There is tremendous angst in the blogosphere about the MacBook Air versus the new retina-display MacBook Pro. It isn’t a question of cost, it’s the attraction of the power and unrivalled screen of the MPB compared with the sheer portability and usability of the little Air. As I said yesterday, only Ben Brooks, to my knowledge, has definitely defected to the Air MacBook Pro. We are all waiting for his honest assessment.
John Gruber is still pondering, as is M.G.Siegler who posted this astute assessment of the state of play.
I remain on the fence. I really want to stay with the Air’s size and convenience, but my instinct is to favour the new MBP. Siegler’s most telling comment is this: “Do you dare buy a new Air when a Retina one must be in the works?” It sums up my thinking precisely. Why buy a new Air today when it is pretty obvious there will be a retina-display version available within a twelvemonth?
You have to plan your computing strategy. At the moment I have a one-year-old 27in iMac with an additional Cinema Display for desk use. And for portability I have the 11in Air (ancient 2010 version). One persuasive thought is to buy the new MacBook Pro as a replacement for both the iMac and the Air. It is capable of fulfilling both functions at the cost of a couple of extra pounds in the carry-on luggage. That way I could justify a retina-display Air when it eventually gets released.
This fence is feeling pretty uncomfortable.