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Sold 13 Air 2014, should I get macbook retina?

G

GadgetGeek407

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 26, 2009
994
61
florida
I played with the retina at the apple store the other day, I am absolutely in love with the keyboard, it is so badass. I could careless about the different touchpad, its more show.

I use the laptop more for web surfing and such but have an external thunderbolt that i backup everything on as well, which will be difficult to use on that new machine. I also think its important to at least have one usb port which this does not. anyone else in the same boat and what decision did you go with? I want to replace the macbook air with a current macbook air model or that new macbook retina
 
Well, it does have one USB port, its used used for power as well, but you can already but Type-C to USB cables and adapters on Amazon.

I also thought the speakers on the new MacBook were so much better than the Air's.
 
I'm ready to do the same - I have a Windows work horse for anything intensive but my Air is great for small gigs and some music editing. Hoping the MacBook Retina can provide the same in an even smaller package, and I do love the retina displays. Shame I can't get one for weeks and weeks lol...
 
Newtons Apple said:
Why downgrade?

Your Air was likely more powerful and capable than the new MB. Are you willing to give up that for a retina screen?

Not me.
Click to expand...

Cjshino said:
I agree. why downgrade? the only thing about the MB is it has retina. if i didnt it would be useless
Click to expand...

Agree with you both.

To the OP: Why downgrade?

For now, the MacBook Retina has one thing - and only one thing - going for it, and that is the retina screen. In every other way - specification, speed, power, ports, Magsafe, etc. it is a far inferior computer to the MBA.

In fact, I'd phrase this in the reverse order: The MBA is an outstanding computer in every way bar one, which is that it lacks a retina screen.

If you are really set on getting a MacBook with a retina screen, I'd actually advise that you wait for the next iteration, or generation, when there may be a significant improvement in what is offered. Otherwise, you really are better off with a MBA.
 
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Yep, I am running Windows 7 Pro about 99% of the time on my Air via BootCamp. I have tried retina units and actually sold my almost new MBPro 15 because retina sucks for using Windows via BootCamp.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Agree with you both.

To the OP: Why downgrade?

For now, the MacBook Retina has one thing - and only one thing - going for it, and that is the retina screen. In every other way - specification, speed, power, ports, Magsafe, etc. it is a far inferior computer to the MBA.

In fact, I'd phrase this in the reverse order: The MBA is an outstanding computer in every way bar one, which is that it lacks a retina screen.

If you are really set on getting a MacBook with a retina screen, I'd actually advise that you wait for the next iteration, or generation, when there may be a significant improvement in what is offered. Otherwise, you really are better off with a MBA.
Click to expand...

Take the MBA and give it a retina screen and you'd more than likely decrease battery life, have a nicer shinier screen but is it worth it in the long run?

Now make the MBA in a 15" with this new battery layering break through and you'd have a system that would probably last 2+ days on the battery, of course depending on use / application's
 
Newtons Apple said:
Why downgrade?

Your Air was likely more powerful and capable than the new MB. Are you willing to give up that for a retina screen?

Not me.
Click to expand...

I got rid of my 2014 11" Air for a 2015 12" rMB, and I regret it greatly. Now I'm just trying to decide if I should go back to Air or go to a 13" Pro... leaning toward the pro but it's very bulky\heavy after having an 11" Air and a 12" Macbook. So still on the fence. One thing I'm sure of is the 2015 retina Macbook 12" is disgustingly underpowered. I'm not a heavy user... web surfing, email, word processor, etc. You notice it how laggy scrolling in web pages are, and the processor makes Flash websites basically unusable.
 
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BigB82 said:
I want to replace the macbook air with a current macbook air model or that new macbook retina
Click to expand...

Like most people said, use that money and get a 13" rMBP, or towards a 2015 MBA. At the current state, the rMB is just a glorified trophy PC imho. I would wait until the 2nd gen comes out to see how it will progress. The worst part is having only a 480p camera. That spec alone is a red flag to see how well the MB will sell regardless of the specs.
 
shenan1982 said:
I got rid of my 2014 11" Air for a 2015 12" rMB, and I regret it greatly. Now I'm just trying to decide if I should go back to Air or go to a 13" Pro... leaning toward the pro but it's very bulky\heavy after having an 11" Air and a 12" Macbook. So still on the fence. One thing I'm sure of is the 2015 retina Macbook 12" is disgustingly underpowered. I'm not a heavy user... web surfing, email, word processor, etc. You notice it how laggy scrolling in web pages are, and the processor makes Flash websites basically unusable.
Click to expand...

Yet just over in the mbp forum you are returning thr rMBP 13 because it's to big and bulky, and that you were going to have to go back and put up with the slow rMB. This doesn't make sense that you regretted it so much the first time, that you are going to get another rMB. Shouldn't you just get another 11"Air?
 
metier said:
Yet just over in the mbp forum you are returning thr rMBP 13 because it's to big and bulky, and that you were going to have to go back and put up with the slow rMB. This doesn't make sense that you regretted it so much the first time, that you are going to get another rMB. Shouldn't you just get another 11"Air?
Click to expand...

Can't go back to the screen.
 
BigB82 said:
I played with the retina at the apple store the other day, I am absolutely in love with the keyboard, it is so badass. I could careless about the different touchpad, its more show.

I use the laptop more for web surfing and such but have an external thunderbolt that i backup everything on as well, which will be difficult to use on that new machine. I also think its important to at least have one usb port which this does not. anyone else in the same boat and what decision did you go with? I want to replace the macbook air with a current macbook air model or that new macbook retina
Click to expand...

I have a 12" MacBook and absolutely love it - coming off a 11" MBA.
don't find the lack of ports an issue and with the adapter can still do my Keynote presentations to a projector with minimum fuss.
the best aspect is the display and the lightness.
more than adequate for my needs :)
 
My only complaint about the MacBook is that it's too thick and has too many ports.

Best feature: No fan.

Worst feature: Form over function, the tapered design just makes it larger.
 
halledise said:
I have a 12" MacBook and absolutely love it - coming off a 11" MBA.
don't find the lack of ports an issue and with the adapter can still do my Keynote presentations to a projector with minimum fuss.
the best aspect is the display and the lightness.
more than adequate for my needs :)
Click to expand...

Using a Chromecast dongle is also a great way to do presentations.
 
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