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Which is the better deal?

I

ievoi

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 8, 2014
10
0
Hi all, I am looking to get a 13" MacBook 2013 and I can get the following MacBook Air or retina Pro for roughly the same price.

1. 13" MacBook Air with i7 and 8G ram
2. 13" MacBook retina Pro with i5 with 8G ram

Both comes with 256 ssd, the pro is about 80 dollars more

Requirements:
1. I don't really travel that much so portability or battery life isn't too much of an issue here, esp when both can last for 8+ hrs

2. The main purpose of this laptop is for browsing the net, occasional documents/spreadsheets. However, I intend to do some short video editing further down the track.

3. Which one of them will be more futureproof

Thanks :)
 
Without question the rMBP is a better choice imo.

The major feature of the MBA is the battery and for your usage, its not a factor. Secondly your usage plays right into the rMBP's strength - gorgeous screen.

Most people don't notice the difference between i7 and i5 so that too is a non-issue.
 
ievoi said:
Hi all, I am looking to get a 13" MacBook 2013 and I can get the following MacBook Air or retina Pro for roughly the same price.

1. 13" MacBook Air with i7 and 8G ram
2. 13" MacBook retina Pro with i5 with 8G ram

Both comes with 256 ssd, the pro is about 80 dollars more

Requirements:
1. I don't really travel that much so portability or battery life isn't too much of an issue here, esp when both can last for 8+ hrs

2. The main purpose of this laptop is for browsing the net, occasional documents/spreadsheets. However, I intend to do some short video editing further down the track.

3. Which one of them will be more futureproof

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

8 Hours from the rMBP :eek: Maybe but I would not bet any money on that, whats your internet connection going to be ? Wired or Wireless. What is your budget? Also the refurbished computers can save you anywhere from $100.00 and up

MBA Maxed out
 
Last edited:
I find it hard to believe that these two machines cost the same.
The rmbp is the obvious choice.
About futureproofing you will need to talk to your local fortune teller.
 
Meister said:
I find it hard to believe that these two machines cost the same.
The rmbp is the obvious choice.
About futureproofing you will need to talk to your local fortune teller.
Click to expand...

How come it's hard to believe the 2 are roughly the same cost? Does the rMBP usually cost more?
 
ievoi said:
How come it's hard to believe the 2 are roughly the same cost? Does the rMBP usually cost more?
Click to expand...

no. I think that the i7 MBA is even more expensive than the i5 rMBP (just take a look at the apple online store). Still, I think the rMBP is better value - it has a much better screen, more I/O. Furthermore it has an improved cooling system and some more nice features.
 
ievoi said:
How come it's hard to believe the 2 are roughly the same cost? Does the rMBP usually cost more?
Click to expand...
The macbook air is more expensive. Its still hard to believe because that doesnt seem to make any sense.
Get the rmbp or opt for a baseline air on a discount.
 
Wuiffi said:
no. I think that the i7 MBA is even more expensive than the i5 rMBP (just take a look at the apple online store). Still, I think the rMBP is better value - it has a much better screen, more I/O. Furthermore it has an improved cooling system and some more nice features.
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention I am in Sydney. For some reason the air with i7 +8G ram is actually cheaper than the pro.
 
michaelsviews said:
8 Hours from the rMBP :eek: Maybe but I would not bet any money on that, whats your internet connection going to be ? Wired or Wireless. What is your budget? Also the refurbished computers can save you anywhere from $100.00 and up

MBA Maxed out
Click to expand...

I get way more than 8 hours on my rmbp... closer to 10-12 hours actually doing the same tasks as the OP described. But I agree with you that a refurbished model is usually worth it!
 
tenganis said:
I get way more than 8 hours on my rmbp... closer to 10-12 hours actually doing the same tasks as the OP described. But I agree with you that a refurbished model is usually worth it!
Click to expand...

I have checked the refurbished models, they only have the Oct 2012 model if the rMBP and is the battery life 8hrs+ on that model ?
 
Does the rMBP worth the additional $200 bucks?

That's if I was to downgrade the AIR from i7 to i5.
 
I think the rMBP is worth the increase in price.

Also I don't think you'll notice any performance difference between the i5 and i7 as I posted.
 
ievoi said:
Haha great story. How come? Couldn't resist the Retina display?
Click to expand...

personally, the display is significantly way way better than the air. While the air is using a TN panel (poor viewing angle and colour reproduction), the retina uses IPS (better colour reproduction and viewing angle). The difference is huge in terms of display. The 13" retina is smaller than the 13" air as well. (Smaller bezel hence smaller size). I can't really say much about performance but for daily uses such as word processing and web browsing you won't notice the difference at all. The display itself is already soo worth it. Contrast is amazing, eye popping colours and clarity.
Edit: Get the 2013 rMBP it's thinner, slightly lighter and better graphics to drive the retina display
 
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