Should I choose for development: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro Retina?

AndrewRomanenco2012-06-20 21:37:45

Java

AndrewRomanenco, 2012-06-20 21:37:45

Good afternoon colleagues
It's time to replace your macbook pro 15 "2006 with a 2012 model. In fact, you have to make a choice between MacBook Air 13 and MacBook Pro Retina; I will be very grateful for your advice / thoughts.
Use cases: development on java / eclipse and ios / xcode - 8+ hours per day.
(Current beech handles these tasks quite well; it's just obsolete)
What is required from the new: a trade-off between price / performance / portability / screen quality
Performance (geekbench):
current beech - 2000
macbook air 13 (2.0 i5x2, 8G RAM, 256 SDD) - 6900 macbook pro retina (2.3 i7x4
, 8-16G ram, 256 SDD) ~ 12000
Installing eclipse on both machines shows no real difference

1.34kg vs 2kg (of course 15" bigger in size)
It seems to be only 700 grams difference - but it's noticeable The 13"
screen
seems a little small for watching all day (i.e. a monitor is needed)
Retina is excellent quality (although eclipse is not supported yet) and size
Price (with taxes)
Air ~ 1920 (without the price of an external monitor)
Pro Retina ~ 2500/2700 (ram 8/16g)
I don’t consider ordinary pro because they are heavy (15) or the resolution is not very (13)
So, help me decide. Thank you
The choice is made
As a result, the choice was made in favor of macbook air (i7 + 8G ram + 256 SSD)
After testing, the following turned out: connecting a non-retina display to a retina beech greatly spoils the impression of work. It seems that you need to look at a 24 "monitor, but compared to the retina, the quality is not very good.
Well, there are a couple of complaints about the retina display itself

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14 answer(s)

spiff, 2012-06-23
@spiff

There is such a method of making decisions with the help of a coin. The standard is heads/tails. Throw, see what happened, evaluate your reaction. You can think subconsciously/to yourself. About the Pro class, that's what I wanted. Or, damn it, Air, it's small. I assure you, you will notice your attitude towards random selection and understand what you really wanted.

kuzemchik, 2012-06-21
@kuzemchik

I'm also trying my best to figure out which is better. Previously, Air repelled a maximum due to 4 GB of RAM. In the current firmware, ssd is 240 gigs, and it seems to be enough (in extreme cases, you can buy an external one, and if you need speed, then thunderbolt). Lightweight, compact, slightly cheaper.
But retina flashes ... Yes, and performance.
But still there are some things that are confusing about the firmware. This is the first retina in laptops. This is the first screen without Apple glass. In addition, without a discrete graphics card, the battery should last longer.
All in all, I'm confused. what to advise you. Logic says “take Air”, but you still want a flasher, because taking a machine that will work “just like” the current one is sad.

SAKRIST, 2012-06-21
@SAKRIST

dude, you're just like me, well, you can see that you want Pro Retina, take it and don't worry :)
I have the last 13. Air did not take, because. I need performance, and 15 because. Tired of carrying the weight of an extra brick. :)

icomua, 2014-05-10
@icomua

If you carry it with you, then the MacBook Air 11 (I personally have 11 * 8Gb of RAM and 128 SSD)
Even fits into a backpack with a camera.
If there is more at home, then 15 Pro Retina. The meaning in 13 Pro Retina is weak.
By the way, here is a review of the MacBook Air 2014

Anatoly, 2012-06-20
@taliban

The pro is really cooler, I have a laptop of 2 kg, yes, it is heavy if you hold it in your hands, but when it is behind your back in a satchel, this is no longer noticeable after half an hour. In general, if you work at home, then take a pro, if you often go out with a beech, then take calamus, because if your old one does the job, then calamus will cope even more, judging by the benchmarks =)
By the way, 13 "is quite comfortable if the resolution is not large , but in general you can buy a monitor and work with an external one at home / at work, and work with 13 inches at the output.

ratkke, 2012-06-20
@ratkke

I think Eclipse support is a matter of a few weeks, because you can remember a similar situation with iOS, when everything was optimized at supersonic speed.
On the other hand, they report that the new firmware does not have a protective glass - that is, if you break the screen, it will cost a pretty penny (as I understand it), since the lcd panel is now a protective glass.
And the new pro will be impossible to upgrade, at all.
And despite all this, I would choose the firmware in your place :)

voidMan, 2012-06-20
@voidMan

Worked for Dell D830 [email protected] for four years. Then he moved to the MacBook Air 13-2011 - at first it was unusual, but now these 15 seem to me too much.
If there is not enough space, it is more logical to use an additional monitor. The gain from the retina seems doubtful, because you do not work with graphics. And the text on the retina will take up the same amount of space.
In terms of performance, the new Airs are better than the old ones, with 8 GB of memory for your tasks there will be no problems at all. But there is more mobility and it costs less.

Andrey Amelchenya, 2012-06-20
@flash2048

For the development of course Pro! Such a quality of the display and the power of the filling, it will be a pleasure to work.

Evgeny Yablokov, 2012-06-21
@Gular

The difference in weight is not so critical, I'm sure. You're not a dohlyak, pump your back muscles when you carry it, and your arms when you take it. :) New Pro without drive, so lighter, closer to Air. 15 "screen + Retina = optimal. And I also recommend taking it from an SSD and adding RAM, if you have the means.
ps: I would like to have one instead of the current Macbook Pro Mid 2010 13" (I'm crying). Exactly 15" with SSD and 16 Gb RAM. Expensive. :'(

1nd1go, 2012-06-21
@1nd1go

Don't want to wait for autumn? There should be something for 13 "with retina. If there is, as they say, PRO, then you will bite your elbows if you buy something now :)

1nd1go, 2012-06-21
@1nd1go

Don't want to wait for autumn? There should be something for 13 "with retina. If there is, as they say, PRO, then you will bite your elbows if you buy something now :)

f1int, 2012-06-21
@f1int

I have an air 13 of the previous generation, I do web development in ruby.
13 inches + 1440x900 - ok
4GB of RAM - ok 1.3kg
- ok
Constantly a bunch of tabs in chrome and nothing slows down.
The only problem is that sometimes you still want to play and 384MB of video is not enough. Plus, I have 128 ssd, put Windows through bootcamp - there is barely enough space. But it does not seem to threaten you - I advise you to take an air with a normal propeller and video. 8 gigs of RAM - for the eyes. I didn’t see the retina flash, so I can’t say anything about the quality of the screen, but Air is pretty good with this, although sometimes the glare is annoying - it’s still glossy. As for the weight - 1.3 kg is such happiness :) it is calmly taken with one hand if you need to shift or turn it somewhere in order to show something to someone. If I upgrade to a new machine, then only air.

beono, 2012-06-21
@beono

I have air 13 mid 2011
I only progayu in the evenings and weekends.
Everything suits me

Oleg_38, 2014-03-12
@Oleg_38

I took an IWKA012 aluminum laptop for myself, the case is a complete analog of macbook air, i5 / 256SSD / 4G, it is just as thin, light and quiet, it does not make noise at all, it is very convenient to use. I bought it in China, but I already found reviews about it: minipcsale.ru/stati-i-obzory/19-okhladzhenie-noutb...