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macbook air or macbook pro?

S

Semidevil

Diamond Member
I'm am seriously contemplating getting an apple laptop. This will be my first apple computer experience and I am debating between a macbook pro, or a macbook air.

This will be my primary computer for use at home. The main uses will be for internet (reading blogs, anandtech, forums, etc etc), and sometimes watching stuff online. No games, or intense graphic uses. I don't travel much, the most travel it gets will be between rooms in my home, or from the coffee table to my thigh.

My biggest thing is that I want it to be long lasting. It doesn't have to be the highest specs, but 1. I dont want it to break down, 2. I want it to be sufficient for future OS updates, etc etc

I know that technically, the pro has higher specs (more ghz, more ram), but I just keep thinking that there is something really good that makes the air almost the same price as the pro. Is it just the thinness and the SSD drive?

The truth is that I like the air more, but I keep that I might be missing something by not getting the 'pro' version.
 
Wait until the refresh for the Macbook Air. If rumors are true, they will have Sandy Bridge and an upgraded graphics processor, so you would be as future proof as you can be. For your needs, you probably would not see any benefit from the Pro.
 
If MacBook Air, the 13" version is more likely to be future-proof for at least a few years.

The 11" version processing power might be a bit low for some. Not that ultra-mobile PC folks would complain. Honestly, I don't see any difference between an 11" Air 1.4GHz and my 13" 2.66GHz processor, both being Core 2 Duo. It only shows when you start pushing the envelope and use virtual machines, run web servers, play intensive HD media and do a lot of image and video editing...

Otherwise, couch surfing and media enjoyment is still good enough on the 11" Air. "Good enough" is the key there.
 
I have an almost 2 year old 13" MBP (2.4 GHz C2D) and am very happy with it. I immediately upgraded the hard drive to an SSD (OCZ Summit... not a great one) and it ran great for a long time. Recently, it was getting a little slow when I had a lot of things open, so I sent the Summit to my server, and got a Vertex2 along with an upgrade from 2GB to 8GB of ram. Nice and snappy now and I don't see the need to upgrade again for quite a while.

The Air has an SSD so it should be good that way and you can upgrade the RAM in it yourself after a while.
 
I'd say entry-level 15 inch for this fellow?

I mean, he doesn't care about portability... so why go 13" screen? The 15 is also easy to upgrade with aftermarket SSD. Sure, it is 1400 (With 4gb RAM which he def. should have) vs 1800 but since future proofing was a request...

Since long-lasting is an important aspect of his choice. Air will be fine for Lion, but what about OS X 3 years from now? The Pro with that Sandy Bridge CPU.... no problem.

I'd say the choice def. should be the pro if money isn't an issue.

Could do 13" Pro but was reluctant to suggest since I understand the screen quality isn't that great? And screen would be important aspect here.
 
I just bought a 1.4 MacBook Air 11" and by god do I love it, for every day use it is perfect, for gaming... No. But if you want a laptop for browsing the web etc it is perfect, light, battery is amazing I love it, I can't get over it, I use mine for controlling servers mainly and it's perfect. So quick, instant on etc. All I need.
 
HaukSwe said:
I'd say entry-level 15 inch for this fellow?

I mean, he doesn't care about portability... so why go 13" screen? The 15 is also easy to upgrade with aftermarket SSD. Sure, it is 1400 (With 4gb RAM which he def. should have) vs 1800 but since future proofing was a request...

Since long-lasting is an important aspect of his choice. Air will be fine for Lion, but what about OS X 3 years from now? The Pro with that Sandy Bridge CPU.... no problem.

I'd say the choice def. should be the pro if money isn't an issue.

Could do 13" Pro but was reluctant to suggest since I understand the screen quality isn't that great? And screen would be important aspect here.
Click to expand...

i dunno, for 'on the lap' browsing i find weight/size of laptop (smaller is better) to be much more important than screen size
 
Since this will be your primary system I would go with a MBP. The Air isn't upgradable and allready has significantly slower hardware which could shorten it's useable life compared to an equivalent Pro model.
 
Semidevil said:
I know that technically, the pro has higher specs (more ghz, more ram), but I just keep thinking that there is something really good that makes the air almost the same price as the pro. Is it just the thinness and the SSD drive?

The truth is that I like the air more, but I keep that I might be missing something by not getting the 'pro' version.
Click to expand...

Air is designed to be the most portable. The Pro is really on the level of a 'desktop' type.

Future proof is impossible, but the Pro will definitely win that. Being you aren't doing much a PIII would probably work though 🙂

Air is much more expensive due to the SSD and the engineering to make it the smallest possible.

The Air has extra costs too if you want a DVD player/etc.

A 13.3" pro is a nice setup.
 
GodlessAstronomer said:
Air is overpriced junk. Get a real machine. Get a MBP.
Click to expand...

the newest reiteration of the macbook air is the best laptop experience i have ever owned as a consumer. i've owned two generations of the white macbook, a 15 inch macbook pro, and now the 13 inch macbook air - granted the specced out air cost more than any of my previous machines, but i'm far more satisfied with it than i have been with any of my previous machines. it is far from overpriced junk - but to each his own.
 
macbook air is like an lotus elise - the old kind without a/c and button on top. Fun yes? Practical no. sexy? yes.

Haters gonna hate. the rest have systems in the cloud with far more power than any laptop evar.
 
ubercaffeinated said:
the newest reiteration of the macbook air is the best laptop experience i have ever owned as a consumer. i've owned two generations of the white macbook, a 15 inch macbook pro, and now the 13 inch macbook air - granted the specced out air cost more than any of my previous machines, but i'm far more satisfied with it than i have been with any of my previous machines. it is far from overpriced junk - but to each his own.
Click to expand...

I completely agree, it is perfect for someone who needs something small, sexy lightweight, good battery, for browsing the internet or remotely accessing servers etc. For me it is the perfect laptop, I have had two MBP's and I just have no use for the extra features, if I ever want to do something processor intensive I wont be doing it on the move.
 
GodlessAstronomer said:
Air is overpriced junk. Get a real machine. Get a MBP.
Click to expand...

Actually AIR is great for it's target market which is ultra portibility. That means no optical, no extras.

You get long battery life and a great screen / keyboard.

AIR is really designed to be paired up with a full-time machine though. Many buy it as that though and wonder why is slower, has no optical drive, has so little storage, etc.
 
GodlessAstronomer said:
What's the matter with you? I never said there was a comparable Windows machine. I said it's overpriced junk and the MBP is a much better buy.
Click to expand...

MBP and MBA are for two different markets. MBP is for prosumer/professional type people. MBA is for the consumer. I'm saying show me a comparable Windows machine to qualify it being overpriced.
 
ChAoTiCpInOy said:
MBP and MBA are for two different markets. MBP is for prosumer/professional type people. MBA is for the consumer. I'm saying show me a comparable Windows machine to qualify it being overpriced.
Click to expand...
I ask again - what's the matter with you? If I try to sell my boogers for $250 each, is the correct response, "well that's overpriced" or "LOLZ SHOW ME SOMEONE SELLING BOOGERZ CHEEPER THEN!!1".
 
GodlessAstronomer said:
I ask again - what's the matter with you? If I try to sell my boogers for $250 each, is the correct response, "well that's overpriced" or "LOLZ SHOW ME SOMEONE SELLING BOOGERZ CHEEPER THEN!!1".
Click to expand...

if you're trolling for the sake of trolling fine - everyone is entitled to an opinion. but chaoticpinoy is right - overpriced means that there is a comparison to two products.

YOUR booger is not worth $250 dollars. but if someone found george washington's booger, then yes, that might be worth $250 dollars to some people. but then again, you're trying to compare boogers to fine electronics.

if you had made your comment that the air was "overpriced junk" in 2008, when the first generation of it came out - i would have been inclined to agree. it was overpriced for what it was.

but this second generation of the machine is something else and i think the current rate of sales of the macbook air shows that it's not as overpriced as you think since it's selling so well:

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/04/04/apples-quasi-tablet-macbook-air/
 
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ubercaffeinated said:
if you're trolling for the sake of trolling fine - everyone is entitled to an opinion. but chaoticpinoy is right - overpriced means that there is a comparison to two products.

YOUR booger is not worth $250 dollars. but if someone found george washington's booger, then yes, that might be worth $250 dollars to some people. but then again, you're trying to compare boogers to fine electronics.

if you had made your comment that the air was "overpriced junk" in 2008, when the first generation of it came out - i would have been inclined to agree. it was overpriced for what it was.

but this second generation of the machine is something else and i think the current rate of sales of the macbook air shows that it's not as overpriced as you think since it's selling so well:

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/04/04/apples-quasi-tablet-macbook-air/
Click to expand...
For a machine with non-spectacular, non-upgradeable specs it is ovepriced, in my opinion. Like I said earlier, the OP is better off with the MBP. Just look at his requirements, they are absolutely SCREAMING MBP over MBA.

This will be my primary computer for use at home.
Click to expand...
the most travel it gets will be between rooms in my home, or from the coffee table to my thigh.
Click to expand...
I dont want it to break down
Click to expand...
I want it to be sufficient for future OS updates, etc etc
Click to expand...

Priorities: upgradeable memory/HDD (implied by that last point), robust build. Repairable (ok he didn't say this, but if the HDD dies out of warranty then "long lasting/I don't want it to break down" also implies it can be fixed without sending it away).

NOT priorities: portability

I know it's par for the course for you Apple lads to want the shiniest, flashiest thing Jobs pushes to market, but the OP would be FOOLISH to buy the MBA with his requirements.
 
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