Is the new MBA for me?

[rsarno]

Here is the spec im considering:
13" 1.3GHz (wondering if i should upgrade this? see below)
8gb ram
512gb drive

It will be heavily used at work. HEAVY web browsing. Multiple browsers open, as many as 7 sites open on each.
I will also push 1 (2 if possible?) external Dell displays
Also light Photoshop use, heavy Outlook for emails, AIM for chat, Skype for video calls.

Basically im asking the following:

1. Is 1.3GHz enough for my useage or should i up that?
2. will 8GB RAM be enough for me?
3. Doesnt matter, just wondering if i can push 2 external displays?
4. Will the MBA plow through the above? Or do i need the MBP for more power/ram?

 

[rsarno]

BTW im contemplating the above MBA vs a 13" rMBP with 16gb, 2.6GHz i5. I dont know enough yet to know if the i7 is worth the $200 more for me.

 

[mattferg]

Here is the spec im considering:
13" 1.3GHz (wondering if i should upgrade this? see below)
8gb ram
512gb drive

It will be heavily used at work. HEAVY web browsing. Multiple browsers open, as many as 7 sites open on each.
I will also push 1 (2 if possible?) external Dell displays
Also light Photoshop use, heavy Outlook for emails, AIM for chat, Skype for video calls.

Basically im asking the following:

1. Is 1.3GHz enough for my useage or should i up that?
2. will 8GB RAM be enough for me?
3. Doesnt matter, just wondering if i can push 2 external displays?
4. Will the MBA plow through the above? Or do i need the MBP for more power/ram?

For the price of that model, I'd suggest buying the rMBP, purely because it's a better choice tbh.

 

[joshdammit]

BTW im contemplating the above MBA vs a 13" rMBP with 16gb, 2.6GHz i5. I dont know enough yet to know if the i7 is worth the $200 more for me.

I've read that for many average users, the performance bump from i5 to i7 is negligible. I'm not certain of that, though.

Another thing to keep in mind is battery life. You're going to get at least a couple more hours off a full charge on the MBA than the rMBP. Also, if your main use is going to be plugging those extra displays in, having the retina display on your MacBook isn't going to be much use to you. Naturally, the MBA is a tiny bit thinner.

These are all things to keep in mind. I'm actually wondering which model is right for me lately, so this is all fresh on my memory.

 

[NewbieCanada]

Fairly sure the MBA will only support one external monitor.

The I7 isn't of particular help for the tasks you'll be using it for.

 

[stayley]

First I've been deciding between the i5 and i7, went with the i5. Bought last week so that in case rMBP convinces me I'll switch. Checked both out extensively and I'm staying with the i5 MBA.

Form factor, ridiculous battery life (I'm getting up to 14h after the Mavericks update) just made me keep it. I wouldn't get the i7 given the prices and minor performance improvement in these kinds of tasks. I also do music production and MBA is more than enough for that (however, I'm more into raw recording rather than super intensive VSTi).

Basically, I'd go with the MBA i5/8GB if you prefer battery life and the form factor. rMBP if you really want the screen, performance-wise the rMBP won't be a major benefit for the tasks you are considering. I can't speak of the external displays. I know people easily use an external monitor with the MBA, don't know about 2.

One more thing to consider, I think that the MBA's keyboard is simply better.

If you resale value is important to you, then you must bear in mind that the price reduction in the rMBPs will take its toll on the MBAs substantially. (the i5/8GB/256GB rMBP was only 30 pounds more than identically specced MBA in my case)

 

[ItHurtsWhenIP]

Fairly sure the MBA will only support one external monitor.

The I7 isn't of particular help for the tasks you'll be using it for.

I think Mavericks lets it support 2 now? I don't use an external display so I haven't really kept up on that aspect of Mavericks..so I could be mistaken.

 

[NewbieCanada]

I think Mavericks lets it support 2 now? I don't use an external display so I haven't really kept up on that aspect of Mavericks..so I could be mistaken.

Yes, it can support an additional one through airplay and an Apple TV under Mavericks. But the quality is not the same as an attached monitor.

It will also support two Thunderbolt displays. But a MacBook Pro, with its HDMI and two Thunderbolt ports (two DisplayPorts) is compatible with a far wider array of monitors.

 

[ZBoater]

1. Is 1.3GHz enough for my useage or should i up that?
2. will 8GB RAM be enough for me?
3. Doesnt matter, just wondering if i can push 2 external displays?
4. Will the MBA plow through the above? Or do i need the MBP for more power/ram?

1. Yes.
2. More than enough.
3. Yes you can.
4. It will plow very confidently.

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Fairly sure the MBA will only support one external monitor.

The I7 isn't of particular help for the tasks you'll be using it for.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/06/new-macbooks-can-manage-many-many-monitors/