Which macbook?

[Tulkas]

I have been putting off getting a new computer for awhile now since I have been waiting to hear when Apple will be releasing their updated MBP line. It seems like they will be doing this sometime in September or October. So, I am not sure if I should wait for that one and use my wife's old MBP for the first few months of school or go ahead and get a new MBA. Also, Macmall has some steep discounts on the current retina MBP line, since it appears they are trying to get rid of current inventory to make room for the new ones coming out. I start medical school next week and I am wondering what y'all think is the better option:

New MBA
Wait for new MBP
Get current version of retina MBP at steep discount ($700 off - and more with education pricing at Macmall).

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[darkjedi]

There really is a very limited need for the extra power the MBPs have. You would be better served by the 12hr battery life in the MBA, not to mention the portability factor of having your laptop weigh like 2lbs. If your primary use of the laptop is for school and perhaps internet browsing, the MBA is plenty fast. The only real reasons you would want the MBP is if number crunching apps are important to you.

 

[pyrrion89]

I'm hoping the new MBA's, when they come out, have retina displays.

 

[Tulkas]

There really is a very limited need for the extra power the MBPs have. You would be better served by the 12hr battery life in the MBA, not to mention the portability factor of having your laptop weigh like 2lbs. If your primary use of the laptop is for school and perhaps internet browsing, the MBA is plenty fast. The only real reasons you would want the MBP is if number crunching apps are important to you.

I agree. I think if I get an Air with 8 gb of Ram and 256 gb of storage, that should be more than good enough for anything I do. I am only hesitating I think because I am wondering what if Apple comes out with some super cool new hardware for the Pro, besides the haswell chip that the new Airs have.

I'm hoping the new MBA's, when they come out, have retina displays.

That won't be happening for quite a while. Apple just recently released a new Air.

 

[RedICEE]

The retina screens are so unnecessary right now anyway.

 

[slopes23]

I think it should be noted that some med schools require your laptop to have an optical drive (cd/dvd drive) which the Air does not. Granted, you can buy an external optical drive and just use it/plug it in when called upon (which I am can only imagine being less then a handful of times). It's not a major factor, but perhaps something you want to consider.

With that said, I would go for the air myself. (Coming from someone who has a MBP)

 

[deleted303591]

I think it should be noted that some med schools require your laptop to have an optical drive (cd/dvd drive) which the Air does not. Granted, you can buy an external optical drive and just use it/plug it in when called upon (which I am can only imagine being less then a handful of times). It's not a major factor, but perhaps something you want to consider.

With that said, I would go for the air myself. (Coming from someone who has a MBP)

I would go for a Macbook Air. I have a 2010 Macbook Pro, myself.

You can spend $70 or whatever to get the USB optical drive that Apple makes, as described above. This is likely not a big deal.

I hate glare and glossy screens though. Moshi makes good, high quality, products and if glare is a problem, get this. http://www.moshimonde.com/product/ivisor-air-for-macbook.aspx

 

[Huskies88]

I'm hoping the new MBA's, when they come out, have retina displays.

Also looking into a MBA here. I don't think MBA+retina will be released until Q1 of 2014.

Good article comparing the new Pro vs. the Air: http://blog.laptopmag.com/macbook-air-2013-vs-retina-macbook-pro-which-should-you-buy

 

[C.glabrata123]

I think it should be noted that some med schools require your laptop to have an optical drive (cd/dvd drive) which the Air does not. Granted, you can buy an external optical drive and just use it/plug it in when called upon (which I am can only imagine being less then a handful of times). It's not a major factor, but perhaps something you want to consider.

The new MBPs don't have disk drives either :/

 

[Tulkas]

The optical drive thing isn't really a problem. My school doesn't require it and I don't remember the last time I actually used it. I can always buy the external one if I need it.

Also, I decided to go with the Air today. I upgraded the 13" one to 8 gb of ram and a i7 processor. Also, I am getting a mini display port to HDMI adapter (from Amazon, for cheap) so I can hook up my air to my LCD TV in the spare bedroom if I want a bigger screen.

 

[The Buff OP]

Is Macmall legit? Like their prices are not just low because the laptops are buggy

 

[deleted303591]

Is Macmall legit? Like their prices are not just low because the laptops are buggy

Working as a computer repair tech for almost 3 years, I would recommend buying the laptop from the distributor.

At Best Buy, when we were stocking laptops at night, the employees would throw the laptops 10-15 feet to each other in the air to put them in the shelves/locked "cages" where they were stored. Management did not care.

This was to "save" time.

 

[deleted303591]

The optical drive thing isn't really a problem. My school doesn't require it and I don't remember the last time I actually used it. I can always buy the external one if I need it.

Also, I decided to go with the Air today. I upgraded the 13" one to 8 gb of ram and a i7 processor. Also, I am getting a mini display port to HDMI adapter (from Amazon, for cheap) so I can hook up my air to my LCD TV in the spare bedroom if I want a bigger screen.

+1, for getting an Air and to the advice given.

 

[angemon89]

MacBook Air.

No medical student needs the power of a MacBook Pro, it's super light, and dat 12 hr battery tho.

 

[inycepoo]

Retina won't be on MBA any time soon. It sucks way too much power, decreasing battery life and requiring higher specs that would drive the price upwards. Both are not ideal for the MBA.

 

[FreeOilChecks]

I wanted mine before I started school so I went with the new macbook air. It would suck to buy a pro right now and in two months its already outdated after you paid full price. I am happy with the new air. It currently has the best battery life of any lap top. Also, for what we need a computer for in medical school the air is more than sufficient. And you can save yourself a few hundred dollars.

 

[ericksonj15]

.

 

[inycepoo]

External drives aren't worth it if you don't use it that often. You can just use a desktop at school and make an .iso of the CD/DVD that you need to use. Port it onto a USB and you are free to use it on your MBA/MBP.

If your school has iMacs, then you can mount the disk and make a .dmg file out of it. Even better.

Either way, you'll have a permanent copy of the disk on your hard drive to use whenever you feel like it.

 

[deleted303591]

External drives aren't worth it if you don't use it that often. You can just use a desktop at school and make an .iso of the CD/DVD that you need to use. Port it onto a USB and you are free to use it on your MBA/MBP.

If your school has iMacs, then you can mount the disk and make a .dmg file out of it. Even better.

Either way, you'll have a permanent copy of the disk on your hard drive to use whenever you feel like it.

That is very true, and that is probably what I would do.

But for some, who are not technically apt, having a physical drive is useful.