enough RAM?

[3141]

I have a late 2007, 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook with 4GB RAM. The plastic is starting to fall to bits (2nd time). The chip is the one with integrated "graphics" and the RAM 667 DDR2.

I work as a self employed consultant, travel quite a lot and need to be able run Windows sometimes (W7). If I'm running multiple applications (Mail, iCal, itunes, Excel, Word) + Fusion the 4GB gets used pretty quickly - Fusion/Windows eats about 2GB.

So my question will the 4 years newer fully loaded MBA with 4GB RAM work any better or will I have the same problem on a nicer looking machine? Linked to this - if the fully loaded MBA will have similar performance - does anyone have thoughts as to whether the Sandybridge MBA's will have more RAM (as the current MB Pro does)? I haven't seen anything about more RAM in the forums so may be I'm missing something?

 

[Beaverman3001]

I highly highly highly doubt there will be a 6 or 8gb option in the next MBA. The MBA isn't intended to be a work station type device. I had no issues using Ubuntu in a VM (VirtualBox) but admittedly haven't tried Windows to see performance.

 

[ZipZap]

I highly highly highly doubt there will be a 6 or 8gb option in the next MBA. The MBA isn't intended to be a work station type device. I had no issues using Ubuntu in a VM (VirtualBox) but admittedly haven't tried Windows to see performance.

Neither is the ipad or the iphone, yet they are chock full of memory.

I expect to see a lot more memory in the next MBA...4/8 or 4/8/16

Apple will get quite efficient with the space and cram a lot more in there.

Just my opinion...but backed with plenty of empirical evidence from Apple.

 

[mfr1340]

new 11" mba on the way, What is the Best sd card?

What is the largest and best sd card that I can get? I bought a 11" mba and it is just 64gig. Can I keep most of my stuff on the sd card to save space on my ssd?
nube

 

[ZipZap]

What is the largest and best sd card that I can get? I bought a 11" mba and it is just 64gig. Can I keep most of my stuff on the sd card to save space on my ssd?
nube

No the MBA 11 has no SD slot. Get an external drive like the g-drive slim.

 

[bartzilla]

Neither is the ipad or the iphone, yet they are chock full of memory.

Well they're not doing badly considering the type of devices they are but "chock full" isn't the phrase I'd use to describe their memory, more like "perfectly adequate". How much do you think are in them?

 

[Beaverman3001]

Neither is the ipad or the iphone, yet they are chock full of memory.

I expect to see a lot more memory in the next MBA...4/8 or 4/8/16

Apple will get quite efficient with the space and cram a lot more in there.

Just my opinion...but backed with plenty of empirical evidence from Apple.

Uh, iPhone and iPad memory is barely adequate, and in comparison to competitors highly inferior. No idea what you are talking about.

 

[gwsat]

I have a late 2007, 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook with 4GB RAM. The plastic is starting to fall to bits (2nd time). The chip is the one with integrated "graphics" and the RAM 667 DDR2.

I work as a self employed consultant, travel quite a lot and need to be able run Windows sometimes (W7). If I'm running multiple applications (Mail, iCal, itunes, Excel, Word) + Fusion the 4GB gets used pretty quickly - Fusion/Windows eats about 2GB.

So my question will the 4 years newer fully loaded MBA with 4GB RAM work any better or will I have the same problem on a nicer looking machine? Linked to this - if the fully loaded MBA will have similar performance - does anyone have thoughts as to whether the Sandybridge MBA's will have more RAM (as the current MB Pro does)? I haven't seen anything about more RAM in the forums so may be I'm missing something?

I bought a 13 inch MBA Ultimate in October and for the past 6 months have been running Windows 7 with at least 1 or 2 Windows apps open under VMware Fusion's Unity mode. I simultaneously keep open at least 5 or 6 OS X apps. This is my standard configuration and I virtually never close any of the apps I have open. My MBA handles this setup without any problems whatever. I suggest that a 13 inch MBA Ultimate would handle your setup at least as well.

 

[Jemi9OD]

Neither is the ipad or the iphone, yet they are chock full of memory.

I expect to see a lot more memory in the next MBA...4/8 or 4/8/16

Apple will get quite efficient with the space and cram a lot more in there.

Just my opinion...but backed with plenty of empirical evidence from Apple.

Uh, iPhone and iPad memory is barely adequate, and in comparison to competitors highly inferior. No idea what you are talking about.

Seems ZipZap may have memory and storage space confused. iPhones have 16/32GB storage, but that's not operating RAM.

 

[barkjohn10]

I have a macbook air running just firefox (facebook and playlist, 2 tabs total) and that uses most of the ram leaving just 322mb left Defintley go with a macbook pro because it can handle 8gb of ram and it is user upgradeable!

 

[Boston007]

I have a macbook air running just firefox (facebook and playlist, 2 tabs total) and that uses most of the ram leaving just 322mb left Defintley go with a macbook pro because it can handle 8gb of ram and it is user upgradeable!

How is this possible?

I have Outlook, Firefox(8 tabs), TrueCrypt, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger open and I have 2G available.

You have 2 or 4G available?

Also, remember OS X like most OSes utilizes virtual ram, swapping memory to the hard disk

 

[ZipZap]

Seems ZipZap may have memory and storage space confused. iPhones have 16/32GB storage, but that's not operating RAM.

I know its not operating ram. My point, though poorly made, is that IMO it should be possible to put larger memory configuratons in smaller space. Especially if they are being soldered to a mother board.

Perhaps I am wrong...but seems plausible to me.

 

[Scottsdale]

I know its not operating ram. My point, though poorly made, is that IMO it should be possible to put larger memory configuratons in smaller space. Especially if they are being soldered to a mother board.

Perhaps I am wrong...but seems plausible to me.

LMAO... full of memory???

Seriously, my original iPad cannot even store two browser pages without refreshing when switching between them... it is an absolute JOKE, and it's due to the serious LACK OF MEMORY. It certainly doesn't have a lot. At 256MB, the original MBA was very problematic. Apple is extremely CHEAP, so it can keep costs low and screw over everyone. For this reason, it went with 512MB in the second version, but that is BARE MINIMUM!

The MBA does extremely well with 2GB RAM and OS X Snow Leopard. With Lion, we might need a little more, but it will still require 2GB or less. In all honesty, I think the vast majority of MBA users would be fine with 2GB RAM for now, but in the long run with Lion coming 4GB isn't a bad thing.

There is no reason in the world Apple would need to put 6/8GB RAM capabilities in the next generation MBA. It can keep costs low by including less and charging as though it included 8GB in the first place, LMAO. It is good to be an AAPL shareholder but not so good to be a Mac buyer paying as though we're getting top specs and actually taking it in the arse, badly.

I would love for the MBA to be able to take 8GB or 16GB of RAM, but that isn't the market. Sure, the top five percent of the buyers might upgrade or need that, but Apple is all about the best way to maximize results for the average user or middle 80% of users. If you need 8GB of RAM or more, go for a MacBook Pro, as that is the type of user needing 8GB. At the same time, I would max out my MBA with 16GB if I could, but it's waste as I don't need it. The difference is I know I don't need it, and I know what a lot is, and all that really matters is the average user as that is Apple's defined market segment for the MBA.

 

[3141]

Conclusions

Thank you everyone for your feedback and insight. These are my conclusions from this an other threads:
- 4GB RAM seems enough - especially as solid state hard drive allows fast access to disk space if needed.
- Move to Sandybridge unlikely to be the massive improvement it has been with the MBP as what you gain in speed you lose in graphics.

So might as well buy now rather than waiting.

Can any one comment how much of an improvement the current mba chip is over that of my current macbook?