13" Macbook Air or 13" Macbook Pro with retina display?

I'd suggest you go with the Macbook pro retina display because it's much faster and will give you better performance. The air may be light and convenient to carry around but it won't be fast enough or have as much storage space as the macbook pro. Also pro would most likely last you longer. I suggest you read this review to help you further:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1HSLOPERWGAVY/ref=cm...

This is the best price i could find for it:

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-MD102LL-13-3-I...

Also read the specs of the macbook air to compare closely:

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-MD231LL-13-3-I...

I would recommend against the MacBook Pro with Retina display. There has been excessive hype about it, and very few people actually need it. However, my hesitation to fully recommend the MacBook Air is this: I think that your need of "three more years" could stretch the MacBook Air's capabilities. Either wait until June (when the MacBook Air should get its next update), or purchase the "regular" MacBook Pro - you can get an equivalent processor, equivalent RAM, and more storage for $1299 at the Apple Store. If you pay $1499, you can get a better processor, equivalent RAM, nearly three times more storage, more ports, and save yourself hundreds of dollars in the process.

i bought the two the newly as much as date 13" MacBook Air and the as much as date 13" MacBook expert the day they have been presented at WWDC and released on the industry in June 2012. After utilising the two machines element-via utilising-area for a pair weeks now, i will say that the MacBook Air delivers state-of-the-artwork overall performance in in truth each and every comprehend to this way of degree that i've got fantastically much continually stopped using my style new MacBook professional.

If that's all your doing, then just get the Air, apple is already overpriced as it is, no reason to spend extra money just to have more shininess.

niether macs ore over priced.