Keep my MBP or switch on an Air?

[Fazzl]

I build iOS apps and currently use a 13" MBP like this:

However my company just got me a new 13" MB Air with the 1.7ghz i5 and 4 GB Ram.

My question is, which would be better for my needs? I typically just use firefox and xcode and some music and stuff.

I have it hooked up to my 27" Cinema Display and dont really travel with it.

 

[HarryPot]

Both will perform perfectly for your uses.

But, just you can decide wether the form and size of the MBA are better suited for your lifestyle.


Personally, I would keep the MBA. It's a newer machine and would probably perform faster in the eventual heavy duties you perform. Tho, it lacks super-drive (do you use it?) And does it has SSD drive?

 

[Fazzl]

Both will perform perfectly for your uses.

But, just you can decide wether the form and size of the MBA are better suited for your lifestyle.


Personally, I would keep the MBA. It's a newer machine and would probably perform faster in the eventual heavy duties you perform. Tho, it lacks super-drive (do you use it?) And does it has SSD drive?

I don't use the superdrive at all. I'm just concerned it won't be able to handle mutlitasking as well due to 4gb vs 8gb and to power the 27" LED CD. My MBP does not have SSD.

 

[HarryPot]

I don't use the superdrive at all. I'm just concerned it won't be able to handle mutlitasking as well due to 4gb vs 8gb and to power the 27" LED CD. My MBP does not have SSD.

The Air can handle a 27" display.

The CPU in the Air is better than the Core 2 Duo. The SSD in the MBA is much better (compared to the drive in your MBP). As for the RAM, it won't affect in your daily use. Maybe in apps like Aperture, Photoshop and video apps (not sure about this last one).

 

[warvanov]

Considering you have access to both machines and you're pretty familiar with one of them already, I think you're in a better position to answer this question than anyone else here could be. Use the Air for a week and see what you think. If you like it, keep it. If not, switch back.

 

[Fazzl]

Considering you have access to both machines and you're pretty familiar with one of them already, I think you're in a better position to answer this question than anyone else here could be. Use the Air for a week and see what you think. If you like it, keep it. If not, switch back.

I don't think thats possible cause if I use the air, the MBP will go to one of the new employes or something ASAP.

 

[HarryPot]

I don't think thats possible cause if I use the air, the MBP will go to one of the new employes or something ASAP.

Do you like the form and weight of the Air? This is the deciding factor.

 

[Fazzl]

Do you like the form and weight of the Air? This is the deciding factor.

As long as it performs just as well, then I would prefer the Air.

I just upgraded from 4 to 8gb ram in the MBP last week because it was getting too slow with firefox and xcode open.

 

[HarryPot]

As long as it performs just as well, then I would prefer the Air.

I just upgraded from 4 to 8gb ram in the MBP last week because it was getting too slow with firefox and xcode open.

Strange. Firefox shouldn't really need anything more than 4GB. And as for xCode, I'm not completely familiar with the program, but I would risk saying that it also doesn't need much more.

Would xCode depend on how optimized the application you are building is? I mean, if the app you are building has memory leaks, will it affect your Mac performance while you test the app using xCode?

 

[Adamantoise]

Lol, 1st world problems.

 

[theSeb]

What sort of apps are you developing? How long are your compiles and (hopefully) automated tests right now?