decision decisions! Mac n00b

[rayjay86]

I'm finally taking the plunge. I already own an iPhone and an iPad...why not get a Mac to finish it off. I'm really interested in the Air for portability. I'm starting grad school in a few months so I don't want to wait for the rumored "next line of MBP" that are coming out.

That being said, I can't decide between getting a MBA-13 (256gb) or the MBP-13 ($1599). They are basically the same price but obviously different and I can't choose.

One seasoned Mac friend of mine said "the MBP will give you a more rounded computing experience while the MBA is super portable".

I don't play games but do use Photoshop CS5 and Photomatix a lot for photo editing and I obviously watch lots of HD movies on my computer (whenever a TV isn't around to plug in to). Obviously word processing, skype, email etc. will be important as well.

I guess I'm just lost as to which the better buy is. I think the i5 MBA would be sufficient and I've been reading people saying the i7 heats up a lot, so for the price savings I'd be comparing the top of the line MBA-13 with the top of the line MBP-13.

Any insights are really appreciated.
Cheers

 

[PecanEater]

You really need to ask yourself if there is anything you really need on the MBP. Do you need the optical drive? If there isn't I'd go with the Air.

 

[Pogopuschel]

I completely agree with PecanEater. I don't seen any reason for getting a MBP except if there is anything in it that you absolutely need.

Do you need a 500GB hard disk to carry around with you? Do you need a faster CPU? Do you need the extra connectivity ports and a built-in DVD drive? Do you need the HD camera?

If you can say no to all of these questions it's time to get an MBA. All the applications you mentioned above an MBA will handle just fine and gives you extra portability, a higher resolution and a SSD drive.

 

[rayjay86]

Thanks for the insight guys.

One last question: is it worth it to get the i7 versus the stock i5 and will I really notice the difference with what I'm doing. I guess I'm a little confused about the whole ssd thing being faster but there being faster processors.

Will the SSD be faster when I am transferring files but the processor matter when I am converting mkv to mp4 for instance?

Thanks

 

[596123]

Thanks for the insight guys.

One last question: is it worth it to get the i7 versus the stock i5 and will I really notice the difference with what I'm doing. I guess I'm a little confused about the whole ssd thing being faster but there being faster processors.

Will the SSD be faster when I am transferring files but the processor matter when I am converting mkv to mp4 for instance?

Thanks

I've read many, many posts over the last few days that say save your money as you will hardly notice the difference. If you are importing and exporting HD video your loading and rendering times will be a bit better, but not much more.

 

[rayjay86]

Awesome thanks a bunch. Looks like I'm going with my first ever mac!

 

[Obscurelight]

Go for it. and congratulations in advance

 

[ZBoater]

These things are not cheap. If you can afford it, get the most computer you can. The more memory, storage, and processor you get, the more you extend the machines usefulness into the future.

If you can't afford it, then the point is moot. Buy the most computer you can, and once you do, don't look back.