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macbook or macbook air for limited cs3 use ?

D

dazed

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 23, 2007
911
211
Hi,

Would either of these be good enough for some basic photoshop and illustrator use ?

I currently use a 2gz mac mini so with the better graphics, and the cpu speed matching what I currently use i'm wondering if these would fit my needs. The MBP is a bit too big for me and I know id use these more due to their smaller size.

I know the screen isnt the greatest for photos but its only to get me close enough so i can tweak on my home machine.


Thanks
 
Yeah, either should work out fine...I would recommend the Albook regular version only because it just seems like a better deal than the MBA. Also, don't spring for the 1599 option, it not really worth it.

EDIT:If you need a better screen, go for the MBA though
 
Don't spend the extra money on the Air... It's not really worth it. Your losing a lot of features and power just to be ultra thin and light. They new MacBook is pretty damn portable, thin, and light and it offers a lot more (except the nice MBA screen) plus it's cheaper.
 
FYI I ran CS2 on my old 1.67 Powerbook G4 for considerably more than basic work and it handled it fine.

If you like the Air and don't need the things it doesn't come with I'd say get it. All the Rev A issues have been resolved; the GeekBench and XBench scores place it pretty close to the MacBook; and it has a far better screen. However, if you need to run Parallels and the like the 2GB RAM ceiling gets tight, but using BootCamp solves that.

Price wise, if you want the backlit keyboard, which I sorely miss on my current MB, there is only a $200 difference between the Air and the MB.

Personally I consider the 1599 version worth it. 300 gets you the faster proc, the bigger drive and the backlit keyboard. Some might argue the relative worth of those things, but I consider them future-proofing and I really like the BL keyboard. Of course if you don't need the keyboard, 300 can get you a bigger 7200rpm drive and a big RAM upgrade, both of which will make your machine feel a lot quicker.

Remember, you are the only person who can say if the Air is worth it. Be honest about your needs and uses and decide accordingly.
 
MB, the air has so much missing from it, it's not really worth it unless you travel ALOT, even then, I'd still say get a MB, save some money too :p plus faster processor on the MB
 
Thanks for the replies. My main reason for considering the air is for the better screen. I can live without a dvd drive and dont need a ton of usb ports.

Im leaning towards a macbook and upping the memory to 4gb, The 2gb limit on the air is a concern as I do use fusion on the mini and would like the option to use it on the notebook too.

I'm also tempted by the old blackbooks but am wondering if id be better off with the newer gpus??
 
I just installed CS4 on my MacBook 2.0 with 2GB ram, and I have absolutely no problems with it.

Runs just as good as CS3 did.
 
I'm running CS4 Web Premium on a 2.4 Macbook. When at home, I have dual monitor setup by connecting the MB to a 22" Dell. I have no issues working in PS/DW/Flash/Illustrator, even with the graphics pushing to an external monitor.
 
Im liking the look of the old macbooks better than the new one and so am really thinking of trying to nab one of them before they all go.

As far as graphics go, i know the macbook 2.0 is meant to be 5x faster but how much is this noticeable in the real world ? Also how much better is the old macbooks graphic card over my minis gma950 ?


Thanks
 
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