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Would you even consider 4GB ram today?
- Thread starter yourtoys7
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Why wouldn't you consider it? Mavericks runs outstandingly well on 4. Obviously 8 is nicer to have, so is more storage, and a faster cpu. If you need it, get it. If you don't, don't.
I would love to have 8 GB but to be honest for 90% of people possibly more 4 GB is fine. I am a MIS and Marketing major and use virtual machines a lot and manage on 4 GB just fine on my Macbook Air
Of course I would.
If my MBA is a secondary computer, there really is no point in upgrading to more RAM if I'll never use it.
Like always, it depends upon what you'll use the laptop for.
My current usage: internet, iTunes, MS Office, etc. and I'm using ~2 GB of RAM.
I'm still using my 2010 Macbook Air with 2GB RAM, and I'm currently running OS X Mavericks perfectly fine. This is my main machine, and I hardly notice the RAM limitations in everyday usage as a graduate student; the only time I notice it is when I'm trying to multitask with heavy apps (which is very rare).
However, if I were purchasing a new MacBook Air (which I am planning in 2014), I would not consider anything less than 8GB. The money I would save by choosing a lower RAM option is not enough to justify it.
4GB is fine
If you don't upgrade your computer to the next major osx revision and the same for your apps that you install today then your performance will remain the same over the next 2-3 years. naturally, os and apps seem to be more demanding as time marches on. Remember that the Air has solid state memory which does a nice job of hiding disk page outs due to its speed. 4GB is a great option.
If you don't upgrade your computer to the next major osx revision and the same for your apps that you install today then your performance will remain the same over the next 2-3 years. naturally, os and apps seem to be more demanding as time marches on. Remember that the Air has solid state memory which does a nice job of hiding disk page outs due to its speed. 4GB is a great option.
Incorrect. The base 2010 model had 2 GB.
Maynard Keynes: In the long run we'll be all dead
You are in school, the professor won't make you code a 1 million lines App.
Depends if you plan on keeping it for a long time, 4 GB isn't a lot these days but it's enough for anyone who doesn't use heavy duty apps (i.e most people). I will probably keep my 2012 MBA for the next 3 years if all holds up well so it wouldn't sit right with me using 4 GB of RAM in 2016 so I upgraded to 8 GB RAM.
Since third party RAM was so cheap, I upgraded my 2010 MBP to 8 gigs. When the 2013 airs arrived, I didn't want to go back, spec-wise. But I have a hard time justifying it. Resale value, maybe. But actually I spent money on a luxury.
Multitasking on 4gb of ram
It's perfectly suitable for most users.
Additionally, modern software isn't getting more memory-hungry. They're getting smarter and more efficient. "needing more ram for futureproofing" is mainly FUD leftover from the previous decade The only way I would consider 'future-proofing' is if you plan on changing your own usage patterns.
Consider that the ipad mini runs buttery smooth on 512mb of RAM..
It's perfectly suitable for most users.
Additionally, modern software isn't getting more memory-hungry. They're getting smarter and more efficient. "needing more ram for futureproofing" is mainly FUD leftover from the previous decade The only way I would consider 'future-proofing' is if you plan on changing your own usage patterns.
Consider that the ipad mini runs buttery smooth on 512mb of RAM..
I'm a software developer. Just my observations.
Let me elaborate a tiny bit-
For the large portion of the past decade, primary goal of consumer software developers was to add in more features. We got huge monolithic software from large corporations that added everything but the kitchen sink and cost a ton of money. It wasn't until recently we had a proliferation of independent developers and small startups. A lot of it was thanks to the mobile revolution. We started calling them "apps".. they cost $4 instead of $400, and more task focused. Hardware changed... cpu clock speeds hit a ceiling, devices needed to shrink, battery life became more of a concern. Companies like apple and google heavily enforced best-practices on limited mobile operating systems.. practices which eventually trickled on to laptop/desktops, and gradually even becoming apparent even on clunky corporate software.
Software developers can't add better hardware to their customer's computers, so they make it more efficient. If they can't make a software scroll through a hundred images, they can't just expect the next generation of computers to fix that problem.. The average-joe computer is the new common denominator so optimization/performance/refinement is a big priority. "User-experience" is the new buzzword that's here to stay.
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Well just ordered 13" Air with 8GB, better safe than sorrybetter for resale if time comes.
Resale is better with base models, more you pay, more you lose.