MBA 11" - travel machine - is 64 GB SSD enough ? (or how do you manage it...?)

[sveintj]

Hi

I am about to pitch an MBA 11" as my travel machine (and partly office machine) for my boss. Due to buying restrictions the 11" with 128GB is probably difficult to get approval for. We use a centralised Citrix solution, but I will need local copies of MS Office for when working at airports/trains etc.

So:

1) is 64GB enough ?
2) For those of you who chose this, how do you manage so far ?
3) Is a later thirdparty SSD upgrade fata-morgana ?
4) Tips/tricks on how to use this with that limitation ?

Thanks for any replies.

stj.

 

[miles01110]

Whether or not 64 GB is "enough" is up to you. Working with Citrix/Office shouldn't take up that much space by itself, but if you put other media on the machine space will disappear fast.

 

[sveintj]

Whether or not 64 GB is "enough" is up to you. Working with Citrix/Office shouldn't take up that much space by itself, but if you put other media on the machine space will disappear fast.

I guess other media would be some music to take with me with travelling and the occasional movie for when flying.

stj.

 

[maflynn]

1) is 64GB enough ?

Yes for office, and basic apps. You'll quickly run low on storage if you start adding music/videos to itunes but I think you can add some

2) For those of you who chose this, how do you manage so far ?

I use a NAS for storing my LightRoom images that do not fit on my SSD and archive documents/files that I won't need. In a corporate setting a file server would work similarly.

3) Is a later thirdparty SSD upgrade fata-morgana ?

Check out OWC for SSD upgrades for MBAs

4) Tips/tricks on how to use this with that limitation ?

No real tricks other then using NAS/external storage to handle some large documents/files

 

[TC25]

I have an MBA 11 with a 128 gig SSD and have Office installed. I keep almost all files on my network drive or Dropbox. I also use Parallels with a Win7 Premium virtual machine. I am using 66 gigs of the SSD. I do not have my MBA with me to see what the Win7 VM is using but I'd guess at least 20 gigs (?).

So, without Parallels and the Win7 image, I'd be using approximately 40 gigs. So, a 64 gig SSD could support your requirements.

 

[sveintj]

Yes for office, and basic apps. You'll quickly run low on storage if you start adding music/videos to itunes but I think you can add some


I use a NAS for storing my LightRoom images that do not fit on my SSD and archive documents/files that I won't need. In a corporate setting a file server would work similarly.


Check out OWC for SSD upgrades for MBAs



No real tricks other then using NAS/external storage to handle some large documents/files

Thanks, that OWC upgrade looked pretty forward. I guess prices will come down as well as times goes by. This is good as there is a way forward should 64 GB prove too little.

stj.

 

[TC25]

Thanks, that OWC upgrade looked pretty forward. I guess prices will come down as well as times goes by. This is good as there is a way forward should 64 GB prove too little.

stj.

The prices for some of the OWC SSDs dropped yesterday. The 240 gig came down $42.

 

[Asmod4n]

2GB RAM is NOT enough, for anything besides web browsing, try and get the 4GB model.
You can't upgrade the RAM.

 

[newdeal]

...

agreed that if you are running office etc you would be better off with 4gb of ram than 2gb and since you can't add any later you are better off spending the 200 and getting double the ram and double the storage

 

[sveintj]

agreed that if you are running office etc you would be better off with 4gb of ram than 2gb and since you can't add any later you are better off spending the 200 and getting double the ram and double the storage

I forgot to say in the original post that I will be within our limit after upgrading to 4GB RAM, so that was the plan all along. It is only the 64 GB SSD that concerns me a little...

 

[glen e]

I forget to say in the original post that I will be within our limit after upgrading to 4GB RAM, so that was the plan all along. It is only the 64 GB SSD that concerns me a little...

For travel, hell yeah, it's enuf, unless you are in imovie and other hd uses. I did 2 months outta hotels with 64 and primarily used it for office, keynote, web, etc...more than enuf for gen business work.

 

[theSeb]

I forget to say in the original post that I will be within our limit after upgrading to 4GB RAM, so that was the plan all along. It is only the 64 GB SSD that concerns me a little...

128 GB is the absolute minimum that I live with, considering how much space the system and the hidden partition takes. I would seriously rethink your plans to get the 64 GB, unless you're willing to carry around a portable HDD. I would recommend the Samsung M2 - brilliant, little drive.

 

[onefish2]

I have a corporate issued MacBook Pro. I swapped out the spinning drive for a 128GB SSD last year. This is my main and only work machine. I have many apps lots of data and a VM that is currently at 37GB. You can absolutely use a MBA with 64GB for a work/travel machine.

At the moment I have 41GB free.

2GB should work for you at a minimum. You can do more than web browsing with 2GB.

 

[alecgold]

I can't manage with it. I have 30Gb of parallels, around 35Gb of documents and work related stuff that I want to have with me all the time, then around 20Gb of programs, 6Gb of email and other stuff.
So I went the whole nine yards and bought the i7 256Gb 11".

But if you have lion, that would take around 15-20 Gb, then office, 800mb of iWorks, then some other program's, a bit of music, but not to much and you easily have some 20-30Gb left.

 

[DaLurker]

If you don't need to store media files (pictures, music) and don't need a virtual machine, than 64GB should be enough.

Once you start putting music, pictures and VMs on, 64GB will run out very soon.

 

[sveintj]

If you don't need to store media files (pictures, music) and don't need a virtual machine, than 64GB should be enough.

Once you start putting music, pictures and VMs on, 64GB will run out very soon.

Thanks everyone for great replies. I have enough information now that I can continue on the path with an 64GB option. I do have Parallels on my current laptop, but uses it very very seldom, so I can live without that on a new ultraportable.

Again, thanks to you all !

stj.