Considering a MacBook Air or Pro

[PsYcHoNeWb]

I am in a debate as which one to get. I know that iTunes and every other mac product will work about 20x better on the mac OS rather than Windows 7 which is what I have on all my computers but I cant decide if I want the light weight of Air or more disk space and more processing power of a Pro. Basically this would be what I would use it for... school work (basically documents like word, excel, ppt,) and personal use which I do web development using adobe web premium CS5.5. Basically the Adobe bundle and wanted to have iTunes with all my music on there is leading me to pick the MacBook Pro but the Air can have a 256gb SSD. So here is an open opinion... which one do you think would better suit my needs?

 

[Fausty82]

There are several questions that only you can answer:

Screen size? MBA is limited to 11" or 13". MBP offers 13", 15" and 17". The 11" MBA only offers 1366x768 resolution; the 17" MBP is 1920 x 1200.

Weight? How much are you going to haul it around as opposed to leaving it set on your desk? 11" MBA is 2.4 pounds, 13" MBA is 3 pounds. 13" MBP weigh in at 4.5, 5.6 and 6.6 pounds depending on screen size.

Processors: MBA tops out at a dual core i7 at 1.8 ghz; the 15" and 17" MPB offers quad core i7 at 2.2 ghz.

Memory: 11" MBA comes with 2GB, upgradable to 4GB; 13" MBA comes with 4GB (no upgrade from Apple); MPB all start at 4GB and max out at 8GB.

Cost: Cheapest 11" MBA is $999. Cheapest 13" MBA is $1199; MBP base prices are $1199, $1799 and $2499. Upgrades and options area available for each model to drive the price up.

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

Screen size I like the 13" size since I had that size on another computer and it was the perfect size. Weight really doesn't bother me one way or another I just don't want a brick. Cost doesn't bother me as long as it works lol... by building computers for years I have learned you get what you pay for. For what I would use it for, 4gb of RAM would be fine and I am sure that I cold get away with a dual core but quad wouldn't hurt I am sure.

 

[Fausty82]

Here's a grid that I did for a buddy who was trying to decide between MacBook Pro and MacBook Air...

 

[YEEZY]

I am in a debate as which one to get. I know that iTunes and every other mac product will work about 20x better on the mac OS rather than Windows 7 which is what I have on all my computers but I cant decide if I want the light weight of Air or more disk space and more processing power of a Pro. Basically this would be what I would use it for... school work (basically documents like word, excel, ppt,) and personal use which I do web development using adobe web premium CS5.5. Basically the Adobe bundle and wanted to have iTunes with all my music on there is leading me to pick the MacBook Pro but the Air can have a 256gb SSD. So here is an open opinion... which one do you think would better suit my needs?

Let me put this into perspective for you man. I was in the same predicament for you when I was thinking about the Pro and the Air. I use basically what you use too (CS5, FCX, Team Fortress 2). Let's say that apps will take up about 40 gb for you. Total. That gives you probably less than 80 gb to work with for your iTunes library and anything extra you would want. For me, my iTunes library right now is only like 6 gb , but I'm not worried about space at all. I realized that being frugal with your space puts you in a bad position, but at least it helps you keep your computer clean.

The good thing with the Pro is that it does have 320gb for the HD, but it isn't SSD. A solid state drive is a whole different story. I've opened all my apps and they all opened instantly. Power should not be much of an issue because of the upgrade the Pro took.

For you, I would recommend the Air only because of 3 reasons:

• Portability - I'm going to be a first year at my school in a month and I got my Air because that 1lb difference can definitely be felt. I love bringing my Air around with me wherever I go. I'd probably leave my Pro behind sometimes because of it's weight. And the books stack up on that too, so remember that.
• Screen Resolution - If you use Photoshop or anything, screen resolution is almost a must so you can edit and see the whole picture correctly. The resolution is above the standard 1200x800 resolution that the Pro has and you can always bump it down on the Air if you want to. I've tried working on both (had the Pro at school) and the Air was much easier to work with.
• PRICING - This varies a little. If you have the money, go with the Air. The extra couple hundred you want for the 256gb SSD upgrade can be spent on a 2tb external HD that can cost you 80 bucks. Way more space for a cheaper price.

I've only had my Macbook Air for a week and was, at first, a little unsure if it was right for me. But now, I have no regrets and I recommend it to anyone who can afford it.

 

[Ham Solo]

Both are great choices. I prefer the versatility of the MBP. It's nice having the optical drive, just in case.

 

[tombubi]

My vote is for the pro as you can upgrade its memory or hard disk later on if needed.

 

[PsYcHoNeWb]

MBP is the one that I am leaning more towards too. I want a 13" screen but I don't wanna skimp out on HDD and RAM so thats the most logical option.

 

[SurfinUSA]

AIR vs PRO

I say go pro. both great machines. For me personally I'm not worried about any of the macbooks being too big to carry around (they're all smaller than comparable PCs .

The tradeoff between the Pro and the Air is SIZE vs POWER. I tend to lean toward Power, like I said, no size is too big to be portable (although I have a 15" and think maybe the 17" might be too big!)

 

[Fausty82]

I say go pro. both great machines. For me personally I'm not worried about any of the macbooks being too big to carry around (they're all smaller than comparable PCs .

The tradeoff between the Pro and the Air is SIZE vs POWER. I tend to lean toward Power, like I said, no size is too big to be portable (although I have a 15" and think maybe the 17" might be too big!)

The size v power argument is not as big a deal as it used to be. For their size, the MBAs pack a decent punch, power wise. The top end dial core i7 is still pretty dope.