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Is the 512GB SSD worth the money?

KPOM said:
Given how quickly SSD prices are falling, now that the MacBook Airs have USB 3.0 ports, it might just be better to purchase a cheap USB 3.0 external enclosure and a higher capacity SSD when the time comes that you need the extra storage.
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I agree with KPOM that SSD prices keep falling, and will most likely continue into next year. So if this is the case, my considerations are:

1) If you need the extra 255gb of storage right now and will need it for the next couple of years, then get the 512.

2) If you are just worried about not having enough storage in the future without any specific needs right now, then wait. Yea, future proofing 3-5 years down the road is good, but I bet the price options for the next 2 generations of Airs will have the 512gb option at a lot cheaper price then now. If that's the case, you might just want to take the $500 you save now and upgrade to a better machine for $1000 or $1500 that it would take to get a new one.

3) Resale on the 512gb will be worse percentage-wise then the 128 or 256. Basically people don't care that you paid $500 extra new when you try to sell the machine. They usually want the cheapest one they can get:)
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I gave Apple a call and changed my order to the maxed out 11".
Since I plan to keep the Air for 2-3 years I consider it a long term investment. It is my only computer and I don't want to limit myself from the get go. I also invested in AppleCare which I don't want to void with replacing the SSD myself.

I know the price tag hurts, but not being able to edit photos and video due to lack of disk space would be worse. It's now preparing for shipment...
 
The funny thing is, if I'll throw in the 512gb BTO, might as well include the maximum RAM. Then we are talking around the price range of getting a Retina MBP and you'll have the sweet discrete GPU. Now, if we only have eGPU's at our disposal, getting a Max'd Air is more attractive than going with the Retina.
 
Yes, this is absolutely true, and I was thinking along these lines as well.

The cost of a maxed out Air is similar in price to a entry level rPro, but addresses a different use case. The reason to go with the 11" Air is the size and the size only, as I'm taking 2 computers with me pretty much all the time.

It was the iPad so far, but I'm not really happy with it for what I need to do. iMovie is too basic and doesn't support video from my Canon s95 or any other camera I've tried. Editing photos are OK but not great. Working on presentations and documents is a pain - not only due to the lack of a keyboard, but the internal dictionary sucks big time. I'd rather type on my Blackberry to be honest.

I tried an 11" that has Adobe CS6 installed and most of the applications work just fine. InDesign is not usable, but I doubt it would any better on the 13". Also Final Cut Pro and Aperture looked OK to me.
 
Reha said:
Yes, this is absolutely true, and I was thinking along these lines as well.

The cost of a maxed out Air is similar in price to a entry level rPro, but addresses a different use case. The reason to go with the 11" Air is the size and the size only, as I'm taking 2 computers with me pretty much all the time.

It was the iPad so far, but I'm not really happy with it for what I need to do. iMovie is too basic and doesn't support video from my Canon s95 or any other camera I've tried. Editing photos are OK but not great. Working on presentations and documents is a pain - not only due to the lack of a keyboard, but the internal dictionary sucks big time. I'd rather type on my Blackberry to be honest.

I tried an 11" that has Adobe CS6 installed and most of the applications work just fine. InDesign is not usable, but I doubt it would any better on the 13". Also Final Cut Pro and Aperture looked OK to me.
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What problem did you have with InDesign? I'm slightly surprised about this. It sucks that you can't go to to the 13". Someone mentioned the OWC thing, but they're not yet compatible with the 2012 machine. The 2011 480GB drive is still $750. This is most likely because they have to use a custom part. It's stocked for one machine and only those that are searching for upgrades or replacements. Also I find their marketing to be deceptive.
 
InDesign itself runs fine, but it is the screen size that makes it hard to use. Designing pages in portrait layout needs more vertical space when working with text.

Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects etc is fine in 16:9 as the tools sit nicely left and right. I had no issues what so ever.
 
Reha said:
I have an 11" i7/8/256 on order, but keep contemplating over getting the 512GB SSD. I plan to keep the Air for 2-3 years as I have also invested in AppleCare.

I previously owned a Macbook Pro and iPad, which I have sold in favor of the Air. I have a company laptop, and the Pro became a couch computer for Internet, Email, Photos (Canon 5D/Photoshop) and occasional video/audio work. I travel frequently and since I am not allowed to do personal stuff on the company laptop, my personal computer needs to travel in my bag alongside the work computer.

I'm fearing that with my occasional audio/video productions, the 256GB won't be enough considering I'll be keeping the Air for at least a couple of years. On the other hand USD500 for the additional upgrade is A LOT of money that I could only justify if I really need the extra space.

Does anyone have a similar use case and manages successfully the smaller disc space? Or would you recommend me upgrading to the 512Gb SSD?
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check your current computer to see how much space is used. If the space is around 256 GB or greater than that, maybe you need to upgrade to 512 GB SSD. You have to do that when you place the order as the macbook air is not user-servicable. would recommend a ram upgrade too. good luck.
 
Well, this is kind of like owning a home. I have a condo with no garage, a very small attic and limited closet space. I do just fine keeping it organized and neat. Now, if I had a garage and a basement, I would have three times the stuff. Most of which I wouldn't use.
I can fill a 512 SSD, but I live on a 256 SSD in my MBA. Easier to manage with some light housekeeping.
However, I don't do any serious video editing and my Aperture library is only about 20GB and iTunes 25 GB.
You have to look at what you use it for, and how much stuff you want to keep in the garage.
 
For me, the upgrade in SSD from Apple is way to expensive. If 256gb isn't enough for you, 512gb isn't going to be either.
i.e. if you have files which are going to take up 256gb of space they are likely to be movie/music files and photos etc, all of which, after 3 years are most likely going to exceed 512gb anyway.
I would save the money and buy a decent hard drive, maybe even a NAS for your home. You could spend much less that the SSD upgrade and get something which is arguably more useful!
 
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