Doug Lerner2
Level 4 (1,079 points)
Desktops

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

by PlotinusVeritas,Solvedanswer
PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas
Level 6 (14,811 points)
A:

Hows Japan!        I had BOTH for a few weeks, still have the Air.

 

 

but id frankly call the NEWEST Pro a "macbook Air with Retina display" , or

 

Maybe a “macbook Air PRO with Retina display” 

 

Yes, you can get a HDMI dongle for $30 for the Air..However if you have an Apple TV, theres no real need for it. Just wifi Airplay movies and vids to your AppleTV hooked to your TV.

 

Either the Air or the new Pro are so much more light weight than youre used to, youre gonna love it either way.

 

DETAILED bench tests between the new AIR and the new PRO here:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/how-to-choose-13-inch-macbook-air-vs-13-i nch-retina-macbook-pro/2/

 

 

Have some other folks weigh in,,....but Ive got some good comparison info below:

 

 

 

 

 

The newest macbook Pro is essentially a larger macbook Air with Retina display and options for speed in increasing prices up to an independent graphics and quad core processor.

 

both Air and new Pro now have PCIe SSD and permanent RAM.

 

The Air is the lightweight portable form factor, fast to boot and shut down, but with longer battery life than any of the macbook pro in 13"

 

Now the new macbook Pro and macbook Air are extremely close in form factor and nature.

 

both have 802ac wifi

both have permanent RAM, no superdrive

both are slim profiles and SSD

 

The only real differences now are (in the most expensive Pros) faster processors and quadcore processors and top end model autonomous graphics, also HDMI output on the new macbook Pros!. ....and of course the retina display

 

 

both are now "very good for travel"

 

Other than features the form factor of the Air and Pro are VERY close now,....so now its merely a matter of features and price more than anything.

 

 

You need an external HD regardless of what you get for backups etc.   Drop into an Apple store and handle both and make your choice based on features, such as Retina or non-retina, .... both at a distance now look like the same computer.

 

The Pro weighs more, ....but nowhere near what it used to just a month ago on the older macbook Pros

 

The NEW macbook Pro is a different creature entirely than the older macbook Pro, .....the new Pro is thicker than the Air,

 

Instead of Air vs. Pro now,.....its really a smooth transition from Air to pro without comparing say, 2 different creatures, now its like contrasting a horse from a race horse (rough analogy)

 

Either one in 8gig of RAM (preferably)... the 4gig upgrade costs very little,  the I7 you will notice only 15% faster on heavy applications over the I5, and NOTHING on most APPS.....I5 has longer battery life.

 

 

As you see below, the non-Retina 13" AIR is 82% of the Macbook with Retina display in resolution

 

there is no magical number of pixels per inch that automatically equates to Retina quality.

http://www.cultofmac.com/168509/why-you-might-be-disappointed-by-the-resolution- of-those-new-retina-display-macs-feature/

screenshot_530.jpg

 

 

A huge internal SSD isnt a game changer for anything, you need an external HD anyway

 

what you WONT READ on Apple.com etc. is that the larger SSD  are much faster due to SSD density

 

"The 512GB Samsung SSD found in our 13-inch model offers roughly a 400MB/s increase in write speeds over the 128GB SanDisk/Marvell SSD"

http://blog.macsales.com/19008-performance-testing-not-all-2013-macbook-air-ssds -are-the-same

 

 

Here is an excellent video comparison between the 11” I5 vs. I7 2013 Macbook Air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDqJ-on03z4

 

 

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7113/2013-macbook-air-core-i5-4250u-vs-core-i7-465 0u/2

 

I5 vs. I7 performance 13” Macbook Air 2013

 

Boot performance

  1. 11.7 I5 ……11.4 I7

  Cinebench 

  1. 1.1 I5….1.41 I7

IMovie Import and Opt.

  1. 6.69 I5….5.35 I7

  IMovie Export 

  1. 10.33 I5…8.20 I7

Final Cut Pro X

  1. 21.47 I5…17.71 I7

  Adobe Lightroom 3 Export 

  1. 25.8 I5….31.8 I7

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Performance

  1. 27.3 I5…22.6 I7

screenshot_184.jpg

 

 

Reviews of the newest Retina 2013 Macbook Pro

 

13”

Digital Trends (13") - http://www.digitaltrends.com/laptop-...h-2013-review/

LaptopMag (13") - http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/lap...play-2013.aspx

Engadget (13") - http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/29/m...-13-inch-2013/

The Verge (13") - http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/30/5...ay-review-2013

CNet (13") - http://www.cnet.com/laptops/apple-ma...-35831098.html

 

 

15”

The Verge (15") - http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/24/5...w-15-inch-2013

LaptopMag (15") - http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/lap...inch-2013.aspx

TechCrunch (15") - http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/25/lat...ok-pro-review/

CNet (15") - http://www.cnet.com/apple-macbook-pro-with-retina-2013/

PC Mag (15") - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2426359,00.asp

Arstechnica (15") - http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/10...-pro-reviewed/

Slashgear (15") - http://www.slashgear.com/macbook-pro...2013-26303163/

 

 

 

 

Macbook Pro ports:

screenshot_574.jpg

 

 

Macbook Air (13") ports:

screenshot_575.jpg

Posted on Dec 21, 2013 1:55 AM

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Doug Lerner2

Q: The value of the HDMI port?

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  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Dec 25, 2013 1:33 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 6 (14,811 points)
    Dec 25, 2013 1:33 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    no its 430Am here, Sanibel island Florida.

     

    yes, the sales person is right,...as said on 90% of things I'll never notice between 4gig or 16gig of Ram, most apps of general use have no call for same.

     

     

    you mean you need to 'pontificate' upon the matter,  *winks

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 25, 2013 1:37 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 25, 2013 1:37 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    Pontificate about prevaricating.

     

    There is an interesting graph in another discussion showing how marginal the effect of the extra RAM is compared with the increased speed I will get from the SSD:

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/servlet/JiveServlet/showImage/2-23495408-315665/Sc reen+Shot+2013-08-15+at+4.50.27+PM.png

     

    I think I'll not obsess, get the 8 GB, get it done with, and move on with my life and worry about whether it's stupid to get the 128 GB AirPad vs the 64 GB AirPad (where somebody else is footing the bill too, for a different reason - just lucking out with electronics this winter).

     

    doug

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 25, 2013 3:55 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 25, 2013 3:55 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    PlotinusVeritas wrote:

     

    always good to run an errand and decide after a little trip.  Considering its only time and youre only paying for the RAM, Id get the 16gigs of RAM.   But thats just me.

     

    You APP use doesnt indicate the necessity for 16gig or RAM, however your use may change in a year or two.

     

    neither one of us knows the answer to that question.

     

     

    PlotinusVeritas wrote:

     

    always good to run an errand and decide after a little trip.  Considering its only time and youre only paying for the RAM, Id get the 16gigs of RAM.   But thats just me.

     

    You APP use doesnt indicate the necessity for 16gig or RAM, however your use may change in a year or two.

     

    neither one of us knows the answer to that question.

     

    That's the rub, isn't it. My late 2006 MBP seemed like the sharpest, coolest thing in the world when I got it. Fast forward 7 years ahead to 2013 and even though it's maxxed out now at 3 GB and I upgraded the HD from its original 320 GB 5400 rpm to a 512 GB 7200 rpm and it is still a "decent, usable machine" with like-new top-case and trackpad, etc., it's probably worth only a few hundred dollars sold at an auction site, and won't run the latest OS.

     

    What will my SSD, i5 8 or 16 GB RAM retina display MBP look like to the people in 2020 come the Tokyo Olympics? Will I be just giving it away as a hand-me-down to my sister?

     

    In that sense, does the resale value of the 16 GB RAM even make sense? After a while, there will be a tipping point of value where the whole machine goes downhill in price.

     

    Still, since it's not expandable, I'll order the 16 GB RAM version and after a week or so decide if I need to change the order, since Apple said I can at any time, and I don't actually NEED it yet.

     

    doug

     

    p.s. Why are Apple forums giving me errors today when I try to post via FireFox, when there are no problems posting at the same time via Chrome?

  • by clintonfrombirmingham,

    clintonfrombirmingham clintonfrombirmingham Dec 25, 2013 4:08 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 7 (30,009 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 25, 2013 4:08 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    In that sense, does the resale value of the 16 GB RAM even make sense? After a while, there will be a tipping point of value where the whole machine goes downhill in price.

     

    I had a 1st generation 2006 model (1,1) and with 2GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive, it was so much faster than my PowerBook G4! I kept it for 6 years and sold it on eBay for right at $400. Still, even at the end of it's life (for me) it performed well - and sold for so much, I think, because it was 'maxed out.' So I think that 16GB makes sense even down the road when everyone is running 128GB on notebooks...

     

    p.s. Why are Apple forums giving me errors today when I try to post via FireFox, when there are no problems posting at the same time via Chrome?

     

    Hmm - I'm running Firefox and not having any problems... are you getting an error message such as "Please try again..."?

     

    Clinton

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 25, 2013 4:19 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 25, 2013 4:19 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

    Same with me and my PowerBook G4! I finally did end up giving away the PowerBook G4 to a friend who was completely computerless earlier this year. It was in pretty good shape too, but the battery wasn't holding much of a charge anymore.

     

    I bet my MBP 2006 with 3 GB RAM + 7200 rpm 512 GB HD + new motherboard/topcase/trackpad and battery and zero-dead-pixel 17" display would get something reasonable after all these years. But I'm probably going to send it to my sister to replace her dying 2003 eMac! She is what you call the epitome of a "non-power user." Even though she has a Ph.D. in physics she still calls me to ask things like, "This little window popped up with some information on it and an ok button, what should I do?" I ask, "Are there any other choices but to click OK?" She says, "No." I reply, "Then click OK."

     

    Yes, the error messages when I post from FireFox (but not with every post) are the "Please try again" ones. Doesn't occur with Chrome at all though.

     

    doug

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 25, 2013 4:55 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 25, 2013 4:55 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    Uh oh. I always have problems with Apple notebook computers. I bet I am doomed to have this problem too:

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5481839?start=0&tstart=0

     

    Are there people here with this model who DON'T have this problem?

     

    Wondering what I should do with my order now!

     

    doug

  • by clintonfrombirmingham,

    clintonfrombirmingham clintonfrombirmingham Dec 25, 2013 5:03 AM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 7 (30,009 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 25, 2013 5:03 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

    Doug,

     

    That's already been fixed with an EFI update - and people getting new systems have reported that the update is being made at the factory.

     

    No need to worry!

     

    Clinton

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 25, 2013 5:08 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 25, 2013 5:08 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

    clintonfrombirmingham wrote:

     

    Doug,

     

    That's already been fixed with an EFI update - and people getting new systems have reported that the update is being made at the factory.

     

    No need to worry!

     

    Clinton

     

     

    Thank you. I always have to mentally gear myself for problems with Apple purchases. They always fix them in the end, but basically 100% of all the computers I have purchased from Apple have needed repairs, either from the outset or along the way. So I always feel like I need to take a diazepam with each purchase.

     

    doug

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 27, 2013 3:47 PM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 27, 2013 3:47 PM in response to Doug Lerner2

    I felt certain that the MacBook Pro custom order would arrive earlier than the expected 2-3 weeks, because Apple Japan always ships things earlier than promised. I guess to always exceed expectations.

     

    Anyway, I was right. But I didn't expect it to happen this fast. I ordered on the 25th, and I got notification yesterday that it was shipped from their Shanghai office and the delivery company says it will be delivered on the 31st.

     

    So I'm glad I decided to lay out the extra $192 for the maxxed out RAM. Especially since you can't upgrade later on.

     

    doug

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Dec 27, 2013 3:49 PM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 6 (14,811 points)
    Dec 27, 2013 3:49 PM in response to Doug Lerner2

    ultra fast efficiency of service. 

     

     

    Im going to buy one too for the heck of it, someone sent me $1000 in Amazon gift cards

     

    I had one for a while for playing with

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 27, 2013 4:05 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 27, 2013 4:05 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    PlotinusVeritas wrote:

     

    ultra fast efficiency of service. 

     

     

    Im going to buy one too for the heck of it, someone sent me $1000 in Amazon gift cards

     

    I had one for a while for playing with

     

    It's nice to have a someone like that.

     

    I'm now wondering if I should "consolidate" even more. Right now I have the following two desktop Macs:

     

    1. The main work computer I'm using now, which is a late 2009 iMac Intel Core 2 Duo,  21.5",  512 GB HD and 12 GB of RAM.

     

    2. A 24" 2007 (I think) iMac that somebody gave me when they upgraded to a 27" version of the same iMac I am currently using. (Yes, I seem to have an awful lot of luck in getting hand-me down computers for some reason.)

     

    I upgraded the older iMac to its max of 4 GB and it is currently running Mavericks, but I never use it for anything. My idea was to have it around as a backup in case my main iMac needed repairs. I do need to have one computer around as a backup for work  - even this iMac has been repaired 3 times already for screen issues.

     

    The older iMac probably doesn't have great resale value, but I think the iMac I'm using probably still does. Maybe I could sell it and get a monitor instead, and use the new MBP, which might be faster, as my main computer.

     

    Or maybe I can somehow use my iMac as a Monitor? I still haven't been able to figure out if that is possible. If so, it would be the perfect backup computer. And I could sell the 24" 2007 iMac to reduce clutter.

     

    More decisions...

     

    doug

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Dec 27, 2013 4:35 PM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 6 (14,811 points)
    Dec 27, 2013 4:35 PM in response to Doug Lerner2

    any old Mac has absurdly HIGH resale value.    Yes, via mini display to your Imac

     

    I just sold a 2007 Imac, people were beating down the door to buy it.  

     

     

    Il

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 27, 2013 5:00 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 27, 2013 5:00 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    PlotinusVeritas wrote:

     

    any old Mac has absurdly HIGH resale value.    Yes, via mini display to your Imac

     

    I just sold a 2007 Imac, people were beating down the door to buy it.  

     

     

    Il

     

    I was upset at my last non-Intel iMac purchase, because they came out with the Intel model just a few weeks after releasing the model I bought in Japan! But at Yahoo Auction (the eBay of Japan) I was able to sell it for more than what I paid for it 6 months later. I was surprised.

     

    So maybe I should sell the older 24" 2007 iMac in that case.

     

    I'll have to check out the "mini display" whatever. Is that some sort of adapter? I mean I know the new MBP has an HDMI port for outgoing video. And I know the iMac has a monitor port - but that's also for outgoing video, right? I'll look it up. That might be the best solution.

     

    I've promised my late 2006 17" MBP to my sister in Boston though. This will replace her 2003 model eMac, which does not have an absurdly high resale value I assume.

     

    doug

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Dec 27, 2013 5:05 PM in response to Doug Lerner2
    Level 6 (14,811 points)
    Dec 27, 2013 5:05 PM in response to Doug Lerner2

    Yes, your new Pro has a HDMI already, no need for the mini display, my brain is locked onto the AIr all the time.

     

    emac, no, but compared to other tech that old, its 'very valuable' lol

     

     

    I make my own Imacs       by using industrial velcro on the back of high resolution professional monitors and sticking a Mac Mini on the back.  

  • by Doug Lerner2,

    Doug Lerner2 Doug Lerner2 Dec 27, 2013 5:14 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 4 (1,079 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 27, 2013 5:14 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    In fact, the title of this discussion thread is "The value of the HDMI port?"

     

    So the output from the new Pro is ok. I figured that. But how would I use my current iMac late 2009 as a monitor? Can I just stick a cable in the back in the monitor port and switch to some sort of "target monitor" mode?

     

    Thanks,

     

    doug

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