Doug Lerner2

Q: The value of the HDMI port?

I am debating whether to get a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

 

There are the usual considerations: cost, weight, retina display or not, etc.

 

One that has me wondering if it is worth considering is the presence of the HDMI port on MacBook Pro, which is not present on the MacBook Air.

 

That's the port I would use to hook up to, say, a projector for giving a demo. Or to a larger screen, right?

 

I notice there is an adaptor for this for the MacBook air for just $28. So naturally I'm wondering if this is even an issue I should worry about in making my decision.

 

Any other "really important stuff" I'm not considering while weighing my decision?

 

My main computer will probably remain my iMac (late 2009). But if the specs are good enough, I might consider just using the laptop with, perhaps a larger screen at home. Or I may just use the laptop when on travel, or out doing demos or teaching.

 

Thanks!

 

doug

iMac, Mac OS 9.0.x, iMac (21.5-inch Late 2009, 12 GB)

Posted on Dec 21, 2013 1:35 AM

Close

Q: The value of the HDMI port?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Previous Page 2 of 8 last Next
  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 22, 2013 7:54 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2013 7:54 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    Speaking of batteries (even though I didn't really intend to) do all these models come with non-user-replaceable batteries?

     

    doug

  • by clintonfrombirmingham,

    clintonfrombirmingham clintonfrombirmingham Dec 22, 2013 7:56 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 7 (30,009 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 22, 2013 7:56 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    Yep - Apple hasn't made user replaceable batteries for use in MacBook Pros in quite awhile!

     

    Clinton

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 22, 2013 8:02 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2013 8:02 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

    That's too bad. My last MBP late 2006 battery basically blew up after the AppleCare warranty expired. It distended into a horrible shape and I was just likely it distended outwards, rather than inwards towards the motherboard. Apple let me trade it in for a discount after showing them what happened. But I dread to think what would have happened if it was an internal battery!

     

    doug

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Dec 22, 2013 9:11 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Dec 22, 2013 9:11 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    If you have 5 cents of repair skills they ALL have user replaceable batteries

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 22, 2013 9:15 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2013 9:15 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    I've replaced HDs in my older MBPs. So this isn't "completely sealed" in an unopenable case?

     

    doug

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 22, 2013 9:25 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 9 (61,342 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2013 9:25 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    There ia a lot of really good information about both these models already posted here.

     

    For me, the MacBook Air seems too "delicate" for agressive portable use.

     

    • For Executive use (in and out of a padded briefcase twice a day, used all day in one place on a desk) Great.

     

    • For Student use, (in and out of a backpack once an hour all day, balanced on the corner of a lecture-hall desk or a lunchroom table) seems to me like the MacBook Air would have been flipped upside down and have a broken screen before long.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 22, 2013 9:32 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 9 (61,342 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2013 9:32 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    The "upgrade" rules have changed completely.

     

    The memories are now soldered to the board and cannot be modified. Be sure you order enough memory when you buy it.

     

    The storage modules on the latest versions are in a slot, but it is difficult to access, and the latest "stick" form factor PCIe SSD modules are not yet available from third-parties. [Be careful, as there are  "stick" form factor modules available, but they use a SATA-like connector and and NOT interchangeable.]

     

    In latest models with a pre-installed SSD, there is no 2.5" form factor drive bay at all.

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 22, 2013 9:38 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2013 9:38 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    I had read about that. But the batteries are more accessible?

     

    Doug

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Dec 22, 2013 9:46 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 9 (61,342 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2013 9:46 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    The Lithium-Ion batteries used in these MacBooks are completely different from anything available a few years ago. In most cases, they need no access, and will have extremely long lives (on the order of 1,000 full charge cycles) as long as they are not run down too low or too often.

     

    For desktop use, just "exercise" them once a month. That can be as little as 20 to 30 percent discharge -- deep discharge shortens battery life considerably for these batteries.

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Dec 22, 2013 9:46 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Dec 22, 2013 9:46 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Nah, lowered mass at impact makes the Air tougher in hard packing around and certainly in a drop/ fall

     

    Chassis to chassis the Air has a much lower center to alloy radius making point flex impact much less on an Air than any other Mac

     

    far fewer parts improves this as well

     

     

    If a fall or drop were a race and Pro and Air were horses, best money would be on the Air every time

     

     

     

    Doug....Aren't any hard drives anymore.  It's all stick SSD

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 22, 2013 2:18 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2013 2:18 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    Still, the Retina display and double the CPU speed for just $150 more sure sounds inviting.

     

    Which is the newer model by the way, since the Pro doesn't use the Haswell chip.

     

    I'm going to go over to a nearby electronics store and handle one today. I've seen the Air, but not the Pro.

     

    Doug

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 22, 2013 11:44 PM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 22, 2013 11:44 PM in response to Doug Lerner2

    Anyway, I went over to Akihabara today to compare the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro side-by-side. I posted a few photos in blog here: http://lerner.net/went-to-akihabara-to-see-the-macbook-pro-and-air/.

     

    I decided to go for the MacBook Pro Retina Display model with the default 8 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. As I noted in the blog entry, they are both really nice.

     

    The Pro is just 200 g heavier than the Air.

     

    In the photos, the Pro is on the left and the Air on the right. The screen is nicer on the Pro because it has a retina display. But both really do look beautiful at 13 inches. I wouldn’t mind either one.

     

    On thing that surprised me, which you can see in the pictures, is that the Pro overall is actually smaller than the Air! In the 3rd photo the Pro is on top.

     

    The organization giving it to me agreed the price is reasonable and is already ordering it for me. I decided not to press them for a 16 GB RAM model. They are a non-profit and I figured this will be sufficient.

     

    So, looking forward to getting it. I guess my sister inherits my 17" late 2006 MBP.

     

    doug

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Dec 22, 2013 11:49 PM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Dec 22, 2013 11:49 PM in response to Doug Lerner2

    Yes, the Air is more spread out in area to make room for a larger (but thinner) battery.

     

     

    Awesome choice.

     

     

    Did I mention to you that the 512SSD youre getting is 400MB/s faster (up to) than the 128gig  is?

     

     

    due to SSD density.

     

     

    Ho Ho MacPro  

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 23, 2013 12:11 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 23, 2013 12:11 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    PlotinusVeritas wrote:

     

    Yes, the Air is more spread out in area to make room for a larger (but thinner) battery.

     

     

    Awesome choice.

     

     

    Did I mention to you that the 512SSD youre getting is 400MB/s faster (up to) than the 128gig  is?

     

     

    due to SSD density.

     

     

    Ho Ho MacPro  

     

    I remember you writing that. I look forward to trying an SSD for the first time! Though I guess the 32 GB storage on my iPad 2 also qualifies as being an SSD.

     

    Thanks!

     

    By the by, what is the SDXC card slot good for? Is that an SD memory card slot like on my iMac?

     

    doug

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Dec 23, 2013 12:14 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Dec 23, 2013 12:14 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    memory card for camera flash, yeah.  However many use it as a thumb drive slot too.

     

    like here:

     

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/SanDisk_SD_Card_8GB.jpg

     

     

     

    They make a drive called a "nifty drive" that fits flush with it for use as a 64gb expansion slot.

Previous Page 2 of 8 last Next