Macbook vs Ultrabook

Well, they are Apples and oranges 🙂

But seriously, a MacBook Pro is in a different category. If you are interested in an Ultrabook, it would be better to compare that to a MacBook Air.

As etresoft said, they're really different categories. So far as the hardware, the Air isn't much different than an ultrabook. Most ultrabooks are actually better designed and built than traditional Windows notebooks (although their displays and trackpads still lag behind the Air). Your real question should be weather you go with a Windows machine or a Mac. After you make that decision, you can decide on which hardware best meets your needs. Keep in mind that the Air can also run Windows (although you can't run OS X on an ultrabook without hacking and poor performance). Frankly, the newest round of ultrabooks are not that much less expensive than an Air. The 13" ultrabooks all have 1366x768 resolution (except the Asus UX31 which is 1600x900... with unfortunately pretty poor quality). The only other current machine with resolution higher than 1366x768 is the Air, which is 1440x900. That's somewhat less than the Asus, but the quality is so much higher as to make the resolution difference moot.

Basically, if you like Macs, and you're looking at ultrabooks, the Air is an excellent choice. You'll get the best display quality and the best trackpad experience. You'll also get a backlit keyboard (only some ultrabooks have backlit keyboards). And... you can run Windows on them which pretty much makes them ultrabooks.

Most ultrabooks are actually better designed and built than traditional Windows notebooks

Not from the reviews I've seen. Besides the lousy trackpads which you mentioned, flimsy screen cases, plastic cases that flex when they are picked up from the side, keyboards that are small, mushy, or are missing standard keys, or have very short throws are mentioned a lot. Sounds to me like the same old same old.

Ah... true... forgot to add keyboard to the list. From what I've seen, reviews on build quality have been fairly positive. Regardless... even with decent build quality, the downsides are pretty significant. Although, I guess if you've never used a Mac trackpad, you might not miss that. For some reason, PC makers have never been able to match the performance of the trackpad on Macs. You'd think it wouldn't be that tough.

There are at least 3 good reasons to buy a notebook from Apple rather than 'the other guys'. First is build quality and value. It isn't uncommon to see Apple notebooks in use for five years or more and that is a rare thing for a PC notebook. Three and a half years ago I received my 15" MBP the same time the rest of the staff received HP notebooks. Last year the tech workers began cannibalizing the HP notebooks to keep everything working but those of us who received the MBPs were still going strong. At the beginning of last semester the remaining HP notebooks were sold to a company that refurbishes and resells computers - we got $225 per working computer. They offered $540 for the MBPs.

Reason two is the OS. I find Win7 much less objectionable to use than previous Windows versions but there are still too many things that annoy me. And frankly, the solution to too many Windows problems still remains wipe and restore. That is no way to run a railroad.

Reason three is that Apple builds the OS and hardware so there is no support run around. I hated doing techwork in the PC field. So many times the PC vendor would refer me to Microsoft because it was their problem but Microsoft would pass me back to the vendor. Neither cared about me as a customer. You don't get that kind of run around from Apple.

Actually, I'll give you a fourth reason - this support forum. There's nothing like it in the WIndows world.

Now - why should you buy a MBP instead of a MBA? Because you need to burn DVDs and CDs out in the field and don't want to carry an extra piece of hardware. Because you want to buy a minimalist system today and upgrade the hard drive and memory later. And because you like carrying 6 pounds on your shoulder all day long.

Just dwb (pronounced dub, a nickname from college). Third party hardware is unlikely to be a problem although an external hard drive formatted in NTFS can only be read by a Mac not written to and this is solvable with open source software. Getting used to the 'Mac way' is a somewhat valid concern but moreso for techy people than those who just use a computer. It took me a while because I kept trying to treat my new Mac like it was a windows computer. My mother in law adjusted much more quickly. Also apple has some support pages here on its site called Mac 101 which is a great resource for Mac newbs.

From FAT32 to Mac no problem. I don't have an Android phone so you'll need to find that answer from someone else.

So you sent the Macbook Pro you bought a short while ago back.

What makes you think another one will work for you?

Yes, most 3rd party peripherals will work for either Mac or Windows. Any device that is just plugged in (like speakers or standard external drive) should work. (Just don't try to make a generic Western Digital external drive bootable or work with TimeMachine. There are issues there. But for standard backups they work okay.) Any device that requires drivers (like a printer or scanner) you can check out the manufacturer's support website to make sure they have drivers for MacOS 10.7 - Lion.

In an absolute worst case scenario, you can install Windows on your Mac. This will eliminate any compatibility issues as well as give you something to fall back on while you're learning OS X. Installing Windows does not replace OS X, it gets installed alongside of it (or via virtualization). So, any Windows hardware/software can be run just like your're running it on a regular Windows PC. Many of us manage to use OS X without a need to delve into Windows world. I actually have Windows installed, but the only time I actually use it anymore is when I occasionally go in just to run Windows Update.

The things you want to do can all be done on a Mac. When you use the term "ultrabook" you should really just be talking about a Windows notebook. That's all an ultrabook is... a very slim Windows notebook (usually with some port limitatations as compared to a full size notebook). So you need to decide first if you want a PC or a Mac. After you make that decision, you need to decide if you want a super slim machine which makes some performance/hardware sacrifices in order to make them very portable (although they are still very capable performance-wise) or if you want something with a bit more power (either CPU or graphics... although for better graphics, you would have to go with a 15" or 17" Mac... you have more options in the 13" dedicated graphics PC world). Just consider the Air as a Mac ultrabook (even though it was around years before the current ultrabooks).