MacBook Air, or Mac Book Pro

Right now the older version of 13" MacBook Air (1.86GHz) is on sale for $949 in the Mac store:

http://www.themacstore.com/parts/show/c-nma-mc503ll__a

Is the 13" MacBook Pro (2.4GHz) worth extra $250 (which is not an issue, BTW)?

http://www.themacstore.com/parts/show/c-nmb3-md313ll__a

I need it mainly for Internet use, typing some docs, and occasionally (rarely) working with ProTools when on the road.

The smaller size of the flashdrive on the Air is not an issue--for big files I use an external, anyway. The slim case and light weight is a big plus (but not the deal breaker).

Best, M

Marik said:

Right now the older version of 13" MacBook Air (1.86GHz) is on sale for $949 in the Mac store:

http://www.themacstore.com/parts/show/c-nma-mc503ll__a

Is the 13" MacBook Pro (2.4GHz) worth extra $250 (which is not an issue, BTW)?

http://www.themacstore.com/parts/show/c-nmb3-md313ll__a

I need it mainly for Internet use, typing some docs, and occasionally (rarely) working with ProTools when on the road.

The smaller size of the flashdrive on the Air is not an issue--for big files I use an external, anyway. The slim case and light weight is a big plus (but not the deal breaker).

Best, M

Click to expand...

Well, I just sprung a bunch of bucks for a 17" MBP to replace my aging 2006 Core Duo 15" MBP. Yes, I absolutely love the 1920 x 1200 display, and the ExpressCard slot.

So let's see ...
The Air doesn't have FireWire, so if you like that for your ProTools (or at least a hard disk), the Air doesn't do it. And you have to decide if not having the built-in CD/DVD drive makes any sense for you, as well as whether the relatively-small main storage (disk) in the Air makes sense.

-a

+1 to that - make sure that it has the connectors that you need! 

Apple have previous on abandoning the format that you have built your studio around.

I'm a 15" macbook pro guy.  Perfect combination of size/weight and still having connectivity/interface options.  The 13" should be super portable.  Even though it's spendy, I'd say spring for the solid state drive.

Plus it's their flagship laptop which can be a good thing long term.

+1
PT requires a Pro, even if you are running native using headphones. And it seems like an iPad 3 with cloud storage would render the Air unnecessary for someone not running tools.
Mike

Duh, I did not pay attention the Air doesn't have a firewire...

Thank you Gentlemen for pointing that out!

Speaking of SSD, is there any real advantage other than faster boot time? What about reliability?

Also, I see i5 core, i7 core--is there any noticeable difference between those for what I do? Or say, is there any noticeable difference between 2,4GHz and 2,8GHz speed? or at this point it is already just matter of marketing?

Best, M

Marik said:

Duh, I did not pay attention the Air doesn't have a firewire...

Thank you Gentlemen for pointing that out!

Speaking of SSD, is there any real advantage other than faster boot time? What about reliability?

Also, I see i5 core, i7 core--is there any noticeable difference between those for what I do? Or say, is there any noticeable difference between 2,4GHz and 2,8GHz speed? or at this point it is already just matter of marketing?

Best, M

Click to expand...

I wouldn't say it's just a matter of marketing but the law of diminishing returns certainly applies as far as clock speed is concerned.

i5 vs i7: simply said, the i5 is a great middle budget cpu and most apps still aren't designed to fully use the capabilities of the i7. For your use, I'd go with an i5.

As for the reliability, the jury's still out on the matter. SSD's technology is still too young to have enough data to put against HDD's.

Marik said:

Duh, I did not pay attention the Air doesn't have a firewire...

Thank you Gentlemen for pointing that out!

Speaking of SSD, is there any real advantage other than faster boot time? What about reliability?

Click to expand...

Flash memory wears out. How fast depends on how often you write to each location. But the file systems include wear leveling, so that shouldn't be too much of a concern. Some NAND flash is faster than others -- the SLC is faster than MLC. But you have to spend a lot to get a flash drive based on SLC memory.

I'd go for the spinning media. More storage. And while it's prudent to back up (I use Time Machine, as well as having a Drobo and all of that), I can honestly say that I haven't had a hard disk failure in years (knock wood).

Also, I see i5 core, i7 core--is there any noticeable difference between those for what I do? Or say, is there any noticeable difference between 2,4GHz and 2,8GHz speed? or at this point it is already just matter of marketing?

Click to expand...

I5 is slower than I7. Benchmarks running CAD tools bear that out.

You won't notice the difference between 2.4 GHz and 2.8 GHz. Spend the money on more RAM.

-a

Marik said:

Also, I see i5 core, i7 core--is there any noticeable difference between those for what I do? Or say, is there any noticeable difference between 2,4GHz and 2,8GHz speed? or at this point it is already just matter of marketing?

Click to expand...

The i7 will probably run hotter than the i5 resulting in more fan noise....