Macbook Pro 13' or Macbook Air 13'?

Andrey K2012-03-07 19:22:09

macbook

Andrey K, 2012-03-07 19:22:09

I wonder: what device to buy for everyday work - developing applications for iOS, including games. In both options, I consider the most affordable configuration.
I'm going to connect my laptop to an external monitor with a VGA connector.
Or is it still worth it not to rack your brains and buy a Mac Mini / iMac 21.5'?

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11 answer(s)

Stdit, 2012-03-07
@Stdit

Based on my experience with these devices, I can definitely recommend the Air.
As an additional monitor, I use a standard FullHD monitor, a native adapter (DVI), no problems have been noticed, except that once a week it falls off during operation and needs to be re-plugged.
Advantages:
1. Air is, of course, light weight and excellent mobility, you can take it anywhere, home or in a long line of government offices.
2. Screen resolution, in firmware 1280x800, in Air 1440x900.
3. Air has an excellent anti-reflective coating (maybe it can also be ordered in a firmware, but I have never seen anyone)
4. The wrists lie lower, because it is thinner. Maybe I'm the only one, but it's more convenient.
Of the shortcomings:
1. In Air, you can’t (at least officially) stick 8 gigs of memory, but I don’t feel any inconvenience about this, everything you need works well anyway.
2. The Air does not have a CD drive. If your work is not related to them, this is not a problem.
3. You can not buy a model with HDD, lovers of music, video capture and other multimedia pleasures need to connect an external screw.

Mikhail Krainov, 2012-03-07
@medved13

IMHO, you need to take air. MBP 13" is a dead end branch. They haven't updated it for too long.
I have 11" air (4gb RAM) enough to develop sites in java (simultaneously plow Eclipse, Photoshop, Chrome with a bunch of tabs, a couple of java applications). I don't see any brakes.
In general, if you are going to work only in one place and with a monitor, then mac mini in the top configuration is better.

demark, 2012-03-07
@demark

It depends. IMHO, the biggest drawback of air is max. 4 GB of memory, which is not enough now (I have one surfing / testing with browsers that eats away at 3 gigs).
Moreover, people write that you may not be lucky with ssd - very mediocre Toshiba are installed in some models.
I would take a flash, you can put your ssd there (which can be changed in the future), and stick 8 GB of memory.

Alexander, 2012-03-09
Yankovskiy @Suncheez

I would take air, since they are now very productive, and a 24 "monitor for it.
And for backups and virtual machines with windows for all kinds of IE - HP-microserver and 4 five-hundred screws in the 10th raid.
The setup has been tested for a year of use. The client is happy as an elephant.

Alex42rus, 2012-03-07
@Alex42rus

I wonder why air is only 4GB? percent in theory supports 8 minimum.

milky_cookie, 2012-03-07
@milky_cookie

oh, I don’t know, something has appeared for everyone here IMHO - there’s no need for such conclusions. I also doubted, but I took a flash and ssd - I did not regret it at all

65520, 2012-03-08
@65520

And I would take a Mac Mini and some good 24" DVI monitor for development. If you still want a laptop, then take an MBA.

gooddy, 2012-03-07
@gooddy

While I was programming under the web, 4Gb flashes were enough with my head and there were thoughts about Air. With the transition to iOS, I had to upgrade, since 4Gb is already not enough. I stuck 8Gb and SSD, beauty, it works without tension. So IMHO with this line of work - Pro.

f1int, 2012-03-09
@f1int

I have the 13th air last year. It is good because it weighs 1.3 kg - it is very convenient, I constantly drag it to the sofa, then somewhere else. Still, more than 2 kg on your knees is not very comfortable to hold. If this is not critical, then definitely take the plug. Air is: 1: graphics card not for gaming, 2: maximum 256 ssd. Both devices are easily connected to an external monitor, I took an adapter from dx.com - it turned out about $ 15.
Air is definitely enough for work, performance only affects toys.

megido, 2012-03-09
@megido

They say in April they will update the line of airs, and there are also rumors that there will be no pros and they will be merged into something unified with the air. I don’t know how things will be with the vidyukha (it definitely won’t fit into the air). So if time suffers, then I think a little wait. And if you can’t stand it, then take the air, you can’t go wrong! More pleasant, more elegant. As for performance: I think if you don’t write games with heavy graphics, then air will also not give you any weakness.

Yizakhi, 2012-10-08
@Yizakhi

> Or is it still worth it not to rack your brains and buy a Mac Mini / iMac 21.5'?
If such a question is worth it at all (i.e. a laptop is not a need for work), then definitely take a mini or aimak. True, then the toad will strangle the aimak to write it off, so I would look at the minis. Working on a laptop is a perversion. If you use the laptop as a system unit, then you get a decent overpayment of bucks per unit of power (the minis will be faster).
In short, the question boils down to this - SHOULD I work on the road or not? If yes, then air, if not, then mini.