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13" Macbook Pro vs. 13" Macbook Air


javachip

  

119 members have voted

  1. 1. Air vs. Pro

    • Air
      61
    • Pro
      58


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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.

 

It's not too difficult to switch from Windows to Mac. I made the switch at the start of Grad School too. I really like Powerpoint for Mac and Word for Mac is decent too. I used to use OpenOffice for things like this but now that these software are free at my school, I've been using them! Check with your new school to see if you can get free software too!

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For what it's worth, the older models of MBP can be easily upgraded to more ram or an SSD. I have a 240gb SSD on my MBP 2011 and it runs quicker than any mac I've seen without flash storage.

 

As well, whatever you end up going with, consider using Scrivener for your writing projects. Besides the fact that it's a much better processor than Word or Pages or anything else that I've used, it also is much less demanding on your system, so lower ram would be fine and battery lasts longer.

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It's not too difficult to switch from Windows to Mac. I made the switch at the start of Grad School too. I really like Powerpoint for Mac and Word for Mac is decent too. I used to use OpenOffice for things like this but now that these software are free at my school, I've been using them! Check with your new school to see if you can get free software too!

Thanks!  I will check with my school on the free software

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i have a normal macbook pro 13 inch and an iPad 2. I think tablets are essential for grad school. Instead of having to print out scores of articles, (which wastes paper) you can use adobe on iPad to read them and take notes

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Go pro

 

I love mine, I got it refurbished several years ago and it's still great. I love the card slot that I can put my photos in as well as the CD drive which is always helpful be it putting in Microsoft office or just a DVD to veg out in.

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i have a normal macbook pro 13 inch and an iPad 2. I think tablets are essential for grad school. Instead of having to print out scores of articles, (which wastes paper) you can use adobe on iPad to read them and take notes

 

Or you can send them to your kindle which I'm going to do ;)

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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.

I switched from a PC to a Macbook Air about a year ago. I somehow destroyed PC's every few years as well. For the first week I was super annoyed because I had no idea how to do anything I was used to doing. Now I absolutely love my macbook air. I would highly highly recommend it. I never used to take my PC laptops anywhere because they were bulky and the battery always died. I take this thing everywhere. I could throw it like a frisbee it's so light and thin! I have microsoft office suite for mac and it works perfectly. I don't have cable and watch all of my TV/movies on here. People on this forum are talking about how it doesn't have an ethernet port…I didn't even realize that until I read this thread lol. I guess I haven't had a need for it in the past year. 

 

You'll learn fast and love it. 

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I switched from a PC to a Macbook Air about a year ago. I somehow destroyed PC's every few years as well. For the first week I was super annoyed because I had no idea how to do anything I was used to doing. Now I absolutely love my macbook air. I would highly highly recommend it. I never used to take my PC laptops anywhere because they were bulky and the battery always died. I take this thing everywhere. I could throw it like a frisbee it's so light and thin! I have microsoft office suite for mac and it works perfectly. I don't have cable and watch all of my TV/movies on here. People on this forum are talking about how it doesn't have an ethernet port…I didn't even realize that until I read this thread lol. I guess I haven't had a need for it in the past year. 

 

You'll learn fast and love it. 

Thanks so much!  I will be going to check them out tomorrow just to narrow down which meets my needs. Gotta call my school about an educational discount before I purchase and free software.

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I'm trying to decide whether or not to get a new Mac for grad school.  I have a Macbook Pro 15", but it's over 5 years old now, so it is starting to slow down a bit.  I'm not sure if I should try to get another two years out of it, or if I should go ahead and "treat" myself to a new, smaller, Macbook Air 13".  I guess when I find out the results of various scholarships I'll know how much money I have, and can make a decision then.

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Thanks so much!  I will be going to check them out tomorrow just to narrow down which meets my needs. Gotta call my school about an educational discount before I purchase and free software.

 

You should just be able to search for and enter your school from the apple education online store: http://store.apple.com/us-hed 

which will give you the educational discount. The free software you will have to contact your school about though. 

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This is exactly what I have and it's a great pairing! The Macbook Air was tempting, but I'd rather have a laptop with a little more power.

 

Me too. iPad and and a MacBook Pro, for over a year now. 

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Although I love my pro for its functionality, I just started grad school last fall and find that it is way too heavy to carry to campus on a regular basis. I definitely wish that I'd gotten the air! I could definitely have lived with an external optical drive and smaller hard drive. 

 

Best of luck! 

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Isn't there supposed to be a new air coming out this year? I'm afraid I'll buy one in August and then be basically screwed when the new one comes out a few months later. Trying to figure out if I can stretch my 2008 macbook until then lol

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Isn't there supposed to be a new air coming out this year? I'm afraid I'll buy one in August and then be basically screwed when the new one comes out a few months later. Trying to figure out if I can stretch my 2008 macbook until then lol

 

My friend works at Apple and he said that if a new Air comes out, it should be in the summer. He also said that they usually don't make major changes, only minor tweaks. 

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My friend works at Apple and he said that if a new Air comes out, it should be in the summer. He also said that they usually don't make major changes, only minor tweaks.

Nice! Thanks for the scoop

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Air air air!!! I got the pro and sooo wish I would have gotten the air. I'm not sure about the difference in features (I'm pretty sure I don't use them anyway), but I can tell you this extra weight of the pro got superrr old super fast, to the point where I don't even bring it to school anymore. I'm looking into getting an air now too.

http://justkeepswimming.blogspot.com/

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Can I just ask OP why you are not even considering other manufacturers? There's lots of neat touch screen laptops and other thin laptops that are much cheaper and will last you longer.

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I disagree with that. My MacBook (white unibody, 2009) has lasted a helluva lot longer than my HP that I had in undergrad. I have had no real issues with my MacBook and I won't go with any other brand.

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I disagree with that. My MacBook (white unibody, 2009) has lasted a helluva lot longer than my HP that I had in undergrad. I have had no real issues with my MacBook and I won't go with any other brand.

 

Same here. It's still going strong and I'm only upgrading to the Air because I want something a bit lighter to carry to school with longer battery life. In fact, I feel a bit guilty about giving away a perfectly functioning laptop. 

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Go Air! I have had 7 laptops over the years and Air is my favorite. My research is 100% computational so I work either on my Mac mini or my Mac air: build and compile various quantum chemistry codes, Matlab, Mathematica... The weight and the battery life make a big difference! My SO is a programmer and he uses a Pro. I tried his and still prefer mine :) 

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