Hello, I am a prospective new user of a macbook. For the past month, I have been researching the differences between macbook pro series and the air series. I have been doing cost analysis and trying to really analyze what my needs and expectations were.
My needs: a machine that will not feel too slow in the next 3-4 years because it will need to last me through medical school (I will be starting med school next month). I can't picture myself spending another grand on a laptop halfway through school so this will be my last big ticket item purchase.
My priorities:
1. Not feel too slow in next 4 years and be powerful enough to smoothly handle files from 12.8MP canon 5d in lightroom 3. That would be the most intensive program I would be running.
2. Portability. I am rarely home and will be using this at school, library, cafes, etc.
Right now, I am considering:
13'' base 2.5 ghz Macbook pro ($1140) +8gb ram upgrade (maybe in a year) + 128gb SSD (~$100 to $120 immediately)= $1240 + price of 8gb ram in a year + CA tax
VS
13'' Macbook Air with 8gb ram= $1239 + CA tax
I will be adding 8 or 16gb of ram maybe in a year or two, but as you can see they are about the same price for the same ssd and ram configuration since ram is relatively cheap. I doubt I will be making another SSD upgrade down the line (128gb will suffice for everyday things, and I keep all my art/photos on an external hd) so the advantage of upgradeability for the pro isn't AS relevant for me.
I am typing this from my brother's 2012 11'' macbook air and I LOVE this thing. So light and portable. I would only pick the 13'' Macbook Pro if it were significantly faster with a SSD than the 1.8ghz 13'' Air. Therefore I would like to ask if anyone has experience with a 13'' pro with SSD and compared it side by side with a 13''MBAir over a period of time.
I would really appreciate it if anyone can tell me about their experiences. I really want to come to a decision in the next day or two. Thank you!
My needs: a machine that will not feel too slow in the next 3-4 years because it will need to last me through medical school (I will be starting med school next month). I can't picture myself spending another grand on a laptop halfway through school so this will be my last big ticket item purchase.
My priorities:
1. Not feel too slow in next 4 years and be powerful enough to smoothly handle files from 12.8MP canon 5d in lightroom 3. That would be the most intensive program I would be running.
2. Portability. I am rarely home and will be using this at school, library, cafes, etc.
Right now, I am considering:
13'' base 2.5 ghz Macbook pro ($1140) +8gb ram upgrade (maybe in a year) + 128gb SSD (~$100 to $120 immediately)= $1240 + price of 8gb ram in a year + CA tax
VS
13'' Macbook Air with 8gb ram= $1239 + CA tax
I will be adding 8 or 16gb of ram maybe in a year or two, but as you can see they are about the same price for the same ssd and ram configuration since ram is relatively cheap. I doubt I will be making another SSD upgrade down the line (128gb will suffice for everyday things, and I keep all my art/photos on an external hd) so the advantage of upgradeability for the pro isn't AS relevant for me.
I am typing this from my brother's 2012 11'' macbook air and I LOVE this thing. So light and portable. I would only pick the 13'' Macbook Pro if it were significantly faster with a SSD than the 1.8ghz 13'' Air. Therefore I would like to ask if anyone has experience with a 13'' pro with SSD and compared it side by side with a 13''MBAir over a period of time.
I would really appreciate it if anyone can tell me about their experiences. I really want to come to a decision in the next day or two. Thank you!