Anyone considering getting the new MacBook Air?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Members don't see this ad.
Aviatrix2MD said:
I can't type and I am behind the power curve when it comes to computers, so I would like a stylus thing AND a keyboard in a lightweight, no-CD, portable machine. Seems like I need a hybrid of the Ipad and the air!? Any suggestions?😳
Click to expand...

my hospital uses Toughbooks for mobile computing. they're very low on the form factor and IMHO would look out of place in the library, but if you want a laptop + touchscreen it's a place to start. it's much, much bulkier than the Air but it's probably lighter than my 15" MBP. FWIW the battery is also really easy to swap out.

[x] stylus
[x] keyboard
[x] lightweight
[x] no CD
[x] portable

http://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/toughbook-products.asp#/T8


but personally, for what you want I would just get an iPad and buy a keyboard for it.
 
Dr Gerrard said:
well yes, the half a pound thing is true, but it is also more than twice as thick

plus, if you customize it to have 4gb ram, a webcam, bluetooth and most importantly a solid state hard drive, the price is well over what the base 13" macbook air costs.

this is not including the smaller screen of the x220, with a lower resolution..
Click to expand...

bomgd3 said:
...For my money, though, I'd get the Lenovo X220 with IPS display.
Click to expand...
Just wanted to add a bit to the thread, since I just finished ordering my new ThinkPad x220!! 😍

DrGerrard, with the Barnes & Noble + the current Lenovo deal (10% off plus free upgrade to 4GB RAM plus free upgrade to 9-cell battery), my ThinkPad, without an SSD, came out to just about $900. That's i5, 2.3 GHz, 4GB RAM, camera, bluetooth, several year-long ThinkPad Protection warranty (the expensive kind), and other goodies that I added. If I went with the bare minimum of what you bolded, along with the warranty I chose, my cost would've been just around $850.

Why didn't I get the SSD that Lenovo offers? Because I'm buying one separately. The ThinkPad is SATA 3 compatible, but the two choices of SSDs they offer are SATA 2's and overpriced. I'm ordering one separately, which is SATA 3 and cheaper than the ones Lenovo offers with the ThinkPad. This SSD (the Crucial M4) will cost me just about $250 (128 GB). This SSD is significantly better than what the MBAs seem to come with (random 4K read speeds of ~55 MB/s for M4 vs. 12.86 MB/s for the Apple SSD and random 4K write speeds of ~230 MB/s for the M4 vs. 80.78 MB/s for the Apple SSD...this is just what I've gathered from reading around on the internet so I'm not sure how valid they would be if compared directly with everything else being equal).

So, I'm effectively getting a far superior rig (much faster processor, better SSD, etc) that's cheaper than the MBAs. I'll concede the resolution point to the MBAs, but I can't see how anyone could say that an MBA is a better buy compared with the ThinkPad x220 with a custom SSD. And, like others have mentioned, Windows 7 is very stable and there's increased targeting of Macs with viruses, etc (since they're becoming much more popular), so the "Macs have a better OS" argument doesn't really hold up either.

Anyways, it's ultimately up to you on what to get. If you prefer the MBA, get the MBA. If you prefer something else, get that instead. Just be aware that you can get (objectively) much better rigs (ex. the x220 with pretty much everything you want on it) for cheaper than MBAs.
 
Last edited:
Kaushik said:
Just be aware that you can get (objectively) much better rigs (ex. the x220 with pretty much everything you want on it) for cheaper than MBAs.
Click to expand...

Mac users the world over are confused by this.
 
thechad said:
Mac users the world over are confused by this.
Click to expand...

I used Windows for close to 10 years before switching. With Windows, there was always something to update be it Windows update, antivirus, etc. And the OS seemed to get perpetually slower to the point of eventually needing a defrag or complete reinstall.

I converted to Mac over 4 years ago now. I've never had to defrag, never had to reformat my HDD, crashing programs are rare, and I could count the number of the OS X equivalent of blue screens I have gotten on one hand.

A big draw with Macs is you don't have to fool with them much to get them to do what you want, and you don't have to constantly maintain them or watch them get perpetually slower.
 
Bellette said:
I was debating this issue when the new MacBook Pro came out earlier this year--having been plotting/saving for over a year, weighing MBP v. MBA all along. As a compromise (not at all feeling any imperative for whatever was new and exciting about the MBP), I chose the MBP for its slightly beefier processing power, with an upgrade to the SSD. Screw the processor, Photoshop/Illustrator still make it crawl, and most people don't need them anyway. This MBP is as heavy as a textbook, if more compact; it's classy, but it really is heavy enough to sense against your spine at the end of the day. The SSD was a great choice, though: this laptop is lightning fast, the battery lasts through eleven to thirteen hours of reading PDF textbooks and typing notes in class, and the thing only takes eleven seconds to power on. I would love to trade this back in for a MacBook Air; if you're having to carry your laptop around all day, I'm guessing it's worth the economy of space and mass.
Click to expand...

Wow, I've been having this exact debate ever since the MBPs were refreshed - a more powerful 13" MBP with SSD or smaller, lighter MBA?

I'm starting med school in a week and I think you just sold me on the MBA as I anticipate caring this computer around with me all the time. Definitely not worried about lack of optical drive and 128 GB SSD is more than enough space (Just put music and pics on external HD).
 
bucks2010 said:
I used Windows for close to 10 years before switching. With Windows, there was always something to update be it Windows update, antivirus, etc. And the OS seemed to get perpetually slower to the point of eventually needing a defrag or complete reinstall.

I converted to Mac over 4 years ago now. I've never had to defrag, never had to reformat my HDD, crashing programs are rare, and I could count the number of the OS X equivalent of blue screens I have gotten on one hand.

A big draw with Macs is you don't have to fool with them much to get them to do what you want, and you don't have to constantly maintain them or watch them get perpetually slower.
Click to expand...

Most of what you said there isn't a problem with Windows anymore. Updates are just as unobtrusive as in OSX. Antivirus is also much improved--Microsoft Security Essentials is ridiculously unobtrusive, it's not like we're still in the Norton Antivirus days where you got an irrelevant popup message every 5 minutes. Programs are just as stable on my Windows 7 Lenovo desktop as on my iMac.

I never understood who needed to do all those defrags. I hear lots of people complaining about this. TBH, I have never defragged a hard drive in my entire life. I feel like it was one of those things people would say when they didn't know what other course of action to take. Like "hey, my computer is on fire" "okay... did you try defragging?".

Windows 7 still has the registry, so it could conceivably "bog down" over time, but I've been running the same installation for over a year now with no change in performance. Windows XP was really, really bad in this respect. A great initial install could turn into a slow, buggy piece of crap within a year.
 
thechad said:
Mac users the world over are confused by this.
Click to expand...

the air is lighter, thinner, and has a significantly better design.

there is much much more to buying things than the numbers behind them..

EDIT: it all depends on what you are looking for. not trying to bash your decision to buy the computer with the best specs, but you are being ridiculous if you don't see any value added in buying a mac... especially considering the macbook air is so reasonably priced on its own.

i was looking at the x220 before this, and i know it is an incredible machine. definitely going with on or the other
 
I just ordered the x220. I had preordered the Air from amazon but cancelled it today. The Barnes and Noble discount for Lenovo makes it too good to pass up. Hopefully I won't regret that decision!
 
Dr Gerrard said:
the air is lighter, thinner, and has a significantly better design.

there is much much more to buying things than the numbers behind them..

EDIT: it all depends on what you are looking for. not trying to bash your decision to buy the computer with the best specs, but you are being ridiculous if you don't see any value added in buying a mac... especially considering the macbook air is so reasonably priced on its own.

i was looking at the x220 before this, and i know it is an incredible machine. definitely going with on or the other
Click to expand...

I agree with you that people should just buy what they like. I'm just curious as to what it is that draws people to Macs since you can get better rigs for cheaper than that. Please don't read the following as me being aggressive or trying to be a jerk. I'm just interested in your answers.

The MBA is thinner than the x220, yes. Will that really make a significant difference though? Will that open up a lot more room in your backpack? The downside, at least to me, is that the MBA, due to being so thin, is more fragile than the average laptop. The x220, on the other hand, is very durable. It can handle drops, spills, etc, and come out working as normal.

The MBA is slightly lighter than the x220. I think Al mentioned that it was only like 0.5 lbs lighter. Is that really going to make a difference? I personally don't think carrying around an extra 0.5 lbs is going cause back pain or whatever.

Design? If you mean aesthetic design, the MBA (and Macs in general) are more pleasing to the eye than other laptops. If you mean design as in the hardware, many other laptops beat out the MBA for much cheaper prices.

So, is it pretty much aesthetics that draws people to the MBA/Macs? At least for me, I don't think the aesthetics alone, while getting a subpar machine (performance-wise) compared to other similarly-priced laptops, is worth it to spend much more money on. I'm pragmatic. I want something that works. And it should work well. I just don't see what value the Mac brings, beyond its looks. :shrug:

Rocher said:
I just ordered the x220. I had preordered the Air from amazon but cancelled it today. The Barnes and Noble discount for Lenovo makes it too good to pass up. Hopefully I won't regret that decision!
Click to expand...
Yea, that's what I did. It was a great deal, IMO! I can't wait till my laptop gets here. 🙂
 
First, whats the barnes and noble discount? interested 🙂

but.. i think aesthetic appeal is definitely what draws people to the macbook air. both are no doubt more than capable of doing the same things you would every day, and this is the main reason people actually buy the mba.

the x220 is no doubt a more powerful machine.

but its really the same reason people wear brand name clothing. any shirt with the guy on the horse looks better than a shirt without lol. no other way to justify it other than aesthetic appeal, both to you and others.
 
Kaushik said:
I agree with you that people should just buy what they like. I'm just curious as to what it is that draws people to Macs since you can get better rigs for cheaper than that. Please don't read the following as me being aggressive or trying to be a jerk. I'm just interested in your answers.

The MBA is thinner than the x220, yes. Will that really make a significant difference though? Will that open up a lot more room in your backpack? The downside, at least to me, is that the MBA, due to being so thin, is more fragile than the average laptop. The x220, on the other hand, is very durable. It can handle drops, spills, etc, and come out working as normal.

The MBA is slightly lighter than the x220. I think Al mentioned that it was only like 0.5 lbs lighter. Is that really going to make a difference? I personally don't think carrying around an extra 0.5 lbs is going cause back pain or whatever.

Design? If you mean aesthetic design, the MBA (and Macs in general) are more pleasing to the eye than other laptops. If you mean design as in the hardware, many other laptops beat out the MBA for much cheaper prices.

So, is it pretty much aesthetics that draws people to the MBA/Macs? At least for me, I don't think the aesthetics alone, while getting a subpar machine (performance-wise) compared to other similarly-priced laptops, is worth it to spend much more money on. I'm pragmatic. I want something that works. And it should work well. I just don't see what value the Mac brings, beyond its looks. :shrug:


Yea, that's what I did. It was a great deal, IMO! I can't wait till my laptop gets here. 🙂
Click to expand...

Apple takes 3 year old technology, puts it in a shiny case, and sells it at cutting edge prices. Brilliant!
 
Dr Gerrard said:
First, whats the barnes and noble discount? interested 🙂

but.. i think aesthetic appeal is definitely what draws people to the macbook air. both are no doubt more than capable of doing the same things you would every day, and this is the main reason people actually buy the mba.

the x220 is no doubt a more powerful machine.

but its really the same reason people wear brand name clothing. any shirt with the guy on the horse looks better than a shirt without lol. no other way to justify it other than aesthetic appeal, both to you and others.
Click to expand...
http://dealspl.us/lenovo-coupons/p_lenovo-thinkpad-x220-core-i5-dual-2-3ghz-4gb-laptop-lenovo

That plus the current Lenovo deal = awesomeness. The $687 price-tag is with the Windows 7 Home (rather than Professional) and only the 1-year basic warranty though. You can still customize the laptop to get what you want during the ordering process; make sure to add the Lenovo 10% off coupon at the end, before you place the order (it's right on the order screen and you just have to click the button to activate it).
 
Kaushik said:
So, is it pretty much aesthetics that draws people to the MBA/Macs? At least for me, I don't think the aesthetics alone, while getting a subpar machine (performance-wise) compared to other similarly-priced laptops, is worth it to spend much more money on. I'm pragmatic. I want something that works. And it should work well.
Click to expand...

For me it's not so much aesthetics that made me lean towards Mac laptops. For one, the trackpad on the macs blows every other computer out of the water. Since that's the main tool that I'll be using on my computer, i put a lot of importance into it. Also. like others, I've never been a fan of Windows, only because of all of the problems I've had with them. Everyone says Windows 7 is a lot better than the previous versions so I'm willing to try it out.
 
never used a mac but always saw some benefit to having one

the x220 is 300 cheaper with a ssd, and i don't feel like this is that big of a difference

but... the main thing i am concerned about is durability. if both computers last the same amount of time, no problem at all. but if the air craps out on me 2 years earlier, that would suck for sure.

one benefit to apple that many overlook is that you can buy applecare at any point within your first year
 
Dr Gerrard said:
never used a mac but always saw some benefit to having one

the x220 is 300 cheaper with a ssd, and i don't feel like this is that big of a difference

but... the main thing i am concerned about is durability. if both computers last the same amount of time, no problem at all. but if the air craps out on me 2 years earlier, that would suck for sure.

one benefit to apple that many overlook is that you can buy applecare at any point within your first year
Click to expand...

The durability of the x220 is probably better overall but the aluminum case is very durable as well. I've had a MBP for 5 years, and I've dropped it a few times. It's dinged up a bit but otherwise solid as a rock. I'm sure the Air is the same.

I love the idea of a spill resistant keyboard, which the Lenovo has but the Air does not. As much as I'm going to be on it, sooner or later I'm going to spill coffee on the keys. I've heard horror stories about Macs being ruined from this, but the Lenovo would handle it much better.

As Kaushik mentioned earlier, Lenovo is offering free upgrades to 4gb ram and the 9 cell battery. Supposedly the 9 cell battery lasts 12 hours.
That's some ridiculous battery life.
 
Dr Gerrard said:
never used a mac but always saw some benefit to having one

the x220 is 300 cheaper with a ssd, and i don't feel like this is that big of a difference

but... the main thing i am concerned about is durability. if both computers last the same amount of time, no problem at all. but if the air craps out on me 2 years earlier, that would suck for sure.

one benefit to apple that many overlook is that you can buy applecare at any point within your first year
Click to expand...

I've seen the x220 and it runs as well as a MBA or MBP in my opinion. There is a huge social pressure in medical school to get Apple products galore (i have an iPod touch so I'm not hating on Apple products mind you) but there is some degree of fiscal responsibility that I think needs to be maintained by medical students. I've literally seen kids sell off their good laptops just to get an MBP with far less processing power or battery life.

Then again... doctors ARE notoriously irresponsible fiscally so most people will never learn.
 
question. for those that have recorded lectures...

when you watch these at home, in different speeds, are they in flash format?
 
Just picked up a 13" MBA yesterday from the Applestore. It may have been a few hundred less to get the x220, but it's my PTO cashout present to myself.😀
 
Dr Gerrard said:
but a solid state drive is supposed to be way way way faster than a regular one. turns on quicker, accesses information quicker, does everything quicker)
Click to expand...

Solid state drives are a double-edged sword. If you are going to do much data manipulation (ie: write to, and delete from, XXmb or bigger files routinely, as can be involved if you download a lot) then the SSD is actually worse. SSDs are beautiful if you're going to: Install your OS, Install your programs, work on your 5kb Word doc, and then Never Touch It. Once you start doing consecutive writes and modifications, they end up having significantly shorter lives. Just an fyi.
 
As an owner of the previous generation MBA, I must say that anyone who drops the money for a MBPro is wasting their money. I have a 13" with 1.87Gz Core 2 Duo and 4MB of RAM and it supports my needs as a software engineer more than adequately. I usually have 4 different spaces of applications open ranging from four windows of Firefox to Matlab and everything runs without a hitch (14 different apps right now). If anyone abuses their computer - I do. Just use your previous machine as storage + music + disk drive

Unless you are playing games more graphic intensive than SC2 (or 3D rendering etc) or solving stiff ODE's the MBA is more than sufficient. (Buyer beware, I get off on anything with a bash/ksh shell...)
 
MilkmanAl said:
It depends on how heavily you use your machine. Basically, SSDs have a limited number of reads and writes, so if you push it hard, you can probably expect to need a new one in 2 years or so, based on current estimates.
Click to expand...

False. Completely False. SSDs do have a limited number of reads/writes, but wear-leveling algorithms mean that by any reasonable usage scenario (including copying massive files, video editing, gaming, etc.) the SSD will far outlive the life of your computer.
 
DoctwoB said:
False. Completely False. SSDs do have a limited number of reads/writes, but wear-leveling algorithms mean that by any reasonable usage scenario (including copying massive files, video editing, gaming, etc.) the SSD will far outlive the life of your computer.
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
DoctwoB said:
False. Completely False. SSDs do have a limited number of reads/writes, but wear-leveling algorithms mean that by any reasonable usage scenario (including copying massive files, video editing, gaming, etc.) the SSD will far outlive the life of your computer.
Click to expand...

Not present in all controllers and less effective in smaller drives (due to limited number of sectors). I personally don't know (or care) about the MBA's controller and SSD specs, but unless the OP is writing 1GB+ /day, I wouldn't bat an eye for a laptop that will probably be replaced in 3-5 years.
 
DoctwoB said:
False. Completely False. SSDs do have a limited number of reads/writes, but wear-leveling algorithms mean that by any reasonable usage scenario (including copying massive files, video editing, gaming, etc.) the SSD will far outlive the life of your computer.
Click to expand...
Interesting. That's not at all what I've been led to believe. I distinctly remember reading two different articles - one on AnandTech and one on Tom's Hardware - that indicated a SSD would last a typical user a couple years. Wish I knew which ones they were...
 
MilkmanAl said:
Interesting. That's not at all what I've been led to believe. I distinctly remember reading two different articles - one on AnandTech and one on Tom's Hardware - that indicated a SSD would last a typical user a couple years. Wish I knew which ones they were...
Click to expand...
For the M4, for example, they're predicted to have 3000 program/erase cycles. From AnandTech (http://www.anandtech.com/show/4253/the-crucial-m4-micron-c400-ssd-review):

"Let's quickly do the math again. If you have a 100GB drive and you write 7GB per day you'll program every MLC NAND cell in the drive in just over 14 days—that's one cycle out of three thousand. Outside of SandForce controllers, most SSD controllers will have a write amplification factor greater than 1 in any workload. If we assume a constant write amplification of 20x (and perfect wear leveling) we're still talking about a useful NAND lifespan of almost 6 years. In practice, write amplification for desktop workloads is significantly lower than that."

It's talking about using the SSD in desktops, but I'd imagine that life-expectancy would be similar in laptops as well. Of course, I'm not too computer-savvy so I may be misinterpreting what I'm reading in that review. If that's the case, others can feel free to chime in and correct me. But I've seen life-expectancy estimates of up 10 years of practical use for a number of SSDs across the internet as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
MacBook Air vs. Pro for residency?
Replies
6
Views
8K
VaultArmitage
VaultArmitage
AJS59
New executive order re: Accreditation
Replies
7
Views
2K
NotAProgDirector
NotAProgDirector
S
SDN Article: The “One Big Beautiful Bill”: How New Budget Legislation May Reshape Medical Training and Healthcare Access
Replies
1
Views
1K
SurfingDoctor
SurfingDoctor
H
Has anyone done the CDC EEP?
Replies
0
Views
720
howdidienduphere
H
W
VEPSUM- Mount Sinai Program.. anyone hear back?
Replies
0
Views
397
wiredjazmine
W
Top