Dpes the Rev B MacBook Air SSD really improve performance?

wetrix

wetrix

macrumors 6502
Hi,

I'm tossing up between a maxed out macbook (2.4 GHz, 4 GB RAM) and a 1.8 SSD Rev B MacBook Air. I mainly do non-processor intensive tasks, but once in a while I'll have Photoshop and Dreamweaver open and get a bit busy. I'd really like applications to open up faster (like Word) as they are probably the biggest slow down I see day to day. Can Air SSD owners verify that the SSD boots applications faster than a MacBook (non SSD)?

I've seen videos of people opening up garageband etc in Apple stores and the Air looks pretty fast, but do it maintain this speed day to day? I think I can justify the compromise of the Air if opening up Firefox, Mail, Word and Excel will take less time?

Seems like a small thing to spend so much money on....but this is what apple products are all about right?

Oh and I'll be using whatever machine I get with the new 24" LED cinema display...anyone noticing any slowdown when using an external monitor with the Air?

Thanks!
 
Mine works FAST

I have the SSD rev B macbook air and I didn't realize just HOW FAST Word and excel opens. Within seconds!!! I also do photoshop work and quark work on this air and find no problems what so ever. I did have the original macbook air with the 80 gig PATA drive. It was slower than this, especially when opening applications. Good luck with your choice, hope this helps.
 
Great to learn this, as I'm thinking of adding a MBA to my MBP, as I travel a lot. I have been waiting to read a thread which specifically addresses the question of performance on the SSD version of the Rev B, so this is wonderful.

Cheers
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Great to learn this, as I'm thinking of adding a MBA to my MBP, as I travel a lot. I have been waiting to read a thread which specifically addresses the question of performance on the SSD version of the Rev B, so this is wonderful.

Cheers
Click to expand...

That's my setup. The MBP pretty much stays on my desk and the Air handles 90% of my needs.
 
Thanks for that; it sounds like exactly what I need. At the moment, I am in the Caucasus, using a Government laptop, (Windows, unfortunately), but I am delighted to be reassured that the MBA - especially Rev B with their larger HDDs - will meet my longterm needs. The relatively small HDD was one of a number of reasons I held off buying one with Rev A, but Rev B with SSD sounds ideal. Has anyone anything else to add about the difference between SSD and the standard model or any other useful information?

Cheers and good luck
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Thanks for that; it sounds like exactly what I need. At the moment, I am in the Caucasus, using a Government laptop, (Windows, unfortunately), but I am delighted to be reassured that the MBA - especially Rev B with their larger HDDs - will meet my longterm needs. The relatively small HDD was one of a number of reasons I held off buying one with Rev A, but Rev B with SSD sounds ideal. Has anyone anything else to add about the difference between SSD and the standard model or any other useful information?

Cheers and good luck
Click to expand...

The new models can't be compared SSD vs. HDD just yet since Apple still hasn't shipped any HDD models.
 
NC MacGuy said:
The new models can't be compared SSD vs. HDD just yet since Apple still hasn't shipped any HDD models.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response, I hadn't known that, in Europe delays in shpping any of them seem to be endless. My strong preference still lies with the idea of the SDD, but I am curious to know how the HDD performs.

Cheers and good luck
 
It's totally awesome. I'm really glad I went for the SSD.

It works great with the 24" LED Cinema Display and everything opens wonderfully fast. Word 2008 opens in less than 5 seconds, which is a huge improvement over 30 seconds on my macbook.
 
wetrix said:
It works great with the 24" LED Cinema Display and everything opens wonderfully fast. Word 2008 opens in less than 5 seconds, which is a huge improvement over 30 seconds on my macbook.
Click to expand...

Wow, 30 seconds? That does not sound normal at all. Even VMWare doesn't take that long on my Macbook and it's one of the most disk intensive programs out there.
 
tubbymac said:
Wow, 30 seconds? That does not sound normal at all. Even VMWare doesn't take that long on my Macbook and it's one of the most disk intensive programs out there.
Click to expand...

No it's correct. Office 2008 is painfully slow. CS4 opens quicker than Word 2008 than for me.
 
wetrix said:
Thanks all, I've ordered the 1.86/SSD :)
Click to expand...

You made a good choice.

I use my Air so much more. And now that i have it, i find myself throwing it into my bag nearly all the time. With the MBP would really umm and ahh about brining it due to the weight. The MBP now sits on the desk.

The Air also feels so much faster due to the SSD. Though that is not a true indication as the read times are much faster, SSD has its issues around writing small files etc (just research it)
 
Darn. Just opened a thread without reading this one. A friend is wanting to swap his 1.86 for my 2.4 MBP unibody. Considering my modest uses, (bought the pro instead of the MB due to screen issues) would all of you suggest the swap?
 
tubbymac said:
Wow, 30 seconds? That does not sound normal at all. Even VMWare doesn't take that long on my Macbook and it's one of the most disk intensive programs out there.
Click to expand...

that's about normal. my mac pro takes that long too.
other programs are fine with the exception of ms word/office apps.
 
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