Rev A for GF?

[mcdj]

My GF is a fairly light user. Firefox, some MS Office, iTunes for iPod management only, Mail...no Photoshop, gaming, etc. She currently has a 12" PB, which is still useable, but is showing its age.

With Rev A MBAs getting cheaper by the day (especially after a live.com discount), I'm considering getting her one for Xmas.

My concern is that she has a bad habit of leaving mutiple apps (Firefox, Word, Mail, iTunes, etc.) open all the time. I know there are heat/fan issues with the Rev A, but I'm hoping that even with those issues, she would still be getting a much snappier computer. Or...if she doesn't learn to start closing her apps, whether the Rev A will bog down to a performance level of that or below that of her current 12" Powerbook. Also concerned about the level of heat of the MBA vs the 12" PB, as she is also a diehard "lap" user.

Any input mucho appreciated.

[p.luik]

She wont have any problems. Apples are fine with running apps in the background. The switch from PPc to Intel, especially a dual core intel will make a huge difference. I used to have a 12" PB and it got slow only running two apps.

[Ironic]

I say get a Rev B, I had so many issues with the A, the B is perfect.
or maybe a macbook?

[mcdj]

I say get a Rev B, I had so many issues with the A, the B is perfect.
or maybe a macbook?

Macbook too bulky and heavy for her, Rev B too heavy for my wallet. ;)

[Loki.Mephisto]

It´s not bad behavior.

Closing apps is simply not necessary, 2 GB of RAM should easily do it.

Heat issues are unlikely to be expected either, as open apps do not affect the CPU as long as they´re idling.

I guess, the MBA is the perfect machine for her.

[Ironic]

Mac sure you get Apple care mine was in 6 times to date :(

[Cynicalone]

For what she would use it for the Revision 1 would work.

On a normal trip I use mine for Mail, Firefox, iWork. I leave all them open with no problem. Heat isn't as big of an issue with the rev. 1 as long as you don't watch videos and play games.

Another thing to consider is battery life. In all honesty you get about 3.5 hours of wireless productivity between charges.

I have moved on to the Rev. 2, but for about 75% of the work I do my Rev. 1 was an excellent laptop.

[plinden]

Just to let you know - MacMall.com (http://www.macmall.com/macmall/families/macbook_air/) is selling Rev A MBAs for $1150 for the base model, $250 less than Apple's clearance.

[jessica.]

Macbook too bulky and heavy for her, Rev B too heavy for my wallet. ;)

Then it sounds like you know the answer already. If you cannot afford one and the other is too heavy then Rev A it is. Can it withstand her leaving apps running? Probably so, but it'd behoove her to perhaps learn to shut a few now and then. Change the way she does things slightly, save your cash and the super heavy duty weight of that amazingly heavy MB.

[silverblack]

My wife got my Rev A MBA after I got my Al-MB. She's very happy with it doing essentially the same thing as you described. There is heat at the bottom of the computer, but I wouldn't say it's any worse than the 12"PB. She'll love it.

[mcdj]

Just negotiated a Buy It Now (hello $200 cashback!) on a brand new sealed Rev. A for $1180; final cost, $980, plus $20 shipping...minus whatever I can get for her 12" Powerbook, which she said was mine to sell if I got her a new computer. I'm pretty psyched. Heck, a little jealous even. All I have is a lousy 2.4ghz Aluminum. Well, at least I get to fondle it. And the computer. ;)

Can anyone answer this mail question (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=6645058#post6645058)?

[Ironic]

if you love hers buy a rev B for you...cpngrats !

[mcdj]

if you love hers buy a rev B for you...cpngrats !

My aluminum MB is barely a month old. You must think I'm this guy...

http://www.sheilafrancis.com/images/gallery/2004/8.jpg

[HiFiGuy528]

Why do guys always give their girlfriend hand me downs? I think she deserves a NEW rev B.

[mhnajjar]

Why do guys always give their girlfriend hand me downs? I think she deserves a NEW rev B.

Because they are not their wives :p

[killmoms]

Because they are not their wives :p

Touché. :o

[mcdj]

Why do guys always give their girlfriend hand me downs? I think she deserves a NEW rev B.

A brand new computer in a sealed box that has only been replaced by a newer model for a couple of months is hardly a hand me down. What she deserves and what I can afford are very different things!

[mcdj]

The MBA Rev A arrived, brand new. I'll be giving it to the GF for Xmas. In the mean time, I started setting it up for her (she hates that kind of stuff). Upon downloading the requisite updates, the fans were going crazy and the back got pretty hot...just from downloading a few hundred MB's worth of updates.

I expected heat/fans, but I assumed it would be from watching video, or having a bunch of apps open. Does it seem normal for the fans to kick in while simply downloading updates? My aluminum MB didn't do this.

Thx.

[Ironic]

The MBA Rev A arrived, brand new. I'll be giving it to the GF for Xmas. In the mean time, I started setting it up for her (she hates that kind of stuff). Upon downloading the requisite updates, the fans were going crazy and the back got pretty hot...just from downloading a few hundred MB's worth of updates.

I expected heat/fans, but I assumed it would be from watching video, or having a bunch of apps open. Does it seem normal for the fans to kick in while simply downloading updates? My aluminum MB didn't do this.

Thx.

Mine had the same issues fans were always going crazy they would flucuate so much. some here have No issues with it, but mine did also.
Mine also did it with update.

[descartes]

Just negotiated a Buy It Now (hello $200 cashback!) on a brand new sealed Rev. A for $1180; final cost, $980, plus $20 shipping...minus whatever I can get for her 12" Powerbook, which she said was mine to sell if I got her a new computer. I'm pretty psyched. Heck, a little jealous even. All I have is a lousy 2.4ghz Aluminum. Well, at least I get to fondle it. And the computer. ;)

Can anyone answer this mail question (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=6645058#post6645058)?

nice deal on the mba. I am looking for one myself and it seems just under 1k is the going price for a used Rev A.

[Ironic]

Some have used coolbook, maybe that will help?

[SnowLeopard2008]

Throttle the fans?