What laptop to get?
As you know I’m taking a new job. New job means new laptop, and I’m having a terrible time deciding what Mac to get. Just browsing Apple’s website I fell in love with the new 13” Macbook Air, but the feedback on twitter has been 50/50 for/against. Some think it works just fine as a development machine, especially with the rockin ssd and 4GB of ram, but others worry that going from MBP to the air will leave you wanting.
I’ve been using a 15” 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro with 4GB of ram for a few months now, and even it is not fast enough for me (looks like its the hdd thats the bottleneck most of the time though).
I figured I needed some hands on, so I stopped by our new Apple store in Mishawaka today and played with several different models.
11” Macbook Air: this thing is tiny. I liked it except for the giant surround around the screen, it makes the screen look way too small. Give me a 1/2 to 3/4 bezel, not an inch an quarter!
13” Macbook Air: wow is she pretty, but it would definitely take some getting used to. It has the same number of pixels as my 15” but crammed into a 13” screen. I do love the weight to size ratio though. I couldn’t really run any speed tests, but the thing was dang fast from what I could tell.
15” Macbook Pro: I tried out one of the i5’s with 8GB of ram and and SSD and it was screaming. The only downside is the thickness/weight.
My conclusion at this moment in time is that Apple needs to make me a 15” Macbook Air! I don’t need an optical drive, I want tons of pixels, but I also want that bigger 15” screen. Imagine a 15” with an i5 processor, still super thin, and a 10 hour battery, all weighing under 4 pounds. I say hot hot hot…
I know its a pipe dream, but hey, boys gotta dream sometimes right?
I’d love to hear from anyone using the new Macbook Air, what has your experience been?