Macbook Air vs Macbook Pro

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Hi everyone,

I'm in the market for a computer right now and I have decided to buy either a Macbook Air or a Macbook Pro. So far, the feedback I have gotten back from my friends has seemed a bit biased. Since many of my friends are gamers, they've said I should go with the Macbook Pro, but I don't want to spend more than I have to.

I'm currently borrowing my sister's Dell laptop until I buy my own this coming semester. I'm leaning more towards a Macbook Air because of the light weight, portability and speed. I am not a very tech-savvy person, I don't game or anything like that. On the computer I am currently using, I have never needed to use the CD-Drive, so I'm really wondering if I'll actually miss not having one if I do decide on a Macbook Air.

This computer is really going to be about getting me through school. I don't need "top of the line" and I am all about practicality right now. If I decide to get a decked out Macbook of any kind, it'll be after I graduate and begin making real money.

I read an earlier post on this topic on this website where more than a few nursing students stated that while they liked their MacBook Pro's, they had more computer than they really needed. I plan on doing my school work, writing papers, research, and surfing the web.

Do you have a Macbook Air? Do you miss the CD-Drive?

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

I don't miss my CD drive at all. Almost anything that comes on a CD can be bought online. P

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Get the air! I got the pro in sept 2011 when I was a freshman and it is pretty darn heavy to lug around it weighs around 10 lbs. I chose it over the air bc I thought I would miss the cd drive but I NEVER use it anyway. Majority of programs(like Microsoft office) or music/movies etc can be purchased and downloaded anyway. And if you want you can connect an external cd drive via USB or even through Bluetooth/wifi I believe. I love my MacBook for school, super reliable and easy to use, what I don't like is the weight. When I'm at home i don't mind it and barely notice the weight but it isn't travel friendly if you want to go to the library or throw it in your school bag. Textbooks notebooks are heavy enough and add a heavy laptop and you'll just avoid bringing it around. I prefer the school's computer than bringing my Pro to school to be honest bc it is so bulky to carry around with textbooks.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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I prefer the macbook pro. i actually am using it right now and it's so much better than the air.

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I prefer the macbook pro. i actually am using it right now and it's so much better than the air.

What makes it so much better?

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

I had both at the same time until I sold the Pro. I like that the Air is so thin and light. They run the same operating system and are about what and what on performance for most everyday use unless you get a super high end pro with a bunch of extra processing cores and memory. For web surfing and Doc writing and video watching and downloading, you won't notice any difference between the two.

The air has 2 USB ports; the pro has 3 I think. I've never used more than one at a time in any instance.

They both have SD card readers. Never use that.

The pro has an optical drive the air doesn't. Never use it.

If you're like me and can live without an optical drive, you'll live the air.

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I have the 15" pro w/ retina display and I love it however I use it a lot for photo editing. I think the air would be perfect for nursing school because it's a good quality computer fully capable of doing what most students need but light and compact. My mac doesn't have a disc drive either but they make a USB disc drive, I have maybe used it 5 times.

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Specializes in Primary Care; Child Advocacy; Child Abuse; ED.

I got a mac book air and an imac. I love them both. I thought it would not matter to me that much about the cd but it does. I usually just use the imac if I need to put a cd in but I live almost 2 hours away from home and it can be irritating to wait. If I were you I would get the pro.

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Specializes in NICU.

The MacBook Air was perfect for me in nursing school. All my classmates were jealous of its lightness. The size also really makes a difference on those tiny desks in auditoriums. It works perfectly for everything you said you would use it for. If you were doing a lot of gaming or video editing, I would say get the Pro. Photoshop runs fine on the Air, though. As for the disk drive, if you really think you need it, just buy an external one; I had one and I used it maybe 5-10 times. Most programs can be downloaded from the App Store.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

I have an air and a pro. My pro sat as desktop machine. My air is what I use all the time. It's so much faster than my pro (and I have a very nice pro). I don't miss the cd drive at all. I'm actually getting rid of the pro for a mini. My air is really my primary machine....I'm in grad school.

My husband is working on his RN and is a professional in the technology world. He's always had the nice macs available. He's never considered anything like the air...way beneath him. Well he got an 11 inch air for school and he LOVES his air. Loves it. No it doesn't fit his needs for his real job (he's an IT professional) but it's perfect for school.

Get an air. Don't be afraid to upgrade it...you will have it for a long time.

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Honestly I love Apple, but you may want to go with something else... I work for a competitor of theirs (still use a mac at home though) and if you're needing something within a better price range, you should know that you can get a computer with matching hardware/software specifications for a lower price. All of these companies use the same exact internal components (with the exception of a few like the processor, plastic vs metal parts etc.)... hence why the Tsunami a few years ago wiped out all computer production across the world for quite some time. When you buy a Mac, you're paying for the name. You should check out some of the computers at HP and Dell... I wouldn't personally go with Lenovo, but that's me. The other two companies are selling pretty reliable computers that last a long time and run great. Also the new Windows 8 OS is a LOT better than the old standard Windows set up in my opinion. Much more modern and Apple-esque even. Just my two cents... But if you're stuck on Mac, I would go with the Pro... it's a bit sturdier :)

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

Paying for a Mac isn't just paying for a name. It's paying for reliability, no viruses and great customer service. A Mac is more than a name...it's a superior product hence the increased cost.

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