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Macbook pro or Air??

Emma15

By Emma15
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Emma15 Newbie

Emma15

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I'm pretty sure that I am leaning towards purchasing a Mac for the school year to come.

The Macbook airs look really convenient but I don't know much about macs (or computers for that matter!!)

Any insights would be much appreciated :D

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Mithril Newbie

Mithril

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What's wrong with using a PC?

 

Actually, since you don't know much about computers, I'd say go with Mac since people unfamiliar with computers go on to destroy their PCs and then blame it on Bill Gates. I personally use both a Mac and a PC (but I prefer PC). I also like the MacBook Pro more than the MacBook Air. The i5/i7 Intel processors for Pro are incredibly fast and you also get a larger hard drive and more RAM with the Pro.

 

Pro: Better battery life, better CPU performance (how fast it is), best value for the money.

 

Air: Better graphics performance and boot-up time.

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EoE Newbie

EoE

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Just got a brand new 13 inch pro because of the speed for researchy things. Boy can this baby fly! I worked off of a profs air a little bit and found it slow. My tricked out desktop PC at the lab spoiled me and made me impatient because it would do everything so fast, so the pro was a great choice if you are willing to part with a few more dollars. It does word, SPSS calculations and photoshop at the same time without hesitation.

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psychoswim Newbie

psychoswim

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I've never had a Mac.. thought about it but to most people's disbelief I've always been happy with my Dells.. First laptop was a 12in I custom built myself, then I had a Dell XPS 13in for 1.5 years until it started heating up (video card problem that was unfortunately widely spread), now 1 year going on my Dell Inspiron 14in and it's perfect for me. It normally stays home (and even more now that I have a Nexus S), but it's light enough to carry if needed.

 

As for the Macbook, go for the Pro.

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jp.mylittlepwny Newbie

jp.mylittlepwny

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If you're set on getting a Macbook air, wait for the next gen which should be out early next year i'd think. Core2duo just does not cut it.

If not then Macbook pro.

I've had a 13" Macbook pro for 2+ years and have yet to experience a hiccup. I've had a PC laptop in the past, and I have no regrets converting to a Mac. You pay a little more for the same specs, but the headaches that it's saved me from was definitely worth it.

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Emma15 Newbie

Emma15

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What's wrong with using a PC?

 

Actually, since you don't know much about computers, I'd say go with Mac since people unfamiliar with computers go on to destroy their PCs and then blame it on Bill Gates. I personally use both a Mac and a PC (but I prefer PC). I also like the MacBook Pro more than the MacBook Air. The i5/i7 Intel processors for Pro are incredibly fast and you also get a larger hard drive and more RAM with the Pro.

 

Pro: Better battery life, better CPU performance (how fast it is), best value for the money.

 

Air: Better graphics performance and boot-up time.

 

I've had good luck with most PCs but this last one has had way too many issues and I've heard a lot of people being happy with their Macs so I thought I would ask.

Thanks to all for the input. I will probably get a 13' pro come this fall (hoping for a back to school promotion or something)! :D

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MarathonRunner Newbie

MarathonRunner

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I love my Macbook Pro. I have a 15", but I never brought it to class. I'm "old fashioned" and always learned best when I took notes by hand. I do have an iPad that I carry around with me (I love it for reading e-books or e-textbooks), but I don't take notes on it.

 

If I needed a more portable laptop, I would probably go with the 13" Pro. The Air sure is nice and light, but when I was looking at specs, I decided it wasn't worth it - that a Macbook Pro would better suit my needs.

 

I used a PC for years, but after using Macs at the university in the labs where I was doing my Masters degree, I was determined to get a Mac as my next computer - it just ran all the software we used so smoothly.

 

I love my Mac. :)

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Leon Newbie

Leon

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The Pro is better spec wise. But if getting the Pro, I'd recommend switching your hard disk to a solid state drive for an extra $200. The performance from an SSD is incredible (I've got Windows 7 booting up in 20 seconds from rest on an SSD). Remember though that you won't be able to store much as data on an SSD.

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Leon Newbie

Leon

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If you're set on getting a Macbook air, wait for the next gen which should be out early next year i'd think. Core2duo just does not cut it.

If not then Macbook pro.

 

+1. Core2Duo is dying and getting a new computer now with one isn't smart. In a couple yrs, it will be extremely outdated.

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lkthlttr Newbie

lkthlttr

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The Pro is better spec wise. But if getting the Pro, I'd recommend switching your hard disk to a solid state drive for an extra $200. The performance from an SSD is incredible (I've got Windows 7 booting up in 20 seconds from rest on an SSD). Remember though that you won't be able to store much as data on an SSD.

 

+1

 

I have a current gen MBP with SSD and it simply flies. It can do a full restart to being functional in firefox in under 30 seconds. I suppose if I had an enormous movie collection stored on my harddrive then space would be an issue, but normal users should be fine.

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