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DWBurke811

macrumors 6502a
Jun 10, 2011
820
1
Boca Raton, FL
Huh? An air and pro can output the same revolution. What display the laptop has has zero impact on what resolution it can push to an external display.
 

sporadicMotion

macrumors 65816
Oct 18, 2008
1,111
23
Your girlfriends place
i agree. the mbp screen definitely appealed to me more than the mba's. and, i find the weight difference negligible as well, especially considering all of the upgrades available for the mbp.

but, in your case i'd recommend the mba. if you send something out to a larger monitor, you'll probably want the better resolution. it looks fine on a 13" screen, but may not do so well on a 24".

I found the 13" screens in the MBP to be kinda hyped in a funny way. I never could get great color out of it. Even with hardware calibration (Spyder 3). The Air looked better to me so far from what I've seen but I could've just had a lack luster panel. I'll know once I try to calibrate it.
 

nebulos

macrumors 6502a
Aug 27, 2010
555
0
Put it this way. It rendered my condenser mics useless... the MacBook Pro firewire chips are kinda crappy in terms of audio. Any firewire interface I have tried has caused kernel panics on ALL of the MacBook Pro's I've owned (I've owned 6) in relation to whether the machine was booted in clamshell or not. The MacBook Pro's firewire chipsets WORK for audio interfaces but it is far from what I would call ideal. Hey, I've still used them despite this as it doesn't seem to interfere with Logic running.

What I'm saying is not all firewire chipsets are created equal and Apple does not go with the best. Not the worst either though.

On a side note, the old PowerBook doesn't have this problem :p

in fact, i used to have a powerbook and a firewire interface. i've never owned a MBP. now i'm without a music laptop (until the refresh), but i have an Apogee One, which is USB (been using this on a Mini).

anyways, thanks again. sorry about the tangent guys.
 

sporadicMotion

macrumors 65816
Oct 18, 2008
1,111
23
Your girlfriends place
in fact, i used to have a powerbook and a firewire interface. i've never owned a MBP. now i'm without a music laptop (until the refresh), but i have an Apogee One, which is USB (been using this on a Mini).

anyways, thanks again. sorry about the tangent guys.

How is the Apogee One? I want to pick up a USB interface to do light mobile sessions with the new Air. No firewire heat will be a plus.
 

torbjoern

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2009
1,204
6
The Black Lodge
perhaps i used a bit too much hyperbole :)

i agree that the mbp ought to at least have the option. it seems like a poorly planned feature set to me (given the mba and mbp 15 resolution) and i don't know what the strategy there is. what's up apple? fortunately for me (and i imagine many others), it is a non-issue. the 13" is the mac i see quite often in the wild after all.

as for the glass plate, this is one reason i chose the mbp over the mba. i hate the mba's bezel, and i cannot say enough about how great i think it is to have the single, smooth plate of glass as a screen. for ocd people like myself, cleaning is a true pleasure.

if future mbas have a better looking display (speaking here about getting rid of the bezel and not the resolution) then i would definitely be more interested in it. i doubt it will happen, at least because of weight issues, but i would like it :)

Don't get me wrong, I do like hyperbole ;) That's why I said that I must remember that one.

It's certainly easier to clean the glass plate than a "naked screen", but the mirror-like reflection is incredibly annoying in my opinion.
 

macjacky11

macrumors member
Jun 15, 2011
73
0
I think Apple knows how to differentiate its product lines better than others, so that should not happen.
 

Young Spade

macrumors 68020
Mar 31, 2011
2,156
3
Tallahassee, Florida
I too thought that for a while. But why is there such poor resolution in the 13-inch Pro in comparison with the Air, you think?

Because they wanted to give users an incentive to go with the MBA.

Slim design, SSD, higher resolution screen. Take away the screen and you might as well just put a SSD in the Pro. Apple likes to offer strategic options for their computers. You'll have to spend a LOT to get a computer with "every" feature you want, but you can spend X and get this OR that.

From my experience, you have to spend a lot to get the "full" package. (Graphics card, high resolution screen, long battery life, back-lit keyboard, etc.)
 

torbjoern

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2009
1,204
6
The Black Lodge
Because they wanted to give users an incentive to go with the MBA.

Slim design, SSD, higher resolution screen. Take away the screen and you might as well just put a SSD in the Pro. Apple likes to offer strategic options for their computers. You'll have to spend a LOT to get a computer with "every" feature you want, but you can spend X and get this OR that.

From my experience, you have to spend a lot to get the "full" package. (Graphics card, high resolution screen, long battery life, back-lit keyboard, etc.)

Even then, one may not get the full package anyway - after all, the last revision of MBA is the first one without backlit keyboard. This is not critical, but very annoying. It's a ****ing expensive computer, yet still, Apple deliberately tries to make me only 95 % satisfied with it.
 

s.hasan546

macrumors 6502
Feb 26, 2011
457
7
NY
I too thought that for a while. But why is there such poor resolution in the 13-inch Pro in comparison with the Air, you think?

What poor resolution? The mbp 13" resolution is just as good if not better than any other laptop out there. Apple users are just spoiled b.c the 15" and the 13" mba have the hi-res option. 1280 x 800 is still a very good res screen. You guys make it seem like 1280 x 800 is horrible.
 

nebulos

macrumors 6502a
Aug 27, 2010
555
0
How is the Apogee One? I want to pick up a USB interface to do light mobile sessions with the new Air. No firewire heat will be a plus.

i'm pretty happy with it. however, i've only tried one soundcard before it (presonus inspire), and i'm not super ear-savvy; i bought it because the consensus seemed to be that Apogees have great, if not the best, preamps and converters in this general price range; From what i read, pres and convs in One are the same as in the original Duet. Of course, they're Mac only, which is quite regrettable.

it has a pretty good little built-in condenser mic, which i've definitely used and sounds decent. maybe a little better for voice than guitar, though that might be positioning. the software is okay, could be improved (takes up to many pixels, for one, at default anyways)).

it's a little pricey for mono-in, stereo out, but i figured my money was going towards sound quality, and i didn't need more ins/outs, etc. i got it on sale for around $200 with tax, but that was luck.

the new Duet is USB too, with upgraded internals. haven't looked into it much though, just fyi.

good luck!
 

nebulos

macrumors 6502a
Aug 27, 2010
555
0
What poor resolution? The mbp 13" resolution is just as good if not better than any other laptop out there. Apple users are just spoiled b.c the 15" and the 13" mba have the hi-res option. 1280 x 800 is still a very good res screen. You guys make it seem like 1280 x 800 is horrible.

i agree with you in a way, but only because i think most laptops have horrible resolution displays. 1366x768 is very common on 15" screens, which makes my retinas vomit rods and cones everywhere.

i think/hope this will be similar to what's happened with TVs. there were great TVs before the move to HD, but once you see HD, you can never go back and anything else looks awful.

retina display has set the bar very high, too high probably. i consider the ipad useless without it, or close. the high res mactops should be the new standard for now. then they should make that better too.

in the end, it's all subjective and personal. if you're happy with the 13 MBP, excellent. i think it's a great machine. basically the only thing stopping me from getting one is the resolution, otherwise i think its great.
 

Scottsdale

Suspended
Sep 19, 2008
4,473
283
U.S.A.
What poor resolution? The mbp 13" resolution is just as good if not better than any other laptop out there. Apple users are just spoiled b.c the 15" and the 13" mba have the hi-res option. 1280 x 800 is still a very good res screen. You guys make it seem like 1280 x 800 is horrible.

And I assume it's due to the Intel IGP that Apple didn't put a 1440x900 display in its 13" MB PRO! It is awful considering it's a Pro Mac that costs $1199... especially when the 11" MBA has more workspace in less physical area.
 

torbjoern

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2009
1,204
6
The Black Lodge
What poor resolution? The mbp 13" resolution is just as good if not better than any other laptop out there. Apple users are just spoiled b.c the 15" and the 13" mba have the hi-res option. 1280 x 800 is still a very good res screen. You guys make it seem like 1280 x 800 is horrible.

For the MB White, I wouldn't call 1280 x 800 "poor".

However, a machine which has the "Pro" moniker in it should provide better resolution than the base model (in this case 1280 x 800 on a 13-inch-screen), at least as an option if nothing else. Especially when 1440 x 900 is default on the Air.
 

s.hasan546

macrumors 6502
Feb 26, 2011
457
7
NY
For the MB White, I wouldn't call 1280 x 800 "poor".

However, a machine which has the "Pro" moniker in it should provide better resolution than the base model (in this case 1280 x 800 on a 13-inch-screen), at least as an option if nothing else. Especially when 1440 x 900 is default on the Air.

the 13" mbp never had all the options the 15" & 17" had. And it's not fair to compare the air to the mbp 13" b.c the mba 13" is more expensive
 

Apple Expert

macrumors 65816
Jan 31, 2010
1,337
0
no they will not ... the 13 MBP is a better computer than the 13 Air and most likely always will be better.

The Air has it's place on it's own ... however it cannot replace a MBP.

I agree. But everyone might be singing a different tune next year if the refreshed MBP has the same screen resolution as the MBA. With no optical drive and possibly a better video card.
 

torbjoern

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2009
1,204
6
The Black Lodge
the 13" mbp never had all the options the 15" & 17" had.
I know. That's the whole problem. You can upgrade screen resolution on the 15" so why not on the 13"
And it's not fair to compare the air to the mbp 13" b.c the mba 13" is more expensive
That's right. So it should be included as an option. You can pay a hundred dollars extra for upgrading the MBP 15" display from 1440x900 to 1680x1050. It should therefore also be possible to upgrade from 1280x800 to 1440x900 on the MBP 13". I'm not comparing with the MBA 13", but I'm trying to say that since Apple already has the technology for making 1440x900 resolution for 13"-displays, they should provide it for the MBP 13" if people are willing to pay for it.
 

Young Spade

macrumors 68020
Mar 31, 2011
2,156
3
Tallahassee, Florida
Even then, one may not get the full package anyway - after all, the last revision of MBA is the first one without backlit keyboard. This is not critical, but very annoying. It's a ****ing expensive computer, yet still, Apple deliberately tries to make me only 95 % satisfied with it.

That was my point. I just listed some of the things they held back on certain models to make others seem more appealing. It isn't some subliminal trick though, it's blatantly obvious to someone who's slightly aware and can read a bit and navigate benchmarks, the spec page, and a forum or two.

What poor resolution? The mbp 13" resolution is just as good if not better than any other laptop out there. Apple users are just spoiled b.c the 15" and the 13" mba have the hi-res option. 1280 x 800 is still a very good res screen. You guys make it seem like 1280 x 800 is horrible.

I think this has to do with the going higher at some point then having to go back down. Personally, resolution itself doesn't really bother me all that much, especially since I'm sitting pretty close to the screen. However I'm sure if I get the new Air with a higher resolution, I'll hate going back down to a lower one with a larger screen.

no they will not ... the 13 MBP is a better computer than the 13 Air and most likely always will be better.

The Air has it's place on it's own ... however it cannot replace a MBP.

You can't make a sweeping statement based on your opinion. That isn't how those work. Better for you, maybe, in which you should clarify. Personally as a student who only watches HD video and does a little bit of light photo editing (touching up) and maybe some gaming, the Air is a "better" computer for me because of the speed (SSD) and size (carrying the computer along with books throughout the day (higher level math and science classes = multiple tomes).

You could argue that it might be technically "better" with the inclusion of an SSD OR when comparing certain tasks, however, for 80 percent of the people out there buying Macs, the Air would be a better device. The use of a CD drive is another variable that can be omitted.
 

torbjoern

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2009
1,204
6
The Black Lodge
All the while NOT forcing you to buy it.
They didn't have to, since I'm 100 % pleased with the computer (otherwise I wouldn't have paid $2700 for it). I just find it really annoying that Apple displays such an attitude anyway.

EDIT: I'll just add that what really pissed me off is that Apple wouldn't put 1440x900 along with backlit keyboard into the same 13-inch-computer but kept these features in separate ones. It's like they have some perverse joy in making the customer's choice difficult even though the customer can afford to go high-end. It's highly speculative and antagonistic. Just my $0.02.
 
Last edited:

jvmxtra

macrumors 65816
Sep 21, 2010
1,245
3
Precisely. That is why both the MBA and the MBP will continue to be manufactured and offered for the near future; each satisfies a different and very specific market segment. Undoubtedly, the MBP offers better value for money, greater spec and more power; whereas the MBA appeals to those who prize portability, and possibly form.

I think to most people small increase in cpu performance should not matter. In fact, use of on board ssd makes it look like MBA performs faster to general eyes.

I say, while 13 MBP's death is premature, it's not so greatly exaggerated.
 

sporadicMotion

macrumors 65816
Oct 18, 2008
1,111
23
Your girlfriends place
i'm pretty happy with it. however, i've only tried one soundcard before it (presonus inspire), and i'm not super ear-savvy; i bought it because the consensus seemed to be that Apogees have great, if not the best, preamps and converters in this general price range; From what i read, pres and convs in One are the same as in the original Duet. Of course, they're Mac only, which is quite regrettable.

it has a pretty good little built-in condenser mic, which i've definitely used and sounds decent. maybe a little better for voice than guitar, though that might be positioning. the software is okay, could be improved (takes up to many pixels, for one, at default anyways)).

it's a little pricey for mono-in, stereo out, but i figured my money was going towards sound quality, and i didn't need more ins/outs, etc. i got it on sale for around $200 with tax, but that was luck.

the new Duet is USB too, with upgraded internals. haven't looked into it much though, just fyi.

good luck!

A little vocal and guitar recording is all I would need it for. I have a Liquid Saffire 56 right now but I think I'm done with firewire interfaces. I want to replace it with 2 devices. Something small, portable and USB (Apogee One or the likes) and a high quality PCIe interface and separates for at home. In both cases, I want to trade all my I/O for higher quality.

Thanks for the thoughts! :apple:
 

nfl46

macrumors G3
Oct 5, 2008
8,539
9,510
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/9A5259f Safari/6533.18.5)

13 MBP > 13 MBA

The fact alone that I can upgrade my MPB is enough for me to choose it over the MBA. I've had both, and love the MBP much better!
 
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