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Need input, is the MBA right for me?

C

Callaway31

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 25, 2010
2
0
My current laptop is a two year old MacBook 2.4 core 2 duo. These days it is starting to seem sluggish and I am thinking about buying something new. I was taking the MBA into consideration because my MB is always with me, and something lighter would be nice.

I use my MB mostly for school work and coding on the go. It triple boots Fedora, OS X and Windows 7. I do not need the most powerful laptop because I am running a i7@4.1ghz at home. Would the MBA be a down-step in performance? I am guessing a new one is coming out soon, will this have similar performance to my current MB? My other option is a M11x (SU7300) because small and a similar weight to my MB and I love to OC.

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,742
155
No one knows the specs of the next MBAir. However, the current offering seems like its a step down for you. Less performance to save a pound may not be worth it.
 
PsyD4Me

PsyD4Me

macrumors 6502a
Mar 11, 2009
778
0
under your bed
it sounds like it is right for you however if you read Scottsdale's advice-it is basically foolish to buy a brand new MBA right now...
 
I

ipsb11

macrumors newbie
Oct 7, 2009
11
0
Strange coincidence then.

I'm an avid follower of a blog called bleedcubbieblue.

You'd know what I was talking about if you were the real Doggie Stalker.

Sorry for the confusion.
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,742
155
Oh no. Sorry. Perhaps the PM system is right for you, I mean next time that is.
 
Scottsdale

Scottsdale

Suspended
Sep 19, 2008
4,473
283
U.S.A.
Right now, I wouldn't advise you to buy a new MBA. The MBA is really limited with 2 GB of RAM. I imagine it would be fine as long as you're going to boot into each OS and not run them via a virtual machine software like Parallels or Fusion. However, it's just too far behind the other Mac notebooks right now. I just don't think it's wise to buy an MBA stuck with 2 GB of RAM forever right now. We are needing more and more RAM and a year from now I see 2 GB of RAM as being insufficient for the average user.

If you can wait until WWDC, we might have a new MBA between now and then. If I were you, I would try to wait it out and see if Apple updates the MBA. Since October 2008, Apple has used one base configuration across five Macs - 13" MBP, MB, MBA, Mm, and 20/21.5" iMac. Since the 13" MBP was just updated with the same C2D but a new Nvidia 320m GPU/chipset, and that chipset/GPU combo uses less energy, surely Apple will update the other four products using the same strategy and basic makeup.

Imagine an MBA with a C2D SL9600 CPU at 2.13 GHz, and that CPU runs 30% faster by de-throttling it. Then add an Nvidia 320m that let's say Apple throttles to only 50% faster than the 9400m. Seems a 192 or 256 GB SSD would be possible and probable in the high-end MBA, and maybe Apple uses the 128 GB SSD in the low-end MBA. Then it gets a standard update to 4 GB of RAM. Apple will probably get the glass trackpad into the MBA also.

That sounds like a much better MBA deal... and that's an MBA that would last you two or three years easily.

If you absolutely had to buy a Mac notebook right now, and you had to keep it for three years, the 13" MBP or even the white MB are much better performing and future-proof laptops. The MBA, now more than ever, is completely irrelevant against other Macs and alternative PCs. Hopefully Apple has a plan to change it right away.

Perhaps we could all write an email together, and then have one person send it to Steve Jobs requesting he tell us if we should "Not to worry" as the MBA will be updated soon... anyone want to head up this campaign, LOL? No I am serious!
 
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