Real world PowerPoint test -- MBA 13 vs MPB 13

[miata]

The MBP was quite a bit faster than the MBA -- but I'm questioning my results.

I do a lot of PowerPoint stuff at work, so I decided to take an SD card into the Apple Store to test the MPB 13 (2.4 GHz/4 GB) versus the MBA 13 (1.87 GHz./4GB). I really wanted to do a 4 GB to 4GB test, but the store I visited only had 2 GB MBAs.

Both systems were much faster than my early 2007 15" MPB 2.5 GHz/4 GB. Of course, I was comparing the latest version of Office versus the 2007 on my older system. However, I comparison between the new systems was both with the same file and latest version of PowerPoint.

Do you think that the major difference was due to comparing 4 GB to 2 GB?

Am I the only one that is frustrated that the Apple Stores don't have the fully loaded models on display to test? The store I visited even had the $1799 units in stock -- just nothing to play with.

 

[shootingrubber]

The MBP was quite a bit faster than the MBA -- but I'm questioning my results.

I do a lot of PowerPoint stuff at work, so I decided to take an SD card into the Apple Store to test the MPB 13 (2.4 GHz/4 GB) versus the MBA 13 (1.87 GHz./4GB). I really wanted to do a 4 GB to 4GB test, but the store I visited only had 2 GB MBAs.

Both systems were much faster than my early 2007 15" MPB 2.5 GHz/4 GB. Of course, I was comparing the latest version of Office versus the 2007 on my older system. However, I comparison between the new systems was both with the same file and latest version of PowerPoint.

Do you think that the major difference was due to comparing 4 GB to 2 GB?

Am I the only one that is frustrated that the Apple Stores don't have the fully loaded models on display to test? The store I visited even had the $1799 units in stock -- just nothing to play with.

What was the basis for your test?

 

[miata]

I just opened the same file on both systems and wanted to see how fast I could scroll through slides. The MBP was noticeably faster.

This surprised me because when I compared iPhoto, iMovie and Safari there was no noticeable difference after the application was launched.

My guess is the the Microsoft stuff is really memory hungry. Ideally, I would like to have done a 4 to 4 GB RAM comparison -- or better yet a 4 to 8 GB RAM comparison, since that is what I need to decide between.

 

[shootingrubber]

I just opened the same file on both systems and wanted to see how fast I could scroll through slides. The MBP was noticeably faster.

This surprised me because when I compared iPhoto, iMovie and Safari there was no noticeable difference after the application was launched.

My guess is the the Microsoft stuff is really memory hungry. Ideally, I would like to have done a 4 to 4 GB RAM comparison -- or better yet a 4 to 8 GB RAM comparison, since that is what I need to decide between.

Yeah, MS apps are more memory hungry. Compare 4GB to 4GB. It should be fairly similar..

 

[miata]

Yeah, MS apps are more memory hungry. Compare 4GB to 4GB. It should be fairly similar..

And by extension would you say that 8GB would be noticeably faster than 4 GB for MicroSloth apps? Has anybody out there done real world comparisons between a MBP 13 with 8 GB and a MBA with 4 GB?

The reason I ask is that I have to use that crap at work -- PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Entourage.

 

[shootingrubber]

And by extension would you say that 8GB would be noticeably faster than 4 GB for MicroSloth apps? Has anybody out there done real world comparisons between a MBP 13 with 8 GB and a MBA with 4 GB?

The reason I ask is that I have to use that crap at work -- PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Entourage.

I have no proof, but if those MS apps need 8GB of RAM to function properly, something is wrong

I wouldn't think there would be much of a difference between 8GB and 4GB though.

 

[miata]

I have no proof, but if those MS apps need 8GB of RAM to function properly, something is wrong

I wouldn't think there would be much of a difference between 8GB and 4GB though.

It is not so much a matter of "functioning properly" as exploiting available RAM. The MBA with 2 GB of RAM "functions properly," but the MBP with 4 GB of RAM seems to be quite a bit faster. If 8 GM of RAM is even faster, then you can guess which route I will go.

I just don't know if you reach some point of diminishing returns with adding more RAM.

Again, I've compared the Apple Apps on the MBP and MBP and there is not much difference. This seems to be a MS App phenomenon.