Macbook Air

[Dominato3r]

School just started and I'm in the market for a good laptop that is small and light (Netbook)? My textbooks weigh a TON and I'd rather not carry a laptop around that just adds to that. Weight and size are my main concerns.

What is it for? I'll mainly just be using it between classes to browse, compose some word documents/powerpoints. Light and reasonable use, keeping its hardware in mind. I've been looking at Windows options and most laptops that have specs similar to the Macbook Air aren't all that cheap either, so I'm thinking of taking the plunge into Mac OS. This is going to be the first Apple product I will purchase myself.

I'm looking into the 11inch Model:
1.6GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
128GB Flash Storage

Should I upgrade to the i7? And should I grab Apple care?

Also does anyone have any experience with this device? How's it? Thanks.

 

[Kaido]

Macs are good, just make sure your school software runs on OSX. Otherwise you will need to dual-boot into Windows or run Windows in a virtualization solution such as VMware or Parallels. The Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook is similar to the Macbook Air if you want to go the PC route:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/14/acer-aspire-s3-ultrabook-review/

The 11" is a really nice size. I've had a couple netbooks and ended up hating them (10" size), but the 11" MBA is an actual, usable computer - especially with the oversized touchpad. I prefer the 13" due to the resolution, but if you need a higher degree of portability, the 11" can't be beat.

I would absolutely recommend Applecare. Anytime I purchase an Apple laptop, I get Applecare for it. It's too expensive not to, imo. As far as the CPU goes, it really depends on what you're planning on using the machine for. Having more power never hurts, especially since the Air is non-upgradable. Although you can get a faster SSD for it:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura_Pro_Express

Speck Products makes good protective cases:

http://www.speckproducts.com/macbook-cases.html?cat=271

iSkin makes good keyboard covers: (surprisingly great to type on, not "sticky" like most)

http://www.iskin.com/products_macbook.tpl

SkinStyler (among others) makes wristpad & touchpad protectors:

http://www.skinstyler.com/

I'm a big fan of wrapping Macbooks in armor and getting a warranty on them - they have great resale value, plus it's fun to customize them. Although it can defeat the purpose of having an ultrathin sometimes

 

[secretanchitman]

take a look at anands review of the 11" air, plus a separate review of the core i7 version as well.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4528/the-2011-macbook-air-11-13inch-review

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4554/apples-11inch-macbook-air-core-i7-18ghz-review-update

you could also be eligible for the education discount! that will knock $50 off the baseline price of the computer and a little extra for the options (core i7, 256GB, etc). i say applecare is worth it at $183 (via education discount) because it gives you a peace of mind for a total of 3 years, along with worldwide/international coverage. core i7? depends on how much performance you want out of it. if you're going to keep this machine for years, i say go for the core i7, but if the performance seems just fine to you, then stick with the core i5!

 

[vi edit]

Have you looked at both the 11" and 13" side by side. I just couldn't bring myself to buy the 11". I just felt like the screen was just too small. And for what I would be doing the added cost of the i7 just felt unnecessary. I bought a 13" MBA this week and am very satisfied with it. The resolution and screen layout is just more practical for web browsing and work and the battery life is much better than the 11". Cost wise it was only $100 more than a slightly more upgraded (processor) than the smaller screen sibling.

Plus I really wanted the SD slot for uploading pics from the camera that you can't get in the 11". It's an awesome laptop and is blisteringly fast. The size also just feels great in your lap and on a desk. It's hard going back to a larger laptop after having one of these for a few days.

 

[Pliablemoose]

13" MBA here, love it, I went with an mCover case from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...%3A+mcover+air

If I were to do it over, I'd seriously consider getting an 11", a stand, monitor, keyboard & mouse, USB hub and external storage, making it do double duty as a desktop

 

[ubercaffeinated]

i have a fully specced 2010 mba - and if i could do it again, i wouldn't get it.

don't get me wrong - i LOVE the mba. but the thing is so thin and light, it is very damage prone. any little pressure put on the back of the screen while closed, will cause permanent whiter-than-average-spots on the led panel - after two trips to the apple store to repair said pressure related screen damage, i decided to get a speck hard shell for it. the sad thing is, the mba is so thin, that a hard shell is absolutely necessary for it, especially if you are going to be taking it to school daily.

if you plan on sandwiching the mba in your backpack with a ton of books, forget about it. you WILL see screen damage in the form of spots that are whiter than they are supposed to be, and it will gradually get worse. if your closed mba bumps into something hard on the lcd side, the lcd will be similarly damaged.

i'm on my third mba, and i now use a speck case with a waterfield hardcase, and i haven't seen any screen damage after 9 months of use - but all the additional bulk is annoying. sometimes i just want a beater laptop to get through my daily grind - not a porsche laptop. :/

just something to consider.

 

[Bateluer]

Macs are good, just make sure your school software runs on OSX. Otherwise you will need to dual-boot into Windows or run Windows in a virtualization solution such as VMware or Parallels. The Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook is similar to the Macbook Air if you want to go the PC route:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/14/acer-aspire-s3-ultrabook-review/

The 11" is a really nice size. I've had a couple netbooks and ended up hating them (10" size), but the 11" MBA is an actual, usable computer - especially with the oversized touchpad. I prefer the 13" due to the resolution, but if you need a higher degree of portability, the 11" can't be beat.

I like my 2011 MBA, got the 11.6in model. But, I'd give props to the Asus Zenbooks over the Acer. They cost similar to the MBA models, but with slightly faster CPUs. The Acer uses a hybrid drive, 320GB+20GB SSD. More storage, but not as fast as the pure SSDs in the MBA and Zenbook. Plus, the Zenbook just looks as nice as the MBA.

Edit - I'd also like to add that the 11in MBA gets extremely hot when you do intensive tasks like stream HD video and such. I don't believe its damage causing heat, but I definitely wouldn't set it on my lap. This is with the 1.6Ghz i5, not the i7 upgrade.

 

[Phobic9]

I've been strongly debating getting an 11" MBA as well. My only problem is that I'm wondering what to keep and what to sell given the fact that I have an Alienware M18X (mostly for gaming), iPad 2 and an iPod Touch.

Surely the MBA would replace one, if not more, of the devices I already have.

 

[vi edit]

I've been strongly debating getting an 11" MBA as well. My only problem is that I'm wondering what to keep and what to sell given the fact that I have an Alienware M18X (mostly for gaming), iPad 2 and an iPod Touch.

Surely the MBA would replace one, if not more, of the devices I already have.

With my MBA 13" I've almost forgotten I've got an iPad. And when I do go back to it browsing, scrolling, and almost all other functions just feel so slow and forced. I think if I had an 11" it would be even more so because the size differences between the it and the iPad are so negligible. And the Air just provides so much more function. It's the battery life that's the real deal breaker though...if you need more than 3 hours unplugged then the 11" Air is not a good choice and will not be a substitute for the 8-10 hour life of an iPad.

My iPad will basically be an education toy for my kids, a portable movie player in the car, and an e-reader when traveling.

I can't emphasize enough just how infectiously awesome the trackpad on the MacBooks are. Between the size, sensitivity, and gestures it's completely redefined how I think a trackpad should work. I find myself trying to do gestures and swipes on my iPad (1st gen) and they just aren't there. Same as going back to a windows notebook. The little dinky trackpad on my HP laptop looks like a postage stamp.

 

[Emulex]

yup ipad1 then air. ipad1 (3g unlimited) sit next to ipad2 wifi - the kid uses those. i take the macbook air every day.

 

[Phobic9]

With my MBA 13" I've almost forgotten I've got an iPad. And when I do go back to it browsing, scrolling, and almost all other functions just feel so slow and forced. I think if I had an 11" it would be even more so because the size differences between the it and the iPad are so negligible. And the Air just provides so much more function. It's the battery life that's the real deal breaker though...if you need more than 3 hours unplugged then the 11" Air is not a good choice and will not be a substitute for the 8-10 hour life of an iPad.

My iPad will basically be an education toy for my kids, a portable movie player in the car, and an e-reader when traveling.

I can't emphasize enough just how infectiously awesome the trackpad on the MacBooks are. Between the size, sensitivity, and gestures it's completely redefined how I think a trackpad should work. I find myself trying to do gestures and swipes on my iPad (1st gen) and they just aren't there. Same as going back to a windows notebook. The little dinky trackpad on my HP laptop looks like a postage stamp.

The 11" MBA is battery life that low? 3 hrs is definitely not enough but you've pretty much sold me on ditching the iPad outside of the battery life.

 

[vi edit]

Three hours might be a bit low. I was mixing up the 2010 version of the MBA 13" vs the 2011 version of the 11".

The 2010 MBA 13" was a battery champ. The new 11's aren't spectacular, but they aren't significantly behind the 2011 MBA 13's. Looking at around 4 hours in typical use.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4528/the-2011-macbook-air-11-13inch-review/13