Just announced MBA

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Liver

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I was just looking at the specs of the new MBA. Now, I don't "need" one but I generally like to update every year. I claim it on my taxes. Its my work computer.

Currently I have a 13.3 MBP 2.7 i7, 512 SSD and 8GB. I know a computer is more than just its CPU, but the new MBA has a i5 at 1.7. Am I missing something? Is it a next generation i5?

Edit: taxes, just as long as I buy one in a calendar year, not really every 12 months.
 
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Yes it's a next generation i5 (Haswell), 13" MBA's supposed to have up to 12 hours battery life (web browsing)
 
The clock speed is lower, but performance is actually slightly better than the previous model. The largest gains are in battery life, not performance.

macbook_air_2013_geekbench.jpg
 
Theres nothing that my current MBP doesn't do. However staying current is really nice with my tax break.
s a crys
I am considering the MBA because I have never used the optical in my MBP, and I would like the battery life. A retina MBP would be very nice, but I do not think I will ever use that capability. The form factor and battery life would mean more.

I know they were just announced and no one has a crystal ball. In the past, have the apple computers gotten a small performance bump towards the end of the year? I have noticed on Gizmodo they publish when Apple updates the hardware without much to do. that is why I ask.

Edit: I just priced out the MBA to i7 and comparable specs to what I currently have (ram, drive size, Apple Care) and it comes out to $2098. I believe that is less than what I paid for this machine with me doing the upgrading.
 
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Liver said:
A retina MBP would be very nice, but I do not think I will ever use that capability. The form factor and battery life would mean more.
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I moved from a 13" MBP to a 15" rMBP and the sizes are almost identical. It's like a half inch wider...hardly noticeable. I was surprised at the similarity in size and all of my sleeves and cases for the 13" work for the 15".

Putting my 15" rMBP next to my partner's 13" MBA the 15" is only about 1" wider from left to right and 1" longer from palm to screen. They are similar in thickness but the Air has a taper to it (I prefer no taper and that was one of the reasons I decided against an Air when they were released).

In terms of form factor you do not lose much, if anything, by going with a retina. In terms of capabilities the retina screen is something you will use every minute of every day of use :) It's not like a thing that is used for certain apps, although it can be adjusted, but rather it makes text more clear at all times if just left on default settings.

Basically it will look just like your current MBP screen but with much sharper text. After reading or writing for hours your eyes will feel the difference noticeably. The bezel is only about 1/2 inch wide so you also get a much larger screen for not much more in total space.

I recommend you try the Air next to the retina side-by-side and take note of the things I mentioned before deciding.


Regarding your other question: I can't remember off-hand when the refreshes typically happen but I think they are about six months into a current cycle. I think they usually happen around February/March.
 
mope54 said:
I moved from a 13" MBP to a 15" rMBP and the sizes are almost identical. It's like a half inch wider...hardly noticeable. I was surprised at the similarity in size and all of my sleeves and cases for the 13" work for the 15".

Putting my 15" rMBP next to my partner's 13" MBA the 15" is only about 1" wider from left to right and 1" longer from palm to screen. They are similar in thickness but the Air has a taper to it (I prefer no taper and that was one of the reasons I decided against an Air when they were released).

In terms of form factor you do not lose much, if anything, by going with a retina. In terms of capabilities the retina screen is something you will use every minute of every day of use :) It's not like a thing that is used for certain apps, although it can be adjusted, but rather it makes text more clear at all times if just left on default settings.

Basically it will look just like your current MBP screen but with much sharper text. After reading or writing for hours your eyes will feel the difference noticeably. The bezel is only about 1/2 inch wide so you also get a much larger screen for not much more in total space.

I recommend you try the Air next to the retina side-by-side and take note of the things I mentioned before deciding.


Regarding your other question: I can't remember off-hand when the refreshes typically happen but I think they are about six months into a current cycle. I think they usually happen around February/March.
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gah. was set on the MBA! i'm going to wait towards the later part of the year, take my computer in to the store and directly compare it.

what kind of battery life do you get?
 
Despite the Retina's thinner (as compared to the rest of the MBP line) profile, I would say that the 13" Air is considerably smaller. The taper and the weight (if nothing else) make a big difference. I would go to an Apple store and compare them side by side. The MBA even if the new ones aren't in stock aren't changing at all in terms of weight or dimensions.

MBPr:
Height: 0.71 inch (1.8 cm)
Width: 14.13 inches (35.89 cm)
Depth: 9.73 inches (24.71 cm)
Weight: 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg)

MBA:
Height: 0.11-0.68 inch (0.3-1.7 cm)
Width: 12.8 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg)
 
Liver said:
gah. was set on the MBA! i'm going to wait towards the later part of the year, take my computer in to the store and directly compare it.

what kind of battery life do you get?
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when I go somewhere without an outlet I can write all day if I turn down my brightness to the minimum and disable my wi-fi. I haven't paid attention in a long time but can go well beyond 10 hours.

I've been unplugged since last night around 9pm, going back and forth to different rooms in the house and finally lying around in bed, and watching the two hours of wwdc and surfing until about 1am. I just hopped back online when I woke up a few minutes ago and my retina is at 84% with an estimated 8:07-8:3x runtime left.


edit: I've been in bed surfing at half brightness since that posting and I'm at 62% with an estimated 5:21 runtime left.
 
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That's impressive. Wonder how much haswell will improve on that?
 
Liver said:
I was just looking at the specs of the new MBA. Now, I don't "need" one but I generally like to update every year. I claim it on my taxes. Its my work computer.

Currently I have a 13.3 MBP 2.7 i7, 512 SSD and 8GB. I know a computer is more than just its CPU, but the new MBA has a i5 at 1.7. Am I missing something? Is it a next generation i5?

Edit: taxes, just as long as I buy one in a calendar year, not really every 12 months.
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Can you explain how you do your taxes in regard to the deductions for your computer? I'm looking at doing this for 2013 and want to know the ins and outs from someone who has already done it. It's one of those things I don't trust random internet articles for :p
 
Weenis said:
Can you explain how you do your taxes in regard to the deductions for your computer? I'm looking at doing this for 2013 and want to know the ins and outs from someone who has already done it. It's one of those things I don't trust random internet articles for :p
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Yet you are willing to take a random someone's explanation on an internet forum? My advice is to get a good CPA. As we get older, our taxes get much more complex usually, and having a good CPA is good way to combat this. I get to deduct the fees I pay my CPA on my next year's return.

To answer your question a bit, if you use the computer for business related purposes, say in a home based business, or to track rental income on rental property or for say freelance work, then you can GENERALLY deduct it as a legit business expense. Here again, only a tax professional can tell you if it qualifies in your situation. I've been able to expense lots of items over the years because we have rental property and own our own business. Nothing illegal about it, if you follow the tax law.
 
CEpeep said:
The clock speed is lower, but performance is actually slightly better than the previous model. The largest gains are in battery life, not performance.

macbook_air_2013_geekbench.jpg
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Engadget actually got slightly lower speeds out of the 2013 than the model it replaced. They did get almost double the battery life out of the new machine, though.

o6XNRAs.png
 
In regards to taxes. I have a CPA. I also have a windows gaming machine for non business related computing. I don't deduct my cable Internet (I can), but that puts it into a quasi land for me.

Get a CPA. Pay them, don't go to HR Block.
 
The 2013 MBA is a nice introduction for Haswell but people who are looking for more power like me will wait for the Retina MBP refresh. Should be out soon.
 
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