hub, the screen is die for, and its very portable. You will be more productive on the go

Now if you are on a budget yes the air will do, you can also dock it and use a retina monitor, if you already have one.

Anymore questions feel free to ask me

 

[pika2000]

Depends on your priority.
If you need battery life, USB ports, and SD card slot, you have no other choice than picking up the Macbook Air.
But if you rarely use any USB peripherals, the retina Macbook will be more joyful to use due to the retina screen and lighter weight.

 

[maerz001]

i had an Air for five years and a MB now for a year. I would choose the later anytime. Even if the one port sucks occasionally but less than starring at this ancient display of the Air the whole time.
Only if money is a big issue, than I would buy a used Air for 600-800€. But new never!

 

[teksurv]

The MacBook's screen is far better than any Air. But, as stated above, the Air will have more ports. I've been using 2016 MacBook for more than a year, coming from a 13" MacBook Pro. The form factor of the MB is just awesome.

 

[AnrBjotk]

dge

Hi


Hi, well it actually depends on your needs..
Macbook air works great if ports are important to you. If you mainly surf the web, watch movies, and use word, the air is great

If you edit in photshop than def the macbook 12 inch. Your eyes will regret it if you edit on a air

Now is portablity important to you? If so def the macbook 12 inch the more conveince I love about the macbook over the air( i have both)
Is portable charging. I can charge my macbook 12 inch in my bag with a portable charger, you cant do that with the air.

Now the 2017 macbook 12 inch says improved keyboard so if you type a lot it would be great.
I would go with the macbook 12 inch if i were you, the dongle situation is not bad because now you can have an all in port hub, the screen is die for, and its very portable. You will be more productive on the go

Now if you are on a budget yes the air will do, you can also dock it and use a retina monitor, if you already have one.

Anymore questions feel free to ask me

Thanks. I'm leaning more and more towards the MacBook. Even though it's smaller than I'm used to, since the choice is 12" or 13", it's not much. The MacBook will make me broke (the prices for both MacBook and MacBook Air are higher here than in the US) it's worth it for a machine I'll like to look at.

I'm not editing movies or even photos anymore, so I don't need a retina, but it doesnt detract anything (except money).

What is the dongle situation? That there is only one port? So you can't charge and use a external harddrive at once? That doesnt really seem like a problem to me...

How is the MacBook keyboard different? My pet peeve with the MacBook Pro was that now five buttons have dislodged making typing a nightmare (already spent a fortune buying new keys which break after some months). Is this improved?

In my country a MacBook Air (with the upgraded 512GB) is $1800. A MacBook $2200. That's steep. This is if I buy from an Apple vendor.

 

[maerz001]

there are dongles for every need. big hubs for displays, multiple USB C and A, SD and so on. or just simpler ones for charging and USB. Just google and you will find plenty.

keyboard is the same as on the MBP. very personal. as it has just 0.5mm travel some people hate it. but I and a lot of others like it. the 2017 model improved as there were keys sticking with the older ones. but there were definitely less problems with the before 2015 layout... u really have to try it.

if there is Apple refurbished store in your country a lot of people here recommend it to save 15% as they come in perfect condition

 

[EugW]

IMO these days, the more meaningful comparison is the MacBook vs the non-TouchBar MacBook Pro. If you need more than a MacBook and don't mind the bigger 13" footprint, then get the MacBook Pro.

Get a refurbished model if available, to save some cash. There are too many compromises with the MacBook Air.

there are dongles for every need. big hubs for displays, multiple USB C and A, SD and so on. or just simpler ones for charging and USB. Just google and you will find plenty.

keyboard is the same as on the MBP. very personal. as it has just 0.5mm travel some people hate it. but I and a lot of others like it. the 2017 model improved as there were keys sticking with the older ones. but there were definitely less problems with the before 2015 layout... u really have to try it.

if there is Apple refurbished store in your country a lot of people here recommend it to save 15% as they come in perfect condition

The MacBook and MacBook Pro do not have the same keyboard. The MBP's keyboard is better. However, the MacBook 2017's keyboard is still decent as it is vastly improved over the 2015/2016 MacBook's keyboard.

 

[AnrBjotk]

Get a refurbished model if available, to save some cash. There are too many compromises with the MacBook Air.

Interesting... What kind of compromises?

 

[EugW]

Interesting... What kind of compromises?

Screen quality
Font sizing options (because of text quality)
CPU roughly same speed as current MacBook, and considerably slower than MacBook Pro
No hardware HEVC decode support

 

[kissymac7]

dge

Thanks. I'm leaning more and more towards the MacBook. Even though it's smaller than I'm used to, since the choice is 12" or 13", it's not much. The MacBook will make me broke (the prices for both MacBook and MacBook Air are higher here than in the US) it's worth it for a machine I'll like to look at.

I'm not editing movies or even photos anymore, so I don't need a retina, but it doesnt detract anything (except money).

What is the dongle situation? That there is only one port? So you can't charge and use a external harddrive at once? That doesnt really seem like a problem to me...

How is the MacBook keyboard different? My pet peeve with the MacBook Pro was that now five buttons have dislodged making typing a nightmare (already spent a fortune buying new keys which break after some months). Is this improved?

In my country a MacBook Air (with the upgraded 512GB) is $1800. A MacBook $2200. That's steep. This is if I buy from an Apple vendor.

Hi as far as the dongle situation you can get a hub where you usb and etc and charge at the same time. You can find those on amazon for like 40 bucks
You will need that for either the 12 inch or 13 inch macbook pro

Well to be honest even the air sounds steep and honestly way too steep for an outdate machine and tech
You would want a future proof machine if you spend that kind of money
I know you stated you are in another country but are you able to purchase from ebay. Some people would ship international.

I found my air 2015 13 inch for 550.00 usd on ebay
Also try best buy open box i got my macbook 12 inch

I would search around first before buying it straight from apple if you can. The air is def not worth 1800 im not sure if thats usd though but if it is its not worth that. Maybe 1,000 the most buts thats it. Its an old screen, old hardware and in a yr or two it may be obsolete
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Screen quality
Font sizing options (because of text quality)
CPU roughly same speed as current MacBook, and considerably slower than MacBook Pro
No hardware HEVC decode support

Right i agree, the air is just way too outdated, its best to get an updated machine, unless the air is for a good steal.

 

[AnrBjotk]

Right i agree, the air is just way too outdated, its best to get an updated machine, unless the air is for a good steal.

By "updated machine", do you mean the regular MacBook?

I just went down to the local Apple retailer. And OMG the MacBook 12" is tiiiiny. It's almost comical. Really made me undecisive again (I'd finally decided on the MacBook and not Air). It know it's only 1 inch apart, but it really shows...

 

[maerz001]

The MacBook and MacBook Pro do not have the same keyboard. The MBP's keyboard is better. However, the MacBook 2017's keyboard is still decent as it is vastly improved over the 2015/2016 MacBook's keyboard.

hm ok. i tried the new MBP a few times for couple a minutes in the Apple store but could not really see difference. maybe its a bit stiffer but does not make a real different experience for me. what makes it better?

 

[canuckRus]

I'm really stumped. The Air looks awful and a lot of people are saying it's a bad choice, but others say it's a good buy. I'm used to a MacBook Pro from 2011 so any of these feels like a step down, but is it?

In my country a MacBook is $250 more than the MacBook Air, but is it better?

Take one for a two week test drive if possible and then decide. MacBook's Retina screen, light weight (2lbs) and larger screen in a smaller physical form (over the MacBook 11" Air) clinchers for me.

 

[EugW]

hm ok. i tried the new MBP a few times for couple a minutes in the Apple store but could not really see difference. maybe its a bit stiffer but does not make a real different experience for me. what makes it better?

I too tried the MBP a little bit and I felt the MBP keyboard click was more robust. Either it has a bit more travel or it has the feel of a bit more travel. Some reviews seem to suggest the same, rating the keyboards in this order: 2017 MBP > 2017 MB >> 2015/2016 MB

Similarly the MBP has a nicer trackpad. The "firm" setting on the MBP feels about half a step firmer than the "firm" setting on the MacBook. I find that on the MacBook the firm setting is still a tad soft for my liking, and I don't always feel like confident in the click on the MacBook.

 

[jaduff46]

I'd suggest the 13" MBP. Screen and keyboard are better than the Air as @EugW points out.

Daughter got one 3 years ago and loves it. She was initially looking at the Air because of the size/weight, but the MBP is only marginally heavier and has a much more solid feel.

 

[RevTEG]

Well if you need ports you could always go with a 2015 rMBP. You get a way better keyboard than the 12 MacBooks without having to lose the Retina display with Air. I loved the size of the 12 MacBook but hated the keyboard so much I sold it and went with the 2015 rMBP. I don’t really need ports, I just hated the new keyboard that much.

 

[EugW]

Well if you need ports you could always go with a 2015 rMBP. You get a way better keyboard than the 12 MacBooks without having to lose the Retina display with Air. I loved the size of the 12 MacBook but hated the keyboard so much I sold it and went with the 2015 rMBP. I don’t really need ports, I just hated the new keyboard that much.

No hardware HEVC decode on the 2015 MBP, if that matters to you.

 

[AnrBjotk]

Take one for a two week test drive if possible and then decide. MacBook's Retina screen, light weight (2lbs) and larger screen in a smaller physical form (over the MacBook 11" Air) clinchers for me.

The Air is 13" surely, while the MacBook is 12"...
[doublepost=1510600073][/doublepost]

Well if you need ports you could always go with a 2015 rMBP. You get a way better keyboard than the 12 MacBooks without having to lose the Retina display with Air. I loved the size of the 12 MacBook but hated the keyboard so much I sold it and went with the 2015 rMBP. I don’t really need ports, I just hated the new keyboard that much.

The MBPro is just out of my league (if I upgrade to the 512GB which I have to have) and refurbished seems like a gamble (I bought a refurbishes iPhone and had to replace the battery recently).

 

[EugW]

The Air is 13" surely, while the MacBook is 12"...
[doublepost=1510600073][/doublepost]

The MBPro is just out of my league (if I upgrade to the 512GB which I have to have) and refurbished seems like a gamble (I bought a refurbishes iPhone and had to replace the battery recently).

Did you buy the refurbished iPhone from Apple? I know Apple sells refurbished iPhones in the US, but they don't in Canada. Does Apple sells refurbished iPhones in your country?

FWIW, I've had nothing but good results with refurbished products from Apple. I've bought about a half dozen different Apple refurbs over the years.

 

[AnrBjotk]

Did you buy the refurbished iPhone from Apple? I know Apple sells refurbished iPhones in the US, but they don't in Canada. Does Apple sells refurbished iPhones in your country?

FWIW, I've had nothing but good results with refurbished products from Apple. I've bought about a half dozen different Apple refurbs over the years.

Not from Apple, but it was Apple re-furbished.

The thing is, I'm really liking the idea of the small nature of the MacBook, thinking of it, it was just a shock to see it.
Anyone here have the same concern? Did you get over it?
I watch a lot of streaming videos, will I get used to watching it on a 12" with being used to a 15" (2011) MBPro?

 

[EugW]

Not from Apple, but it was Apple re-furbished.

How do you know it was Apple refurbished?

In any case, since it wasn't from Apple, I don't think you can use it to judge Apple Store refurbished products.

The thing is, I'm really liking the idea of the small nature of the MacBook, thinking of it, it was just a shock to see it.
Anyone here have the same concern? Did you get over it?
I watch a lot of streaming videos, will I get used to watching it on a 12" with being used to a 15" (2011) MBPro?

What shock? Too small?

For viewing videos it's no problem. It's actually bigger than my iPad 9.7" and I think the iPad is great for watching videos. If anything, the 15" MBP is annoying because it's heavy and bulky. Even the 13" MacBook Pro can be awkward in economy class on the plane.

If I want to watch videos on the big screen at home, I'll watch from my 1080p Sony projector, with 90" image.

 

[AnrBjotk]

What shock? Too small?

Yes, it was physically so tiny.

For viewing videos it's no problem. It's actually bigger than my iPad 9.7" and I think the iPad is great for watching videos. If anything, the 15" MBP is annoying because it's heavy and bulky. Even the 13" MacBook Pro can be awkward in economy class on the plane.

If I want to watch videos on the big screen at home, I'll watch from my 1080p Sony projector, with 90" image.

Right? I'm really getting psyched on the 12" MacBook!!! It looks sooo good, and for watching videos on my own I don't need a big screen.

Then again, I've assumed I needed 512GB (because my itunes library alone is close to 180GB) but I've never used clouds and whatnot. Not even sure how it work. Does icloud even enter into things like 180GB of mp3 and flacs?

 

[jetlagged]

as an owner of a 2012 mba 13", i'd say go for the latest macbook. get apple's small notebook. looking back, i wish i had gotten the macbook air 11", the size adn weight diffrence is really noticeable. I traveled the world for 2 years backpacking, and I wish i had the 11".

 

[Kierikka]

I have both a 15" rMBP (2012) and a 12" rMB (2015 M5/512GB) and I love my 12". I use my 12" to browsing, music, look at video and more and I love the small factor of the computer.
Today I only use the 15" for video editing (FCPX) and will replace both of them when Apple releases the next version of the 12" as it is powerful enough for my edits (1080), even if the rendering takes longer time. For everything else it is powerful enough and the portability of it is so fantastic.
I have had a MB Air 13" and I loved it until I replaced it with my 15". It is a big difference on the non-retina and the retina screens, and I will never buy a computer without a retina screen even if the Air is a good computer.

I use Apple Music Match for my iTunes library and a Plex Cloud (Google Drive) as my video/media server. I love to have everything in the cloud to be able to stream/download it to my Apple TV / iPhone / iPad / computers.