128GB or 256GB MBA?

[Ifti]

I'll be ordering a i7/8GB/256GB MBA11 in the next few weeks.
Will also order a max CPU 15" rMPB with 16GB/512GB as well, as soon as Haswell versions are released.
Wanted to order both systems together TBH, a nice round £4k (with Appecare on both also) but unfortunate the rMBP hasn't been updated yet!

Will be using the MBA as an ipad replacement for couch surfing etc, as well as a mobile machine for keeping with me, then switch across to the beefier rMBP for my video editing and YouTube stuff

I've promised myself this is it though - no more updates for the next 3 years at least........I hope! Lol

 

[unlimitedx]

Yes I used a Synology DS212J with two drives. It's wired to the network, not wireless and my macbook pro is on wired Ethernet most of the time.

Thunderbolt would be somewhat faster but probably not noticeable unless you do a ton of disk IO. But the NAS is always available, all the time at gigabit-ethernet speed. I would never go back to USB drives. There's a ton of info on these out there.

Thanks, I have been looking into the Synology as well. The DS212J seems to be a good entry level NAS with a lot of features. You mentioned the NAS is wired to the network, but would my laptop need to be wired as well to access the NAS files? or can I access thru the network/wifi. how much did you spend on the whole configuration, and is it fine to start out with just one hard drive?

 

[HiDEF]

Is the speed between the 128 and 256 that noticeable?

 

[B...]

Is the speed between the 128 and 256 that noticeable?

Reads are similar. Writes are around 400 vs. around 700. For serious write and rewrite work (any audio work) it would be somewhat noticeable.

 

[flight]

I bought the 128GB model and use my infinite Bitcasa drive. I'll be connected to a network most of the time to access all of my files, but the essential files that I really need will fit in the 100GB or so on the MBA itself.

 

[Neeyul]

Reads are similar. Writes are around 400 vs. around 700. For serious write and rewrite work (any audio work) it would be somewhat noticeable.

There are video comparisons on here, the 11"s have the 400ish write and the 13"s have the 700 write. It seems there is no speed difference between capacities.

 

[InfinitiG]

MBA with 256 might as well go retina for a little more

 

[curtoise]

MBA with 256 might as well go retina for a little more

MBA 11' with 256ssd will run around in circles in the portability department, my ideal setup is, maxed out iMac 25' and then an in-the-middle specs MBA 11' for truly mobile notebook.

 

[MarkCollette]

Big storage does not have 1-1 relation with technicality. I think, it more common for music / video. VMware / Parallels users are also not always categorised as technical people.

True, there are always exceptions, and there are non-technical people with technical needs, who can be helped to be setup by others. I just think that the size requirements of video are so much more than for audio and other media, that it generally seems like half a terabyte tends not to be a typical need, but usually many more terabytes. And you can save a lot of money using a smaller flash size and adding spinning disks, instead of going whole flash.

 

[InlawBiker]

Thanks, I have been looking into the Synology as well. The DS212J seems to be a good entry level NAS with a lot of features. You mentioned the NAS is wired to the network, but would my laptop need to be wired as well to access the NAS files? or can I access thru the network/wifi. how much did you spend on the whole configuration, and is it fine to start out with just one hard drive?

Yeah, so long as your NAS and laptop are on the same network they can talk. Typically your WiFi access point is on the some home network as all your other stuff. You will always want your NAS to be wired by Ethernet but you can access it by WiFi if you like.

The Synology will accept one drive only of course, the other bay can be free until you want to add more. The NAS itself is around $200, a 3tb drive is around $120 these days. I'm starting to see 4tb drives too!

I have a 3tb drive allocated just to Time Machine. I have a 1tb drive for media, but I'm going to replace that with a 4tb drive when I get around to it.