Should I get the 13" Air?

[jay1021]

Hi!

I'm currently a college student, and I own the Mid-2009 13" Macbook Pro. It has a 2.53GHz Inter Core 2 Duo Processor, 4GB RAM, and a 250GB HD.

My current Mac is getting really old and crappy as the warranty has expired (trackpad stopped working, battery sucks, screen issues, etc.) so I'm thinking about getting a new one.

Should I get the new Macbook Air or the Pro?

My usage:
-Safari web browsing
-mail
-Taking notes on Microsoft word
-itunes
-watching movies on netflix
-powerpoint presentations
... and thats about it.

I take my laptop to class everyday so it would be nice to have a small, lightweight laptop like the Air. How is the battery life for the Air? Is it better than the Pro?

What do you think? What should I get?

 

[3dflyboy1]

For everything EXCEPT netflix, the macbook air is perfect. Video streaming really kills the battery life of the macbook air, especially long HD movies from netflix. I think I got about 1.5hrs of netflix streaming from 100% charge.

Other than that, the macbook air is perfect. For iTunes, web browsing, notes, email, etc etc, nothing beats it. For simple web browsing, I currently have three tabs open, the screen at 4 bars brightness, the keyboard backlight at 1 notch, and have 5:31 remaining at 87% battery. (I have the 11")

For sheer portability, especially to and from college every day, I would recommend the 11", unless you need more screen space and/or more battery life than about 5hrs.

 

[powerbook911]

Your Mac is still competent. It's a shame about your hardware issues as it's still a good machine for your uses.

The 13-inch Air could work great for you. Like the above poster, I like the 11 in the air, BUT if it is your only computer and you do not use an external display while at a desk, I would get the 13 like you're thinking.

It will be faster than your current machine, though the battery information posted above is also correct. Airs can only have so big batteries so those intense tasks do eat at it a bit.

Be a tiny bit more gentle on your next Mac (not saying you did anything but the school environment can be hard on any computer) and maybe it will take you a bit longer! Good luck. The Airs really are nice now!

 

[jay1021]

Thanks guys! Will definitely be buying the macbook air this weekend