I have an MBA -- not that I see the relevance. for me the big issue is
connectivity. If either had Firewire 800, I would definitely consider
it. Without it, neither is significantly better for me than a netbook
(which I have). Obviously, my needs are specialized..
Joe
On 1/22/11 11:08 AM, Owen Densmore wrote:
I'm drinking the koolaid again, and buying one of the new MacBook Airs. So I
called up BestBuy, found they had them, and dropped by for over an hour.
BTW: If any of you have a MBA, please respond with your observations too!
The store had both of them, side by side, with power and networking.
Both models (11.6"& 13.3") are surprisingly solid. They feel as rigid and
safe as the other MacBooks. This is due to the unibody design. The difference in weight
(2.3lb vs 2.9lb) is noticeable. I was surprised that the 0.6lb/9.6oz difference would be
that noticeable, but it is. Still, the equivalent Macbooks felt like they weighed a ton in
comparison!
The 11 is surprisingly useful for so little a screen: 1366x768. But the 13's
1440x900 makes it the same as the MBPro 15".
Laptops are for laps, so I was delighted that I could hitch myself up onto the counter
and try them both in my lap (and not bother the clerks!). Both were fine, the 13 more
"natural" due to being closer in size to standard laptops.
I downloaded a large keynote presentation (both .pdf and .key), and the NetLogo
tutorial models (both 2D and 3D to make sure OpenGL got run), and tried them on
both, side-by-side. Yes there was a slight difference in speed due to the different
processor clocking and battery management, but they both feel as fast as my current
laptop (4 year old 17" MBP).
Both are "real Macs" in that there are no limits on programming etc. Exactly the same
snow leopard I've been using. I forgot that they were "special" within minutes of use.
One missing component is Flash, but I've turned that off where possible due to
huge battery drain. Apple wants you to download the latest from Adobe due to
apparently real security issues, but I'm sure mainly due to corporate warfare.
The netlogo runs suggested the two systems (both entry level, thus only 2GB
RAM) differed by around 20% in speed. This is not particularly noticeable.
I'm tending towards the 13 due to the display difference: 74x132. The 132px
height advantage is very noticeable.
Part of the test was BestBuy itself. The staff was more knowledgable than I
had thought and they are willing to discuss the Amazon price difference (Amazon
does not charge tax, a roughly $115.00 hit). They have a method: on the web,
get the MBA in checkout, including tax etc. Print this and bring it in for the
discussion.
If I buy locally, which I'd like to do, DotFoil and BestBuy are the choices.
Both have +/-'s. DotFoil has been quite knowledgable and helpful to various
family members recently. And because unibody Macs have built-in batteries, the
local-buy decision will include cost of the for-sure battery replacement during
its life. BestBuy apparently has a warrantee which includes Apple Care but
with more features and costs less. DotFoil is Apple Care only, I believe.
-- Owen
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--
"Sunlight is the best disinfectant."
-- Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, 1913.
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FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
