Goodbye Macbook Air...

[laff2]

I decided I wanted to share with this forum as I have been a long time Air user and decided this week I will soon move over to a MBP 15. This is my second Air (Had a Rev A and now a Rev C 2.13). This not to say if anyone should buy one or not...but more of a real world experience for everyone to determine if the Air is what they want to purchase or move on from...so I thought I would share my thoughts as I read these forums to get others user experiences and help me digest if I should purchase as well as others frustrations.

I love the weight and size of the Air and overall has been a good experience...but after some time of using the Air's I have grown tired of the fan rolling fast (right now its at 6204rpm's and only Firefox and my mail are open) heat (its a way of life with MacBooks), stuttering on video, battery life, slow downs or stalls, etc. I figure I will give it a break till the Air gets moved to a better chip and ability to run closer to other MacBooks without slowdowns or similar problems.

I got a iPad which I see on the forums people asking if it is a replacement to the Air. In my opinion it is in no way a replacement for a MacBook Air, but a good light weight filler for surfing the net, apps and mail. I do like the iPad.

I decided to move back to a MBP 15" i7 after my continued plan to run two computers went south due to ordering iMac i7's that have showed up with shattered screens, broken hinges, yellow screens, etc (6 units).

I am not looking forward to carrying 5.6lbs but I need more then the Air can handle and would like to go back to one computer.

So...I can tell this...I like the MacBook Air's and I would recommend them, but be aware that there is some limitations and I would wait to see where these units go and if they become a computer that can do it all.

 

[ooo]

Good post. Basically the same decision I came up with. I had Rev A of the air and I realized it wasn't enough. I was tempted to get a new air, but I ended up going with the 15" MBP because I would eventually run into the same issues as I did with Rev A. As an owner of an iPad, I don't think the iPad is a replacement for a laptop, merely a supplement. They have different uses.

 

[pharmx]

Judging by the fact that both of you guys went from an MBA to a 15" MBP (instead of a MB or 13" MBP), it sounds to me like both of you were not satisfied with using an ultra-portable as a primary computer.

 

[laff2]

I would of moved to a MBP 13" if it was running more than a Dual Core 2 chip. For me, I wanted to have a computer with a longer future as well as a better resale value if the Air or 13" gets a decent upgrade.

Also remember I want to run it as a desktop as well.

What I loved about the Air was the ultra portable size and weight.

 

[halledise]

I decided I wanted to share with this forum as I have been a long time Air user and decided this week I will soon move over to a MBP 15. This is my second Air (Had a Rev A and now a Rev C 2.13). This not to say if anyone should buy one or not...but more of a real world experience for everyone to determine if the Air is what they want to purchase or move on from...so I thought I would share my thoughts as I read these forums to get others user experiences and help me digest if I should purchase as well as others frustrations.

I love the weight and size of the Air and overall has been a good experience...but after some time of using the Air's I have grown tired of the fan rolling fast (right now its at 6204rpm's and only Firefox and my mail are open) heat (its a way of life with MacBooks), stuttering on video, battery life, slow downs or stalls, etc. I figure I will give it a break till the Air gets moved to a better chip and ability to run closer to other MacBooks without slowdowns or similar problems.

I got a iPad which I see on the forums people asking if it is a replacement to the Air. In my opinion it is in no way a replacement for a MacBook Air, but a good light weight filler for surfing the net, apps and mail. I do like the iPad.

I decided to move back to a MBP 15" i7 after my continued plan to run two computers went south due to ordering iMac i7's that have showed up with shattered screens, broken hinges, yellow screens, etc (6 units).

I am not looking forward to carrying 5.6lbs but I need more then the Air can handle and would like to go back to one computer.

So...I can tell this...I like the MacBook Air's and I would recommend them, but be aware that there is some limitations and I would wait to see where these units go and if they become a computer that can do it all.

well first of all - great post. fully understand that you need more than the Air can achieve.

secondly - bye bye.

thirdly - totally agree with pharmx about going to a 15" MBP as opposed to the 13" - I too have toyed with this idea but the weight factor throws me everytime - they're twice as heavy as the Air.

fourthly - I rebuilt my Air from scratch recently (we had a wet weekend) and most of my go-slows, excessive fan and unreasonable heat issues disappeared.
I don't attempt too many processor-intensive tasks at once, but I can say that with Mail and 14 News/Weather/Sport sites opened in tabs at once and with the Air on my lap, the fan(s) do kick in after 5 minutes but quieten down if I close half or more of the tabs.

I'm holding out for a revamped Air and if it doesn't come by the next MBPro refresh, then I'll go thru the agonising comparison again

 

[Ace134blue]

"I am not looking forward to carrying 5.6lbs but I need more then the Air can handle and would like to go back to one computer."

People who complain about weight piss me off. Sure the air is light, but i could care less i just like how thin it is. 5lbs? Thats pathetically light. Hell i remember holding a 20lb toshiba and that wasnt heavy either. People who complain about weight must be really anal or just really weak.

Back to topic. Youll be happy about your new i7 mbp. It runs circles around the mba

 

[R94N]

I got a iPad which I see on the forums people asking if it is a replacement to the Air. In my opinion it is in no way a replacement for a MacBook Air, but a good light weight filler for surfing the net, apps and mail. I do like the iPad.

Definitely agree. I don't think the iPad is powerful enough yet (the technology hasn't advanced far enough) to replace a laptop in terms of power, but for most people apps, email and internet is all they need and so I think the iPad is a great consumer product, but not really for me.

 

[Joel Horn]

the weight and the size matter for some

The choice for me is updated MBA or MBP 13".

I have been using a MBP 15" for some years. Currently on my third one. At home I hook it up to a 30" display and 23" display at work.

But the 15" on the road has a number of problems. First, it doesn't fit on the tray of an airplane seat if the person in front puts their seat back. So you end up with it on your lap. Second, it does not slip in and out of a number of briefcase bags and messenger bags especially if you have a lot of other paperwork in the same bag. And running through airports every pound really does matter. I am probably a bit older than some on this forum but for me the MBP 13" is probably the next purchase.

But praise to Apple for so many choices, I still have my cube as a guest back up computer and it is great.

 

[pharmx]

"I am not looking forward to carrying 5.6lbs but I need more then the Air can handle and would like to go back to one computer."

People who complain about weight piss me off. Sure the air is light, but i could care less i just like how thin it is. 5lbs? Thats pathetically light. Hell i remember holding a 20lb toshiba and that wasnt heavy either. People who complain about weight must be really anal or just really weak.

Back to topic. Youll be happy about your new i7 mbp. It runs circles around the mba

Are you serious? Of course 5 pounds isn't heavy....and you're right, neither is 20 pounds. Hell, since we're talking about "holding" something, even 50 pounds isn't bad.

But we're not talking about "holding" something, or moving it 30 feet. We're talking about traveling with it, and carrying it for extended periods of time. I'm willing to bet that the people who complain about weight that "piss you off" travel a lot more often than you do. So...unless you're one of those "macho" people that like to brag about how much they bench...why in the world would you want to carry around 5 pounds all day, when you could be carrying 3? Are you even aware of the difference a couple of pounds make from a health perspective, when having to lug it around for prolonged periods, and the effect it can have on various joints and ligaments (not to mention neck and back)? And all that's before considering age, gender, and overall physical shape.

Lol, you really didn't think these people were weak, puny, and incapable of carrying 5 pounds...right?

 

[Ace134blue]

Are you serious? Of course 5 pounds isn't heavy....and you're right, neither is 20 pounds. Hell, since we're talking about "holding" something, even 50 pounds isn't bad.

But we're not talking about "holding" something, or moving it 30 feet. We're talking about traveling with it, and carrying it for extended periods of time. I'm willing to bet that the people who complain about weight that "piss you off" travel a lot more often than you do. So...unless you're one of those "macho" people that like to brag about how much they bench...why in the world would you want to carry around 5 pounds all day, when you could be carrying 3? Are you even aware of the difference a couple of pounds make from a health perspective, when having to lug it around for prolonged periods, and the effect it can have on various joints and ligaments (not to mention neck and back)? And all that's before considering age, gender, and overall physical shape.

Lol, you really didn't think these people were weak, puny, and incapable of carrying 5 pounds...right?

Yes, i think they are all puny weak super nerds(Nah jk lol). I carried heavier laptops to work all the time. Up stairs down stairs, you name it. Carrying 15 pounds while walking for 15mins doesn't bother me at all. people need to man up and possible work out because holding a 15in mpb is like holding a tv remote. I also carried stacks of laptops in one arm and not hard at all. Ive being carry heavier laptops for a long time and i dont have joint problems.

I want to see a story on how someones joints were affected from carrying a 5lb laptop for prolonged periods of time.

 

[Manix]

I've already sold my MBA Rev. B with Runcore SSD 4 month ago with the assumption of a new MBA occuring. Still waiting...

 

[scubasteve03]

"I am not looking forward to carrying 5.6lbs but I need more then the Air can handle and would like to go back to one computer."

People who complain about weight piss me off. Sure the air is light, but i could care less i just like how thin it is. 5lbs? Thats pathetically light. Hell i remember holding a 20lb toshiba and that wasnt heavy either. People who complain about weight must be really anal or just really weak.

Back to topic. Youll be happy about your new i7 mbp. It runs circles around the mba

I'm sorry I piss you off. I have 6 herniated discs from being hit by a suburban in the middle of a crosswalk. When I have to use my wife's 15inch Core Duo MBP, it kills my back carrying it in my backpack around the hospital all night long. Before you make ignorant comments, please think before you speak. No, I am not weak either. Goto the apple store and hold a 15" and a MBA in each hand and tell me this is not a discernible difference. Again sorry for being pathetic, really weak and pissing you off. Your toshiba did not weigh 20 pounds either buddy.

 

[colourfastt]

Phfft .... I can easily tell the difference in weight between my MBA and my 15" MBP. Which is why the MBA is always in my car ready to be hauled out at Starbucks, etc. The MBP: only when I'm on a trip when it can sit on the desk in the hotel room ... I'm NOT lugging that thing around like luggage. And one more point: you can have my MBA only when you pry it out of my cold, dead hand.

 

[gwsat]

It seems pretty clear to me that anybody who doesn't know for a fact in advance that he will be running such processor intensive applications, they require a i7 chip doesn't need one. Thus, the 13 inch MBP would be a far better replacement for an MBA than the 15 inch model. I believe that the 13 inch MBP with 8Gb of RAM and an SSD would be better in virtually all applications than would the 15 inch i7 with 4Gb of RAM and a conventional hard drive.

 

[Ace134blue]

I'm sorry I piss you off. I have 6 herniated discs from being hit by a suburban in the middle of a crosswalk. When I have to use my wife's 15inch Core Duo MBP, it kills my back carrying it in my backpack around the hospital all night long. Before you make ignorant comments, please think before you speak. No, I am not weak either. Goto the apple store and hold a 15" and a MBA in each hand and tell me this is not a discernible difference. Again sorry for being pathetic, really weak and pissing you off. Your toshiba did not weigh 20 pounds either buddy.

lol. Im sorry that you had to make the assumption that i was talking about crippled people. I am talking about healthy normal people who complain about weight.

 

[Spacekatgal]

It seems pretty clear to me that anybody who doesn't know for a fact in advance that he will be running such processor intensive applications, they require a i7 chip doesn't need one. Thus, the 13 inch MBP would be a far better replacement for an MBA than the 15 inch model. I believe that the 13 inch MBP with 8Gb of RAM and an SSD would be better in virtually all applications than would the 15 inch i7 with 4Gb of RAM and a conventional hard drive.

It would be better in some situations. If you do serious PS work, though, 8 gigs are a must. If you're using CS4, it really wants to use every bit of the 4 gigs of RAM it can get its hands on, so you get crashy when you work with large files. For CS5, it can finally use all 8. That's a huge advantage, particularly in working with smart objects across several programs.

The other problem is, you can easily upgrade the i7 to 8 gigs and an SSD. The C2D is at the end of its growth.

The other problem with your analogy is screen real estate. For serious GA work, the 13 inch screen is too small.

 

[entatlrg]

It seems pretty clear to me that anybody who doesn't know for a fact in advance that he will be running such processor intensive applications, they require a i7 chip doesn't need one. Thus, the 13 inch MBP would be a far better replacement for an MBA than the 15 inch model. I believe that the 13 inch MBP with 8Gb of RAM and an SSD would be better in virtually all applications than would the 15 inch i7 with 4Gb of RAM and a conventional hard drive.

Yes for sure you're right. Although, you'll never convince spec wh*res of this.


I'll add more controversy to the topic Do we really need 'multiple devices'? ...

I have an iPad, a 13" MBP, a 15" MBP, a Mac Pro in my Office and my wife has my old Air. My Mac Pro is my office in the city it rarely gets used since I work most often from my Den at home using my 15" MBP, my 13" goes on the road with me, and the iPad I pretty much just use as a GPS, checking mail real quick or reading, nothing heavy duty that's for sure. Because it's slow at most work tasks compared to a laptop.


"I think *most* people would be best served by getting rid of their 15 or 17" MBP's, their iPads and MacBook Air's .... turn them ALL in and get a 13" MacBook Pro and a 24" Monitor - that's it, nothing else.

Why?
- You've got a beautiful crystal clear screen, (argue about resolution all you like, I've had the 13" MBP display side by side to the high res sony Z and others, the 13" MBP is as good as any.

- Excellent keyboard, much faster than an iPad.

- 10 hour battery.

- small, light easy to take everywhere.

- for photo / video editing you'd have a real large display to work from - 24"

- No multiple devices to juggle.

Yet people, ME included go and buy all shapes and sizes of electronics. Maybe people prefer to buy electronics that are 'excellent' for it's certain points, rather than buying one device that is just 'good' on all points?

So everyone agrees right? 13" MBP's for everyone! LOL

I think it's sensible in many ways, so much so I'm going to give it a try, (maybe).

 

[gwsat]

It would be better in some situations. If you do serious PS work, though, 8 gigs are a must. If you're using CS4, it really wants to use every bit of the 4 gigs of RAM it can get its hands on, so you get crashy when you work with large files. For CS5, it can finally use all 8. That's a huge advantage, particularly in working with smart objects across several programs.

The other problem is, you can easily upgrade the i7 to 8 gigs and an SSD. The C2D is at the end of its growth.

The other problem with your analogy is screen real estate. For serious GA work, the 13 inch screen is too small.

I equate screen real estate to chip speed, if you don't know in advance that applications you will be running require a 15 inch or larger screen, then a 13 inch is a great choice. When I was extensively using my grandson's new 13 inch MBP last week I was surprised to see that I wasn't bothered in the slightest by its screen being smaller with less resolution that those of my 17 inch MBP. If I routinely ran graphics intensive apps, though, my reaction might well have been different. In summary, I think that the 13 inch MBP's screen size and resolution, C2D chip, and integrated NVIDIA 320m GPU are ample for at least 90 percent of potential buyers and will remain so for the next several years.

 

[jimboutilier]

Just sold my RevC MBA today.

My main machine will be a uMB that has enough capacity to be my only computer, which I will use largely in clamshell mode as a transportable desktop. And my iPad which I admit is not a full replacement for any laptop, supports all of my ultra portability needs admirably.

Not sure if my next computer will be a new MBA or a MBP. That will depend on the capacity constraints of the models at that time and whatever my needs happen to be.

An 8gb/512gb MBA would definitely interest me but less than that I expect I'd tend towards a MBP.

 

[Spacekatgal]

I equate screen real estate to chip speed, if you don't know in advance that applications you will be running require a 15 inch or larger screen, then a 13 inch is a great choice. When I was extensively using my grandson's new 13 inch MBP last week I was surprised to see that I wasn't bothered in the slightest by its screen being smaller with less resolution that those of my 17 inch MBP. If I routinely ran graphics intensive apps, though, my reaction might well have been different. In summary, I think that the 13 inch MBP's screen size and resolution, C2D chip, and integrated NVIDIA 320m GPU are ample for at least 90 percent of potential buyers and will remain so for the next several years.

I don't follow you, how does chip speed have anything to do with screen size?

I know from first hand experience the MBA 13 inch screen is fine for surfing - but for doing real work that a MBP requires? I am not convinced. There's not enough room for your toolbars, no enough room to leave multiple apps open, not enough room to easily see your piece as a whole.

I'm not trying to be argumentative - I think you have a good point for many people. I am just saying it's called "Macbook PRO" for a reason. Pro apps aren't going to play so well with such a tiny screen. What is it, 1280 pixels wide? That's really small.

 

[jdechko]

You know what's awesome about computers? If you look, you can find on that fits your needs. Seriously, go check. There are ultraportables for people who want a thin computer. Tablets/MID's for people who want even smaller devices. Laptops, desktops and workstations. It's great that everyone is able to find a computer that fits their needs.

You know what sucks about computers? When people tell you what they think you should buy based on criteria other than your own.

Chill, people. It's not like Air users are killing puppies or something.

 

[flynz4]

lol. Im sorry that you had to make the assumption that i was talking about crippled people. I am talking about healthy normal people who complain about weight.

Even for healthy normal people... your comment is dead wrong, and shows ignorant insensitivity.

Clearly, you do not value the design point of the MBA. If you do not care about weight... go back to the 20'lb notebook that you are so proud of. Clearly the MBA is not for you.

/Jim

 

[Ace134blue]

Even for healthy normal people... your comment is dead wrong, and shows ignorant insensitivity.

Clearly, you do not value the design point of the MBA. If you do not care about weight... go back to the 20'lb notebook that you are so proud of. Clearly the MBA is not for you.

/Jim

No, you clearly dont understand what im talking about. I like how thin the air is. Weight is no problem. Comparing the 17in to the mba is hardly noticeable.

 

[MickeyVee]

I thought about selling my MBA Rev A with 128G Runcore SSD but I ended up repurposing it.

- mainly as a music server in my living room - copied about 60GB of my favorite music over (Apple Lossless); use the USB out (15 foot cord) into a DAC and get better sound than I do from my CD player
- surfing / checking email in the living room (the iPad does not seem to connect properly to my WiFi in this particular spot but the MBA is perfect)
- while out shooting/travelling - light Photoshop LightRoom and PSE work
- some Citirx access to work when I need to
- some light MS office document editing (sync with my Mac Mini)

- heavy lifting (Photoshop/Video editing) relegated to my late 2009 Mini

- daily train communte - gone - now use my iPad as an eBook & PDF reader
- watching movies on the go / light gaming - gone - use my iPad

Now that I have a definitve purpose for the MBA, Mini & iPad.. I'm happier than ever.

 

[gwsat]

No, you clearly dont understand what im talking about. I like how thin the air is. Weight is no problem. Comparing the 17in to the mba is hardly noticeable.

Are you claiming that the 17 inch MBP, which weighs 6.6 pounds and has a surface area of more that 162 square inches, is easier to haul around that the MBA, which weighs only 3 pounds with a surface area of 114 square inches? If you are, I would like to have some of what you must have been smoking or, alternatively, ask you to tell the rest of us about your weight training regimen.