Do you all think a student could easily get by using the 11.6" macbook air as their computer or all their work? I mean its ultra portable and light, (sort of) reasonably priced but is the screen really big enough for that amount of work/ browsing for university work?
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11.6" for uni/college student
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Definitely. Why would you think otherwise?
Definitely. Why would you think otherwise?
Personal preference, eye strain, and a number of other things will impact the decision on screen size. I think it's a great size for a laptop, bigger than a netbook (certainly more powerful too!) but small enough that you won't mind carrying it to class.
If it's your only computer I'd recommend putting a little extra money into the 11.6", upgrading to 128GB would help as you would inevitably be putting stuff like music on there. 4GB memory is never a bad choice if you can spare the $100, as right now you can't upgrade the RAM after purchase. Upgrading the processor would be lowest priority for me as a hypothetical student, personally.
You can definitely make a case for all the upgrades to the 11.6"; basically, if you can afford it then down the road you'll probably be glad you got the upgrades.
If it's your only computer I'd recommend putting a little extra money into the 11.6", upgrading to 128GB would help as you would inevitably be putting stuff like music on there. 4GB memory is never a bad choice if you can spare the $100, as right now you can't upgrade the RAM after purchase. Upgrading the processor would be lowest priority for me as a hypothetical student, personally.
You can definitely make a case for all the upgrades to the 11.6"; basically, if you can afford it then down the road you'll probably be glad you got the upgrades.
Why? I do it all the time. Call me weird but I actually write my papers in TextEdit and then copy and paste them into Pages, when I'm finished.
I plan on getting an 11.6" too (with maxed out specs, of course). My brother will be getting my MacBook.
I'm actually a college student who just bought an 11" MBA and I love it. I've always preferred taking notes on my MBP, but it was just too heavy, especially since I bike to class most the time. Since I got an MBA I've always brought it to class. I do more work on it than my MBP and it has plenty enough power for research web browsing and word processing. I also use DropBox to keep my homework folders in sync between the MBP and MBA and would highly recommend that.
In short, if you are truly looking for a productivity computer, the MBA is a great bet. It can't do the more intensive things like iTunes/iPhoto library storage or GarageBand/Photo Editing, but for anything research or writing related it's ideal.
In short, if you are truly looking for a productivity computer, the MBA is a great bet. It can't do the more intensive things like iTunes/iPhoto library storage or GarageBand/Photo Editing, but for anything research or writing related it's ideal.
I'm a uni student and I loved the 11.6" the moment it premiered.
Also, there's no such thing as eye strain...not in my daily 12-hour sessions on it, anyway. Just because it has a smaller screen doesn't mean people's eyes get affected.
I personally think portability should be the #1 concern for students, and the Air scores perfectly in weight, size, and battery life.
Also, there's no such thing as eye strain...not in my daily 12-hour sessions on it, anyway. Just because it has a smaller screen doesn't mean people's eyes get affected.
I personally think portability should be the #1 concern for students, and the Air scores perfectly in weight, size, and battery life.
Yes... I would imagine it would... I went trough 4 years of postgraduate training with a 12 inches laptop, which I can assure you, was much less capable than the new air...
id say i get most of my uni work done on my 11.6mba.
But for me, it's not so much because i perfer it to type on, I can't work in my house at my desk for some reason so I have to go to the library,coffee shop etc.
But for me, it's not so much because i perfer it to type on, I can't work in my house at my desk for some reason so I have to go to the library,coffee shop etc.
Not a student but I do a lot of document work on my 11 Air with Scrivener. So far no problems and very comfortable. Of course you are talking to a guy who's used a Powerbook 170 with a 9.8 inch black and white screen to write his thesis back in his university years. 