What do you use your MacBook Air for?

[dzigg]

Just curious, what word processing software do you use in your MBA? Do you really have to spring for the extra copy of office, or go for free stuff like openoffice? Trying to get a feel of the 'extra costs' involved, in addition to the base cost of a MBA.

I seem to recall reading somewhere claiming that my imac's copy of office could be installed on another laptop free of charge, but not sure how credible (or ethical) that is.

Depends on your work.. mine is very much office-centric, writing reports on word, calculation on excel, and also collaborating extensively with people using office for windows. So the extra cost for office is justified in my case. Maybe the openoffice is good enough now.. but I can't afford 'maybe'..

About the imac's copy, I'm not familiar with the fine print so maybe others have knowledge about it.

 

[Abazigal]

"Pages" - 20 bucks - mac app store

Which works out to about $72 in my local currency, which is about 1/3 of MS Office. How compatible is it with office documents? Coz that's basically what everyone else in my workplace would be using, should I eventually get the MBA.

 

[ct2k7]

Well, my MacBook Air is my laptop, a replacement for my Dell Inspiron 6400.

I use this for PHP Development, iOS Development, listening to music, Office applications, Skype, and web browsing.

This Late 2010 handles my tasks like a champ!

 

[onthecouchagain]

What do I use my Air for? Honestly, not much... yet I can't bring myself to return it.

 

[ct2k7]

What do I use my Air for? Honestly, not much... yet I can't bring myself to return it.

Do you even use it?

 

[onthecouchagain]

Do you even use it?

Rarely. I thought I would need it for school, but it turns out it's just easier to take notes in a notebook. And I plan to use it when I travel (I frequently visit my girlfriend down South; it's a 3 hour ride) and I'm sure the Air will come in handy then too.

I also had intended to write outdoors more (as in, at a cafe, at the park, or at a diner, etc.) but I truthfully haven't done this once yet. I find myself writing perfectly fine at home on my iMac. >__<

Otherwise, I rarely use my Air. Alas, I confess I might have jumped the gun thinking I needed a laptop more than I thought. Yet... I cannot bring myself to return it. I will use it, but I'm realizing there's no real need for it.

Oh well?

 

[litchblade]

Well if you have enough money it doesn't really matter does it?

 

[ts3]

I thought I would need it for school, but it turns out it's just easier to take notes in a notebook.

Interesting. I take notes by hand as well as it's much easier to capture the logical links (I use boxes, arrows, write in the margins etc.). I tried to take notes on a laptop my first few weeks in grad school & they were useless, basically a jumble of everything the professor said (I type fast ) without rhyme or reason.

On topic, I use the MBA as my primary computer: web, email, iTunes, watch DVDs in bed, write papers. Love how light, small & easy to carry around it is.

 

[stark4]

I thought I would need it for school, but it turns out it's just easier to take notes in a notebook.

Interesting. I take notes by hand as well as it's much easier to capture the logical links (I use boxes, arrows, write in the margins etc.). I tried to take notes on a laptop my first few weeks in grad school & they were useless, basically a jumble of everything the professor said (I type fast ) without rhyme or reason.

On topic, I use the MBA as my primary computer: web, email, iTunes, watch DVDs in bed, write papers. Love how light, small & easy to carry around it is.

well... MBA will be really useful if you have big breaks in between classes. I have 3 hours break and took my 15" 2008 MBP to library to read the textbooks. Most of the textbooks came with PDF version also so if you have the online access code you can login and read online. But i really need the MBA because it's pain to carry my 15" MBP to school everyday ... but it's still better than carrying all the text books.

 

[jrc]

I use mine primarily for web development.

 

[X5-452]

24 year old restaurant manager.

I use my 13" mid 2011 i5/256 SSD mainly as a hub for my digital media and life – web browsing; music; emailing. I also use it at work to manage the 10 iPad 2's we have for our interactive wine guide.

 

[abz1981]

i am 30, and i am a customer service advisor for a mobile company. I use mines every day, when I come home from work, from using a PC all day. I love to get to my MBA, and relax, listen to iTunes, surf on safari, watch bbc inlayer and other online streaming, chat etc.

When it comes to doing some work, such as typing documents, I use pages and numbers. Play a few games from the app store, and also do the occasional photo editing via iPhoto.

I previously had the 13" 2010 MBP. I sold that and got my MBA. Its so portable and normally use it while I am in bed, or laying on the sofa watching the tv, i have my MBA on my lap.

 

[Kadman]

I bought my 2011 Air 11" as a more mobile sidekick to my 15" MBP i7. Primary use was for browsing, music, Youtube, etc but situations where I wanted something more than my iPad 2. Truth is it's become my main machine. I rarely need my MBP anymore.