I Jumped Ship And Bought A Macbook Air

[thaicruze]

My windows days are finished for my laptops. I am now the owner of a Macbook Air. 2012 11.6".

128SSD (boots in 12 seconds. all apps open instantly).

8GB RAM 1600mhz

Corei5 1.7ghz Ivy Bridge

Backlit keyboard, ambient light sensor. I never adjust the brightness.

I'm loving it. The build quality is superb. It's easily the best laptop I've ever owned.

Edited September 2, 2012 by thaicruze

[Lobber]

interested in this discussion.... would like to know more about the reasons you changed costs, etc

[thrilled]

I'm not impressed.I do like Apple stock.The computers,pads,phones not so much.Highly overated.

But thats my opinion

[zzdocxx]

Does it have a USB port?

Where'd you buy it? And now for a nosey money obsessed question, what did it set you back?

[DonaldBattles]

You have made the great leap forward in the computing world. Superior hardware, software and service. I have 2 old windows HP computers that I sure would like to sell but no one is interested in buying them. I used windows when it first came ut until 4 years ago and will never go back.

[onnut]

I left Windows behind 6 months ago and so glad I did. My MacBook Pro is the best laptop I've ever had. I wish I moved over years ago.

[thaicruze]

the Air 11" costs 36,900. the RAM upgrade costs 3,000baht more. So, this one was 40,000. About the same as a Dell XPS. These laptops all cost about the same if it's an SSD only ultrathin.

and the reason I bought it is because there is nothing better in this size with these specs. The samsung is more expensive than this one.

If you're a teacher you can go to the UStore and get a discount. Bring your teacher ID. Mine with the ram upgrade is 38,252 baht, but I decided to get it at iStudio in Central.

Edited September 3, 2012 by thaicruze

[thaicruze]

interested in this discussion.... would like to know more about the reasons you changed costs, etc

and I already have an iPhone so everything syncs without me doing anything. Not that you can't do that in other platforms, but everything is on my iPhone so...

yes. it has 2 USB 2.0 & 3.0 combo. 1 on each side. and a thunderbolt. that's what i am using in the picture for the network cable.

Edited September 3, 2012 by thaicruze

[thaicruze]

As far as the price, they're really not that much. At least the Air. All the other laptops with the same specs are the same or more expensive. The Zenbook is the same price and it sucks really bad. Especially the keyboard and trackpad.

The Lenovo X1 Carbon is coming. Thin but expensive as all hell. More than a Mac.

Also, the transition from Windows to OSX isn't really that bad at all. It's easy to use and dare I say, a bit more user friendly. Because it is so small, almost like a tablet, I do everything on it now. Battery lasts 5 hours. Thats good for a small laptop. the 13"gives you more.

The bundled software is excellent. I was smiling and having FUN, imagine that, while making slideshows with my pictures.

So far I will say, as far as laptops, I will buy Macs from now on. It's like I have been having a desktop experience in a laptop all these years and all of a sudden I have a real laptop. I don't know how to explain it. I'm chatting, getting push notifications, browsing, all the gesture and the interface, the ambient light sensor (i never adjust the screen brightness anymore), spell checking as I type, sharing and emailing things. It's like all the apps connect to one another instead of a bunch of applications installed in a computer.

I still work with windows on my desktop, but for a laptop, I will buy macs from now on. I just can't see myself playing with tiles with a trackpad.

the only thing I would say is that if you are transferring files from windows to a thumb drive and then to a mac and the files are larger than 4GB, format the thumb drive ExFat. that's it.

For Office I am using LibreOffice.

Edited September 3, 2012 by thaicruze

[thaicruze]

I'm not impressed.I do like Apple stock.The computers,pads,phones not so much.Highly overated.

But thats my opinion

Well, this is my first Mac. Before this I had an ASUS K42JV and I really liked that laptop. I wanted a laptop with these specs

3rd generation Ivy Bridge Corei5

128SSD - somewhere around 300Mbps+ read and 400Mbps+ write speeds

8GB RAM DDR3L 1600mhz

I looked at the Dell XPS 13. It had a 2nd Gen. Sandy Bridge. It lagged a bit and it was 42,000 baht with 4GB RAM. Who knows if I could upgrade.

Zenbook - right around 40,000. The most awful keyboard and trackpad I've used.

Acer S5 - 40,000+ baht. 4GB Ram. Looked OK but it was way too much to pay for an Acer.

Samsug - again, less specs for over 40,000

Macbook Air, Under 40,000 with the teacher discount. 8GB Ram 1600 mhz. SUPERB build quality. I mean, just walk into an Apple store and pick one up in your hands. excellent keyboard, backlit. Probably the best trackpad I have ever used in a laptop. Great bundled software (iLife). No stickers.

So, I said, I already have an iPhone. Mountain Lion is like a mix of OSX and iOS. It syncs beautifully. I start a chat with my mom on the phone and follow right in the laptop. So, why not? So I did it and I am glad. It's a GREAT little laptop.

and yes... you can get cheaper, but not with these specs and build. they're all the same price.

[jamesbrock]

As far as the price, they're really not that much. At least the Air. All the other laptops with the same specs are the same or more expensive. The Zenbook is the same price and it sucks really bad. Especially the keyboard and trackpad.

The Lenovo X1 Carbon is coming. Thin but expensive as all hell. More than a Mac.

Also, the transition from Windows to OSX isn't really that bad at all. It's easy to use and dare I say, a bit more user friendly. Because it is so small, almost like a tablet, I do everything on it now. Battery lasts 5 hours. Thats good for a small laptop. the 13"gives you more.

The bundled software is excellent. I was smiling and having FUN, imagine that, while making slideshows with my pictures.

So far I will say, as far as laptops, I will buy Macs from now on. It's like I have been having a desktop experience in a laptop all these years and all of a sudden I have a real laptop. I don't know how to explain it. I'm chatting, getting push notifications, browsing, all the gesture and the interface, the ambient light sensor (i never adjust the screen brightness anymore), spell checking as I type, sharing and emailing things. It's like all the apps connect to one another instead of a bunch of applications installed in a computer.

I still work with windows on my desktop, but for a laptop, I will buy macs from now on. I just can't see myself playing with tiles with a trackpad.

the only thing I would say is that if you are transferring files from windows to a thumb drive and then to a mac and the files are larger than 4GB, format the thumb drive ExFat. that's it.

For Office I am using LibreOffice.

You're pretty much preaching to the converted in this forum! (I say "pretty much" because there will always be those haters who, for their own petty little reasons, like to frequent this forum.)

Enjoy your new MBA!

[thaicruze]

without the upgrade and 4GB of RAM, which really is plenty, this laptop is 35,600 with the discount. The 13' MBA is about 37,000 with the discount. It's worth every baht. It really is quality.

Would I pay 62,000 for a 15" Pro? no. 72,900 for a Retina MBP 15"? hell no. 37,000 for an Air? Absolutely. The best laptop of that kind and price range out there.

What about a dedicated video card? Well, this laptop isn't for games. Photoshop runs like butter. the SSD is really fast.

If anyone would like me to take pics of something let me know. power adapter, box contents, the laptop itself , etc.

It's really light..

Edited September 3, 2012 by thaicruze

[Somtamnication]

Very nice. I am a Windooezzzzz user for years. I do all my tech stuff on it when at customer sites. So I am weary of switching to anything Mac. (I had a 3gs, which I loved, but got an sgs2). And I love my ipad1.

I do glance at the Airs with the same twinkle in my eye as looking at a pretty girl. Maybe one day I will have the courage to have an "affair".

[zzdocxx]

I appreciate the info, and I am an "inbetweener", as I have almost always been a PC user, but bought the ipad 3 when it came out earlier this year.

Using an android phone, when the iphone 5 didn't come out last year, I just pulled the trigger on something with a bigger screen (Galaxy Nexus).

But the new iphone will supposedly have a 4" screen.

So as I say, I am somewhat in the middle.

I think it would be cool if there was a laptop where the screen could be detached and used wirelessly apart from the keyboard and CPU. I saw an article about something similar but those were mostly combination notebooks with touchpads, though some of them had screens that were much more adjustable. What made me think of this is my wireless keyboard case for my ipad, the keyboard can come out of the case to be used further away, while the ipad itself is propped up in the case.

But if the CPU etc. were left with the keyboard part, I would think the touch screen could be even lighter, n'est ce pas?

OK just rambling here!

[stiggy]

Made the switch in feb also to an Air, compared to the pc it simply rocks.

Faster more user friendly , fisher price for adults .

I use laptops at least 5 hrs most days for work, so for me it was a big deal after a month getting used to some of the basic differences would take a lot to go back to my acer

[thaicruze]

I appreciate the info, and I am an "inbetweener", as I have almost always been a PC user, but bought the ipad 3 when it came out earlier this year.

Using an android phone, when the iphone 5 didn't come out last year, I just pulled the trigger on something with a bigger screen (Galaxy Nexus).

But the new iphone will supposedly have a 4" screen.

So as I say, I am somewhat in the middle.

I think it would be cool if there was a laptop where the screen could be detached and used wirelessly apart from the keyboard and CPU. I saw an article about something similar but those were mostly combination notebooks with touchpads, though some of them had screens that were much more adjustable. What made me think of this is my wireless keyboard case for my ipad, the keyboard can come out of the case to be used further away, while the ipad itself is propped up in the case.

But if the CPU etc. were left with the keyboard part, I would think the touch screen could be even lighter, n'est ce pas?

OK just rambling here!

I don't know. Some of those detachable screen laptops came out, but to be honest, the 11" air I have is as big as a tablet and the trackpad is so good is better than poking at a screen.

[thaicruze]

Made the switch in feb also to an Air, compared to the pc it simply rocks.

Faster more user friendly , fisher price for adults .

I use laptops at least 5 hrs most days for work, so for me it was a big deal after a month getting used to some of the basic differences would take a lot to go back to my acer

I found the transition a non-issue to be honest. So, if anyone is scared of switching to Mac because you won't get used to it, it's really not an issue. It's almost like using a smart phone.

[losgrad]

For OSes, I have been bi- since the first PC and Mac. I have multiple MacBooks, an iPad, an iPhone and multiple Thinkpads, Lenovos, Samsungs and a Kindle Fire due to multiple location sets as transporting laptops is a hassle through airports or on my motorcycles in the States. They are tools. Start with what you want to do and find the right tool for the job. If you haven't already, you'll probably need an external hard drive soon for storage space and backup - get a few and keep in separate locations just in case.

Enjoy your quality Mac Air and joining the converted

[thaicruze]

That's it isn't it.. You buy what gets what you need to get done...done... I think the reason why I like it is because it is exactly what I needed which is why I bought it. Someone may need a big 15" gaming rig, so for that person this 11" Air would probably suck.

Edited September 4, 2012 by thaicruze

[Jimi007]

For OSes, I have been bi- since the first PC and Mac. I have multiple MacBooks, an iPad, an iPhone and multiple Thinkpads, Lenovos, Samsungs and a Kindle Fire due to multiple location sets as transporting laptops is a hassle through airports or on my motorcycles in the States. They are tools. Start with what you want to do and find the right tool for the job. If you haven't already, you'll probably need an external hard drive soon for storage space and backup - get a few and keep in separate locations just in case.

Enjoy your quality Mac Air and joining the converted

I agree. Computers are tools of my trade. Many times I have two or three laptops running different programs to monitor different systems. I prefer Apples though.

[Dancali]

Gratz on the awesome new computer!

[ManOnTheRoad]

Congratulation Mate on your new Macbook

[quandow]

Apple vs Windows is a very personal and often passionate debate (and that's putting it mildly). I run both, have two Apples and four Windows machines for both business and entertainment, and have some strong likes and dislikes. I will focus on Apple as that is the topic of discussion on this thread.

First, the likes - Apple machines just work. They had the concept of "plug and play" LONG before Windows. I like to play guitar while watching YouTube videos and I have several digital interfaces that I can use simultaneously as the sound card. I couldn't do this with Windows before Pro Tools version 9 (which now does, making this argument moot). I have a full 88-key keyboard that isn't recognized by any Windows system, Apple saw it and immediately used it.

Now, the other side of the coin - That new Airbook has only two USB ports, no network port, no optical drive, and no line in. As for the USB ports, I rarely use less than three ports on any given session. Wireless network? I absolutely do NOT trust a wireless network (I've been hacked via wireless, very costly lesson), a hard wired network is faster and more secure. No optical drive? Well, you CAN buy an external drive from Apple (why their stock is so hot and I am so resentful). The line in is the most seriously detrimental change in my opinion. Garage Band software has come with Apple OS for years. With a simple adapter, you could plug an average priced guitar into the line in and sound like a rock star. Now, you have to purchase an additional external device (see a recurring theme here?) starting at about $200 U.S.

I've not done any name calling or flaming, I've simply reported the facts as I know them.

[BusyB]

Thanks to all posters (pro and con) - I'm on the verge of buying into Apple with an MBA 13" and probably the next iPhone (depending on availablity/specs, possibly the 4s for now). Done a lot of research, including the very questionable Zenbook that had my eye for some time. This thread's reaffirmed my decision. They don't just deliver hardware and software, they deliver a synched environment. That's just what I need. I'm not a programmer or the such like.

[thaicruze]

Apple vs Windows is a very personal and often passionate debate (and that's putting it mildly). I run both, have two Apples and four Windows machines for both business and entertainment, and have some strong likes and dislikes. I will focus on Apple as that is the topic of discussion on this thread.

First, the likes - Apple machines just work. They had the concept of "plug and play" LONG before Windows. I like to play guitar while watching YouTube videos and I have several digital interfaces that I can use simultaneously as the sound card. I couldn't do this with Windows before Pro Tools version 9 (which now does, making this argument moot). I have a full 88-key keyboard that isn't recognized by any Windows system, Apple saw it and immediately used it.

Now, the other side of the coin - That new Airbook has only two USB ports, no network port, no optical drive, and no line in. As for the USB ports, I rarely use less than three ports on any given session. Wireless network? I absolutely do NOT trust a wireless network (I've been hacked via wireless, very costly lesson), a hard wired network is faster and more secure. No optical drive? Well, you CAN buy an external drive from Apple (why their stock is so hot and I am so resentful). The line in is the most seriously detrimental change in my opinion. Garage Band software has come with Apple OS for years. With a simple adapter, you could plug an average priced guitar into the line in and sound like a rock star. Now, you have to purchase an additional external device (see a recurring theme here?) starting at about $200 U.S.

I've not done any name calling or flaming, I've simply reported the facts as I know them.

Well, none of these type of laptops have DVD drives. I never use it so I don't need it.

I bought the Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter. Works perfectly and keep it in the bag.

The headphone jack works as a line-in. I can use the microphone in the apple headphones, but I am not sure if it works with anything else.

I don't use my laptop for any of these things. If I needed to use a laptop with a Line-In port, a DVD drive and an Ethernet port built in then I wouldn't have bought the MacBook Air. Saying the Macbook Air doesn't have these things is kind of obvious.

If you need all these things, don't choose a Macbook Air. For example, I never ever use DVDs, I rarely use more than 1 USB port at a time now (I used 2 in my ASUS but that's now unnecessary because this trackpad eliminates the use of a mouse) and I use that 1 USB port only when I need to put my thumb drive in there, which is seldom. I don't need a line in jack. I needed an ethernet jack so just got a little cable.

There are different laptops because people have different needs. Just get the one that has what you need.

Edited September 16, 2012 by thaicruze

[thaicruze]

Thanks to all posters (pro and con) - I'm on the verge of buying into Apple with an MBA 13" and probably the next iPhone (depending on availablity/specs, possibly the 4s for now). Done a lot of research, including the very questionable Zenbook that had my eye for some time. This thread's reaffirmed my decision. They don't just deliver hardware and software, they deliver a synched environment. That's just what I need. I'm not a programmer or the such like.

This is the best laptop I have ever bought. It doesn't matter that it has OSX and an Apple logo on the lid. I couldn't care less. It's all about the laptop itself.

I can design stuff in Photoshop standing up, holding the laptop with one hand and designing something with the other using the trackpad gestures only. This trackpad is so precise it follows my finger to every pixel.

As far as the iPhone, it really doesn't matter to me. I have the 4s. Once iOS 6 comes out I will update and it really won't matter. I don't need the extra row of icons. Unless Apple makes the 4s slower on purpose with iOS6 to make us buy the iPhone 5, I don't see the performance difference to be that big at all.

So, if everything goes well with iOS 6, the iPhone 5 is a non issue. 11.6" is better than 4" anyway. They should've gone with a 4.5-4.7" screen. 4" is still small.

Edited September 16, 2012 by thaicruze

[Harry2]

After 20 years of Windows computers I bought a Macbook Air last year. The hardware is fine but I find the software absolutely awful.

In fact I found it so bad I just used it as a portable video player. Biting the bullet I installed Win 7 via Boot Camp and am finally able to use it as a working laptop.

[thaicruze]

Which software? Are you talking about the OS or programs?

The only software that comes with this is iLife, which is fun. Windows ships with nothing, so at least you have something. The other software I use is available for Mac, so it is the same thing.

I really don't see that much difference between this and windows.

The only difference is Office. If you HAVE to have Office, and OpenOffice won't do, then yes, the only way to run proper Office is to dual boot, but for what I do, LibreOffice works perfectly.

Edited September 19, 2012 by thaicruze

[nikster]

The main difference is style, and efficiency. OS X is way better in both regards.

But, if you compare both OS X and Windows to, say, iPhone / iPad / iOS, they're pretty alike.

MS makes an office version for Mac. It's crap but... they do make it...

PS: If you have an iPhone 4S, then I agree you probably don't need an iPhone 5. Apple upgrade cycle is every 2 years. Compared to my iPhone 4, the upgrade is worth it (and I didn't think the jump from 4 -> 4S was worth it)

Edited September 19, 2012 by nikster

[DMC1]

Which software? Are you talking about the OS or programs?

The only software that comes with this is iLife, which is fun. Windows ships with nothing, so at least you have something. The other software I use is available for Mac, so it is the same thing.

I really don't see that much difference between this and windows.

The only difference is Office. If you HAVE to have Office, and OpenOffice won't do, then yes, the only way to run proper Office is to dual boot, but for what I do, LibreOffice works perfectly.

I got MS office for the Mac. Cost me 5K Baht last year from iStudio in Pattaya. Works fine for me.