Myth: If you are in the professional world, you need a Macbook Pro.
Two months ago, I had two computers. A triple monitor 2011 27" i7 iMac, and a 2010 11" Macbook Air. For obvious reasons, my reasoning was to use the MBA for going to coffee shops, sitting in front of the TV, and playing games. The iMac, on the other hand, kept food on my table... or so I thought.
75% of the time I ended up using my 11" MBA for doing all of my design, not because it was faster (of course its not), but because it was far more convenient. This a 2010 base model 11" Air, mind you. Not exactly a speed freak. However, unless I was working on a 10 foot poster, it would run just as fast as my iMac. The main problem, the tiny screen.
This led to my current configuration.
I realized that even a 2010 MBA had the power to run Photoshop, Illustrator, and inDesign all at the same time. Working in Aperture was a drag though. The problem was the screen size. Fast forward to 2012, and the new Macbook Air's are FOUR times as fast as in 2010. Aperture, I thought, should not be a problem now. Screen size? Well use an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse for that matter when sitting in a desk.
So here I am, a full time graphic designer, working to keep food on my plate (not using photoshop to make memes). And I can re-assure you, ALL YOU NEED IS A MACBOOK AIR. I chose the 13" this time, for slightly more real estate and longer battery life, without much added weight AT ALL. I went with the i5, because it is more than enough to run everything, I promise. Upgraded the ram to 8GB (DO THIS), and called it a day. Most storage I keep offsite in a 1.5TB enclosure, since I don't use much when working on a single project. I couldn't ask for more. Portability is there, power is there, and a giant screen is there when I need it (connected to my external monitor in my desk).
If you do ANYTHING less intensive than Graphic Design [surf the web, use it for school, play games (to a certain extent)], I promise you, don't spend the money on a MBP. You will loose portability and a whole lot of cash - only to gain nothing. The only reason I see anyone buying a MBP or iMac these days is to do HEAVY video editing. Because even now, with my i5 8gb MBA, I can do all the photo editing in the world [even in a power hogging application such as Aperture].
Needless to say, my iMac is gone and I have consolidated into a single computer. The 2012 Macbook Air's are beasts, despite what all 16 year old boys who only look at benchmark tests tell you.
Two months ago, I had two computers. A triple monitor 2011 27" i7 iMac, and a 2010 11" Macbook Air. For obvious reasons, my reasoning was to use the MBA for going to coffee shops, sitting in front of the TV, and playing games. The iMac, on the other hand, kept food on my table... or so I thought.
75% of the time I ended up using my 11" MBA for doing all of my design, not because it was faster (of course its not), but because it was far more convenient. This a 2010 base model 11" Air, mind you. Not exactly a speed freak. However, unless I was working on a 10 foot poster, it would run just as fast as my iMac. The main problem, the tiny screen.
This led to my current configuration.
I realized that even a 2010 MBA had the power to run Photoshop, Illustrator, and inDesign all at the same time. Working in Aperture was a drag though. The problem was the screen size. Fast forward to 2012, and the new Macbook Air's are FOUR times as fast as in 2010. Aperture, I thought, should not be a problem now. Screen size? Well use an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse for that matter when sitting in a desk.
So here I am, a full time graphic designer, working to keep food on my plate (not using photoshop to make memes). And I can re-assure you, ALL YOU NEED IS A MACBOOK AIR. I chose the 13" this time, for slightly more real estate and longer battery life, without much added weight AT ALL. I went with the i5, because it is more than enough to run everything, I promise. Upgraded the ram to 8GB (DO THIS), and called it a day. Most storage I keep offsite in a 1.5TB enclosure, since I don't use much when working on a single project. I couldn't ask for more. Portability is there, power is there, and a giant screen is there when I need it (connected to my external monitor in my desk).
If you do ANYTHING less intensive than Graphic Design [surf the web, use it for school, play games (to a certain extent)], I promise you, don't spend the money on a MBP. You will loose portability and a whole lot of cash - only to gain nothing. The only reason I see anyone buying a MBP or iMac these days is to do HEAVY video editing. Because even now, with my i5 8gb MBA, I can do all the photo editing in the world [even in a power hogging application such as Aperture].
Needless to say, my iMac is gone and I have consolidated into a single computer. The 2012 Macbook Air's are beasts, despite what all 16 year old boys who only look at benchmark tests tell you.
