Switching Horses: MacBook Air to MacBook

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably read recently my public conversation about switching my MacBook Air for a MacBook. I’ve had quite a few e-mails on the subject so I decided to post on it.

Up until last year, I’ve always been a one computer person. That is, I generally used a fairly high-end laptop computer as my sole device. For a long time, that was a 17 inch MacBook Pro.

I was fortunate to get a MacBook Air in March, 2008. It was liberating. After using such a big laptop for several years, the ability to simply drop the computer in my briefcase or take it with me to the coffee shop was fantastic. Very quickly, the MacBook Pro was relegated to sitting on my desk at home and the Air followed me everywhere.

A few months ago, Apple released updates to the iMac line and a friend, who happens to work at the Apple Store, told me some of the prior version iMacs were on sale for $600 off. Since the MacBook Pro wasn’t leaving my desk anyway, I sold it and used the money to replace it with a 24 inch iMac. I love it.

The only time I took the MacBook Pro off my desk was to use it with my MIDI keyboard, which is in a different room. I was able to load a stripped down version of Logic on the MacBook Air but this new task, along with a lot more presentation work and media heavy projects at the office and the general bloat of dropbox synced files has me bumping into the processor, memory, and space limitations of the MacBook Air.

Also, in the meantime Apple redesigned the MacBook. The new unibody design fixed many of the shortcomings in the prior design. Particularly, they added an LED screen, which is far superior to the LCD screen in prior MacBooks. I have set up a few unibody MacBooks for friends and it really isn’t much different than a MacBook Air. It is a pound and a half heavier and slightly thicker.

The improved MacBook design got me thinking about my next laptop. Frankly, the gap has been closed between these two products and a MacBook, even slightly heavier and thicker, is more appropriate for my use. This is where I got into trouble. I was browsing the refurb store for a friend and realized that I could sell my MacBook Air and replace it with a unibody MacBook for about the same money. It made sense, so I did it. The new machine is already on the way and the old machine is being prepared for its new owner. This strangely leaves me without a laptop for a few days.

Nevertheless, when the dust settles I will have a shiny new (refurbished) MacBook with more memory, a faster processor, and a bigger hard drive.* I’m curious to see if the slightly increased size causes me to carry it around less. I doubt it will but regardless, I will report back.

* Exactly how much bigger is a subject of some debate. I could either put in a massive drive or speedy SSD drive. I haven’t decided that one yet.

10 Comments Switching Horses: MacBook Air to MacBook

  1. donmc123@me.com

    I have to admit to being in the same boat as a recent switcher from my MacBook Air to a new unibody MacBook Pro. Much as I loved my MacBook Air, and it being absolutely fine for 85% of day to day tasks, the final 15% of tasks which needed the extra horsepower or connectivity swayed me to make the move. I would have loved to have kept the MBA as a “spare” or just to use when traveling around, but I’ve enough Macs as it is and that would have been a step too far.

    Perhaps if Apple had increased the spec of the MBA a tad more (and reduced the price a lot more), I may have been swayed to replace it with a new one, but the 15″ MBP just had so much more going for it at that price point.

    I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new MacBook David, in fact, it was seeing and using my brothers MacBook that finally swayed me!

    Reply
  2. donmc123@me.com

    I have to admit to being in the same boat as a recent switcher from my MacBook Air to a new unibody MacBook Pro. Much as I loved my MacBook Air, and it being absolutely fine for 85% of day to day tasks, the final 15% of tasks which needed the extra horsepower or connectivity swayed me to make the move. I would have loved to have kept the MBA as a “spare” or just to use when traveling around, but I’ve enough Macs as it is and that would have been a step too far.

    Perhaps if Apple had increased the spec of the MBA a tad more (and reduced the price a lot more), I may have been swayed to replace it with a new one, but the 15″ MBP just had so much more going for it at that price point.

    I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new MacBook David, in fact, it was seeing and using my brothers MacBook that finally swayed me!

    Reply
  3. donmc123@me.com

    I have to admit to being in the same boat as a recent switcher from my MacBook Air to a new unibody MacBook Pro. Much as I loved my MacBook Air, and it being absolutely fine for 85% of day to day tasks, the final 15% of tasks which needed the extra horsepower or connectivity swayed me to make the move. I would have loved to have kept the MBA as a “spare” or just to use when traveling around, but I’ve enough Macs as it is and that would have been a step too far.

    Perhaps if Apple had increased the spec of the MBA a tad more (and reduced the price a lot more), I may have been swayed to replace it with a new one, but the 15″ MBP just had so much more going for it at that price point.

    I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new MacBook David, in fact, it was seeing and using my brothers MacBook that finally swayed me!

    Reply
  4. donmc123@me.com

    I have to admit to being in the same boat as a recent switcher from my MacBook Air to a new unibody MacBook Pro. Much as I loved my MacBook Air, and it being absolutely fine for 85% of day to day tasks, the final 15% of tasks which needed the extra horsepower or connectivity swayed me to make the move. I would have loved to have kept the MBA as a “spare” or just to use when traveling around, but I’ve enough Macs as it is and that would have been a step too far.

    Perhaps if Apple had increased the spec of the MBA a tad more (and reduced the price a lot more), I may have been swayed to replace it with a new one, but the 15″ MBP just had so much more going for it at that price point.

    I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new MacBook David, in fact, it was seeing and using my brothers MacBook that finally swayed me!

    Reply
  5. donmc123@me.com

    I have to admit to being in the same boat as a recent switcher from my MacBook Air to a new unibody MacBook Pro. Much as I loved my MacBook Air, and it being absolutely fine for 85% of day to day tasks, the final 15% of tasks which needed the extra horsepower or connectivity swayed me to make the move. I would have loved to have kept the MBA as a “spare” or just to use when traveling around, but I’ve enough Macs as it is and that would have been a step too far.

    Perhaps if Apple had increased the spec of the MBA a tad more (and reduced the price a lot more), I may have been swayed to replace it with a new one, but the 15″ MBP just had so much more going for it at that price point.

    I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new MacBook David, in fact, it was seeing and using my brothers MacBook that finally swayed me!

    Reply
  6. dyd@gondtc.com

    Not a bad deal. Sounds like two replaced computers without any extra additional outlay. Sounds like a much better setup for what you need to do! I have had three of the “plastic” macbooks between my job and home. Couldn’t be happier 95 percent of the time! Never wish for a MB Air, but occasionally for a macbook pro and 15 inches of screen. Then I remember the joy of carrying my smaller laptop . . .

    Reply
  7. dyd@gondtc.com

    Not a bad deal. Sounds like two replaced computers without any extra additional outlay. Sounds like a much better setup for what you need to do! I have had three of the “plastic” macbooks between my job and home. Couldn’t be happier 95 percent of the time! Never wish for a MB Air, but occasionally for a macbook pro and 15 inches of screen. Then I remember the joy of carrying my smaller laptop . . .

    Reply
  8. dyd@gondtc.com

    Not a bad deal. Sounds like two replaced computers without any extra additional outlay. Sounds like a much better setup for what you need to do! I have had three of the “plastic” macbooks between my job and home. Couldn’t be happier 95 percent of the time! Never wish for a MB Air, but occasionally for a macbook pro and 15 inches of screen. Then I remember the joy of carrying my smaller laptop . . .

    Reply
  9. dyd@gondtc.com

    Not a bad deal. Sounds like two replaced computers without any extra additional outlay. Sounds like a much better setup for what you need to do! I have had three of the “plastic” macbooks between my job and home. Couldn’t be happier 95 percent of the time! Never wish for a MB Air, but occasionally for a macbook pro and 15 inches of screen. Then I remember the joy of carrying my smaller laptop . . .

    Reply
  10. dyd@gondtc.com

    Not a bad deal. Sounds like two replaced computers without any extra additional outlay. Sounds like a much better setup for what you need to do! I have had three of the “plastic” macbooks between my job and home. Couldn’t be happier 95 percent of the time! Never wish for a MB Air, but occasionally for a macbook pro and 15 inches of screen. Then I remember the joy of carrying my smaller laptop . . .

    Reply

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