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better compromise..processor or ssd???

N

nashville man

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 1, 2012
28
0
For the Same Price...which do you compromise on???
(since neither Processor nor SSD can really be cost effectively upgraded later in an Air)

Do you...
1) take Fall 2010 Air Core2Duo processor, but with 4 gb and 256 ssd, or...
2) go with Summer 2011 Air, with newer i5 processor, same 4gb RAM, but...only 128 ssd????

Hmmm....which is the better compromise??? Less SSD with current i5 processor, or More SSD with last gen Core2Duo...for the same $$$, I suppose each has its supporters and detractors?
 
Depends if you need the 256gig of space on the bootdrive, if you do then the 2010 model would be a better choice, if you can do with 128gig then the newer 2011 model is much more powerful and you can use an external drive for storage.

I have the 2011 MBA with 128gigs and i have the whole CS5.5 master collection installed, all my usual apps like superduper, Xee ect, my whole music library (10 gigs) and Picture library (5 gigs) and i still have 60gigs free. I also have a super fast Corsair flash voyager GTR 32gig USB stick if i ever need some extra storage.
 
Last edited:
Thx...that was quick...consensus likely seems take the most current 2011 i5 processor with 128 ssd, then use external or portable drive as needed.
 
2011 128 by far!!

I have a 2011 128, its split in half with windows 7 on boot camp...so I only have about 60GB for Mac...and I still have about 28GB left!
 
If you plan to use Lion in both cases, you should choose the '11 model. The new desktop is not smooth at all at previous MBA - I used both models with Lion so I know first hand. Especially since you need it for desktop work.

Besides that, you should not miss the chance to have a Thunderbolt-equipped machine now. The TB devices are on their way and they'll change a lot of things (e.g. having am external TB disk on the near future, to cover the smaller SSD).
 
SSD can be upgraded later on if you REALLY need extra space, but the processor cannot. Pick up the 2011
 
take the 2011 model, it will be much more future proof, the c2d processor is getting very long in the tooth now.

Besides, if 128gb is not enough storage for you, it's unlikely that 256gb is going to be enough in the long term. I have 128gb 2011 model and use external harddrives for media etc, works like a dream.
 
I would just like to chime in;
I got the i7 256 thinking that thats enough storage, and I still need more storage. So i picked up a 500 gb external hard drive.
Some people on this forum also mod a SD card or use high capacity thumb drives.
Enjoy.
 
wrinkster22 said:
I would just like to chime in;
I got the i7 256 thinking that thats enough storage, and I still need more storage. So i picked up a 500 gb external hard drive.
Some people on this forum also mod a SD card or use high capacity thumb drives.
Enjoy.
Click to expand...

There is no way 256GB isn't enough. The only thing you should have on that drive is apps and personal data...there is no reason at all to have media on there. That's what externals are for! I have 4 external drives that are all really small and portable and fit in my bag. I only have 64GB on my Mac partition and 64GB on windows...and I have 28GB left on Mac side and about 14GB left on the Windows side. I got my gf the 64GB MBA and she still has about 34GB left on hers. I recently replaced my Mac Mini's internal POS 5400 RPM drive with a 64GB SSD and it has about 20GB left on it.
 
gentlefury said:
There is no way 256GB isn't enough. The only thing you should have on that drive is apps and personal data...there is no reason at all to have media on there. That's what externals are for!
Click to expand...

That is true and i agree but some people like to have all their media stored internally, hell there was a 2tb SSD that was reasonably priced i would love to have everything stored in my MBA too.
 
torana355 said:
That is true and i agree but some people like to have all their media stored internally, hell there was a 2tb SSD that was reasonably priced i would love to have everything stored in my MBA too.
Click to expand...

well of course, everyone would..but as of now SSD is ridiculously expensive! My 256GB SSD in my Mac Pro cost me $500.....my recently purchased Mac Mini 64GB SSD was $120....I recently bought a portable 1TB hdd for $89....last year I got a 2TB external WD drive for $89 on black friday. SSD prices are just out of hand and don't seem to be going down anytime soon.

Hopefully they get in check at some point and can offer a $100 1TB option.
 
If you don't need the extra space, you'll be a lot happier with the new model.
 
gentlefury said:
well of course, everyone would..but as of now SSD is ridiculously expensive! My 256GB SSD in my Mac Pro cost me $500.....my recently purchased Mac Mini 64GB SSD was $120....I recently bought a portable 1TB hdd for $89....last year I got a 2TB external WD drive for $89 on black friday. SSD prices are just out of hand and don't seem to be going down anytime soon.

Hopefully they get in check at some point and can offer a $100 1TB option.
Click to expand...

Yeah i totally agree with you, i have over 1tb of video that i keep on my iMac and backup to an external. I just move what tv shows or movies i want to the mba each day ect and it works great. I was just pointing out that some people don't want to carry around an external drive everywhere, especially when you have a laptop that prides itself on a small footprint.
 
torana355 said:
Yeah i totally agree with you, i have over 1tb of video that i keep on my iMac and backup to an external. I just move what tv shows or movies i want to the mba each day ect and it works great. I was just pointing out that some people don't want to carry around an external drive everywhere, especially when you have a laptop that prides itself on a small footprint.
Click to expand...

yeah, I got my gf a 320GB portable HDD as a supplement and she complained that having to have an external hdd defeats the purpose of it being so small...I personally disagree, since I have 4 HDDs in my bag and its still light and small. I do the same thing. I have a 2TB HDD at home full of movies and I just xfer them to my 1TB portable on my MBA when I want new movies to watch. I also watch movies from home using Plex. It is great if you have a decent connection. Makes it so you don't have to have an external drive if you have Wifi...you can stream them from home.
 
Take the processor, and if you really need space later you can still upgrade it or buy an external drive.
 
You might want to factor in battery life into that comparison: 2010 models are supposedly much better in that department.
 
You can buy a bigger [and faster] SSD later, but you cannot upgrade the processor when you want a faster one.
 
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