So I've heard that MacBook Airs are useless. You could buy a MacBook Pro for just a bit more $$$. But why did Apple make the MacBook Air?
/* Not Trolling. Seriously. */
/* Not Trolling. Seriously. */
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
What is the MacBook Air for?
- Thread starter iAppleseed
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It's a computer. Do you know what those are for? Whoever told you they're useless doesn't know what they're talking about. I am running high end software on mine, such as Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, Filemaker Pro, Vectorworks and others.
The combination of size/weight/performance makes it a very attractive alternative to regular laptops. And the price point is very good considering the fast solid state disk. I have a 2008 15" MacBook Pro and my 2011 MacBook Air runs circles around it.
The combination of size/weight/performance makes it a very attractive alternative to regular laptops. And the price point is very good considering the fast solid state disk. I have a 2008 15" MacBook Pro and my 2011 MacBook Air runs circles around it.
What Boyd said.
An Air is going to smoke a Pro on many things simply because the Air comes with the ridiculously fast SSD. Upgrade a Pro to include a SSD and the cost of the Pro is no longer just "a bit more".
For me, the only time a Pro would be more powerful is when using Handbrake, which I do 1x-3x a month. The Pro isn't more powerful for the other stuff I do every day (mail, web, iTunes, iChat, Aperture, Quicken), so why haul a much heavier machine around?
An Air is going to smoke a Pro on many things simply because the Air comes with the ridiculously fast SSD. Upgrade a Pro to include a SSD and the cost of the Pro is no longer just "a bit more".
For me, the only time a Pro would be more powerful is when using Handbrake, which I do 1x-3x a month. The Pro isn't more powerful for the other stuff I do every day (mail, web, iTunes, iChat, Aperture, Quicken), so why haul a much heavier machine around?
A desktop is more powerful than a MBP. So why buy a MBP?
Are you being serious, or trolling on a nice Sunday morning?
Portability and weight. My wife has one and if it wasnt for the harddrive size, I would too. I have the macbook pro and I see no difference in regular home use. Im sure their would be if someone tried to play demanding games or software.
The MBA may not be the right choice for you
But for me, and many, many others is it is the awesome choice
I went from a MBP to a MBA and love every minute of it
It does absolutely everything I need, including FCP X and running VMware Fusion with Win7
The size, design, and form factor are awesome for my traveling and work
And the flash memory is blazing fast for me in everything
Is the MBP more powerful? Yes, in some ways I suppose it is
But you don't always need a jackhammer to drive a nail yanno
I don't need an optical drive, and I have a Thunderbolt Display at home
More and more people are finding that the Air is the way to go and the MBP is not always the best solution
Best computing decision I ever made other than switching from a DOS PC in 1987 to a Mac SE
PS: apparently the Windows world doesn't see it as useless either with the proliferation of the Ultrabooks
But for me, and many, many others is it is the awesome choice
I went from a MBP to a MBA and love every minute of it
It does absolutely everything I need, including FCP X and running VMware Fusion with Win7
The size, design, and form factor are awesome for my traveling and work
And the flash memory is blazing fast for me in everything
Is the MBP more powerful? Yes, in some ways I suppose it is
But you don't always need a jackhammer to drive a nail yanno
I don't need an optical drive, and I have a Thunderbolt Display at home
More and more people are finding that the Air is the way to go and the MBP is not always the best solution
Best computing decision I ever made other than switching from a DOS PC in 1987 to a Mac SE
PS: apparently the Windows world doesn't see it as useless either with the proliferation of the Ultrabooks
MBP weighs a lot more than an MBA and is easy to chuck in your bag and not even notice you're carrying it, it all comes down to power vs. portability.
I've been using mine every day for about four months, I wish somebody had told me it was useless before I wasted my money on it. All those Keynote presentations, documents and files I've created must be imaginary.
Whoever said there is no such thing as a stupid question obviously never read this thread.
Whoever said there is no such thing as a stupid question obviously never read this thread.
Actually the base MBP costs less than the base MBA. That extra money for the MBA gets you a higher resolution display, weighing two pounds less and a much faster hard drive. The MBP has a faster processor, larger hard drive and is more expandable (but in that case costs a lot more)
Both have their place. If you want to "load up" your notebook, the MBP is the best (and only) choice. If you're looking for a stock machine and don't have large storage requirements, the Air has some distinct advantages.
the air is the best light weight, small size, and powerful computer i've owned to date. sure a MBP might have a bit more "power" to it, but i'd have to deal with the extra weight, and unneeded features that come along with it like an Optical drive and tons of ports that i'd never use.
You said base models. Nothing about the screen size.
----------
When he adds is own * into it, sure.
Of course, who wants a 500GB Hard drive? SSD is faster.
Who even wants that drive that you put coasters into it?
Base 13in MBA
Thinner (+)
Lighter (+)
Higher resolution (+)
Lower color gamut (-)
Faster due to SSD (+)
Nonupgradeable RAM (-)
Upgradeable SSD (+)
Non-HD FaceTime camera (-)
Base 13in MBP
Thicker (-)
Heavier (-)
Lower resolution (-)
Higher color gamut (+)
Slower due to HDD (-)
Upgradeable RAM (+)
Upgradeable HDD (+)
HD FaceTime camera (+)
Extra ports (+?)
They both have their plusses and minuses, but the MBA is awesome regardless. And it's cheaper than if you were to spec an MBP with an SSD. It's so light and thin, it's amazing that it's so powerful (it handles VirtualBox with Windows 7, Cadence, LTSpice, MATLAB, other engineering applications along side the typical slew of OSX apps without a hitch). I live in a post-ethernet and post-ODD era (lol), so it's not a big deal for me... I also don't need anything more than USB or Thunderbolt. Works splendidly for me
The biggest thing for me is that it has the same resolution at the base 15in MBP, which is crucial.
Thinner (+)
Lighter (+)
Higher resolution (+)
Lower color gamut (-)
Faster due to SSD (+)
Nonupgradeable RAM (-)
Upgradeable SSD (+)
Non-HD FaceTime camera (-)
Base 13in MBP
Thicker (-)
Heavier (-)
Lower resolution (-)
Higher color gamut (+)
Slower due to HDD (-)
Upgradeable RAM (+)
Upgradeable HDD (+)
HD FaceTime camera (+)
Extra ports (+?)
They both have their plusses and minuses, but the MBA is awesome regardless. And it's cheaper than if you were to spec an MBP with an SSD. It's so light and thin, it's amazing that it's so powerful (it handles VirtualBox with Windows 7, Cadence, LTSpice, MATLAB, other engineering applications along side the typical slew of OSX apps without a hitch). I live in a post-ethernet and post-ODD era (lol), so it's not a big deal for me... I also don't need anything more than USB or Thunderbolt. Works splendidly for me
The biggest thing for me is that it has the same resolution at the base 15in MBP, which is crucial.
Shame on those calling him a troll. It is a valid question, especially if he is deciding between models.
That's because I was replying to the original poster - and no one would be asking why buy an 11-inch MBA versus a 13-inch MBP for a few dollars more when
1. The differences are VERY clear.
2. The price difference isn't a few dollars.
In short, I understood the question asked. Why didn't you?
13" isn't even a "Pro". Apple just slapped that name on the MacBooks to trick people into thinking they were getting a "high end" product. It's just a Macbook with a different design.
SSD vs HDD is big. I'd pick an Air any day of the week over a Pro. Especially a 13" which isn't a Pro at all. It's just a Macbook!
Understanding the question is easy. The OP is asking why Apple made an air. Well, SSD + No OD Drive + Smaller form factor. The Air is selling just fine. If it wasn't, Apple would have killed it off long ago. As it stands, the Pro will likely be more Air-like in the next few weeks solidifying the fact that the Air is a success and the Pro is dwindling away. At thus point it's likely Apple might just kill off the 13" Pro anyway.
Clearly not as the OP has very obviously stated that the base model MBA is cheaper, which can mean only referring to the 11" model.