i7 on Air seems pointless...

[Screwball]

So basically your problem is that you can choose an i7 CPU with your Air, and that is blasphemy since it is not right to have such a powerful CPU in a small package.
Ahem..i see where you're coming from, and please make sure you take the exit to Getlaid

 

[marzer]

So basically your problem is that you can choose an i7 CPU with your Air, and that is blasphemy since it is not right to have such a powerful CPU in a small package.
Ahem..i see where you're coming from, and please make sure you take the exit to Getlaid

And 30+ years into modern computing we've certainly learned our lesson; when it comes to tech specs you CAN have too much speed/size/resolution/cutting edge architecture/etc/etc/etc/etc...

 

[aerok]

Exactly. That's why I wouldn't recommend i7 on Air, because Air is truly an everyday computer, not a Pro computer.

Actually I beg to differ... I went to the Apple Store yesterday to see how the Air performs with Aperture. I was quite surprised at how fast it rendered a RAW file taken from a Nikon D3X. I say it is quite capable for PRO photographers.

 

[2IS]

If you think i7 is pointless, you haven't done enough research...

Buy an i5 after you've owned an i7 and then take before/after epeen measurments. You will notice a difference.

 

[mrsir2009]

Because you shouldn't. They should be using at least the MacBook Pro 13. If you can afford a MacBook Air with i7, you can surely afford a MacBook Pro 13, which is better in performance.

A MacBook Pro 13" isn't much better than the i7 Air really - It's got the same graphics, a slower hard-drive... The only advantage is that the processor clock speed is a bit higher. So not that much better in performance really...

 

[EB66]

Nope, that's proof that the Air doesn't need i7, unless you want a MacBook Pro with worse performance, more expensive but dramatically thinner, which is the reason I have a MacBook Air instead of the Pro.

proof? lol...

 

[kevinfulton.ca]

Because you shouldn't. They should be using at least the MacBook Pro 13. If you can afford a MacBook Air with i7, you can surely afford a MacBook Pro 13, which is better in performance.

Oh, is that why? Never mind then. Best argument ever lol!!!

 

[Mike in Kansas]

What's the i7 for?

The MacBook Air is built for everyday tasks, does that need i7?

i7 is for intense stuff, but then again, you can't recommend the Air for that because it isn't built for intense stuff. So, what's the point of the i7?

Why do you care? All you want to do is argue. You REALLY don't want to know why people have chosen one - you just want to tell them they're wrong.

 

[aristobrat]

Because you shouldn't. They should be using at least the MacBook Pro 13. If you can afford a MacBook Air with i7, you can surely afford a MacBook Pro 13, which is better in performance.

MacBook Pro 13, with its crappy screen resolution? Are you serious?!

 

[greg99]

I bought an i7 MBA:

(a) I put a premium on form factor and weight, and thus prefer the MBA to the MBP, particularly when I'm traveling;

(b) Because it was something of an investment in a machine that would have a potentially longer life span than the i5 before its processing power was obsoleted;

(c) I often run Citrix and Moka Five for access to work, and thus have use for the extra power of the i7; and

(d) Because I can.

Any other questions?

Greg

 

[tiwizard]

A MacBook Pro 13" isn't much better than the i7 Air really - It's got the same graphics, a slower hard-drive... The only advantage is that the processor clock speed is a bit higher. So not that much better in performance really...

+1

I'll leave these benchmark comparisons here.

http://macbooktips.info/macbook-pro-13-inch-vs-macbook-air-13-inch/

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[Blackberryroid]

Why do you care? All you want to do is argue. You REALLY don't want to know why people have chosen one - you just want to tell them they're wrong.

Not exactly. Yes, I want to know why people chose the i7, but I prove them wrong because I disagree with that.. But, if they're able to convince me that i7 is a logical selection, then they won. And that's the point of this thread.

 

[jahala]

I bought an 11-inch, i7 MBA specifically to do amateur HD video editing. Some people will call me crazy, but for me the most important factor about my computer is portability because I literally take it with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I used to have a Core 2 Duo 11-inch MBA that I loved. I upgraded to the i7 because the core 2 duo just could not handle the HD video editing in iMovie, although it handled SD video just fine. The i7 MBA handles the HD video wonderfully so I am happy.

I don't do HD video editing all the time, but I do need to do it occasionally so, at least for me, there is a good reason to have an i7 in a Macbook Air. Interestingly, if I did not need to edit HD video, I would prefer my Core 2 Duo MBA because it runs cooler for everything else I do so I never hear the fans.

 

[JBat]

Despite the potent arguments put forth by the OP, I went ahead and purchased a 13" i7 MBA today. I'm looking forward to using it.

 

[teknikal90]

Not exactly. Yes, I want to know why people chose the i7, but I prove them wrong because I disagree with that.. But, if they're able to convince me that i7 is a logical selection, then they won. And that's the point of this thread.

I perform live almost every week. And part of my keyboard rig is a mainstage rig. Part of playing on stage is reliability - you want to make sure youve got enough processing power headroom just in case the thing spikes, and your synth pad suddenly stops playing and boom. Your set is now awkward. The the i5 processor is capable of running most plugins on logic pro and main stage, as well as a lot of the third party plug ins that I use. The i7, would be able to do all that with a lot of headroom so I don't get the stupid CPU overload message that kills all sound. So thats the justification for the i7
What about the justification for the air? I currently use a quad core MacBook Pro - just because I also use it for more intense stuff - ie some production/recording. But I can see why you would use an air for live performance - space and weight savings. When you're hauling a trailer load of stuff, the last thing you need is another 10kg backpack that you'll need to carry the pro. The air can actually fit between the foam of a guitar pedal suitcase, one less thing to worry about carrying. May not seem like much, but trust me.. When you're touring, constantly worrying about carrying extra crap as to not lose it gets old real quickly.
Secondly, it comes with SSD. In a live setting, things bump, vibrate and drop. The reliability of an ssd, at the price that it is, is a good good bonus.

Boom.

 

[Blackberryroid]

I perform live almost every week. And part of my keyboard rig is a mainstage rig. Part of playing on stage is reliability - you want to make sure youve got enough processing power headroom just in case the thing spikes, and your synth pad suddenly stops playing and boom. Your set is now awkward. The the i5 processor is capable of running most plugins on logic pro and main stage, as well as a lot of the third party plug ins that I use. The i7, would be able to do all that with a lot of headroom so I don't get the stupid CPU overload message that kills all sound. So thats the justification for the i7
What about the justification for the air? I currently use a quad core MacBook Pro - just because I also use it for more intense stuff - ie some production/recording. But I can see why you would use an air for live performance - space and weight savings. When you're hauling a trailer load of stuff, the last thing you need is another 10kg backpack that you'll need to carry the pro. The air can actually fit between the foam of a guitar pedal suitcase, one less thing to worry about carrying. May not seem like much, but trust me.. When you're touring, constantly worrying about carrying extra crap as to not lose it gets old real quickly.
Secondly, it comes with SSD. In a live setting, things bump, vibrate and drop. The reliability of an ssd, at the price that it is, is a good good bonus.

Boom.

And we have a winner.

 

[Wokis]

I use my air as a "pro" computer, using CPU heavy applications (fcp, after effects) on it and not dying over any render time. And this with the i5 even..

Intel's ULV-processors are mighty fast. Overkill for office work, even. Hence the fear some have that Apple could redo the Air line into something ARM-iOS based, if the main purpose was supposed to be just word processing and web browsing.

 

[DJJAZZYJET]

i7 For Me

I put an i7 on my mba (coming on monday) because im going to be doing music production and some light gaming (yes the mba isn't built for gaming blah blah blah it still plays games) and all of the other day to day tasks like web browsing etc. It makes sense to slap on an i7, the more power for heavy tasks the better.

----------

proof? lol...

SSD - nuff said

 

[mertyz]

There's a really cool website where people tell what they use to get stuff done. When I look at that website and see how many real power users use MBA as their main machines, I wonder what people on this forum are doing on their machines to define MBA as a not-so-capable machine.

 

[Mike in Kansas]

There's a really cool website where people tell what they use to get stuff done. When I look at that website and see how many real power users use MBA as their main machines, I wonder what people on this forum are doing on their machines to define MBA as a not-so-capable machine.

They're NOT. Most of the people who criticize the Air and say it's not capable of "real work" don't even have one. It galls them that the 2012 MBA rivals MBPs of just a couple of years ago. It's a paradigm shift that they are unwilling to recognize...

 

[stchman]

What's the i7 for?

The MacBook Air is built for everyday tasks, does that need i7?

i7 is for intense stuff, but then again, you can't recommend the Air for that because it isn't built for intense stuff. So, what's the point of the i7?

The price difference between an i5 and an i7 is $100 on the MBA. It may be pointless to you, but to someone else, it might not be.

 

[tredstone]

They're NOT. Most of the people who criticize the Air and say it's not capable of "real work" don't even have one. It galls them that the 2012 MBA rivals MBPs of just a couple of years ago. It's a paradigm shift that they are unwilling to recognize...

Truth. I still sometimes see facebook posts about "Folks help me decide - should i get a MB Air or Pro?"... they are under the impression the MB Air is still running a dated core2duo processor and underpowered for most tasks. I think Apple deserves a lot of credit for finally keeping their lineup up to date with the latest chips (ahem, except the Mac Pro), and the Air is definitely one of the best recipients of that. If you go by geekbench benchmarks, the 2012 MB Air outperforms *ANY* MB Pro model from 2010 or earlier, and is about on par with a 2008 desktop Mac Pro.

 

[mediacomposer]

Video Editing on Macbook Air

I use my 11" 2012 Air to edit video on the go all the time. I run Avid Media Composer 6.5 like a breeze with the 2Ghz i7 and 8GB RAM. I have a thunderbolt external hard drive and an external monitor if need be. The thing rips through RED 4K video footage just as easy as my iMac does. The new SSD read/writes fantastically to run programs snappy as can be, especially Aperture. So yes, if you need it and will pay for it, the i7 in this 11" sliver of aluminum can push some paper.