Gonna go check out the new rMBP vs the Air in the store later and I'll post my thoughts. If I'd be traveling a lot, I think I'd get the Air, by the way. Lighter and more battery, simple as that.
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The first "Should I get a Macbook Pro or Macbook Air" thread
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Gonna go check out the new rMBP vs the Air in the store later and I'll post my thoughts. If I'd be traveling a lot, I think I'd get the Air, by the way. Lighter and more battery, simple as that.
The tricky thing is that I normally DON'T travel that much. Outside of this unusual period in January next year, I probably take 5-8 plane trips a year, and they're almost always <6 hour flights. In addition, I usually fly Main Cabin Select on Virgin America, which provides power outlets under the seats.
So aside from January, I doubt there would be many times when I'd need more than the 10 hours of batter life the rMBP gets. This complicates the decision for me.
But again, maybe I should just get the MBA now, use it through the heavy travel period, and then sell it for the rMBP after that if I really find myself wanting the retina display.
I agree!
The difference in graphics is 20%.
Besides, Apple claims: "the MacBook Pro Retina is 75% less glossy than the non retina model, which is important for some users as the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro Retina only come with glossy displays".
Read more at http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/1...macbook-air-2013-13-inch/#Hf8D6epdR5P2pJLT.99
do you mean MBA monitor doesn't have IR issues? If not, why?
do you think retina worsens the IR problem?
Laggy system animations? what do you mean exactly?
Never seen air with IR problems, if there are any, not so widespread as with retina displays (at least first gen) - why? i don't know, I am not technician, maybe because air is using old TN technology and retina IPS?
Laggy system animations - mainly expose and mission control - tried new has well MB pro 13 in store - set resolution to 1440x900 and mission control animations/expose animations were laggy...
IPS monitors have a lot of problems and APPLE knows it.
APPLE Quality Control has to be more serious and careful!
I am trying to make the same decision. After playing with the current Air and the early 2013 Macbook Pro 13 Retina in stores, I decided on the mid-level Macbook Pro.
However, for me this will be my main machine. If I were you, OP, I would definitely go with the Air. I need a computer that can do everything I need but you need a travel unit.
Your user case is exactly what the Air is for.
One question I would ask myself if I were you is;
Does the battery difference mean you would also have to carry the power brick with the Macbook Pro but not with the Air in daily usage (Not travelling of course).
For me it doesn't and so the Macbook Pro is not to much heavier, but if I always had to carry the brick with me the weight difference widens.
However, for me this will be my main machine. If I were you, OP, I would definitely go with the Air. I need a computer that can do everything I need but you need a travel unit.
Your user case is exactly what the Air is for.
One question I would ask myself if I were you is;
Does the battery difference mean you would also have to carry the power brick with the Macbook Pro but not with the Air in daily usage (Not travelling of course).
For me it doesn't and so the Macbook Pro is not to much heavier, but if I always had to carry the brick with me the weight difference widens.
you upcoming January flight schedule is my every month schedule. I'm a busy air traveler. I just bought the new rMBP to replace a haswell MBA. the screen on the Air, to me, was unlivable. manage your screen brightness and you will get great battery life out of the rMBP. also, finding power outlets at airports is no longer as difficult as it once was.
Ahhh, just when I was about to buy the Air! Are you using the rMBP scaled? If so, do you get the screen lag that some have mentioned?
What kind of battery life are you getting (assuming you have the 13")?
You're right about outlets...however, I was coming from JFK to SFO last month and the flight was delayed for 3 hours, and all of the outlets were taken (nearly everyone needs them these days). And that was with Virgin America, which is very good about providing them. I wandered around the terminal at JFK looking for other outlets and wasn't able to find one. This experience stood out in my mind as one of those times where the MBA would have come in handy.
I am not scaling. not sure why anyone would do that. I just use the computer, I try not to overthink it. I only get glitchy scrolling in Outlook. all other apps seem fine to me.
battery hasn't been an issue so far for me. as I said, keeping the brightness down does wonders. I get the feeling a lot of people disregard this fact.
The size of the 13" Air was a pain on flights I got stuck in coach. it's deep footprint was noticeable. I've also had the 11" over the years. that's a nice computer for plane rides, but the dreadfully short vertical resolution made reading spreadsheets a real chore.
I have been following this topic for the past few days since I have been also been considering both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
I bought the MacBook Pro last Friday because I have come to appreciate the beautiful retina display of my iPad. And I can tell you, it is amazing. On my first full battery cycle, I reached 10 hours (including installing software and moving files from my old Mac to the new one).
I think you already answered the question yourself, you want a MacBook Pro. You will only be traveling for a month and you will always carry your charger, just like you will bring your socks. So, how many times will you be without a power outlet for more than 10 hours?
Regarding the performance of the GPU, some people mentioned in this topic that the 13-inch retina MacBook Air would be horrible compared to the MacBook Air due to the more demanding screen. That was definitely true for the previous generation, this one (Intel Iris) is at least as capable, maybe even more capable, as the MacBook Air.
On the other hand, a friend of mine who recently bought a MacBook Air, claims to reach 14 hours of battery life after installing OS X Mavericks. So when I talked to him about whether I should buy a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro, he said: which one are you going to buy thinking you should have bought the other one.
Your turn.
I bought the MacBook Pro last Friday because I have come to appreciate the beautiful retina display of my iPad. And I can tell you, it is amazing. On my first full battery cycle, I reached 10 hours (including installing software and moving files from my old Mac to the new one).
I think you already answered the question yourself, you want a MacBook Pro. You will only be traveling for a month and you will always carry your charger, just like you will bring your socks. So, how many times will you be without a power outlet for more than 10 hours?
Regarding the performance of the GPU, some people mentioned in this topic that the 13-inch retina MacBook Air would be horrible compared to the MacBook Air due to the more demanding screen. That was definitely true for the previous generation, this one (Intel Iris) is at least as capable, maybe even more capable, as the MacBook Air.
On the other hand, a friend of mine who recently bought a MacBook Air, claims to reach 14 hours of battery life after installing OS X Mavericks. So when I talked to him about whether I should buy a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro, he said: which one are you going to buy thinking you should have bought the other one.
Your turn.
I have been following this topic for the past few days since I have been also been considering both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
I bought the MacBook Pro last Friday because I have come to appreciate the beautiful retina display of my iPad. And I can tell you, it is amazing. On my first full battery cycle, I reached 10 hours (including installing software and moving files from my old Mac to the new one).
I think you already answered the question yourself, you want a MacBook Pro. You will only be traveling for a month and you will always carry your charger, just like you will bring your socks. So, how many times will you be without a power outlet for more than 10 hours?
Regarding the performance of the GPU, some people mentioned in this topic that the 13-inch retina MacBook Air would be horrible compared to the MacBook Air due to the more demanding screen. That was definitely true for the previous generation, this one (Intel Iris) is at least as capable, maybe even more capable, as the MacBook Air.
On the other hand, a friend of mine who recently bought a MacBook Air, claims to reach 14 hours of battery life after installing OS X Mavericks. So when I talked to him about whether I should buy a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro, he said: which one are you going to buy thinking you should have bought the other one.
Your turn.
Thanks for making my decision a lot harder!
You're right... the number of times that I'll need more than 10 hours of battery life is probably pretty small, even during January. I bought an external charger for my iPhone (that can fully charge it 4-5 times), so if worse comes to worse I can get a few things done on my phone if my MBP's battery drains.
One thing I am still hesitant about regarding the rMBP is the smaller screen real estate at retina-optimized resolution (which is why I was asking about image retention at scaled resolutions earlier). I know some prefer the Air because of this even without considering battery life.
Yes, I am aware of the fact that I have made your choice a bit harder.
I have my resolution set to 'best for display'. However, I have just changed it to 1440 x 900 for you and, while I have no MacBook Air to compare it with right now, it still appears to be sharper than the MacBook Air's display. But at this time I haven't found any reason to change the setting, the standard setting is sufficient enough for normal use.
I would also like to refer to w00tini's input on this page, adding all things up I think you should just buy the MacBook Pro and thank us later. I was also afraid I would regret my choice, but I certainly don't. And yes, the MacBook Air's battery life is still jaw dropping , no one can ignore that.
EDIT: I just noticed that my battery is currently on 80%, stating that it has enough power left for the next 10 hours and 58 minutes (only using Safari).
I have my resolution set to 'best for display'. However, I have just changed it to 1440 x 900 for you and, while I have no MacBook Air to compare it with right now, it still appears to be sharper than the MacBook Air's display. But at this time I haven't found any reason to change the setting, the standard setting is sufficient enough for normal use.
I would also like to refer to w00tini's input on this page, adding all things up I think you should just buy the MacBook Pro and thank us later. I was also afraid I would regret my choice, but I certainly don't. And yes, the MacBook Air's battery life is still jaw dropping , no one can ignore that.
EDIT: I just noticed that my battery is currently on 80%, stating that it has enough power left for the next 10 hours and 58 minutes (only using Safari).
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Yes, I am aware of the fact that I have made your choice a bit harder.
I have my resolution set to 'best for display'. However, I have just changed it to 1440 x 900 for you and, while I have no MacBook Air to compare it with right now, it still appears to be sharper than the MacBook Air's display.
I would also like to refer to w00tini's input on this page, adding all things up I think you should just buy the MacBook Pro and thank us later.
I just might!
But... the threads over at Apple's Discussion forum and here on image retention (IR) that occurs when the rMBP is scaled concern me. That's what I was referring to earlier. See this for more on what I mean.
That's true... if the IR happens within the first year. Some 2012 rMBP owners have started to experience the issue after their warranty has expired, and they're very bitter. I read a long thread about it on the Apple forums... something like 50 pages worth of complaints.
This is not as simple a decision as it seems!
Please, also read these threads:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1659672/
title: IR Problems New RMBP (Apple Forum Thread)
https://discussions.apple.com/thread...=8355&tstart=0
title: MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in? (APPLE SUPPORT COMMUNITIES)
I've a long list of complaints about rMBP monitor problems! scary!!!
I went to the Apple Store today to compare the Air to the new rMBP. Sadly, the new rMBPs weren't on display, even though they were in stock (lazy dutch people) so I only ended up comparing the displays, when I really wanted to assess the weight and size of the new 13'' rMBP.
rMBP:
Loved the screen, it is indeed great, it doesn't feel like reading text on a screen anymore, but like looking at images of text. Couldn't tell if it's more or less glossy than the Air's. I also liked the thinner bezel, probably 50% thinner than the Air's, especially below the screen. I lifted it up, even though it was the previous generation, and it felt quite heavy, as compared to the Air. I know the new generation is 50g lighter, but that's nothing. I could definitely tell the difference in weight between the Air and the Pro. Another disadvantage that I found was when I entered quite a lot of websites I follow, newspapers, tech sites, stores etc, and they had parts which looked bad on the retina, because they weren't optimized. Amazon, New York Times and many others, are still not made for retina, which kind of means that this is still a long way to being a standard. Even Facebook looked a bit odd. All in all, a nice machine and the screen definitely shines for text and images who are big enough to support it.
Air:
I'm still in love with the shape, the thinness and the weight, it's hard not to. I could tell the difference in the quality of the screen when coming from the rMBP, I can't deny that, but it wasn't that bad. It was just there and I was especially focusing on it. I doubt that after one hour of using it or a few days tops, I would still cling to that, coming from a 1280x800 machine right now. Besides, websites looked normal. I also prefer the aluminum bezel, although it is too wide.
All in all, couldn't help but think that an Air with a retina display would be the perfect machine, but I guess that won't happen too soon. If I could, I'd wait for another generation of the Airs, but I need to get a new machine for Christmas.
Another thing that I keep reading about the rMBP on this forum is that it definitely needs 8GB of RAM and it also stutters with animations. Now as much as I like that screen, I'd hate paying so much for a laptop that has problems displaying some images and basic system animations.
That doesn't mean that I've decided on the Air, though. I'll check again with the Apple store next week to see the latest 13'' rMBP and check its weight and thinness. Also keeping an eye out for more reviews.
Let us know what you decide.
rMBP:
Loved the screen, it is indeed great, it doesn't feel like reading text on a screen anymore, but like looking at images of text. Couldn't tell if it's more or less glossy than the Air's. I also liked the thinner bezel, probably 50% thinner than the Air's, especially below the screen. I lifted it up, even though it was the previous generation, and it felt quite heavy, as compared to the Air. I know the new generation is 50g lighter, but that's nothing. I could definitely tell the difference in weight between the Air and the Pro. Another disadvantage that I found was when I entered quite a lot of websites I follow, newspapers, tech sites, stores etc, and they had parts which looked bad on the retina, because they weren't optimized. Amazon, New York Times and many others, are still not made for retina, which kind of means that this is still a long way to being a standard. Even Facebook looked a bit odd. All in all, a nice machine and the screen definitely shines for text and images who are big enough to support it.
Air:
I'm still in love with the shape, the thinness and the weight, it's hard not to. I could tell the difference in the quality of the screen when coming from the rMBP, I can't deny that, but it wasn't that bad. It was just there and I was especially focusing on it. I doubt that after one hour of using it or a few days tops, I would still cling to that, coming from a 1280x800 machine right now. Besides, websites looked normal. I also prefer the aluminum bezel, although it is too wide.
All in all, couldn't help but think that an Air with a retina display would be the perfect machine, but I guess that won't happen too soon. If I could, I'd wait for another generation of the Airs, but I need to get a new machine for Christmas.
Another thing that I keep reading about the rMBP on this forum is that it definitely needs 8GB of RAM and it also stutters with animations. Now as much as I like that screen, I'd hate paying so much for a laptop that has problems displaying some images and basic system animations.
That doesn't mean that I've decided on the Air, though. I'll check again with the Apple store next week to see the latest 13'' rMBP and check its weight and thinness. Also keeping an eye out for more reviews.
Let us know what you decide.
I wound up doing the same thing. Does image retention scare me? Sure. That being said, I want 16GB of RAM for VM purposes, and I didn't want to wait another ~8+ months just to see if the next MBAs come with that as a maximum.
If my BTO has image retention when I get it, I'll just have to take it to the Apple store and ask for a replacement. (And wait for another week or more...) Frustrating, but what else can you do? If I get two bad ones, I will probably just return it and spend another maddening week debating if I want to just go with a 13" MBA now... or wait even longer. Of course if I get a "good" one, I'll definitely be checking hard for IR at the 11 month mark and deciding if I want to pay more for AppleCare or not.
Any IR for you at this point?
I'm in the same boat. Would love a Retina Air (with 16GB!) but done waiting. Just remember - Apple has a good return policy. You can change your mind. (Not advocating "try all the models!" that some seem to take, but definitely test out the machine you want once you have it!)
http://store.apple.com/us/help/returns_refund
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