Buying TODAY-1 last plea for advice

[brownricetofu]

Yes, the NYC stores stock just about every configuration. I picked up my 11" i7/8GB/256GB model from Grand Central the day after it was released. Don't go by what is available for in-store pickup on the website. Just go to the store and ask if they have it in stock.

Awesome- gonna make the trip tomorrow!

 

[jojoba]

Awesome- gonna make the trip tomorrow!

Enjoy your new MBA, I'm sure you'll be happy with it

 

[brownricetofu]

Yay!

Just got back from the Apple store with a marvelous bounty.

Came in decided on the 13" but I have to tell you I came really close to buying the 11"! In the end my rational side prevailed and now I am a proud owner of a maxed out 13" Air!!! Cannot wait to try it out side by side with my 2006 white macbook- its going to be night and day!!!

 

[Sounds Good]

Congrats!

 

[jimboutilier]

Congratulations. The 13" is the best bet for most folks and is still incredibly more mobile when compared to your MacBook - not to mention a lot faster better battery life and so many other improvements

Enjoy!

 

[brownricetofu]

Congratulations. The 13" is the best bet for most folks and is still incredibly more mobile when compared to your MacBook - not to mention a lot faster better battery life and so many other improvements

Enjoy!

Thanks Jim! Just checked and I have the Samsung screen and SSD as well

Super psyched!

 

[DVD9]

Ok so thanks to the wonderful people on this forum I have eliminated the retina macbook pro from the list and I am now deciding between the 11" and 13" Macbook air.


-going to be spending over $2K on the maxed out versions on either machine

Troll alert!

No human being would turn their nose up at a Retina and drop two grand on an Air! No way unless he was schizophrenic, bi -polar and cursed with subnormal intelligence.

 

[dmelgar]

Well, when I switched from a 13" MB/MBP to a 13" MBA, even though the footprint was the same, there was a phenomenal improvement in mobility - the MB/MBP was on average twice as thick and weighed about 50% more and the AIR allowed smaller bags, smaller accessories etc so there was a real multiplier there that its difficult to appreciate until you try it. A fantastic "only" machine for mobile use. It seemed effortless to always have with you.

My eyes are not the greatest and I was nervous when I first looked at the 11". But when I compared the 13 and 11 it was obvious the 11 offered another paradigm shift in mobility. All the things I felt going from a MB/MBP to a 13" AIR were even more so going from a 13" Air to an 11.

The 11" air is TINY and seems to weight nothing - like a pad of paper. Its form factor makes it extremely rigid and strong so I don't end up with keyboard marks on my screen. I don't have to take it out of my bag when traveling by air (its exempt like an ipad). It has all the power and capacity of the 13" in a significantly smaller package. If you can live with the small but excellent screen and the shorter battery life, I would highly recommend it.

And you are right about the increased tendency to always have it with you (because its so small and light and unobtrusive). If you carry it in any kind of bag with other stuff, you'll find yourself checking to see its actually there because its so small and light you often have to look to tell.

+1, what he said. Exactly the same experience for me, pretty much all of it.

 

[Lunchb0x8]

Congrats!

Enjoy that new machine.

I kind of wish now I had waited for the announcement, I sadly bought it just outside of the return window to be able to exchange for a new one.

You will love having all that grunt in a compact and light machine.

 

[mukade]

Your iPad has a very similar screen size to the 11".

Of course the 11" is a fully-fledged computer, but I wonder whether you would have regretted not having a screen that sits between the iPad and desk monitor screen sizes.

The 13 is still incredibly light and portable.

I think you made the right choice.

 

[brownricetofu]

Troll alert!

No human being would turn their nose up at a Retina and drop two grand on an Air! No way unless he was schizophrenic, bi -polar and cursed with subnormal intelligence.

Thanks DV9- appreciate the support. The Retina was the machine I was going to buy, but when it came down to it, 80% of the time it would be in clam-shell mode hooked up to 2 external monitors- what a waste of that retina display!

Going from a 2006 white macbook to this beast it AMAZING and I am really happy with my decision.

Happy Trolling!

----------

Your iPad has a very similar screen size to the 11".

Of course the 11" is a fully-fledged computer, but I wonder whether you would have regretted not having a screen that sits between the iPad and desk monitor screen sizes.

The 13 is still incredibly light and portable.

I think you made the right choice.

Yeah ultimately it was the redundancy of the iPad and the 11" MBA and also the sneaking suspicion that I would feel like it was more of a toy than my sole computer. The 13" is so much more portable than what I am used to anyway... I think we are going to be happy together for a long time

 

[bockscar]

Just curious.

Is the Macbook Air compatible with other brands of Superdrive? Or only the Apple superdrive?

Thanks in advanced.

 

[jojoba]

Excellent - enjoy

 

[ixodes]

I have both, as well as an Apple external monitor.

The 11" is nice for air travel on a typically cramped plane. Once in awhile I may use it as a quick grab & go laptop, but most of the time when I'm going to use an MBA instead of my MBP, I prefer the 13" by a wide margin.

At just one inch wider & a bit deeper, the more spacious palm rest, display size, and better overall balance of the 13" are worth it.

 

[KPOM]

Just curious.

Is the Macbook Air compatible with other brands of Superdrive? Or only the Apple superdrive?

Thanks in advance.

It should work with just about any other drive out there. Just check the manufacturer website to see if they have a driver.

 

[bockscar]

It should work with just about any other drive out there. Just check the manufacturer website to see if they have a driver.

Great. Thanks.

 

[barjam]

Troll alert!

No human being would turn their nose up at a Retina and drop two grand on an Air! No way unless he was schizophrenic, bi -polar and cursed with subnormal intelligence.

I would. The retina Mbp is too big for my needs and the screen really isn't that impressive. I think retina is awesome and a major feature on an iPhone or a iPad where the device is closer to your face but on a 15 inch laptop that is quite a ways from your face it is a secondary feature. Nice to have but not crucial.

The only rmpb feature that is interesting is the ability to push the screen to 1600x900. That could come in handy.

 

[jojoba]

I would. The retina Mbp is too big for my needs and the screen really isn't that impressive. I think retina is awesome and a major feature on an iPhone or a iPad where the device is closer to your face but on a 15 inch laptop that is quite a ways from your face it is a secondary feature. Nice to have but not crucial.

Agreed. If portability is a key criteria, air is the way to go.

 

[jimboutilier]

Troll alert!

No human being would turn their nose up at a Retina and drop two grand on an Air! No way unless he was schizophrenic, bi -polar and cursed with subnormal intelligence.

I did.

I love the concept of a quad core, thin and light notebook with dedicated graphics and good battery life. If I had been in the market for a 15" notebook the RMBA would have been my most likely purchase.

But alas mobility is more important to me than power. And the MBA provides enough power and capacity for my needs in an exceedingly great mobile package.

If the RMBP had been offered in a 13" I might have had a harder choice to make. But so far Apple hasen't figured out how to get a quad core CPU or dedicated graphics in a 13" package. If they did it would still likely be a much larger package than an AIR because of battery and cooling requirements.

So for now I am far happier with my 11" MBA than I could be with the RMBP. And don't care that all done up its price was almost that of the base RMBP. Having a MBA with its size, power, and capacity combination is worth it for my needs.

 

[DVD9]

I did.

I love the concept of a quad core, thin and light notebook with dedicated graphics and good battery life. If I had been in the market for a 15" notebook the RMBA would have been my most likely purchase.

But alas mobility is more important to me than power. And the MBA provides enough power and capacity for my needs in an exceedingly great mobile package.

If the RMBP had been offered in a 13" I might have had a harder choice to make. But so far Apple hasen't figured out how to get a quad core CPU or dedicated graphics in a 13" package. If they did it would still likely be a much larger package than an AIR because of battery and cooling requirements.

So for now I am far happier with my 11" MBA than I could be with the RMBP. And don't care that all done up its price was almost that of the base RMBP. Having a MBA with its size, power, and capacity combination is worth it for my needs.

11"Screen is a non-starter for me. 13" is usable but not desirable. 15" has always been the perfect screen size for a laptop.

Now the price, well I'm still trying to come to terms with that.

 

[mikeray]

If your gonna use external monitor I think you should get 11'' and save some money...

You would only save $50