For the first time in almost exactly 2 years, I’m replacing my primary computing device — the original 13″ unibody MacBook is being retired in favor of a new 13″ MacBook Air. The screen may sound small but, given my various travels and mobile blogging activities, it’s the right size for me… most of the time.
Choosing to upgrade now is a bit of splurge considering this MacBook Air actually sports a less powerful processor than the one housed in the laptop it replaces. However, as I rarely render video on my laptop I expect a minimal real world performance hit. In fact, given SSD storage over spinning platters, the MBA should provide a more sprightly experience in many tasks. Additionally, in relation to performance, several publications (like Macworld) show these new systems perform admirably despite their small stature.
I find the 11″ MacBook Air very appealing — so sexy, so small, yet pretty capable, But there are too many compromises required for me to use it as a full-time laptop. So I went with the 13″ for the larger screen, larger battery, more powerful processor, and SD slot. Compared to my previous laptop, I expect to at least double battery life and the higher resolution display will be appreciated for certain tasks. Also, the SD slot is a very nice upgrade that I’m already enjoying – one less cable or adapter to travel with (or lose).
Two positive surprises so far… The display appears less glossy than my previous laptop. Not sure if this is truly the case, perhaps the silver metal bezel versus black glass and higher resolution contribute to some sort of optical illusion. Regardless, I’m unexpectedly pleased. Also, on the hardware front the keyboard feels a bit different. Not sure if the keys travel less or they’re just a bit softer, but the feeling is slightly different. In a good way. Otherwise, there’s not much to say about the hardware — as you’d expect, the build quality is outstanding.
On the software front, as I migrate stuff over it’s interesting to note what I’m choosing to leave behind. At some point over the last two years, I’ve replaced Microsoft Office and OpenOffice with Google Docs. Also, I have much less need for VMWare Fusion and Parallels these days. Whereas I relied on Windows virtualization as a crutch when first going Mac laptop (in ’07/’08). Plus, there’s much more OS X-compatible software these days (Mac is back) and I’ve got Windows-based computers available when/as needed. With all this Adobe hateraide going ’round, instead of loading up the new Adobe Photoshop Elements, I’m running exclusively with the lighter-weight Acorn for a few weeks. We’ll see how it goes. (Dropping Flash is out of the question. For now.)
In terms of specs, I stuck with the standard 128GB SSD for storage (although upgraded to 4GB for memory). And I’m already regretting that decision to save a few bucks given my iTunes and iPhoto libraries. iTunes is mostly expendable at this point, as I get most of my music needs met via Slacker and XM these days. However, I do like having most of my photos with me at all times. So I’m going to have to upgrade this SSD one day or figure out how to access and maintain multiple iPhoto libraries – one local, one on a NAS. Hm.
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Dave:
I'm playing with a 13.3-inch MacBook Air review unit, and I can pretty much echo your sentiments. I've discovered that the addition of a speed SSD means you can comfortably do virtualization with Win7 even if you've only got the 2-GB model.
The main thing I miss using the Air instead of a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro (which is my current notebook) is the lack of a backlit keyboard. Yeah, I know, that seems like a luxury... until you've had it, and had to do without it. I spend a lot of time typing in dim lighting, and the backlit keyboard is very useful. The Air's keyboard seems like a step backward in this regard.
"In terms of specs, I stuck with the standard 128GB SSD for storage (although upgraded to 4GB for memory). And I’m already regretting that decision to save a few bucks given my iTunes and iPhoto libraries."
I'm of the opinion that $300 is a rotten deal for an extra 121GB of SSD storage.
If you are getting an SSD in your laptop, it's because of one of the following:
1) You're usually connected to LAN storage, so you can store your media there.
2) You don't have much of your own media.
3) You're made out of gold, and can afford a ginormous SSD at current prices.
4) You're not thinking clearly.
Given that you seem to have a LAN and gear, I'd say that you likely fall into category #1.
I have a 128GB Apple SSD in my MBP, and I store my photos, music, and videos on the LAN. That way, I only fill half of my SSD, which should help with wear-leveling over time.
Which brings up the travel issue. Assuming you don't want to tunnel into your LAN from distance and access your media over the WAN, might I suggest the antiquated notion of a small, bus powered, platter hard drive?
Apple makes a wonderful portable platter hard drive device called the iPod Classic which has a fair amount of hard drive space for your media. It also doubles as a standalone music player, which comes in oddly handy at times.
Or you can get a non-music playing portable platter hard drive device for the mid-two digit price point. Sync your LAN media onto the drive before you travel, and you're good to go.
Also worth noting that many photo cataloging apps like iPhoto allow you to keep low-res thumbnails of your media on your SSD, while keeping the hi-res originals on your LAN, which is optimal in travelling situations...
Thanks fot the comment, Dwight! Prior to my 13" MacBook I had two work-provided 15" MacBooks that had the backlit keyboard. I miss both that and the mushy concave keys. Sometime before that, I had a Thinkpad that beamed down light from the top of the display onto the keys which served a similar purpose and was something I appreciated (although maybe not as much). But the first 13" unibody Macs did not provide backlighting in the lower-end configs so I've been w/o for two years. I'd take it if offered, but it's not compelling enough to take on the additional bulk of the MBP - even though it's a better "value" in many respects.
Chucky, I'm comfortable setting up a secure tunnel home but I haven't bothered recently. I need to research what iPhoto library options I have. Like I said, my first thought is two libraries - one local for things I always want with me, and then one that lives on a NAS. The low res local is a configuration I wasn't aware of. Will have to research that too. I'm also not mated to iPhoto, might see what Picasa offers these days.