15" MBP and maxed out 13" MBA same price. Which one?

[coochiekuta]

people actually believe the pro is heavy? starting at around 5.5 lbs, if that is heavy then i think everyone should hit the weights.

anyway, i cant recommend the mba as an "only pc." the mba shouldnt be the only computer you own. the pro upgradability gives you some insurance for the future. if you do need more ram in the future, you can do that. if you do need more space, you can add that. if you get the extra cash and want an ssd, you can do that too.

you also have discrete graphics which enables you to run more demanding programs in the future or today. nvidia now helps with converting video, making the process that much faster.

as for the i5, its just flat out better than the c2d. turbo boost and hyperthreading gives you more "power" when you need it, if you need it. something the c2d cant do.

versatility of the pro and its power to portability ratio is what i see as the biggest advantage it has over the others. its also a durable machine. remains to be seem the reliability of this new mba but i know the old one displays had to be repaired often. it stands to reason being so thin they would be more fragile.

the mba is brand new so its more alluring. im not saying its a bad machine but its just not in the same league as the mbp.

 

[Fraaaa]

people actually believe the pro is heavy? starting at around 5.5 lbs, if that is heavy then i think everyone should hit the weights.

...

It depends how you carry it and for how long. If you have it on your shoulders, yes is heavy.

 

[rockyroad55]

It depends how you carry it and for how long. If you have it on your shoulders, yes is heavy.

Not exactly. I dropped $79 on a good north face backpack and I barely feel the weight at all, probably because I do work out and have textbooks with me at all times so it feels like everything else.

 

[BENJMNS]

It depends how you carry it and for how long. If you have it on your shoulders, yes is heavy.

agreed. not all of us like wearing backpacks as working/traveling professionals. i use a briefcase. it is noticeable chugging it around the world, airport to airport, city tocity.

 

[stylinexpat]

agreed. not all of us like wearing backpacks as working/traveling professionals. i use a briefcase. it is noticeable chugging it around the world, airport to airport, city tocity.

+1, On campus with a backpack to a young guy is most likely nothing but if you travel often there is quite a bit of a difference in weight.

 

[loslosbaby]

I'm a student and like to do the basic needs, such as Word, PPT, Excel, some games like Left for Dead 2, and a lot of web browsing and watching movies. I have no idea which to keep. I already have the 15" but keep thinking about the MBA!

I also like to think in the long run which will last me better and longer. I can't see myself do much more gaming since I have a PS3 and my current apps will stay the same, which means no video or pic editing and no dual boots.

I have a pre-uni MBP17 2.5/4/320, and I'm going to buy a MBA13. Why?

- Because its almost exactly the same general performance (geekbench)
- 4 lbs lighter
- I don't NEED the sys34 card slot
- I can use my drobo via USB
- upgrading to ADP 27, from decent Samsung 24
- don't have to buy a netbook to be "on call" to support my product
- move iTunes/iPhoto to the drobo

POOF, portability, "sit on the couch, carry it around, don't worry about the harddrive" and a warranty refresh, awesome.

I LOVE my 17, its my 3rd one, but, I realized that I can't develop on the high-rez screen without changing fonts, and when you change fonts in XCode it crashes. So, I'm giving into the dual-use nature of the computer..."Big screen at home development, small screen normal user portable"

I think that all future macs will be similar to this new MBA in terms of their I/O subsystems.

...and I'll probably like the 5lb MBP 17 core i9000000 a lot

For me, 1) I gotta have a laptop 2) I really don't want two computers

G.

 

[rockyroad55]

I have a pre-uni MBP17 2.5/4/320, and I'm going to buy a MBA13. Why?

- Because its almost exactly the same general performance (geekbench)
- 4 lbs lighter
- I don't NEED the sys34 card slot
- I can use my drobo via USB
- upgrading to ADP 27, from decent Samsung 24
- don't have to buy a netbook to be "on call" to support my product
- move iTunes/iPhoto to the drobo

POOF, portability, "sit on the couch, carry it around, don't worry about the harddrive" and a warranty refresh, awesome.

I LOVE my 17, its my 3rd one, but, I realized that I can't develop on the high-rez screen without changing fonts, and when you change fonts in XCode it crashes. So, I'm giving into the dual-use nature of the computer..."Big screen at home development, small screen normal user portable"

I think that all future macs will be similar to this new MBA in terms of their I/O subsystems.

...and I'll probably like the 5lb MBP 17 core i9000000 a lot

For me, 1) I gotta have a laptop 2) I really don't want two computers

G.

So are you selling the 17" or are you getting the MBA as a main computer? The more I come to the MBA threads every day, the more I just want to switch back.

 

[jayo123456]

^back to mbp?

why?

 

[rockyroad55]

I have a 15" now. Had an Air previously, but went to 15". Now after reading the forums, I want to go to the Air permanently. But, I'm thinking in the long-term, will the 15" serve me better than the Air?

I currently have a 180GB SSD and 4GB of ram. Runs nicely.

 

[shootingrubber]

I'm a student and like to do the basic needs, such as Word, PPT, Excel, some games like Left for Dead 2, and a lot of web browsing and watching movies. I have no idea which to keep. I already have the 15" but keep thinking about the MBA!

I also like to think in the long run which will last me better and longer. I can't see myself do much more gaming since I have a PS3 and my current apps will stay the same, which means no video or pic editing and no dual boots.

For what its worth, I ran Xbench on the base 13-inch MacBook Air at the Apple store and on the current 15-inch MacBook Pro, 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5, and their average scores were essentially the same. The MacBook Air got 157.7 and the MacBook Pro got 163. Obviously, if you put a SSD in the MacBook Pro and you get a whole different story. Next time I am back there I will disable the disk test on both machines and see how they compare.

I sold my MacBook Pro and iPad to get the base iMac refurbished and the base 13-inch MBA with 4GB of RAM. Couldn't be happier with my decision.

 

[rockyroad55]

I got an xbench score of 256.66

Is that good enough to keep my MBP instead of an air?

 

[miata]

AnandTech has done some pretty good benchmarks. I just wish they compared maxed out systems with SSDs in the MBPs.

 

[gwsat]

I got a maxed out 13 inch MBA to replace my MBP. The MBA has turned out to be the functional equivalent of the 17 inch MBP, which it replaced, but the MBA weighs less than half as much as the MBP. For those who place a premium on mobile computing the MBA is the only answer. The additional power of the MBP, which won't benefit the great bulk of users anyway, comes at the price of significantly greater size and weight. Those who say that those differences are insignificant, and those who say otherwise should "go to a gym," are merely showing that they have no real world experience using an ultra lightweight computer like the MBA. It's their delusion. To each his own.

 

[KPOM]

people actually believe the pro is heavy? starting at around 5.5 lbs, if that is heavy then i think everyone should hit the weights.

Yes, it's heavy. Just because 5.5 lbs is what passes in the midrange Windows world as "thin and light" doesn't mean that the Pro is light.

Apparently you haven't used a 3 lb Air or a 2.3 lb 13" air, or carried it as a second PC. Since I purchased my original MacBook Air in 2008, I've carried it in the front pocket of my computer case along with my standard-issue 5.5 lb Windows PC while traveling. I couldn't do that with a 5.5 lb 1" thick MacBook Pro.

 

[BENJMNS]

I got a maxed out 13 inch MBA to replace my MBP. The MBA has turned out to be the functional equivalent of the 17 inch MBP, which it replaced, but the MBA weighs less than half as much as the MBP. For those who place a premium on mobile computing the MBA is the only answer. The additional power of the MBP, which won't benefit the great bulk of users anyway, comes at the price of significantly greater size and weight. Those who say that those differences are insignificant, and those who say otherwise should "go to a gym," are merely showing that they have no real world experience using an ultra lightweight computer like the MBA. It's their delusion. To each his own.

bingo get this man a prize

 

[BENJMNS]

Yes, it's heavy. Just because 5.5 lbs is what passes in the midrange Windows world as "thin and light" doesn't mean that the Pro is light.

Apparently you haven't used a 3 lb Air or a 2.3 lb 13" air, or carried it as a second PC. Since I purchased my original MacBook Air in 2008, I've carried it in the front pocket of my computer case along with my standard-issue 5.5 lb Windows PC while traveling. I couldn't do that with a 5.5 lb 1" thick MacBook Pro.

let me also add that for travelers, you can stick your mba 11 or 13 in the seat back pocket of a coach airline seat whereas with any mbp, the flight attendant will give you flack for it say it's not designed to support that kinda bulk/weight. serious

 

[miata]

let me also add that for travelers, you can stick your mba 11 or 13 in the seat back pocket of a coach airline seat whereas with any mbp, the flight attendant will give you flack for it say it's not designed to support that kinda bulk/weight. serious

If you work for a large company you can also send the Airs around in inter-office envelopes. Try that with a Pro

 

[treynolds]

I hemmed and hawed all over on this one, even though I'm not a student. I ended up with the maxed-out 13" MBA, but ONLY because it's a secondary computer. My primary is a 27" iMac. You may want to keep that 15" MBP as a primary because you can do more with it. For general use, you'll be happy with the MBA, but if you need more power you *might* regret giving up the MBP. YMMV...

 

[loslosbaby]

15" MBP and maxed out 13" MBA same price. Which one?

So are you selling the 17" or are you getting the MBA as a main computer? The more I come to the MBA threads every day, the more I just want to switch back.

I'm most-def selling the MBP17, and I intend to have a MBA13-ultimate+ACD27 be my primary computer.

The ultimate MBA13 scores exactly the same as my MacBook4,1 2.5GHz/4Gig/320Gig machine currently (geekbench).

Here's why I'm selling: 1) 4 mos on apple care left 2) MacBook4,1 w/8600 is 3, 4 gens back? 3) Wanted 8Gb anyways due to previous extensive use of VMWare 4) won't run displayport displays 5) I am "on call" for my new product, and was going to get a netbook to support it (eclipse, java (which!?), terminal, e-mail are all I need for that).

I got the MBP17 as a refurb, got a great price, I can get out of it net -400$, for almost 3 yrs service, astounding, never a warranty claim. Sounds like a good time to do it.

I LOVE 17's, its awesome, I am a big guy, big hands, wide shoulders, big arms etc., but, I treat the thing like a land-mine...I never ever walk around with it on, full-hibernate or sleep it before moving, set down, restart, whole shebang. I'd like to have a slightly less restricted, more casual "iPad like" couch/bed/car etc. computer experience in general...but (here's the punchline)...

...I'd love to go back to a 4 core i9, 5.5lb, GeForce 888 17" MBP with a whole more hour of battery, lightpeak, DVD or secondary SSD in same bay, 2-System card slot equipped system with an IPS display in 18-24 months.

I think the MBA is the new way of things, and this is how Apple will pull away (for a little while) from the competition with quieter, faster, cooler, sturdier, computers with more endurance.

No moving parts except keys and fans(tm).

G.

 

[aberrero]

A maxed out MBA doesn't make sense. If you need all that power, get the 15" MBP. if you don't need all that power, then why waste money maxing it out?

 

[rockyroad55]

Finally talked to apple about an exchange. They said I need to pay a restocking fee. I woul have hoped they could waive it but I guess I have to stick with my 15 beast for now.

 

[shootingrubber]

Finally talked to apple about an exchange. They said I need to pay a restocking fee. I woul have hoped they could waive it but I guess I have to stick with my 15 beast for now.

Go talk to someone else. You will find someone who will waive it eventually.

 

[rockyroad55]

Go talk to someone else. You will find someone who will waive it eventually.

Should I go to another store or call them again?

 

[gwsat]

A maxed out MBA doesn't make sense. If you need all that power, get the 15" MBP. if you don't need all that power, then why waste money maxing it out?

Based on personal experience, a maxed out 13 inch MBA makes a lot of sense. I bought mine in hopes that it could replace my MBP, although the MBP had 6GB of RAM and could simultaneously ran Windows 7 and a couple of Windows apps in VMware Fusion's Unity mode, along with a half dozen OS X apps. my maxed out 13 inch MBA handles all of that as well as the old MBP ever did. Thus, I am sure you understand why I categorically reject the notion that "A maxed out MBA doesn't make sense."

 

[darngooddesign]

For everyone judging by benchmark scores, you need to look at the diskbased and non-diskbased scores separately unless both machines have an SSD.