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Quickness of the 1.6

Cybergypsy

Cybergypsy

macrumors 68040
Original poster
May 16, 2006
3,094
0
Central Florida!
Today I have had this sexy beast for a week now, The funny thing is as much as I use it, Up to 8 hours a day, I find it as quick as my 2.2 MB with 4Gof ram, for the things I do Web, Mail photos...Blah Blah....it is just as quick to the touch. Any one else feel this way???
 
C

chp5592

macrumors regular
Jul 16, 2007
134
0
I found that after I did a clean install this weekend, the MBA seems to run a lot quicker. The fan situation also seems better (except when running JAVA windows). Overall, very happy with the situation. The lightness of the machine is unbelievable since I move around quite a bit.
 
MRU

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
Cybergypsy said:
Any one else feel this way???
Click to expand...

Just had this very discussion with a relative. I previously had a SR 2.2 MBP with 2GB ram, 120gb HDD as my laptop and to be 110% honest I cant really say I notice any speed difference and this is both in relation to disk access (4200RPM - 5400RPM) or in general usage of my applications (CPU wise).

I'm mostly surfing the net via safari, checking email in Entourage.

Quick blogging on iweb, touching up or making edits to other websites I've done in Freeway Pro 4. Minor corrections in photoshop cs3 along with just previewing documents to clients in illustrator or such

I have another client who is currently working in pages (instead of word) to write a book so I get draft copies and I read them on my MBA and again of course absolute no difference peformance wise that with my previous MBP.

Of course i'm not manipulating 3D, playing graphics intensive games, or rendering or encoding stuff - but I never did that on my MBP either.

The most CPU heavy thing I do is Corel painter X and again I can't say I have noticed any difference in performance.

So yes for me - like yourself cybergypsy the MBA is producing the exact same experience as my prior 'more advanced' laptop.
 
Cybergypsy

Cybergypsy

macrumors 68040
Original poster
May 16, 2006
3,094
0
Central Florida!
MacRumorUser said:
Just had this very discussion with a relative. I previously had a SR 2.2 MBP with 2GB ram, 120gb HDD as my laptop and to be 110% honest I cant really say I notice any speed difference and this is both in relation to disk access (4200RPM - 5400RPM) or in general usage of my applications (CPU wise).

I'm mostly surfing the net via safari, checking email in Entourage.

Quick blogging on iweb, touching up or making edits to other websites I've done in Freeway Pro 4. Minor corrections in photoshop cs3 along with just previewing documents to clients in illustrator or such

I have another client who is currently working in pages (instead of word) to write a book so I get draft copies and I read them on my MBA and again of course absolute no difference peformance wise that with my previous MBP.

Of course i'm not manipulating 3D, playing graphics intensive games, or rendering or encoding stuff - but I never did that on my MBP either.

The most CPU heavy thing I do is Corel painter X and again I can't say I have noticed any difference in performance.

So yes for me - like yourself cybergypsy the MBA is producing the exact same experience as my prior 'more advanced' laptop.
Click to expand...

I was not that worried about getting a PATA 4200, as I had a Sony that had it and it was fairly quick, but now I find I have no issues at all with speed.....This handles everything I need done:)
 
mctheriot

mctheriot

macrumors regular
Nov 2, 2007
164
4
Baton Rouge, LA
It's like a 4 cylinder engine compared to a V8 - allot of todays driving (common tasks) doesn't need the power of a V8 so under those conditions, the "driving experience" is exactly the same with the 4 cyl as with the V8.

Now, trying to drive uphill while accelerating (re-calc'ing a 20 Meg spreadsheet) and you miss the V8!

85% of the time, I don't notice any difference between my 1.6 MBA and my 2.2 MacBook.

Mark
 
abijnk

abijnk

macrumors 68040
Oct 15, 2007
3,287
5
Los Angeles, CA
mctheriot said:
It's like a 4 cylinder engine compared to a V8 - allot of todays driving (common tasks) doesn't need the power of a V8 so under those conditions, the "driving experience" is exactly the same with the 4 cyl as with the V8.

Now, trying to drive uphill while accelerating (re-calc'ing a 20 Meg spreadsheet) and you miss the V8!

85% of the time, I don't notice any difference between my 1.6 MBA and my 2.2 MacBook.

Mark
Click to expand...

Great anology!

I was expecting to notice a slowdown from my 2.2 SR MB, but I really don't. I don't do anything heavy on it, mind you, and the ONLY time I notice a slowdown is when I am compiling a bigger program.

Did I mention how sexy this thing is? No? Well, its sexy too, so if you do notice a slowdown, just sit back and admire it, your task will be done before you know it!!!
 
teerexx52

teerexx52

macrumors 68020
May 1, 2005
2,070
172
Florida West Coast
Cybergypsy said:
Today I have had this sexy beast for a week now, The funny thing is as much as I use it, Up to 8 hours a day, I find it as quick as my 2.2 MB with 4Gof ram, for the things I do Web, Mail photos...Blah Blah....it is just as quick to the touch. Any one else feel this way???
Click to expand...

Yep!!! Sure do! So why do I still have my macBook pro?:confused:
 
A

aiongiant

macrumors 6502a
Aug 8, 2006
542
0
teerexx52 said:
Yep!!! Sure do! So why do I still have my macBook pro?:confused:
Click to expand...

so you have something to compare to the Air lol

and i agree with the OP
it does seem to be efficient enough speed for the common task... i can feel some slowness here and there but nothing more than i felt with my macbook pro.. i use my mac pro all the time so i can't expect the same performace from a laptop lol
 
teerexx52

teerexx52

macrumors 68020
May 1, 2005
2,070
172
Florida West Coast
aiongiant said:
so you have something to compare to the Air lol

and i agree with the OP
it does seem to be efficient enough speed for the common task... i can feel some slowness here and there but nothing more than i felt with my macbook pro.. i use my mac pro all the time so i can't expect the same performace from a laptop lol
Click to expand...

Yes, and I've been doing just that for a week. But......I still have both:rolleyes:
 
N

Nika3

macrumors newbie
Feb 10, 2008
3
0
Anyone try the 1.6 with Flash yet.

I do a lot of work in Flash CS3 and was wondering if anyone had played around with it on the 1.6 Air? I currently use a MBP 2.0 ghz rev. 1 and it works fine. Wasn't sure if the lack of a decent graphics card would affect overall performance especially with Flash animations. Any comments would be appreciated on the subject.
 
R

Rlkv011

macrumors regular
Jan 16, 2008
104
0
My MBA 1.6 seems just as fast or faster than my MB 2.2 with 4 gigs of ram and 250gb 5400 RPM hard drive. The only difference in performance I see is when I watch movies where sometimes I notice choppiness.
 
ddd269

ddd269

macrumors regular
Jun 5, 2007
138
0
Torrance, CA
teerexx52 said:
Ahhhhh! I agree. I was beginning to think I was just plain stupid!:D
Click to expand...


No... You're just fine.

My Mac inventory:

iMac
MBP
MB x2
MBA
Looking to buy a Mac Pro to replace my gaming PC.

You see... You can never have too many. My wife will say otherwise, though. :p
 
S

saisrujan

macrumors member
Aug 6, 2007
94
0
abiyng87 said:
Did I mention how sexy this thing is? No? Well, its sexy too, so if you do notice a slowdown, just sit back and admire it, your task will be done before you know it!!!
Click to expand...

That's the best quote till date on the Macbook Air. We need more people like you on these forums!

But really! This little laptop chugged along so smoothly that I turn my attention to its sexiness only when I close the lid. Then I ... aah... that's too personal.:D
 
teerexx52

teerexx52

macrumors 68020
May 1, 2005
2,070
172
Florida West Coast
ddd269 said:
No... You're just fine.

My Mac inventory:

iMac
MBP
MB x2
MBA
Looking to buy a Mac Pro to replace my gaming PC.

You see... You can never have too many. My wife will say otherwise, though. :p
Click to expand...

Oh, my wife has much to say about it. Especially when I have to have every new Apple Laptop released.;)
 
S

SpinThis!

macrumors 6502
Jan 30, 2007
480
135
Inside the Machine (Green Bay, WI)
I think too many people get hung up on specific specs (the trees) they don't see the whole forest.

I don't have a problem with benchmarks but it seems like everyone who tests these machines expects to use them in a render farm or something instead of seeing the machine for what it is. A core 2 these days isn't the same as a pentium 4 and absolute clock speed/hard drive speed isn't the end-all spec.
 
MRU

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
ddd269 said:
No... You're just fine.

My Mac inventory:

iMac
MBP
MB x2
MBA
Looking to buy a Mac Pro to replace my gaming PC.

You see... You can never have too many. My wife will say otherwise, though. :p
Click to expand...


and I thought I was bad.. We have in the house the following (not all mine personally)

Mac Pro (Quad)
MBP (SR 2.2)
MBA (HDD 1.6)
MB (black) Core Duo
MB (white) Core Duo
20" iMac (intel) Core Duo
20" iMac (G4)
17" iMac (G4)
2 x Mac mini (G4)
12" iBook (G4)
iMac (G3)

And there's only three of us in the house :D
 
S

sir. mac

macrumors regular
Nov 21, 2006
113
0
Rlkv011 said:
My MBA 1.6 seems just as fast or faster than my MB 2.2 with 4 gigs of ram and 250gb 5400 RPM hard drive. The only difference in performance I see is when I watch movies where sometimes I notice choppiness.
Click to expand...


Choppiness just from a normal divx? How is that even possible? I mean, even my old iBook G4 would play divx just fine. :eek:
 
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