New MacBook or 13" Air?

[fridayxiii]

Sorry for posting what seems to be a somewhat redundant thread but I need some recommendations, and most other "which should I get...." threads regard the MB Pro, which isn't on my list.

I'm hoping to replace my late '09 MacBook this fall, and am considering either the 13" MB Air (with 256GB flash storage & 8MB RAM) or the new 12" MacBook with the Retina display. This will be my daily driver used at home & while traveling. I'm usually doing lightweight stuff like iTunes, email, Safari (multiple tabs), Notes, messaging, etc. No hardcore photo/video editing or gaming, though I may touch up some pics in Photos.

So with that, I guess I have two questions: 1) would the bump from 4GB to 8GB of RAM be prudent for the MBA and 2) which model? I think the Retina display of the MB would be great, but I like the fact that the MBA has multiple USB ports (not USB-C) and better battery life. But oh, a Retina display on a laptop? Want want want:biggrin:

Upgrading RAM and storage for the MBA makes the cost the same. With that, which way would you go?

 

[kch50428]

Get the one with the best specs your budget allows - most ram first...

 

[knotsure]

I just never really liked the look of the MacBook Air line. I know this isn't the most important thing when buying a new laptop, but the MacBook is very nice to look at. I bought the hdmi adapter when I bought my MacBook and it works well for me. I like the keyboard and the portability. The fanless design is a nice feature of the Intel m chip. Overall I am very happy with my MacBook. I would say the MacBook over the air and if you need more the pro series would be the one. Good luck. Look at Best Buy online, they usually have open box items. I bought my MacBook for $1066. The open box does not include some of the apps, like iMovie or GarageBand, but I saved over $200 so I bought the missing apps.