Macbook Air Rev c. Battery, screen and graphics chip.

[jonnyr78]

Hey,

I;m tryingto decide between the Apple laptop option and had a couple of quesiotn about the Air (used to have a rev.c Air that I really liked).

a) Does the Rev.C Air have longer battery life?
b)Is the screen still better than the Macbook Pro 13" or is it the same now?
and...
c) Is the graphics chip in the Air cripples vs. the Macbook Pro 13"

Thanks!

 

[zedsdead]

(1) The battery life is almost the same as the REV B, although I heard it was slightly longer. The Macbook Pro will defeat the Air by several hours.

(2) The screen is very similar now, except for the fact that the Air has a severe line issue problem (90% of them suffer from it. Do a search if you haven't heard about it).

(3) The graphics have received a boost in the REV C according to Apple (6x faster than REV A versus 4x in the REV B).

Currently, the Air has many issues, the Line issue, a Wi-Fi connection issue, the trackpad scratches the bezel on many models, and the Hinge has a tendency to loosen and eventually break.

If you need a computer now, get a Macbook Pro. If you can wait until early next year, the Macbook Air should get an update, and maybe it will be a functional computer finally.

Also, the Air is stuck with only 2 gigs of RAM, the Macbook Pro can handle up to 8.

I highly recommend the SSD drive regardless of which one you buy.

 

[jonnyr78]

Cheers, 13" MacbookPro it is, just mulling between factory fitted 4gb and SSD or buying it separate. Thanks!

 

[zedsdead]

Cheers, 13" MacbookPro it is, just mulling between factory fitted 4gb and SSD or buying it separate. Thanks!

It will be cheaper if you buy them separate, however they won't be covered under Applecare.

 

[Scottsdale]

Hey,

I;m tryingto decide between the Apple laptop option and had a couple of quesiotn about the Air (used to have a rev.c Air that I really liked).

a) Does the Rev.C Air have longer battery life?
b)Is the screen still better than the Macbook Pro 13" or is it the same now?
and...
c) Is the graphics chip in the Air cripples vs. the Macbook Pro 13"

Thanks!

I highly recommend the MacBook Air rev B/C with SSD.

The rev C battery is lasting about 45 minutes longer than my rev B did.

I believe the display is MUCH nicer in that it isn't made with glass, so it's not super glossy. The glossy MBA display is beautiful. Now, SOME MBAs have very faint lines that are gray and show up on white backgrounds sometimes at some angles. The truth is most people cannot see them if they don't look for them. I have found them, and they do suck when bad, but most MBAs do not suffer severe lines just extremely faint lines only visible a small portion of the time and usually only visible within four to six inches. NOT USUALLY DURING NORMAL VIEWING DO THE LINES AFFECT PICTURE QUALITY.

The GPU in both the MBA rev C, MBP 13" and low end MBP 15" are ALL NVIDIA 9400m. It's an excellent GPU which has made the MBA the amazing Mac notebook it is. It truly performs like a workhorse yet is super thin and lightweight.

Very few people need more capabilities than is offered in the rev C MBA with SSD. The SSD, GPU, CPU, and 1066 MHz RAM are plenty powerful enough for the average Mac user. I absolutely LOVE mine. It is amazing and fun in every way. When plugged into a 24" LED ACD, it feels like a Mac Pro.

Don't let people steer you wrong because more RAM sounds better and PRO sounds more powerful. My MBA does everything I need it to from movies/entertainment, to intensive apps like Photoshop, to all the normal things like iLife and iWork.

Definitely must get the SSD model, and both rev B and C with SSD can be had fairly inexpensively at Apple.com in the refurbished section. Rev B 1.86/SSD for $1449, and rev C 2.13/SSD for $1549.

Best wishes.

 

[kntgsp]

(1) The battery life is almost the same as the REV B, although I heard it was slightly longer. The Macbook Pro will defeat the Air by several hours.

True.

(2) The screen is very similar now, except for the fact that the Air has a severe line issue problem (90% of them suffer from it. Do a search if you haven't heard about it).

Hahahahaha. That's laughable. Is it a defect on some models? Yea, but it's also an exchangeable defect and not even close to 90% and no where near as prevalent on the C's as it was on the B's. If you get one with lines you can exchange it at the store. I know two people who did this with Rev. B's. My whole department is on Macs.

(3) The graphics have received a boost in the REV C according to Apple (6x faster than REV A versus 4x in the REV B).

The Rev. A had Intel's GMA X3100. Actually having used that before on other computers....calling it "graphics" is a stretch.

Currently, the Air has many issues, the Line issue, a Wi-Fi connection issue, the trackpad scratches the bezel on many models, and the Hinge has a tendency to loosen and eventually break.

Line issue is a DOA-able defect and is far more prevalent on the B.

Wi-Fi issue is with Rev. A's.

Current Wi-Fi dropout affects all current Macbook lines:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=4482

The only way the trackpad can physically scratch the bezel is if the rubber seal is not present or you put quite a bit of weight (not just a book) on the leading edge of a closed Macbook Air.

If you need a computer now, get a Macbook Pro. If you can wait until early next year, the Macbook Air should get an update, and maybe it will be a functional computer finally.

We get it. You purchased a lemon Rev. A

Also, the Air is stuck with only 2 gigs of RAM, the Macbook Pro can handle up to 8.

And a Mac Pro can handle 32GB. And if I had wheels I'd be a wagon.

The Macbook Pro is meant for an entirely different set of tasks. No one buys an Air expecting to do massive amounts of video and audio editing.

I highly recommend the SSD drive regardless of which one you buy.

That goes without saying considering the slow 5400RPM drives.


Lastly, as someone who said to himself "glass display doesn't bother me I don't sit under fluorescent lighting", matte is much easier day to day. Especially if you actually intend on being mobile with it.

I had a 15" MBP and the glass display doesn't matter as long as the room isn't brightly lit and you aren't moving around much. But the second you actually have to be mobile with your laptop, the lack of a matte option starts to grind. I was "this" close to sticking with a new 17" (was hoping to combine power and mobility into one computer instead of desktop-laptop) because it had the matte display option. But the Wi-Fi died, and the machine had random lockups so they DOA'd it. Swapped to the MBA and upgraded the desktop to a new Mac Pro. Couldn't be happier.