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Which should I get?

  • MacBook Air 2020

  • 13" MacBook Pro 2020


Results are only viewable after voting.

taytonjane

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 13, 2020
10
4
Since I am just a student I do pretty basic stuff on my laptop, but I am so fascinated with thinner bezels because I have grown up in a family obsessed with tech. I really do believe thin bezels like on the 16 inch are just around the corner for smaller models. I just recently sold my 2013 MacBook Air that was my first one and I treated it like a baby. (Chose a ****** time to sell tbh should've waited) But, now I am in need of a laptop and if I get the Air I can pay for it all at once since I am splitting it with my dad, but if I get the Pro we would finance it. My thing is, if a new one is around the corner it will be easier to sell one that I am not still making payments on and I honestly like the thinner wedge style of the Air. The Touch Bar isn't a huge deal to me either. I just wanted some other views or opinions on this topic.
 

g35

macrumors 6502a
Dec 13, 2007
667
151
get The cheaper one, smaller loss when you do sell it for the new one. Plus you get the wedge
 
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nothingtoseehere

macrumors 6502
Jun 3, 2020
455
522
In my household, there is a 2020 MBA. Really good machine, looks great & will cover your needs for a while. Sound is much better than on former MBAs! Retina display is a charm.
IMHO, a perfect choice for having a Mac now and for waiting in peace and quiet what Apple Silicon will offer.
 

ruslan120

macrumors 65816
Jul 12, 2009
1,417
1,139
MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Air stutters and lags during prolonged video chats / screen shares due to gimped cooling and that might be important for lectures.
 
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taytonjane

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 13, 2020
10
4
MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Air stutters and lags during prolonged video chats / screen shares due to gimped cooling and that might be important for lectures.
I have heard about this. Some people say this happens and some have said they don't experience it. The thing is I never have to share my screen usually and I also have an iPad Pro that runs zoom really nicely that I use often for that. So I am not sure if this is a reason I should pay more money!
 

nothingtoseehere

macrumors 6502
Jun 3, 2020
455
522
I have heard about this. Some people say this happens and some have said they don't experience it. The thing is I never have to share my screen usually and I also have an iPad Pro that runs zoom really nicely that I use often for that. So I am not sure if this is a reason I should pay more money!

Yeah these different reports are really strange. For example, since Corona, I have seen an 11“ mid 2014 MBA doing hours of hours of Zoom conferences without the slightest issue.

Wild hypothesis, no offense intended: Could one reason be that the internet connection is (partially) faulty, instead of blaming MBAs?
 

taytonjane

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 13, 2020
10
4
Yeah these different reports are really strange. For example, since Corona, I have seen an 11“ mid 2014 MBA doing hours of hours of Zoom conferences without the slightest issue.

Wild hypothesis, no offense intended: Could one reason be that the internet connection is (partially) faulty, instead of blaming MBAs?
Yeah I think other factors may play in. I think a lot of this overheating also happens sometimes when people use chrome and I don't use chrome.
 

dmccloud

macrumors 68040
Sep 7, 2009
3,138
1,899
Anchorage, AK
I use Chrome only for school - for everything else I use Firefox. I have not had any issues with stuttering or lag during video calls on my MBA, even though I'm in Alaska and always have higher latency.
 

Zorori

macrumors 6502
Nov 26, 2017
253
330
Probably depends on the software too.

My MBP used to go into overdrive for Google Hangouts.
 
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amagichnich

macrumors 6502a
Feb 3, 2017
516
342
Stuttgart, Germany
Since I am just a student I do pretty basic stuff on my laptop, but I am so fascinated with thinner bezels because I have grown up in a family obsessed with tech. I really do believe thin bezels like on the 16 inch are just around the corner for smaller models. I just recently sold my 2013 MacBook Air that was my first one and I treated it like a baby. (Chose a ****** time to sell tbh should've waited) But, now I am in need of a laptop and if I get the Air I can pay for it all at once since I am splitting it with my dad, but if I get the Pro we would finance it. My thing is, if a new one is around the corner it will be easier to sell one that I am not still making payments on and I honestly like the thinner wedge style of the Air. The Touch Bar isn't a huge deal to me either. I just wanted some other views or opinions on this topic.
very easy to answer question: Do NOT buy a retina MBA! They have no active cooling (but a CPU that's in need of that) and therefore will die way too early.
See this video for proof
(
)
Watch at least from 0:37 to 1:10


So, if you want to spend your money on a MacBook, then spend it wisely. Obviously you don't have enough money to buy something that doesn't last long, so you have to look for something that stays cool even under heavy load. That rules every retina MacBook Air and (refurbed) MacBook out as well as the upper range of the 16" and 13".
You may want to have a look at the Apple refurb program where they offer used (mint condition) and refurbed last generation Macs for decent enough prices.

One last note: Be aware that older generations have the so called butterfly keyboard which is known to fail after some time. The 16" never had that one, so you may want to look for the 2019 16" in the refurb program

Hope that helps a bit :)
 

dmccloud

macrumors 68040
Sep 7, 2009
3,138
1,899
Anchorage, AK
very easy to answer question: Do NOT buy a retina MBA! They have no active cooling (but a CPU that's in need of that) and therefore will die way too early.

That guy just creates videos to push people to his repair business. The y-series processors in the MBA do not require active cooling, which is why they are used in the thinnest laptops on both the MacOS and Windows sides. You also claim that "every retina MacBook Air" suffers from these alleged overheating issues, but mine has yet to get even slightly warm under load, which is common for the i3. The i5 series does get noticeably warmer, primarily because it has a higher power draw than the i3.
 
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