Dillema

[Bonkadonka]

Hello everyone,

I want to buy a new laptop, but I don't have a really big budget ( €1000 (I'm from Holland)). During my search I found a macbook air 11 inch (mid 2011) priced at €799, a macbook pro (mid 2011) priced at €1000 and a 13 inh air priced at €1000.
I can't decide which one is the best for me. I'm just a basic user, I won't do anything more complicated than watching a movie, browsing the web, do homework etcetera.

Help?

 

[Otumelty]

My computer uses are similar to yours and I'm leaning towards the 13" air, because you shouldn't need the extra power of a pro, and airs are far more portable

 

[Bonkadonka]

My computer uses are similar to yours and I'm leaning towards the 13" air, because you shouldn't need the extra power of a pro, and airs are far more portable

I know that the air is lighter but I don't have to take my computer with me the whole time, and it doesn't have a dvd drive. And even if I buy an air is the 200 dollar extra really worth the 2 exhtra inches and 64 gigabyte extra memory?

 

[oneMadRssn]

I know that the air is lighter but I don't have to take my computer with me the whole time, and it doesn't have a dvd drive. And even if I buy an air is the 200 dollar extra really worth the 2 exhtra inches and 64 gigabyte extra memory?

Yes, $200 extra is worth 2 extra inches and 64GB of storage.

Those extra inches are very nice when writing documents or browsing the web. The 11" has very little vertical space, so on things designed to be scrolled up and down (such as documents and websites) it get's annoying. The 13" doesn't have this problem.

64GB of storage alone is not enough. Since you want to keep ~20% free at all times for optimum performance, that means you'll only have 52GB to use. Expect to have the OS+Apps take up another 10GB, that leaves you with 42GB for music, movies, downloads, documents, photos, projects, etc. You'll be glad you got the bigger drive when that small amount runs out.

Not having a DVD drive is fine. I bought the air knowing that and planning that the day I need one I would drive to the store and buy a USB external DVD drive. It's been 10 months so far and I haven't needed one yet.

 

[Bonkadonka]

Yes, $200 extra is worth 2 extra inches and 64GB of storage.

Those extra inches are very nice when writing documents or browsing the web. The 11" has very little vertical space, so on things designed to be scrolled up and down (such as documents and websites) it get's annoying. The 13" doesn't have this problem.

64GB of storage alone is not enough. Since you want to keep ~20% free at all times for optimum performance, that means you'll only have 52GB to use. Expect to have the OS+Apps take up another 10GB, that leaves you with 42GB for music, movies, downloads, documents, photos, projects, etc. You'll be glad you got the bigger drive when that small amount runs out.

Not having a DVD drive is fine. I bought the air knowing that and planning that the day I need one I would drive to the store and buy a USB external DVD drive. It's been 10 months so far and I haven't needed one yet.

And what about durability? I would like that my computer will last for about 4-6 years, do you think the air will last that long?

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Sorry for my bad English I'm just a 15 year old from Holland

 

[rygamble]

And what about durability? I would like that my computer will last for about 4-6 years, do you think the air will last that long?

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Sorry for my bad English I'm just a 15 year old from Holland

Have you ever held a MBA? Solid as a rock.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

If you need it to last 4-6 years I would go with the pro. Far more upgrade options down the road that will be nice to have as software is updated and becomes more needy with the system resources.

 

[mattopotamus]

my advice would be test out an 11" before you decide...since you are on a budget, $200 is a lot. For me, and many many others, the 11" is a good size and the vertical length is not an issue. Plus, you get more bang for your buck with an 11" if the screen works for you.

 

[oneMadRssn]

And what about durability? I would like that my computer will last for about 4-6 years, do you think the air will last that long?

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Sorry for my bad English I'm just a 15 year old from Holland

The length of time a computer will last depends on how well you take care of it and your idea of what a computer should do.

If you're a smoker, you never use a case while carrying it, you never clean it, you often eat or drink near it, you throw it around, and/or you otherwise abuse it: then it will not last 4-6 years.

If you're a clean person, you take care of the computer, you don't let it get dirty, you pay attention to how you're handeling it, and you carry it safely in a nice case, then the hardware should easily last 4-6 years.

Although: in 4-6 years 4GB of RAM will probably be considered the absolute minimum and 128GB of storage will probably not be enough to hold everything you want it to hold. In 4-6 years, as internet evolves and browsers get more fancy and advanced, you might find this computer lacking. This applies to both a 11" and a 13".

Taking into account that you want this to last 4-6 years: I recommend you get a 13" Macbook Pro (from the refurb store if you can). Get the cheapest one you can today. Depending on model, the RAM can be upgraded to either 8GB or 16GB later on for very little money, and the hard drive can be upgraded to a larger one when you need the space as well (or even an SSD if you decide you want that later). Still, taking proper care of it is just as important to make it last long.

 

[Bonkadonka]

Have you ever held a MBA? Solid as a rock.

Uhm no I'm completely new to the whole mac thing , but this weekend I'll go to an apple reseller and play a little with all the macs

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The length of time a computer will last depends on how well you take care of it and your idea of what a computer should do.

If you're a smoker, you never use a case while carrying it, you never clean it, you often eat or drink near it, you throw it around, and/or you otherwise abuse it: then it will not last 4-6 years.

If you're a clean person, you take care of the computer, you don't let it get dirty, you pay attention to how you're handeling it, and you carry it safely in a nice case, then the hardware should easily last 4-6 years.

Although: in 4-6 years 4GB of RAM will probably be considered the absolute minimum and 128GB of storage will probably not be enough to hold everything you want it to hold. In 4-6 years, as internet evolves and browsers get more fancy and advanced, you might find this computer lacking. This applies to both a 11" and a 13".

Taking into account that you want this to last 4-6 years: I recommend you get a 13" Macbook Pro (from the refurb store if you can). Get the cheapest one you can today. Depending on model, the RAM can be upgraded to either 8GB or 16GB later on for very little money, and the hard drive can be upgraded to a larger one when you need the space as well (or even an SSD if you decide you want that later). Still, taking proper care of it is just as important to make it last long.

Thanks for your advice

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But uhm I'm not really technical so I don't think I'll do any modifications on a macbook pro (if I buy it)

 

[oneMadRssn]

But uhm I'm not really technical so I don't think I'll do any modifications on a macbook pro (if I buy it)

If you can use a small screw driver, you can do this easily. ifixit guides are awesome (though their prices are high, buy elsewhere )

 

[Bonkadonka]

Thanks for all your advice guys I'll sleep on it, I really don't want to do a bad buy because €1000 is a lot money for me