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User profile for user: pank.aus
pank.aus Author
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Is Macbook Air still relevant? Should I go for refurbished Macbook Air (2014) or Pro (2014)??

Hi Friends,


I need your help in making the decision on Mac. I am buying a refurbished Mac. Here are the options before me:


1. 13' Macbook Air (2014). 4GB RAM, 256 GB SSD. Price: AUD 1179/-

2. 13' Macbook Pro (2014). 8GB RAM, 128 GB SSD. Price: AUD 1359/-

3. 13' Macbook Pro (2014). 8GB RAM, 256 GB SSD. Price: AUD 1569/-


My personal favorites are 1st and 3rd options (due to 256GB SSD). There is significant price gap between these two.

This would be my first Mac. I already have a 15 inch Windows Laptop with 4'th gen i5-4200 U CPU, 8GB RAM, 2GB GeForce GT 740M Graphics card, 1366*768 resolution. I am keeping the Windows laptop as well. So, I won't be using VMs or Boot-camp for now. I would use is mostly for light work, like - browsing, taking backup of iPhone, movies, photos, etc.


But I have following doubts.

A. Would Macbook Air be relevant in the market after launch of new retina Macbook?

B. Would 4GB of RAM be sufficient for next, say, three years?

C. Would the lack of retina display in MBA be a problem in future? (Personally, I did not find much difference (may be, my bad) for 13' screen.)

D. If I decide to go for MBP with 8 GB RAM, but only 128 GB SSD, would it be preferable over (4GB RAM with 256GB SSD of MBA) or (8GB RAM with 128GB SSD of MBP)?

E. Finally, What is your opinion after looking at above three options and their respective pricing?


Thanks a lot for your patience and help mates! Cheers! 🙂

Posted on Apr 20, 2015 6:32 AM

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User profile for user: dwb
dwb
User level: Level 7
32,920 points

Posted on Apr 20, 2015 3:03 PM

Until a month ago my main computer was a 13" 2011 MBA (4GB w/ 256GB SSD) when I replaced it with a 13" 2015 MBP retina (8GB w/ 512GB SSD). The MBA is now my backup computer (and will remain my travel computer). I bought the MBPr when it became time to replace the Air due to the display pure and simple. My older eyes appreciate the incredibly clear display and the fact that changing between its default resolutions all result in crystal clear text. Using the Air for hours at a time, with some apps, my eyes became fatigued and while I could change the resolution for larger text, the text was fuzzy. The MBPr is a dream. However the Air is significantly lighter and thinner and much nicer to travel with. Were my eyes better I'd have chosen the 2015 Air.


I strongly recommend 8GB of RAM and a minimum of 256GB SSD. Depending on what software you use, 4GB will be sufficient now but three years down the road? I doubt it. Each new version of the OS has required more memory. With Mavericks (OS X 10.9) the 4GB was fine but with Yosemite I now see a moderate level of what Apple now calls memory pressure. That means my computer is now relying heavily on virtual memory. I suspect that with 10.11 and certainly 10.12 (or whatever Apple calls the next two versions of its OS) I'll have to change how I use the Air. In other words I won't be able to run 3-5 programs at a time which is how I prefer to work.

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User profile for user: dwb
dwb
User level: Level 7
32,920 points

Apr 20, 2015 3:03 PM in response to pank.aus

Until a month ago my main computer was a 13" 2011 MBA (4GB w/ 256GB SSD) when I replaced it with a 13" 2015 MBP retina (8GB w/ 512GB SSD). The MBA is now my backup computer (and will remain my travel computer). I bought the MBPr when it became time to replace the Air due to the display pure and simple. My older eyes appreciate the incredibly clear display and the fact that changing between its default resolutions all result in crystal clear text. Using the Air for hours at a time, with some apps, my eyes became fatigued and while I could change the resolution for larger text, the text was fuzzy. The MBPr is a dream. However the Air is significantly lighter and thinner and much nicer to travel with. Were my eyes better I'd have chosen the 2015 Air.


I strongly recommend 8GB of RAM and a minimum of 256GB SSD. Depending on what software you use, 4GB will be sufficient now but three years down the road? I doubt it. Each new version of the OS has required more memory. With Mavericks (OS X 10.9) the 4GB was fine but with Yosemite I now see a moderate level of what Apple now calls memory pressure. That means my computer is now relying heavily on virtual memory. I suspect that with 10.11 and certainly 10.12 (or whatever Apple calls the next two versions of its OS) I'll have to change how I use the Air. In other words I won't be able to run 3-5 programs at a time which is how I prefer to work.

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Is Macbook Air still relevant? Should I go for refurbished Macbook Air (2014) or Pro (2014)??

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