Does the MBP 13" being complete toilet bother you?

[Pazz]

No idea why anyone would go for the 13" pro over the air now.

You gain aload of weight, a crappy screen and extra bulk for 30% faster CPU and upgradable ram/hd... woopdeedoo.

Woopdeedoo?

For starters you would save a significant amount from not having to build a custom spec air on the apple store if you ever wanted more than the stock builds.

Apple Store Custom Spec Prices:

128GB > 256GB SSD = £250.00
4GB RAM > 8GB RAM = £80.00

Alternatiavely buy a 13" MBP and then the following

OCZ Agility 3 240GB SSD @ £139.99
saving £110.01 and having a mechanical drive spare to do what you want with.

Corsair 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-1066C9 1333MHz Memory @ £37.99
saving £42.01 and having a spare 2x2GB set of modules

 

[Pazz]

It's tough - because by the time you add the additional 4GBs and i7 you're up to the MBP 15" base model price

I had the same dilemma, but I read several reviews stating that the i7 got much hotter under load than the i5 and was therefore a noisier machine to use. Plus, given the fairly small speed increase from the SB i5 to i7 I went for the i5. So far its only got frustratingly slow when encoding video.

 

[Ev0]

There are analyst mumblings of a 13inch 'Retina' type model being released later in the year, hopefully they are correct.

 

[LordSplodge]

There are analyst mumblings of a 13inch 'Retina' type model being released later in the year, hopefully they are correct.

Too close to the release of the 15" RD MBP. However I'd be willing to bet the 2013 MBA refresh has a 'retina' display.

 

[LordSplodge]

Is 1280x 800 really that hard to deal with on a 13" display? I have to ask this because I am genuinely torn as to what to get.

It's a little cramped but it's alright for work* on the road. If its going to spend most of its time on a desk an external display would be useful.

* Video work on the road isn't going to be fun though.

 

[Amp34]

2ghz vs 2.9ghz is quite a big difference in performance really. For me the other big advantages are the ability to upgrade RAM and HDD.

That's the other thing, why can you not get a quad core 13"? It makes no sense at all.

In clock speed but not performance. Very little issue with the performance of the two machines, especially now you can get 8GB in the Air. If you want more performance in a small machine get the Sony Z series, it's thinner than the Pro (slightly thicker than the Air) and has a quad core i7 in a 13" chassis.

Like someone else has said, there is literally no room to cram in a discrete GPU into the 13" MBP. The new 15" MBP (both Retina and non-Retina) can do it because there's just more space, even more with the Retina as the ODD takes up a LOT of space.

Space shouldn't be the issue in the Pro, my old XPS 1330 could have a dedicated GFX card and it was smaller than the 13" pro. It's just Apple deciding it either doesn't need one because it's not aimed at that type of person or just to keep costs down, especially now they have got rid of the old polycarbonate macbook.

 

[Amp34]

Thats genuinely one of the things that I love about apple products. I always used to be looking to upgrade or get the latest model of phone / computer but since I swapped to a mac 5 years ago and an iPhone last year I haven't even thought about changing them. (ok I might want the new retina MBP but who in their right mind doesn't, its a beast!)

That's the worst argument for buying a Mac ever... You don't need to upgrade any windows machines either, however people seemed obsessed with it. My old windows laptop was never upgraded (except the OS) and it was fine, same with my 6 year old Desktop, which only had extra HDDs put in... It's not an argument for Macs at all..

 

[Skyboat]

The 15" Pro needs 2 fans to keep the CPU and dGPU cool, the 13" only has room to fit 1 fan. The rest of the room is taken up by the battery, which lasts significantly longer than most other non-Apple laptops of the same size.

 

[Amp34]

Is 1280x 800 really that hard to deal with on a 13" display? I have to ask this because I am genuinely torn as to what to get.

I will need to run a virtual machine with Window 7. I'm hoping the MBA with i7 and 8GB will do the job (as well as run photoshop etc OK?).

Would love an MBP with Retina and discreet gfx but I just can't afford it

After having 1440x900 on my 2011 Air there is a visible difference when using my 5 year old 1280x800 XPS 1330 (which is sat beside me now), but if you haven't used a higher resolution then maybe there isn't an issue.

The 2012 i7 Air will be fine, I edit plenty of 10MP RAW images in photoshop on my 2011 i7 and have no issues, even when making 10+ image 100MP panoramas.

The 15" Pro needs 2 fans to keep the CPU and dGPU cool, the 13" only has room to fit 1 fan. The rest of the room is taken up by the battery, which lasts significantly longer than most other non-Apple laptops of the same size.

My old XPS lasted 7 hours as well, the old Z series Sony also had a dedicated GFX card and decent battery life in a similar size to the MBP 13" (the new Z series halved in thickness and they got rid of the dedicated internal GFX card, sticking it in a dock instead). It's perfectly possible, but probably not what Apple want to do with the 13" Pro, which tbh seems to be moving into the old slot of the poly macbook.

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Well I'm not a graphics designer. I guess my question is how bad is 1280x 800 on a 13" display? Guess I'll have to pop along to an Apple store to take a look.

What about running virtual machine on the MBA with i7 and 8GB? Would this be OK?

It's tough - because by the time you add the additional 4GBs and i7 you're up to the MBP 15" base model price, which although lacks SSD and only offers 4GB does include discreet gfx - I think! Lists HD4000 and 650M, guess it switches between the two.

In case you're wondering, this is my first Apple computer! I'm not impressed with any of the Ultrabook Windows machines out there.

What about the Asus UX21A and UX31A:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5843/asus-zenbook-prime-ux21a-review

They have 1920X1080 IPS screens which are probably among the best in any notebook ATM.

OTH,like the MBP,the fastest CPU is a Core i7 dual core.

Edit!!

It seems the latest version of the Sony Z2 can have a Core i7 quad core as an upgrade option and it also has a 1920X1080 matt 13.1" screen.

 

[Amp34]

Kinda destroy's the portability factor of buying a 13" laptop though dont you think if your constantly having to also carry with you an external drive and cable. Then there's the hassle of having to plugged in constantly.

I'm also not a fan of the silver chrome bezel around the screen.

The natural step forward would be a 13" retina model, so here's hoping and lets get saving!

256GB is fine for most peoples needs, even a photographer will have no issues with that. Most of their other photos will be on external storage no matter what anyway.

If you really need more storage in a 13" laptop thinner than a MBP then the 2012 Air gives you a 512GB option.

Well I'm not a graphics designer. I guess my question is how bad is 1280x 800 on a 13" display? Guess I'll have to pop along to an Apple store to take a look.

What about running virtual machine on the MBA with i7 and 8GB? Would this be OK?

It's tough - because by the time you add the additional 4GBs and i7 you're up to the MBP 15" base model price, which although lacks SSD and only offers 4GB does include discreet gfx - I think! Lists HD4000 and 650M, guess it switches between the two.

In case you're wondering, this is my first Apple computer! I'm not impressed with any of the Ultrabook Windows machines out there.

If you're not impressed by the current top end ultrabooks then you probably won't be impressed by the Air either. Why don't you like the ultrabooks? Then we can see if you will actually find the Air any good.

Too close to the release of the 15" RD MBP. However I'd be willing to bet the 2013 MBA refresh has a 'retina' display.

Not even that I bet, no way they will have refreshed the Air just now, only to release a new version in a few months. The idea of a "Retina" display on the next version (Apple just do 1920x1200*...) makes sense though, especially as most top end 13" windows laptops are giving you 1080p displays.

* Just because it is a standard resolution and there shouldn't be any real reason to have pixel doubling by next year due to the current MBP Retina display.

EDIT:

What about the Asus UX21A and UX31A:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5843/asus-zenbook-prime-ux21a-review

They have 1920X1080 IPS screens which are probably among the best in any notebook ATM.

OTH,like the MBP,the fastest CPU is a Core i7 dual core.

Edit!!

It seems the latest version of the Sony Z2 can have a Core i7 quad core as an upgrade option and it also has a 1920X1080 matt 13.1" screen.

The UX range, alongside the 9 Series are stunning. The Sony Z series is absolutely stunning but is absolutely expensive too although the latest iteration has reduced in price a little to more like Air/Ultrabook prices, which is pretty impressive for a basically standard voltage quad core in an ultrabook chassis.

 

[Pazz]

If you really need more storage in a 13" laptop thinner than a MBP then the 2012 Air gives you a 512GB option.

Trouble is Apple custom spec upgrades are ridiculously expensive and aren't anywhere near what you'd pay if you'd done the upgrade yourself (in the case of the air/RMBP not possible obviously.

 

[Amp34]

Trouble is Apple custom spec upgrades are ridiculously expensive and aren't anywhere near what you'd pay if you'd done the upgrade yourself (in the case of the air/RMBP not possible obviously.

Actually I think it's cheaper than Sonys 512GB upgrade. That is the compromise you have to make when you want something small. Much like many other electrical items.

Personally I went for the Air because it was thinner than a pad of paper and very light, far more likely to allow me to transport it than something like the Pro, and far nicer to use (due to weight) on my lap.

 

[KiiYzOo]

currently deciding on what to get, the 13" pro or the 13" air? I'm starting to think the air due to the smaller size and better screen.

I'd have to wait until september anyway (my birthday) and it's be used for uni next year too

I'm thinking a macbook, as they tend to be more reliable than windows machines and look absolutely awesome

I'd be using the laptop mostly for programming, so probably would have to dual boot windows too (I want to do games design )

so, do you guys think that the air is the way to go for me then? also, do you guys think that there will be a retina 13" macbook air/pro before then?

 

[Amp34]

The Air is probably the pick out of the Air/Pro but personally if I was buying nowish I would have gone for the Asus UX31 with it's 1080p screen.

 

[Pazz]

I agree with Amp34 the ultrabooks offer better value considering their screen res. If money is no object then retina MBP.

 

[Pazz]

Actually I think it's cheaper than Sonys 512GB upgrade. That is the compromise you have to make when you want something small. Much like many other electrical items.

Personally I went for the Air because it was thinner than a pad of paper and very light, far more likely to allow me to transport it than something like the Pro, and far nicer to use (due to weight) on my lap.

But not cheaper than buying a MBP and doing the upgrade yourself.

That's the problem with the Air and RMBP, all the upgrades have to come from new via the Apple store and as such, your get charged ridiculous prices.

I agree the Air is more portable, but in comparison to many windows laptops (lenovo and such) the MBP is significantly thinner and offers better build quality than the majority of non-ultrabook models.

 

[Domo]

I agree with Amp34 the ultrabooks offer better value considering their screen res. If money is no object then retina MBP.

Just checking out the UX32VD. Intel® Core™ i7 3517U Processor - is that Ivy Bridge? It comes with discreet gfx + HD4000 so I assume the CPU is IB?

Sorry - I'm way behind on tech these days but I want the best for my money

 

[Alpherah]

If it has HD4000 then its Ivy yes.

 

[Amp34]

But not cheaper than buying a MBP and doing the upgrade yourself.

That's the problem with the Air and RMBP, all the upgrades have to come from new via the Apple store and as such, your get charged ridiculous prices.

I agree the Air is more portable, but in comparison to many windows laptops (lenovo and such) the MBP is significantly thinner and offers better build quality than the majority of non-ultrabook models.

I'd agree there, but then that's why I never really buy cheap laptops, because they are cheap for a reason, doesn't matter who they are made by.

I agree with Amp34 the ultrabooks offer better value considering their screen res. If money is no object then retina MBP.

I wouldn't necessarily say "value" (the high end ones are similar price) but they can have better specs and style depending on what you want.

Just checking out the UX32VD. Intel® Core™ i7 3517U Processor - is that Ivy Bridge? It comes with discreet gfx + HD4000 so I assume the CPU is IB?

Sorry - I'm way behind on tech these days but I want the best for my money

It's also got a 3517U, 3 denoting Ivybridge I think?

Have you looked at the Series 9 as well, although I think the Ivybridge version isn't available yet.

Do you need discrete graphics BTW? If not maybe the non VD* version may be better for you?

*Anyone else think that was a bad thing to name a laptop..?