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Keep the MacMini or the Air?

G

glen e

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jun 19, 2010
2,619
2
Ft Lauderdale
Last year I bought a new '12 air - 8 gb/128 11 inch. I needed it as I was on the road all summer. Now I no longer travel and it sits behind my office 27inch screen and keyboard, it has never been moved and I don't need the portability. I have iPads for that.

I do not do anything on a computer except MS office & Firefox.

Today the MBA HD went south and it's being replaced under warranty. I picked up a MacMini and restored everything with my Time capsule passport HD. Works perfect.

I'm thinking of selling the MBA when it gets back next week. I never move it and I'm thinking running it 24/7 in a closed position probably did not do it any good. The MacMini is plenty fast enuf and 4 GB is fine.

Any thoughts? Am i missing anything?
 
blesscheese

blesscheese

macrumors 6502a
Apr 3, 2010
698
178
Central CA
I have the same argument going on, except I need to be mobile every so often (it comes in cycles).

Essentially, the mac mini has the same innards as the MBA (but without the screen and keyboard, obviously), so you wouldn't be missing anything. The MBA is pretty expensive to just be hanging around on a desk, looking pretty. The iPad gives you some mobile functionality, and in a pinch you could even use VNC to screen share with your mini.

I'm not seeing any obvious reasons to hang on to the MBA. Since I like my MBA keyboard so much, I hook mine up to my external monitor, turn off the screen, and type and use the trackpad with the external display.
 
Corax

Corax

macrumors 6502
Apr 27, 2009
266
0
Willemstad - Curaçao
When you don't ever skype or FaceTime with it you can keep the mini, because you have an iPad for those things. The Mac Mini is a nice, capable and solid machine, plus it is easily user-upgradable.
What kind of storage do you have in the mini?
 
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M

Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Aug 27, 2012
5,009
209
Sounds like black & white to me.

I like it when ppl know their situation. :)

Why have something sitting there (even an MBA) to depreciate?
 
Last edited:
S

stchman

macrumors 6502a
Jul 16, 2012
671
2
St. Louis, MO
glen e said:
Last year I bought a new '12 air - 8 gb/128 11 inch. I needed it as I was on the road all summer. Now I no longer travel and it sits behind my office 27inch screen and keyboard, it has never been moved and I don't need the portability. I have iPads for that.

I do not do anything on a computer except MS office & Firefox.

Today the MBA HD went south and it's being replaced under warranty. I picked up a MacMini and restored everything with my Time capsule passport HD. Works perfect.

I'm thinking of selling the MBA when it gets back next week. I never move it and I'm thinking running it 24/7 in a closed position probably did not do it any good. The MacMini is plenty fast enuf and 4 GB is fine.

Any thoughts? Am i missing anything?
Click to expand...

If you NEVER move it, the Mac Mini makes more sense. You are paying more for the MBA for portability. Also, the RAM is easily user upgradable to 16GB while the MBA is not user upgradable.
 
G

glen e

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jun 19, 2010
2,619
2
Ft Lauderdale
stchman said:
If you NEVER move it, the Mac Mini makes more sense. You are paying more for the MBA for portability. Also, the RAM is easily user upgradable to 16GB while the MBA is not user upgradable.
Click to expand...

exactly the conclusion I came to over the past few days - I now have an I7 1T mini on my desk with 16GB kingston memory coming tomorrow. A relative in college getting my MBA as she needs the portability....thanks for all the comments...
 
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