MacBook Air Vs. MacBook Pro

The purpose of this review is to help you decide which one to buy. The original model was released in 2008, and it came to be known as the world's thinnest notebook computer. On October 20, 2010 a new version of the MacBook Air was released, and this has got all Mac lovers around the world rubbing their hands with glee, at the prospect of this mouth-watering machine.

The single biggest advantage of the MacBook Air over the MacBook Pro is the smaller size and the enhanced portability of the device. There are two models available in the new version, and these come with a screen size of 11.6 inches and 13.3 inches, thus making this a very small and attractive device to use.

This review will tell you a lot more about all the physical specifications of the device. Even though it is still too soon to pass judgment, it is fair to say that many Apple Computers loyalists will be rushing to stores to buy it.

Comparison Between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 2010

The first thing that you need to ask yourself is about the purpose for which you will be using your MacBook. This will play a huge role in determining which model suits you best, and also which screen size you should opt for. The MacBook Air is extremely light and it is made of aluminum, thus making it an ideal machine to carry around when you are traveling. The two models weigh in at 2.3 pounds and 2.9 pounds respectively, while the MacBook Pro 2010 is significantly heavier since it comes in different display screen sizes (13 inches, 15 inches and 17 inches).

As far as the processor and the clocking speeds are concerned, the MacBook Pro still trumps the MacBook Air. The Air comes with either an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.4 GHz SU9400 processor, a 1.8 GHz SU9600 processor, or a 1.86 GHz SL9400 processor, whereas on the MacBook Pro you can get an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26 GHz processor, a 2.53 GHz processor, a 2.66 GHz processor and a 2.86 GHz processor. The newer models also come with Intel i5 or i7 processors, and when this clocking speed is combined with the higher amount of RAM offered (a maximum of 8GB on the MacBook Pro vis-a-vis a maximum of 4GB on the MacBook Air), we find that you can get much faster speeds on the Pro.

The battery life is another aspect that needs to be taken into consideration, and this makes a huge difference for almost all users. MacBook Pro battery life claims to give around 9 hours of battery life, but in reality this is not the case. The claims of 7 hour battery life by MacBook Air, however, are accurate. So as far as battery life is concerned, it comes out on top. This is simply because of the smaller size of the machine on a whole.

The MacBook Pro also comes with a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics card, which makes it very attractive for people handling high intensity graphics. On the other hand, the MacBook Air comes with a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce GT 320M graphics card, giving it much lesser graphic power. It is assumed that people who need to work with high levels of graphics should not be using this machine. While the MacBook Pro comes with a 500GB hard disk, the MacBook Air provides flash storage with a maximum of 256GB. As you can see from this comparison, the MacBook Pro is still better on many aspects.

Additionally, if you carry out a comparison, you will find the MacBook Pro to be triumphant in many areas. So does this mean that the MacBook Air is a waste of time? It certainly does not. This is a very useful machine for people who are always on the move and have to travel a lot, simply due to its high portability. The specifications that it offers are not low by any means, and it is all a matter of what the computer is going to be used for.