5 ms·

Who is buying the MacBook Air right now anyway? The pro is lighter, smaller, faster and better performance for the money. They are very similarly priced I am no

by tbrock 8y ago

Who is buying the MacBook Air right now anyway? The pro is lighter, smaller, faster and better performance for the money. They are very similarly priced I am not sure why anyone would purchase the air given the updated 13 MBP is available.

geocar 8y ago
The smallest (11") macbook air weighs about 1kg, and it doesn't have that fucking retarded keyboard. I have chronic pain and the idea of paying an extra almost half kilo in weight for my laptop is enough that I gave a Windows PC a try for a year.
- geerlingguy 8y ago
  Sadly they don’t make the 11” anymore, and the retina 12” is too crippled for ‘power user’ use.
  - abrowne 8y ago
    They still sell the 11-inch Air through education channels. You can buy one from a e.g. university's store if you or someone you know is student/staff/faculty/alum.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
wffurr 8y ago
It's cheaper, fast enough, and has a non-garbage keyboard.
shostack 8y ago
I've opted to use the MBA exclusively at work for years now. I have not found anything that beats the size and weight of it while still giving that level of power. The form factor is one of my top considerations, so a Pro isn't really something I need or want because the extra horsepower doesn't really add much for my needs. I can dock it at my desk and hook it up to two huge displays and a bigger keyboard, and then not be burdened when traveling.
- wool_gather 8y ago
  > the extra horsepower doesn't really add much for my needs Can you say what your needs are? I'm skeptical that I would be happy with the speed of my compiler on an Air.
  - shostack 8y ago
    Mainly I've got multiple browser windows open with way too many tabs. I use a plugin to prevent them all from being actively loaded, but still have a ton active at any one time. I also usually have one or more Excel windows open for data analysis, possibly Powerpoint or Keynote, and then some other lightweight stuff (Spotify, Sublime, etc.). I also am most frequently using this across two 27" Thunderbolt displays (and if I'm desperate for a 3rd, I can open the MBA screen in addition). I'm not a developer, so my needs may be less intensive than yours.
    - wool_gather 8y ago
      > I'm not a developer Yep, I guess that was the root of my question, thanks. :)
- wilsonnb2 8y ago
  > I have not found anything that beats the size and weight of it while still giving that level of power The current MacBook pro is only .05 pounds heavier than the 13 inch MacBook air, and noticably thinner than the air's thickest point. They are basically the same form factor at this point. The 13" MacBook Pro with no touchbar is more or less the upgraded MacBook Air with Retina Display that everyone has been asking for for years.
  - bitdeveloper 8y ago
    I have to disagree. I bought both a 2017 air and a 2017 mbp 13” to compare, and ended up returning the MBP. The screen on the MBP is far and away better, which made it a painful choice. On the other hand, the air was superior for the keyboard, and also for noise/heat, and of course several hundred dollars in price. The MBP didn’t really feel any faster for the type of work I was doing on it. Most annoying was that the MBP fan was kicking on in high gear consistently when I was doing nothing of note, while the air very rarely does so. It’s always cool and quiet, which I love. If they just threw a retina screen on it, the current Air could be a hell of a computer for several more years.
deergomoo 8y ago
The non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro is £1249 vs the Air’s £949. That’s a big difference for a lot of people. People like my partner, who doesn’t care that it’s essentially 4-5 year old hardware with minor revisions. I would never buy an Air myself because that screen is pure trash, but she genuinely doesn’t care.
AlexandrB 8y ago
> Who is buying the MacBook Air right now anyway? I am. I want a keyboard that's not absolute garbage to type on.
- steve_adams_86 8y ago
  That keyboard was awesome! My new MacBook has lost 3 keys in 1 year. Welcome to the future. I really miss my MacBook air.
ivm 8y ago
I bought one two months ago as a secondary machine because my old Air died.
ksec 8y ago
For the majority of the consumer, which is 80% of the market, 10% of market are nerds and professional each. Of which many of those are price sensitive, and the $999 MBA is the entry level machine which Apple offers. And as of right now, it is ridiculously over priced even by Apple standards.

by tbrock 8y ago

geocar 8y ago

The smallest (11") macbook air weighs about 1kg, and it doesn't have that fucking retarded keyboard. I have chronic pain and the idea of paying an extra almost half kilo in weight for my laptop is enough that I gave a Windows PC a try for a year.

geerlingguy 8y ago
Sadly they don’t make the 11” anymore, and the retina 12” is too crippled for ‘power user’ use.
- abrowne 8y ago
  They still sell the 11-inch Air through education channels. You can buy one from a e.g. university's store if you or someone you know is student/staff/faculty/alum.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

wffurr 8y ago

It's cheaper, fast enough, and has a non-garbage keyboard.

shostack 8y ago

I've opted to use the MBA exclusively at work for years now. I have not found anything that beats the size and weight of it while still giving that level of power. The form factor is one of my top considerations, so a Pro isn't really something I need or want because the extra horsepower doesn't really add much for my needs. I can dock it at my desk and hook it up to two huge displays and a bigger keyboard, and then not be burdened when traveling.

wool_gather 8y ago
> the extra horsepower doesn't really add much for my needs Can you say what your needs are? I'm skeptical that I would be happy with the speed of my compiler on an Air.
- shostack 8y ago
  Mainly I've got multiple browser windows open with way too many tabs. I use a plugin to prevent them all from being actively loaded, but still have a ton active at any one time. I also usually have one or more Excel windows open for data analysis, possibly Powerpoint or Keynote, and then some other lightweight stuff (Spotify, Sublime, etc.). I also am most frequently using this across two 27" Thunderbolt displays (and if I'm desperate for a 3rd, I can open the MBA screen in addition). I'm not a developer, so my needs may be less intensive than yours.
  - wool_gather 8y ago
    > I'm not a developer Yep, I guess that was the root of my question, thanks. :)
wilsonnb2 8y ago
> I have not found anything that beats the size and weight of it while still giving that level of power The current MacBook pro is only .05 pounds heavier than the 13 inch MacBook air, and noticably thinner than the air's thickest point. They are basically the same form factor at this point. The 13" MacBook Pro with no touchbar is more or less the upgraded MacBook Air with Retina Display that everyone has been asking for for years.
- bitdeveloper 8y ago
  I have to disagree. I bought both a 2017 air and a 2017 mbp 13” to compare, and ended up returning the MBP. The screen on the MBP is far and away better, which made it a painful choice. On the other hand, the air was superior for the keyboard, and also for noise/heat, and of course several hundred dollars in price. The MBP didn’t really feel any faster for the type of work I was doing on it. Most annoying was that the MBP fan was kicking on in high gear consistently when I was doing nothing of note, while the air very rarely does so. It’s always cool and quiet, which I love. If they just threw a retina screen on it, the current Air could be a hell of a computer for several more years.

deergomoo 8y ago

The non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro is £1249 vs the Air’s £949. That’s a big difference for a lot of people. People like my partner, who doesn’t care that it’s essentially 4-5 year old hardware with minor revisions. I would never buy an Air myself because that screen is pure trash, but she genuinely doesn’t care.

AlexandrB 8y ago

> Who is buying the MacBook Air right now anyway? I am. I want a keyboard that's not absolute garbage to type on.

steve_adams_86 8y ago
That keyboard was awesome! My new MacBook has lost 3 keys in 1 year. Welcome to the future. I really miss my MacBook air.

ivm 8y ago

I bought one two months ago as a secondary machine because my old Air died.

ksec 8y ago

For the majority of the consumer, which is 80% of the market, 10% of market are nerds and professional each. Of which many of those are price sensitive, and the $999 MBA is the entry level machine which Apple offers. And as of right now, it is ridiculously over priced even by Apple standards.