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logansj1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 31, 2010
3
0
i just bought my new macbook air about a week ago or so, i have 1 more week to return it. im wondering if i should bring it back and buy the one with 256gb ssd. does more flash memory make it any faster? and im also considering whether or not just returning it and then waiting until the new macbook pro comes out.
 

mario24601

macrumors regular
Nov 26, 2010
237
2
Not faster just more space...256 is too much for me but I still got 256 anyway just in case since you can not upgrade it later.
 

newdeal

macrumors 68030
Oct 21, 2009
2,510
1,769
...

I am also contimplating returning and waiting for the new macbook pro. Regardless I wouldn't bother with 256gb I would get the smaller SSD and then put a big drive on the network for data files (music, movies whatever doesn't need a super fast access speed)
 

logansj1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 31, 2010
3
0
well i really like this laptop, its size and weight is very convenient. im just wondering if the new macbook pro is worth waiting for. if i knew if it was going to be thinner and lighter and no disk drive and ssd like the air then i would wait. i hate how apple doesn't let anyone know what the updates going to bring.
 

newdeal

macrumors 68030
Oct 21, 2009
2,510
1,769
...

my guess is it will be the same case, drop the optical drive and put in a better cpu and graphics chip and slightly bigger battery and thats it
 

mario24601

macrumors regular
Nov 26, 2010
237
2
No one really knows what the new pro will be like...if I was betting I would say very similar to the air in terms of being lighter and ssd and with faster cpu....but really given all that if you wait, then you may think later on that you should wait for the air refresh and you basically end up waiting a long time and there is always something new and better coming out. I really like my air 13 and if I like the new pro even more I will just sell the air to get it. If you can borrow an air you should or buy then give them some "reason" and return it. Just my two cents.
 

reddirt14

macrumors newbie
Dec 21, 2007
13
1
U.S.
I went with 128GB and I'm going to stick with it. I've come from the PC world with limited work on images or video. I see now why you need more space on a Mac. I definitely will be doing a lot more of that now that I have a Mac (my first one). But I've decided to purchase a Raid enabled network stack of drives to store all those files on. 128GB should be fine for all the applications I need, a few movies, lots of audio and some workspace.

The other thing to consider is that there is some talk that SSD may be replaceable. Most of the MBA components are going to be impossible to replace, but some initial comments on the MBA is that the SSD appears replaceable. So if companies start producing 512GB+ drives I might pickup an upgrade. Alternatively, I can see myself getting the next MBA released and decide on increasing memory at that time. The resale value of these MBAs is good enough that I can afford to upgrade.
 

snouter

macrumors 6502a
May 26, 2009
767
0
128MB is plenty for the Air. I have a 500GB Seagate external for more media and large files.

If storage is a real issue, a MBP would let you boot off an SSD and shove a 500GB HDD in the Superdrive slot.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

oakie

macrumors 6502
Oct 16, 2008
407
2
seattle
i simply based it on my previous portable's usage. my 15" MBP has a 500GB HDD, of which i consumed almost half at the time i ordered the 13" MBA. to future-proof it as much as possible, i went for the 4GB option. once i sifted through my MBP for only what i needed, i still had over 128GB of data that required me to get the 256GB version.

since i needed the 256GB MBA, i decided at that point just to throw in the 2.13GHz CPU upgrade anyways. my biggest fear of cheapening out and getting the 128GB was waiting for a cheaper aftermarket solution to upgrade the internal storage.

basically, just look at your current needs and use that as a guideline. if you're within 20% of the maximum, it'd be wise to step up to the next larger size if possible. an external HDD is a solution, but it's an inconvenient one especially if you've bought the MBA specifically to reduce the amount of stuff to carry.

there is also the USB flash drive option since there are 128 and 256GB USB drives that can more elegantly expand your storage space if cargo space is a concern.

but generally the question youve asked is one that only you can answer.
 

tmoerel

Suspended
Jan 24, 2008
1,005
1,567
128MB is plenty for the Air. I have a 500GB Seagate external for more media and large files.

These kind of remarks are so utterly useless. What you need to say is that 128Gb is more than enough for YOU.
Different people have different requirements. For example if you need a reasonable Boot Camp partition and some development software 128Gb might not cut it.
So next time you say that 128Gb is enough be more specific and tell us how it is enough for you and what you do with your MBA.
 

peapody

macrumors 68040
Oct 7, 2007
3,176
139
San Francisco, CA
It depends on what your needs are.

+ infinity.

Everyone is different.

Like for me I have 500gbs of media that I like to keep on my machine to enjoy frequently. 256 isn't anywhere near enough, and neither is 128. Therefore I went with 64gb because it is a true portable machine for work and net browsing. Any music will be enjoyed through my iPod which is no big deal!
 

Murgatroyd

macrumors regular
Feb 26, 2010
113
6
Staten Island, New Yawk
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B118 Safari/6531.22.7)

I was fiddling with iMovie on an Air at the Apple Store here in New York, testing that SSD inside. I had Activity Monitor on while rendering and surprised, impressed the model's stock CPU was holding up at 60-70%. Finished, I checked system info to find the Air I was using had the 128 SSD, with over 70 GB already stored upon it. For a display public use computer the Apple staff already realize the base 64 GB SSD Air is not up to task for common use.

For whatever … .
 

WardC

macrumors 68030
Oct 17, 2007
2,727
215
Fort Worth, TX
In my experience you really only need 256GB if you plan on storing a great deal of music or video files on the drive (usually video takes up the most space). If you are keeping a large video library or doing a boatload of video editing (several thousand hours of editing)...then you might need 256GB. I have a Mac Pro tower and have a 120GB SSD installed on it, and it is more than enough for my system and all my apps. I store my iTunes and video files on a RAID storage...

On neither one of my MacBook Airs am I using more than 64GB of the internal storage right now, I think 256GB is more than enough for anything, even 128GB is a great deal. Again, video files will eat up your space the most.
 

JonLa

macrumors 6502
Dec 22, 2009
378
28
Am torn between the 128 and the 256 - I could use the spare cash on a Time Capsule. What do you all think?
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,026
7,868
Am torn between the 128 and the 256 - I could use the spare cash on a Time Capsule. What do you all think?

I used to use a Time Capsule for external storage when I had a Rev B. The thing to keep in mind is that as soon as you send an item to the Trash on a Time Capsule, it is deleted (i.e. it isn't a second step to empty the trash). Also, transferring files back and forth can be pretty slow.
 

mixvio

macrumors 6502
Apr 12, 2009
388
0
Sydney, Australia
In my experience you really only need 256GB if you plan on storing a great deal of music or video files on the drive (usually video takes up the most space). If you are keeping a large video library or doing a boatload of video editing (several thousand hours of editing)...then you might need 256GB. I have a Mac Pro tower and have a 120GB SSD installed on it, and it is more than enough for my system and all my apps. I store my iTunes and video files on a RAID storage...

Or you want to have a second Windows partition, or you want to actually install any games on it.

I have about eight gigs left free on my 256 gig HD, and that's with me making sacrifices (not installing some games I am not certain I'll play, no Boot Camp partition, etc) in order to get everything to fit. No movies, but I have about 20 gigs in iPhoto and a 60 gig music library. Even World of Warcraft and its expansions takes up about 25 gigs. Point being, everyone's needs are different.

It's funny since I remember buying a laptop with 80 gigs on it in 2004/2005 and telling myself it was massive and I'd never use all that space. I remember buying a laptop in 2008 with a 256 gig HD and thinking the same thing....
 

surroundfan

macrumors 6502
Nov 22, 2005
345
36
Melbourne, Australia
I went for 256GB, so as to enable me to have a bootcamp partition and ensure it'll be kicking on for the next five years or so.

The other thing that hasn't been mentioned is that, IMO at least, the upgrade to 256GB is actually reasonably priced (by Apple standards) at $300, being in line with similar SSD size upgrades.
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,026
7,868
The other thing that hasn't been mentioned is that, IMO at least, the upgrade to 256GB is actually reasonably priced (by Apple standards) at $300, being in line with similar SSD size upgrades.

That it is. Compare prices of 128GB vs 256GB third party SSDs and you'll see about a $250-$300 difference. Also, the differential is reasonable compared to what Apple charges for the same upgrade on a MacBook Pro.
 

gonnabuyamacbsh

macrumors 6502
Oct 24, 2010
324
0
These kind of remarks are so utterly useless. What you need to say is that 128Gb is more than enough for YOU.
Different people have different requirements. For example if you need a reasonable Boot Camp partition and some development software 128Gb might not cut it.
So next time you say that 128Gb is enough be more specific and tell us how it is enough for you and what you do with your MBA.

if the person is unsure than chances are they don't have hobbies or work in a job that requires a lot of storage space.

128gb is more than enough. U mad brah?
 

zulumonk

macrumors member
Nov 25, 2009
45
0
I was thinking about waiting for the new Macbook Pro as well. Since you're still thinking about the Pro after you've been using the Air, I would say return. It would be better for you to be patient for what you really want, than regret keeping what you have now.
 

foiden

macrumors 6502a
Dec 13, 2008
809
13
The choice is kind of tough if you aren't sure about how you plan on using your MBA. If you plan to utilize Windows 7 quite a bit, then you'll probably lean towards the 256. Depending on how you use it, 128GB could be quite a plenty for Mac OSX stuff. It'll even handle some gaming wants if you plan on doing stuff just in that operating system. Once you add Windows 7 into the mix, you might want to utilize a good amount to that partition. Once your windows partition size gets to around 64GB, you start to be thankful for getting the 256GB option.

However, that's based strictly on your preferences on how you use your MBA. The 13" MBA makes quite a surprisingly powerful all around dual operating system machine capable of performing just about any task on each of the operating systems involved. Not the *best* at them, but quite capable.
 
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