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OK so I went into a store today to play a bit more with the Macbook Air, and it seems as though an open window cannot be fully maxmised, the way it does on Windows? It does this weird thing where a window will only get a bit bigger where the info can be seen, but it won't fully maximise?

Annoying, I know. There are a bunch of utilities that fix this. I use this:
https://www.macupdate.com/app/iphone/33166/sizewell

But there are others, search around until you find one you like.

You can also use full screen mode for apps, which IMO works great on smaller screens like MBA.

Another thing I find odd with OS X is that there is no "move" command. You issue a copy command, then when you go paste it, you hold down the option key, and the "paste" command changes to a "move" command. It feels very counterintuitive to me. OS X is full of little quirks like that that feels very weird when coming from Windows.

I'm a big fan of Moom, as it not only can maximize windows, but can also do a lot of other automatic window resizing. My favorite is the Win7 way of snapping 2 windows side by side, it's really useful for finder operations.
 
I'm a big fan of Moom, as it not only can maximize windows, but can also do a lot of other automatic window resizing. My favorite is the Win7 way of snapping 2 windows side by side, it's really useful for finder operations.

Moom looks good, I might give it a try sometime. Sizewell also has resize windows functions, including third screen sizes (Moom seems to do only half and quarter sizes?), but Moom looks like it has a better designed interface.
 
So what you're saying is that there's no move option, just copy and paste?

Also an application needs to be downloaded just to be able to maximise a window? In regards to fullscreen, I hear not all applications support this

I find that a bit ridiculous

I've used nothing but Macs since 1987 but recently, just for giggles and curiosity, loaded Windows 7 Pro on my MacBook Pro.

So...if you are talking 'a bit ridiculous'.....how about having a START menu that is used for SHUT DOWN. Talk about crazy!
 
So having never owned a Mac device and being a complete Windows and custom PC freak, I may take the plunge and pick up a MBA. However there are several questions that need to be resolved;

1. Can I install Windows on it? Is it easy to do, or is it a hassle? Will I be able to use Windows fully functioning, because I'm a uni student and some of the programmes we are told to use don't work on Mac. I want to be able to install out of a USB drive, not looking to spend more money getting an optical drive
Don't know if installing Windows through USB works. I use Windows Vista 32bit as the main OS in my Macmini (my DTV adapter only works on Windows besides my 35mm film scanner which was supported until Vista).
2. Longevity; Will it last? Something I've noticed amongst Apple users is that once their product become the "last generation" they straight away upgrade to the newest gen- I cannot afford to do that. This will be a massive investment for me, and I need this to last a good 5-6 years without dying on me.
I have a White Macbook since Apr.2010 without any issues -- besides its rubber bottom cover, which was replaced for free by Apple this year.

3. Build quality. One of the main reasons why I'm getting this over other Windows specific machines- it is the only machine which ticks most of my boxes in terms of build. However, is the build quality sturdy? I don't wish to be forking out big bucks a year out of warranty because the hinge has decided to give way, or the trackpad stops responding etc.

I know how you feel. Some of the best PC laptops cost as much or more than an Apple one, for example, Dell Precisions, high-end Sony Vaios and high-end Lenovo Thinkpads. I think Apple laptops are more affordable compared to similar PC mobile workstations. If you plan throwing your laptop against a wall, I suggest a Lenovo Thinkpad. Otherwise, get a lighter and better spec'd Macbook.

If I find a way for upgrading RAM to 16GB and replacing the battery for a brand-new one (my battery lasts about 3 hours through wi-fi and brightness at 50% or more than 4 hours with wi-fi turned off), I'll probably keep my Macbook until early-2015. That is, it's about 5 years of longevity with a low-end Mac. MBAs have soldered RAM, so make sure you won't need more memory someday. If you're a PC freak as you say, you'll probably feel better with a standard Macbook Pro 13", so you can upgrade RAM (we can expect affordable 16GB modules in a couple of years), HDD and even install a second hard drive or SSD.
 
2. Longevity; Will it last? Something I've noticed amongst Apple users is that once their product become the "last generation" they straight away upgrade to the newest gen- I cannot afford to do that.

It means the opposite of how it appears. People aren't buying new machines so often for fear of hardware failure. They're buying new machines because their old ones are worth so much (resale value) that the price difference on the new one is negligible.

The main negative of buying a Mac to only run windows is that you're paying for two OSs and only using one. If you can get past that, you're all set.
 
Moom looks good, I might give it a try sometime. Sizewell also has resize windows functions, including third screen sizes (Moom seems to do only half and quarter sizes?), but Moom looks like it has a better designed interface.

There are a lot of configuration options as well. In the settings, you can specify what grid size you want to use. Anywhere from a 6x4 to 8x6 to higher. Then you can configure moom to use the grid for rearranging your windows.

Half, quarter, third, eighth. Whatever you want really.
 
So these programmes that will need to be downloaded to carry out this function, to they work on the go? I.e. will they work natively, as if they're part of the OS, without having to launch an application for it
 
...there are several questions that need to be resolved;

1. Can I install Windows on it? Yes

1a. Is it easy to do, or is it a hassle? Easy as pie.

1b. Will I be able to use Windows fully functioning, YES

2. Longevity; Will it last? YES

3. Build quality. ..is the build quality sturdy? YES, very.

Take the plunge. I'm going on two years after 20+ years of Windows and DOS, and this is the best computer I have ever owned. Runs Windows great. And other OSes too.
 

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So these programmes that will need to be downloaded to carry out this function, to they work on the go? I.e. will they work natively, as if they're part of the OS, without having to launch an application for it

I can only speak for Moom, but yes. Moom has 3 different modes: standard, menu bar and faceless. I run in faceless mode and there is no indication that it is running, until I activate it (either mouse action or keyboard shortcut).
 
So these programmes that will need to be downloaded to carry out this function, to they work on the go? I.e. will they work natively, as if they're part of the OS, without having to launch an application for it

Sizewell changes the behavior of the green "maximize" button, and also intergrates into the menu bar. There is no separate app to launch.
 
Okay so I took the plunge and opted for an i5/8/128 13" air, and it arrived yesterday.

Straight off the bat I ran the terminal to find out I'm running a Samsung Panel.
Should I still run the colour calibration?

I'm comfortable with most things, got everything running smoothly. Didn't come with Mavericks, which I'm happy with. Will wait till they iron out all the crinks before updating.

Anyhow, one thing i'm concerned about is discolouration- I have really sweaty hands, and I'm worried that the aluminium on the palm rest would get discoloured, as well as the shiny white trackpad and the keyboard. Can/Does that happen? How will be the best way to take care of that?
 
Anyhow, one thing i'm concerned about is discolouration- I have really sweaty hands, and I'm worried that the aluminium on the palm rest would get discoloured, as well as the shiny white trackpad and the keyboard. Can/Does that happen? How will be the best way to take care of that?

First, enjoy the new machine!

If you are really concerned, get a keyboard, palm rest & trackpad palm protector. Easily had just about anywhere. Find them cheap on Ebay.
 
First, enjoy the new machine!

If you are really concerned, get a keyboard, palm rest & trackpad palm protector. Easily had just about anywhere. Find them cheap on Ebay.

Thanks. Are those protectors plastic, like screen protectors? Generally speaking, does the MBA or any aluminium Macbook for that matter suffer from discolouration?

Anyway another observation I've made; when I first got the machine I played around with it on battery until it got to around 75%, and then charged it back to around 90%. I've been playing with it again today on battery again and it's down to around 60%.
I checked the health report of the battery just for curiosity's sake, and it says the battery charge cycle is at 2? How is that?
 
Thanks. Are those protectors plastic, like screen protectors? Generally speaking, does the MBA or any aluminium Macbook for that matter suffer from discolouration?

Anyway another observation I've made; when I first got the machine I played around with it on battery until it got to around 75%, and then charged it back to around 90%. I've been playing with it again today on battery again and it's down to around 60%.
I checked the health report of the battery just for curiosity's sake, and it says the battery charge cycle is at 2? How is that?

Most keyboard protectors will be silicone based so they are pliable. The track-pad and rest protectors will be similar to screen protectors. Do a goggle search on protectors. There are so many options out there to chose from. You'll be amazed. Many on Ebay as well.

Should not suffer from colorization, but will eventually wear. Any colorization will most likely be dirt and should easily clean off.

As for the battery charge cycle, it is most likely at 2 because it has to be charged at the factory once. You then charged it and it is now showing 2 cycles.
 
So i've noticed quite a bit of lag that didn't exist before on Safari. When I have around 4 tabs open and I do the zoom out gesture which lets me see all the tabs, that transition when zooming out is very laggy and blocky. It wasn't like this when I first got it, but it is like that now
 
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