Should I return new Air for a Pro

[sanmakaren]

Hi everyone,

I'm finding myself in a bit of a dilemma and would appreciated some input.

I'm trying to decide between a 256 gb MBA and a 128 gb MBP (early 2015). With the student discount they essentially cost the same.

The only major downside I see in the Pro is the storage. I just finished downloading all my school applications and that now takes up about 15gb. I think I would be ok with the limited storage MBP because I don't plan on using the laptop as my primary computer. I have an 2012 iMac that I think will last me at least a few more years. and once i get the money or my iMac wonks out I could upgrade storage later on.

The Air is about 30 bucks cheaper and has a much larger memory but I've been feeling a bit ambivalent about it because I really dislike the screen resolution. I think that's my major vice with it although it also has a much longer lasting battery which could be useful.

I don't really plan on doing a lot of intense things with the computer. I'm a math major/biomath minor although I am taking an Intro to CS class right now with Python. I use and will probably continue to use RStudio and Mathematica for math and data type stuff but if I'm going to handle a huge dataset or something like that I could probably transfer to my iMac or a school computer.

 

[rhodesy22]

I personally always go for the best that I can afford. "best" is an opinion but if the screen resolution is bugging you now then it's just going to continue to eat at you. As much as people take issue with battery life on the new MacBook Pro's, it's rare that I'd ever be away from a power source for more than the battery life I get and for those times I do, USB-C batteries are a great addition.

 

[Mikael H]

For me, a lack of screen real estate when on the move would be a deal-killer. Most real-world tasks beyond pure media consumption benefit from being able to use the additional pixels on the retina screen.

But realistically, getting a Macbook Pro with 256 GB storage instead of 128 is about $200. Splitting that cost across a reasonable lifetime (3-5 years), means it'll have cost you as much as $70/year down to somewhere around $40 per year, or $3-5 per month. Not to mention that getting 256 GB immediately may be the difference between actually being able to keep the computer for 3-5 years, or having to take on the cost of purchasing a new computer with more storage space before the old computer's end-of-life. The latter will likely come out as a higher TCO.

 

[tillsbury]

For my money, screen is everything. It wouldn't matter to me (within reason) what the specs were, a Retina display always beats anything else hands down. That's the thing you're looking at the whole time. Even if the MBA were half price I'd still go for the MBP.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Definitely would go with the retina display and 256 GB Flash. The extra screen real estate becomes a no brainer, as soon as you need to have several windows open side-by-side (as you would if you were coding). A 128 GB HDD takes a whole lot of management, and most likely require external storage. Either that, or you let MacOS Sierra put your Documents and/or Desktop folders into the cloud and pay Apple for monthly storage (that particular capability of Sierra is most definitely aimed at people with 128 GB Macs).

Both of these will have a positive impact on productivity. In your situation, productivity may not mean money in your pocket, but it can mean fewer all-nighters.

 

[sanmakaren]

I think I've made my final decision:

I'm going to stick with the 128 gb. I don't even think I even need to upgrade it later on. I was looking at my iMac and I noticed that out of the terabyte that I have, I only use 250 GB (and keep in mind this is after 5 years of usage as my family's main computer for storing photos and music). I think if I managed to do that without really being conscious about it I could definitely manage to stay under 100 GB.

I would love to get the MBP with better storage but all the money I earn goes directly toward school tuition and I'd be too embarrassed to ask my parents for money to update the macbook that they gifted me

 

[mpConroe]

I think it's a good decision for you. I bought new MacBook Pro TB this year, the Retina display is just amazing. I know that you are buying rMBP from 2015 but still it is better machine than MB Air. I wouldn't buy an Air to be honest. I have Asus laptop with TN screen and it is horrible. TN screens sucks. The MB Air has TN screen.
The Retina display makes user experience much better. I'm using this computer for my studies. Programming, Photoshop and web browsing. And photoshopping the pictures on Retina display is much more convenient than TN screen on my Asus windows machine.

 

[960design]

Hi everyone,

I'm finding myself in a bit of a dilemma and would appreciated some input.

I'm trying to decide between a 256 gb MBA and a 128 gb MBP (early 2015). With the student discount they essentially cost the same.

The only major downside I see in the Pro is the storage. I just finished downloading all my school applications and that now takes up about 15gb. I think I would be ok with the limited storage MBP because I don't plan on using the laptop as my primary computer. I have an 2012 iMac that I think will last me at least a few more years. and once i get the money or my iMac wonks out I could upgrade storage later on.

The Air is about 30 bucks cheaper and has a much larger memory but I've been feeling a bit ambivalent about it because I really dislike the screen resolution. I think that's my major vice with it although it also has a much longer lasting battery which could be useful.

I don't really plan on doing a lot of intense things with the computer. I'm a math major/biomath minor although I am taking an Intro to CS class right now with Python. I use and will probably continue to use RStudio and Mathematica for math and data type stuff but if I'm going to handle a huge dataset or something like that I could probably transfer to my iMac or a school computer.

256GB MBA will do everything you need. The SSD space and light weight would be what wins out in my mind. What specifically do you need the MBP for?