Will new MBA's performance be pretty much on par with base MBP?

Hi I was about to purchase a new 13" MBP (the base model) but then I read that the MBA is about to get a refresh to the sandy bridge processors, thunderbolt, etc. Now that presents a predicament for me as I really like the portability, screen, and fast SSD in the MBA; my only gripe before was that the processing power might not be enough (I will be using FCP and PS). In terms of processing/performance, if we assume that the MBA will have an equivalent sandy bridge i5, will it basically be equal to the MBP?

btw, I don't mind the small HD space or the lack of optical drive

No one knows exactly when or what will be on it until Apple lets the cat out of the bag.

I understand that, but it seems that sandy bridge processor update is very likely. The reason I'm asking for input is bc I need a laptop for travel really soon and wanted to know if there is any point in waiting for the MBA. Basically, how big of a gap is there in performance (if any) between the MBP and MBA if it has the latest i5. In other words, what other hardware capabilities does the current MBP have other than the processor superiority? From what I understand the MBA actually runs faster bc of its SSD (if you're not extensively running multi-threading apps).

Hi, I would wait for lion t come out. Even if you decide to buy a mbp or wait for the new mba you should wait for mac os x 7 lion to come out. And as for which one I would buy id get the mbp. Because of the optical drive and processor. The mbp is still very portable

-Jamie;D

Hey! I saw your comment on my post and thought I'd check out what you posted.

The new MBAs, although they will sport Sandy Bridge processors, will still not be as fast as the current MBPs. This is because the processors the Airs will use are ULV (ultra-low voltage) so the Airs can maintain solid battery life without having a large battery. Here's a link to the CNET article talking about it.

Intel adds Sandy Bridge chips for ultraslim laptops | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News

Also if you search sandy bridge processors on wikipedia you can compare these to the full voltage processors. So yes, the MBP will have a significant advantage in processing speed even when the MBA gets Sandy Bridge.

Best of luck to you in your choice.

Thank you, that was very helpful. So I think I will most likely purchase the MBP, but I will wait for it to be packaged with Lion, and by that time hopefully, the MBA will be out, and I will be able to make a fully informed decision. GL with your choice yourself.

Anyone who gets a new Mac now will be able to upgrade to Lion free once it's released.