MBA vs MBP: Should I buy?

I was hoping to get some opinions from some of you who have the Macbook Air.
Currently I have a Powerbook G4.. the second to last revision before the Intel switch: 1.67Ghz G4/1Gb RAM/160Gb HD/ATI 9700 w/128MB.
Here is my dilema: I am going to be buying a new Apple laptop as early as tomorrow 2/15. I was originally planning on buying a 15" Macbook Pro fully maxed out in every made to order configuration, but all my research has led me to believe that an update to that product line is imminent. I am the type of person that likes to have the best/most powerful thing for the sake of having it even when I may not use it to the limit of it's capabilities, but I am also very impatient and don't know if I can wait for the update whenever that may happen while my $$$ burns a hole in my pocket.
So, I began thinking about what I actually do with my PBG4.. I used to do music production and graphic design but not so much anymore. Mostly I watch movies and surf the net, I do convert movies and music quite often, but don't really utilize all the IO that I have (except S-video) I have been tempted by the Macbook Air, but I am wondering if I will regret giving up all the power and IO of a Powerbook or Macbook Pro.
I know if I get a Macbook Pro and they release an updated version shortly after my purchase I will be totally burned.. but I am wondering if I could live within the limitations of the Air?
Just interested in getting some opinions from those of you that have the Air or both MBA and MBP..
Many thanks,
James

Really, IMO, you should wait it out until the MBP is refreshed. If you absolutely cannot, then it's going to be a difficult decision on your part. When you break down the specifications, the MBA is really not "new" in the sense that it still uses the 65nm Merom microprocessor. This processor is set to be eventually phased out by the new Peryn, 45nm processors that were announced in late January. So if you go with an MBA today, you're almost dropping the cost of the baseline 15" MBP for a notebook that is essentially last year's technology. Not to mention that the RAM in the MBA is not upgradable, and the HD uses an outdated parallel ATA interface (ie slow).
Additionally, you need to really consider your needs in a notebook. If you still do music production and graphic design at all, then the MBA is probably going to be a huge disappointment. Remember that this thing wasn't meant to be a desktop replacement like the MBP. Apple's target consumer for the MBA is someone who needs a second or even third computer for situations where portability is a must, and is willing to sacrifice speed and power to get it.

Similar Messages

When I return my MBA 13-inch, should I buy the same or MB Pro?

Pardon me, as I'm still very new to the Apple Community. I have tried to look for an answer to my problem, but now I write here.
I bought the fully loaded MBA 13-inch hardly 2 weeks ago. Already in the first weekend I experienced really poor battery life. Like under 3 hours - with precautions taken, like shutting off bluetooth, turning down screen brightness and calibrating the battery (though they say it is not necessary now on the Apple site). Therefore, I contacted Apple Support last Friday. They say I can return my computer and get a replacement or the money back. So all is fine in that way.
My question is this: I really loved everything about the MBA (except the battery) - but now I have doubts on whether to get the exact same replacement or buy the Macbook Pro 13-inch. What are people's experience with the longevity of MBA vs MB Pro battery life?? And wich model should I get, if you recommend MB Pro 13-inch (GB, Ghz etc.)?
As this is my first Mac I just hope to be as happy with my purchase as other Mac-owners are :-).
NB: I use it for surfing (and my job as webmaster), light photo editing, watching videoes, listening to iTunes and so on. And then I plan to bring the computer with me everyday, as I have a longer train ride going to work. So again, the lightness is also why I opted for the MBA in the first place.

Return it. If you're not happy with it take it back and swap it for another. The fact is you may have bought a bad one so don't run the risk of being stuck with it.
As to your question regarding what to swap it for, only you can answer. I can say that I have a MBA bought about 4 weeks ago and I get about 5 or 6 hours out of it but not in one go. If you have a long train ride or you are doing stuff as you say (videos, music etc) these things will drain your battery quickly.
A MBP may have a more robust battery life but they are way bigger and heavier so you have to decide what you're happy to compromise on. If I were you, I'd try another MBA, see if it drains as fast and if it does then you may be the type of user that needs the bigger and longer life of a MBP.

Sluggish MBP - Should I buy new?

My MBP is now 4 years old. It's been showing sluggish performance for at least 18 months now. I've had independent people look at it, and I've brought it to the Store and had a Genius take a look. I get a lot of pinwheels, applications can take up to a full minute or even more to load, and I'm running out of HDD space. My independent guy thought the HDD was failing, but the Genius did analysis and said no. He said all was running fine, but I know it's not like it used to be.
I have a 2.66 i7 chip and today's MBP's have a standard 2.5 i7 chip. Is it really a step down? I'm not super techy, so I need help on that. I'd like more RAM, as I'm maxed out at 8GB. I have just 75GB of HDD space left on my 500GB drive. I also see the advantage of solid state drive.
Before I spend $3000 on a new MBP, I just want to do my homework.
I use my system for relatively minor stuff. I'll have most things open all at once, but nothing that I see is particularly intense on the processor or the memory. I'll typically have the following apps open:
AppleMail
Contacts
Notes
Messages
Safari with 4-8 windows open
iPhoto
a bunch of pdf's
iTunes
When I open Activity Monitor, it generally is not showing that my system is tapped. A fairly typical load profile is like I have right now this morning as I write this:
Physical Memory: 8GB
Mem Used: 7.95 GB
Virtual Mem: 12.06 GB
Memory pressure is green
CPU has 90%+ idle
I do have a program on my system that is a bit of a hog. I sell digital x-ray machines, including 3D imaging systems and I generally need to shut most other things down to open that program. Even when I open that imaging program, the memory and CPU specs don't get maxed out. I just don't get it.
Any thoughts/ideas are appreciated.
Here's my Etrecheck report:
Problem description:
General sluggishness. Pinwheel, slow to open apps, overall deterioration of performance.
EtreCheck version: 2.1.2 (105)
Report generated December 12, 2014 at 6:38:10 AM CST
Hardware Information: ℹ️
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010) (Verified)
MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro6,1
1 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 2-core
8 GB RAM Upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
4 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
4 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
Intel HD Graphics - VRAM: 288 MB
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M - VRAM: 512 MB
Color LCD 1920 x 1200
System Software: ℹ️
OS X 10.9.5 (13F34) - Uptime: 6 days 22:36:56
Disk Information: ℹ️
Hitachi HTS725050A9A362 disk0 : (500.11 GB)
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 499.25 GB (69.14 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N
USB Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Seagate FA GoFlex Desk 2 TB
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
TimeMachine (disk1s2) /Volumes/TimeMachine : 2.00 TB (1.53 TB free)
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
Anywhere
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
/System/Library/Extensions
[not loaded] com.aliph.driver.jstub (1.1.2) [Support]
[loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecDriverCore (5.1.1) [Support]
/System/Library/Extensions/Seagate Storage Driver.kext/Contents/PlugIns
[not loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_4 (5.1.1) [Support]
[loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_5 (5.1.1) [Support]
[not loaded] com.seagate.driver.SeagateDriveIcons (5.1.1) [Support]
Problem System Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.paragon.NTFS.auth.plist [Support]
Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.divx.dms.agent.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.divx.update.agent.plist [Support]
[running] com.monitoringclient.cmhelperd.plist [Support]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.cocoatech.pathfinder.SMFHelper7.plist [Support]
[running] com.crashplan.engine.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.klieme.TimeMachineScheduler.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.monitoringclient.client.plist [Support]
[running] com.monitoringclient.diskjournald.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.monitoringclient.updater.plist [Support]
[running] com.planmeca.romexisserver.plist [Support]
[loaded] org.firebird.gds.plist [Support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Support]
[invalid?] com.citrixonline.GoToMeeting.G2MUpdate.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Support]
[running] com.microsoft.LaunchAgent.SyncServicesAgent.plist [Support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)
CrashPlan menu bar UNKNOWN (missing value)
Wondershare Helper Compact Application (/Users/[redacted]/Library/Application Support/Helper/Wondershare Helper Compact.app)
HP Scan Application (/Applications/Hewlett-Packard/HP Scan 3.app)
CrashPlan menu bar Application (/Applications/CrashPlan.app/Contents/Helpers/CrashPlan menu bar.app)
HP Scheduler Application (/Library/Application Support/Hewlett-Packard/Software Update/HP Scheduler.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
OVSHelper: Version: 1.1 [Support]
Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 3.2.0.16   - SDK 10.8 [Support]
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.09 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 15.0.0.246 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
DivX Web Player: Version: 3.2.3.1164 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Silverlight: Version: 5.1.10411.0 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Flash Player: Version: 15.0.0.246 - SDK 10.6 Mismatch! Adobe recommends 16.0.0.235
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
CitrixICAClientPlugIn: Version: 11.2.0 [Support]
iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0 - SDK 10.8
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.09 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.4.6 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.105 [Support]
WebEx: Version: 1.0 [Support]
Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 7.1 [Support]
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
Citrix Online Plug-in [Support]
Flash Player [Support]
Flip4Mac WMV [Support]
Paragon NTFS for Mac ® OS X [Support]
SafeGuard Monitoring [Support]
TimeMachineScheduler [Support]
Time Machine: ℹ️
Skip System Files: NO
Mobile backups: ON
Auto backup: YES
Destinations:
TimeMachine [Local]
Total size: 2.00 TB
Total number of backups: 51
Oldest backup: 2014-08-20 05:39:49 +0000
Last backup: 2014-12-12 12:16:37 +0000
Size of backup disk: Excellent
Backup size 2.00 TB > (Disk size 0 B X 3)
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
      9% WindowServer
      4% mds_stores
      3% com.apple.WebKit.Plugin.64
      1% mds
      1% sysmond
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
807 MB CrashPlanService
344 MB mdflagwriter
258 MB iTunes
254 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent
223 MB iPhoto
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
26 MB Free RAM
2.90 GB Active RAM
2.88 GB Inactive RAM
1.33 GB Wired RAM
7.65 GB Page-ins
396 MB Page-outs
Diagnostics Information: ℹ️

Lex & Esquared
Thanks for your thoughtful responses.
I've done many of the things that Lex suggested with the following failures(operator error I'm sure):
CrashPlan is my off-site backup. I'd rather not delete that. Is there a specific reason to get rid of that?
Could not find the TimeMachineScheduler in my application folder. How else do I uninstall it?
Same on PathFinder
Same on Paragon
Not sure how to uninstall Seagate software on the external drive. Other reformatting, and that will kill all backups. Any other way?
After the things I did do...not a lot of change.
=======================================
EtreCheck version: 2.1.2 (105)
Report generated December 15, 2014 at 10:11:46 AM CST
Hardware Information: ℹ️
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010) (Verified)
MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro6,1
1 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 2-core
8 GB RAM Upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
4 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
4 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
Intel HD Graphics - VRAM: 288 MB
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M - VRAM: 512 MB
Color LCD 1920 x 1200
System Software: ℹ️
OS X 10.9.5 (13F34) - Uptime: 10 days 2:10:20
Disk Information: ℹ️
Hitachi HTS725050A9A362 disk0 : (500.11 GB)
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 499.25 GB (65.18 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N
USB Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Seagate FA GoFlex Desk 2 TB
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
TimeMachine (disk1s2) /Volumes/TimeMachine : 2.00 TB (1.48 TB free)
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
Anywhere
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
/System/Library/Extensions
[not loaded] com.aliph.driver.jstub (1.1.2) [Support]
[loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecDriverCore (5.1.1) [Support]
/System/Library/Extensions/Seagate Storage Driver.kext/Contents/PlugIns
[not loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_4 (5.1.1) [Support]
[loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_5 (5.1.1) [Support]
[not loaded] com.seagate.driver.SeagateDriveIcons (5.1.1) [Support]
Problem System Launch Agents: ℹ️
[invalid?] com.paragon.NTFS.auth.plist [Support]
Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.divx.dms.agent.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.divx.update.agent.plist [Support]
[running] com.monitoringclient.cmhelperd.plist [Support]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.cocoatech.pathfinder.SMFHelper7.plist [Support]
[running] com.crashplan.engine.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.klieme.TimeMachineScheduler.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.monitoringclient.client.plist [Support]
[running] com.monitoringclient.diskjournald.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.monitoringclient.updater.plist [Support]
[running] com.planmeca.romexisserver.plist [Support]
[loaded] org.firebird.gds.plist [Support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Support]
[invalid?] com.citrixonline.GoToMeeting.G2MUpdate.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Support]
[running] com.microsoft.LaunchAgent.SyncServicesAgent.plist [Support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)
HP Scan Application (/Applications/Hewlett-Packard/HP Scan 3.app)
CrashPlan menu bar Application (/Applications/CrashPlan.app/Contents/Helpers/CrashPlan menu bar.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
OVSHelper: Version: 1.1 [Support]
Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.09 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 16.0.0.235 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
DivX Web Player: Version: 3.2.3.1164 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Silverlight: Version: 5.1.10411.0 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Flash Player: Version: 16.0.0.235 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
CitrixICAClientPlugIn: Version: 11.2.0 [Support]
SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.4.7 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.09 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0 - SDK 10.8
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.105 [Support]
WebEx: Version: 1.0 [Support]
Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 7.1 [Support]
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
Citrix Online Plug-in [Support]
Flash Player [Support]
Paragon NTFS for Mac ® OS X [Support]
SafeGuard Monitoring [Support]
TimeMachineScheduler [Support]
Time Machine: ℹ️
Skip System Files: NO
Mobile backups: ON
Auto backup: YES
Destinations:
TimeMachine [Local]
Total size: 2.00 TB
Total number of backups: 51
Oldest backup: 2014-08-20 05:39:49 +0000
Last backup: 2014-12-15 15:55:30 +0000
Size of backup disk: Excellent
Backup size 2.00 TB > (Disk size 0 B X 3)
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
      10% WindowServer
      3% com.apple.WebKit.Plugin.64
      1% coreaudiod
      1% iPhoto
      1% CrashPlanService
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
807 MB CrashPlanService
223 MB Mail
210 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent
180 MB WindowServer
163 MB AdobeReader
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
24 MB Free RAM
2.41 GB Active RAM
2.39 GB Inactive RAM
1.36 GB Wired RAM
15.69 GB Page-ins
1.05 GB Page-outs
Diagnostics Information: ℹ️
Dec 15, 2014, 07:29:05 AM pdftopdf_2014-12-15-072905_Steven-ONeils-MacBook-Pro.crash
Dec 15, 2014, 07:28:01 AM pdftopdf_2014-12-15-072801_Steven-ONeils-MacBook-Pro.crash
Dec 15, 2014, 07:26:37 AM pdftopdf_2014-12-15-072637_Steven-ONeils-MacBook-Pro.crash
Dec 15, 2014, 07:08:16 AM pdftopdf_2014-12-15-070816_Steven-ONeils-MacBook-Pro.crash
======================================
Based on your responses, I've decided on the following course of action:
Keep my existing MBP
Replace existing HDD with SSD
Fresh install of everything...most of what I use is inherent with OSx. I don't want to bring "bad stuff" from existing setup to a new setup, so I'm thinking NOT to do a TimeMachine Restore
New battery
Do you know of a step-by-step for this process? Starting with your recommendation of a 1TB (750GB min) SSD? I need this to be as plug & play simple as possible. I'm a fairly average user, and the physical install is no problem. I just want to make sure on the configuration settings etc.
Thank You

MBP vs MBA: Should I buy?

I was hoping to get some opinions from some of you who that may have the Macbook Air or both MBA and MBP.
Currently I have a 15" Powerbook G4.. the second to last revision before the Intel switch: 1.67Ghz G4/1Gb RAM/160Gb HD/ATI 9700 w/128MB.
Here is my dilema: I am going to be buying a new Apple laptop as early as tomorrow 2/15. I was originally planning on buying a 15" Macbook Pro fully maxed out in every made to order configuration, but all my research has led me to believe that an update to that product line is imminent. I am the type of person that likes to have the best/most powerful thing for the sake of having it even when I may not use it to the limit of it's capabilities, but I am also very impatient and don't know if I can wait for the update whenever that may happen while my $$$ burns a hole in my pocket.
So, I began thinking about what I actually do with my PBG4.. I used to do music production and graphic design but not so much anymore. Mostly I watch movies and surf the net, I do convert movies and music quite often, but don't really utilize all the IO that I have (except S-video) I have been tempted by the Macbook Air, but I am wondering if I will regret giving up all the power and IO of a Powerbook or Macbook Pro.
I know if I get a current Macbook Pro and they release an updated version shortly after my purchase I will be totally burned.. but I am wondering if I could live within the limitations of the Air?
Just interested in getting some opinions from those of you that have the Air or both MBA and MBP..
Many thanks,
James

If monetary difference means nothing to you, then you need to consider it purely from a usage standpoint. I use a Macbook Pro and have not yet touched a Macbook Air. I think the Air would be amazing, but for some very limited applications. Specifically, I would have loved it when I was going back and forth between classes - would've saved me some back pain each day.
If you're not going to be moving the laptop around much, I don't believe that the Air has anything special to offer you, and you probably shouldn't even consider it. Sure, it's razor thin - but the Macbook Pro is thinner than my previous cellphone! We're reaching the point where it doesn't make quite as much of a difference, unless you're in that niche that can really use it.
The Macbook Pro is much more versatile. While I understand your frustrations about wanting to wait for the latest and greatest, don't. I say this for two reasons. First, as you're probably aware, your system is outdated the second it's being shipped to the store shelves. Second, I'm a hardware junkie and track Intel's and AMD's developments. Intel is set to perform a major revision on some of its hardware by integrating the memory controller onto the processor as AMD does. However, those processors aren't expected to be released until the second half of 2008. I'd expect that Apple will be one of the first to have them, but that's a relatively long wait.
And if you don't absolutely need the cutting edge, you need to admit it and suck it up. Realize that you won't notice a difference between a current Macbook Pro and the revised one, most likely - but both will feel worlds faster than what you're currently using.
Best of luck, and whatever you choose to do, enjoy your new system!

I want to buy a laptop for my study in college. I need it for web browsing, youtube, words, powerpoint, and light-medium photoshop. Should I buy rMBP 13" or MBA 13" ? Thx

I want to buy a laptop for my study in college. I need it for web browsing, youtube, words, powerpoint, and light-medium photoshop. Should I buy rMBP 13" or MBA 13" ? Thx

Either - if you need the 'ultimate' in portability, buy the Air. But whichever you buy, make sure that you max out the RAM and the storage as neither the Air or the Retina MacBook Pro are user upgradeable.
Clinton

Should I buy a MBP or a mac mini?

Should I buy a MBP or a mac mini?
I have had it in my head for the past two years I would buy a MBP the summer before my junior year of college, but now that it's here I'm not really sure anymore. I have been a commuting college student (by choice) for the past two years and it is finally time for me to move onto campus, and I was wondering should I get a MBP or a mac mini for my dorm. I'm not really worried about portabilty because I never take my laptop I have now or my iPad to class, and I don't think that will change much with me switching colleges. The reason I'm leaning toward a mac mini is because I have my own display, keyboard and wireless mouse just collecting dust in my closet. Someone help me out please because I am so stuck, I probably won't make a decision til after I see what is announced @ WWDC.

Macmini is cheaper, and college students need money. You need to buy the top-of-the-line macmini to get the better CPUs, but you did not mention gaming so that should not be an issue.
If it is a computer that moves rarely, macmini will work well for you. Just remember that macmini does not have an optical drive, so you need to buy an external DVD-drive if you use DVDs or CDs.

Should I buy the top-of-the-line 15" MBP or the Baseline 15" model (isa)

Now, I'm looking to buy a new 15" MBP when Mac OS X Lion comes out (isa). But my problem is should i buy the top-of-the-line model or the Baseline Model (isa).
So, I'm also waiting for the MBP with the new design maybe 2013 model (isa) so let's say the MBP is going to stay with me for 1 and a half years or two years(isa). I also have to tell you that I'm NOT THAT MUCH OF A GAMER, so tell me guys, with all the info that I've given you. which one do you recommend. O, btw, this is my FIRST Mac (isa).Plus, I'm also planning to upgrade the screen resolution to 1680 by 1050 resolution and the HDD to 500GB@7200RPM (isa)

It really depends on how your going to use it. For general usage, the baseline 15" model will be fine. The major difference between the baseline and top of the line model is the graphics card. Since you don't do much gaming, the improved graphics the top of the line model offers won't really effect you and the graphics card included in the baseline model is plenty fast any way. The faster processor clock speed offered by the top of the line model will offer a negligible performance improvement in day to day use too, only really benefiting you in more advanced tasks like video editing.
Finally, since you only plan to keep the MBP for 1 & 1/2 years, there's really not much point in spending large amounts of money on upgrades when you plan to replace the system soon.
Overall, in your case, there isn't much point in getting the top of the line model since you don't need the extra graphics performance unless your doing high end video editing, photo editing or gaming (which you say your not). Stick with the baseline model.

Should I buy a new Macbook Pro 13 inch or Macbook Air 13 inch?

Hi,
I was wondering if I should buy the new Macbook pro 13 inch, or keep my old 2010 1.4 C2D Macbook Air. I am not satisfied with the tiny 64GB SSD that my current Macbook Air has, because just a few weeks after I had done a clean reinstall of OSX Lion, the whole disk almost filled up. The one thing I do like about the Macbook Air, however is the speed of the SSD. Its really quick, and it boots in under 20 seconds. The Air didn't have many performance issues (other than overheating like crazy after playing a few graphics-intensive games).
If I were to buy a new Mac, my price range would be from $1200-$1500. I plan to use Garageband/iMovie frequently for making Youtube videos/school projects, and store a large music library. I also plan to do some moderate gaming and run Windows 7 in Bootcamp/Parallels. I don't plan to take it around much, but I don't want to have to weigh down my backpack in case I have to. My two options now would be the new Macbook Pro 13 inch or the new Macbook Air 13 inch. Could anyone give me a suggestion of which computer to buy?
Thanks!

I went through this same thing when I purchased my first Mac 3 days ago, also between the 13 inch MBA and MBP. I ended up deicding with the 13inch MBP, here's why:
1. More hard drive space, yes it may not be an SSD but more space is more space. I have also heard about people taking out the disc drive and adding an SSD in its place, so there would be an option.
2. The disc drive, I rarely do use it but just in case it's there and easier than carrying around an external.
3. Upgradability, I plan on keeping this Mac for a while because I spent so much on it. On a MBP I can upgrade the internal parts such as the hard drive and RAM. On a MBA everything is soldered together so what you buy is what you stick with.
4. Ethernet port, this is one that could be gotten around by an adapter but I still took it into consideration. Not everywhere has wifi yet including my work where every computer is hard wired.
5. Bootcamp, as well I plan to run Windows 7 on mine and Windows 7 takes a good amount of space so this is another spot where the larger hard drive of the MBP comes in handy. You could always have an external hard drive and run Windows 7 off of that on an Air but then you would have to have it always plugged in when you wanted to run Windows 7.
About me, I am a student so I had a lot to think about and read a lot of reviews online before I decided on my MBP but I am glad I decided on this over an Air. It may be a few pounds heavier also but in the long run for me I think the Pro will be better, I do plan on adding more RAM in the future as software becomes more memory intensive. With you're pricerange being 1200-1500 the 13inch MBP with the i7 processor may be one to look at. From Apple with their student discount, if you are one, you get $100 of plus a $100 giftcard. At BestBuy (where I got mine) the price of the i7 13inch MBP is 1,424.99 and if you're a student you get $100 off but no giftcard. I got the i5 13inch MBP because I don't need an i7.
In the end it all comes down to what works for you, but I hope I was able to help you some.

MBA vs MBP

Hi everyone. I'm wondering which one to buy MBA or MBP. The things i want to know for each -
1 How hot can they get?
2 How well they perform on heavy load ( photoshop, games, flash etc.) and compared to each other
3 Is there a big difference between 11" and 13" MBA? Or is it enough 11" or rather you should just add those 200 and get a better one?
I really like that air is light, probably wouldn't hurt when using it on my laps for hours.
That's pretty much it. Thanks in advance.

I had an MBP 13" 2008 and now have an MBA 11". I can't speak for the present MBP's, but I did notice that now and then my 2008 MBP would get warm under the left-hand side of the keys there. Never hot. Believe, me, I've had laptops that got too hot to use, and the MBP, while it got a little warm, was never, ever so bad.
So far, my little 11", doing all the things my MBP 13" used to do, hasn't gotten warm once. Betting that they improved on the current MBP's, I'd say you don't have to worry about heat unless you're really putting them to work. The aluminum bodies are remarkably cool and work very well.
The difference between 11" and 13" MBA is this:
(1) Obviously, smaller screen real estate. That's up to you. I have no problem with this, but some people want more room just to see things wider and/or have more windows open across a screen.
(2) Battery-- 11" gets 5 hours (six sometimes), 13" gets a whopping 10 hours. MBP 13" by the by, gets around 7 hours.
(3) SSD--11" max is 128G, 13" max is 256.
Just in case it matters to you:
* Backlit keyboard--only on MBP not on the AIrs (some people find this a deal breaker)
* Lock slot--only on the MBP not on the Airs. This is my one issue with the Airs. There is an odd sort of device on sale for them now by which one can lock them to the table, but no slot in the computer. Except in places I really trust, I never leave my little 11" out on a table. If I'm at a coffee place and need to get more coffee, I close it up and take it with me. it's just too easy for someone to snatch it. I am thinking of getting the new weird lock thing for it. My old MBP, however, had the slot and I could lock it to the table.
Here's some things to consider:
(1) MBA can't be upgraded. So whatever you get, that's what you get. If you get 2G RAM you're stuck with that, you can't make it 4G RAM--which is why the advice to go for 4G is a good one. With the MBP you can upgrade.
(2) Disk Drive--obviously, MBA doesn't have one, MBP does.
(3) MBA comes with SSD standard. MBP doesn't and if you want it you'll have to pay a lot more. But you can have it with the MBP if you want it. I gotta tell you, now that I've got it, I'm spoilt. I won't ever go back
In the end, the best way to decide is, I think, twofold. First, which is more important to you, power or portability. Because portability is where you get the real magic of the Airs. Their lightness (you'd be surprised at how much of a difference going down from almost 6 pounds to 2 or 3 makes), slimness, even the speed of getting them in and out of carrier bags is beyond compare. Power and storage is where the MBP excels. Second, if you haven't yet, you should go to a store and check both out. I'm a great believer in going for the computer that calls your name, that you fall in love with. If an MBA is what you fall in love with, you can make it work even if it doesn't have all you think you want.
Hope that helps!

Which Mac Mini should I buy for use with a 65 inch Panasonic GT30?

Im very interested in surfing the web from the comfort of my Lay Z boy. I have a 65inch Panasonic GT30 tv along with an Onkyo TXNR609 av receiver that handles everything (DirecTV, PS3, X360, Wii, Apple TV). My only concern is the lag issue in dealing with the big display. Should I buy the base modle with the slower processor and upgrade the RAM? Or should I buy the i7 and rock out that way? I can afford either but would like to spend the least considering this isnt going to be the main computer in my house. Thanks for any advice!!

If you ever (*ever*) want to fire up a serious 3D game (one with a 2010+ appetite for GPU power), go for the midrange model with the real videocard. If you only want to browse the web, maybe do some flash, things like that, the low end model has enough videocard for that. That Mini has the same Intel HD Graphics 3000 as my MBA13/2011 does, and that is currently driving my external 24" 1920x1200 screen just fine. Your TV is 1920x1080, so that even though it may have a lot more inches, it has fewer pixels than that, and it's the pixels that cost GPU power, not the inches. Size doesn't matter, its what you do with it!
Since you're comfortable upgrading the ram yourself, obviously put in 8 or 16 instead of the 2 or 4 it comes with. The pricing on that ram is insanely low right now and while I'd personally go for the 16 on a desktop machine, I reckon for your intended usage 8 is well more than sufficient (4 would probably work, it does on aforementioned MBA13 after all), and it's about $50ish difference which is not nothing.
If you can live with a small capacity drive, and are willing to open up the Mini further than just the base cover over the ram, I'd recommend getting a 128 GB SSD and installing it. The Apple price for the 256GB SSD, only on the midrange, is probably not worth it. You can even get a second-hard-drive-kit from one of the two well-known vendors and add the SSD while keeping the existing drive as an internal storage drive.
P.S.: I don't actually believe in CPU upgrades. Even when you start with the midrange, the i7 is still $100 and that will also buy you that SSD, or get you most of the way to that SSD plus the second hard drive kit. The difference in performance between the i5 at 2.5 and the i7 at 2.7 is really pretty darn minimal, so as long as you're choosing to do one thing and not the other, get the SSD before the CPU upgrade, no question. If you wanna go full-option balls-to-the-wall-everything-maxed, that's another thing, just don't go for the i7 upgrade as the first thing.
P.P.S.: Now that the 2012 MBAs and traditional MBPs are out, it seems likely that a Mac Mini refresh is coming relatively soon which contains an Ivy Bridge CPU and chipset (which means USB3 and HD4000), a more capable discrete GPU in the versions that have them, and (speculation tempered with hope) one of those new 35W TDP Quadcores in the midrange model, possibly as the CPU upgrade (pretty please, Apple?). It might be worth waiting for. On the other hand, waiting for new computer hardware is also a chump's game. There's *always* something better around the corner.

Why Should I Buy Another Mac Book Pro

I purchased a Mac Titanium Powerbook back in the day when it was so fresh and new, big bucks. Within 2 years the logic board began freezing all the time. It was fixed with big bucks again. 2 years later the laptop began doing the same thing, freezing up and so I went along with the extremely annoying issue.
When the Mac Book Pro came out I decided to start fresh with a new computer, with big bucks of course. Guess what happened 2 years later as i lived in another town, took it to another Mac repair place. They told me the Logic board was dead. So after big bucks I replaced it, so rediculous. And now, 2 years later it is freezing again, not only that, I can't connect to my wifi anywhere I want to in my own place with my own internet. I have to walk to certain spots in my place so my Mac Book Pro will communicate with my router that always worked with the new Mac Book Pro since day 1. But, after these updates Apple puts out to better the system, at some time it borked my internet connection. Reading these boards and seeing similar problems with other Apple users and seeing there is no solution is decerning. Then seeing a new security update from Apple about detecting virus popups and nothing addressing it's wifi issue is the last straw for me.
My wife bought a Toshiba 4 years ago and we put win7 on it when it came out since vista is disgusting. There isn't one problem with her laptop, nothing. And you can run still get on the internet with a laptop that runs win98. I cant even load a page when I get on my Mac Titanium Powerbook, that has to be connected to the internet via ethernet cable becuase detecting wifi on that is something that never occured, even though it should.
I am on the fence, Mac vs PC? Pricey vs Something that breaks less?
So why should I buy another Mac computer?

I don't think the experiences of a place where people discuss problems is necesarily an indicator of the overall populace using the product. Just as if you went to a hospital, you could not ascertain the relative overall health of everyone who is not in the hospital.
Statistically, you are probably an ideal candidate for a MBP, as it is extremely unlikely that you would have another problem of similar character. That is of course assuming that nothing you are doing is cutting short the life expectancy of your computers.
I am on my 4th MB variant, and have only had one major issue, which was handled terrifically by Apple. However, I am not entirely without worry that an electromechanical device nmade by humans can't fail. That is why I also have had AppleCare on everything.
But we differ in one great respect, I think. I figure that any computer i buy has a maximum life expectancy of 3 years. I have never used a computer longer than that, and I am routinely trading up within that time period. This time will be different though. I've only had my MBA for a little over 6 months, and It can't come any sooner that I'll move to the new one in about a month, if it nears my expectations.
Don't get me wrong, I respect the value you place on longevity. But I really think that unless your activities are especially harsh in a physical manner on your computers, then it is unlikely you will have the same experience once more. I do beleive that the current units are as good or better than anything Apple has had in their notbooks, in terms of quality.
But it is your decision,, that should be based on ALL facts and not just the experiences of those who visit a help forum.

I have been considering buying Aperture 3 but the numerous, negative reviews are making me wary. Should I buy the first version - Aperture 2.1.1 instead?

I have been considering buying Aperture 3 but the numerous, negative reviews are making me wary. Should I buy the first version - Aperture 2.1.1 instead?
I have a 2009 MacBook Pro running Snow Leopard. I do not think I will upgrade to Lion because I was warned that it may conflict with some of my applications.
There have been so many reviews that talk about how Aperture 3 is so slow and spends too much time searching for Faces and eventually crashes. And, many reviews mention that you need to add to your RAM which I can't do right now, especially on a 3 year old computer.
There are some copies Aperture 2 on Amazon. Would that be a good place to buy a copy or a used copy?
I would appreciate some good advice. Thanks, Taf Schaefer

Obviously you haven't read the reviews of Aperture 2
FWIW I use Ap3 on both a 2010 MBP (8 gigs of Ram) and an 2008 iMac (4 gigs) and I have no crashing issues whatever. Remember, you can disable Faces if you don't want to use that feature.
Elv07 wrote:
I used to use iPhoto and I will probably revert to that (although it has fewer function like no RAW import etc.)
Just an FYI: iPhoto supports exactly the same Raws as Aperture.
Regards
TD

Which macbook pro should i buy if i use finalcut7?the i5 or i7?

which macbook pro should i buy if i use finalcut7?the i5 or i7?

Either one will do the job. The more powerful the CPU, the faster it will perform. I suggest that if the budget is tight, go for the i5, if not go for what the bank account will allow.
It is nice to have a fast CPU, but they are not essential to the overwhelming applications that most people use, especially in a non-vocational context. On this forum there are the 'speed freaks' who will tout the virtues of faster CPUs, yet most have never compared two MBPs side by side and experienced the differences of real world results.
Ciao.

Should I buy a macbook pro or an iPad 2?

Here's the thing: I want a macbook pro and an iPad 2. I already have a PC laptop that works and looks great and recently bought house computer, but I am an Apple lover at heart. So my question is should I buy an iPad 2 or a macbook pro? Whichever I don't buy this summer, I am going to buy next summer or for christmas. I have also read that both devices will be updated next year. What do you guys think I should do? This stress is started to make my head pound...

If your goal in the end is to have both, but buying one of them sooner, and then another later, in my opinion I'd buy the Macbook Pro first. Seems to me the differences and features added between Apple computer refreshes are less significant than the updates to the iOS devices, particularly the iPhone and iPad.
Ask anyone still using an iPhone 3G with the latest software updates installed how their experience today is. Aside from not having the newer features & functions, I've been told by several friends that the iOS updates have **** near crippled the thing, and it's slow as **** to do any of the basic functions (quite the contrast to when it was originally released).
This is largely due to the rapid increase of CPU speed and amount of RAM on the newer models which has lead to software development that's more demanding of the hardware. No doubt next years iPad will have a dual core chip in it, so I can't help but speculate the iPad 1 will inevitably suffer the same fate, and later on the iPad 2, etc... Oh and it will also probably have a flashy new HD camera similar to the 720P iSight found in the new MBP's for facetime calls instead of the current VGA camera (640 x 480)....again though, I'm talking speculation and opinion here.

Suggestion-MBA or MBP

I'm looking into purchasing a MBA or MBP, and I need some advice on which will work better for my needs. I currently use a PC and I am ready for a change. I use Adobe, Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint frequently. I create and save many documents in word and Excel spreadsheets. With so many choices for apple notebooks I am unsure of the differences or which to get MBA or MBP. Please Help!
I currently have Ipad and Iphone 4s. We are slowly converting our household over to Apple products.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

it depends on ur use.
if u use ur laptop only for browsing, email, some work with work/excel/powerpoint etc, music and so on, then MBA is enough. actually its enough for most of us. MBA also comes with large SSDs, so u can check the storage before buying. and its more comfortable for carrying.
but if u r into heavy gaming, hardcore audio/video editing or need to run other special heavyload softweres, then u will need MBP.
but remember, some gaming, little of photo editing etc also runs smooth on MBA.

MBA vs MBP: Should I buy?

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