Apple just refreshed their MacBook Pro line with some new CPUs and GPUs, but one thing that baffled me was the same 1280X800 display on the 13" MBP. Seems weird that the 13" Pro doesn't have a higher resolution option given that the MacBook Air currently has it.
Any thoughts on why Apple decided to do this? Outside of DVD fanatics, why would anyone want to buy the 13" Pro over the 13" Air?
Question about
Why would you buy a 13" MacBook Pro over the 13" MacBook Air?
top answers
community pick
For me there's been little rationale in buying a 13-inch Pro as I've always considered it a bit of a boat anchor even among its direct peers (e.g. the 2006-era Sony SZ). However in many situations it has been necessary, especially as the Airs just had so many glaring issues.
Of course it depends on how much you'd need the other reasons. A Starbucks seat-polishing humblebragging blogger probably wouldn't. A real-geek or developer etc type attempting to do a range of stuff on his machine might.
Practical reasons for the choice is that the 13-inch is more usable as a 'main machine' especially if you're going to be alternating using it along with an external display - as far as you can use an Apple in this role without it turning into a space heater which sounds like a small vacuum cleaner - as the machine will be faster and better appointed for this role i.e. 8Gb maximum RAM.
Also the Air, while it sports an i7 in principle, is an LV i7 - i.e. in terms of actual performance in real-life use overall it's somewhere between a full-blown mobile i3 and i5. I've noticed that in many operations it's dramatically slower than a fairly bog-standard ~$700 i5, especially in IGP + CPU simultaneously involved operations (Not all HD3000's are created equal).
Thunderbolt Display does provide Gigabit and FW800 so these onboard advantages are more moot - but once again, if you want this feature on a somewhat portable machine then the 13-inch is a go.
Now Apple always tends to cripple their machines in some way to protect against some sort of design-introduced engineering compromise, and they rely on the bulk of Apple-addled tech reviewers to convince themselves it's not a big issue by e.g. ignoring it or presenting benchmarks which skirt any issues - so I'm not sure what particular compromises the current generation 13-inch Pro would have (and have them it will I'm positive) but overall I'm pretty certain that it will be significantly faster as a primary notebook, especially in a like-for-like (i.e. SSD equipped) comparison.
Theoretically you could also outfit the 13-inch with a higher-performance, and of course more capacious SSD than with the Air, while retaining some degree of portability - although if you consider the issues that have plagued the Pros in terms of using high-performance SSD storage (I gave up and went back to SATAII / factory SSD's on my Pro's) this may be moot. Or perhaps they've fixed this with the latest machines.
The machine also has more ekeable runtime if you run unplugged more often.
The 13-inch is also probably the most durable (or if you'd like to put it like me, the least fragile) machine (glass frontage notwithstanding) in the Air or Pro range, by dint of it's dimensions vs the engineering limitations of the 'unibody' method of construction.
Maybe I can think of other things, but that's it for now.
Of course it depends on how much you'd need the other reasons. A Starbucks seat-polishing humblebragging blogger probably wouldn't. A real-geek or developer etc type attempting to do a range of stuff on his machine might.
Practical reasons for the choice is that the 13-inch is more usable as a 'main machine' especially if you're going to be alternating using it along with an external display - as far as you can use an Apple in this role without it turning into a space heater which sounds like a small vacuum cleaner - as the machine will be faster and better appointed for this role i.e. 8Gb maximum RAM.
Also the Air, while it sports an i7 in principle, is an LV i7 - i.e. in terms of actual performance in real-life use overall it's somewhere between a full-blown mobile i3 and i5. I've noticed that in many operations it's dramatically slower than a fairly bog-standard ~$700 i5, especially in IGP + CPU simultaneously involved operations (Not all HD3000's are created equal).
Thunderbolt Display does provide Gigabit and FW800 so these onboard advantages are more moot - but once again, if you want this feature on a somewhat portable machine then the 13-inch is a go.
Now Apple always tends to cripple their machines in some way to protect against some sort of design-introduced engineering compromise, and they rely on the bulk of Apple-addled tech reviewers to convince themselves it's not a big issue by e.g. ignoring it or presenting benchmarks which skirt any issues - so I'm not sure what particular compromises the current generation 13-inch Pro would have (and have them it will I'm positive) but overall I'm pretty certain that it will be significantly faster as a primary notebook, especially in a like-for-like (i.e. SSD equipped) comparison.
Theoretically you could also outfit the 13-inch with a higher-performance, and of course more capacious SSD than with the Air, while retaining some degree of portability - although if you consider the issues that have plagued the Pros in terms of using high-performance SSD storage (I gave up and went back to SATAII / factory SSD's on my Pro's) this may be moot. Or perhaps they've fixed this with the latest machines.
The machine also has more ekeable runtime if you run unplugged more often.
The 13-inch is also probably the most durable (or if you'd like to put it like me, the least fragile) machine (glass frontage notwithstanding) in the Air or Pro range, by dint of it's dimensions vs the engineering limitations of the 'unibody' method of construction.
Maybe I can think of other things, but that's it for now.
mark as good answer
7 people like this answer
Clicking the mark as good answer button helps us highlight the best answers.
Absolutely wonderful question, and I really don't think you would. The ONLY benefit that the MBP gets over the MBA is a faster base processor (but still dual-core) and a DVD drive. The lack of processor speed is more than made up for by the standard SSD that comes with a MBA, and honestly, in this era of cloud computing, who really uses CDs/DVDs? I can't remember the last time I bought a program that required a disc.
People may argue that size constraints on the MBA's SSD are a hindrance, but anyone buying a computer that small should not be buying it for its storage capability.
The MBA has a sleeker and lighter form factor, it's WAY faster because of the SSD, it has the exact same GPU, and it has a better screen resolution. Apple should just make the MBA the default MacBook and push MacBook Pros to 15" and 17" only.
People may argue that size constraints on the MBA's SSD are a hindrance, but anyone buying a computer that small should not be buying it for its storage capability.
The MBA has a sleeker and lighter form factor, it's WAY faster because of the SSD, it has the exact same GPU, and it has a better screen resolution. Apple should just make the MBA the default MacBook and push MacBook Pros to 15" and 17" only.
mark as good answer
3 people like this answer
Well, I would think about buying the MBA like I would think about buying an iPad. It comes pretty well-equipped, but I know that if there's anything I want to change, I'm out of luck. That said, there are a lot of virtues of the MBA. Its flash memory is quick, it will likely use less power than a MBP, and it is extremely small (obviously).
The MBP, on the other hand, has more usable processing power out of the box, and is upgradeable. If you plan on doing any sort of encoding or anything else processor-intensive (I like editing RAW photos in Aperture and Lightroom), the MBP would outperform the MBA. The big thing for me, however, was the fact that I could upgrade the MBP myself. Now, I have an older machine, but I think this mantra still holds some value today. I took a machine with 1 GB of RAM, and increased it to 8GB of RAM and a 120 GB HD, and increased it to 300 GB—all for around $120, which is a bargain compared to what Apple charges to do the same thing.
So, it really depends on how much cash you have to spend on a computer, and whether you plan on doing anything that is processor-intensive. I definitely think there are still reasons other than the DVD drive to buy a MBP over a MBA.
The MBP, on the other hand, has more usable processing power out of the box, and is upgradeable. If you plan on doing any sort of encoding or anything else processor-intensive (I like editing RAW photos in Aperture and Lightroom), the MBP would outperform the MBA. The big thing for me, however, was the fact that I could upgrade the MBP myself. Now, I have an older machine, but I think this mantra still holds some value today. I took a machine with 1 GB of RAM, and increased it to 8GB of RAM and a 120 GB HD, and increased it to 300 GB—all for around $120, which is a bargain compared to what Apple charges to do the same thing.
So, it really depends on how much cash you have to spend on a computer, and whether you plan on doing anything that is processor-intensive. I definitely think there are still reasons other than the DVD drive to buy a MBP over a MBA.
mark as good answer
2 people like this answer
My guess is that the future of the laptop line for Macs is the Air. Right now there is the processor differentiation, but one the Air is able to achieve the same speeds as the pro, we will see the Pro 13", and eventually the whole pro line, fade away.
mark as good answer
2 people like this answer
I don't really understand it either. If you do into the Apple store, the employees will tell you the Air is faster because of the SSD. I think part of the reason Apple did this was to push people to buy the Air, but usually they don't cannibalize their own sales. Right now the MPB 13" doesn't have much of an appeal at all, outside of saving a hundred bucks and still having a disk drive.
Apple never drops prices on current models so I wonder how long they will continue to even sell the MPB 13" with this dilemma being so apparent.
Apple never drops prices on current models so I wonder how long they will continue to even sell the MPB 13" with this dilemma being so apparent.
mark as good answer
1 person likes this answer
I have this debate in my head all the time!
First, MacBook Pros have better internals, and bigger drive capacity. Also, you will be able to do a little bit more with peripherals, since there is more connections. And I would be able to install disc version (I know.. I should be using the App Store.. ) of games, like Sims 3, which currently sold only in stores.
The MacBook Air would be a fantastic choice for showing off. Like me, a lot of people like the say "Oh yeah, you know, just running the latest version of everything on the newest devices. Can't be obsolete. And the portability. But after that its just kinda like you miss some of the features from the Pro.
I would probably chose an Air due to the fact that that the Pro only has the now somewhat paltry screen resolution. My netbook has a higher resolution. But if you wanted the Pro, because its stronger performance wise, go for it!
First, MacBook Pros have better internals, and bigger drive capacity. Also, you will be able to do a little bit more with peripherals, since there is more connections. And I would be able to install disc version (I know.. I should be using the App Store.. ) of games, like Sims 3, which currently sold only in stores.
The MacBook Air would be a fantastic choice for showing off. Like me, a lot of people like the say "Oh yeah, you know, just running the latest version of everything on the newest devices. Can't be obsolete. And the portability. But after that its just kinda like you miss some of the features from the Pro.
I would probably chose an Air due to the fact that that the Pro only has the now somewhat paltry screen resolution. My netbook has a higher resolution. But if you wanted the Pro, because its stronger performance wise, go for it!
mark as good answer
1 person likes this answer
It actually boils down to what you want to do with it. The 13 inch Air has a much higher resolution display as compared to the 13 inch Pro. Not to mention the Air is significantly thinner and lighter than the Pro and ships with SSD as standard, upgrading the Pro to SSD will push up the costs.
The major advantage of the Pro over the Air is that there is scope to greatly upgrade the storage. You can upgrade the internal hard drive upto 1 TB and even swap out the optical drive for a second hard drive or perhaps even an SSD.
In terms of hardware specifications, the Pro ships with a fully powered dual core processor with higher turbo ratios and larger caches.
The real bottleneck with off the shelf versions of the Pro is the hard drive, no matter the spinning revolution it doesn't match up to the speed of the SSD.
To sum it up, the Pro is suitable for people who would want more flexibility in terms of memory and storage, for all others the Air should be no brainer as its portability and functionality balanced.
The major advantage of the Pro over the Air is that there is scope to greatly upgrade the storage. You can upgrade the internal hard drive upto 1 TB and even swap out the optical drive for a second hard drive or perhaps even an SSD.
In terms of hardware specifications, the Pro ships with a fully powered dual core processor with higher turbo ratios and larger caches.
The real bottleneck with off the shelf versions of the Pro is the hard drive, no matter the spinning revolution it doesn't match up to the speed of the SSD.
To sum it up, the Pro is suitable for people who would want more flexibility in terms of memory and storage, for all others the Air should be no brainer as its portability and functionality balanced.
mark as good answer
0 people like this answer
The MacBook Pro is cheaper, has an optical drive, comes with more storage (but not SSD standard), and is more upgradable.
mark as good answer
0 people like this answer
I chose the Early 2011 MBP over the 2011 MBA because of a few reasons:
*I can upgrade the ram to 16gb ( i have 8gb now) whereas the Air can only do 4gb and no upgrades.
*I can upgrade the HDD. I can add an SSD, HDD or even 2 of them if I use an optibay. The Air is locked in to what you purchase it with. Right now I have a hybrid HDD (momentus XT) with a 7200rpm 500gb HDD plus a 4gb SSD built in. My system boots in 25 secs and my favorite apps launch instantly. All while having plenty of storage
*Firewire 800
*DVD drive ( though not an issue for me, i dont use it)
For me, its the ability to make my computer faster down the road. The MBA is as fast as it will ever be as it has no easy path to upgrade. With the MBP I can add more ram, a bigger HDD and an SSD to improve my computers speed. Its much better imo
*I can upgrade the ram to 16gb ( i have 8gb now) whereas the Air can only do 4gb and no upgrades.
*I can upgrade the HDD. I can add an SSD, HDD or even 2 of them if I use an optibay. The Air is locked in to what you purchase it with. Right now I have a hybrid HDD (momentus XT) with a 7200rpm 500gb HDD plus a 4gb SSD built in. My system boots in 25 secs and my favorite apps launch instantly. All while having plenty of storage
*Firewire 800
*DVD drive ( though not an issue for me, i dont use it)
For me, its the ability to make my computer faster down the road. The MBA is as fast as it will ever be as it has no easy path to upgrade. With the MBP I can add more ram, a bigger HDD and an SSD to improve my computers speed. Its much better imo
mark as good answer
0 people like this answer
follow this question
share:
Products mentioned
8 users following this question:
This question has been viewed 1366 times.
Last activity .