Sorry for making another thread about this, but my 2008 MB is no longer functional and I really can't decide between the base 2011 13" Air and the base 2011 13" Pro.
I'm starting grad school in a couple of weeks in social sciences. I basically live on my computer and use it from the minute I get up to the minute I go to sleep. I take all my notes on my computer, and use my Mac mostly for word processing, research, web browsing, using iTunes and watching the occasional movie/tv show. Once I start grad school, I would probably do the occasional data processing on stats programs such as Stata or SPSS (maybe once a week?), which would be the most intensive thing I would do on my Mac. I'm used to watching DVDs on my laptop, but I've been digitizing my DVD library (saved on an external HDD). My music library is also big, but I'm also going to move it to that same external HDD. I don't play any games and do not do any photo/video editing.
I've been eyeing the MBA because of portability, but keep going back and forth between Air and Pro, mostly because of the Air's lack of upgradeability. I'm also afraid of the thinness of the Air making it a more fragile every day machine than the Pro. I'm also afraid of heat in both machines if/when I use stats programs and do other CPU intensive tasks. The fact that the Air is "sexy" is NOT a factor in my decision.As mentioned above, all my media library is moving to an external HDD so the Air's lack of optical drive would not be an issue. I also intend to get a Time Machine for daily backups.
I travel a lot, and intend to keep my next Mac for at least 3 1/2 to 4 years.
Any suggestions?
Sidenote: The 11" MBA screen is way too small and it will not fit my needs because of the lack of screen estate. The 15" Pro has an awesome screen, but it is way too big / heavy to lug around to campus / between classes, the library and home every day (though the library will probably be my home for these next 4 years of grad school). I don't intend to get an external display. I thought of getting an iPad for consumption (research, reading both for leisure and for academic purpose, e-textbooks). Writing papers on it would be out of the question because I really can't stand typing on a touch screen, and think buying a Bluetooth keyboard would defeat the purpose of the iPad in the first place. If I eventually get an iPad, that will also decrease the weight of my bag for school because of the absence of physical textbooks. However, the iPad is more of a want than a need, so that will wait.
I'm starting grad school in a couple of weeks in social sciences. I basically live on my computer and use it from the minute I get up to the minute I go to sleep. I take all my notes on my computer, and use my Mac mostly for word processing, research, web browsing, using iTunes and watching the occasional movie/tv show. Once I start grad school, I would probably do the occasional data processing on stats programs such as Stata or SPSS (maybe once a week?), which would be the most intensive thing I would do on my Mac. I'm used to watching DVDs on my laptop, but I've been digitizing my DVD library (saved on an external HDD). My music library is also big, but I'm also going to move it to that same external HDD. I don't play any games and do not do any photo/video editing.
I've been eyeing the MBA because of portability, but keep going back and forth between Air and Pro, mostly because of the Air's lack of upgradeability. I'm also afraid of the thinness of the Air making it a more fragile every day machine than the Pro. I'm also afraid of heat in both machines if/when I use stats programs and do other CPU intensive tasks. The fact that the Air is "sexy" is NOT a factor in my decision.As mentioned above, all my media library is moving to an external HDD so the Air's lack of optical drive would not be an issue. I also intend to get a Time Machine for daily backups.
I travel a lot, and intend to keep my next Mac for at least 3 1/2 to 4 years.
Any suggestions?
Sidenote: The 11" MBA screen is way too small and it will not fit my needs because of the lack of screen estate. The 15" Pro has an awesome screen, but it is way too big / heavy to lug around to campus / between classes, the library and home every day (though the library will probably be my home for these next 4 years of grad school). I don't intend to get an external display. I thought of getting an iPad for consumption (research, reading both for leisure and for academic purpose, e-textbooks). Writing papers on it would be out of the question because I really can't stand typing on a touch screen, and think buying a Bluetooth keyboard would defeat the purpose of the iPad in the first place. If I eventually get an iPad, that will also decrease the weight of my bag for school because of the absence of physical textbooks. However, the iPad is more of a want than a need, so that will wait.
Last edited: