Which Mac laptop?

Peerzy

Peerzy

Peerzy

Soldato
Joined
9 Nov 2008
Posts
7,148
Had a 2011 13" MPB from work for a while and really liked it, have everything I need Windows covered so a nice Apple laptop would be great.

Any reason to not buy one in the next 2-3 months (are they being replaced).

Macbook Pro or Macbook Air?

I've no need for a DVD drive (and would buy a portable DVDRW anyway), won't be using the laptop for massive storage so no need for big HDD and surely the MBA is quicker due to the SSD?

I was considering the 13" MBA with 4GB RAM and the 128GB SSD.

What are peoples thoughts and opinions?

No budget set at all, if there is something much better out there for £500 more I'm willing to pay providing I'll use the features.

17" MBP is far too big, I want something small and sleek and easy to move about.

Laptop will be used for general duties, office work, emailing, internet, photoshop, Football Manager and probably streaming videos to a TV. Battery life important.

13" is as small as I want, not usre if the one inbetween the 13" and 17" is still as portable (15" I guess)?

No idea if it matters but I don't have an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or anything Apple apart from a 64GB new iTouch. Never owned a Mac before but know how to use them well, will be sticking with Andriod for my phone and do all my office work etc... on Google Apps, Google Calender etc.....

Many thanks
 
Last edited:
13" air is lighter and more portable than the pro (though the pro is no slouch) but the air has a more held back processor (thermal constraints). Air also has a better res (1440x900) which is a good bonus.

Id say its between the two if portability is key as they both have their big plus points and a few difficulties.

I owned a 15" for years and couldn't believe how far I travelled it and how heavy it was compared to my 13" pro now, if its going every day id stick to the 13" ones really ;)

Also the 13" pro can take an SSD off the shelf which makes a huge difference much makes it a bit of a draw with the air on that front if you are ok doing it from home :) (I did and went to 8gig of ram just to max it out)

Anyway as a personal vote I sway just to the 13" air as it is a bit lighter again, despite owning the 13" pro (typical envy). I love my pro now as the dvd drive is helpful some times and it is good for the odd game (can do FM well) but I would have liked the higher res as its been almost completely for uni work for me (only got it as I couldn't be bothered to argue with the student ordering company people I got it through) and the ability to have 8gig or ram and a faster processor haven't been all that important to me.
 
Last edited:
Reading what you've said I've got two options:

1) MBA 13", 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, buy portable DVDRW
2) MBP 13", Upgrade to 8GB Ram, Upgrade to 240GB~ SSD

Is the MBA screen much better and the resolution massively better?

What would people go for out of those two?

Most of the time it'll be used around the house, but it'll come with me in my car to client meetings etc and work but carrying it from my car to a building for 30 seconds is not an issue.
 
More or less the best 2 options. The with the air it would be sensible to head for the 256gig upgrade if that's the sort of space you would consider for the pro and apple do the "super drive" to cover your dvd needs (it's a nice looking portable dvdrw).

The airs screen is a better resolution but both are good little screens at that size (FM is the only thing iv noticed wanting the extra res on because I like playing it windowed) but its really down to your preference, maybe have a look at them both side by side as they both seem fairly similar to your other needs.

By the sounds of it portable means the carry it about the house and occasionally in the car portable (opposed to the trek it about in my back back portable) which the 15" is also very good at (if you feel the extra speed is needed). If you want power, get one of the pro's as they can take more ram and the processors are faster (the air has one thats held back more for the thermal constraints of the size) but if power isn't essential then head for the air because the air provides the most options for mobility.

The choice between them is really just down to how you think you'll most use it :)
 
pingwing said:
More or less the best 2 options. The with the air it would be sensible to head for the 256gig upgrade if that's the sort of space you would consider for the pro and apple do the "super drive" to cover your dvd needs (it's a nice looking portable dvdrw).

The airs screen is a better resolution but both are good little screens at that size (FM is the only thing iv noticed wanting the extra res on because I like playing it windowed) but its really down to your preference, maybe have a look at them both side by side as they both seem fairly similar to your other needs.

By the sounds of it portable means the carry it about the house and occasionally in the car portable (opposed to the trek it about in my back back portable) which the 15" is also very good at (if you feel the extra speed is needed). If you want power, get one of the pro's as they can take more ram and the processors are faster (the air has one thats held back more for the thermal constraints of the size) but if power isn't essential then head for the air because the air provides the most options for mobility.

The choice between them is really just down to how you think you'll most use it :)
Click to expand...

My GF has a 15" laptop and it just feels too chunky (it is a cheapy Dell tho). I hate the look of the 17" MBP's because the keyboard is so small and the rest of the base looks like wasted space and I'd never need a screen that big.

Wasn't aware they did a 256gb SSD upgrade with the Air.

I play FM on windowed mode as well, doubt I'll ever demand more power. Laptop will be used for internets, FM and a bit of Photoshop.

Portability - you got spot on, minimal actual carrying it.

POB said:
OK I'm not trolling, but thought I would put out another option.

I am torn between the Macbook Air and the new Dell Ultrabook:

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/t...xps13_teaser?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

I love the Macbook Air, but the Dell has a few neat features.

I really can't decide at the moment :confused:
Click to expand...

I've got a really decent Windows PC (i7, 8GB Ram, some £250~ motherboard and £400~ graphics card. Custom build with the best parts about 10 months ago) so simply don't want or need another Windows OS.

When I had my work MBP I always found myself reaching for it when I just wanted to surf the net or do a few quick jobs.

I'm usually as anti Apple as you get but the Mac OS was nice to use and the MBP/MBA seem very good (if pretty expensive, but as I've not set a budget for this laptop that's not a bother).
 
I had the same choice, 13" Pro or Air. I went for the Pro in the end as I run VMs and wanted 8GB of RAM.

Saying that I am considering getting rid of it.
 
Well the 15" pro is an exceptional laptop, really puts regular 15" ones to shame and comes with a res upgrade option (1680x1050 from the stock 1440x900, both excellent choices on the screen) but it could be a little over kill (it does have a quad cpu, a dedicated graphics card and a bigger battery).

If you play FM in windowed on the 13" pro you'll come across the odd little problem I found that FM really wants all 1280x800 screen space so chops off a tiny bit at the bottom for the task bar at the top. The smallest annoyance but it's just because it doesn't resize quite right.

I would say the air sounds a potentially better move but if you have a chance have a look at the air, 13" and 15" pro's in the flesh as that could be the best way of gauging which one you like the feel of most (as they will all do the job you want nicely in slightly different ways)
 
A lot to think about I guess.

What will hold it's value well? No doubt one of these will be in MM in 18-24 months time.

I notice the 15" MBP is about £1600~ which is a fair wack for any laptop.

I take it none of these are up for replacement anytime soon?
 
Peerzy said:
I take it none of these are up for replacement anytime soon?
Click to expand...

They are all sort of due for a replacement. But they are waiting for Intel with Ivy Bridge.

Then it could be also a delay for Mountain Lion, so it could be summer before you see anything.

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Pro

The link provides historical statistics on the update dates.
 
Last edited:
There will be a refresh like always at some point for ivybridge (os updates have been silent refreshes recently) but chances are that could be a bit of a wait.

As for holding value they tend to hold their value a fair bit more than the actual hardware does (by comparison anway), so on the MM someone sold the original 13" macbook pro (c2d 2.4ghz, 2gig or ram I think and 9400m) at £325 which is a good price for one but for a 3 year old laptop is quite a lot of money!

My 09 refresh 15" pro valued in at something like £600 at the end of last year (also core 2) which is very impressive price retention for computer components (realistically they hold a fair bit of value for the presentation over the speed, and the legal running of osx), so there will be a loss come trying to sell it on but no where near as bad as say trying to sell a 3 year old dell version of a similar laptop.
 
POB said:
They are all sort of due for a replacement. But they are waiting for Intel with Ivy Bridge.

Then it could be also a delay for Mountain Lion, so it could be summer before you see anything.

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Pro

The link provides historical statistics on the update dates.
Click to expand...

Interesting that Macrumors almost advises against buying anything Apple as they all look to be getting replaced soon - and half of them are not even a year old!

Out of interest what new Apple stuff will be out by the time I come to purchase this laptop (April).

pingwing said:
There will be a refresh like always at some point for ivybridge (os updates have been silent refreshes recently) but chances are that could be a bit of a wait.

As for holding value they tend to hold their value a fair bit more than the actual hardware does (by comparison anway), so on the MM someone sold the original 13" macbook pro (c2d 2.4ghz, 2gig or ram I think and 9400m) at £325 which is a good price for one but for a 3 year old laptop is quite a lot of money!

My 09 refresh 15" pro valued in at something like £600 at the end of last year (also core 2) which is very impressive price retention for computer components (realistically they hold a fair bit of value for the presentation over the speed, and the legal running of osx), so there will be a loss come trying to sell it on but no where near as bad as say trying to sell a 3 year old dell version of a similar laptop.
Click to expand...

Pretty much what I expected.
 
if its going to be april id wait..

The rumor is that the pro and air may become one line (at least they may drop the 13" pro altogether and just have the 13 air) but i'd wait

i have a 2009 2.26ghz c2d 13" MBP and its resale price now is £500 sometimes 550, which consdering it was 879 with education discount when i bought it is astonishing

When the new ones are out and the back2school offers are back on im buying the 13" air equivalent as id like the higher res screen
 
POB said:
OK I'm not trolling, but thought I would put out another option.

I am torn between the Macbook Air and the new Dell Ultrabook:

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/t...xps13_teaser?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

I love the Macbook Air, but the Dell has a few neat features.

I really can't decide at the moment :confused:
Click to expand...

I'd go for the new Series 9 over that, mostly because it looks nicer and has a higher resolution screen. Unfortunately so many of the ultrabooks are gimped at the moment with lower resolution screens (at least IMO). A screen with less than 800 vertical pixels is severely gimped IMO. The 13" MBP is close to this limit now and one of the major reasons I got an Air over it. If the new Series 9 was out when I got mine I would probably have gone for that instead (the current/old one has a low res. screen).

pingwing said:
There will be a refresh like always at some point for ivybridge (os updates have been silent refreshes recently) but chances are that could be a bit of a wait.

As for holding value they tend to hold their value a fair bit more than the actual hardware does (by comparison anway), so on the MM someone sold the original 13" macbook pro (c2d 2.4ghz, 2gig or ram I think and 9400m) at £325 which is a good price for one but for a 3 year old laptop is quite a lot of money!

My 09 refresh 15" pro valued in at something like £600 at the end of last year (also core 2) which is very impressive price retention for computer components (realistically they hold a fair bit of value for the presentation over the speed, and the legal running of osx), so there will be a loss come trying to sell it on but no where near as bad as say trying to sell a 3 year old dell version of a similar laptop.
Click to expand...

Only £325? I guess that's a reasonable amount but there are plenty of windows laptops that sell for that little drop off. I had a 4 year old Dell XPS 1330 and the going rate is around £300-350 as well, similar specs. But I'd agree they do appear (in general) to hold their value better than a cheap and nasty Acer etc.

So OP, go for the Air over the Pro, unless you really need the 8GB of RAM (I'm hoping that the ultra books - including the Air in this - start being upgradeable to 8GB soon!)
 
For what reason would I need 8GB of RAM on a Mac? My MBP with 4GB didn't lag or was slow in anyway?

Any real world differences in 4GB and 8GB on a Mac?
 
Last edited:
Peerzy said:
Any real world differences in 4GB and 8GB on a Mac?
Click to expand...

Running Lion? Yeah.

In general use on a current model 15" MBP I lasted about a month before putting 8GB of RAM in it. I got annoyed with the beachballs when it started paging to the (mechanical) HDD. Snow Leopard on my previous machine was typically using about 2.2GB for the same usage. I was getting better productivity from a 2008 MacBook than the new machine, so the £35 for the upgrade was a no-brainer.

Paging may well be less of an issue with an SSD installed, but non-upgradability of MBA RAM would put me right off. It's an excellent ultraportable, but it's no MBP.

The 13" MBP is a cracking little machine. I had the original C2D equivalent and it was excellent.
 
i think the MBP are due to a refresh soon, i guess it will come in line with the ivy bridges. so if you can, i will wait as that is what im doing atm too.
 
pingwing said:
As for holding value they tend to hold their value a fair bit more than the actual hardware does (by comparison anway), so on the MM someone sold the original 13" macbook pro (c2d 2.4ghz, 2gig or ram I think and 9400m) at £325 which is a good price for one but for a 3 year old laptop is quite a lot of money!
Click to expand...


Amp34 said:
Only £325?
Click to expand...

I bought it. Putting Lion on it now. (4Gb RAM BTW)

Absoloute bargain if you look at what they fetch elsewhere. I sold my C2D Macbook with GMA950 for £250 on the MM.

I was looking at buying a refurb 2.3GHz i5 MBP for £779 if I hadn't got this.

I think that is the best price/size/performance compromise. You can add your own SSD then too.
 
Last edited:
To the OP, as I'd say to anyone, go into your local shop and have a look.

While the MacBook Air has a higher resolution display, its colour gamut is far smaller. After having a look at both, I went with the Pro; I found the Air extremely difficult to look at, and when you take the full-screen mode into consideration, the difference is much smaller than you'd expect. I am currently deciding on getting an SSD for it, but that isn't a definite yet. Do take a look at both though.

As for memory and Lion, 4GB for heavy office use is sufficient. That is, numerous tabs open, Word or Pages, PDFs, Mail, and more. If you're getting lots of page outs (Activity Monitor), that's when you know you need more memory. Photoshop might require a bit more, but that isn't an expensive upgrade. Come to think of it, the Pro would be a better option because of the colour gamut for Photoshop...!

Finally, resale value of Macs are generally higher than that of a comparable Windows machine, however you do pay more initially...to be honest I doubt that there is really a huge difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom