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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: KangarooZombies on Thu, 24 January 2013, 12:47:15
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I'm considering buying a macbook air for school right now, and i was wondering, how long have some of you had yours? Will it last me another 5 semesters of college? Its obviously a pretty big investment so i would like to be sure about it before I take the 1.5k plunge. Also, feel free to post with any warnings or concerns, or just to tell me to go for it already, any input is appreciated, obviously.
Thanks GH,
KangarooZombies~~
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Hmm, I just bought a macbook air yesterday and still tinkering around with it as it's my first OSX product.
It's a PITA to relearn the shortcuts. That's all I got for now.lol Not much help here tho -_-
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I'm considering buying a macbook air for school right now, and i was wondering, how long have some of you had yours? Will it last me another 5 semesters of college? Its obviously a pretty big investment so i would like to be sure about it before I take the 1.5k plunge. Also, feel free to post with any warnings or concerns, or just to tell me to go for it already, any input is appreciated, obviously.
Thanks GH,
KangarooZombies~~
Like I always tell everyone, it depends what you use it for.
For example, I have a 2012 MBP with Retina that I use because I do a lot of photoshop, indesign, and overall editing in my line of studies (advertising).
However my sister who's in high school, just recently on Christmas got a Macbook air (2012) which for surfing the internet and doing the basic things is just fine. The one positive for macbooks is that they last a good while before pulling their legs out into the grave. Just don't spill water on it, that's gg.
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Umm not to be whatever but ever think of a thinkpad?
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You can consider a Samsung Series 9 if cost is a factor. They're a bit cheaper if you're willing to use windows instead of OSX.
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the macbook air does look nice but the specs are really not that great considering the large price.
basically you are paying a large chunk of the price for advertisement and design.
a few months ago I was in the market for a new PC and I was also considering a macbook air but I remember I liked better the specs for the dell XPS 14 and it also looked really nice which was a plus.
in the end I decided to build a very strong desktop computer because I didn't really need the portability.
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Look at their refurb section. Better "deals" in apple terms.
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Thanks for the responses.
-I do need portability, I already have a very nice desktop that i use on a daily basis, this would just be a computer for school.
-The reason I'm looking at a mac instead of a ultrabook is the build of the macbook seems to be very very high build quality, ill try and get a hold of a Series 9 in person to see how it feels though, i know Samsung has been doing some awesome stuff lately.
- ThinkPad: Do any of them run on SSD's only? If so, i'll look into one.
- Boost: feel free to leave any future thoughts on the product here, i'm curious, because i'll likely be buying the same model as you just got.
- I would also be using the laptop probably for on the go video editing for my channel as well.
Also, Refurb section offers about the same prices as the New ones cost on Amazon.com.
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I don't have a Macbook Air but I've got a Macbook pro at the moment, coming up to 5 years of ownership (handful of days when it hasn't been used). Yes it cost more initially for the specs in comparison to others, but I was eligible for student discount at the time of purchase so that helps a bit (if you're not eligible its worth trying to get someone else who is to go with you to make the purchase - saves 15% in the UK anyway).
It still runs as fast as the day I had it, looks brand new with a clean (although it is a pain in the arse with the reflective screen) and I've never reformatted it or anything. Never had any problems whatsoever and its never crashed in 5 years with daily use. The battery charges to 99% even after all this time. Definitely some of the best build quality I've seen in any laptop. The trackpad is also the best I've ever used. When you learn the gestures and shortcuts on the trackpad that it really is a joy to use.
To be fair I could have got away with any laptop as when i'm mobile I don't really need much in the way of specs (that is reserved for the desktop PC) but I'd never tried a mac before so went for it.
However, I've never spent that sort of money on a laptop made by anybody other than apple so I can't really comment on the competition.
If you've never had a mac i'd say go for it. Definitely worth a try. I use to be die-hard windows as well as most of my friends so they were very anti-mac when I first got it. However a few of them have used it since and they are pleasantly surprised.
PS. just read Demik's post as I was typing this, and the refurbs are definitely worth looking at. A few people I know outside of education have bought one and they arrived practically brand new, and they haven't had any problems since (I didn't go down this route because refurbs aren't eligible for student discount).
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Also, Refurb section offers about the same prices as the New ones cost on Amazon.com.
care to post some links? I find that hard to believe amazon offers a 4gb 120gb ssd air for under 1k. If they do, then I'm going that route myself.
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Thinkpad X1 Carbon is supposed to be the Air competitor...
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Yes you can spec a thinkpad to be any specs you want really bu things like ssd and ram are even cheaper if you do them yourself i can help you pick a model and spec it out if you want.
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Also, Refurb section offers about the same prices as the New ones cost on Amazon.com.
care to post some links? I find that hard to believe amazon offers a 4gb 120gb ssd air for under 1k. If they do, then I'm going that route myself.
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-MD231LL-13-3-Inch-VERSION/dp/B005CWJB5G/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1359056950&sr=1-1&keywords=macbook+air
This is the 13 inch.
4 GB
128 GB SSD
Its 8% off, at 1,099. In comparison to the 15% off you get for a refurb, id rather pay the extra 7% and get a brand new one.
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I see.
the great thing about apple refurb is the fact it gets a once over before being put to sale again. Unlike one off the assembly line.
but with electronics its all luck.
but honestly at that size, why not just get a mbp?
more bang for your buck.
I'm looking at getting the 11" version seeing as the whole deal about the air is how small and lightweight it is.
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I see.
the great thing about apple refurb is the fact it gets a once over before being put to sale again. Unlike one off the assembly line.
but with electronics its all luck.
but honestly at that size, why not just get a mbp?
more bang for your buck.
I'm looking at getting the 11" version seeing as the whole deal about the air is how small and lightweight it is.
The MBP doesn't have a SSD in it, which means its slower, I have an external Hard drive for transferring stuff when i run out of memory on my macbook air. The air is still smaller and lighter even in the 13 and 15 inch sizes. I was considering the 11" version, but after seeing it in person i decided the 13 would be a better size for me.
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So add it?
either way, seems like you already have your mind made up. Let us know how you like it when you get it. One thing im afraid of is how hot it gets.
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as a samsung series 9 owner, seriously, check them out. the build quality is amazing.
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love my think pad it actually replace my desktop for most things
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Thanks for the responses.
-I do need portability, I already have a very nice desktop that i use on a daily basis, this would just be a computer for school.
-The reason I'm looking at a mac instead of a ultrabook is the build of the macbook seems to be very very high build quality, ill try and get a hold of a Series 9 in person to see how it feels though, i know Samsung has been doing some awesome stuff lately.
- I would also be using the laptop probably for on the go video editing for my channel as well.
If price and portability are the biggest factor, then the samsung series 9 is a better pick. It's lighter and has a smaller footprint, even though both screens are the same size. The chassis and aluminum shell is very rigid, even though it's so thin and light. They're typically $1000, but you can currently get them for $800. That's 30% - 45%lower price than a macbook air. If you put more emphasis on media editing, generally mac is the way to go.
This is my personal Samnsung S9:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvkZ0d9hSI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvkZ0d9hSI)
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Umm not to be whatever but ever think of a thinkpad?
+1 for Thinkpad.
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Looking into the thinkpad and Samsung right now. I'll be going to the local Tech store later today.
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Umm not to be whatever but ever think of a thinkpad?
+1 for Thinkpad.
+2 for a thinkpad.
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thinkpads are okay but their quality has somewhat lessened of late. i'll leave the OS wars up to you guys :P
any new mac will definitely last you 5 semesters. i'm still using a 2008 macbook pro for my portable :))
if you're willing to go used, check out powermax.com for good refurb deals.
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At a similar pricelevel, more power, SSD and even lower weight than the Macbook Air 13" you could look at the Sony Vaio Z.
Refurbished models can be found in Sony's outlet for even less.
I myself currently have the Vaio S13P with sheet battery if you want a portable gaming machine that can last 10-12 hours with the sheet battery.
I did however swap out the harddisk for a SSD and added 4 GB of ram myself. Sony's upgrades can be horribly expensive.
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I have a white plastic macbook from late 2006 and a 13" macbook air from summer of 2011. I know other people are talking about specs and prices but I personally love the mac experience. You get a BSD core with a nice interface. Every review I've ever seen in the past regarding so called "Macbook Air" competitors/killers had features that just didn't match up with the Macbook Air. The trackpad is the best I've used on any laptop. It's super light even at the 13" size. It will last you. I made the transition years ago because I basically see it as a true *nix base system with a good interface and support. When you buy Apple hardware things just seem to actually work so you can work on what you really have a passion for.
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Most def it will last 5 semesters, with decent resale value to boot. I've had a many macbook airs, MBPs, iMacs and the like; with no ramifications.
Be sure to get the 8GB option, and leave it at otherwise baseline specs.
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I have both a MBA 13 and a Thinkpad 12.5 (with SSD) at home, both with 4GB ram, and they perform fine. The Thinkpad's trackpad really sucks though, it's horrible... it's too small, jumpy, very often my taps move the cursor away instead of registering as a click, and 2-finger scrolling lags or doesn't always register. The MBA's trackpad is waaay better, however I prefer the Thinkpad's keyboard.
For portability the MBA wins, since it's much thinner and therefore easier to put in a backpack.
Regarding apple laptops, I must say the Air 13 has the best screen for me... The Pro's screen is too reflective, while the Air 13's has an antireflective coating sort of like eye glasses do, toning down reflections to a purple color that isn't bothersome. For some reason the Air 11 isn't as good in toning down reflections as the Air 13 is.
The Thinkpad takes a different route (matte screen) to beat reflections even more effectively.
Basically you need to consider your preferences in OS, screen, keyboard, pointing device, performance, portability, and last but not least warranty.
I'm seriously disappointed by the thinkpad's trackpad however, it's worse than other windows laptop's I've tried.
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At a similar pricelevel, more power, SSD and even lower weight than the Macbook Air 13" you could look at the Sony Vaio Z.
Refurbished models can be found in Sony's outlet for even less.
I myself currently have the Vaio S13P with sheet battery if you want a portable gaming machine that can last 10-12 hours with the sheet battery.
I did however swap out the harddisk for a SSD and added 4 GB of ram myself. Sony's upgrades can be horribly expensive.
how's the build quality on a sony? i've never heard good things about vaios other than their looks, and the one i owned was flimsy and had pretty awful hardware for linux (granted that's my choice but i still like to support companies that use better than bottom-of-the-barrel OEM parts).
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my T420 is serving me great and is my favorite laptop that I have ever owned.
I think the trackpad on my thinkpad is good much better that the stupid new ones with integrated buttons. But I have to ask why would you use the trackpad when you have a trackpoint?
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my T420 is serving me great and is my favorite laptop that I have ever owned.
I think the trackpad on my thinkpad is good much better that the stupid new ones with integrated buttons. But I have to ask why would you use the trackpad when you have a trackpoint?
Because trackpoints are personal preferences. The same could be asked of the trackpoint. Why use it when you have a trackpad.
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I use a 27" iMac at work and last August purchased an 11" MacBook Air. Since 12 hours a day is spent at my desk, I wanted the laptop to be ultra portable and was willing to compromise on some battery life and screen real estate. That being said, it's the best laptop I've ever owned. I freakin' love this thing.
If I didn't have a desktop, then I'd have gone for the 13" because I think it is a better laptop overall. Better battery life, larger screen and not that much bigger than the 11"
As for how long it should last, the answer is a long time. My previous laptop was a 13" Blackbook that I purchased in 2007. 5 years is a long time for a laptop and it wasn't until Mountain Lion that I finally felt like I was being left behind. It was also starting to show it's age.
Ultimately, like others have said, it depends on what you plan to do. Here's how I see it breaking down:
- MacBook Air is great for general computing, coding, typing, etc.
- MacBook Pro is great for desktop replacement, video encoding, etc.
- MacBook Pro Retina is great for video and photo work.
Hope that helps!
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my T420 is serving me great and is my favorite laptop that I have ever owned.
I think the trackpad on my thinkpad is good much better that the stupid new ones with integrated buttons. But I have to ask why would you use the trackpad when you have a trackpoint?
Because trackpoints are personal preferences. The same could be asked of the trackpoint. Why use it when you have a trackpad.
cause crappy laptop dont have a trackpoint :D
lol I kid I kid. I know im in the minority. Just like how I like my laptop to be able to dock and be customized upon ordering.
But seriously spend some time with a trackpoint its more convenient and you dont have to remove your hands from the keyboard
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BTW I dont know what you guys are doing with video but it can be much if a dual core laptop is handling it fine...
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BTW I dont know what you guys are doing with video but it can be much if a dual core laptop is handling it fine...
A dual-core i5 is fine for streaming and basic editing, but you can get a quad core i7 if you need more stank when you're out in the field [Spec Sheet (http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/)].
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BTW I dont know what you guys are doing with video but it can be much if a dual core laptop is handling it fine...
A dual-core i5 is fine for streaming and basic editing, but you can get a quad core i7 if you need more stank when you're out in the field [Spec Sheet (http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/)].
mobile editing workhorse :D http://tinyurl.com/b9zm5uc
not that I have one a friend does though....
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It seems there are 2 kinds of touchpads (and drivers) in Windows laptops: Synaptics and Elan.
One shows a little scrollbar icon when you do 2 finger (or edge) scrolling, the other does not. The Synaptics touchpads with the driver that show this stupid icon (like on the Lenovo laptops) have bad scrolling. The Elan, which don't show an icon, like on some Samsung laptops, seem to perform better.
Has anyone else experienced this difference, or is it just me ?
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It seems there are 2 kinds of touchpads i(and drivers) n windows laptops, Synaptics and Elan.
One shows a little scrollbar icon when you do 2 finger (or edge) scrolling, the other does not. The Synaptics touchpads with the driver that show this stupid icon (like on the Lenovo laptops) have bad scrolling. The Elan, which don't show an icon, like on some Samsung laptops, seem to perform better.
Has anyone else experienced this difference, or is it just me ?
Yes, and I cannot stand the Synaptics. Using the Elan on my Samsung series 7 right now :)
Edit: My experience is that Mac OS touchpad is greater than all in an OSx environment, but when it comes to being in Windows, Elan > any apple touchpad I've tried before > Synaptics. I forget which drivers the Macs I've owned used with bootcamp.
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we get it prof, you wanna make out with your thinkpad.
go for it, i won't judge. :-*
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The funny thing is, the Synaptics works better on Linux than on Windows, WTF ??? When I see this stupid scrolling icon in a windows laptop I wanna smash it. How hard can it be to have apple's touchpad responsiveness in Windows? Elan is acceptable, but Apple still wins in that department.
Lenovo's touchpad is unacceptable, but people forgive it due to having an alternative (the trackpoint) but it's no excuse really. It sucks.
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If it were my money, I'd look at the new lenovo yoga. Similar price with a more flexible platform and touchscreen. Plus for the same 1500, you could get an i7 instead of i5. Or save 350 bucks and get one in orange with an i5 and double the ram.
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/laptops/ideapad/yoga/yoga13?cid=us|semd|se|google|ad2|Lenovo_Yoga|IIP_NE_Lenovo_Yoga_Ultrabook|100199&
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It seems there are 2 kinds of touchpads (and drivers) in Windows laptops: Synaptics and Elan.
One shows a little scrollbar icon when you do 2 finger (or edge) scrolling, the other does not. The Synaptics touchpads with the driver that show this stupid icon (like on the Lenovo laptops) have bad scrolling. The Elan, which don't show an icon, like on some Samsung laptops, seem to perform better.
Has anyone else experienced this difference, or is it just me ?
i pre synaptics personally and its not because thats what in my thinkpad but because of the driver you can do alot more with them
o i guess i should mention i turn off all gestures :D
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There's a trackpoint on my work laptop. It prevents me from typing some of the surrounding letters on occasion. I've tried to use it and it's just not for me.
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Just saw this deal - probably won't last long.
Cheapskate Tech Deals
Get a MacBook Air for $799.99
That's Best Buy's today-only price on a new (not refurbished) Air with a Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM. Sellout risk: huge.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-57565825-58/get-a-macbook-air-for-$799.99/?tag=nl.e796&s_cid=e796
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For those in Australia, **** Smith has 10% off Apple notebooks atm: http://****smith.com.au/list/10offapple
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I'm considering buying a macbook air for school right now, and i was wondering, how long have some of you had yours? Will it last me another 5 semesters of college? Its obviously a pretty big investment so i would like to be sure about it before I take the 1.5k plunge. Also, feel free to post with any warnings or concerns, or just to tell me to go for it already, any input is appreciated, obviously.
Thanks GH,
KangarooZombies~~
heyyyyyyyy. if you take care of the things you buy, it will definitely last you 5 semesters. i have bought a new macbook air on every new major update release. i still have all of them and i only had hinge problems with the original first gen macbook air. no other issues. also, you can always run bootcamp if you require a windows app. i prefer mac laptops and pc desktops. the macbook air is worth it imo!
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Lots of good advice that's already been said. The only laptops I'll ever get are Macbook Pros because of the build quality, tools, aesthetics (I'm a web dev). One thing though, I wouldn't pay retail for any apple product. I'd look for an apple reseller on ebay or buy from their education store or refurbished section.
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Doesn't the pro's shiny screen bother you? It's way too reflective, the Air's is much better in that respect. I'm also bummed that the Pro lost not just the optical drive, but even the ethernet port, that completely tips the scale towards the Air 13 for me.
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Absolutely LOVE my 11" MBA.
That being said, I'm selling it and my iPad to fund the purchase of a Surface Pro on 2/9.
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Absolutely LOVE my 11" MBA.
That being said, I'm selling it and my iPad to fund the purchase of a Surface Pro on 2/9.
specs, year, and how much >.>
on both,
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iPad is a 3rd gen, base wi-fi model. I have a gray smart cover as well.
11" Air is the 2011 Core i5 1.6ghz, 2gb ram, 64gb ssd. Also the base model. I have a cover (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QD9E54/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00) for it as well.
Haven't really settled on price. MBA was $1000 new, iPad was $500, although you can get the newer versions for that price now. If you're serious, send me a PM we'll see what we can work out. I have all original materials and packaging as well.
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You buy mac cuz it looks good, and apparently GIRLS at school look at your laptop and judge you..
I asked a few, and this is how it goes down..
If it's a macbook, they consider you..
If it's anything else, they consider something else about you that's worthwhile. "this leap" may not turn out as well, for example, say you're ugly... :))
This is the same situation as expensive cars... :D
straighforward..
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Settled on the air. I like it a lot so far, it does look great. I'm sure I will develop more opinons of it the more i use it, only had it a day or so as of now.
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Settled on the air. I like it a lot so far, it does look great. I'm sure I will develop more opinons of it the more i use it, only had it a day or so as of now.
I see you're in California, had I saw that first... My response would've been, You don't have a choice, unless you want people to think you're poor.
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Settled on the air. I like it a lot so far, it does look great. I'm sure I will develop more opinons of it the more i use it, only had it a day or so as of now.
I see you're in California, had I saw that first... My response would've been, You don't have a choice, unless you want people to think you're poor.
You sound like you need a hug.
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Settled on the air. I like it a lot so far, it does look great. I'm sure I will develop more opinons of it the more i use it, only had it a day or so as of now.
I see you're in California, had I saw that first... My response would've been, You don't have a choice, unless you want people to think you're poor.
You sound like you need a hug.
Haha... I live in NJ.. and I haven't used laptops since graduation, because I can't get anything done on wifi, the latency pisses me off.
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Haha... I live in NJ..
So much makes sense now.
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Haha... I live in NJ..
So much makes sense now.
new jersey, New York's stinky butthole.
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The hinges break up easily... I'd choose a samsung ultrabook, or at last resort the macbook air 13".
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At a similar pricelevel, more power, SSD and even lower weight than the Macbook Air 13" you could look at the Sony Vaio Z.
Refurbished models can be found in Sony's outlet for even less.
I myself currently have the Vaio S13P with sheet battery if you want a portable gaming machine that can last 10-12 hours with the sheet battery.
I did however swap out the harddisk for a SSD and added 4 GB of ram myself. Sony's upgrades can be horribly expensive.
how's the build quality on a sony? i've never heard good things about vaios other than their looks, and the one i owned was flimsy and had pretty awful hardware for linux (granted that's my choice but i still like to support companies that use better than bottom-of-the-barrel OEM parts).
The body itself is really rigid because of the magnesium. The lid is made of carbon fiber in my case and is really flexible. I don't really care though, it doesn't seem to hurt the laptop except for some imprints of the keys on my screen if I stuff it in there with the rest of my gear. But no real complaints even from other users of broken screens.
It's slim, light and can be very powerfull.
The separate graphics card is a dream and is a little monster when bios modded to run at twice the speed. Shame Sony decided to lock that option and Sata 3 speeds in their Win 8 models.
The only letdown is the screen quality. It's mediocre but high resolution. Some brave souls have replaced the standard TN panel with a IPS one. Maybe I'll do that some day.
For some reason I feel like Sony makes laptops like PC-users want, but you need to be familiar and willing to tweak it a little bit for it to run perfectly. So it would not be a straight recommendation for anyone.