A second Macbook Air

[scarred]

This Macbook Air was my fist Mac. I must say, other then for games, this thing has blown me away.

I was thinking of moving my wife over. She currently has a windows 7 desktop that she barely uses. A macbook air would definitely be a lot more useful for her.

My question is really around iTunes and the App Store. I know we could share the same music/movies, but can we share the same apps? Do I have to buy iWork all over again for her? If we use the same Apple ID, is that going to mess up iCloud?

 

[soberbrain]

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Search the forums regarding having the same Apple ID, people have had issues.

Home sharing is meant for music and videos. Apps are not supported, but can work. The problem is with every update it will look for the password of the Apple ID used to buy it.

Though it's not as cost effective, setting her up with a separate Apple ID, makes for less headaches. At least you'll save money sharing media.

 

[Risasi]

I just use a single account between a MBP and MBA, iPad, Apple TV and Iphone 4...oh and the old Dell laptop. This has not been an issue for media, and application purchases are shared between the corresponding devices too. And I've also used Photostream on all of them. I would recommend a single iTunes account. Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler...

My biggest hangup is I want both the MBA and MBP set up with two user accounts and to be able to share the same iTunes data. That way I can grab whichever machine I want for the workday.
I still haven't got that set up right. It's getting annoying enough I may replace the Apple TV with a Mac mini at the TV and use it as a media server for all the other devices.

 

[brandon8u]

Yes you can use the same account and pay on once. I've been doing this since the app store first opened. I have 2 macs and I buy 1 app on one computer and just go on the next one and re-download it. It will then tell you that you've already purchased this app and it's free. I even installed lion on both my computers and my sisters mac. Both you just share the same account, then when you want something and she wants it too you don't have to pay twice, and it's your wife your sharing with not some friend... who cares if she has your account and whatnot.

Also you can tell icloud what to sync and what not to sync.

As for Risasi, iCloud now enables you to share music through all you apple devices. When you buy a song on 1 computer it should sync to you iPhone and other macs. However, that's if you get your songs off itunes...

 

[komoornik]

Haven't really read about the Mac licensing but i think it's pretty much illegal.

Coz in the same way u can install warez - they will work too.

 

[LizKat]

Well if you read the iTunes Terms and Conditions, which outlines the license terms for the stuff like iBooks and Mac apps, then with certain exceptions (rented video, for instance, or in-app purchases of accessories for games you are playing) you can make a purchase on a given iTunes account and download / use it on up to five authorized computers --machines that you own or control-- or onto a total of ten iOS devices of which not more than five are computers and the rest iOS devices that you own or control. So like an MPB and an iPad, plus a MBA and an iPHone and an iPod touch...

Read the thing sometime. It's long but it's comprehensible and pretty generous.

 

[Risasi]

Yes you can use the same account and pay on once. I've been doing this since the app store first opened. I have 2 macs and I buy 1 app on one computer and just go on the next one and re-download it. It will then tell you that you've already purchased this app and it's free. I even installed lion on both my computers and my sisters mac. Both you just share the same account, then when you want something and she wants it too you don't have to pay twice, and it's your wife your sharing with not some friend... who cares if she has your account and whatnot.

Also you can tell icloud what to sync and what not to sync.

As for Risasi, iCloud now enables you to share music through all you apple devices. When you buy a song on 1 computer it should sync to you iPhone and other macs. However, that's if you get your songs off itunes...

Yeah, it's not music. It's mostly about movies I buy off of iTunes, and some keepers from my DVD collection. And my wife keeps family pictures. The thing I don't want to do is "double up" video content on a single computer. That's why I'm leaning toward one central repository. With iTunes always running I can get to my stuff on all the other devices. The few times a year I'm off grid in the mountain I can manually move what we want to whatever device we're taking. Usually an iPad and iPhone...

But lest we thread drift here, for the OP I would still recommend a single account and if each one of you is not messing with multiple user accounts on a single computer you don't even have to worry about what I've mentioned above.

 

[matrix07]

One ID for store purchase, two separate IDs for your and your wife iCloud.

 

[scarred]

Thanks for all the feedback. I guess if I really think about it, we won't have that many apps that overlap anyways. Maybe iWork. But for a few bucks extra it might save a bunch of pain. I can try with one and see how it goes, and switch to two if it isn't a great experience.

How long do you guys think till all those refurb airs with toshiba ssds are released?

 

[Jaro65]

One ID for store purchase, two separate IDs for your and your wife iCloud.

I recommend this approach as well. It is exactly what I've done on my end.

 

[OneLastCast]

Maybe she should wait a while before purchasing...any word on the 15" MacBook Air on the way?

 

[gentlefury]

This Macbook Air was my fist Mac. I must say, other then for games, this thing has blown me away.

I was thinking of moving my wife over. She currently has a windows 7 desktop that she barely uses. A macbook air would definitely be a lot more useful for her.

My question is really around iTunes and the App Store. I know we could share the same music/movies, but can we share the same apps? Do I have to buy iWork all over again for her? If we use the same Apple ID, is that going to mess up iCloud?

I think the sharing part has been covered. The thing I'm curious about is the "Other than games" comment. I use my MBA for gaming all the time. And other than crappy rockstar ports that demand WAY too much for a game of its low calibre, it is more than worthy of being a gaming machine!!

What games have you tried that didn't run well? I've played Portal 2, Skyrim, Assassin Creed: Brotherhood, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age: Origins, Oblivion, Rage, and Borderlands on my MBA and all have run incredibly well! Are you trying to run them at 1920x1200 on an external display or something?

 

[swordfish5736]

One ID for store purchase, two separate IDs for your and your wife iCloud.

Exactly what we do. Wife's also got her own login on my iMac linked to her iCloud account but our shared iTunes for apps, music and such. Though she has automatic downloads for music and apps off as I download a lot more than her and she doesn't some of the apps I get.

 

[scarred]

I think the sharing part has been covered. The thing I'm curious about is the "Other than games" comment. I use my MBA for gaming all the time. And other than crappy rockstar ports that demand WAY too much for a game of its low calibre, it is more than worthy of being a gaming machine!!

What games have you tried that didn't run well? I've played Portal 2, Skyrim, Assassin Creed: Brotherhood, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age: Origins, Oblivion, Rage, and Borderlands on my MBA and all have run incredibly well! Are you trying to run them at 1920x1200 on an external display or something?

Holy thread nerco.

But anyways, since you asked... all of them. The Macbook Air does not run any of the above games very well at all.

Yes, you can run them. You can dial down your resolution, dial down the graphics settings, and live with low FPS... but I'd much rather play these games in all their glory. If you haven't played games at full resolution with high graphic details, then I'm sure they look just fine on the Air. But once you know what it can be like...

 

[gentlefury]

Holy thread nerco.

But anyways, since you asked... all of them. The Macbook Air does not run any of the above games very well at all.

Yes, you can run them. You can dial down your resolution, dial down the graphics settings, and live with low FPS... but I'd much rather play these games in all their glory. If you haven't played games at full resolution with high graphic details, then I'm sure they look just fine on the Air. But once you know what it can be like...

Ummm, actually it plays every game I listed extremely well. I have a top end desktop at home and play games at max settings...and they look fantastic on the air. If you would like, I will shoot some video of it in action.

Maybe you just don't know how to set up windows properly on your Mac? Are you using the latest drivers or are you using the crap drivers that Apple provides? Maybe have some experience on a matter before speculating a response.

 

[SteneDave]

Ummm, actually it plays every game I listed extremely well. I have a top end desktop at home and play games at max settings...and they look fantastic on the air. If you would like, I will shoot some video of it in action.

Maybe you just don't know how to set up windows properly on your Mac? Are you using the latest drivers or are you using the crap drivers that Apple provides? Maybe have some experience on a matter before speculating a response.

Then for instance COD BO, or COD MW3 should run flawlessly, but from what I ve seen on youtube it was barely playable, and these are really not very demanding games..are we talking about 2011 Air ?

 

[jterp7]

Holy thread nerco.

But anyways, since you asked... all of them. The Macbook Air does not run any of the above games very well at all.

Yes, you can run them. You can dial down your resolution, dial down the graphics settings, and live with low FPS... but I'd much rather play these games in all their glory. If you haven't played games at full resolution with high graphic details, then I'm sure they look just fine on the Air. But once you know what it can be like...

Ummm, actually it plays every game I listed extremely well. I have a top end desktop at home and play games at max settings...and they look fantastic on the air. If you would like, I will shoot some video of it in action.

Maybe you just don't know how to set up windows properly on your Mac? Are you using the latest drivers or are you using the crap drivers that Apple provides? Maybe have some experience on a matter before speculating a response.

lol what is up with the delusional fanboi's here...an HD3000 is not meant for serious gaming. Just for comparison, my 3 year old windows computer with a gtx260 and q9550 runs SC2 silky smooth at 1080p with absolutely everything on max. On the MBA, OTOH, 1080p and low with everything off it'll be 40ish fps with no action, 30s with small battles and goes toward slideshow in large battles.

But anyway back on topic: I'm also considering one for the wife and found a few good deals on 2011's...but in the back of my head I think an ipad is better for her. The issue is that I'd probably be tempted to use it also and my kids too, which means we'd need at least 2 lol.

Scarred- does your wife actually need a computer or something for surfing/music/video? My wife is comfortable with ios since we both have 4s's but she is still somewhat intimidated to switching over to osx, given that we've been windows users until late 2011.

 

[gentlefury]

lol what is up with the delusional fanboi's here...an HD3000 is not meant for serious gaming. Just for comparison, my 3 year old windows computer with a gtx260 and q9550 runs SC2 silky smooth at 1080p with absolutely everything on max. On the MBA, OTOH, 1080p and low with everything off it'll be 40ish fps with no action, 30s with small battles and goes toward slideshow in large battles.

But anyway back on topic: I'm also considering one for the wife and found a few good deals on 2011's...but in the back of my head I think an ipad is better for her. The issue is that I'd probably be tempted to use it also and my kids too, which means we'd need at least 2 lol.

Scarred- does your wife actually need a computer or something for surfing/music/video? My wife is comfortable with ios since we both have 4s's but she is still somewhat intimidated to switching over to osx, given that we've been windows users until late 2011.

How does fanboy BS come into play. It runs games well enough that I use it for games nearly every day. Simple as that! I can't stand how people refuse to believe it can be used for games...when they are just going on speculation.

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[/COLOR]

Then for instance COD BO, or COD MW3 should run flawlessly, but from what I ve seen on youtube it was barely playable, and these are really not very demanding games..are we talking about 2011 Air ?

I haven't played either of those on it (I don't like multiplayer games) but if all you have seen is a youtube video thats not really proof.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 plays very well on it!

 

[scarred]

Scarred- does your wife actually need a computer or something for surfing/music/video? My wife is comfortable with ios since we both have 4s's but she is still somewhat intimidated to switching over to osx, given that we've been windows users until late 2011.

I like switching back to the original topic as well. No sense arguing about the game thing. I posted this a while ago btw. and I'm glad I dragged my feet, because iOS is exactly what she prefers. She claimed my first gen iPad a few months ago and uses it all the time, and now I'm going to 'surprise' her with the new iPad. Retina, iPhoto, FaceTime, and dictation are going to be killer upgrades for her.

There is something about iOS that simply removes all fear from users. She's terrified of "breaking" OS X and Windows machines, but has no problems with iOS at all.

 

[jterp7]

I like switching back to the original topic as well. No sense arguing about the game thing. I posted this a while ago btw. and I'm glad I dragged my feet, because iOS is exactly what she prefers. She claimed my first gen iPad a few months ago and uses it all the time, and now I'm going to 'surprise' her with the new iPad. Retina, iPhoto, FaceTime, and dictation are going to be killer upgrades for her.

There is something about iOS that simply removes all fear from users. She's terrified of "breaking" OS X and Windows machines, but has no problems with iOS at all.

i was hoping for an easy decision with the 128gb version, but since that's not available and it's too late now, I'll probably wait a few weeks to order hers. I did find a good deal on a OB 13" ultimate but then we'd have a his and hers 13 MBA's.