Is This MBA Suitable for AutoCAD?

[AkramHD]

I'm thinking of getting this MacBook Air

13-inch : 128GB
Specifications
1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz
Intel HD Graphics 5000
4GB memory
128GB PCIe-based flash storage

I would mainly be using it for AutoCAD and checking emails. I'd just like to know, would it be able to handle AutoCAD for long periods of time on battery power, and is it powerful enough?

Thank you.

 

[stridemat]

The system requirements on the AutoCad website say the following for the 2014 version:

Apple® Mac® OS® X v10.9.0 or later (Mavericks), OS X v10.8.0 or later (Mountain Lion) with 64-bit Intel processor
Apple Mac Pro® 4,1 or later(Mac Pro® 5,1 or later recommended); MacBook® Pro 5,1 or later (MacBook Pro 10,1 with Retina Display or later recommended); iMac® 8.1 or later (iMac 11.1 or later recommended); Mac® mini 3.1 or later (Mac mini 4.1 or later recommended); MacBook Air® 2.1 or later; MacBook® 5.1 or later (MacBook 7.1 or later recommended)
3 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended)
2.5 GB free disk space for download and installation (3 GB recommended)
All graphics cards on supported hardware
1,280 x 800 display with true color (2880 x 1800 with Retina Display recommended)
All Mac OS X supported language operating systems
Apple® Mouse, Apple Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, MacBook® Pro trackpad, or Microsoft-compliant mouse.
Mac OS X-compliant printer

Macbook Air 2.1 description.

 

[kelon111]

I'm thinking of getting this MacBook Air

13-inch : 128GB
Specifications
1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz
Intel HD Graphics 5000
4GB memory
128GB PCIe-based flash storage

I would mainly be using it for AutoCAD and checking emails. I'd just like to know, would it be able to handle AutoCAD for long periods of time on battery power, and is it powerful enough?

Thank you.

For simple modelling you'll be fine.
If you are using AutoCAD for your job , I would say get another laptop.

Here are some alternatives : Dell Precision M3800 , HP Zbook 14

 

[Boyd01]

The current MacBook Airs are actually very powerful little computers. I run VectorWorks (another CAD package), Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on mine. I can rip a TV show on the MBA in less than 15 minutes. Same show takes 75 minutes on my 2008 15" MacBook Pro.

However… running CPU intensive software certainly impacts battery life. Just watching movies might give me 10 hours on battery. Running Final Cut Pro might only last 3 hours.

 

[kelon111]

The current MacBook Airs are actually very powerful little computers. I run VectorWorks (another CAD package), Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on mine. I can rip a TV show on the MBA in less than 15 minutes. Same show takes 75 minutes on my 2008 15" MacBook Pro.

However… running CPU intensive software certainly impacts battery life. Just watching movies might give me 10 hours on battery. Running Final Cut Pro might only last 3 hours.

MacBook Airs still use ULV CPUs and only have integrated GPUs.

An Intel HD 5000 isn't going to match a Quadro K1100m when it comes to rendering.
Neither would an HD 5000 match a FirePro M4100.

Once you get used to the power of a real dedicated card , going back to an integrated GPU solution feels like going back to the past.

 

[Boyd01]

Once you get used to carrying around the 11" MacBook Air, going back to a big heavy laptop feels like going back to the past.

Seriously, it should be obvious that the MacBook Air is not the most powerful computer on the market. But its faster than MacBook Pros from just a few years ago, and it's "good enough" for my kind of use.

 

[jdechko]

MacBook Airs still use ULV CPUs and only have integrated GPUs.

An Intel HD 5000 isn't going to match a Quadro K1100m when it comes to rendering.
Neither would an HD 5000 match a FirePro M4100.

Once you get used to the power of a real dedicated card , going back to an integrated GPU solution feels like going back to the past.

The OP said nothing about rendering/ 3D. Not all CAD is 3D, and if you do CAD, you'd know this and appreciate the difference. For 2D CAD graphics (and even some light 3D work), integrated graphics are just fine, even at longer stretches.

 

[Newtons Apple]

AutoCad 2014 is installed on my 2013 MB Air with i7, 8gb and 512ssd and it runs fine. I use it mainly in the field and seriouss work falls to the desktop.