Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Macbook Air or wait for new MBP
- Thread starter drchipinski
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Depends on what you want. If style and portability are up there for you and of course if you want SSD then MBA is your answer. I like the analogy that the MBA is the 3 series BMW and the MBP is the 5 series BMW. Looks and quality of the 5 series, some of the features, some differences, less power.
I would think MBA is like the 3 series BMW, MB like the 5 series and the MBP is the 7 series.
3: fast & light
5: faster & good for everyday's jobs
7: fastest & perfect
for intensiv useI would think MBA is like the 3 series BMW, MB like the 5 series and the MBP is the 7 series.
3: fast & light
5: faster & good for everyday's jobs
7: fastest & perfect
The reason why I don't compare the MBA, MBP at all to the MB is because of the design differences and craftsmanship.
The MB is in its own brand. No BMW designation suits it since it lacks craftsmanship and design as well as some features.
Unless of course the MB version BMW comes with cloth seats and no idrive option and has the maneuvering capability of a japanese car instead of german
I am looking to use it for work presentations/marketing but would like a computer that is easy to transport to the office and to clients' offices as well.
MBP 2Ghz Core Duo - 2G Ram
I'm in the same boat. I actually use this system for work. I have XP installed and use Fusion to RDP into my work system.
Now I do this to maintain two separate environments since VPN'ing in OS X keeps me off my home network.
In any case I have seen the numbers and very curious from anyone else with my current system that has purchased and AIR and doesn't feel they gave up ANY in speed.
I know all the limitation, I am curious ONLY about the speed compared to MBP.
If I could by the 1.8 HDD then I would if it was on par speed wise, but I have a feeling that going to the SSD would give me a faster UI experience than my current systems.
Look forward to your experiences.
I'm in the same boat. I actually use this system for work. I have XP installed and use Fusion to RDP into my work system.
Now I do this to maintain two separate environments since VPN'ing in OS X keeps me off my home network.
In any case I have seen the numbers and very curious from anyone else with my current system that has purchased and AIR and doesn't feel they gave up ANY in speed.
I know all the limitation, I am curious ONLY about the speed compared to MBP.
If I could by the 1.8 HDD then I would if it was on par speed wise, but I have a feeling that going to the SSD would give me a faster UI experience than my current systems.
Look forward to your experiences.
MBA.
I run my company from whatever computer I intend to use. I have been using my MBA for all my corporate needs.
I love the size of the Air, love the back-lit keyboard, but I also do not want to buy 2 year old technology....I would rather not have to replace this every year and half or so...
This isn't two year old technology. Packaging the MBA required modern tech and ingenuity. Maybe raw horsepower it is weaker, but classifying it as 2 year old tech is way exaggerated.
Seriously, the Air is just bad ass. The keyboard is a pleasure to type on, the screen is the BEST most vivid screen I have ever seen on any laptop -- or desktop. I think it looks sharper and more vivid than my 20" Aluminum iMacs!
Of course if you have the needs that require a Pro, such as firewire ports, DVD burner on the go, heavy video editing, etc. the Air is not for you.
But if you are looking for a great laptop with a great screen and keyboard, solid construction, and overall just bad ass, the Air works.
It's also not very slow at all. I have been using it all night yesterday and it loads everything I need it to pretty decently.
Of course if you have the needs that require a Pro, such as firewire ports, DVD burner on the go, heavy video editing, etc. the Air is not for you.
But if you are looking for a great laptop with a great screen and keyboard, solid construction, and overall just bad ass, the Air works.
It's also not very slow at all. I have been using it all night yesterday and it loads everything I need it to pretty decently.
Especially when Intel specifically shrunk the chip for Apple. I'd consider that new technology.
I would think MBA is like the 3 series BMW, MB like the 5 series and the MBP is the 7 series.
3: fast & light
5: faster & good for everyday's jobs
7: fastest & perfect
Hah!
The MBA is the 135...
The MB is the 328i...
The MBP is the M3...
Hah!
The MBA is the 135...
The MB is the 328i...
The MBP is the M3...
MB is Lexus, the rest are BMW, there, settled.
waiting is trivial
I myself as most comsumers had the dilemma. I just laid it to rest today as I purchased the Macbook Air 1.8 GHz model. I basically told my self and it is true with all technology consumer products.
"I can wait for the next ?whatever? but as soon as I purchase that it is obsolete and the next ?whatever? is only 3 months away so I will wait"
It is a death loop, you will be waiting for ever for that perfect thing and technology is not slowing down. I am sure by May there will be a Macbook Air with a larger SSD hard drive or some new chip built in but for me it was simple.
I can drive myself crazy waiting or be happy today with a purchase. Remember, I am pretty sure the Air will have a decent resale value if doesn't work out.
But like everyone else states, the Air is in a class of its own and should not be compared to the Macbook or Macbook Pro. All I can say is that I am happy with my extremely expensive purchase. The question with me is "for how long"
I myself as most comsumers had the dilemma. I just laid it to rest today as I purchased the Macbook Air 1.8 GHz model. I basically told my self and it is true with all technology consumer products.
"I can wait for the next ?whatever? but as soon as I purchase that it is obsolete and the next ?whatever? is only 3 months away so I will wait"
It is a death loop, you will be waiting for ever for that perfect thing and technology is not slowing down. I am sure by May there will be a Macbook Air with a larger SSD hard drive or some new chip built in but for me it was simple.
I can drive myself crazy waiting or be happy today with a purchase. Remember, I am pretty sure the Air will have a decent resale value if doesn't work out.
But like everyone else states, the Air is in a class of its own and should not be compared to the Macbook or Macbook Pro. All I can say is that I am happy with my extremely expensive purchase. The question with me is "for how long"
The current MBPs are significantly more powerful than the Air -- the update will likely be even more so. The MBP updates may also add additional multi-touch gestures to the track pad, and possibly an SSD option. So...the Air if you want thin, light, super-portable goodness. If multi-touch and SSD matter to you maybe wait until the Pro update is announced so you know what the comparison is. If you want a fast and large HDD and maximum processor power, the MBP is for you...
For some reason I cannot picture the new trackpad and SSD option for the MBP update. Especially the SSD option. 64GB SSD seems like a dumb option for a machine targeted towards people going crazy with huge files.
I have just ordered the MB. I was looking at all 3 and deciding what is best for me. I need portability so it was MBA or MB. The reason I did not choose the MBA is because for me (so my personal choice) I would end up carrying so many accesories to be able to do what I want. I do not fancy carrying an external HDD around because I might have files I need to access on that, or a usb hub or a usb ethernet adapter, and an external DVD drive.
That is just me and my personal needs, but it don't half look good
That is just me and my personal needs, but it don't half look good
Get the Air its way better i take it everywhere with me i had a clamshell for many years and could only take that to holidays with me...
The Air is totalllly gr8 i must say i am haveing gameing problems but other than that this is a all in one system and its screen is gr8 for dvd's
The Air is totalllly gr8 i must say i am haveing gameing problems but other than that this is a all in one system and its screen is gr8 for dvd's
I haven't read through the replys on this but it almost sounds like you just want the newest product and maybe the prettiest. Because these two laptops have different uses. The MBP does it all but weighs twice as much, the MBA is is as light as a feather but also doesn't carry much.
I never use any of my drives be it a DVD or CD. If I need to back something up, the timecapsule will do it for me.