<p>College this fall - political science major; I was wondering which computer would be ideal.</p>
<p>The device will not be used for any sort of gaming or heavy video/photo editing. Basically, I just want a computer that can provide swift internet browsing with a basic office-esque suite (Pages/Word, doesn't matter).</p>
<p>Questions:
1) I've heard the MBA referred to as an overpriced netbook; is there any substance to such a claim? I want a laptop that has some more moderate to heavy computing power than a netbook... though I don't need some huge portable-gaming-computer-powerhouse; </p>
<p>2) I've been encouraged to invest in 8GB RAM for both computers (but especially that of the MBA) -- does it matter all that much? Right now, I can buy a 13inch MBA with 4GB RAM for 950 which seems like a relatively good deal for an Apple. 8GB RAM will put it over 1k. </p>
<p>Either of those computers will likely meet your needs for a poli sci major. Essentially, for your needs, pretty much any modern computer will meet your needs. You could also probably get a $400-500 PC that would meet your needs. Are you particularly attached to Mac?</p>
<p>As for RAM, I’m not really sure. With the MBA, you can’t change or add memory (since it’s soldered to the motherboard). With a MacBook Pro or a lot of PCs, you could start with 4 GB (which is sufficient for most things now) and have the option to upgrade to 8 GB later. I have 8 GB in my computer and even doing my computer science work, I am very rarely using above 4 GB. (I am running Ubuntu, though, so I don’t know what the memory demands are of Windows/Mac OSX.) If you are planning to use this laptop for quite a few years, you should probably go for 8 GB for future-proofing.</p>
<p>Yes, I’m particularly attached to Mac, I guess you could say - I’ve really only ever had positive experiences with Apple whereas MS has been a completely different story.</p>
<p>I cannot foresee myself using anything more than perhaps, Pages, for my work and some web browsing for research. I’ve heard success stories where people with only 2GB RAM in their MBA experience a pleasant computing situation (swift and whatnot) – confused about the whole future proofing thing however.</p>
<p>I’m gonna go ahead and say that if in 2 or 3 years, I find that 4GB RAM in my MBA doesn’t cut it - buying a new laptop (Mac) wouldn’t be out of the question. It is just ideally, I’d keep my MBP or MBA for 4 years. </p>
<p>Hm. Just get the MBP. I have a MBA and I totes regret it, lol. As for RAM, just yolo and get it, though you honestly don’t need it. </p>
<p>Why do you regret the MBA, @menacing? </p>
<p>1) I suppose the original Macbook air can be considered an “overpriced netbook” without debate, but the Macbook Air has really come a long way. I previously owned a Macbook Pro (Not MBPr), and it didn’t perform half as well as my Macbook Air though it’s considered a “Real NoteBook”. I would consider all untrabooks to be a step above notebooks and a step below dedicated gaming computers.</p>
<p>2) I would recommend upgrading to 8gb if you plan on gaming because it’s not upgradable. I also used to own a Macbook Air with 4gb RAM and rendered 3hour long videos as well as some graphics in after effects. Other than minecraft, gaming isn’t that great on the macbook air. If you don’t do that much gaming or need a sharp, beautiful screen, or HDMI, then the Retina could be overkill, especially for your budget.</p>
<p>The screen and resolution of the MBA does not justify the extra 3-4 hours of battery unless you go to a school with no power sockets. The rMPB gets 9 hours and has a great screen.</p>
<p>I happen to have both a 13 inch rMBP(late 2013) and the 2014 13 inch MacBook Air. I love them both and really for college you would be fine with either one. I am choosing to use my MBA for college work and my rMBP for personal use. </p>
<p>Screen- rMBP for sure, the screen is amazing and the difference is very noticeable.</p>
<p>Battery life- The MBA gets approx. 2.5-3 hrs more than the rMBP, really not a big deal as 9 hours of battery life is still a lot.</p>
<p>Portability- MBA but not by much. The rMBP is still very light and you would have no problem carrying it around with you.</p>
<p>Design- I personally am a MAJOR fan of the MacBook Air’s design. </p>
<p>Overall if I had to choose one laptop for everything, I would probably choose the retina MacBook Pro as it is overall the better laptop and if you do get a MacBook Air- DEFINITELY go with the 13 inch not the 11 inch. Like I said both are great and would work it depends what you like. If you live near an Apple Store, go see them both in person. I have had nothing but amazing experiences with both. </p>
<p><strong>edit</strong>
Just saw jamesnyc post which answered all my questions basically, should’ve read the thread more than typing. Just wondering if mbp really does get 9 hours of battery…seems kind of iffy still.</p>
<p>I’m also a bit conflicted in either getting an air or pro. Basic stats I’m comparing…
mba vs mbp
weight: 2.96lbs vs 3.46lbs
screen: 1344x756 vs 2560x1600
battery: 12hours vs 9 hours</p>
<p>As a computer science major, I am not too concerned on the spec difference (probably going to get 8gig ram for both for possible vm). I am probably going use this as my primary computer for school which on average be used for programming, research, notes, and netflix. If there is ever an issue where I don’t have enough processing power I will still have access to a desktop pc. Primarily I want a laptop that I can comfortably carry all day at school, won’t strain my eyes from occasional programming, and battery will last me all day.</p>
<p>I’ve read great things of mba’s battery life and I know for sure that one would last for an entire day. For mbp I read mixed reviews for the battery life. Some users reported only getting 4~6 hours of actual battery life, and others had no problem getting 9 hours. I would like a laptop that could consistently have 7+ hours of battery life where the most intensive use of the battery would be due to watching couple of hours worth of video. So if mbp can last 7+ hours consistently then battery life difference wouldn’t matter as much.</p>
<p>I’m not quite sure how significant the weight difference is. I initially had a y410p and that weighed around 5.5 lbs. Reading the specs I thought that wouldn’t be too much weight, but in practice it was a hassle to carry it around all the time. I guess the best way to gauge the weight difference is actually going to an apple store.</p>
<p>I will be staring at the display alot, and I would like the additional pixels. This would mean for the same screen size I will get a bit more real estate and bit more text readability. Too bad there is no way to orient the display to portrait mode.</p>
<p>I am leaning towards mba due to it’s apparent portability, but I think I go with mbp can last 7+ hours without fidgeting settings too much and the weight difference is not significant. Bit of a long post, but would like to hear from people who has the 13" mbp latest version give their input on actual battery life and portability of the pro.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>@jonjon</p>
<p>Of course when Apple says the computers last up to 9 hours (rMBP) and 12 hours (MBA), they mean UP TO. If you are doing programming, chances are your battery life will be a little bit less. In terms of portability, the foot print (as in the amount of space the Mac takes up on a desk) of the Macbook Air is actually bigger than the MacBook Pro’s foot print. However the MBA does weigh less and is a little bit easier to carry around in general. In terms of screen resolution, I do notice that the rMBP is a lot better- but that’s because I have both. I’ve also used the MacBook Air for hours and never experienced eye strain. As long as you’ve never experience the retina MacBook Pro, I doubt you’d have a problem with the MacBook Air. </p>
<p>For programming the rMBP may be better, just because it’s a more powerful machine in general. However, I do think you’d be fine with either computer. You can also buy a Retina MacBook Pro, test it out for up to 2 weeks and if the battery life doesn’t fit your needs, exchange it for a brand new MacBook Air (and get the price difference back as well) </p>