New Macbook Air - A good gigging machine?

[robin]

These benchmarks so far are rough guides. The only real benchmark we should all be interested in at this stage is to what level these things run Live 8.2.

The rest is personal preference.

[Sage]

I think what the naysayers especially the envious Winblowz users are failing to grasp is that many have longed for an OS X machine in a netbook form factor (without the shitty netbook specs of course) suitable for things like live setups where there are space constraints and/or portability is desired. That is now an option and it comes with Core 2 Duo and NVIDIA graphics meaning it has plenty of power.

It's still not a smart purchase however you look at it.

The base model, 11" 1.4GHz 2GB RAM is the same price as the base Macbook, the next one up is 13" Macbook Pro territory. If they didn't bother with the 13" model and priced it less than the Macbook, it would make a lot more sense.

[mbenigni]

The 13" Air is a beautiful machine. (I like the 11" but 1.4GHz is a little pokey; actually so is 1.86GHz, but it's an improvement anyway.)

The main dealbreaker (aside from the price at the much-needed 256GB) for me is the lack of Firewire. Surprised no one on an Ableton forum has mentioned that yet. It's one of the few things that I (a PC guy, typically) envy on proper MacBooks: a proper, powered Firewire port.

[Digital_Damage]

Yes. Yes, I did.
http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php? ... 4#p1211894

Speedmark? LOL that tool (and I use the term very loosely) is a notoriously subjective POS. The variables it uses to post a “score” relies on to many third parties. While I do know that the MPB's have been hamstrung by apple to reduce that heat issue, if the air does out perform the MBP it goes to show you that apple has not been genuine about the amount of reduced performance they have inflicted because of a poor design on the MBP.

[delicioso]

if the air does out perform the MBP it goes to show you that apple has not been genuine about the amount of reduced performance they have inflicted because of a poor design on the MBP.

Or it goes to show that Apple is innovating as usual and consistently putting out better, faster, lighter, more efficient machines and Windows fanboys continue to be envious.

[LoopStationZebra]

Or it goes to show that Apple is innovating as usual and consistently putting out better, faster, lighter, more efficient machines and Windows fanboys continue to be envious.

THIS.



digital_dumbfuck never fails to surprise.

[Machinesworking]

The SSD VS standard HD in the Macbook Pro is the only reason for a higher score in the benchmark tests I'm willing to bet.
That everybody is arguing any other point than that about a quoted test between the Air and the Pro is beyond me?

Lrn2computer!

[UKRuss]

Usual hilarity.

Only one person has mentioned the real downfall for this bit o'kit, NO FIREWIRE!

[beats me]

Usual hilarity.

Only one person has mentioned the real downfall for this bit o'kit, NO FIREWIRE!

It is true that great music has neither been produced nor performed without this magical port.

[oblique strategies]

MacBook Air 'Ultimate' Configurations Benchmarked
http://www.macrumors.com/2010/10/27/mac ... nchmarked/

[darkmelody]

I have a first generation MBA. (1.6 CORE2duo 2GB Ram from memory.)

I actually won it in a competition, so it would not have been the laptop I would have bought for that money, however, it is pretty tasty and I regularly run a 12 channel Liveset, (9 Audio, 1 drumrack, 1 operator, 1 impulse). Admittedly there is some channel freezing and it took a bit of tweaking to see what I could run, but it suits my needs.

Would it benefit from more ports including firewire. yes
Do I edit HD video on it. No (Thats what the g5 tower at home does)

Does this mean I would reccomend someone buying one as a gigging machine. Depends on what you want it for

Is it good value No idea Did I mention I didn't pay for it

[delicioso]

Do I edit HD video on it. No (Thats what the g5 tower at home does)

Well, we're discussing the new Air and the benchmark tests are showing that you won't have any problem editing HD video on it:
"the top-end 13-inch MacBook Air healthily beats the standard 13-inch MacBook Pro despite the Air's slower processor." The "maxed-out 13-inch MacBook Air" is only "10% slower than the standard 15" MacBook Pro with its significantly more powerful Core i5 processor".

As for firewire, audio interfaces and video cameras have already been standardizing over to USB.

[regretfullySaid]

It's good for DJ'ing but make sure you don't sneeze or that shit will fly out into the audience and cut someones head off. Not cool!

[humnumb]

People really get carried away with judging a computer by its raw specs alone. From all accounts the SSD makes a huge difference to the processor, and plenty of great music has been created on much less. And I've done plenty of HD video on ‘underpowered’ computers. Stop worrying about specs and make something worthwhile!

Macworld has done some good benchmarks:
http://www.macworld.com/article/155186/ ... lsrc=top_1


In conclusion, the Air is a perfectly capable machine.

[darkmelody]

Do I edit HD video on it. No (Thats what the g5 tower at home does)

Well, we're discussing the new Air and the benchmark tests are showing that you won't have any problem editing HD video on it:
"the top-end 13-inch MacBook Air healthily beats the standard 13-inch MacBook Pro despite the Air's slower processor." The "maxed-out 13-inch MacBook Air" is only "10% slower than the standard 15" MacBook Pro with its significantly more powerful Core i5 processor".

As for firewire, audio interfaces and video cameras have already been standardizing over to USB.

I have actually done a little editing on my old air, and it works, just slow, and pointless when a more powerful computer is available.