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Macbook Pro 13″ vs. MacBook Air

Tomas Chlebek
24

After the November refresh of the MacBook Air, these suddenly became significantly more interesting not only in terms of performance, but also in terms of price, which competes with the current MacBook Pro 13.

Current MacBook Pros in their thirteen-inch version are no longer quite at the top of their game. Their last update was in April 2010, breaking Apple's typical refresh cycle. We are very likely waiting for a new series of Intel Sandy Bridge processors, the mobile dual-core version of which was expected in February, but due to a recently discovered error in the chipsets and their necessary replacement, the deadline will probably be extended, and there will be interested parties for the new MacBooks (mainly the 13″ model) may have to wait until March/April.

Mainly because of the Core 2 Duo, the current Airs approach the thirteen-inch White and Pro in terms of performance. Logically, the question arises: Wouldn't I want a particularly higher performance at the expense of significantly better portability, a finer display and an SSD in the base?

Of course, the main word in the selection is the requirements for the software used. If a complex graphic or video editor or the virtual running of another system is almost a daily routine, it is not a good idea to think about "Air". In almost all other points, however, the ultraportable MacBook is a close second to its chubbier brother. Of course, we all like points, so let's summarize the pros and cons of them:

  • Portability

The first thing that strikes everyone about the Air is its thickness. It is not much bigger than a few notebooks or magazines. The weight is also very low. You hardly notice it when you carry it in your backpack.

  • Display

The display type is the same, but the resolution is higher. Even the smaller MacBook Air 11″ has a screen resolution greater than the thirteen-inch Pro, while the Air 13″ displays the same pixels as the fifteen-inch Pro.

  • SSD

In the lowest version 64GB, in the highest 256 (but here the price exceeds the MacBook Pro), in all versions equally fast flash chips. These are not soldered to the board, as was originally thought, but are connected using a special connector, so theoretically they can be replaced. Compared to the 5600 rpm discs in the MBP, their performance is difficult to compare, viz. table below.

  • processor

The heart of both laptops is the mobile Intel Core2Duo, in the case of the MacBook Pro it is either 2,4 or 2,66 GHz with 3MB L2 cache, the Air is powered by either 1,4 GHz or 1,6 GHz (3MB L2 cache), or 1,86, or 2,13 GHz (6MB L2 cache) in the case of the thirteen-inch version.

processor GeekBench XBench CPU XBench Disk XBench Quartz
MacBook Air 11 ″ 1,4 GHz Core2Duo 2036 99,05 229,45 100,21
MacBook Air 13 ″ 1,83 GHz Core2Duo 2717 132,54 231,87 143,04
MacBook Pro 13 ″ 2,66 GHz Core2Duo 3703 187,64 47,65 156,71
  • RAM

All MacBook Airs are sold with 2 GB of RAM as standard, which is the minimum nowadays, if you often run more than a few applications in the background, it is advisable to try to get a version with 4 GB (the RAM cannot be replaced!)

  • Mechanics

Some may miss the Air, but I dare say that for most of today's computer world, optical drives are becoming a thing of the past. If necessary, you can of course use an external one or "borrow" a drive from another Mac or PC via Wi-Fi.

  • Battery

Of course, savings had to be made somewhere, the 5-inch Air provides 7 hours of battery life, the 10-inch Air 30 hours. Both values ​​are not very high compared to XNUMX hours for the Macbook Pro, but I think it is enough for an average working/student day. This disadvantage is partially redeemed by XNUMX days of endurance in the so-called Standby mode, when the laptop is ready for work after opening in a fraction of a second.

  • Keyboard

Many people think that the 11-inch MacBook Air is Apple's netbook, which of course is not true. It is significantly better both in terms of processing quality, performance and keyboard. It is the same size as all other Macs, only the top row of function keys is a few mm smaller. However, a rather large disadvantage in favor of the MacBook Pro is the lack of backlighting, which for some may mean displeasure with the Air.

  • Processing

Both laptops are of course Apple's highest standard, including perfect mechanical processing and fitting of all parts and an all-metal unibody construction. The larger of the rivals still gives a better feeling about its strength, the extremely thin design of the MacBook Air feels quite breakable despite its strength.

So the MacBook Pro is more suitable for those who need/want more processor power, more disk capacity and a backlit keyboard. The MacBook Air, on the other hand, is the clear choice if you plan to carry the laptop several times a day, and of course it also looks a little better. After all, style is one of the main assets of this ultraportable laptop. At the same time, however, it can easily handle Full HD video, the vast majority of ordinary users of commonly used applications, and even modern games at low details. I wouldn't even worry about using it as a main (only) computer with the larger version.

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