Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Considering getting a 13" Air

M

Mr.Awesome

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 28, 2010
20
0
I'm thinking of replacing my current macbook pro with a macbook air because I'm looking for something lighter and I only use it for some photoshop, basic computing, powerpoint and viewing hd videos.

My questions are :

1) Should I wait for the next generation or buy the current ones ? Do you think there is going to be a new update in the next tree months ? Plus I'm sad too see there's no option for 8GB of RAM.

2) I'm worried about the screen of the macbook air. I have seen on this forum that if you get a Samsung screen you'll get bad contrasts and colors whereas if you have a LG one, you're good. I don't really want to put that much money (considering a decent 13") for a computer that might have a bad screen. By the way, I don't understand why Apple let his suppliers having different quality screens, aren't they doing some quality control or are they really not caring about Macs anymore ?

Thank you for your advices and have a nice day !
 
1. The MBA update is only 105 days old. Average days for update is 321. I wouldn't want to wait an estimated 7 months!

2. I don't own a MBA so I can't weigh in here beyond what I have played with at the store. Looked great there though. :D
 
Mr.Awesome said:
1) Should I wait for the next generation or buy the current ones ? Do you think there is going to be a new update in the next tree months ? Plus I'm sad too see there's no option for 8GB of RAM.

2) I'm worried about the screen of the macbook air. I have seen on this forum that if you get a Samsung screen you'll get bad contrasts and colors whereas if you have a LG one, you're good. I don't really want to put that much money (considering a decent 13") for a computer that might have a bad screen. By the way, I don't understand why Apple let his suppliers having different quality screens, aren't they doing some quality control or are they really not caring about Macs anymore ?
Click to expand...

To me the Air is the best machine I ever owned and Lion is an awsome OS. There seem to be a few software bugs, but most of them (like WIFI and wake from sleep) I don't experience, the fans are running better after the last EFI update. I recommend to be carefull with apps that mess around in the system preferences.
1) I was observing Apple for about 1 1/2 years before I made the descision to buy the mid 2011 Air - I do not regret it at all, but asked myself what did I wait for? There will be changes from year to year in hard- and software, so you can basically wait forever. Each day with my Air and Lion is like a gift and working with Vista in the company really sucks now. The Air does handle it's OS so well, that 4 Gb is for sure enough for you. Let go from this PC/Windows imagination.
2) Reading too much in forums actually made me worry about the screen issue. Interesting to read from you is that you believe the Samsung is bad and LG better - if you read older posts here you will find more people saying that Samsung is better. I have the LG (checked it due to curiosity recently) and am completely satisfied with it and the factory settings. The screen might be not as good as the Pro, but it is much better than my HP from the company. I am happy to have no pixel failures or light-leak, only then I would have returned it. Other members might not agree with me - important is not to compare apples with pears (lol)
All in all, the machine is super great and sexy, the OS and software is great too and I am happy to have gotten it now, coz I really enjoy every part of it. It is worth every penny to me, but it's your choice to buy it or not.
 
Mr.Awesome said:
I'm thinking of replacing my current macbook pro with a macbook air because I'm looking for something lighter and I only use it for some photoshop, basic computing, powerpoint and viewing hd videos.

My questions are :

1) Should I wait for the next generation or buy the current ones ? Do you think there is going to be a new update in the next tree months ? Plus I'm sad too see there's no option for 8GB of RAM.

2) I'm worried about the screen of the macbook air. I have seen on this forum that if you get a Samsung screen you'll get bad contrasts and colors whereas if you have a LG one, you're good. I don't really want to put that much money (considering a decent 13") for a computer that might have a bad screen. By the way, I don't understand why Apple let his suppliers having different quality screens, aren't they doing some quality control or are they really not caring about Macs anymore ?

Thank you for your advices and have a nice day !
Click to expand...

1.) Do you want a computer now? If yes, then don't wait. If you think the next generation will suit your needs better, then wait. If you're not sure consult the fantastic Buyer's Guide.

2.) Opinions vary on which screen is better. The contrasts aren't reported as bad, but better on the LG. I take people saying one is better than other with a huge grain of salt. If you look at 100 displays of each, I'm sure they all won't exactly be the same. And yes, Apple quality control has gone completely to the wind, they let anyone that can make screens make them and ship them. They've given up. :rolleyes:
 
A normal human being won't notice the difference. Slightly scientific reviews suggest that the LG has marginally better colours, but worse viewing angles. The majority of the obsession here is down to OCD BS.
 
I have owned both the 2010 and 2011 incarnation and the 2011 happened to be 13' which had to be replaced for reasons unrelated to this thread, so I have used both Samsung and (currently) LG screens. Due to initial neurotic reaction on forums, I too worried when I found out that my replacement was an LG (how ironic compared to how people view it now from your post). There is absolutely no difference whatsoever in the screen. Don't let that hold you back. To boot, for pretty much everything I do, the difference in processing speed between 2010 and 2011 is not noticable. They both work perfectly and spec only goes so far to explain the machines' amazing performance. I work in Windows 7 environment desktop at work and even though the HP is very powerful and have few complains about the OS, third party applications seem to be more buggy and coming back home to my Mac world as I call it feels like taking a walk through a medow on a sunny spring morning!! If you need a machine, buy one now because the next update is not really expected to add too much in terms of processing power. Personally, I will be sitting that one out and wait to 2013 to upgrade my 2011 MBA.

Good luck

(PS. I also own a 2007 MBP, and the MBA has not lagged in performance so don't worry about that either unless you do heavy lifting in video, image or music which required bigger muscles in which case you'd probably be looking at quad core iMac anyway)
 
I don't worry about the performances, it's the screen that bothers me. It is clear that with all the different opinions, it's a matter of taste between Samsung and LG. Still, every single review of the computer I've seen suggest that the screen is inferior to the one of the MBP and I already think that the viewing angles of the mbp are not that great :/
 
...

Mr.Awesome said:
I don't worry about the performances, it's the screen that bothers me. It is clear that with all the different opinions, it's a matter of taste between Samsung and LG. Still, every single review of the computer I've seen suggest that the screen is inferior to the one of the MBP and I already think that the viewing angles of the mbp are not that great :/
Click to expand...

There is no doubt that the screen is not as good as the macbook pro screen. The color gammut is far less, viewing angles are far less but its a trade off because the screen is so thin. The screen on the air is not ips. If you are anal about screen quality get the pro. The only other reason to get the pro is if you need 8gb of ram or a huge amount of storage (and cant use a network storage solution). For me none of those things apply so the air is the better computer.
 
newdeal said:
There is no doubt that the screen is not as good as the macbook pro screen. The color gammut is far less, viewing angles are far less but its a trade off because the screen is so thin. The screen on the air is not ips. If you are anal about screen quality get the pro. The only other reason to get the pro is if you need 8gb of ram or a huge amount of storage (and cant use a network storage solution). For me none of those things apply so the air is the better computer.
Click to expand...


Yep don't know what to do. Either accept a little loss of quality or wait for a potential new generation of mbp thinner and using a great display ...
 
I just moved from a MBP to a 13" MBA and love the dang thing. Its blazing fast and dropping down to 4G of RAM has not had any ill effects. RAM has less of an impact on perceived performance with an SSD vs. a traditional hard drive, in spite of what some folks will tell you on here. There are few users that will see an impact. i find the screen to be fine.
 
...

Mr.Awesome said:
Yep don't know what to do. Either accept a little loss of quality or wait for a potential new generation of mbp thinner and using a great display ...
Click to expand...

They just refreshed the mbp so you could be waiting until june for a newer one that may or may not have any of the features you want. The screen on the air is fine, its just immediately apparant to anyone that has ever owned a pro that the screen isnt as good as the pros
 
newdeal said:
They just refreshed the mbp so you could be waiting until june for a newer one that may or may not have any of the features you want. The screen on the air is fine, its just immediately apparant to anyone that has ever owned a pro that the screen isnt as good as the pros
Click to expand...

I beg to differ. I've owned two MBPs (2009 2.26 and a 2011 2.3) and two MBAs (2008 1.86 and 2011 1.6) and I don't see a difference. I actually prefer the MBA because its higher resolution, and comes in matte.
 
Last edited:
newdeal said:
The only other reason to get the pro is if you need 8gb of ram or a huge amount of storage (and cant use a network storage solution).
Click to expand...

Or want a Mac laptop in particular but are on a tight budget. There may be some sacrifices in terms of performance with the conventional hard disk in the Pro but you do at least get a fully functioning computer, that is probably enough for many people's needs, for £100 less (I guess the discrepancy may be a bit less in $).

This is probably the biggest dilemma for me. Whether or not I can justify the extra expense for the Air, even if I do not need any of the features that it omits to get the size and weight down. I expect I am not alone in this. Surely a lot of people looking at the 13" models are doing so for budgetary reasons as much as portability.

Though this suggestion that the screen is not so good on the Air is something else to factor in I guess. I cannot really tell the difference in side by side shots on Youtube vids though.
 
WarpSpawn said:
Or want a Mac laptop in particular but are on a tight budget. There may be some sacrifices in terms of performance with the conventional hard disk in the Pro but you do at least get a fully functioning computer, that is probably enough for many people's needs, for £100 less (I guess the discrepancy may be a bit less in $).

This is probably the biggest dilemma for me. Whether or not I can justify the extra expense for the Air, even if I do not need any of the features that it omits to get the size and weight down. I expect I am not alone in this. Surely a lot of people looking at the 13" models are doing so for budgetary reasons as much as portability.

Though this suggestion that the screen is not so good on the Air is something else to factor in I guess. I cannot really tell the difference in side by side shots on Youtube vids though.
Click to expand...

Two things. Why do you not consider the Air a "fully functioning computer"?

Also, the 11" Air is the same price as the 13" Pro, and has more pixels than the screen of the 13" Pro.
 
NikFinn said:
Two things. Why do you not consider the Air a "fully functioning computer"?
Click to expand...

I do. Sorry if I was not clear. I simply meant that even though the Pro might underperform in some respects due to the conventional drive. it is still going to do the job, even if a bit slower at times.

Also, the 11" Air is the same price as the 13" Pro, and has more pixels than the screen of the 13" Pro.
Click to expand...

Screen size. I've looked at the 11" and am not convinced that it is big enough for my needs, irrespective of the resolution. I think I am going to have to have another play at some point though. Maybe in an actual Apple store if possible, though I do not have one all that local.
 
NikFinn said:
Two things. Why do you not consider the Air a "fully functioning computer"?

Also, the 11" Air is the same price as the 13" Pro, and has more pixels than the screen of the 13" Pro.
Click to expand...

The Air has less pixels vertically. Which way do you scroll 99% of the time?
 
MacDawg said:
I have the 13" MBA and love it
Best computing decision I've made
Click to expand...

+1000

I went from a 15" mid-2010 MacBook Pro to a 2011 top end Air. LOVE IT.

Have the samsung screen. it's perfectly fine. I am a graphic guy too. Use this machine for on the go stuff and all my daily basics.

Mac Mini w/ dedicated graphics card and 22" IPS LCD Panel for heavier lifting CS5 stuff.

My buddy does everything for his entire photo business on his 2011 top end MBA. He uses aperture.
 
i too, am thinking about getting a MBA 13"

my 2007 iMac has treated me well, but five years is a long time in computer time. of course i dont NEED a new computer, but the MBA is just so appealing.

i am not a "computer guy" by any stretch of the imagination. if i get the MBA 13" it would take over for my iMac as my "everyday machine". i dont see this as an issue because quite frankly, i dont do much but browse the internet and dealings with my hobby.
 
I should also say that I have only ever owned 15" Apple and PC portables.

This is my first 13" machine of any maker, and I have to say I love the size.

Ive, his team, and the apple engineers did a wonderful job designing this machine and making it run the way It does.

Highly recommend it.
 
Kafka said:
The Air has less pixels vertically. Which way do you scroll 99% of the time?
Click to expand...

32 pixels. I think the horizontal is actually more important as you can have more windows open on the screen at once.
 
I considered 'waiting it out' until the next model but at the end of the day, when you get to that point in 2012, there will be rumors flying around about the 'next' revision. The current MBA lineup's pretty fresh at the moment - I made the jump last week and I'm loving it so far :)

You won't regret it. Besides, if you buy from Best Buy or Amazon, you could get full refunds within a time frame if you don't want it...but I doubt you'll go that route ;)
 
NikFinn said:
32 pixels. I think the horizontal is actually more important as you can have more windows open on the screen at once.
Click to expand...

I guess that is a matter of personal preference, tbh. I don't personally find widescreen becomes all that useful for general productivity until you get into higher resolutions. For the kind of stuff I do with multiple windows on my Windows PC, even 1920 pixels wide can be a little cramped for some purposes. I suppose it depends what programs you use but for lower res screens, I tend to think more in terms of maximising space for a single window at a time and a lot of stuff simply does not seem optimised for any form of widescreen.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back