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Torn- The age old question: MBA or MBP?
- Thread starter Rai Saix
- Start date
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If he needed to pack it every day it would add a little weight whilst carrying it, but he'll probably find he needs it at most a couple of times a year for college, if that even.
I think an optical drive is one of those things where you never know when it will be needed. therefore, you'll have to pack it. MacBook Pro solves that problem.
He's likely to very rarely need it for college and certainly wouldn't have to take it every day in a 'just in case' scenario. But if he were to take it every now and then, it isn't much to carry and he can put it back in his bag when he doesn't need it.
Another vote for the uMBP.
I base this on the fact that you shouldn't have to alter or shift your needs to fit a certain computer (i.e. 'I think it can work with an MBA'), the computer should fit your needs out of the box.
I base this on the fact that you shouldn't have to alter or shift your needs to fit a certain computer (i.e. 'I think it can work with an MBA'), the computer should fit your needs out of the box.
But I won't really need to alter my needs. As I've said, I hardly ever use more than one USB at a time, And I'll only be using the optical drive for occasional movies and software installs. And by the time college rolls around, I'll be buying a refurbished high end iMac.
Then again, you are right. Scottsdale just recommended the uMBP over the MBA?!?!? That's nothing to take lightly!
EDIT: Please stop bringing up the Glossy screen debate. I like both matte and glossy equally.
Then again, you are right. Scottsdale just recommended the uMBP over the MBA?!?!? That's nothing to take lightly!
EDIT: Please stop bringing up the Glossy screen debate. I like both matte and glossy equally.
Let me ask you this: What is it in the Air that you REALLY need that the Pro can't provide?
Portability. With the giant books I have to carry to and fro, it's a wonder my back is not broken yet. Any way to shave some pounds is extremely welcome. But it seems everyone and their mother is telling me MBP. Even Scottsdale!!!
I severely doubt that the extra half an inch or so is going to weigh you down .Let's be serious.
What Rai has been trying to tell us is that he really likes the MBA. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets it instead of the MBP.
I understand that. If Rai REALLY REALLY REALLY wants the Air because... umm... I guess it looks cool, that is great. What I am saying is that the Pro is what he should get based on the info he has given us and that the pro will most likely be the best decision. That's all!
I say get the Air I had the same debate not long ago common sense says get the pro but your never truly happy with it. Odds are if you work smart (dont have every app open while editing video etc) the air will be a great companion. Any computer should last a user 3-5 years the Air should meet your goals for one-two and when you go to college it should still be a great machine for notes and light internet. In the end both work and are great choices just comes down to what you want!
That'll be an awesome machine and although it's no Air it is still quite light. Well done taking the time to get some good advice. Personally I think the Air is all you needed but I know that having more bells and whistles is often a big attraction. I still happily make do (and I'm a proffessional photographer) with a Mac Mini, but then I don't play games or even run Aperture.
Not just yet!
Rai, before you take the plunge to get the MBP under the avalanche of recommendations here, I want you to hear me out if you would
I would recommend getting the Mac Air. Resoundingly.
Listen, a MacBook Air, for me, is a lot more than the sum of its constituent components.
The "MBP being more powerful" argument is a compelling one and indeed has a lot of merit, especially if we are being exclusively practical. Not being mere machines, we are more than practicality, thankfully. We have other powerful forces that dictate our happiness.
Whether or not you would enjoy the Air more than a MBP depends on the type of person you are. I would recommend a MBP for a lot of people. But I think you've conveyed enough for myself to conclude that you are a person who will enjoy owning an Air more. You've already revealed your own substantial yet intangible pull towards the Air. It's seduced you. Don't fight it.
A MacBook Air is a computer, it's a painting and a sculpture. It's a sensational creation and we're aware of that, as are many others. We evaluate it against much more technically powerful laptops yet we don't always quite articulate why.
This isn't portentous hubris, I don't mean it's merely a statement to others in the traditional fashion accessory sense, it's also a statement to yourself, a statement that will delight you. Simply looking at its tapering, slender torso, picking it up with the minimum insult to your fingers, arms, throwing it in your bag without an atom of hesitation, interacting with it in a way you wouldn't have thought possible with an item of zero weight and zero volume.
1.5 lbs is not a heavy mass. However, not having to adjust your seating slightly because its weight is putting that bit of pressure on the front of your hip, picking it up only with your fingers as you stretch out to your table in the morning. That is when the 1.5 lbs difference between the MBP and the Air assumes the weight of a planet.
Sure you're not going to edit a HD video better, nor be able to run the digits of a benchmark higher, but you're not going to care. The other practical deficiencies eg no optical drive or less ports? You'll find a way round them Rai.
The MacBook Air is a synergy of function, design and aesthetics. That's why I think you should choose it
Rai, before you take the plunge to get the MBP under the avalanche of recommendations here, I want you to hear me out if you would
I would recommend getting the Mac Air. Resoundingly.
Listen, a MacBook Air, for me, is a lot more than the sum of its constituent components.
The "MBP being more powerful" argument is a compelling one and indeed has a lot of merit, especially if we are being exclusively practical. Not being mere machines, we are more than practicality, thankfully. We have other powerful forces that dictate our happiness.
Whether or not you would enjoy the Air more than a MBP depends on the type of person you are. I would recommend a MBP for a lot of people. But I think you've conveyed enough for myself to conclude that you are a person who will enjoy owning an Air more. You've already revealed your own substantial yet intangible pull towards the Air. It's seduced you. Don't fight it.
A MacBook Air is a computer, it's a painting and a sculpture. It's a sensational creation and we're aware of that, as are many others. We evaluate it against much more technically powerful laptops yet we don't always quite articulate why.
This isn't portentous hubris, I don't mean it's merely a statement to others in the traditional fashion accessory sense, it's also a statement to yourself, a statement that will delight you. Simply looking at its tapering, slender torso, picking it up with the minimum insult to your fingers, arms, throwing it in your bag without an atom of hesitation, interacting with it in a way you wouldn't have thought possible with an item of zero weight and zero volume.
1.5 lbs is not a heavy mass. However, not having to adjust your seating slightly because its weight is putting that bit of pressure on the front of your hip, picking it up only with your fingers as you stretch out to your table in the morning. That is when the 1.5 lbs difference between the MBP and the Air assumes the weight of a planet.
Sure you're not going to edit a HD video better, nor be able to run the digits of a benchmark higher, but you're not going to care. The other practical deficiencies eg no optical drive or less ports? You'll find a way round them Rai.
The MacBook Air is a synergy of function, design and aesthetics. That's why I think you should choose it