I disagree. I think 4gb is fine for most users. My daughter has an 11" mba with 4gb ram and whenever I borrow it never crosses my mind that it is sluggish. She uses mail, Safari and sometimes Word or Powerpoint, and iTunes, mostly and rarely quits any of them. I think she is a much more typical user than anybody here. Most users don't use powerful graphics or media software on a regular basis.
Somebody with better technical understanding of OSX may be able to answer this but with better memory management isn't 4gb in OSX much more capable than a few years ago? I seem to remember this was a key feature covered at a fairly recent OSX roll-out.
Word, Safari/Flash seem to eat the most memory, but I think the trade off is the SSD, and mavericks better memory management, especially at the boundary conditions. I'm running 8gb on my 2010 mini, and before mavericks I was running icleanmemory at least a couple times an hour. Now, it's a lot better even with the stock drive. my wives 4gb 2013MBA just cruises now, compared to her 2009Macbook at 6gb and a std disk.
Compression also lowers the need to drive data to swap drive space... which a) on HD systems is slow, and b) on SSD systems is a lot of writing that if avoided, can extend the life of the drive.
Today I upgrade the mini to a 480GB SSD (at $219 the price was right, and I'm on the edge with my 320gb drive... too many iPhone created movies of my puppy). I'll tell you if it makes even more difference.
I've been waiting for a 15" MacBook Air since 2011. I guess Apple wants me to buy a MBP instead. Since I put an SSD into my 2011 MBP Core i7 and made a Fusion drive, I've been pretty damn happy with it, and that's with the stock 4GB RAM.
I am really hoping the next generation 12 inch macbook air with Broadwell that is rumored to be replacing the current model is evidence that we will see 14 and 16 inch macbook pros. High def screens need more real estate. A 16 inch macbook pro would be stunning. The 14 inch would be much more compelling than the 13 inch. The next mobile GPU from nvidia will also bring much better performance per watt. At least if the 28 nm 750 ti on the desktop is any indicator then the 20 nm version will really bring improvements. These 16 form factors might allow for a 12 hour charging cycle.
I've been waiting for a 15" MacBook Air since 2011. I guess Apple wants me to buy a MBP instead. Since I put an SSD into my 2011 MBP Core i7 and made a Fusion drive, I've been pretty damn happy with it, and that's with the stock 4GB RAM.
OptiBay in the ODD space? And did you put the SSD in the ODD space or in the 2.5" drive space?
I wish Apple still did sell the white poly-carbonate MacBook. It was beautiful in a way that the black and grey aluminum MacBooks aren't.
I never liked the white Apple devices. Too kitchen appliance looking in my opinion, and also too feminine looking, but that's a matter of preference I guess.
I want Apple to bring back an all black laptop. I don't use mine anymore now, but I used to love my black Macbook.
Can you add aftermarket memory to an Air? I dunno, but I see that going to 8 GB is only $100 more, which is kinda unlike Apple. Can't configure more than 8 GB tho.
Yeah, that's the problem with ALL of Apple's current lineup. If you don't max the RAM when you order it, you're stuck. I won't let my clients order a new machine without maxing the RAM. (No, the 12" MBP isn't current lineup, it's an old model they're still building, and it's only a dual core. If they were still making the 2012 15", I'd be recommending it for everyone who isn't addicted to thin, though.)
I don't know about 'needing' 16GB RAM, this seems like madness to me to be honest... I design, animate and produce videos on an 11" MacBook air with 4GB RAM!!! Not for everyone I must admit but my machine still zips through multiple apps perfectly fine whilst cutting, rendering, using Adobe CC and more. I never have fewer than 6 apps open at a time and it never feels sluggish!
I've used all kinds of Macs across the years with varying low and high end configurations and the MacBook air is the perfect combination of optimised software and hardware (the flash storage seems to be one of the most important components lately).
Until last year I was using a 27" iMac with Fusion Drive and 32GB RAM for my work but as I travelled more to and from shoots I picked up the MBA as a road machine. Fast forward to now... I no longer have the iMac and I don't feel like I 'need' it. The single task that is next to useless on the MBA is colour grading due to the built-in graphics but again.. nothing to do with memory!
The lowest price was in the 90s when Apple sent all the leftover PowerBook 100 stock to Price Club/Costco to blow them out for $799, which included the floppy drive. They did not last long at that price. But most people here are not old enough to know that. The 140 and 170 models were more popular since the floppy drive was built-in on those models. So Apple had to unload the 100 stock and chose Price Club/Costco to do it.
If these lower prices help a few more people break the shackles of the Windows dependency then all is good. I do agree with posters who recommend maxing out RAM and file storage whenever there is no opportunity to upgrade in the future. I've done that all along but I still have machines that were maxxed out at 4GB at the time I bought them. With that said I'm not suffering in any way because of it. My 2008 iMac still runs like a champ with Mavericks. I've never had a PC that felt as good to use after 6 years of service. Heck, no matter how much I've ever spent on getting the latest and greatest Wintel PC it's never failed to feel sluggish after 6 months once it's loaded up with antivirus, antispam, firewall, months worth of Windows Updates and other cruft that makes you want to pull your hair out. Trust me, I know that Macs and OSX are by no stretch of the imagination perfect or obsolesence proof but I will say without hesitation that Macs do not decay in performance to the extent that PCs do. I admire and appreciate the versatility and portability of the Windows operating system, but its ability to run on any hardware and run any software no matter the source or quality makes it have to work harder to keep from collapsing in on itself. Apple has both the luxury and burden of having a smaller and more constrained platform but if they say something will run decently on a certain version of OSX (or iOS) and hardware you can rest assured that it will. This is why certain versions of new OS and apps don't reach back as far as we sometimes wish they would, e.g., why not allow iOS7 on an iPad1? Apple doesn't want to subject their customers to a crappy user experience. On the Windows PC side the "minimum system requirements" are almost always laughable for people who value their time and sanity.
I'd love to have a fully loaded MBA 11" if for no other reason than it is probably the only full functionality Mac laptop that you can use confortably on an airline tray table, in the cheap seats of course. Even the 13" version is too big for econotorture seating.
Finally, there's no shortage of computer products to spend your money on. If the MBA doesn't fit your needs then select a model that does or go with a different brand. I hate to disappoint you but Apple actually does have a plan and does have a pretty good job of recognizing what its customers want today and even what customers will want in the future, even before their customers have told them. We'd still be using slider and flip phones if all Apple did was listen to current customers. If all they did was react to niche market concerns they'd have gone the way of the Dodo and DEC and Compaq and so many other "powerhouse" companies that only reacted to customer demand or a small segment, like the DEC Rainbow customer base.
4GB RAM and 128GB disk storage is pretty weak if you were planning to use a MacBook Air as a primary machine. Apple doesn't even offer flash drives larger than 512GB in the Air. The base model units do not allow any drive upgrade options either, so your price quickly jumps if you want to add a larger drive.
"An 11" screen is so last century. Where's a 17" model? Some of us like a laptop with a bigger screen and it isn't like we can just go buy one from another manufacturer if we want to run OSX."
Check screen resolutions not just the diagonal measurements. The 15-inch MacBook is more than adequate and does a great job as a replacement to a 17-inch MacBook. My son and architect has the last model 17-inch but even a MacBook at 17-inch is huge and is not something you just pick up and take with you.
11-inch is not last century, again check the displays and resolution at which they operate. compare with an FULL SIZE iPad with its 9.7 inch screen, 11-inch is huge and a great portable size.
different opinions - that's what makes horse races.
The article passed over the Apple Duos like they never existed. There was a sweet portable computer if there ever was one, though they did have stinky keyboards and limited battery life... well, maybe they weren't so sweet... but they sure were small and lightweight for their time.
Hahaha....I read that statement on my 1GB MBP circa 2005 which I use as much as my much newer 27" iMac. Life still exists in the sub-4GB world.
Do you mean a powerbook or a 2006 model? I think the first generation was just called a macbook, but I know they debuted in 2006. I'll assume it's running Tiger or Leopard, and it is important to note that the OS grabs much less ram on those for basic tasks. Much of the problem is when memory space isn't released. You may have memory marked inactive yet still see pageouts increase.
Interesting article, but it would have been nice if the author adjusted the prices for inflation. According to Dollar Times' inflation calculator <http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm>; the $6500 Apple charged for the Mac Portable in 1989 would be over $12,500 in 2014 dollars!
My Haswell MBA has become my go to computer for nearly all my personal computer needs. I use a Mac Pro for work. I was going to upgrade to 8gb of RAM until I read how well Mavericks manages memory. I can have Safari open with 7-8 tabs, iTunes, Messages, Calendar, Mail and editing in Pixelmator without any problems, normal everyday tasks including Office. Memory compression works great.
Retina would be nice as long as it doesn't hurt battery life. In some cases I can get 12 hours no problem with moderate use. Love how light it is, honestly wouldn't trade it for any other notebook.
Comments
I disagree. I think 4gb is fine for most users. My daughter has an 11" mba with 4gb ram and whenever I borrow it never crosses my mind that it is sluggish. She uses mail, Safari and sometimes Word or Powerpoint, and iTunes, mostly and rarely quits any of them. I think she is a much more typical user than anybody here. Most users don't use powerful graphics or media software on a regular basis.
Somebody with better technical understanding of OSX may be able to answer this but with better memory management isn't 4gb in OSX much more capable than a few years ago? I seem to remember this was a key feature covered at a fairly recent OSX roll-out.
Word, Safari/Flash seem to eat the most memory, but I think the trade off is the SSD, and mavericks better memory management, especially at the boundary conditions. I'm running 8gb on my 2010 mini, and before mavericks I was running icleanmemory at least a couple times an hour. Now, it's a lot better even with the stock drive. my wives 4gb 2013MBA just cruises now, compared to her 2009Macbook at 6gb and a std disk.
Compression also lowers the need to drive data to swap drive space... which a) on HD systems is slow, and b) on SSD systems is a lot of writing that if avoided, can extend the life of the drive.
Today I upgrade the mini to a 480GB SSD (at $219 the price was right, and I'm on the edge with my 320gb drive... too many iPhone created movies of my puppy). I'll tell you if it makes even more difference.
Then you're in for a treat once it gets both Retina and an IPS panel.
I'm holding all my money in reserve (living on an iPad2 as my portable computer now) for that to happen.
OptiBay in the ODD space? And did you put the SSD in the ODD space or in the 2.5" drive space?
I wish Apple still did sell the white poly-carbonate MacBook. It was beautiful in a way that the black and grey aluminum MacBooks aren't.
I never liked the white Apple devices. Too kitchen appliance looking in my opinion, and also too feminine looking, but that's a matter of preference I guess.
I want Apple to bring back an all black laptop. I don't use mine anymore now, but I used to love my black Macbook.
swap it out. RAM is cheap now days
Quote:
Uh…
Can you add aftermarket memory to an Air? I dunno, but I see that going to 8 GB is only $100 more, which is kinda unlike Apple. Can't configure more than 8 GB tho.
Uh…
Yeah, that's the problem with ALL of Apple's current lineup. If you don't max the RAM when you order it, you're stuck. I won't let my clients order a new machine without maxing the RAM. (No, the 12" MBP isn't current lineup, it's an old model they're still building, and it's only a dual core. If they were still making the 2012 15", I'd be recommending it for everyone who isn't addicted to thin, though.)
Bad Apple, bad.
I don't know about 'needing' 16GB RAM, this seems like madness to me to be honest... I design, animate and produce videos on an 11" MacBook air with 4GB RAM!!!
Not for everyone I must admit but my machine still zips through multiple apps perfectly fine whilst cutting, rendering, using Adobe CC and more. I never have fewer than 6 apps open at a time and it never feels sluggish!
I've used all kinds of Macs across the years with varying low and high end configurations and the MacBook air is the perfect combination of optimised software and hardware (the flash storage seems to be one of the most important components lately).
Until last year I was using a 27" iMac with Fusion Drive and 32GB RAM for my work but as I travelled more to and from shoots I picked up the MBA as a road machine. Fast forward to now... I no longer have the iMac and I don't feel like I 'need' it. The single task that is next to useless on the MBA is colour grading due to the built-in graphics but again.. nothing to do with memory!
swap it out. RAM is cheap now days
Are you that good with a soldering iron? The memory is soldered to the board and you can only get 8GB max with a build-to-order model.
The lowest price was in the 90s when Apple sent all the leftover PowerBook 100 stock to Price Club/Costco to blow them out for $799, which included the floppy drive. They did not last long at that price. But most people here are not old enough to know that. The 140 and 170 models were more popular since the floppy drive was built-in on those models. So Apple had to unload the 100 stock and chose Price Club/Costco to do it.
I'd love to have a fully loaded MBA 11" if for no other reason than it is probably the only full functionality Mac laptop that you can use confortably on an airline tray table, in the cheap seats of course. Even the 13" version is too big for econotorture seating.
Finally, there's no shortage of computer products to spend your money on. If the MBA doesn't fit your needs then select a model that does or go with a different brand. I hate to disappoint you but Apple actually does have a plan and does have a pretty good job of recognizing what its customers want today and even what customers will want in the future, even before their customers have told them. We'd still be using slider and flip phones if all Apple did was listen to current customers. If all they did was react to niche market concerns they'd have gone the way of the Dodo and DEC and Compaq and so many other "powerhouse" companies that only reacted to customer demand or a small segment, like the DEC Rainbow customer base.
4GB RAM and 128GB disk storage is pretty weak if you were planning to use a MacBook Air as a primary machine. Apple doesn't even offer flash drives larger than 512GB in the Air. The base model units do not allow any drive upgrade options either, so your price quickly jumps if you want to add a larger drive.
Where's a 17" model?
Some of us like a laptop with a bigger screen and it isn't like we can just go buy one from another manufacturer if we want to run OSX."
Check screen resolutions not just the diagonal measurements.
The 15-inch MacBook is more than adequate and does a great job as a replacement to a 17-inch MacBook. My son and architect has the last model 17-inch but even a MacBook at 17-inch is huge and is not something you just pick up and take with you.
11-inch is not last century, again check the displays and resolution at which they operate. compare with an FULL SIZE iPad with its 9.7 inch screen, 11-inch is huge and a great portable size.
different opinions - that's what makes horse races.
Hahaha....I read that statement on my 1GB MBP circa 2005 which I use as much as my much newer 27" iMac. Life still exists in the sub-4GB world.
Hahaha....I read that statement on my 1GB MBP circa 2005 which I use as much as my much newer 27" iMac. Life still exists in the sub-4GB world.
Do you mean a powerbook or a 2006 model? I think the first generation was just called a macbook, but I know they debuted in 2006. I'll assume it's running Tiger or Leopard, and it is important to note that the OS grabs much less ram on those for basic tasks. Much of the problem is when memory space isn't released. You may have memory marked inactive yet still see pageouts increase.
Interesting article, but it would have been nice if the author adjusted the prices for inflation. According to Dollar Times' inflation calculator <http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm>; the $6500 Apple charged for the Mac Portable in 1989 would be over $12,500 in 2014 dollars!
My Haswell MBA has become my go to computer for nearly all my personal computer needs. I use a Mac Pro for work. I was going to upgrade to 8gb of RAM until I read how well Mavericks manages memory. I can have Safari open with 7-8 tabs, iTunes, Messages, Calendar, Mail and editing in Pixelmator without any problems, normal everyday tasks including Office. Memory compression works great.
Retina would be nice as long as it doesn't hurt battery life. In some cases I can get 12 hours no problem with moderate use. Love how light it is, honestly wouldn't trade it for any other notebook.