Hey everyone!
I bet you're all tired of these threads by now. You either want to be a laggard or an early adopter, right? I'm taking my time to consider new products like the MBA and the iPad. Here it goes. I just started my PhD and I have both a truckload of work to do and some extra money to spend on new machines. My laptop is dying so here's what I'm considering..
1. MBP 13" i5/MBA 13" 4g RAM
This looks like the right form factor, plus you can dock them at home. I'm very wary of fan noise with these two, and I've read the MBP is a fumbling beast. Occasional whirrs are okay during heavier tasks but I'm not at all comfortable with recurring noise and/or low-frequency hums coming from the laptop when I'm sleeping (and I sometimes leave it on to finish downloads, etc.). I use Google Talk video chat lot, and I wonder if all the things people are saying about the power-hungry Skype are true for GT too. Aside from these efforts, the occasional iMovie edit just needs to be snappy, and I'm okay with longer export times. I'm, however, very worried with the screen, having compared the two. Smudgy and small vs. a screen I can use everywhere with brightness lower than maximum? I know people have used the MBP screens for years and I still haven't read a fine argument for glossy displays. Are they crispier? Easier to clean and protect, because you don't touch the screen directly? Please help me here.
2. Getting the iPad 2 instead?
Now that the iPad 2 is out, and looks like a multitasking powerhouse, does the iMac+iPad combo still hold valid? A great desktop + a great mobile gadget? I have so many papers to read right now that the idea of reading them on a laptop kinda makes me cringe, though of course I have to compile notes, write essays, research, usually at the same time. How is that "going away from the computer" working for you?
I bet you're all tired of these threads by now. You either want to be a laggard or an early adopter, right? I'm taking my time to consider new products like the MBA and the iPad. Here it goes. I just started my PhD and I have both a truckload of work to do and some extra money to spend on new machines. My laptop is dying so here's what I'm considering..
1. MBP 13" i5/MBA 13" 4g RAM
This looks like the right form factor, plus you can dock them at home. I'm very wary of fan noise with these two, and I've read the MBP is a fumbling beast. Occasional whirrs are okay during heavier tasks but I'm not at all comfortable with recurring noise and/or low-frequency hums coming from the laptop when I'm sleeping (and I sometimes leave it on to finish downloads, etc.). I use Google Talk video chat lot, and I wonder if all the things people are saying about the power-hungry Skype are true for GT too. Aside from these efforts, the occasional iMovie edit just needs to be snappy, and I'm okay with longer export times. I'm, however, very worried with the screen, having compared the two. Smudgy and small vs. a screen I can use everywhere with brightness lower than maximum? I know people have used the MBP screens for years and I still haven't read a fine argument for glossy displays. Are they crispier? Easier to clean and protect, because you don't touch the screen directly? Please help me here.
2. Getting the iPad 2 instead?
Now that the iPad 2 is out, and looks like a multitasking powerhouse, does the iMac+iPad combo still hold valid? A great desktop + a great mobile gadget? I have so many papers to read right now that the idea of reading them on a laptop kinda makes me cringe, though of course I have to compile notes, write essays, research, usually at the same time. How is that "going away from the computer" working for you?
