I am thinking about getting a MacBook Air for school. My only concern is that a lot of people complain about the overheating or in general, heat issues. Are those issues still present with the new model? If it is, I will probably just go with a regular Macbook. Thanks for your input.
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MacBook vs. MacBook Air
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will there become issues with occasional Youtube videos or if I watch a movie while traveling?
My main question is if they actually fixed the cooling issue. I've seen people post about reapplying heat compounds, etc. I would rather not have to do that.
Thanks.
My main question is if they actually fixed the cooling issue. I've seen people post about reapplying heat compounds, etc. I would rather not have to do that.
Thanks.
The new MacBook Air is incredible. Apple changed every major internal component and the heat issues, core shutdown, and lock ups have been eliminated.
I use the rev B MBA as my primary Mac. I do everything on it and never have a problem. I know several others that have had excellent experiences as well. I wish it would have been around when I was in graduate school.
The original MBA was full of problems that are well documented. If you want a solid Mac that works great, is beautiful to look at, and will not weigh down your bag, the rev B MBA is perfect for you.
The unibody MB is basically the same components as the MBA. Both have Penryn 45 NM CPU, Nvidia 9400m, 1067 MHz RAM, and a 13" display. The unibody MB is still made from aluminum, but has more ports than MBA and an optical drive. However, the unibody MB has a poor grade display. The viewing angle is horrible on the MB display and darks are grayish purple instead of black. The CPU clock speed is a little slower in MBA, but has double the L2 cache which makes it a nice chip.
The MBA is the future of the MB in my opinion. It doesn't cost anymore to make, well a little more for CPU and display, and is wireless and futuristic.
I own both the uni MB and rev B MBA, and I haven't booted the MB since the day I got my MBA. The MBA is so much nicer to look at, is incredibly capable, and is really fun. I highly recommend the rev B MBA if you can afford it.
Also, the 24" Apple Cinema Display works awesome with the MBA. It has a built in USB Hub, speakers, camera, and power for the MBA just like a docking station. It really makes the MBA feel like an instant desktop.
Good luck with whichever you choose.
I use the rev B MBA as my primary Mac. I do everything on it and never have a problem. I know several others that have had excellent experiences as well. I wish it would have been around when I was in graduate school.
The original MBA was full of problems that are well documented. If you want a solid Mac that works great, is beautiful to look at, and will not weigh down your bag, the rev B MBA is perfect for you.
The unibody MB is basically the same components as the MBA. Both have Penryn 45 NM CPU, Nvidia 9400m, 1067 MHz RAM, and a 13" display. The unibody MB is still made from aluminum, but has more ports than MBA and an optical drive. However, the unibody MB has a poor grade display. The viewing angle is horrible on the MB display and darks are grayish purple instead of black. The CPU clock speed is a little slower in MBA, but has double the L2 cache which makes it a nice chip.
The MBA is the future of the MB in my opinion. It doesn't cost anymore to make, well a little more for CPU and display, and is wireless and futuristic.
I own both the uni MB and rev B MBA, and I haven't booted the MB since the day I got my MBA. The MBA is so much nicer to look at, is incredibly capable, and is really fun. I highly recommend the rev B MBA if you can afford it.
Also, the 24" Apple Cinema Display works awesome with the MBA. It has a built in USB Hub, speakers, camera, and power for the MBA just like a docking station. It really makes the MBA feel like an instant desktop.
Good luck with whichever you choose.
Recent refurb buyer here
I purchased a 1.6ghz 80gb HDD refurb 2 months ago. I did install the Coolbook application which costs $10. I have not had any heat issues, and I've watched videos on Hulu, Youtube, etc as well as ripped DVD's off the hard drive without any issues. If you are going to be using an external monitor, and watching 1080p videos, you may want to do a little research.... but for everything else the $999 MBA refurb deal is hard to beat, especially with the 1 year warranty.
I purchased a 1.6ghz 80gb HDD refurb 2 months ago. I did install the Coolbook application which costs $10. I have not had any heat issues, and I've watched videos on Hulu, Youtube, etc as well as ripped DVD's off the hard drive without any issues. If you are going to be using an external monitor, and watching 1080p videos, you may want to do a little research.... but for everything else the $999 MBA refurb deal is hard to beat, especially with the 1 year warranty.
I second Scottsdale. My Rev. B MacBook Air is my primary computer and I use it for everything. It does not get nearly as warm as the white MacBook I have for work (last generation before the aluminum version was announced), or the rev. A black MacBook and 12" Powerbook I used to have (though this one was well-known to be a furnace to begin with). I commute with it every day to and from work on the train and it is perfect for me. If I were back in school with it, I imagine I'd have the same opinion.