Stuck in the middle?

The Macbook Pro in the latest version (Mid 2012) it has not simply - appeared virtually simultaneously with the new Retina series, it sits now something "between the chairs": From below the small air sawed at "beginners" chair and the Retina (currently positioned as a reference model) is intended to define the new standard in the foreseeable future. In these difficult times, the previous top dog gets in numerous reviews his fat away: "It speaks very little for the Macbook Pro". Or so is the damning verdict of some reviewers. Nevertheless, there are also some testers who see the potential in the Macbook Pro. Because the Macbook Pro is still an absolutely excellent notebook. Why does the little powerhouse neither before nor Air hide the Retina model must, I will briefly explain here:

If you look at the three models fall three main components in the eye, which can be directly compared:

HDD / RAM / CPU

In the default configuration, this looks like this:

Air: 128GB SSD / 4GB RAM / 1.8 to 2.8 GHz (about 1100 Euro)
Pro: 500GB HDD / 4GB RAM / 2.5 to 3.1 GHz (about 1100 Euro)
Retina: 128GB SSD / 8GB RAM / 2.5 to 3.1 GHz (about 1550 Euro)

The Retina kommte for me personally not in question:
- The price performance ratio was not.
- My needs do not require a retina display.
- The battery life is diminished.
- The onboard graphics card the 13 "variant is isolated with the high pixel density have its difficulties.
- In two years Retina absolute standard and the MBP Retina positioned priced where the current Macbook Pro now is.
- The retina has teething problems like burn-in, etc. (some customers report multiple complaints).
- The device is not upgradeable.
- Due to the construction repairs are nearly impossible - for every little thing the device from Apple has to be repaired by a lot of money. AppleCare is thus quasi compulsory purchase and must be calculated with min. 200 euros to the already hefty price because Apple innately 1 year only gives warranty. Although guarantee is valid for two years, however, the burden of proof returns after six months and the buyer must prove that the damage was from the very beginning (which is extremely difficult).

That leaves the choice between the Air and Pro. In the standard configuration, the Air fares better: Although the performance on the paper is poor, however, the work by the SSD even feels subjectively faster. But that's only half the story, because the SSD simply starts the program faster - even in memory, RAM, CPU and GPU define the speed. The 4 GB of RAM, the potter in the air, are for the RAM-hungry OSx really too little and not future-proof. The 128 GB are too little memory. The Air in the "dream" configuration with 256 GB and 8 GB of RAM will cost a whopping 1450 euros and is thus just to get at Apple itself. And here comes the biggest strength of the Pro at work: the upgradeability. The Pro is the only model that I can upgrade automatically - and not have to rely on the wildly over-priced components from Apple. So I get for about 1300 euros, the Macbook Pro i5 with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD: Arrow quick, relatively inexpensive and can be retrofitted. When I eventually really do not need the DVD drive, I just build the HDD encourage and increase my memory. Until then, the HDD is an external backup hard drive (and the price of 1300 Euro included).

Yes, the resolution. The is actually higher in the Air The direct comparison makes but quickly becomes clear:. Striking the difference in normal use is definitely not. On the contrary, I find the smaller representation in the Air even detrimental. In addition, contrast and brightness in Pro are better than in the Air. The GPU benefits from the stronger CPU.

Subjectively, I must also say that my Pro like externally better. The dimensions are exactly perfect in my opinion. The Air is too delicate for me and "toys" -like. The Pro has something in his hand, it feels stable and high quality. At the same time 2kg are absolutely portable.

For these reasons, the Pro for me is clearly the better choice. My next Macbook is then eventually the Pro with Retina Display, when the first batches have passed and the machine runs as reliable as the current Pro. Until then, I'm counting on my mature, faithful, stable and promising new companion. About the advantages of keyboard, trackpad, OSX, battery life, etc. everything has been said well. Now you decide ...