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Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to post. As of right now, barring any major negative reviews coming out, I am going to return the MB and get the MBA. Everyone here made great points so I kept a running list and I think for my needs the MBA seems to be the best value for the money. I also thought about a newer model MBP since the prices and weight are similar to the MBA too. I only compared the base model cpu's and RAM with the upgraded storage I need, to keep the dollar comparisons as simple as possible. It's also just a basic list of the advantages for each, which I consider to be of varying importance to me at this time.

12" MB/ d-c i5 (1.3 GHz)/ 512GB/8GB RAM: $1599 - smallest and lightest at 2.03lbs so perfect for portability and travel. (Fits perfectly on airline tray tables from what I've read :) )

13" MBA/ d-c i5 (1.6 GHz)/512Gb/8GB RAM: $1599 - bigger screen, 2.75lbs, gen 3 keyboard, touch ID, extra port, best battery life ( great for my travel too), better speakers

13" ntb MBP/ d-c i5 (2.3 GHz)/512GB/8GB RAM: $1699 - bigger screen, 3.02lbs, more powerful, better graphics/display, extra port, better speakers

13" MBP/ q-c i5 (2.3 GHz )/512GB/8GB RAM: $1999 - bigger screen, 3.02lbs, most powerful, better display, gen 3 keyboard, touch bar and touch id, better graphics/display, extra ports, better speakers


My usage mainly comprises of writing and editing documents, spreadsheets, very occasional light photo and video editing, emails, web browsing, and some netflix/movies etc during travel. I'm willing to sacrifice some power and graphics for other features that are more important for me but I still need it to perform well enough to handle the tasks. I think all models listed above should work for my needs, and all are lighter than what I currently have which is a big plus for me. I travel 1-2 times per month and carry it with me every day so the weight and battery life are a bit more important to me than other things such as graphics or speakers etc.

So narrowing it all down ( and for the TL DR crowd :p) I think the MBA is currently the best compromise of price, features and weight for my needs, so fingers crossed I'm making the right decision! Thanks again for all your input!
I hate to ask a dumb queston but was does ntb mean?
 
I hate to ask a dumb queston but was does ntb mean?

It means it's the MacBook Pro version that doesn't have the touch bar ( NTB = No/Non(?) Touch Bar). I had no clue what it meant when someone posted about it earlier in the thread. I actually did a google search for it so that's the only reason I know :D:D:D
 
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And with the worse keyboard ever!

Why? If it's the worst keyboard ever then the 2018 Air is one step away from the worst keyboard ever. I prefer the old style keyboard switches over these new butterfly ones but I wouldn't say it's the worst.
 
Why? If it's the worst keyboard ever then the 2018 Air is one step away from the worst keyboard ever. I prefer the old style keyboard switches over these new butterfly ones but I wouldn't say it's the worst.

Gen 1 butterfly is the worst. I am not sayin Gen 3 is perfect, but the keyboard on the 12" MB is definitely the worst.
 
Gen 1 butterfly is the worst. I am not sayin Gen 3 is perfect, but the keyboard on the 12" MB is definitely the worst.

The current (2017) MacBook has the gen 2 keyboard - same as the 2017 MacBook Pros.
 
The current (2017) MacBook has the gen 2 keyboard - same as the 2017 MacBook Pros.

Gen 1 and 2 are pretty much the same. Gen 2 switch are supposedly stronger so it doesn’t actually break (apparently there were cases of it breaking for gen 1), but in terms of sticky keys, double presses etc it’s the same.
 
Gen 1 and 2 are pretty much the same. Gen 2 switch are supposedly stronger so it doesn’t actually break (apparently there were cases of it breaking for gen 1), but in terms of sticky keys, double presses etc it’s the same.

Ah, none of the above I've experienced on my MacBook. Just lucky I suppose. Tried the gen 3 keyboard and felt the slightest difference in tactile feel, but certainly didn't convince me that previous generation keyboards are the worse ever. Is the gen 3 then devoid of sticky keys and double presses?
 
Ah, none of the above I've experienced on my MacBook. Just lucky I suppose. Tried the gen 3 keyboard and felt the slightest difference in tactile feel, but certainly didn't convince me that previous generation keyboards are the worse ever. Is the gen 3 then devoid of sticky keys and double presses?

To be fair, gen 3 also suffers from gen 1/2 issues, just less often due to the membrane (going by the butterfly gen 3 thread).

When it does happen though, God is it a pain. It completely put me off developing when i had the nTB Pro, had to return it :(.
 
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