Lackluster Screen: The 1440 x 900 display on the MacBook Air isn't as sharp as those on other MacBooks and competing PCs. The Air is the thinnest, and it's lighter than the Pro models, The Air is a better choice for simple day-to-day use such as browsing and email, The 13-inch Pro (updated for 2020) is the cheapest Pro model, The Pro 16-inch is the most expensive model, aimed at design professionals, The Air only comes with a 13-inch screen, whereas the Pro comes in either 13 or 16-inch sizes, both with sub-variants for processors and RAM, All Pro models now have the unique ‘Touch Bar’ above the keyboard, Dedicated graphics card on some Pro models, 16-inch screen could be overkill for some. That’s where our MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro guide comes in. If you’re in the market for a laptop, chances are you’ll have looked at Apple’s MacBook range with envy. It’s also had its speakers moved to the sides of the keyboard, rather than underneath, making the sound more impactful and clearer. Any sugestions? The most important thing is not choosing a model that’s overkill for your own needs – as the prices get very steep, very fast. Two of the Pro models (one 13-inch, one 16-inch) are also home to Apple’s Touch Bar, a feature you won’t find on the MacBook Air. Cupertino, California — Apple today updated MacBook Air, adding True Tone to its Retina display for a more natural viewing experience, and lowering the price to $1,099, with an even lower price of $999 for college students.In addition, the entry-level $1,299 13-inch MacBook Pro has been updated with the latest 8th-generation quad-core processors, making it two times more powerful than before. The MacBook Air vs. the MacBook Pro. If all you tend to do is browse the web, stream and email, then this really is more than enough. Literally. By this point, the old Air will practically be a fossil, specs wise. The rivalry between the MacBook and the PC laptop has been ongoing on for many years. I am doing computing so I will need to install a partition onto it for windows. Sure, you can play Fortnite on it at a decent frame rate, but, more importantly, it can power through intensive media editing or graphic rendering with relative ease. Whether you end up with the Air or the Pro, we’re confident you’ll be over the moon with it, and join the legions of MacBook owners who speak so lovingly about their laptops. But, it would be like buying a flamethrower to make toast – impressive, but overkill. While the older Air model is perfectly fine, it’s rather dated – the 2018 model is a vast improvement in almost every way. The difference in price is the pro being $900 vs the air at $950. If you want to join the Apple family, the question is, do you opt for the MacBook Air, or the MacBook Pro? MacBook Air or MacBook Pro: Which is Best? The MacBook line offers three distinct choices: the 13-inch Air, 13-inch Pro and 16-inch Pro. Battery wise, the Air is better, giving 12 hours of battery life compared to the MacBook's 11. The Pro leans on the Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 or 655 in its 13-inch form. However, there will be some that find the extra graphical prowess and number crunching beneficial. If screen quality is important to you, then you’ve come to the right brand. The MacBook Pro can be upgraded to a higher level than the MacBook Air, and this is the primary reason some users opt for the Pro instead of the Air. Apple has long built its reputation on offering high end computing equipment that is desirable, not affordable. Both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are excellent laptops in their own right, but which one to opt for depends on what you’ll be using it for. MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air Battery Life Comparison There is no laptop that could beat MacBook models in battery life and efficiency. But, which one to opt for depends on what you’re studying. In basic terms, this means that the Pro is a powerhouse. For those tasks, that’s why the Pro exists. both Air and new Pro now have PCIe SSD and permanent RAM. I am doing computing so I will need to install a partition onto it for windows. Any sugestions? Get more delivered to your inbox just like it. First up, the Pro has a more capable graphics processor than the Air, which relies on the Intel UHD Graphics 617 chip. If you’re looking to do anything graphically intense, or some serious number crunching, this is the one to go for. Yes, the Pro can do all this, too. Is it cool? From the last year’s 12-hours backup, the new MacBook Air gets a major jump to 18-hours and the MacBook Pro gets 20-hours of backup in total. That’s not to say that the MacBook Pro is a chunky brick, by any means. Our guide will help you work out exactly which model will work best for you. To keep your budget down, but still get plenty of power, we’d recommend the 13-inch MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar. Bumping the Air to 256GB results in both devices being about the same price (especially if you order from B&H, which has the MacBook currently discounted to $1199). Perfect for daily browsing and work, it's slim, light and runs like a dream, Lots of power, a brilliant screen and an improved keyboard make this the perfect MacBook for demanding users, though the Air is cheaper, The absolute pinnacle of MacBooks, and everything a design professional could want – but at an eye-watering price, Discontinued by Apple, this is the smallest MacBook available. The newest macbook Pro is essentially a larger macbook Air with Retina display and options for speed in increasing prices up to an independent graphics and quad core processor. With the Air, you’re paying for a laptop that will cruise its way through your daily tasks. It’s the Pro though that goes the extra mile, though. Between the MacBook Air, the two 13-inch MacBook Pro models, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro… The 13-inch MacBook Pro is marginally heavier at 3.02 pounds (1.37kg). If you go for the Pro, you’re getting a high spec machine that comes with a premium price tag, so make sure you’ll actually get the use out of it before investing. It will let you juggle your social media activity, Netflix binging, web browsing and daily work with ease. MacBook Air (1.29 kg) is lighter than the MacBook Pro … It’s also been shaved down to a satisfyingly slim and compact shape, but the Air is the ultimate laptop for portability. By contrast, the MacBook 12-inch and MacBook Pro … Both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are excellent laptops in their own right, but which one to opt for depends on what you’ll be using it for. We use cookies. So okay, the MacBook Pro can do all that too. If there’s one thing that Apple is famed for, it’s design. However, the MacBook Air is … On the one hand, the MacBook, and particularly the flagship MacBook Pro, is famed for its exquisite style, exceptional build quality and lightning speed of use. Click to Learn More. If you’re a student who wants a light, easy-to-carry Apple laptop, it’s hard to do better than the MacBook Air. The term ‘value’ might not seem like it has a place in Apple’s line up – if you’re looking for a bargain, you won’t find one here. Though similar on that front, the brightness levels between the two laptops couldn’t be more different. The 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro share an all-aluminum finish, with both offering space gray and silver color options, although the new Air also comes in gold. While there has been some friendly rivalry in recent years between the Air and MacBook models, with both vying to be the thinnest and lightest, the Air holds the current crown, and it is as svelte as an Instagram model’s airbrushed beach shot. Air vs Pro 2020 for a “writer” and college student. Chances are that many of your textbooks will outweigh the Air – you’ll barely notice it in your backpack. MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro for college? Most tablets look like iPads, most phones look like iPhones, and there certainly isn’t a lack of high-end laptops that look rather familiar…. Even the entry-level 2018 Air has now been bestowed its Retina display, with a 2560×1600 screen that is vibrant and offers stunning color reproduction. In a 100 meter race, the 16-inch Pro would be signing autographs at the finish line while the Air was still listening for the starting gun. Our independent reviews and recommendations are funded in part by affiliate commissions, at no extra cost to our readers. However, the MacBook is the most portable and great for travelers. What would you recommend? As for which is best? The reason for this is that it is stuffed with tech, from fast Intel processors (up to i7 if you can afford it), to dedicated Radeon graphics cards. Consider it like a sports car. Its snappy start time and long battery life mean that it’s a great companion during lectures, or throughout those late night study sessions. Apple's ditching Intel's processors for its own Apple silicon and the results are staggering. The Air comes with an 8th generation 1.6GHz dual-core Intel i5. The Pro, though starts with a 2.3GHz dual core Intel i5, and works its way there all the way up to a 2.3GHz 8-core Intel i9 in the 16-inch model (should your wallet allow it). The company has been responsible for spawning thousands of imitators and a lot of modern tech devices owe their shells to Apple’s influence in some way. It might have lost some impact today, but at a time when most laptops were knee-crushing behemoths, it was practically black magic. On the other hand, the new MacBook Air is available to all students at a discount, for just $899. If you don’t need the MacBook right away (and we appreciate that’s a bit like asking a kid to not open its presents on Christmas Day), it could pay you to wait a little longer. Thread Macbook Pro vs. Macbook Air Author Date within 1 day 3 days 1 week 2 weeks 1 month 2 months 6 months 1 year of Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04 Subject: MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro Anonymous For student work I'd get a minimally-configured MacBook Pro if you can spend the extra $300 over the Air (i.e., no CPU or memory upgrades, assuming they're not doing computationally intensive work like a lot of video editing). What we feel is that unlike the previous versions of these laptops that were powered by Intel processors, there is not much difference between the Pro and Air this time. If you’re. Similarly, MacBook pro has the most speed and power and great for tough programs. The keyboard is arguably the most substantial upgrade for the MacBook Air 2020, as Apple ditched its controversial butterfly switches in … The good news? Be the first to answer this question. Apple has even upgraded the keyboard and display on the Air to bring it closer to the Pro. We don’t know when this will happen, but we expect it to be before summer 2019. I want to be able to have many tabs open etc, but probably will never be using any programs that are too demanding of the computer. For more, see our Full Review of the 2018 MacBook Air, In the MacBook line up, the Pro is the pinnacle, making it the most desirable (and costly) laptop bearing the Apple badge. If you’re stepping onto campus with either a MacBook Air or Pro under your arm, then you’ll be the envy of plenty of students. Copyright © 2020 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. ), Answer now(can MacBook Air get affected by virus), Answer now(What port is this used in on my macbook air? I am going to college in september and was wondering which would be best. But, the caveat is that the Pro is notably more expensive, and likely to be overkill for most students. It’s also worth noting that Apple offers discounts for students, meaning that you can make a saving on a new MacBook. On a stockholders call in early 2019, Apple promised that it was going to lower the price of the MacBook Air. Or call 1‑800‑MY‑APPLE. The most important thing is to understand what your own needs are ahead of picking up a MacBook. We think it’s well worth investing the extra $200 for the newer model, rather than picking up the cheaper Air now and regretting it one or two years down the line. Click to return to top of page, We're sorry this article didn't help you today – we welcome feedback, so if there's any way you feel we could improve our content, please email us at contact@tech.co. Want an all-rounder for general office and home use? In the end, the MacBook Air vs iPad Pro question here is mostly tied to the requirements of your university program. You’re unlikely to meet a MacBook user with much negative to say about their laptop of choice. The NEW macbook Pro and Air are EXTREMELY close in form factor. Jack is the Content Manager for Tech.co. MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro 13-inch: Conclusion. The MacBook Pro is a notebook, and most of us are used to doing our work on a laptop. Like previous versions, the latest iteration of the MacBook Air features up to 12 hours of battery life. That’s not one for the budget conscious, but it’s a serious asset for design professionals. Both the MacBook Air and the smaller MacBook Pro have a 13.3-inch screen running at a 2560x1600 resolution – though the Pro does use a wider P3 colour gamut, and is … 16-Inch Pro specs explained, MacBook Pro line starts from around $ 1,300 – click compare... 3.02 pounds ( 1.37kg ) alternative to the right brand computing equipment that is,. 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