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11" handle Netbeans or Grails?

Scott6666

Scott6666

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 2, 2008
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Just wondering if the 11 would be strong enough to do some basic Java development using Netbeans. Fires off a Glassfish server when it runs and it does a fair amount of file scanning.

Would strongly prefer if the fans would not be roaring as I develop.

Would be mostly interested in the 11 but 13" owner feedback might help.

Can I assume that no one in the world has tried this? Where are the programmers?
 
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I don't do Java dev anymore so I can't help you out. I am enjoying Xcoding on my 13" but I've only been at it for a couple of sessions so far.
 
I'm doing Java (with Netbeans) on my 'Ultimate' 13" and it's great :).

On my course some of the guys have Atom based Netbooks (Eee PC, eMachines etc) and they're running Netbeans fine on their Netbooks!

I'd get the 4GB and faster processor option though if I were you, after a while of Java dev I looked yesterday and had only 1GB of RAM free :(.
 
Thanks for the replies. Anyone try with the 11? Although if Netbeans will work on a netbook it will work on the 11 (which is essentially a netbook anyway, right? :rolleyes:)

Westyfield2 said:
I'm doing Java (with Netbeans) on my 'Ultimate' 13" and it's great :).

On my course some of the guys have Atom based Netbooks (Eee PC, eMachines etc) and they're running Netbeans fine on their Netbooks!

I'd get the 4GB and faster processor option though if I were you, after a while of Java dev I looked yesterday and had only 1GB of RAM free :(.
Click to expand...

Does the fan spin up?
 
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Just to throw my 2 cents and coming from a different angle I was doing server side Java development (and still am) back in 2001 using a Dell 4100 with a Pentium 3 933MHz, 512MB RAM, a 120GB slow PATA drive and a CRT monitor (not even flat) doing only 1280 x 800. I was running Linux Mandrake and IntelliJ IDE. It ran well. I worked on interesting projects and made an excellent living.

So to cut to the chase when you compare the specs above and the specs of the Macbook Air 11" the answer is: yes
 
I got the 11 inch with 4 Gb ram.
I use eclipse for Java development and it works flawless.
 
I use textmate for grails, so can't comment on netbeans... I have tried netbeans a few times in the past and found it to be annoyingly slow on any hardware. Running grails with built in tomcat works fine, a bit slower grails startup than my mbp probably from all the compiling with a slower proc. Have built and run multi-module maven projects in eclipse and jboss, works great. I use the 11 for travel and for work at night in bed etc. Having 4Gb is a big improvement for java dev over the previous air. I'm very happy with it as a second laptop.
 
So I guess the only way to find out the answer to this was to buy one.

BTW, the answer is Netbeans runs fine. Compiles a few hundred beans in 6 secs or so. Starts Glashfish fine.

Have Ultimate 11".
 
Picked up an 11.6 1.4 MBA 4GB 128GB

I'm a developer -

I just used Mac Mall to order the above config and save a bit and taxes... 1269 for a 11.6 1.4 MBA 4GB 128GB (which would be about the same as the refurb price when you factor in taxes)

I tried it in the store, I think the size is awesome and I can readily work with that size screen. I like the small fine print and the incredible portability.

I'll be developing with a variety of tools - XCode, TextMate, Eclipse - and running apps on Pyhthon/Django and Rails, along with prescribed plugins. I don't see any kind of problem there, as I could use all of those on an Atom Hackintosh I built last year.

My only worry is doing more than just light work in something like Photoshop or Illustrator - anybody have any first hand experience using those design tools on a new MBA?

I'm pumped!
 
As for fan noise on the 11":
When trying to check at what temp the fan would kick in I pushed the CPU up to 74°C using a Prime95 torture test – the fan hadn't kicked in by then.

Then I set the fan to 4000rpm (from idle ~2000rpm) manually, which dropped the temp by only ~8°C.

My conclusion is that the fan would only kick in above something like 80+°C but might spin at over 4000rpm to achieve actual affect.
I also have to add that the fan isn't particularly loud at 4000rpm; you only hear the airflow, nothing mechanical, at a very, very moderate level.
 
I run everything from Texmate and Espresso, to Vim and BBEdit. This machine gets no warmer than my toes when the heater goes kaput in the winter (seriously it is freezing).
 
I'm sure the existing processor can run these dev apps fine - as they were working fine on my atom.

After reading about the Sandy Bridge specs blowing everything out of the water - I now think I'm going to wait. Even it it's a few months. Those processors are amazing!

I went and cancelled my order for the 2010 MBA :(
 
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