[superper28]

So here's what im debating on:
Should I get the current rMBP or the recently released MBA? I am leaning towards the rMBP since I love the display.

Here's what doesn't matter to me:
The extra battery life of the new air(since I think the retina display is worthy trade off)
The portability of the new air(since both is just as portable to me)
Price (since I can get them both at about the same price)
Waiting for the new rMBP( cause the price would be too high)

Here's what I do:
A lot of typing(word, mail)
A lot of reading(PDFs, books, comics, pocket)
A lot of web browsing(safari)
iTunes and iPhoto (I like keeping my music and photo organized so I use them quite often)
Watching videos(web, vlc, QuickTime)

Here's what I don't do:
Play graphics intensive games
Video editing
Photo editing

Main concerns/questions:
Will I really feel the better performance of the air in my day to day use?
If I won't feel it's advantages now, will I feel this 2 to 3 years from now?
After 2-3 major software updates(e.g. 10.7 to 10.8), which of the 2 do you think will be slower?
Will the air be a lot more usable laptop a few years from now?
In short: a few years, and a few updates, down the road, will the performance of the air be significantly better than the current retina pro?

My current scenario:
The reason for this being my biggest concern is that I am currently using a 2010 mbp(core2duo) and on its third year, and second software update, it running really really slow. Apps takes forever to load. iPhoto and iMovie is almost unusable due to constant hanging and extreme lagging. And this is really disappointing considering i dont do any heavy(CPU wise) work. I really saw the performance get really worse really fast. I know it is party because the newer software being optimized for newer hardware but the fact that apple made it available for my machine means that it should be capable of handling it. Anyways, this is what I am trying to avoid, I want a laptop that would still be very usable 3 years down the road for my day to day use.

I would love to hear your comments and suggestions regarding my situation

[anon5664829]

You want the TLDR version?
MacBook air is for your needs however if you really do read alot then the rMBP will be better.

[anon(4698833)]

It really seems like the answer is pretty obvious in this scenario...

[grassyblue]

Honestly, an MBA would suffice for your needs but it's hard to say no to the retina. That said, if you're going for the rMBP, I'd at least wait for the next refresh later this year.