2018 Macbook Air vs 2017 Macbook Pro

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muhammed.abad

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I'm in the market for a new MacBook and can't seem to decide between the 2017 MBP and the new 2018 MBA. I currently have a 2012 MBP with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD and it works pretty well for my developer needs (PyCharm, Slack, MS,Office & iTerm2. Non work use is limited to Netflix / Youtube).

The iStore currently has both the 256GB MBA and MBP at the same price. I'm unsure which one would be more suitable for me.

MBA Pros:

Touch ID
Gold Color
Late-2018 model
Slightly better battery life

MBA Cons:
1.6GHz dual core i5
Screen Brightness is not on par with other retina models (especially in outdoor use which is not an issue for me)


MBP Pros:
2.3GHz dual core i5
Brighter screen

MBP Cons:
Mid-2017 model.

In terms of performance, I'm not sure if the Air is sufficient. Tech specs indicate that both have 8GB of RAM and TurboBoost up to 3.6GHz and both have 2 x USB-C ports.

I don't travel and mostly work from home.

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Last edited:
The MBP will eat the air. There is no comparison. If you want performance, go for the MBP.

If you want to watch a YouTube video or two and type an email, go for the air.
 
For development go with a Pro and get an extended warrantee, can't hurt to get an extended Warrantee.
 
MBP is substantially better, the MBA is really only there as a niche product to say they have it imho.
 
I've been weighing up this exact comparison for a long time and come to the realization my 2013 MBP (same spec as above) is good enough and will go for another year or two. Apple have really messed up the MB/MBA/MBP range, always short on gfx unless you go 15".

In the end, if I was buying I'd go 13" MBP, probably get 16GB memory though to future proof.
 
Johnatan56 said:
MBP is substantially better, the MBA is really only there as a niche product to say they have it imho.
Click to expand...

I’m on my second Air and long may the range continue. Great little machine and perfect for my needs, email, internet, movies, music etc.
 
I had this dilemma this week. My Air died after it went for a swim, so I went to buy a MacBook 12 inch which was on offer from the iStore. They only had rose gold however and I don’t think I could live with this, so it was a straight choice between the new Air and the MBP at roughly the same price. Went for the MBP for the extra beef.

Weird getting used to the shallow keyboard and pad but loving the retina screen.
 
I got my air 2017 for web surfing but the monitor is not too good for me.
Should I go for air 2018 or up to an old mbp?
I read the air 2018 review on Techgara and it made me considering.
 
MBA is sufficient for Python development. But if the processing power of the Air is a con for you then surely this is a no brainer?
 
Hamster said:
MBA is sufficient for Python development. But if the processing power of the Air is a con for you then surely this is a no brainer?
Click to expand...

And if considering the new Air, you can get a MBP for same price. 20K at Dionwired.
 
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