13" MBA vs. 13" MBP 2011 Review

[MrXiro]

I'm debating between a 13" MacBook Air and a 13" MacBook Pro w/SSD (128 GB).

With education pricing (my work is currently paying for me to take a class for a certification at a local college), the pricing difference is only $75.

I get a Thunderbolt port, i5 processor, more RAM, and upgradeability.

I don't care about the DVD drive. I may even consider using an aftermarket add-on to convert it in to a second hard drive bay.


Tradeoffs: weaker GPU, weaker screen resolution (actually kind of a big deal), thicker.

Primary usage: XCode, Photoshop CS5, and multiple Virtual Machines running Windows Server 2008 for learning purposes (working on my AD certification). Possibly some FCP.


Should I give the Air any consideration, or is it too light for this usage? Again, keep in mind, I'm talking about a MBP with a SSD.

For me I think it's better to get the MBP w/SSD. You can have up to 16gb of RAM. MUCH faster processor, same battery life... and you can have close to a terabyte of storage if you put a 750gb HDD in the Optical bay and get a 256gb SSD. You don't seem to be gaming at all so the gpu means little to nothing... and you can still hook up to a high-res external monitor for when you HAVE to have the higher resolution. Do it clamshell mode if you find the lower res 13 inch too small.

I'm personally holding out for the Ivy Bridge MBP and hoping they will have a better screen.

 

[alecgold]

No, the battery life hasn't changed. Apple's test method has changed. They used to use a test that the MBP could run for ten hours, now they use a test that it can only run for seven hours.

Has been posted before, but thanks for pointing it out again.

Nonsense. With hard disk drives, the factors affecting performance are: RPM (the more, the better). Data per platter (the more, the better, so a 750 GB drive will be a lot faster than a 250 GB drive). Percentage of space used (the less, the better. So the same data on a larger disk will fill a smaller percentage of the disk and therefore be faster).

I don't agree with you, large disks are not the fastest. RPM does a whole lot more as you posted, but could you find an 1Tb 2.5" 10k rpm disks? Try a 7200rpm, not that easy as well. Where there are enough 750Gb disks that run at 7200rpm. And you can find 500/600Gb spinning at 10k.
There fore I could conclude that the HDD's are slower as they get bigger. And not a little bit slower.
And if you want 10k rpm performance of a HD, don't put to much on battery life, because it will deteriorate.

 

[chapmac]

I have been on the fence for a while between the air and the pro to replace my ageing blackbook. I have been in the fortunate position of being able to borrow both an MBA ultimate and a 13" pro from a couple of my students to give them a test for a few hours in my own 'real world' environment. (I am a lecturer)

My typical usage will involve 'office' type tasks with up to a dozen or so documents/spreadsheets/powerpoints open along with email and a browser with half a dozen or so tabs open. I will almost always have Windows XP running under VMware going at the same time as I teach a lot of Ms Access. I also use it as a personal machine and watch quite a lot of internet TV on it.

No question that both machines can handle these needs easily - my blackbook can - where it struggles is anything video related where the fans will get pretty noisy (it has the x3100 graphics). No such problems with either of the machines I borrowed.

What made the difference for me was the screen - the extra resolution of the air actually made much bigger difference that I thought and on a day to day basis will make it much more useful/pleasurable to use. My conclusion was that whenever the machine is being used I will be looking at the screen, and ultimately this is of more value to me than the loss of the backlit keyboard, DVD drive and ethernet.

But....I am planning to keep this machine for 4 years (would get the 1.86/4). Predicting usage that far out is difficult and I'm not sure how well a C2D will handle my needs in 2014....

So my decision is to wait. If the MBP gets a high res BTO for the 13" that will be my choice, if the MBA gets a more powerful Sandy Bridge processor then that will be the way I'll go. I'd just hope they do one of those things soon before the blackbook finally gives up on me.

D.

 

[kazmac]

thanks again HP

I guarantee you, you won't be upset if you get the 13" Ultimate. Even I don't have the Ultimate configuration and this thing performs very nicely.

As far as the glossy screen goes, I don't notice it as much as I noticed the glossy effect on the MacBook Pro's.

I love the 13" MBP, but don't want to return a second unit if the sleep issues persist. Yes, it's a little too heavy for me. Otherwise, perfect.

The glossy screen is no longer an issue (yay!). But good to know the glossy is a bit less on the MBPs/iMacs.

And with the new dvd/cd sharing feature between Macs, don't need the Super Drive.

I'll know tomorrow. The Resolution is about the only thing holding me back now...

 

[adztaylor]

Everyone has different needs, both are extremely good machines. But for me I chose the 13" MBP because I dabble in HandBrake and thats where the processor comes in. I love the backlit keyboard, I very occasionally use the optical drive and I prefer the colours on the MBP display.

I plan to upgrade to an SSD when I have the money, the machine is no slouch don't get me wrong. But I want to make the thing fly . The MBA has its pluses and looks beautiful. Just thought I'd give some insight as to why I chose my MBP. Don't regret it at all. Love it.

 

[gwsat]

I guarantee you, you won't be upset if you get the 13" Ultimate. Even I don't have the Ultimate configuration and this thing performs very nicely.

As far as the glossy screen goes, I don't notice it as much as I noticed the glossy effect on the MacBook Pro's.

I agree. I have had the 13 inch Ultimate MBA for the better part of 6 months. I have used Mac laptops for 8 years and the MBA is the best yet.

The MBA's screen is not really glossy, it seems to me. While the MBA's display is not matte and is therefore not truly antiglare, as a practical matter it is dramatically less reflective than glass covered MBP screens. I am very sensitive to screen glare but it has never been a problem with the MBA.

 

[mac jones]

I use an 11" base model all the time. I don't need anything else. I just do web and read PDF's and what movies.

I don't even want the 13", or the faster 11".

I own others but really don't need them and will sell them eventually, if I don't use them for what I originally planned.

That's the thing. Plans change, etc.....

 

[kazmac]

thanks for the clarification gwsat

I agree. I have had the 13 inch Ultimate MBA for the better part of 6 months. I have used Mac laptops for 8 years and the MBA is the best yet.

The MBA's screen is not really glossy, it seems to me. While the MBA's display is not matte and is therefore not truly antiglare, as a practical matter it is dramatically less reflective than glass covered MBP screens. I am very sensitive to screen glare but it has never been a problem with the MBA.

I thought it was a bit less glossy than the iMac/MBPs/ACDs.

It's nice to hear from you, gwsat. In my scanning of the MBA forums, your posts come up a lot. I appreciate the information from a variety of MBA users both experienced and new alike. It makes me feel much more comfortable as I ease into MBA land. And the reduction of screen glare for the MBA is another huge plus (the money is no longer an issue).

I'm leaning toward an exchange for an Air tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. Crossing my fingers that the 13" Air will fit in one of the Thule sleeves (if not the 13" then the 15" - I love that sleeve).

And I agree that MBPs and MBAs are both excellent machines, the choice is up to the individual user. I really respect the MBPs. I'm a little surprised the anti-glare display backfired in my case, but live and learn.

 

[Help Please]

I love the 13" MBP, but don't want to return a second unit if the sleep issues persist. Yes, it's a little too heavy for me. Otherwise, perfect.

The glossy screen is no longer an issue (yay!). But good to know the glossy is a bit less on the MBPs/iMacs.

And with the new dvd/cd sharing feature between Macs, don't need the Super Drive.

I'll know tomorrow. The Resolution is about the only thing holding me back now...

Resolution was a HUGE thing for me too. Like I said in my review, I had only used laptops with screen resolutions of 1920x1080, so when I went to a 13" MacBook Pro, the change was very noticeable and I hated it right away.

IMO, the screen resolution is one of the greatest things on the Air. However, if the Pro had the High-res screen, it would probably make a lot of peoples decisions easier.

 

[Help Please]

I have been on the fence for a while between the air and the pro to replace my ageing blackbook. I have been in the fortunate position of being able to borrow both an MBA ultimate and a 13" pro from a couple of my students to give them a test for a few hours in my own 'real world' environment. (I am a lecturer)

My typical usage will involve 'office' type tasks with up to a dozen or so documents/spreadsheets/powerpoints open along with email and a browser with half a dozen or so tabs open. I will almost always have Windows XP running under VMware going at the same time as I teach a lot of Ms Access. I also use it as a personal machine and watch quite a lot of internet TV on it.

No question that both machines can handle these needs easily - my blackbook can - where it struggles is anything video related where the fans will get pretty noisy (it has the x3100 graphics). No such problems with either of the machines I borrowed.

What made the difference for me was the screen - the extra resolution of the air actually made much bigger difference that I thought and on a day to day basis will make it much more useful/pleasurable to use. My conclusion was that whenever the machine is being used I will be looking at the screen, and ultimately this is of more value to me than the loss of the backlit keyboard, DVD drive and ethernet.

But....I am planning to keep this machine for 4 years (would get the 1.86/4). Predicting usage that far out is difficult and I'm not sure how well a C2D will handle my needs in 2014....

So my decision is to wait. If the MBP gets a high res BTO for the 13" that will be my choice, if the MBA gets a more powerful Sandy Bridge processor then that will be the way I'll go. I'd just hope they do one of those things soon before the blackbook finally gives up on me.

D.

If I had the option to wait, I probably would have as well. But for me and what I do with my Air, the current lineup was about perfect. While the C2D is aging and is far from future proof, it is still a well performing CPU. For a lot of people, the refresh will be a trade off. For the gamers, it will be a bit of a disappointment with Intel's HD 3000 graphics, but for the non-gamers it will be a very nice boost in performance with the addition with Sandy Bridge.

As far as resolution goes, I agree 100%. The Air's screen compared to that of the Pro is in a completely different league. I just don't know if Apple would add the High-Res option to the Pro, only because of marketing. Take away a huge advantage of the Air over the Pro and a lot less people are going to want to buy the Air.

 

[jvmxtra]

Agreed. That's exactly why this wasn't a huge issue for me. Some people on these forums act like not having a backlit keyboard is truly the end of the world.

for me it is

 

[johnnyturbouk]

MBP hands down

altho im thinkin now of selling my ipad2 and getting a 11" MBA in the not so distant future for portability and work

 

[chapmac]

As far as resolution goes, I agree 100%. The Air's screen compared to that of the Pro is in a completely different league. I just don't know if Apple would add the High-Res option to the Pro, only because of marketing. Take away a huge advantage of the Air over the Pro and a lot less people are going to want to buy the Air.

I suspect its marketing and it's going to really interesting to see how Apple manipulates us over the coming months.

Stick Sandy bridge in the air and it move people from the pro --> air
Stick a high res in the MBP 13" and it will move people from air --> pro .
Put either in a white Macbook and it will steal sales form both.

Just love the way apple forces us to choose and never quite manages to give us the perfect machine (here's hoping).

 

[kazmac]

Thank you again Help Please

Went with the 13" Ultimate Air.

Your review was spot on (you nailed the speaker differences perfectly.

I'll have more to stay once I set up file sharing but the 13" Air is the first non-iMac Apple computer I feel could finally become my primary computer after 12 years of iMac loyalty.

Thanks again!

 

[Help Please]

Went with the 13" Ultimate Air.

Your review was spot on (you nailed the speaker differences perfectly.

I'll have more to stay once I set up file sharing but the 13" Air is the first non-iMac Apple computer I feel could finally become my primary computer after 12 years of iMac loyalty.

Thanks again!

Great choice! I hope you enjoy it

 

[MrXiro]

Went with the 13" Ultimate Air.

Your review was spot on (you nailed the speaker differences perfectly.

I'll have more to stay once I set up file sharing but the 13" Air is the first non-iMac Apple computer I feel could finally become my primary computer after 12 years of iMac loyalty.

Thanks again!

I'm curious how the speaker compares to that of the 15 inch MBP.

 

[Help Please]

I'm curious how the speaker compares to that of the 15 inch MBP.

Good question. One I don't know the answer to.

 

[kazmac]

I don't either

Good question. One I don't know the answer to.

Didn't test the speakers on the 15" MBP I had for all of 2 days last week. So I can't answer that.

 

[FOX160]

Really depends what you need to what both machines have to offer.

Myself I went for the Mac Book Pro as it works better for myself
i needed the overall power of the i5 as I use it for my
Contour 1080 HD head cam,plus using aperture 3 and using other programs
at the same time.
The screen seems fine side by side both machines and only noticed the two finishes. But not bothered has i load all vid footage and pics on location
and do all my editing back at home using the samsung SyncMaster 2333HD.

The lit up keyboard was another winner

Was not interested in faster start times i prefer the run time
speed between open software.
zero interested in vid games as i use a Playstation 3 for that.

So for me the MBP i5 is the better beast and also able to be more
future proof at present being the MBA must be up for an update
soon, so for now i would go for the MBP i5

 

[SR71]

You see, I'm not used to high-res screens. My 18.5" monitor is only 1366x768, but it looks bad when its on that res so I had to lower it to 1280x768 and it looks fine to me. If I get a 13.3" MBA I'd be able to see MORE on the 13.3" screen than I can on my 18.5" screen. To me, that is AMAZING! And if I were to et the 11" screen, I'd be able to see the same as I see on my current 18.5" screen which is also amazing to me!

You guys are all spoiled with your Cinema Displays and such.

I was planning on buying a 27" Full HD HP Monitor for my PC and even then, the res is only 1920x1080, compared to the Cinema Display's 2560x1440. That to me, is insane and whenever I go to my local Apple Store, it never ceases to amaze me.

 

[TSE]

If the 13" MacBook Pro had switchable graphics, even a low-midrange card that is 20-30% better than the integrated graphics, I would have bought one already. The Intel graphics are borderline what I need, but I would much rather buy a Thinkpad X220 which has the same build quality, much longer battery life, and the same performance for $100-$200 cheaper.

 

[entatlrg]

If the 13" MacBook Pro had switchable graphics, even a low-midrange card that is 20-30% better than the integrated graphics, I would have bought one already. The Intel graphics are borderline what I need, but I would much rather buy a Thinkpad X220 which has the same build quality, much longer battery life, and the same performance for $100-$200 cheaper.

The screen sucks on the X220 as it does with most Thinkpads.

 

[TSE]

Are you kidding me? The IPS option was included in the price I gave, and it is IPS... A lot superior to any of the MacBook Pro Screens from a quality standpoint.

 

[DarwinOSX]

s-from-here/[/url] .... about 4 lines down they say that there may be NO hardware related announcements at WWDC (June) and most likely will be in their Fall event.
)

New hardware is not usually announced at WWDC anyway. i expect when the new MBA comes out it will simply show up on the web site available for sale. Bummer that it will have an HD 3000 though.

 

[DarwinOSX]

Only thing I noticed is that idisk synchronizing really takes a bite out of my time if I need to re-synch the whole 5,5Gb.

iDisk is dog slow to the point of being almost unusable. Try Dropbox or Sugarsync.