DyingforaPuppy7 | 07-25-2013 11:04 PM | Hope this helps... I can only tell you this, as overheard from various "geniuses" and customers, after many hours of my Macbook Pro being in what I call the "Apple Hospital." From what I know, when the Air came out (~2009?), the idea was "let's create a working computer that can fit in a manila envelope," in an appeal to people who liked compact computers/small computer developer competitors, and voila! After having saved up a lot of money (and grief from my Dell laptop!), I purchased the Pro, which is already out of its 3 year warranty period, meaning any problems that may arise with the computer, I must pay for, myself. Regardless of which option you choose, I would most definitely recommend purchasing the computer from the Apple Store (online or in store) ONLY, not an "authorized re-seller," as well as the 3 year warranty/AppleCare, which of course, they only allow you to do at the time of purchase. Whatever happens to the computer within those 3 years, you will not be fiscally responsible for (no bills out of pocket? music to my ears!) :)
I learn the most about the world from other people, so when my Macbook Pro's files were all lost on the admin (main) account, where I kept all of my students' records (and of course, with my luck, never thought to back them up), I sat on a stool at the "Apple Hospital Bar," praying they'd be able to recover my "corrupted files." They weren't able to, but I digress.
The gentleman sitting next to me had a much older Mac (and swore by Apple products for twenty years prior!) and was asking and answering questions way over my head, to the store's supervisor. He worked in graphic design, and I learned SO much from their discourse. I gathered that the Air (which probably has a new design since 2009) is simply a typing machine. It will do all the functions you need out of a computer, BUT there is no internal CD drive, and no bells nor whistles. To this really bright gentleman, this was a selling point, as he felt things were less likely to go wrong with the machine, since it was, in fact, so skeletal. He planned on purchasing his own external hard drive, his own external CD drive, a printer, and any other accoutrements he so desired. This way, if something went wrong, he knew it wasn't the computer's "fault" - as Macs (unless you decide to install the software to make them "Windows compatible" as many have alluded to above) are less susceptible to acquiring viruses. As long as the Air you're looking into now has an ample number of USB ports (or can provide the "wattage" to hold a USB hub with several USB ports, all being used simultaneously), he felt the Air was a great base model.
I am not as tech savvy (if you couldn't already tell from my experiences here on YT!), so in an attempt to simplify things for myself, and have all components in one machine, I chose the Pro. I had to write my dissertation on it, so the 15" was more costly, but easier to type on (for me), having to type 100+ pages in two or three sittings. I will not tell you it's the "best thing out there since sliced bread," but it is a solid machine. It make "force" you to change every other piece of tech equipment (i.e. phone, tablet, etc.) to an Apple product, so your operating systems (OS') are uniform. The Pro "flairs up" just like any other computer, but because everything is internal (battery cannot be removed, CD drive cannot be removed) an Apple store is the only way to get inside the computer. Overall, I'm pleased with my switch from a Dell to a Macbook (and pages = Mac's version of MS Word, numbers = Mac's version of MS Excel, keynote = Mac's version of MS Powerpoint), and I'd recommend it, as I'm sure now, the model I purchased has been improved upon greatly. The only reason I mentioned the bright gentleman and his "Air reasoning" was because I, too, could never see myself carrying around such a thin computer. But, thinking about it in hindsight, his argument was pretty valid, in my opinion. If you don't mind purchasing and attaching things to the Air (provided it has at least 2 USB ports AND has the aforementioned programs pre-installed), it may not be a bad option.
If you have any further questions, I have a dear, dear friend who is a computer extraordinaire, and who used to work for Apple. He is an absolute sweetheart, and if you PM me, I can give you his contact information, and I promise, he won't steer you in the wrong direction :)
Best of luck! I really hope you find the computer that'll make your life easier (for me, that's always a goal!). Apple is always coming up with something new (usually in September or October, I believe), so I am sure you can customize a model (online only) that best fits with your tech-needs :) If you have any more questions, don't be bashful to Message me, ok? |