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Does the Macbook Air have BETTER graphics than the Macbook Pro 13?
- Thread starter yanksrock100
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What are you talking about? Other than in Windows 7 gaming benchmarks, the HD 3000 is equal to 5-10% less than the 320m. That's not "vastly subpar". That is "roughly equal".
external, external, edge case and nobody needs the last one until it actually has peripherals connecting to it.
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Hah, funny.
Don't get me wrong, I have an Air (have had 3, actually, since Jan 08 when they came out) but by the time you've loaded up your bag with a MBA, Ethernet Dongle, External Superdrive, you're pretty close to the weight of the 13" MBP.
And I've tried pushing a lot of friends towards an Air, but they use their MacBook/Pros as All-In-Ones, watching movies (DVDs) and TV (again DVDs) on them rather than on a traditional TV. Some of my friends are also often on the train a lot and want an all in one w/o having to haul out and awkwardly connect a USB superdrive.
Hence my caveat that the advice "GET A (sic) AIR" isn't always the best.
Hah, funny.
Don't get me wrong, I have an Air (have had 3, actually, since Jan 08 when they came out) but by the time you've loaded up your bag with a MBA, Ethernet Dongle, External Superdrive, you're pretty close to the weight of the 13" MBP.
And I've tried pushing a lot of friends towards an Air, but they use their MacBook/Pros as All-In-Ones, watching movies (DVDs) and TV (again DVDs) on them rather than on a traditional TV. Some of my friends are also often on the train a lot and want an all in one w/o having to haul out and awkwardly connect a USB superdrive.
Hence my caveat that the advice "GET A (sic) AIR" isn't always the best.
The thing you're missing is the average MBA owner doesn't stuff his or her bag with Ethernet dongle or USB SuperDrive. The world is moving beyond cables and optical disks, and that is what Steve Jobs means when he said next generation of MacBooks and next generation of Mac users.
If you want to connect via Ethernet and spin your disks go have fun with your MacBook. Even my desktop Macs connect via WiFi... and I don't think the average MacBook Air user gives a darn about all of the extras.
Think outside the box of the 1990s!
I agree SD, I have so gone minimalist. The iPad taught me that
I think the next MBP's will be w/o optical drive, much thinner, and have SSD drives. If you need the optical drive, get the USB version.The recent hands on at the Apple Store in Tampa was eye opening for me! The speed of the SSD is amazing. the app icons bouncing in the MBP while the HDD spins up is gone in the MBA. The MBA has come of age. Amazingly well done Apple
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Well put, indeed. When I travel I take only my MBA and its A/C adapter in my computer bag. The whole thing, bag and all, weighs no more than a 13 inch MBP weighs all by itself.
As for movies, I long ago converted most of my DVD library to MP4 files and stored them on disc. Thus, when I want to watch movies on my MBA, I don't need an optical drive. Instead, I just copy the converted movies I want to watch to the MBA. I still use my old MBP to rip discs, so I don't even own a Superdrive for the MBA.
Great thread, actually. 2 things:
My MBA 11 drives my Apple 27 Cinema display at its native resolution -- don't know how the new MBP 13 would do with that display and would be curious to hear from other users who connect the two - my MBA drives the big 27 like a champ. I use the big display at home and take the MBA on the road all the time (fly over 100k miles/year) so I take it in minimalist mode. Just my Overdrive and my MBA.
Second, if you think the SSDs are quick now, wait until Lion which will support the TRIM command. I expect that Apple is waiting until Lion is out to push SSDs across the whole MBP (and iMac) lines as a result. When that happens, things will heat up. Combine TRIM support with Ivy Bridge graphics next year across the Apple lineup and we'll have some serious machines out there guys.
I agree with other posters - if you need the onboard drive and connectivity, got MBP 13. If you need the portability and "instant on," go MBA. Benchmarks aren't enough to tip one way or the other IMO.
Cheers
My MBA 11 drives my Apple 27 Cinema display at its native resolution -- don't know how the new MBP 13 would do with that display and would be curious to hear from other users who connect the two - my MBA drives the big 27 like a champ. I use the big display at home and take the MBA on the road all the time (fly over 100k miles/year) so I take it in minimalist mode. Just my Overdrive and my MBA.
Second, if you think the SSDs are quick now, wait until Lion which will support the TRIM command. I expect that Apple is waiting until Lion is out to push SSDs across the whole MBP (and iMac) lines as a result. When that happens, things will heat up. Combine TRIM support with Ivy Bridge graphics next year across the Apple lineup and we'll have some serious machines out there guys.
I agree with other posters - if you need the onboard drive and connectivity, got MBP 13. If you need the portability and "instant on," go MBA. Benchmarks aren't enough to tip one way or the other IMO.
Cheers
TRIM support is more about maintaining SSD performance rather than improving initial performance. That said, there are developments that are making SSDs even faster. The latest MacBook Pros support the new SATA standard of 6Gb/s (twice as fast as the previous standard). Plus, controllers are getting better and better.
I agree that the 13" 2011 Pro Screen Rez should have at least been BTO-able to 1440x900, like the 13" air. Pretty inexcusable.
But the 11" air has a 16x9 rez vs the 16x10 res of the 13" Pro. Different beasts, and while pushing pixels they're pretty much a wash:
1366x768 = 1,049,088 pixels
1280x800 = 1,024,000 pixels
That's only 25,000 pixels less. 1/2 the pixels of the new iPod Nano screen. So it's less, but not *that* much less. And some people prefer the 16x10 screens vs. the 16x9 for working (and less vertical scrolling all the time!
One reason I opted for the Pro was the 16:10 screen. We get a lot of laptops in work that are 16:9 and it just doesn't look right.
The bigger reason was that as a student I live both at home and at uni during the week, so I only have one computer. A small SSD won't do it for me and I'd like as much power in a portable laptop as possible.
I think you missed my point. I said the get an air advice makes sense as long as you don't need (frequent) access to Ethernet, DVD-RW, or Firewire. And the guy responded with what amounted to "use external".
My response was then "yeah, but if you're getting an air for lightweight, ease of travel, then loading up a bag with a bunch of external stuff is gonna make it weigh as much as the MBP!
Of course the Average MBA user doesn't need to load up a bag with an external DVD-RW, Ethernet dongle, etc... lord knows I sure don't/haven't since 2008! My point was that if someone *did* do that every day, and they were actually using both frequently, I'd suggest that the MBA was the wrong machine for them.
Some people *need* the functionality of optical discs and ethernet (video professionals, pro photographers, etc...). For them, unless they can do all of their burning and transferring at night, or EOD back at the home base, the Air may not be the machine for them.
And regarding Ethernet, congrats to you for only using Wifi, but 802.11n still doesn't come close to replicating the speed of Gigabit Ethernet. My iMac and HTPC Mac Mini are both hooked up to Ethernet at home 'cause it makes transferring larger files (1GB+) between them a breeze. Something that would take 5-10mins with 802.11n takes ~1-2Min.
Totally true however unfortunately the Air adaptor doesn't have gigabit ethernet
10/100 only.Hopefully the next generation will offer Thunderbolt, and a suitable gigabit adapter.
Totally true however unfortunately the Air adaptor doesn't have gigabit ethernet
Hopefully the next generation will offer Thunderbolt, and a suitable gigabit adapter.
In practice, a 100Mb ethernet is still quite a bit faster than even a wireless n connection. That said, it only really makes a difference for large file transfers. Basic Internet browsing isn't going to see much, if any improvement.
Having owned both the 2011 MBP 13" and the base MBA, I can say that I don't notice any difference in graphics power. Albeit, I'm not a heavy gamer, and I only do light work on Photoshop/InDesign, but in everyday use, whatever differences exists, are, for me at least, negligible.
I actually returned the Air about five days after I purchased it for two reasons. Scrolling constantly became irritating, and I couldn't help feeling that I had been ripped off (don't crucify me). I have never regretted purchasing any Apple product (I've had a Macbook, Mini, and the new Pro), but I kept thinking that I had just spent $1,000 on a 1.4 ghz 5-year-old processor, 2 gigs of ram, and 64 GB SSD. I'm not a spec chaser, I just feel that if I'm dropping $1,000 on a new machine, I want a new machine (plus, I can't afford to buy a "home base" computer to sit at home). Just my two cents, don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers (although I'm sure I just did).
Anyway, when I upgrade the admittedly slow HDD in my MBP with an SSD, it'll be lightening fast.
I actually returned the Air about five days after I purchased it for two reasons. Scrolling constantly became irritating, and I couldn't help feeling that I had been ripped off (don't crucify me). I have never regretted purchasing any Apple product (I've had a Macbook, Mini, and the new Pro), but I kept thinking that I had just spent $1,000 on a 1.4 ghz 5-year-old processor, 2 gigs of ram, and 64 GB SSD. I'm not a spec chaser, I just feel that if I'm dropping $1,000 on a new machine, I want a new machine (plus, I can't afford to buy a "home base" computer to sit at home). Just my two cents, don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers (although I'm sure I just did).
Anyway, when I upgrade the admittedly slow HDD in my MBP with an SSD, it'll be lightening fast.
Assuming Apple will run out of C2D chips this year, what do others think of the possibility of this? I thought some described the Thunderbolt chip as being quite large, would it be able to be squeezed into MBA's thin case?
I was hoping for greater than USB2 data transfer rates (assuming someone makes TB peripherals).
TIM
I think it's possible, especially with the 13". The chip isn't that big, and they might make one with a smaller package specially for the ultramobile market. Also, since the Sandy Bridge GPU is integrated in the CPU the chipset might be a bit smaller than the nVidia offering.
I think part of the problem Apple had fitting a discrete GPU for example was that it needs a lot of cooling as well as space. The thunderbolt chip just needs space (I'm sure it doesn't get as hot as a GPU) and can be tucked away somewhere without airflow.
So I'm thinking yes but maybe not this year.
I'm in the camp that absolutely needs ethernet, even though rarely. Some customer sites that I visit won't allow me to do critical work via wireless. That steered me toward the MBP, but I want small and portable.. so that means 13" and then I'm up against the lost screen real estate of the MBP.
Admittedly this has had me going in circles lately. I really want to lose the bulk of my 15, as I know I'll have a smaller unit with me more often.
Yeah, if there's been one clear miss in the MacBook releases of the last year or so it's not putting the 1440x900 res in the 13" MBP (at least as a BTO). Not sure what prompted that (probably cost and/or availability of the 1440x900 screens).
Hopefully Apple includes the 1440x900 sooner rather than later, but my guess is that unless they drop in a BTO (a la the change to allow Anti-Glare BTO in the 15" MBP Unis) mid-stream, we'll probably be waiting till the 2012 Ivy Bridge MBPs before a possible Screen Res jump. :S