Macbook Pro vs Macbook Air

[captainfunk]

Teger what will you be using your computer for? Most people that dont use their computer for work (photo/video/graphics/games—computing intensive things) dont need a pro. Plus, the air is drop dead sexy.

Lastly, have you ever used an SSD? The boot time and basic operation of the air is so much faster with the air. Certainly you're getting much less storage place, but many of my friends have gone Air lately and never looked back.

 

[dfagdfsh]

yea im gonna get an air. quick q: do i have to buy a superdrive, or will any usb 2.0 external work just as well?

 

[Despos]

Good decision. Laptop design is moving towards the Air. Keep your macbook and use it for the optical drive. Storage on your machine isn't a big deal with iCloud and iTunes match. Into the 5th year with a macbook pro, it was the first one built with Intel processor. Waiting for a 15" Air. Try to get a new device at the beginning or first upgrade of a new design to get maximum life span. Like getting a BMW when the body style first changes rather than just before the change.

 

[stevent]



yea im gonna get an air. quick q: do i have to buy a superdrive, or will any usb 2.0 external work just as well?

I use this Samsung one from Amazon. Half the price of the super drive and I have not had any issues so far.

 

[amnesiacv2]



yea im gonna get an air. quick q: do i have to buy a superdrive, or will any usb 2.0 external work just as well?

Any USB external drive should work. LG, Samsung, Pioneer all make good ones and you can get them for $30-40 from Newegg or Amazon.

Also, you made an excellent choice. My wife got a MB Air and despite it costing less than half as much as my MB Pro from 2009, it runs circles around my computer thanks to the SSD. That makes all the difference. Also, 7 hours of battery life is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[pebblegrain]



Pro. And here is why:
While the Air is super portable and light, that is its only saving grace. The Pro has far more ports, including SDXC instead of just SD on the Air. Far more powerful, which is important if you want the computer to last and 2-3 years. Huge hardrive difference, and the bigger the hd the better. It has a DVDR slot, which may or may not matter to you. RAM is upgradable on the Pro (officially 8GB, but will accept up to 16GB), again helping the computer keep up over time. Also, i7 > i5. MY opinion is based on ready-made base models and not configuring anything. But even then, the Pro is better.

I would say the exact opposite. There is no ******* way I would get a brick like a Macbook Pro over the Air.

For non-technical people the overall speed difference is negligible (flame away but you know I'm right). Basically if you have more GB than the Air's SSD capacity and cannot under any circumstance use an external HD, then you need the Pro for the bigger drive.

Also, I ******* hate optical drives on laptops. Maybe you are different and want to fire up your DVD of Friends Season 4 The Final Hookup while sitting on the Greyhound, not me.

 

[imageWIS]



yea im gonna get an air. quick q: do i have to buy a superdrive, or will any usb 2.0 external work just as well?

Congrats on making a decision, Air or Prop, you will be happy with the hardware and software at the end of the day

I have an old external Sony DVD-R that I hook up to my 2011 mini, which also doesn't have a DVD drive and it works perfectly. The nice thing about the external superdrive is the compact size, however if you can find a smaller / cheaper drive, get that.

 

[Rambo]

Any external drive will work.

 

[imageWIS]



I would say the exact opposite. There is no ******* way I would get a brick like a Macbook Pro over the Air.
For non-technical people the overall speed difference is negligible (flame away but you know I'm right). Basically if you have more GB than the Air's SSD capacity and cannot under any circumstance use an external HD, then you need the Pro for the bigger drive.

No one is saying that the Air isn't far more portable and lighter than the Pro, and yes for the average person, the tech specs of the Pro are overkill, however I took into consideration that he wanted to keep the computer for 2-3 years, which the Pro will fare better over the course of that time because of the better specs. Its a give and take: lighter computer, lower specs or heavier computer, and better specs.

Also, I ******* hate optical drives on laptops. Maybe you are different and want to fire up your DVD of Friends Season 4 The Final Hookup while sitting on the Greyhound, not me.

I stated that it may or may not matter to him. To each his / her own

 

[impolyt_one]

I broke my wife's Macbook. Gotta go buy her a new one right now. Which do I buy, the 13" Air or 13" Pro?

 

[GreenFrog]

I'd go for a fully spec'd 13" air.

 

[stevent]

No need for an i7, 13 standard unless she has a lot of music/movies

 

[impolyt_one]

do they still sell the white one?

 

[GreenFrog]

you mean the regular macbook? nope.

 

[stevent]



you mean the regular macbook? nope.

It's still sold to schools and some developing countries I think