# MacBook Air



## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

Anyone have one? Likes? Dislikes?

I need to get a handle on my "new toy" spending, but I actually *need* a new computer because 1) mine is old and kinda slow, 2) it's too heavy to haul around my new, much larger campus next year. Although Tim would probably argue that I am just using it as an excuse to get more new toys (which is probably somewhat true, not willing to admit it though!)

$1400 for one of these...for $400 more a new puppy....LOL!!!

PS - Thought I should add that I am a devoted PC user but I love the fact that with the Air I don't have to sacrifice screen size for weight, and that it can be my main computer, whereas if I go with a lighter PC, there is no way I'm writing massive research papers on a 10" screen. My eyesight is already bad enough!


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## ls-indy (Apr 10, 2008)

I am also considering a Mac. I've only owned PCs in the past - but my daughter's family all have Macs and are very happy with them. They paid (I think) $99 to attend any classes they want for a one year period of time. I would be interested in the photo and video classes....


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## hartman studio (Feb 14, 2008)

I bought a MacBook Pro this year and absolutely LOVE it!! I'd only been a PC user before. I didn't really look at the "Air", it didn't have the graphic display I wanted or enough ram for me, so I can't be any more help with it-but love,love, love my Mac!!


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

ls-indy said:


> I am also considering a Mac. I've only owned PCs in the past - but my daughter's family all have Macs and are very happy with them. *They paid (I think) $99 to attend any classes they want for a one year period of time. I would be interested in the photo and video classes....*




Yes but that has changed you can only get it when you BUY a new Mac. You use to be able to get it anytime but not anymore :Cry:
Natalie- I love the Macbook Pro


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

I was given the Macbook Pro at Christmas,it is fantastic,had only had a PC before,which was so slow.I have forgotten how to use it now!


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

I love Macs...my understanding is the 'air" does not have a lot connectors such as USB and ethernet. but then again the whole idea is wireless, I would check to see with what ease you can print... use thumb drives...connect camera's... I don't think it has a dvd drive... but I am not sure about these things, I would just double check it can do all you want it to do.


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## trueblue (Jan 22, 2008)

Natalie, I'll never own anything but a Mac. We have a desktop & laptops & love them. Don't have the air because we wanted disc drives...if it has everything you need, I say go for it!


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## Me+Sydney (Mar 5, 2010)

When I finished school I traded in my long line of PCs for an iMac and haven't looked back. I love the Mac.

That being said, I think it depends what you need the computer for at school. Yes, Microsoft Office is available for Mac, but I personally held off on switching until I was done school because it wasn't worth the aggravation of trying to deal with all the group work (formatting tends to get messed up between PCs and Macs in Word, and the Mac version of Excel just isn't as powerful - I was in business, so that was important).

That being said, for regular, every day use, I absolutely love the Mac, and the Air definitely has a weight advantage over anything else.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Go Mac! Go Mac! Go Mac!
:drum::first::cheer2:

I am a huge Apple promoter - can you tell? Have had Macs since the 80's. I have a big desktop iMac and a small MacBook. They are my 5th and 6th Mac's. We also have two iPods, two iPhone's and am considering the iPad. The main thing I know about the MacBook Air vs the MacBook and MacBook Pro is that the battery life is less in the Air and there is no DVD drive (unless one can be added). It is beautiful and light. But I think you can get a lot more with a MacBook basic 13" without adding much weight. Mine has been hauled around everywhere . . . to Europe and back . . . not heavy and has held up great. Pro is even better . . . my son has one of those. Can't go wrong with the Mac laptops!


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

Allison, how long ago was that? I haven't had any problems with classmates who have Macs and send each other files, etc. I thought they cleaned up all the issues in Office 2007? I'm also in business (economics), so Excel is one of my best friends. What do you mean it's not as powerful in Macs?

As for the CD/DVD drive, it's $99. There is only one USB port, but I don't think I'll need more than one. I usually only have a wireless mouse connected.

I love the MacBook Pro, but it's only a pound lighter than my current computer so that kind of defeats the purpose of a more lightweight investment!


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

I will agree that Excel in Mac has had some bugs, but I get it to do what I need to get done. But I am a graphic designer and my son the CPA auditor uses a PC. Just depends on how badly you need Excel to be 100% perfect. If you are in school, I would ask some of the profs or someone at the Apple Store their opinion. I would also search some of the Apple discussions. My son was given a new PC at his accounting firm, so it depends on the type of work you do. I can read all his Excel files just fine. And you can always get the Parallels Desktop for Mac to run PC programs.


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

How about for photo editing? Is the Pro or Air better? It sure seems that the Pro has a lot more features and speed for the same price...I dunno, ahh I'm torn!


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

galaxie said:


> How about for photo editing? Is the Pro or Air better? It sure seems that the Pro has a lot more features and speed for the same price...I dunno, ahh I'm torn!


I asked my friend who is a photographer that same question last week and he said " Macbook Pro for sure"


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

mintchip said:


> I asked my friend who is a photographer that same question last week and he said " Macbook Pro for sure"


Agreed!


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## Annie Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

I think it's a tough call.. I love my Mac book pro (I went with 15 inch screen because it's my main computer) but it's big. 
I think if I was a student and really carrying it around I might like the Air. 
But maybe the smaller Mac book would work and not be as heavy.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

I can do anything on my 13" MacBook. It is nice to have the bigger screen sometimes, but I work on my little laptop 95% of the time. And my eyes are not young


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

Yeah, 13" is fine, my computer now is the same screen size.

I guess I'll just have to go to the store and carry them around, lol.


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## Me+Sydney (Mar 5, 2010)

The issue with Excel for Office was that a lot of the add-ins were not available for Mac. I don't know what you use, but I know we used several add-ins for modeling and stats courses along the way.

My experience with Word/PowerPoint is prior to Office 2007 so that may be valid. All the content coverts ok, I just find any time I send myself something from work/a PC I end up with a bit of reformatting to do (but that is Office 2003).


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## hartman studio (Feb 14, 2008)

Definitely Mac Book Pro for photo editing! I bought the 15 inch- it is heavy, but even that screen is small for photo editing- I have to use the zoom tool most of the time. I will probably buy a larger monitor if I really get into digital art.


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## mimismom (Feb 15, 2009)

I love my macbook!! I have a macbook 13" before it went to pro, but has all or most of the same features. 

Someone at the store told me you could format the drive to have a percentage of the computer run on windows. I needed to know this when I was working in a corporate environment and needed to work remotely from home. However, I have no experience with this because, I ended up being laid off before my purchase. 

Another thing to conside- is that when I have used excel, I sometimes wish I had a mouse, (I don't currently) but I don't use excel often enough at home for personal/school use that it has not become necessary. 

Will not get a PC again for personal use.


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## Me+Sydney (Mar 5, 2010)

mimismom said:


> Someone at the store told me you could format the drive to have a percentage of the computer run on windows.


Actually that is a really good point, you can run both Windows and the Mac OS on a Mac. I never pursued that option either, as mine is just for personal use now, but that would be another option. It does take some on-board power to run both, though, so I am not sure how viable that is with the Air (I'm not familiar with the specs). I'm sure the Apple store can walk you through that conversation though.


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone! I'm going to hit up the store to check out my options in person.

As for the mouse thing, I always use a wireless mouse. The touchpad isn't really an option for me because I have carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and arthritis! Any mixture of the three really act up and cause my wrists to seize if I use the touchpad.


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

Well, my update is that I went ahead and purchased the 13" MacBook Pro! I ordered it on Monday so I hooooooope it gets here soon!!


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