I’m kind of in a different place again. I have a mid 2013 mac book air 11inch, Mine is customised which has given me more benefits in what I’m running Now coming up 5 years old I’ts a i7 1.7ghz 8gb ram 500gb harddrive.
I run windows 10 in bootcamp constantly. The air to me is a good little entry level machine, 2 USB 3 ports, and 1 thunderbolt / mini display port, The 13 inch has pretty much the same with an SD card reader and if you upgrade the processor and ssd in them then you have a good machine if they let you upgrade ram to 16 from the default 8 gig would also give you a lot in a machine I have looked at a new machine recently and desided that the pro without touch bar would be the machine for me. From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Alex Hall Sent: Sunday, 4 March 2018 12:09 PM To: 'Chris Blouch' via MacVisionaries <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Choosing my First MacBook, Air or Pro, and With or Without Touch Bar? Hi all, I wanted to add my own thoughts, having owned an Air and now a Pro with Touch Bar. I agree that the Bar is unnecessary, making a few things easier, a few harder, and not offering a distinct advantage for most users. That said, Touch ID is very nice to have, though if you own an Apple Watch, Touch ID is seldom used since your Watch can unlock your Mac. All that said, remember that the non-Touch Bar Pro is less powerful overall. It also includes only two USBC ports, while the Touch Bar model has four. If connectivity is an issue and you don't want to buy a dock or hub, this is worth considering. The Air is a good machine, too. My sister has had one since fall of 2013, and the computer is still perfectly fine. However, the Air can't handle intense applications as well as a Pro, so this decision depends on what you'll be using it for, as others have said. There is a rumor out today about a new Air coming out by the summer, so it's worth waiting to see what happens there. Your final option is the Retina MacBook, a finless Mac powered by a mobile processor that's incredibly small and light. It's not that powerful, but if you just want a web browser, word processor, email machine, it might fit the bill. It costs more than the Air but less than the Pro, and includes just one USBC port on it. I don't generally recommend this unit, given its lack of power, but it could work well depending on your use case and size/weight needs. Overall, I'd ask what you'll use the computer for, as that will inform the advice of everyone on this list. Any other details you can offer will help, too. Finally, I really suggest waiting until the summer or fall. I'd be surprised if the Pro didn't get some kind of update later this year, and the rumor mill is saying something about the Air as well. -- Alex Hall On Mar 3, 2018, at 14:36, Donna Goodin <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Hi all, The only thing I can add to what others have said, is that one thing I find much easier with the touch bar is inserting emojis. I also like having touch ID. Other than those two things, I'm not really crazy about the touch bar. Much as I love the size and light weight of the Air, I share the concern that it will be discontinued. So, unless you're one of those people who uses emojis every five words, I think you'd be just fine with an MBP without a touch bar. Good luck with your decision, and have fun! Cheers, Donna On Mar 3, 2018, at 12:06 PM, Janet Ingber <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Hi Randa, A lot depends on what you want to do on the computer. If you are just doing basic things like email, word processing, internet browsing, playing music, etc. then the Air is a good computer. The Touch Bar is a personal choice. I now have a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, but I don’t use the Touch Bar that much. I just use keyboard commands most of the time. Since you are an iPhone user you should have no difficulty with the Touch Bar. If the Air will meet your needs then I would go with that. The Touch Bar is a nice feature but it’s a personal choice as to whether you want to spend the extra money. Anything you can do on the Touch Bar can be done with keyboard commands. There are a lot of very helpful people on this list to answer your questions. Glad you read my book. Best, Janet On Mar 3, 2018, at 12:49 PM, Rhanda Hasley <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Hi Everyone, I’m a long-time PC user with JAWS, but am now on the verge of buying my first Mac. For several years, I’ve also been an iPhone user so am familiar with VoiceOver, even though I realize the Mac is different and involves a learning curve. However, I love learning new skills so that doesn’t bother me. In fact, I’ve been studying various materials including Janet Ingbergt’s books, and have looked at different Mac models. I definitely want a portable Macbook, as opposed to the Imacs, but am wanting various perspectives on whether to get the Pro or the Air, as well as with or without touch bars. I’m leaning toward getting a Pro, but know of many people like the Air and are just as productive with it. I’ve also read that getting one without the touch bar would be less expensive. In your opinion, is the touch bar necessary or advantageous? Or would I do just fine without it? Whichever way I go with this, I’m trying to get the most for my money and want a computer that will last me for as long as possible. Thanks much in advance for your perspectives. Rhanda -- The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. 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