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+--- Thread: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? (/showthread.php?tid=153697)
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MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - digby - 06-11-2013
Trying to help out a college student (future graphic designer) replacing an old macBook. Told her to wait til yesterday to see if new MacBook Airs were announced. Well, here they are.
Here's what I sent her after the Apple Event:
Hey, Emma, they did come out with a new MacBook Air today.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/06/10/apple-looks-to-build-on-notebook-momentum-with-refreshed-macbook-air
(and you can see the prices up on the big screen in that article).
Now, a MacBook Pro is better for Animation/Video Production or really heavy-duty Photoshopping (has a separate graphics card). BUT I often leave mine home due to the weight. That MacBook Air is so light, you might get more work done in the long run.
MBP's ain't cheapies:
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro
(as a student, you get a whole $100-200 or so off, but still expensive).
But there are some cheaper ones as "refurbs". Which have a good rep. Check 'em out:
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac
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But I just know she's going to ask: "Ok, which one should I buy?" Or "How does SSD compare to a HD?"
Or "Can I get real work done on an 11"?"
Help!
Re: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - jdc - 06-11-2013
MBAs new GPU is faster than older 13" MBPs.
Only the 15" MBP have dedicated GPUs.
You said "future graphic designer" but then later mentioned Animation/Video. Which one is it? That can make a huge difference, as any "huge Photoshopping" (Im gonna guess not that "huge" for a student) can easily be handled without a dedicated GPU.
Re: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - Buzz - 06-11-2013
Waiting on laptop for our kid, too.
Was hoping for greater new stuff, so the wait continues.
If Haswell doesn't drop, or is at least announced, before school starts, then it's a dilemma.
The new integrated graphics chips are supposed be a game changer, so I'd be interested to see what the new offerings based on them bring, otherwise we're leaning towards a 13" MBP refurb. The 11" MBA is cute and cuddly, but I don't envision it as a kid's main computer. Comparing the 13" MBA & MBP is where the confusion occurs.
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Re: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - anonymouse1 - 06-11-2013
New MBA SSD is "45% faster" than old SSD--PCI-E, instead of SATA.
Re: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - Speedy - 06-11-2013
13" rMBP with an external display. Really. Or get the cheapest MBA and a 27" iMac. Prices:
http://appleinsider.com/mac_price_guide/#
Re: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - Speedy - 06-11-2013
13" rMBP with an external display. Really. Skip the MBA. Some prices from a few popular sellers:
http://appleinsider.com/mac_price_guide/#
Re: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - digby - 06-11-2013
Thanks for all the help so far-- great advice!
jdc wrote:
... You said "future graphic designer" but then later mentioned Animation/Video. Which one is it? That can make a huge difference, as any "huge Photoshopping" (Im gonna guess not that "huge" for a student) can easily be handled without a dedicated GPU.
Yeah, good point. I'll check with her on that... sounds like a sharp, enthusiastic designer, but betting any really intense graphics work would be a couple of years down the line (a lot of our students end up going into animation/game design, but she could use school Macs at first if she did).
I hadn't even thought of separate monitor-- duh!
Re: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - sekker - 06-11-2013
We're making the same call. My son is leaning towards the MBA instead of the MBPR due to the faster SSDs and the all-day battery life.
Re: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - Zoidberg - 06-11-2013
Yeah, I'd think battery life would win out over speed of processor in that situation. He'll be able to top off the battery here and there, but all-day battery life should be top priority.
Hmm; until I read this thread, I didn't really think of the Air as a go-to student machine. Sure, travelers, business people; all that. But students; that's the real core market of the MBA, and why they didn't bother with battery-draining retina or a touch screen.
My best advice would be to go with the larger screen (for both viewing and because it's got the better battery life) and get the max RAM. Biggest storage size you can afford at the time of purchase. Going to 8GB RAM and 512GB Memory brings the 15" model up to $1,699.
Re: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? - SteveO - 06-11-2013
My concern with the Airs has always been limited hd capacity. That's why I've stayed with the conventional HD line. A student might conceivably need a large hd for music unless they're just streaming Pandora all the time or now the new Apple radio. Maybe a question worth asking.