Posted on Tuesday December 15, 2015
Apple currently has four different models of MacBook laptops in their line-up: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro with Retina display, and the New MacBook. But choosing one over the other is not easy, as each one of them come in different sizes and specifications. In this guide, we're going to examine possible options to help you make the right laptop choice and ensure you get the best value for your money.
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular and affordable model. It's perfect for anyone who needs a high performance laptop that is extremely lightweight and portable, such as students or a self-employed person.
- Specifications - There are four different types of MacBook Air, all of which possess the same 1.6 GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000 card. The MacBook Air claims to provide up to 9 hours of battery life for the 11-inch models and up to 12 hours of battery life for the 13-inch models. There are two storage capacities available - 128GB and 256GB.
- Connectivity - The MacBook Air provides two USB 3.0 ports and has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting to the Internet and wireless peripherals.
- Performance - The MacBook Air is more than capable of handling everyday tasks such as web browsing, emailing, and working on office applications. However, if you want to carry out high-end, professional video production tasks, you might want to consider the other MacBook options.
MacBook Pro
Apple offers two types of MacBook Pros - there's the standard model and the Retina display model. Let's look at the former model first. The standard MacBook Pro is perfect for mobile users who want a powerful laptop without having to sacrifice on performance and features.
- Specifications - There's only one model of MacBook Pro available. It features a 13-inch screen with 2.5GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of memory, 500GB of hard drive storage, and an integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics card. You can customize your MacBook Pro with a more powerful processor, more RAM memory, and larger hard drive.
- Connectivity - The MacBook Pro has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as the ports that Apple has phased out of the MacBook Air and the Retina MacBook Pro, including the Gigabit Ethernet port and 8x SuperDrive optical drive.
- Performance - Overall, the MacBook Pro is slower than the 13-inch MacBook Air, due to the the MacBook Pro's outdated hard drive that simply can't keep up with MacBook Air's flash storage. However, the MacBook Pro has a slight performance advantage on tasks that are dependent on processors, such as video editing.
MacBook Pro with Retina display
The Retina MacBook Pro is by far Apple's most powerful laptop ever created. It boasts a high-density display with millions of pixels and crystal-clear text and images display.
- Specifications - The Retina MacBook Pro is available in both 13-inch and 15-inch screen sizes. Apple offers a dual-core Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM memory and flash storage ranging from 120GB to 512GB for the 13-inch models. The 15-inch models, on the other hand, possess the powerful quad-core Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM memory, and a 256GB or 512GB flash storage.
- Connectivity - Just like other Mac devices, the Retina MacBook Pro has two Thunderbolt 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
- Performance - The Retina MacBook Pro currently sits on top of Apple Mac's performance chart. With powerful processing power, flash storage, and a large memory capacity, you can carry out high-end graphics work or video editings smoothly.
The New MacBook
Apple's New MacBook is the laptop in its most basic, compact form. It weighs only 920 grams and has a 12-inch display, making it much lighter and smaller than the MacBook Air. The New MacBook is for anyone who's constantly on the move and needs a thin, lightweight laptop.
- Specifications - There are two models of the New MacBook - the difference is mainly in the flash storage and processor versions. Both models have 8GB of memory and an integrated Intel HD 5300 graphics processor.
- Connectivity - Apart from the usual built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, there's only one USB 3.0 port for connecting to peripherals.
- Performance - The Intel Core M processor is designed to handle basic tasks and even some professional production tasks.
If you want to know which MacBook model will work best for your business, get in touch now for advice and recommendations from our tech experts.
