The screen is sharp, vibrant and looks good next to a retina mba, i had a hockey game highlights playing side by side and the retina was sharper, but not by that much! I kinda like the bezel outside the frame and the increase in height helps show photoshop menus more than the retina, and i can upgrade the ssd if needed,
so stick that up your usbc drive!
They both have the same aspect ratio and default viewing area (1440x900) so you're not getting any more photoshop. In fact you can set the retina to display to like 1680x1050 which is a huge increase in viewable area.
I'm happy you're happy but I think you're crazy if you think the old MBA screen is anything but worse in every way. I couldn't go back. It's still a nice machine though and that's why my 2017 Air went to my lady friend.
OP:
If you can wait, wait. If you can't buy what fulfills your needs now. Objectively you'll find better values on other Windows machines or deals on Macs but honestly there's not a Mac in the lineup that isn't good. They have compromises as all tools do.
Frankly, if you're looking at 13" models, I've seen the nTB for $999 pretty often. Sure that machine is from 2017 but, you still get an excellent screen and speakers, 4 years of keyboard warranty, and you probably won't eat too much on depreciation if you decide to get rid of it in 2 years. Similarly, the 2018 13" is often available for about $1500 and I've seen $400 to $600 discounts on the 15".
Basically now is a great time to buy a Mac if the current ones are attractive to you. I love mine and if you go through my post history you'll know I've tried
many many laptops. Of course, if you want the latest and greatest, you'll be paying full price for whatever comes in June.
