Convince me to wait for the air!

[Mabyboi]

Hi guys, first time posting, long time reader, looking for help.

I bought the revision A macbook air last august and loved the air the whole time i had it, i did run into a few overheating issues and slowing issues and got a little frustrated with it. At the end of my school year i sold the macbook air and continued with my windows Gaming PC.

This week I sold my Gaming PC and now have nothing, and I need to figure out what to do. Im a second year University student who loves to game occasionally, so i need a computer that can support some video games. And i LOVE The macbook Air's design, I love the physical button, and i love the slanted front.

Im starting to go insane without a working computer and am looking at all options. I've played around with an Ipad for a while and do enjoy it and it is fun to use as a "temporary PC"...

I have a $2500 CAD Budget and am looking for the best option. I need a laptop that can do what i need, and am debating between the (hopefully soon to be released) new MBA with an SSD, or the upgraded version of the MBP 13" and put in the 160GB X25-M SSD that I have here..

My other options are to get an Ipad + MBP 13", or get an Ipad now and wait for the MBA when it comes out....

What do you think I should do given your experiences/hopes/assumptions?

thanks!

 

[PowerGamerX]

Hi guys, first time posting, long time reader, looking for help.

I bought the revision A macbook air last august and loved the air the whole time i had it, i did run into a few overheating issues and slowing issues and got a little frustrated with it. At the end of my school year i sold the macbook air and continued with my windows Gaming PC.

This week I sold my Gaming PC and now have nothing, and I need to figure out what to do. Im a second year University student who loves to game occasionally, so i need a computer that can support some video games. And i LOVE The macbook Air's design, I love the physical button, and i love the slanted front.

Im starting to go insane without a working computer and am looking at all options. I've played around with an Ipad for a while and do enjoy it and it is fun to use as a "temporary PC"...

I have a $2500 CAD Budget and am looking for the best option. I need a laptop that can do what i need, and am debating between the (hopefully soon to be released) new MBA with an SSD, or the upgraded version of the MBP 13" and put in the 160GB X25-M SSD that I have here..

My other options are to get an Ipad + MBP 13", or get an Ipad now and wait for the MBA when it comes out....

What do you think I should do given your experiences/hopes/assumptions?

thanks!

Well, so far i've played a few games on my MBA and it seems fine, WoW runs well, as do Team Fortress 2 (under Windows) and some other games. If you're a big gamer I wouldn't go for the MBA, but if you're fine with just being able to play games, regardless of settings etc. then the new ones should serve you fine.

In your case I'd just get a 13" MBP

 

[halledise]

well firstly, patience is a virtue.

secondly, if you're into games then go for a MBPro and max out the memory.

thirdly, for all wordsmith activities, light graphics work, movie watching, running Aperture tasks, internet and email, and for the sheer joy of owning a piece of technological genius, the answer is the Air.

 

[Spacekatgal]

Well, so far i've played a few games on my MBA and it seems fine, WoW runs well, as do Team Fortress 2 (under Windows) and some other games. If you're a big gamer I wouldn't go for the MBA, but if you're fine with just being able to play games, regardless of settings etc. then the new ones should serve you fine.

In your case I'd just get a 13" MBP

Team fortress runs well? What is your definition of well? Dragon Age was unplayable on my Rev C, even on the lowest setting. TF2 ran like a slide show.

Bri

 

[PowerGamerX]

Team fortress runs well? What is your definition of well? Dragon Age was unplayable on my Rev C, even on the lowest setting. TF2 ran like a slide show.

Bri

Well, I define it as being able to run the game at a good framerate regardless of graphics settings etc.

 

[LeeTom]

I know you're set on 13", but the 15" MBP isn't much bigger at all, and the graphics card will be SO much better. It's really a jack-of-all-trades, and using Boot Camp and the GT 330M graphics chip you'll be able to play pretty much any game out there at the display's native resolution.

The cheapest 15" MBP is $1,749 CAN with the education discount, and then you can add an Intel X-25M for $400 and max out the RAM to 8GB for $300.
That's $1,449 for a system that will beat the pants off of everything you've listed... that leaves $50 to put towards a 32GB SD card that you can stick in the side to bump you up to 200GB!

EDIT: just saw you already have the X-25M SSD... that leaves you $450 under budget then - just about enough for an iPad too which will solve any portability issues you might have with the 15".

 

[gwsat]

I had the same decision to make a few weeks ago. I seriously considered giving up on an upgrade to the MBA and buying one of the new 13 inch MBPs and upgrading its memory to 8Gb and substituting an SSD drive for the stock hard drive. Finally, though, I could not give up on the elegance of the design and light weight of the MBA and decided to keep waiting for an upgrade. I'm still waiting. Finally, the deciding factor was my 17 inch MBP, which has been outstanding and has Applecare coverage that doesn't expire until next spring.

 

[gri]

Wait at least until the 27th, rumored Apple event in Moscone Center. If nothing by than my next best bet is January or February 2011...

 

[ooo]

Funny, I was sort of in the same situation as you. Had the Rev A and loved it until I realized it was too slow for my daily needs (not gaming but work). I ended up selling it before WWDC and I was hoping that they'd announce a new one, nope, didn't happen. I ended up purchasing a MBP 15" and added optibay SSD into it. I was really hoping that the 13" would get an i5. Do the waiting for me! I couldn't do it

 

[yakyu]

i've given up hope once already and bought the MBP 15" in May. now my girlfriend is also considering the MBP 13" instead of waiting. 15" is apparently too big for a gal to carry around.

is the 320M graphics card really that inferior compared to the GT330M? her main usage will be just some online games like WoW, plus web surfing and p2p video playback.

also, i'm thinking of getting the stock SSD for her machine and swap it for my MBP 15", is it worth the extra money or should i get a 3rd-party SSD like Runcore? i only want the machine to boot up faster, will the stock SSD do it?

 

[cleric]

It doesn't sound like you want an MBA, any of the suggestions above are good I agree with the 15" for the video card.

 

[Mabyboi]

I know you're set on 13", but the 15" MBP isn't much bigger at all, and the graphics card will be SO much better. It's really a jack-of-all-trades, and using Boot Camp and the GT 330M graphics chip you'll be able to play pretty much any game out there at the display's native resolution.

The cheapest 15" MBP is $1,749 CAN with the education discount, and then you can add an Intel X-25M for $400 and max out the RAM to 8GB for $300.
That's $1,449 for a system that will beat the pants off of everything you've listed... that leaves $50 to put towards a 32GB SD card that you can stick in the side to bump you up to 200GB!

EDIT: just saw you already have the X-25M SSD... that leaves you $450 under budget then - just about enough for an iPad too which will solve any portability issues you might have with the 15".

well firstly, patience is a virtue.

secondly, if you're into games then go for a MBPro and max out the memory.

thirdly, for all wordsmith activities, light graphics work, movie watching, running Aperture tasks, internet and email, and for the sheer joy of owning a piece of technological genius, the answer is the Air.

What would be the big advantage of going to 8gb of ram on something like this? solely in osx, not in windows...

Well, I define it as being able to run the game at a good framerate regardless of graphics settings etc.

I need good graphics... just killed my desktop pc with an i7 and 5970...

I had the same decision to make a few weeks ago. I seriously considered giving up on an upgrade to the MBA and buying one of the new 13 inch MBPs and upgrading its memory to 8Gb and substituting an SSD drive for the stock hard drive. Finally, though, I could not give up on the elegance of the design and light weight of the MBA and decided to keep waiting for an upgrade. I'm still waiting. Finally, the deciding factor was my 17 inch MBP, which has been outstanding and has Applecare coverage that doesn't expire until next spring.

again, whats the big advantage of the 8gb? i dont like the feel of the front of the 13 and 15 MBP's... where you rest your wrists is just akward...

Wait at least until the 27th, rumored Apple event in Moscone Center. If nothing by than my next best bet is January or February 2011...

Ill have to see this!, thats a whole week though... *sigh*...

Funny, I was sort of in the same situation as you. Had the Rev A and loved it until I realized it was too slow for my daily needs (not gaming but work). I ended up selling it before WWDC and I was hoping that they'd announce a new one, nope, didn't happen. I ended up purchasing a MBP 15" and added optibay SSD into it. I was really hoping that the 13" would get an i5. Do the waiting for me! I couldn't do it

ill try waiting 'till the 27th, if not its a pro for me...

 

[PowerGamerX]

Well, if you think there is any sort of compromise for the MBA then it's not for you. However, if you only ever need what it has to offer, then its great.

Anybody that says buying the MBA is a compromise is obviously not in the target market.

 

[Mabyboi]

Even looking at the 13" macbook pro comparisons... is thre really a huge difference between the 2.4Ghz and the 2.66Ghz versions? i dont see anything besides for the processor... and its 300$ less...

which totals to $1367 with applecare.. and leaves me with $600-1100.. which could easily buy me an IPad aswell...

Also i might just get a PS3 to go with my XBOX 360... take my gaming to consoles instead of computers... so maybe LIGHT video gaming...

SO MANY CHOICES!

 

[tokyotribe]

Even looking at the 13" macbook pro comparisons... is thre really a huge difference between the 2.4Ghz and the 2.66Ghz versions? i dont see anything besides for the processor... and its 300$ less...

which totals to $1367 with applecare.. and leaves me with $600-1100.. which could easily buy me an IPad aswell...

Also i might just get a PS3 to go with my XBOX 360... take my gaming to consoles instead of computers... so maybe LIGHT video gaming...

SO MANY CHOICES!

I'm still waiting for an MBA update.

I don't see much difference between the two 13" MBP models either, so if I had to get an MBP, I'd go for the low end 13".

Happy waiting like the rest of us!

 

[iSpoody 1243]

Even looking at the 13" macbook pro comparisons... is thre really a huge difference between the 2.4Ghz and the 2.66Ghz versions? i dont see anything besides for the processor... and its 300$ less...

which totals to $1367 with applecare.. and leaves me with $600-1100.. which could easily buy me an IPad aswell...

Also i might just get a PS3 to go with my XBOX 360... take my gaming to consoles instead of computers... so maybe LIGHT video gaming...

SO MANY CHOICES!

the 13" 2.4 ghz is much better value for money
im lucky my sis has a ps3 so when a good exclusive comes out i borrow the ps3 for a week and when a good xbox exclusive comes out i lend my xbox to her.

 

[wrkactjob]

Is there anything the 13" MBP can do that can't be done on a MBA? It's nice to have an inclusive DVD drive, but is that it?

 

[Mabyboi]

I'm still waiting for an MBA update.

I don't see much difference between the two 13" MBP models either, so if I had to get an MBP, I'd go for the low end 13".

Happy waiting like the rest of us!

Yeah, I dont see a big enough difference between these 2 models to justify a 300$ price gap... that 1.66ghz difference just isnt enough for me...

the 13" 2.4 ghz is much better value for money
im lucky my sis has a ps3 so when a good exclusive comes out i borrow the ps3 for a week and when a good xbox exclusive comes out i lend my xbox to her.

Im thinking of doing this... just get the 13" 2.4Ghz, or the new MBA and having an Xbox 360 + PS3 for all the big titles...

So my options then become:
1. 13" 2.4Ghz MBP (With 160gb X25-M SSD)
2. 13" 2.4Ghz MBP (With 160gb X25-M SSD) + 16GB Ipad 3g, or 32gb Ipad
3. 15" 2.4Ghz MBP
4. New MBA when its released..

 

[Consultant]

Just hold your breath. =p

 

[gwsat]

You could try and get it for free like me, ive just entered this competition to win it. All I did was fill in my email address, and now I wait and dream

bit.ly/blKkNLmacair

I suspect that I'm preaching to the choir but I will say without fear of contradiction that nobody, I say again, nobody is giving away MBAs for free. I don't know whether the poster is part of a scam, although the fact that he posted the foregoing to three threads sent up warning flags. A word to the wise, and all that.

 

[flynz4]

Six replies from a newbie (with 6 total messages) all with the same basic message. Do you think the free MBA comes with an extra $48M from Nigeria?

/Jim

 

[millertime021]

Six replies from a newbie (with 6 total messages) all with the same basic message. Do you think the free MBA comes with an extra $48M from Nigeria?

/Jim

Oh $48M and a free MBA!? Sign me up

 

[Mabyboi]

Is there any chance the macbook air will carry 3G come the update? that would be amazing and i would love that instead of a pro + Ipad... i guess i really have to wait...

 

[Mabyboi]

Men.. I have failed... i was in the apple store today and bit the bullet and bought a macbook pro 13" and installed my 160gb X25-M... got to say though... its wonderfull.

 

[Scottsdale]

Men.. I have failed... i was in the apple store today and bit the bullet and bought a macbook pro 13" and installed my 160gb X25-M... got to say though... its wonderfull.

Congrats. Sounds too amazing. I wish I could be really happy buying a new Mac today!