Yes, there are actually, at least, 10 reasons why the 13 inch MacBook Pro sans TouchBar is a better investment than the aging MacBook Air. These reasons are not merely in regard to hardware specs, which would limit those arguments to a handful, and hardly similar to any other article treating specs comparisons between two arguably identical, or radically dissimilar devices. These 10 reasons get deeper than that.
Reason number one: Apple needs to change.
On its launch, the new line of MacBook Pros have received some criticism on a number of things that somewhat angered some users, particularly in regard to the “missing” escape key, the absence of an SD card reader, not to mention the elimination of a full range of ports, including HDMI, DisplayPort, and the dear-old USB 2.0. Some have argued on the reason why Apple didn’t go full-2027 on us and eliminate the analog audio jack as well.
The truth of the matter is that Apple is no stranger to making tough calls when it comes to retiring old tech, and when a port with such an amazing range of functions like the USB Type-C comes along, including HDMI or DisplayPort in a MacBook Pro, a few months away from 2017, makes as much sense as adding a VGA port to an iPad Pro.
Reason number two: it’s by far the best entry level MacBook you can type on
Starting at $1499, the new 13 inch MacBook Pro, just like its bigger, more powerful siblings, features a design that is not only thin and light, but it’s also, quite simply, a beautiful laptop.
The keyboard, for one thing, is an improved version of the one featured on the 12 inch MacBook introduced in 2015, crafted using a “butterfly mechanism”, which ensures a smoother, more stable keypress, preventing the keys from tilting as they are pushed down. This means less motion, a more accurate typing, and a more durable keyboard life overall.
Reason number three: the trackpad
Apple seems to be the only company in the world with a clear vision of how laptop trackpads should be built. With each new iteration of the MacBook, the trackpad gains a new feature, or it’s redesigned to be simpler and more user friendly. The trackpad in the 13 inch MacBook Pro is twice the size of its predecessor, which allows to rely less on external mice and other pointing devices. A trackpad this big allows to travel across a larger area of the display, without having to let go and tap/drag again. It’s finally possible to click and drag items from one end of the display to the other with ease, and without hitting “speed bumps”.
Reason number four: the display
Quite simply, the Retina display on the new MacBook Pro is the best available on any laptop on the market. The color accuracy is unmatched, and the range of colors is wider and deeper than any other display, with the exception of the Apple iMac Retina 5K.
Reason number five: ports
Some may not like the idea of using adapters, but the truth is that every consumer is different, and most who choose to invest in a 13 inch MacBook Pro, will be most likely to need an adapter to connect and charge their iPhone, rather than a humongous array of expensive adapters, as if most users regularly connect their laptops to more than three external devices at once. The 13 inch MacBook Pro features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, which is quite enough for most users to charge their laptops while simultaneously connect their iPhones. Funny thing about the iPhone: if charging is not a requirement, connecting to an iPHone from the 13 inch MacBook can be done completely over the air, via Bluetooth, or even over the Internet, thanks to that wonders that is Continuity and iCloud.
Reason number six: Apple just killed the wall charger
Doping away with the MagSafe connector, along with the external charger, is not only good news from a standpoint that we can finally choose which port to use to charge a MacBook, it also eliminates the dangers associated with purchasing third party, potentially unsafe chargers, lest we forget the recent Amazon blunder that prompted Apple to declare 90% of Apple electrical accessories sold on the e-retailer, fake and untested.
Reason number seven: it’s the most powerful basic laptop on the market
The entry-level 13 inch Macbook Pro is powered by a 2GHz Intel Core i5, and 8GB of RAM, which means that video editing and triple-A gaming are a requirement, these specs will work just fine for most users.
Reason number eight: unbeatable display
The 13 inch Macbook Pro’s display supports a native resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, and it features the widest color range and quality available short of an iMac 5K. On top of that, the new display is even brighter than its predecessor. The previous 13 inch Macbook Pro’s display featured a brightness of 300 nits, while the new version goes up to 500 nits.
Reason number nine: size matters
The 13 inch Macbook Pro is both thinner and lighter than the MacBook Air. Not only that, but the battery life is similar, even with comparably higher specs, and a brighter Retina display.
Reason number ten: there won’t be another MacBook Air
This is it folks: Apple is done with the MacBook Air, and is officially focusing on the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines for the foreseeable future. There are two reason for this: first, the MacBook Air represents an outdated product that is now several generations behind in terms of innovation and features.
In a sense, Apple has been very merciful of MacBook Air fans, by keeping the product alive through incremental updates that managed to stretch the MacBook Air only so far before Apple decided to introduce something completely new.
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If you are looking for the perfect MacBook, PortableOne has you covered with a great selection of Apple MacBooks, as well as the newly unveiled 13 inch and 15 inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar.