MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro

Fol20

Hey Guys, I’m in the market for a new MacBook at the moment. I will need to get it over the next month. I know I know that new macs are lined up for maybe later this year but I will be getting it in the next month. Im really not too sure what to go for.

I see both of them as a compromise as not sure which one would be better. I won’t be using it for anything intensive I might add, I would do that more intensive stuff on my desktop.

The mba hasn’t had upgrades in years and the screen isn’t great compared to the mbp. Design wise, it’s also looking dated.The battery and thickness level are better though.

The mbp is better spec’d however it doesn’t have USB ports, not sure if I’m a fan of the trackpad/keyboard and the battery level is worse.

Which one would You recommend?

5uspect

The biggest issue you haven’t mentioned is the display. If you’re used to a Retina display it’s hard to look at the MBA.

As for keyboards, go to a shop and try them. People love/hate the new one but at least Apple seem to have filled the finger out in the warrenty side.

I’m not someone who has every USB port connected all the time. I’ve colleagues who use their MBPs as glorified desktops with some ****ty oversharp uncalibrated panel as their main display and everything plugged in just in case. So I’d have no problem with the dongle life based on my workflows (apart from the cost).

Hasn’t the battery life thing been resolved?

Sad Professor

Forget the MBA. It's too old, and as already said, the screen is crap compared to Retina. If you can't wait for new models, then the MBP is your best option.

Trackpad is better, and the keyboard is fine once you get used to it. The possibility of it breaking is another matter, but I haven't had any problems with the one on my MacBook.

lordgoat

Rather than start a new thread I have a similar question.

Mu 2003 (yes that's right) Macbook white unibody is on it's very last legs. I'll be in NY in September and plan on upgrading then. What would be the best option for something similar, mainly used now for interneting and watching movies. Various other little jobs litke keeping an eye on network, prob CCTV management too. I won't be running this on the laptop just checking in on it.

Doubt I need something super powerful but want to get a good lifespan out of it again

Thanks.

Sorry for the thread hi-jack OP!

Creamy Goodness

Currently the MacBook Pro 13” with no touch bar sounds best for you. MacBook Air is the best computer I ever bought (I’ve a 2011 and it’s still going great) but it’s hard to recommend it now as they’re old slow and not as portable as say the 12” MacBook.

The MacBook Pro 13” with no touch bar seems to be a sweet spot in that it doesn’t have the gimmicky touchbar (which adds a lot to the price for really no huge gain except Touch ID) but they’re nearly as light as the MacBook Air is.

When I’m September are you going? Reason I ask is Apple like clockwork hold a hardware event in September. It’s mainly iOS devices that gets announced then but they could quietly release new laptops too.

It’s been over a year since any of the laptops got a speed bump release and with Apple now offering four year keyboard replacements on newer MacBooks - due to their design flaw (if you eat sandwiches around them) - there’s pressure on Apple to get a new machine out that fixes the design flaw and updates the internals

What Username Guidelines

Would you consider the 12" Macbook? I'd write off the MBA completely, non-retina display and very outdated at this stage.

The 13" Pro (non-touchbar) would likely be the best candidate, but if you're doing nothing intensive, it's worth considering the 12" MB.

I got one in 2015 when they were released, more for portability, but it's performance has surprised me and I did not expect to be still using it as my main computer at home 3 years later. Ok, I'm not rendering 4K footage on it, but editing 24MP photos in lightroom and a little bit of video work is possible. So for nothing intensive it might fit the bill - decent display, very portable, impressive battery life.etc.

lordgoat

Thanks guys, ya i'm over at the start of Sept so will keep an eye out for anything new coming along.

Fol20

Looks like it’s unaminuous. Iv made the plunge for base line mbp

lordgoat

Fol20 wrote: »

Looks like it’s unaminuous. Iv made the plunge for base line mbp

Looking like i'll be joining you in a couple of months.

Sad Professor

Spec-bumped MacBook Pros released today

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/12/apple-launches-2018-macbook-pro-lineup/

Fol20

Sad Professor wrote: »

Spec-bumped MacBook Pros released today

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/12/apple-launches-2018-macbook-pro-lineup/

I got the base mbp which it looks like they haven’t updated

FourFourRED

Fol20 wrote: »

I got the base mbp which it looks like they haven’t updated

Exact same yeah. Only the Touch Bar models received an update.

hetuzozaho

The prices of a Macbook Pro just seems crazy to me these days. What did I miss?

Sad Professor

hetuzozaho wrote: »

The prices of a Macbook Pro just seems crazy to me these days. What did I miss?

Basically Apple is moving further up market to put distance between themselves and their competitors who have been catching up with them both in price and innovation for a while now. It's happening across all their product lines: iPhone, iPod and Mac.