Why would I switch from my mid-2011 MBA?

In January 2012, my second MBA arrived and I was happy from the beginning. It was elegant, powerful and a sexy piece of metal. I’ve stuck to this 4GB RAM - 250 GB SSD beast up to now. But every autumn since, I am becoming restless - I would like to get a new, better MBA.
But I need a solid ‘business case’ to convince my rational self before I buy one. Have I been given enough reasons from Apple up to now? Nope.

So, should I switch my mid-2011 for a new model?

Well, I admit this is very subjective question. So, what are the priorities? What do I use my MBA for?

I use ot for:

• occasional programming in xcode/Objective-C or in MacVim/browser/ruby stack
• maintaining my iPhoto Library of 20k+ pictures and short videos
• basic video editing
• listening to music from my iTunes library of 1000+ tracks
• light work inside virtual mac machine
• ordinary pc use cases (Mail, web, typing, docs)

I don’t feel any performance issue doing the above tasks regarding speed and responsiveness. I started running out of disk space, but I worked arround this using an external USB flash drive.

So, what are my pain points?

• the display resolution - with retina displays all around, I feel stranded. I wanna be retina also.
• the disk size - but this alone is not gonna justify the upgrade.
• the obsolete Intel HD 3000 graphics chip. It is not supported by the games that I would like to play and, although gaming is not enough of a reason for me to consider upgrading, it would be a nice benefit.

I do not need faster performance, I do not need gaming, I worked out the HDD size limitations and I recently replaced the battery.

So I am left with only one solid upgrade driver: some break through improvements in MBA mobility that would significantly improve the weight or the battery life.

Upgrade drivers

• retina display
• battery life (perhaps 2 days and more?)
• weight below 2.2 pounds / 1 kg

Why is 12” retina not gonna make me to switch?

Well, a 13” display is already on the bottom edge when one wants to work simultaneously on two windows. I already make compromises all around to place two windows on the 13” screen. It is not a matter of the resolution only. It is also a matter of the physical size of the letters that I type and read. I simply do not want to read and type smaller letters than I do now.
I am not gonna sacrifice the workflow technique that I’ve spent years mastering or my ability to read fast and in comfort for a smaller screen.
The 12” retina display can attract only those users who do not need two windows displayed and who heavily prefer mobility (small size and weight to the very edge).

Why aren’t the Macbook Pro 15” or 13” are not gonna make me switch?

The Macbook Pro 15” is not mobile enough. I am not gonna carry such a big, heavy and expensive beast (though that I admire its top-notch design).
The Macbook Pro 13” has gone light and very mobile. It would be an option, but the price tag is considerably higher compared to the MBA. Comparing Macbook Pro design and HW specs to PC competition, you can buy a PC notebook of Macbook Pro standard for a considerably lower price. So, buying Macbook Pro HW is about paying a higher price for the option of having OS X. I am not likely to pay such extra margin to Apple.

What is gonna make me switch?

I am looking forward to autumn 2014 - will I switch? I hope I will do :-)