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Already have MBP, should I get a MBA?

D

downingp

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 26, 2006
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As I am sure I am not the only one who likes to have the latest and greatest, I was wondering if the MBA was really worth getting for those of you who have one. I currently have a MBP that I use for graduate school. I only use the MBP for school. I use my iMac at home for video, photos, music, etc. i am sure the MBA would be great for school. I am just wondering how much I will be sacrificing, if at all, if I sell my MBP to get a MBA.

What do you think? Thanks.
 
downingp said:
As I am sure I am not the only one who likes to have the latest and greatest, I was wondering if the MBA was really worth getting for those of you who have one. I currently have a MBP that I use for graduate school. I only use the MBP for school. I use my iMac at home for video, photos, music, etc. i am sure the MBA would be great for school. I am just wondering how much I will be sacrificing, if at all, if I sell my MBP to get a MBA.

What do you think? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I did! Having a hard time deciding if I should sell my MacBook pro. The Air is really working well for me and for what I do its really all I need. The key is that it is so light and easy to carry around. Good luck with your decision.
 
If you have an iMac at home, it should be able to handle anything your mbp can (assuming it's a newer one). So I don't think you would need all the power the mbp has on the go when the mba should suffice for the usual 'laptop' tasks.

The mba is a companion to a powerful desktop, so if I were in your situation (I actually have a Mac Pro and had a powerbook, sold powerbook for mba) I'd get the mba.

I sold my old powerbook g4 1.5 ghz for an mba in Jan on ebay for $750, so your macbook pro should almost cover the low end mba. If you go this route, you need to sell it soon, as an iminent mbp update will lower the value.
 
I was going to get a MBP before the MBA came out. I'm glad so because I'd hate to carry around a "desktop" that I wouldn't even use. I think there's a minority of people who need so much in a portable machine. I for one do not.
 
Mercuric Oxide said:
If you have an iMac at home, it should be able to handle anything your mbp can (assuming it's a newer one). So I don't think you would need all the power the mbp has on the go when the mba should suffice for the usual 'laptop' tasks.

The mba is a companion to a powerful desktop, so if I were in your situation (I actually have a Mac Pro and had a powerbook, sold powerbook for mba) I'd get the mba.

I sold my old powerbook g4 1.5 ghz for an mba in Jan on ebay for $750, so your macbook pro should almost cover the low end mba. If you go this route, you need to sell it soon, as an iminent mbp update will lower the value.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. I am sure we are within weeks, if not next week, of seeing a MBP update.
I have a 2.2 Ghz Glossy MBP stock configuration with 3 year Applecare. How much do you think I could get for the MBP?
 
downingp said:
I was thinking the same thing. I am sure we are within weeks, if not next week, of seeing a MBP update.
I have a 2.2 Ghz Glossy MBP stock configuration with 3 year Applecare. How much do you think I could get for the MBP?
Click to expand...

Absolute minimum of $1400. If it's in perfect condition and you provide a lot of pics showing that, probably 1500+. Just go to ebay and look at similar setups for sale.
 
Do you noticed a big difference between the 15" and 13" screen size?
 
Well if it's any help I just got back form the store returning my MBP for the Air. I never really used the full power of the Pro and would rather much have the portability. I would definitely say go for it!
 
r00 said:
Well if it's any help I just got back form the store returning my MBP for the Air. I never really used the full power of the Pro and would rather much have the portability. I would definitely say go for it!
Click to expand...

If you will, let me know what you think after playing around with the MBA in comparison with the MBP.

Thanks.
 
Owning both a MBP and a MBA, I can honestly say that my MBA gets 95 % of my attention. It is perfect for carrying to meetings and lugging around. While it is lower spec'd than the MBP, I haven't noticed a drop in speed. The screen is wonderful and dosent seem to suffer from the annoying "yellow" MBP effect. I wouldn't hesitate. The MBA is a wonderful machine.
 
Flyer0815 said:
Owning both a MBP and a MBA, I can honestly say that my MBA gets 95 % of my attention. It is perfect for carrying to meetings and lugging around. While it is lower spec'd than the MBP, I haven't noticed a drop in speed. The screen is wonderful and dosent seem to suffer from the annoying "yellow" MBP effect. I wouldn't hesitate. The MBA is a wonderful machine.
Click to expand...

Thanks for replying to my thread. Your comments have certainly helped me make my decision.
Do you notice much of a difference looking at a 13" screen instead of a 15" screen?

I am going to need to sell my MBP first though.
Any takers?:)
 
downingp said:
Thanks for replying to my thread. Your comments have certainly helped me make my decision.
Do you notice much of a difference looking at a 13" screen instead of a 15" screen?

I am going to need to sell my MBP first though.
Any takers?:)
Click to expand...

Going to 13 in was really uncomfortable for me at first as I still tried to open multiple apps like on my PowerBook. But you'll learn how to work with the screen size after the first week. Also, with Leopard's Spaces, you can simply delegate a screen per program and the smaller size won't feel too cramped.

Also, going to a smaller screen size was easier on my eyes
 
downingp said:
Thanks for replying to my thread. Your comments have certainly helped me make my decision.
Do you notice much of a difference looking at a 13" screen instead of a 15" screen?

I am going to need to sell my MBP first though.
Any takers?:)
Click to expand...

Glad to help! The MBA is a great, great product. As for the screen size, there is a difference when looking at my MBP and my MBA side by side, but when im in a conference room, the screen looks big and bright, and I don't notice much lost screen real estate. The smaller footprint and weight makes it seem like it dosent exist in my briefcase. I actually think the screen looks better on my MBA than my MBP. I have the glossy 15 inch MBP btw.

Go get a MBA.. Youll love it!
 
I put my MBP up on Craigslist and was just offered $1650 within an hour of posting the ad. Should I take the offer or see what other offers I get?
 
I was skeptical of the MBA. In my work, I can upgrade regularly and my former mac is passed along to another.

I have used the MBP almost exclusively for quite some time (even though I have a 24" iMac on the desk). I had liked the Blackbook before the MBP and the screen of the Macbook was plenty for me-- actually I preferred it over the MBP. But the MBA seemed underpowered to me.

I have now used the MBA for one week and am happy to pass the MBP along. Like others, I don't noticed any slowdown. I rarely use an optical drive so that is no issue. The 80 GB HD IS an issue for me but I'm carrying an 80 GB ipod when I travel and I'm amazed how much "extra stuff" I was carrying on the MBP that I really don't need.

I would have been one of the nay-sayers one week ago but I can tell you -- it is a JOY to use and carry. Of course, if you do heavy graphic/music work, that might be an issue.

Good luck in your sale and purchase.
 
Indydenny said:
I was skeptical of the MBA. In my work, I can upgrade regularly and my former mac is passed along to another.

I have used the MBP almost exclusively for quite some time (even though I have a 24" iMac on the desk). I had liked the Blackbook before the MBP and the screen of the Macbook was plenty for me-- actually I preferred it over the MBP. But the MBA seemed underpowered to me.

I have now used the MBA for one week and am happy to pass the MBP along. Like others, I don't noticed any slowdown. I rarely use an optical drive so that is no issue. The 80 GB HD IS an issue for me but I'm carrying an 80 GB ipod when I travel and I'm amazed how much "extra stuff" I was carrying on the MBP that I really don't need.

I would have been one of the nay-sayers one week ago but I can tell you -- it is a JOY to use and carry. Of course, if you do heavy graphic/music work, that might be an issue.

Good luck in your sale and purchase.
Click to expand...

I really loathe to say this but it seems Apple knew more of what I wanted than I did. My story mirrors yours except I already had a MB black and MBP. Using the Air for over a week and haven't picked up the others except to sync mail and doc's in case the Air takes a dump on me. An absolute dream to travel with....
 
Yves Creebs said:
nope. Air blows.
Click to expand...

Care to explain why? Such bold statement and no backup?

________________________

I have and iMac, MBP, and the MBA and I love them all. I'm not selling any one of the previous Macs, because I love them all. I'm even thinking about getting a Mac Pro to replace my gaming PC. They all have their pros and cons, and MBA fills a gap/niche that Macs lacked for a while. It can do what a larger capacity Macs can do 95% of the time for practical use, in my opinion.

I love the Air... I've had it for 6 days now and can't seem to stop using it. It's a pleasure to use and I've felt the need to go back to my MBP only a few times. As a MBP owner, you know that the biggest issue with the MBP is the weight. I don't think there are many people that can hold a MBP on one edge with one hand, without struggling. Everytime I've used my MBP in bed the weight was always an issue. .. Not anymore!

My advise... You should keep your MBP along with the iMac and keep it at home for other use (like the living room or kitchen) and use your MBA for school use. You can't never have too many computers.

So, listen to all the positive comments on this forum and go get one!
 
I WANT the MBA but I do not NEED it. I do, however, NEED an MBA qualification sometimes in the future. After getting an MBA I might finally be able to afford an MBA.
 
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