rMBP vs MBA

[xiaosinsinful]

hey guys i need some opinion on which mac to get. i would be installing bootcamp as there are applications that require windows os to run. i will be using programs like eclipse , MS visual studio ,MS office, websurfing , email , some light gaming, some light video editing.

macbook pro retina
13-inch: 2.4GHz
with Retina display
Specifications
2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz
4GB 1600MHz memory
128GB PCIe-based flash
Intel Iris Graphics
Built-in battery (9 hours)2
S$ 1,648.00

OR

macbook air
13-inch : 256GB
Specifications
1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz
Intel HD Graphics 5000
4GB memory
256GB flash
S$ 1,728.00

best solution would be to get rMBP with 256gb but its out of my budget. is it possible to install bootcamp on a 128gb mac(and live with it?) ? im thinking of partitioning 70gb to windows. or should i just get the air with 256gb?
all opinion are greatly appreciated!

 

[LeonaV]

Bootcamp with windows 7 home premium will require at least 32Gb. You can partition for 40Gb for windows, and then store everything in external drive.

 

[SleepyBoi]

The advantages of the pro are retina display, graphic card and processor.

In return you will be sacrificing disk capacity, battery life, and weight.

128GB might be a little cramp too, after all the OS and application updates, along with temp files... If you are unsure about your own usage, always go for a higher capacity as disk space is never enough.

You would want your applications and games to be on the SSD drive. Only media files go into external drive.

 

[trento]

Buy retina, change ssd yourself. 256gb ssd about $250

 

[xiaosinsinful]

Bootcamp with windows 7 home premium will require at least 32Gb. You can partition for 40Gb for windows, and then store everything in external drive.

thanks the the replys , if i got the rMBP 128gb , i will most likely partition 70gb for windows though, just cos im going to use programs heavily on the windows side. to be honest most productivity stuff will take place in windows , im going to use osx for more casual stuff like surfing the web , emails , watching movie and stuff . btw im going to probably store my movies , music and games on my external hdd. very tempted to get the rMBP since it has better cpu,gpu,screen. battery life is enough and size and weight is about the same as the air. any more sugestions?

 

[trinex]

just got myself a mba, didnt regret my choice, performance wise is good enough for me

 

[LeonaV]

thanks the the replys , if i got the rMBP 128gb , i will most likely partition 70gb for windows though, just cos im going to use programs heavily on the windows side. to be honest most productivity stuff will take place in windows , im going to use osx for more casual stuff like surfing the web , emails , watching movie and stuff . btw im going to probably store my movies , music and games on my external hdd. very tempted to get the rMBP since it has better cpu,gpu,screen. battery life is enough and size and weight is about the same as the air. any more sugestions?

Maybe you could tell us what games you are playing, and we can make a better suggestion.

 

[squeeish]

hey guys i need some opinion on which mac to get. i would be installing bootcamp as there are applications that require windows os to run. i will be using programs like eclipse , MS visual studio ,MS office, websurfing , email , some light gaming, some light video editing.

macbook pro retina
13-inch: 2.4GHz
with Retina display
Specifications
2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz
4GB 1600MHz memory
128GB PCIe-based flash
Intel Iris Graphics
Built-in battery (9 hours)2
S$ 1,648.00

OR

macbook air
13-inch : 256GB
Specifications
1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz
Intel HD Graphics 5000
4GB memory
256GB flash
S$ 1,728.00

best solution would be to get rMBP with 256gb but its out of my budget. is it possible to install bootcamp on a 128gb mac(and live with it?) ? im thinking of partitioning 70gb to windows. or should i just get the air with 256gb?
all opinion are greatly appreciated!

some light gaming, some light video editing -> macbook pro.

 

[xiaosinsinful]

some light gaming, some light video editing -> macbook pro.

Yep, I'm leaning towards rmbp(128gb) but is it possible with boot camp installed?will it be cramp?) . For $100 more I can get the air 256gb.

 

[archbishopchia]

won't 8gb ram be important too?

 

[trinex]

Ram is important if u do lots of multitasking, otherwise 4gb is fine

 

[ykbryan]

rMBP vs MBA. I had the same dilemma a few days ago before I settle with MBA instead. It's actually "Performance vs Battery Life". Which one do you really need? Some light gaming and video editing? Go for MBA, maybe? I use lightroom 5, final cut pro and Xcode on my MBA.

 

[trinex]

rMBP vs MBA. I had the same dilemma a few days ago before I settle with MBA instead. It's actually "Performance vs Battery Life". Which one do you really need? Some light gaming and video editing? Go for MBA, maybe? I use lightroom 5, final cut pro and Xcode on my MBA.

hi - 5 bro, i settled for the mba as well, and never regretted it, following me wherever i go

 

[Geforce3]

got a mbp 13 inch, weight wasn't an issue for me

 

[duhduhduh]

How much is the battery diffence between MBA 13 and rMBP 13?

I read that MBA 12 and rMBP 12 only had a sacrifice of 2 hours difference in battery life.

Off course Mavericks is another factor.

I was thinking about getting MBA13 but saw the rMBP12, damn the screen is really crisp.

 

[leinad]

What do you need? What do you want?

Is what you need also what you want, or is what you want more than what you need?

As someone who's carried a variety of Macs around for work the past few years and commutes by bus and train, if you must tote it daily, the 11" MBA still trumps the rMBP. But if you need screen real estate, nothing beats a 15" rMBP in 1920x1200 and still is portable enough for daily commute+use..

As for storage, anything less than 256GB is not worth getting if you deal with music and photographs; else you might get by with 128GB and an external HDD. Not less than 8GB RAM, 16GB preferred if you deal with photos (Lightroom/Aperture).

If you're planning on installing windows and using it primarily, ditch the idea of getting a Mac and just buy an ultra book. I don't buy into the "most productivity" software argument - except for VBA-heavy documents, I've not had any problems getting by with MS Office for Mac or even OpenOffice. Case in point - while I have a Parallels/Win7 VM installed for "standby", I can count the number of times in the last 2 years that I've actually needed to launch it because I absolutely die-die-no-choice-had-to on one hand. And I don't believe in Boot Camp. If your company has proprietary Windows-only applications/portals, get the ultra book instead and perhaps an iMac for home use.

As for battery life, just bring the charger.

/Dan

 

[xiaosinsinful]

How much is the battery diffence between MBA 13 and rMBP 13?

I read that MBA 12 and rMBP 12 only had a sacrifice of 2 hours difference in battery life.

Off course Mavericks is another factor.

I was thinking about getting MBA13 but saw the rMBP12, damn the screen is really crisp.

exactly! The initial plan was me getting a 13 base mba however when the new rmbp came out, for $200 more can get a better screen faster cpu and gpu, batt life is quite good, size and weight slightly larger then a mba. I don't really see the need for a rmba since the size and weight is quite similar

 

[xiaosinsinful]

What do you need? What do you want?

Is what you need also what you want, or is what you want more than what you need?

As someone who's carried a variety of Macs around for work the past few years and commutes by bus and train, if you must tote it daily, the 11" MBA still trumps the rMBP. But if you need screen real estate, nothing beats a 15" rMBP in 1920x1200 and still is portable enough for daily commute+use..

As for storage, anything less than 256GB is not worth getting if you deal with music and photographs; else you might get by with 128GB and an external HDD. Not less than 8GB RAM, 16GB preferred if you deal with photos (Lightroom/Aperture).

If you're planning on installing windows and using it primarily, ditch the idea of getting a Mac and just buy an ultra book. I don't buy into the "most productivity" software argument - except for VBA-heavy documents, I've not had any problems getting by with MS Office for Mac or even OpenOffice. Case in point - while I have a Parallels/Win7 VM installed for "standby", I can count the number of times in the last 2 years that I've actually needed to launch it because I absolutely die-die-no-choice-had-to on one hand. And I don't believe in Boot Camp. If your company has proprietary Windows-only applications/portals, get the ultra book instead and perhaps an iMac for home use.

As for battery life, just bring the charger.

/Dan

Thanks for sharing your experience, I guess what I want is more then what I need, I initially wanted to get mba but the screen of the rmbp is just so... Attractive, I won't be adding any music or movies in the mac since I plan to put it all on my external hdd. Main reason I wanted a mac was to experience osx since I'm kind of sick of windows after years of using it (and yes I'm one of those windows 8 haters) I would only be using windows for application that need it.

 

[leinad]

Thanks for sharing your experience, I guess what I want is more then what I need, I initially wanted to get mba but the screen of the rmbp is just so... Attractive, I won't be adding any music or movies in the mac since I plan to put it all on my external hdd. Main reason I wanted a mac was to experience osx since I'm kind of sick of windows after years of using it (and yes I'm one of those windows 8 haters) I would only be using windows for application that need it.

Music on external HDD means carrying around that external HDD. From experience, that was one of my key reasons behind this "forced upgrade" from a 11" MBA (4/128) to a 15" rMBP (16/512).

Think carefully. Every extra device you carry around with you is extra weight. Yes it feels light in store. Carrying it around on person is an entirely different matter, so every bit of weight savings help. Bear in mind you would usually need to carry other things with you too, perhaps at times including the charger.

I miss the weight of my MBA when I go out shooting - toting a DSLR with lenses and all accessories, makes it compelling enough to leave behind the laptop, no matter how "light" it is, it's all adding up. The one mistake I did once - I omitted bringing a water bottle with me to shoot at the botanic gardens, and I spent most of the day thirsty and dehydrated.

For now, you're better off with a higher-end ultra book with a Windows 7 Pro downgrade option. I believe those still exist. And save that Mac for home where you're not likely to need Windows. Fact is, aside from Visual Studio, everything else in your list is accomplished on the Mac. I know - I carried a PowerBook for my Computing degree years ago; where everyone told me "Mac cannot", I made it through without any hitch just fine. And Visual studio? One module in the lab, soon forgotten and life goes on never to touch VS again.

The recommend RAM upgrade to 8GB is already going to bump your budget. If you REALLY want the Mac, then up your budget and re-work your finances. Also, I wouldn't Boot Camp for Visual Studio - Parallels/VMWare is more than sufficient to run it well. I've found splitting your hard drive space like that really limits your usability on both operating systems, being a less than ideal situation overall.

Games? I'm not a gamer, so I wouldn't know. Perhaps consider the Xbox, PS3/4 or a Wii instead. My sis plays D3 on her Mac though.

/Dan

 

[xiaosinsinful]

Music on external HDD means carrying around that external HDD. From experience, that was one of my key reasons behind this "forced upgrade" from a 11" MBA (4/128) to a 15" rMBP (16/512).

Think carefully. Every extra device you carry around with you is extra weight. Yes it feels light in store. Carrying it around on person is an entirely different matter, so every bit of weight savings help. Bear in mind you would usually need to carry other things with you too, perhaps at times including the charger.

I miss the weight of my MBA when I go out shooting - toting a DSLR with lenses and all accessories, makes it compelling enough to leave behind the laptop, no matter how "light" it is, it's all adding up. The one mistake I did once - I omitted bringing a water bottle with me to shoot at the botanic gardens, and I spent most of the day thirsty and dehydrated.

For now, you're better off with a higher-end ultra book with a Windows 7 Pro downgrade option. I believe those still exist. And save that Mac for home where you're not likely to need Windows. Fact is, aside from Visual Studio, everything else in your list is accomplished on the Mac. I know - I carried a PowerBook for my Computing degree years ago; where everyone told me "Mac cannot", I made it through without any hitch just fine. And Visual studio? One module in the lab, soon forgotten and life goes on never to touch VS again.

/Dan

ya im aware of a high end ultra-book , however the reason that attracted me to get a air (at first ,that changed when the rmbp came out) was primarily osx and of course the great hardware. i was deeply attracted to many of its features such as keynote(yes im tired of MS powerpoint) imovie, the calendar , email and ofcourse the app store.


you got a point , maybe i should just get a mba (256gb) . i dont think im going to store alot of multimedia content on that laptop though , just strictly work stuff. however the rmbp display is just so hard to resist!