javachip Posted March 27, 2014 Posted March 27, 2014 Hello all, I will be getting a new laptop for my research/classwork. I will be a new mac user and was wondering what you thought the best computer would be? I am drawn by the air mostly because of its thinness and weight (I will be walking around 25 min each way). However, the standard Macbook Pro has some features that would be better (ethernet port, optical drive, memory, etc.). Any thoughts? Thank you!
justinmcummings Posted March 27, 2014 Posted March 27, 2014 the educational price of the retina pro is very similar to the air, Ive been back and fourth on this for about a month now for me I am getting the 13 retina pro. It really depends what you are going to be using it for though..ms office and internet use I would say whatever is cheaper because they both do that pretty much the same.
Monochrome Spring Posted March 27, 2014 Posted March 27, 2014 What else are you using it for? Watch a lot of videos, stream a lot, edit images/videos, programming, etc?
deci:belle Posted March 27, 2014 Posted March 27, 2014 I would say get a Pro then get a tablet with a USB like the Surface
TakeruK Posted March 27, 2014 Posted March 27, 2014 The way I see it, the Air's only advantage is lighter and smaller. I got my Pro before they only had Retina displays so my Pro was even cheaper than the current 13" Air price. I had the education discount too. I'd go with the Pro for the same reasons you said (more disk space, ethernet port etc.) Also, my Pro is my only personal computer of any kind--if you have a Desktop you regularly use at home or something, then you might not need all these fancy things and can go with the Air. I am not sure how often you'd use the optical drive--I have not used mine once in the 2 years I have this computer.
javachip Posted March 27, 2014 Author Posted March 27, 2014 Hi! Thank you all. I wasn't aware of the educational discount so thanks for that! It will be my only computer, and I plan on using it for all of my research/study requirements, as well as for personal use (streaming videos, music, etc.) I don't do any editing or gaming. I will have at least one statistical package though.
TakeruK Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 Hi! Thank you all. I wasn't aware of the educational discount so thanks for that! It will be my only computer, and I plan on using it for all of my research/study requirements, as well as for personal use (streaming videos, music, etc.) I don't do any editing or gaming. I will have at least one statistical package though. The Apple Education discount page for my school shows a Macbook Pro (not Retina) 13" 2.5GHz machine for $999--if your school has this option, it's a lot cheaper than the Retina versions. Also I bought my computer at my school's store and there was an extra sale so look out for those too. javachip 1
juilletmercredi Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 I have a MacBook Pro, and have owned one for 2 years. In the two years I've owned it, I have not used the Ethernet port at all and I have used the optical drive once. However, I HAVE wished many times that it had longer battery life and was thinner and lighter. The basic Air comes with the same RAM as the basic Pro (4 GB). The Air is configurable to 8 GB, and you honestly probably don't need more than that unless you're planning on gaming on it or doing really intense graphical work. It costs the same amount to upgrade the basic Pro to 8 GB as it does to upgrade the Air. BUT I was voting based on my old understanding of the Pro (~5 lbs. and 5-6 hours of battery life). I just checked to be sure of what I was saying, and it appears that the new MacBook Pro with retina display weighs 3.46 lbs., while the MacBook Air weighs 2.96 lbs. That's basically a half pound difference and I definitely don't think you'll notice that. The new Pro also has 9 hours of battery life, while the Air has 12 hours. But the Pro with Retina display doesn't have an optical drive. If you're choosing between the Air and the new Pro with Retina display, I would go with the Retina display Pro. But if you're choosing between the Air and the standard Pro, I would go with the Pro. javachip 1
ProfLorax Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 I've had my Air for four years, and I imagine I'll be able to use the same one for my remaining four and a half years in grad school. I do everything on it: I write, research, edit video, stream, play on the Internet (with twenty tabs open at a time), etc. It has all the abilities my previous Pro did (although I imagine they've advanced some since then); plus, I can throw it in my purse on the way to the coffee shop. I personally will never not have an Air: its performance makes it the best home and work computer for my needs, and its lightness gives it the same mobility as a tablet. I swear; I'm not a spokesperson for Apple! I just really love my Air. I recently told my husband that my Air is the best gift he has ever given me... And that's including my engagement ring.
GeoDUDE! Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 I really wouldn't want to have a retina pro 13 inch; its greatly underpowered for the display its pushing. On the other hand the 13 inch macbook air's battery life reigns supream over the entire market; There isn't a better ultrabook. Perhaps the worst thing about it is the display. I'm really not sure what you are going to be doing, but even most photoshop tasks can be handled by the macbook air. People really overestimate how much power they need; computers with i3s and integrated graphics cards are pretty snappy, especially on a lightweight OS like OSX. The screen on the 13 inch retina, however, will make intense graphical work even more intense because you have iris graphics, not even iris pro. In reality, there are two gems in apple's laptop line: the macbook air and the top end macbook pro 15 inch. Both have their uses, but most people would be happier with the air over any laptop. Unless you will working with files over 50mb+, stick with the air. Another thing, people seem to think the difference between 3.5lbs and 3 pounds is small when it really isnt, that makes the air about 15% lighter give or take a %. I realize the rMBP 13 inch is very thin, so it really depends; Will you have this on your back while you are biking? The way you store your laptop while traveling will infinitely make that half extra pound either very noticeable or very unnoticeable. Either way, that isn't including the power adapter, and with the air there is almost not situation where you would ever need to bring it with you. Taeyers 1
Swagato Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 Honestly, go with the Air. People rave about its lightness, and it's something you don't notice until you're using it regularly. And the small footprint is another thing you don't notice until you're using it regularly. I'm in the humanities so it's text-heavy work for me, and I've never felt restricted by the 13" display. I have a 2010 Air, by the way, and am considering an upgrade some time toward the end of this year (to whatever the maxed out current model Air at the time would be). You can always just keep adding external storage, which is becoming increasingly cheap. I only needed an Ethernet port once in all the time I've had this, and that was a last-resort option.
TakeruK Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 Hmm after looking further into the Retina Pro specs, I am agreeing with GeoDUDE! that you don't actually get very much bang for its buck anymore! It's not much more powerful than the Air (if at all) and several hundred dollars more! In order to get something similar to my older model Pro with Retina, the cost is something like $1600! (although to be honest I haven't been super careful checking the stats). So if I could re-vote in my poll, I would say either older model Pro or go with the newer Air! As for the ethernet port, I just want to chime in to say that I use my ethernet port almost every day--whenever I bring my laptop to the office because the wifi is really really crappy in my building. Also, with a wired connection to the departmental servers, I am able to transfer data etc. at speeds averaging 20-50Mb/s between my laptop and my work computers! And many times when I take my laptop to travel, I end up in places with no wifi and only wired connections. Of course, I think you can buy adapters for the Air for Ethernet use too, if necessary!
justinmcummings Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 older model pro to retina pro you get a solid state drive, it makes night an day performance difference. As well as battery life.
roguesenna Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 I would say go with the air. You do not need a pro for the stuff you've suggested and if you're walking 25 minutes every day, that extra weight is really going to add up quickly. In this day and age you absolutely do not need an optical drive (the new iMacs don't even have them. when my old iMac optical drive broke the apple guy was like "are you sure you want to fix this? what are you actually going to do with it?" I had one game that was still on a disk, but I downloaded a disk image of it and no more problems). Download your software or port it over using the optical drive of another mac. iPads are okay for taking notes on, but I really prefer a laptop. I have an iMac and an iPad, but I hate studying on my iPad and I am probably going to get an Air (size depending on pricing) when I start my MA this June. I was an early adopter of the original air and except for one manufacturing flaw (which has since been remedied) I really loved every second of it.
roguesenna Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 (edited) So if I could re-vote in my poll, I would say either older model Pro or go with the newer Air! Of course, I think you can buy adapters for the Air for Ethernet use too, if necessary! Yes you can. It's not too bad price wise and it weighs significantly less than the weight difference between an Air and a Pro. It's a box with a short usb cord attached. the box is about .5"x.5"x2" and the tail is about 2"-3" long (going by memory). older model pro to retina pro you get a solid state drive, it makes night an day performance difference. As well as battery life. I had a solid state on my second Air (replacement for one that was stolen). It was very nice. I got it so I couldn't destroy my Air by dropping it. I'd think that's still a possibility... Edited March 28, 2014 by roguesenna
GeoDUDE! Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 You can get a thunderbolt/usb3.0 to Ethernet adapter; go with the air. built in Ethernet ports are a thing of the past.
scottdickson86 Posted March 29, 2014 Posted March 29, 2014 Pro if you do a lot of simulations and programming. Air for reading and word processing.
juilletmercredi Posted March 30, 2014 Posted March 30, 2014 A half-pound is less than the weight of a mass-market paperback. I'm really skeptical that there's an actual noticeable difference. I know when I pack my messenger bag adding an extra notebook or paperback doesn't really change the perceived weight that much, although I would suppose it depends on how much you're used to lifting. It's definitely not noticeable on my back, and I have a bad back. I can't imagine too many situations in which that extra half-pound would be very noticeable. Still, I'd still advise getting the Air. It does everything you need and the battery life can't be beat.
Crucial BBQ Posted April 1, 2014 Posted April 1, 2014 I have been an exclusive Mac and Apple user since 1998 (except for the iPhone...will never own one of those...). I almost got that model of MacBook Pro you are referring to but ended up going with the mid-range MacBook Pro Retina because it was a partial Christmas present and I figured why not. To be frank, between this particular MacBook Pro model and the MacBook Air, I would go with the 13" MBA. You will not miss the optical drive and if you do you can just pick up any cheap 3rd Party USB external opti drive. The MBA will out-perform the low-end MBP any day of the week. And ethernet port?
Crucial BBQ Posted April 1, 2014 Posted April 1, 2014 Pro if you do a lot of simulations and programming. Air for reading and word processing. Considering that people where doing this stuff decades ago on computers with less computing power than a $200 Wal-Mart special, I'd say the MBA is more than capable. A dual-core i5 with Turbo Boost® and 3 mb of L3 cache might not be ideal for Modern Warfare 4 on full settings, but it definitely is not a slouch. C'mon, that's 3 mb of L3 cache...per core! Okay, so it is shared cache...just trying to whip up some excitement. For what it is worth, all models of MBA are faster than the low-end MacBook Pro.
Kaitri Posted April 2, 2014 Posted April 2, 2014 (edited) I'm not going to chime in on the relative virtues of either the Air or Pro, but I will say that having an ethernet port can make life so much easier when transferring or uploading/downloading large files. However, I do this on my current ultrabook with a dock that I keep at home (I also have one at the office). I don't know if they're available for Macs, but if so, then get one + the Air. Otherwise, without that port, you may find yourself crying the next time need to upload/download a 100 MB file... EDIT: With the dock, you get the best of both worlds: the ability to plug in more devices, connect to a hard-wired internet system, and use a second monitor with an ultra-light and very portable computer. I travel for work regularly and I would hate to lug a standard weight laptop around with me all the time. When I return to school in the fall, I will definitely buy some sort of ultrabook + dock. Edited April 2, 2014 by Kaitri
justinmcummings Posted April 2, 2014 Posted April 2, 2014 Apple doesn't make a docks that I know of, but they have attachments you can get fairly cheap to get an ethernet port if you really need one. I think its a thunderbolt port to ethernet port adapter. There are other companies that make a dock, but they are rather expensive.
alwaysbeenastorm Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 I'm also getting a new Mac when I start school in the fall, but I'm waiting -- they're apparently releasing new models in June, so I'm going to order just before school starts.
RBWilliams Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 I will be starting MSW program this fall and I need a new computer. I have always owned only PC's and have bought every 2-3 years because they get a virus or just die on me. Plus, the cost of Microsoft programs and I hate Windows 8. All that being said....lol, I'm kinda scared of getting a Mac. Yet, I really wanna give it a try and have a computer that last more that 2 to 3 years. My school assignments MUST be submitted in Microsoft Word and I saw there is a version for MAC. How hard is the shift from PC to a MAC system. I will wait right before school to get a newer version, but how steep will the curve be to know what the heck I'm doing for Grad school. Any input is appreciated.
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