The first "Should I get a Macbook Pro or Macbook Air" thread

[dizmonk]

So similar to several of you I had both the 13" MBA and the new 13" rMBP. As my return date for the Air was coming up, I reluctantly returned it. As soon as I did that I had second thoughts. (Mainly about giving up 14 hours of battery life...) I told myself - give the rMBP a week of good work. If the battery life isn't even close and if I'm not thrilled, go back and order an Air.

As of right now, I'm warming up to the rMBP. Yes the screen is great but the battery life has been better than I thought. After having reached 100% from plugging it in, I'm now reading over 11 hours left...

So far so good... I'm also quite happy how fast the rMBP is.

 

[vancexxx]

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

Yeah, but I don't think I can benefit from it. My Macbook (whichever it will be) will be bought by a friend who's going to New York to see his family for the holidays and he will bring it back to me (Netherlands) around the 7th of January.

This means that I can't have a built-to-order, but only a standard option, and also I'm not exactly sure when he'll make the purchase but it might be already too late to return. And are returns possible internationally? Can I return it in the Netherlands after buying it from New York?

 

[majkom]

OK, after testing several rMBpro units, no way I will switch my 2013 MB air for 2013 rMBpro - lags are still there, especially while using scaled resolution - sorry apple, but paying 2000 USD for machine with lagging basic UI (expose), possible IR problem - no way.. hope that rumoured air 2014 will have all these problems solved...

 

[PanserJohan]

After the 2013 update to the mbp, I feel tha Apple removed all my reasons for getting av Air. The new mbp 13", is so much lighter, thinner and has so much more power, that I`d buy the mbp every time.

If one can say that the Air is super portable, one can argue that the new mbp is really portable if you know what I`m saying.

Until the latest update, I would recomend the Air, but after, it`s really a no brainer.

I ordered the "high end" 13" this sunday. 2.6ghz, 512ssd and 8gb ram.

 

[majkom]

After the 2013 update to the mbp, I feel tha Apple removed all my reasons for getting av Air. The new mbp 13", is so much lighter, thinner and has so much more power, that I`d buy the mbp every time.

If one can say that the Air is super portable, one can argue that the new mbp is really portable if you know what I`m saying.

Until the latest update, I would recomend the Air, but after, it`s really a no brainer.

I ordered the "high end" 13" this sunday. 2.6ghz, 512ssd and 8gb ram.

Air is lighter, has better battery time, has no IR problem, has no laggy UI.. last to are deal breakers for me to get rMBpro

 

[Globglabglub]

Surprised, but I still prefer the Air

I've held off purchasing for 3 months whilst waiting for this new round of MBPs. Only interested in 13", and over the past generation I've liked the Air's body shape better. I still do, and I can't really believe it but I think I'm about to purchase an Air over the newest Macbook Pro... yeah, that one I've been waiting for for 3 months.

My reasoning

1) I don't have much need for the full strength processor of the MBP. Even with Lightroom and Photoshop most people report no trouble (I have no interested in gaming on this machine)

2) The Air's battery life is only several hours more, but those several hours put it in a whole different usability level once you factor in battery wear over a year or two, and the realities of a '9 hour battery' not quite giving enough confidence to leave the charger home on an overnight trip

3) The body of the Air, while larger, is easier to hold and easier and more comfortable) to type on. Even more, the perceived lightness is a big factor for me - even if the Air and Pro were the same weight I suspect I (and many) would judge the Air to be much lighter. That's not a factor when in a bag --although half a pound is, but strangely not a consideration for me-- but I can't discount that feeling when in use.

4) This one is completely illogical, or at least mostly so... I feel better getting a 4gb Air than I do the 4gb MBP. There's the resale argument another poster made in this thread, which I think is a great point. But even more it just feels wrong to get a 4gb Pro, even though it'd probably do me just fine. I will be using parallels, or possibly straight up Windows 7 in bootcamp to run some enterprise type windows only apps (e.g. IE, Sharepoint designer, but no Visual Studio). But the cost savings of a refurb or even new 4gb MBA, compared to the cost of a 8gb MBP are considerable. There is a real risk I will run short with only 4gb of RAM, but when I factor in the great swap speed I see many people comment on with the new SSDs (when 4gb of RAM proves to be too little) the ~$400 difference in cost seems worth the gamble (ammirite on that $400?).

But *sigh,* the significant screen real estate of the Retina display I'd be giving up is holding me back. IPS is valuable to me for photo editing (nothing professional) and viewing angle, but that setting on the Pro that uses all of the pixels is the truly attractive feature, at least for those of us lucky enough to have good enough eyes to read two documents side-by-side on a 13" screen.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

I've held off purchasing for 3 months whilst waiting for this new round of MBPs. Only interested in 13", and over the past generation I've liked the Air's body shape better. I still do, and I can't really believe it but I think I'm about to purchase an Air over the newest Macbook Pro... yeah, that one I've been waiting for for 3 months.

My reasoning

1) I don't have much need for the full strength processor of the MBP. Even with Lightroom and Photoshop most people report no trouble (I have no interested in gaming on this machine)

2) The Air's battery life is only several hours more, but those several hours put it in a whole different usability level once you factor in battery wear over a year or two, and the realities of a '9 hour battery' not quite giving enough confidence to leave the charger home on an overnight trip

3) The body of the Air, while larger, is easier to hold and easier and more comfortable) to type on. Even more, the perceived lightness is a big factor for me - even if the Air and Pro were the same weight I suspect I (and many) would judge the Air to be much lighter. That's not a factor when in a bag --although half a pound is, but strangely not a consideration for me-- but I can't discount that feeling when in use.

4) This one is completely illogical, or at least mostly so... I feel better getting a 4gb Air than I do the 4gb MBP. There's the resale argument another poster made in this thread, which I think is a great point. But even more it just feels wrong to get a 4gb Pro, even though it'd probably do me just fine. I will be using parallels, or possibly straight up Windows 7 in bootcamp to run some enterprise type windows only apps (e.g. IE, Sharepoint designer, but no Visual Studio). But the cost savings of a refurb or even new 4gb MBA, compared to the cost of a 8gb MBP are considerable. There is a real risk I will run short with only 4gb of RAM, but when I factor in the great swap speed I see many people comment on with the new SSDs (when 4gb of RAM proves to be too little) the ~$400 difference in cost seems worth the gamble (ammirite on that $400?).

But *sigh,* the significant screen real estate of the Retina display I'd be giving up is holding me back. IPS is valuable to me for photo editing (nothing professional) and viewing angle, but that setting on the Pro that uses all of the pixels is the truly attractive feature, at least for those of us lucky enough to have good enough eyes to read two documents side-by-side on a 13" screen.

I've finally decided on the Air myself, for similar reasons. But I'll add a few more:

—Reports of keyboard and trackpad freezes
—Reports of image retention (IR) when rMBP display is scaled

Since I was already leaning toward an Air, this combined with the superior batter life and lighter weight are enough to push me over the edge. I'm getting an i5 with 512 GB SSD and 8 GB of RAM.

 

[SFMike]

Connectivity counts

I was waiting for the rMBP to arrive, but when a 13" refurb MBA showed up a week ago with the i17 chip, plus 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD I snapped it up.

I then went and bought the rMBP anyway - i5 chip (which is actually marginally slower), same ram and SSD. have been playing with both all weekend. Deciding which one to keep.

The MBA is killer in battery life, and I travel. I had one of these as a loaner a few months back and it's basically so good that I can forget about charging it. Sometimes I didn't have a chance to charge it fully before heading for a flight, and that's when it shines - still can work fearlessly. No need to beg for outlets at every damned coffee shop. Ever get stuck walking down a street looking for a place with both wifi and a free plug? Battery life is a game changer.

The rMBP definitely doesn't have the same life - the difference is noticeable. I have to think about it and wouldn't want to be caught without the charger. So not just an extra half pound of weight, but closer to a pound with associated bulk. And yes, I'm thinking about 2 years from now, when the battery life is at 60%. That would suck.

Display is a dream, true. Less on the screen but what's there is sharp as a tack. I feel like I need to clean my glasses when I use the MBA now.

The thing is ... that extra thunderbolt port on the rMBP actually counts. What it means that that I can run two displays off of this, and they don't have to be $1k apple monitors. The extra real estate at my desk means a big productivity jump.

Using two dells, I would save anywhere from $1k to $1600 depending on the configuration and whether I pick up something used. If I could daisy chain the MBA to two non-apple monitors or find some other solution that wouldn't require two thunderbolt displays, I'd jump at it, glasses notwithstanding. There are aftermarket splitters but I don't get the impression that they work well and Mavericks new capabilities with dual monitors could actually complicate things with older solutions.

Would that we were all Ives with a stack of Macs to choose from before heading off to work each day ....

Anyone with a silver bullet solution for me?

 

[Globglabglub]

I was waiting for the rMBP to arrive, but when a 13" refurb MBA showed up a week ago with the i17 chip, plus 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD I snapped it up.

I then went and bought the rMBP anyway - i5 chip (which is actually marginally slower), same ram and SSD. have been playing with both all weekend. Deciding which one to keep.

So great you have both to compare (and then share with us). What I take from your account is the Air is the one you want, if you could deal with the lack of monitor support. Which is great for me since I only need one external monitor But I can't help with your situation. Do the third party splitters really not work?

 

[SFMike]

Basically, yes

yes - if the monitors weren't an issue, I would go with the MBA in a second. Bear in mind that I'm using a souped up MBA with the i7 chip, which is more powerful than the base rMBP, but I tend to think these comments about processor power are overrated anyway.

Retina display is nice. More pleasant computing experience. If I was a video editor it would be essential, but I'm not. Battery on the other hand is profound - you'll throw the thing into your bag without thinking about a charge all the time, carry less, not have to stop mid-project and go search out your plug (or a receptacle). No more sitting on airplanes reading airline mags and thinking "if only I charged the damn thing". Frankly I didn't realize how much so until I started using the MBA.

Plus, it's just sexier. It's a little mind-blowing, using something that feels like it's a piece of paper but is packed with all of your stuff.

Now, bear in mind that I'm still relatively new to this MBP, whereas I had a few weeks with the MBA. I've been using the MBP intermittently since about 11am today and I'm now at 81%. What would be great is if there was an independent battery test to confirm my impressions, but I don't think they're out yet.

No third party support yet for Mavericks on multiple monitors and that kind of hassle just reminds me of life with Windows ...

 

[XcodeNL]

Any IR for you at this point?

Nope, and I hope I will never find out what the exact meaning of that term will be.

I've finally decided on the Air myself, for similar reasons. But I'll add a few more:

—Reports of keyboard and trackpad freezes
—Reports of image retention (IR) when rMBP display is scaled

Since I was already leaning toward an Air, this combined with the superior batter life and lighter weight are enough to push me over the edge. I'm getting an i5 with 512 GB SSD and 8 GB of RAM.

You won't regret your choice.

 

[SFMike]

Yep

Nope, and I hope I will never find out what the exact meaning of that term will be.

You won't regret your choice.

...and I should have added, that yes, this rMBP has frozen solid several times already. But I figured this is why I get applecare - trust that it would get sorted one way or another.

 

[XcodeNL]

...and I should have added, that yes, this rMBP has frozen solid several times already. But I figured this is why I get applecare - trust that it would get sorted one way or another.

Yep, you are not alone. Mine has frozen for two times already, but it seems to be software related.

Feel free to express your opinion in Apple's support forum.

 

[Globglabglub]

... Battery on the other hand is profound - you'll throw the thing into your bag without thinking about a charge all the time, carry less, not have to stop mid-project and go search out your plug (or a receptacle). No more sitting on airplanes reading airline mags and thinking "if only I charged the damn thing". Frankly I didn't realize how much so until I started using the MBA.

...I've been using the MBP intermittently since about 11am today and I'm now at 81%. What would be great is if there was an independent battery test to confirm my impressions, but I don't think they're out yet.

The Engadget review is out this morning - 11:18 with moderate energy settings for the 13-inch Pro (video loop, higher than 50% brightness, no drive sleep). On top of that, they list the Air at only 12:51. Now that's a slim enough difference I am starting to consider the Pro again. The thing is, I'm not sure the Air's battery test was done with Maverick's.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/29/macbook-pro-with-retina-display-review-13-inch-2013

 

[yourtoys7]

why I choose rMBP 13' over Air
.smaller foot print (maybe not that big, but noticeable)
.more powerful
.screen
.better sound
it just feels more solid machine and yet still very powerful, I feel the gap between air and rMBP is getting smaller.

 

[rMBP2013]

I was waiting for the rMBP to arrive, but when a 13" refurb MBA showed up a week ago with the i17 chip, plus 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD I snapped it up.

I then went and bought the rMBP anyway - i5 chip (which is actually marginally slower), same ram and SSD. have been playing with both all weekend. Deciding which one to keep.

The MBA is killer in battery life, and I travel. I had one of these as a loaner a few months back and it's basically so good that I can forget about charging it. Sometimes I didn't have a chance to charge it fully before heading for a flight, and that's when it shines - still can work fearlessly. No need to beg for outlets at every damned coffee shop. Ever get stuck walking down a street looking for a place with both wifi and a free plug? Battery life is a game changer.

The rMBP definitely doesn't have the same life - the difference is noticeable. I have to think about it and wouldn't want to be caught without the charger. So not just an extra half pound of weight, but closer to a pound with associated bulk. And yes, I'm thinking about 2 years from now, when the battery life is at 60%. That would suck.

Display is a dream, true. Less on the screen but what's there is sharp as a tack. I feel like I need to clean my glasses when I use the MBA now.

The thing is ... that extra thunderbolt port on the rMBP actually counts. What it means that that I can run two displays off of this, and they don't have to be $1k apple monitors. The extra real estate at my desk means a big productivity jump.

Using two dells, I would save anywhere from $1k to $1600 depending on the configuration and whether I pick up something used. If I could daisy chain the MBA to two non-apple monitors or find some other solution that wouldn't require two thunderbolt displays, I'd jump at it, glasses notwithstanding. There are aftermarket splitters but I don't get the impression that they work well and Mavericks new capabilities with dual monitors could actually complicate things with older solutions.

Would that we were all Ives with a stack of Macs to choose from before heading off to work each day ....

Anyone with a silver bullet solution for me?

Hmm... tricky situation.

How often do you travel? I travel frequently with multiple 10-hour flights, but I still went with rMBP. 6 - 8 hours of battery life is enough for me and i won't be using it 100% of the time in the airplane.

Also, what do you have to do with the laptop? I mark student's assignments so having a tablet (MS Surface 2, for example) would benefit me tremendously in the future IF i feel that the laptop isn't enough.

----------

why I choose rMBP 13' over Air
.smaller foot print (maybe not that big, but noticeable)
.more powerful
.screen
.better sound
it just feels more solid machine and yet still very powerful, I feel the gap between air and rMBP is getting smaller.

Nice comparison.

I went with the Pro simply 'cuz of its screen. I do a lot of research and read pdfs and documents, so having the retina display did the trick.

Love the style of the Air, but function over form in this case.

 

[qawsed]

Got my rMBP today. So glad I'm returning the Air. It's absolutely amazing!

 

[SFMike]

Hmm... tricky situation.

How often do you travel? I travel frequently with multiple 10-hour flights, but I still went with rMBP. 6 - 8 hours of battery life is enough for me and i won't be using it 100% of the time in the airplane.

Also, what do you have to do with the laptop? I mark student's assignments so having a tablet (MS Surface 2, for example) would benefit me tremendously in the future IF i feel that the laptop isn't enough.

Good point about how often I travel. I just finished up a round of 12+ hour trips twice per month for about 6 months, so I'm feeling a bit scarred. I use the laptop for research and writing and it's true that the retina display does give my eyes a break - nice to have the text both larger and brighter.

One thing I noticed about the rMBP is that when it's sleeping it's very efficient - no power loss.

 

[rMBP2013]

Hmm... tricky situation.

How often do you travel? I travel frequently with multiple 10-hour flights, but I still went with rMBP. 6 - 8 hours of battery life is enough for me and i won't be using it 100% of the time in the airplane.

Also, what do you have to do with the laptop? I mark student's assignments so having a tablet (MS Surface 2, for example) would benefit me tremendously in the future IF i feel that the laptop isn't enough.

Good point about how often I travel. I just finished up a round of 12+ hour trips twice per month for about 6 months, so I'm feeling a bit scarred. I use the laptop for research and writing and it's true that the retina display does give my eyes a break - nice to have the text both larger and brighter.

One thing I noticed about the rMBP is that when it's sleeping it's very efficient - no power loss.

Twice a month travelling 12+ hours each way. Impressive flying time!

If you're just writing then the battery life of rMBP would be very close to that of the MBA.

Some reviewers have tested the 13" rMBP to get over 11 hours of battery life. That is darn impressive. (Though MBA in the same test would probably get close to 15 hours!)

 

[tooobe]

One thing to consider about battery life is that in a year and a half, that 9 hour battery life on the rMBP will probably be closer to 7 hrs and will only keep dropping. That might mean that you will eventually have to start carrying your charger with you depending on how much you use your rMBP during the day.

As it is, I don't have to carry my charger and probably won't have to for several years. I'm getting about 14 hours on my Air, and even if battery life drops to 50-60% (which is inevitable), I'll still probably get away with not having to carry my charger.

In fact, I almost never charge my MBA above 80% (apparently this is better for battery health) even when I leave the house, and I always have plenty of juice left over by the end of the day.

That said, I do envy those who get to look at that gorgeous retina screen.

Of course you are free to do as you choose, but wanted to point out that not charging it above 80% has NO effect on battery life. All that matters are battery cycles. Just use your laptop and charge it as much as you can.

 

[SFMike]

Just thought i'd add this

I swapped out the charger for the MacBooks today and .. while this isn't going to drive anyone's decision - I discovered that not only is the Macbook air itself lighter than the rMBP, the charger for it is also smaller and lighter!