I sold my MacBook anout 5 months ago. I have been using a HP Mini since then. Im about to head off to college and my parents are going to purchase me a new Mac. I am very interested in an 11" Air. Would this be sutiable for a computer to use for school. Im not going to be doing any gaming or video-editing. I am majoring in Accounting. Any input would be appricated.
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Would the 11" Fit My Needs?
- Thread starter Jman14
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For pure academics, yes it'll suffice. It'll be super light, will easily fit on any desk you may find in a classroom, and has the computing power to handle excel/word/itunes/internet easily.
For other aspects of your life, it may be a hindrance. I don't know about you but I have a ton of music and photos that I've accumulated over my years at university. A large SSD is expensive, and it may be better to get a MacBook if large storage is necessary. Of course an external may solve this problem for you (I love have all my files all the time though, so to each their own).
For other aspects of your life, it may be a hindrance. I don't know about you but I have a ton of music and photos that I've accumulated over my years at university. A large SSD is expensive, and it may be better to get a MacBook if large storage is necessary. Of course an external may solve this problem for you (I love have all my files all the time though, so to each their own).
Im not a student, but I think the benefit of the Air is the size. I recently traveled with my Air, and Im so thankful for its small size. You can put it in a bag and really not worry about it.
It starts up quick and the though the screen is smaller than what Im used to on my Mac Pro, I dont mind when it comes to just doing small projects or editing large ones.
I wouldnt want the Air to be my only computer, but if I were a student Id definitely want it because it could be easily used in the classroom.
So yeah, Id get it and really take care of it. Because of its small size, you
need to make sure you handle it well and keep it clean.
It starts up quick and the though the screen is smaller than what Im used to on my Mac Pro, I dont mind when it comes to just doing small projects or editing large ones.
I wouldnt want the Air to be my only computer, but if I were a student Id definitely want it because it could be easily used in the classroom.
So yeah, Id get it and really take care of it. Because of its small size, you
need to make sure you handle it well and keep it clean.
In general, I think if it's going to be your primary machine, you should probably go with the 13" rather than the 11" due to increased storage (biggest difference), screen size, power, etc.
If you're looking only for portability, the 11" is the winner. It's extremely easy to carry around. The stumbling block is the storage space.
If you're looking only for portability, the 11" is the winner. It's extremely easy to carry around. The stumbling block is the storage space.
To add to that, I find my 13.3" MacBook to large on occasion (and even have found my 12" Tablet PC slightly annoying after a day) - Id definitely get the 11" Air (If I could, Id have one already, but funds wont allow
) - Im a Student in College, and Id find an 11" fine for everything Id do if I wasnt doing CS.
I'm a college student and I currently am using the 11 inch macbook air.
For word, excel, itunes, internet, 720p video, and programming, it is excellent. Coupled with the very light, compact, and small form factor, its perfect for when you walking around campus and such.
For word, excel, itunes, internet, 720p video, and programming, it is excellent. Coupled with the very light, compact, and small form factor, its perfect for when you walking around campus and such.
Yeah, I'm using the 11" in college as well, and it's incredible. I do have my 8-core Mac Pro for heavy video conversion/storage/editing, but the Air does everything else perfectly. It does all of the stuff impulse462 mentioned very well, and it runs Final Cut suprisingly well, as well as runs games better than you'd expect.
I play Borderlands on "High" settings with HDR off/shadows low, native resolution and it looks great. All Source engine games like Portal and Team Fortress 2 run completely maxed out, native resolution at like 50fps.
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These were the answers I was hoping to hear! Im glad everyone else agrees with me.
These were the answers I was hoping to hear! Im glad everyone else agrees with me.
It's more than enough for Office 2011, or Office 2010 in Windows 7 through Boot Camp. It depends on whether you need it to last 4 years, though. If so, it might seem hopelessly out of date in 2015, though to be fair, so would the 13" MacBook Air or current 13" MacBook Pro (perhaps slight less out of date). Excel, PowerPoint, and Word (the most common applications in your business classes) don't need much horsepower but if the next versions have a lot of bloat they could slow down a bit.
The 13" MacBook Air is pretty portable, too, so don't rule out that one. Either way, I'd definitely suggest getting the 4GB version, and if you are getting the 11" version, go with the 128GB SSD. You might find yourself using more space over time than you realize, particularly if you need to install Windows at some point.
The 13" MacBook Air is pretty portable, too, so don't rule out that one. Either way, I'd definitely suggest getting the 4GB version, and if you are getting the 11" version, go with the 128GB SSD. You might find yourself using more space over time than you realize, particularly if you need to install Windows at some point.
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If funds allow for it, I will upgrade to 4GB Ram. As for HDD, I am gonna stick with 64GB because of my external HDD
If funds allow for it, I will upgrade to 4GB Ram. As for HDD, I am gonna stick with 64GB because of my external HDD
Yea, upgrade to 4GB while you can, even if 2GB is enough now, you never know what may come.
I'm studying Accounting as well. My last year
I just picked up an 11" 1.6/4/128 and an external monitor which is coming in soon. Also picked up the Superdrive (just in case) and a 2TB external hard drive. All of this is going to replace my 15" MBP from Mid-2007.
You'll really like the portability and the "snappiness."
I just picked up an 11" 1.6/4/128 and an external monitor which is coming in soon. Also picked up the Superdrive (just in case) and a 2TB external hard drive. All of this is going to replace my 15" MBP from Mid-2007.
You'll really like the portability and the "snappiness."
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As much as I would want to upgrade to the 13" Air... My parents are not rich and its not my money... So I'm not gonna be super picky.
Alvi said:
As much as I would want to upgrade to the 13" Air... My parents are not rich and its not my money... So I'm not gonna be super picky.
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I have an external CD drive from my Netbook. And I hope to buy an external monitor before to long. That is why I'm not worried about upgrading to the 13". The 11" is more portable and can be used on an external when not in class.
Whorehay said:I'm studying Accounting as well. My last year
I just picked up an 11" 1.6/4/128 and an external monitor which is coming in soon. Also picked up the Superdrive (just in case) and a 2TB external hard drive. All of this is going to replace my 15" MBP from Mid-2007.
You'll really like the portability and the "snappiness."
I have an external CD drive from my Netbook. And I hope to buy an external monitor before to long. That is why I'm not worried about upgrading to the 13". The 11" is more portable and can be used on an external when not in class.
This is totally respectful. And based on the other mobile I see that you already have, it looks like youll be fine with the 11 Air.
In that regard, the 13" may be a better value, since for the price of the "Ultimate 11" you can get a base 13" with 4GB RAM, a faster processor, and an SD card slot. That said, the cheapest 11" is cheaper than the cheapest 13".
In that case get an upgraded White MacBook, or a Refurb 13" Air, In college you'll want to do more things with you computer than you think and I'm not sure if 11" do it. In the worst case scenario get later an External Display and you'll be way happier than with any Size of MacBook