MacBook Pro vs air

So I'm looking to get a small portable light MacBook for uni as I will be commuting from home so will need to take it with me via public transport. I know that the MacBook Air is lighter than the pro but I wouldn't mind carrying a little more extra weight if the pro is better. It would just be used to do presentations and coursework on it and the occasional internet browsing. And I would be looking to get the 13 inch one. Which one would you recommend? Btw the ones I'm considering are second hand so the MacBook Air is from 2008 and the pro is from 2010.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

username612415

21

Original post by r-t

So I'm looking to get a small portable light MacBook for uni as I will be commuting from home so will need to take it with me via public transport. I know that the MacBook Air is lighter than the pro but I wouldn't mind carrying a little more extra weight if the pro is better. It would just be used to do presentations and coursework on it and the occasional internet browsing. And I would be looking to get the 13 inch one. Which one would you recommend? Btw the ones I'm considering are second hand so the MacBook Air is from 2008 and the pro is from 2010.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Neither, they're both ridiculously old and you'll end up with crappy performance and battery life as a result. Even if your needs are basic I wouldn't trust a used 5-7 year old laptop to be as fast and reliable as it once was. My advice would be either save up for something more recent or get a slim Windows laptop for whatever your current budget is.

Reply 2

Mike_123

18

Original post by r-t

So I'm looking to get a small portable light MacBook for uni as I will be commuting from home so will need to take it with me via public transport. I know that the MacBook Air is lighter than the pro but I wouldn't mind carrying a little more extra weight if the pro is better. It would just be used to do presentations and coursework on it and the occasional internet browsing. And I would be looking to get the 13 inch one. Which one would you recommend? Btw the ones I'm considering are second hand so the MacBook Air is from 2008 and the pro is from 2010.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Ignore above poster, my 2012 Air is working as good as new and it probably will for the next 3 years

Air if you're not doing anything too rigorous for sure.

Also, might be risky buying a second hand laptop?

Reply 3

r-t

OP

22

Original post by Mike_123

Ignore above poster, my 2012 Air is working as good as new and it probably will for the next 3 years

Air if you're not doing anything too rigorous for sure.

Also, might be risky buying a second hand laptop?

I would be seeing them in person before I buy it. Thanks.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 4

r-t

OP

22

Thanks for the advice but I've always brought second hand technology and it's never let me down and I would be checking the speed before I buy it.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 5

Schrödingers Cat

16

This.

They will also be filled with bloatware which you'll need to remove and you'll need to defrag the discs and it's just a hassle.

Also you'll still be overpaying for an old Macbook probably. I recommend saving up or getting another laptop

For your needs you also don't need a Macbook

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 6

username612415

21

Original post by Mike_123

Ignore above poster, my 2012 Air is working as good as new and it probably will for the next 3 years

Air if you're not doing anything too rigorous for sure.

Also, might be risky buying a second hand laptop?

Your 2012 Air is 2-4 years newer and has only had half as much stress put on those laptops and their batteries, it was made after Apple made the move to SSDs which are less prone to failure, it was made after the move to Intel's Core i series of processors which were a significant breakthrough compared to the Core 2 Duos, and fully supports the newest version of OS X (the 2008 Air can't have it and the 2010 Pros don't run it very well). It's all well and good having a laptop you bought new and getting many years of use out of it, buying a used laptop that's already 5-7 years old to take to university for at least another 3 years is another matter entirely.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 7

username612415

21

Original post by r-t

Thanks for the advice but I've always brought second hand technology and it's never let me down and I would be checking the speed before I buy it.

Posted from TSR Mobile

See my above post, there's nothing wrong with buying used but half a decade old or worse is too old in my opinion just for the sake of having a Mac.

Reply 8

Abdi112

2

I'm against buying second hand laptops, the seller can hide the smallest of faults you wouldn't notice and it would be out of warranty.

knowing the repair costs of Apple laptops you are pretty much screwed if something does happen to it

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Reply 9

jamestg

21

Original post by r-t

So I'm looking to get a small portable light MacBook for uni as I will be commuting from home so will need to take it with me via public transport. I know that the MacBook Air is lighter than the pro but I wouldn't mind carrying a little more extra weight if the pro is better. It would just be used to do presentations and coursework on it and the occasional internet browsing. And I would be looking to get the 13 inch one. Which one would you recommend? Btw the ones I'm considering are second hand so the MacBook Air is from 2008 and the pro is from 2010.

Posted from TSR Mobile

If you want to buy an Apple laptop secondhand either get one from the Apple refurbished section, they're laptops which I think have either been demo ones in stores or are working returns, or simply don't bother.

pretty much hit the nail on the head about their performance when buying secondhand. Especially as the ones you are looking at will not be at the standard of performance you'd expect.

HOWEVER. You could buy an old MacBook Pro and replace the parts with a new SSD, RAM and battery (perhaps some other things but they'd be the things I'd think of first to replace). Just make sure you can buy the parts when you buy the actual laptop.

Reply 10

Mike_123

18

That's why I mentioned my concerns about buying second hand..........

Reply 11

username612415

21

Original post by Mike_123

That's why I mentioned my concerns about buying second hand..........

That was more a response to you telling the OP to ignore my advice on buying a 5-7 year old laptop based on your experience with a 3 year old laptop despite a massive amount of change occurring between the release of both.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 12

username1749779

9

I dun think you should buy both of them if you are buying that old models. Tell me how much budget you can manage and I'll tell you the best option for you. :smile:

Reply 13

Elizabeth135

13

Original post by r-t

So I'm looking to get a small portable light MacBook for uni as I will be commuting from home so will need to take it with me via public transport. I know that the MacBook Air is lighter than the pro but I wouldn't mind carrying a little more extra weight if the pro is better. It would just be used to do presentations and coursework on it and the occasional internet browsing. And I would be looking to get the 13 inch one. Which one would you recommend? Btw the ones I'm considering are second hand so the MacBook Air is from 2008 and the pro is from 2010.

Posted from TSR Mobile

I currently have the MacBook Pro and was considering getting the Air before this, however changed my mind due to the Touch Bar across the top (it makes everything soooo much easier), the fact it had apples new chip in it (not the best on technology but I think it makes it faster and start up quicker and whatever) and. also the fact it had 20 hours of battery life, I honestly barely charge the thing. Other than this they are pretty similar but I would say go for the better one as it will probs last longer and has some pretty cool features to go with it. If you don't have the extra three hundred or so quid laying around then it probably won't make much difference. I would recommend going into the shop to take a look however!

Reply 14

username612415

21

Original post by Elizabeth135

I currently have the MacBook Pro and was considering getting the Air before this, however changed my mind due to the Touch Bar across the top (it makes everything soooo much easier), the fact it had apples new chip in it (not the best on technology but I think it makes it faster and start up quicker and whatever) and. also the fact it had 20 hours of battery life, I honestly barely charge the thing. Other than this they are pretty similar but I would say go for the better one as it will probs last longer and has some pretty cool features to go with it. If you don't have the extra three hundred or so quid laying around then it probably won't make much difference. I would recommend going into the shop to take a look however!

This thread is five years old.

MacBook Pro vs air

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