Macbook Pro (2010) vs Macbook Air (2011)

I have a Macbook Pro (2010 model, 15" screen, i7 2.66ghz, 500gb 7200rpm drive) which I currently use for work which includes some photoshop. I am a little tired of lugging it around as it is quite heavy especially when you include the power pack and wireless mouse. So I was considering getting the 2011 Macbook Air (13", i7 1.8ghz, 256gb SSD drive) as a replacement.
According to this web site (http://www.primatelabs.ca/geekbench/mac-benchmarks/) the Air (5786) scores marginally better than my Pro (5562).
Before (and if) I make my purchase I was hoping someone here knew more about a direct comparison of these notebooks and wouldn't mind sharing their knowledge.
Thanks!

The 1.8GHz dual-core i7 Air is 32% slower than your 2.66GHz dual-core i7 Pro in all respects other than hard drive speed. In highly disk-intensive operations, the Air's SSD may make up the difference, but in pure processing operations, your Pro has a big edge. For graphics, the Air's integrated GPU with shared VRAM is considerably less powerful than your Pro's discrete GPU and dedicated VRAM. Nothing in the Air is upgradeable; your Pro can be outfitted with a larger hard drive or a faster SSD and twice as much RAM as the Air will ever have. All the non-resizable user-interface elements (menu bar and its text, dialog boxes and their text, tool palettes and toolbars in many apps, etc.) will be dramatically smaller and may be hard to read on the Air, unless your Pro has the optional high-resolution 1680 x 1050 display, in which case things will be the same size on the Air screen, but you'll see less of them because there are fewer pixels in its screen.
I think sticking with the Pro is a no-brainer. To lighten your load, leave the mouse at home and use the wonderful features of the MBP's trackpad. The Pro will never be as light as an Air, but it's a substantially more capable computer, and best of all, you've already paid for it.

Similar Messages

Is there a difference between the USB ports on an imac 2010 and macbook air 2011?

Hello,
I'm asking this question on behalve of a severe disabled friend.
He has a special keyboard on USB.
When I connect it to his or my iMac 2010, we need to reboot several times until the KB is recognised.
When I connect that same KB to my macbook air 2011 it has no issues at all.
The iMacs are 2.7GHz i5 running Lion.
Host Controller Location:          Built-in USB
Host Controller Driver:          AppleUSBEHCI
PCI Device ID:          0x1c2d
PCI Revision ID:          0x0005
PCI Vendor ID:          0x8086
Bus Number:          0xfa
The MBA is a 1.8GHz i7 running Lion.
Host Controller Location:          Built-in USB
Host Controller Driver:          AppleUSBEHCI
PCI Device ID:          0x1c2d
PCI Revision ID:          0x0005
PCI Vendor ID:          0x8086
Bus Number:          0xfa
the keyboard info can be found at http://lucykeyboard.com
Would appreciate some help as a few shops in Belgium are not that helpfull for this kind of troubleshooting.
Thank you in name of Mario.
Peter LOX

Guy would this be of any help:
To start up your computer in Apple Hardware Test:
Press the power button to turn on your computer.
Press and hold the D key before the gray startup screen appears. If Apple Hardware Test does not start up, see the Additional Information section at the end of this article.
Note: Some Macintosh computers that shipped with OS X Lion support the use of Apple Hardware Test over the Internet. These computers will start up to an Internet-based version of AHT if the hard drive does not contain AHT. An Internet-enabled connection via Ethernet or Wi-Fi is required to use this feature.
It takes a minute or so for Apple Hardware Test to start up and inspect your hardware configuration. While this is taking place, an icon appears on the screen:
When the process is complete, select your language and click the right arrow. If you aren't using a mouse, you can use the up and down arrows to select a language and then press the Return key.
The Apple Hardware Test console appears. You can choose which sort of test or tests to perform:
To perform all of the basic tests, click the Test button or press the "T" key or the Return key.
To perform a more thorough diagnostic test, select the "Perform extended testing" checkbox under the Test button before you click the Test button.
Your test results will appear in the window in the bottom-right of the console.
To exit AHT, click Restart or Shut Down at the bottom of the window.

Is the Macbook Air 2011 able to run the Apple Cinema Display 30" ?

Hello Everyone.
So, I am about to buy a Macbook Air 2011 11".
I want this product because of the ssd driver and the versality of such a light object.
The things is that i work at school with a laptop, and when i come back home, i use my Apple Cinema Display on my Macbook Pro with the Dual Link dvi Adaptator (which cost me 98€ ouch !! ).
So i read that there were kind of retro-compatibility between Thunderbolt and Mini-Display Port on the new Mba.
Is the 2011 mba able to run my external display ?
Thank you.
Nicolas.

Yes.
(60424)

My Macbook Air 2011 got a white screen and a folder with a question mark. I tried to press option+r and try to install the OS X Lion but it didn't show the disk Macintosh Hd

My Macbook Air 2011 got a white screen and a folder with a question mark. I tried to press option+r and try to install the OS X Lion but it didn't show the disk Macintosh Hd

You are using Snow Leopard so you have no OPTION+R shortcut. You need to boot the computer from your Snow Leopard DVD or USB flash drive.
Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.

How can I reinstall EFI firmware on Macbook air 2011?

There are only EFI firmware update for Macbook air 2011.
I wonder if there are EFI firmware restoration usb/CD/downloads for Air? Why there are only restoration CDs for Macbook pro?

Hi Sberman,
I searched in that place.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1320
This is firmware restoration for pro. It restores the EFI firmware. It is about 30 MB.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1497
This is firmware update for air. It is about 4 MB.
I wonder if there is firmware restoration for air.

How do I connect my MacBook Air 2011 to a projector?

How do I connect my MacBook Air 2011 to a projector?

It depends on the input connection for the projector, but since many are rduced resolution, VGA seems to be the prevalent common connection.
It's just a matter of buying the adapter that adapts VGA to the Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt port on your Air. If it is a DVI or HDMI connection input on your projector, the online Apple Store carries that as well.
This adapter and sufficient length VGA cable is all you need for VGA.
Here's the DVI adapter.
For some reason, I am unable to bring up the Moshi HDMI adapter on Apple's site.

MacBook Air 2011, running Lion 10.7.2, and Safari won't load any pages. Firefox loads everything just fine. What's going on?

I have a MacBook Air 2011, running Lion 10.7.2, and Safari won't load any pages. Firefox loads everything just fine. What's going on?

d Pacifist to reinstall both the Safari
application and the WebKit framework
was that before the 10.4.6 combo was applied?
Nope, I tried the Pacifist route after applying the combo update.
It does sound as if webkit is busted at the moment.
What version of osx is on your install disks?
Not sure, I'll have to check them.
I'd like to avoid a archive & install, but I'm beginning to think it's my only remaining option.

I have a Macbook Air 2011. Can i run Bit-locker in Windows 7 Ultimate without any problems?

I have a Macbook Air 2011. Can i run Bit-locker in Windows 7 Ultimate without any problems?

montana girl wrote:
I purchased a MacBook AIr Nov. 2011 11" and current OS X 10.7.5. I read that I needed to update to Snow Leopard before I can update to Maverick, ...
Whatever you read was incorrect. You can upgrade directly to Mavericks. It is in the App Store and is free.
Snow Leopard predates the operating system you already have. That's the reason it will not install on your MacBook Air. You spent $20 needlessly for it, but it's yours to resell if you wish.

HT4718 i have two drives, 80GB and a 2nd Windows drive 40GB. I'd like to get rid of the 40GB and go back to original 120GB, MacBook Air 2011, OS X 10.7.5 is this doable?

i have two drives, 80GB and a 2nd Windows drive 40GB. I'd like to get rid of the 40GB and go back to original 120GB, MacBook Air 2011, OS X 10.7.5 is this doable?

If you used Boot Camp to install Windows you may use Boot Camp to remove it and return your drive to as it was.

Connecting Macbook Air 2011 to Epson projector for Keynote

Hi,
I'm trying to connect my Macbook Air 2011 to a brand new Epson (Powerlite 1760W) projector for Keynote presentations.
I bought the recommended Monoprice mini cable from the Apple store but I can only plug it into my MBA (small squarish socket), the other end dosen't connect to the projector. It seems the projector wants a VGA cable into it.
I'm lost. Do I still need the UBS cable between the two? Do I need a USB / VGA cable instead?
Thanks in advance.

Alison,
In looking at the technical specifications (on Epson's site) for this device it would appear that you can make HDMI work - http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Product.do?sku=V11H361120&BV_UseBVCookie= yes
That being said, the HDMI end on the adapter and on the projector are most likely female. So you'll need an HDMI cable (the length will vary on how far the machine is away from the projector) but I suspect a 3 or 6 footer would work just fine. The cable is a male-to-male.

I just installed MacOS X Yosemite on my MacBook Air 2011. After installing Yosemite I installed the Photoshop Elements 12.1 upgrade, but now when I open the program and try to use the tools, the program freezes. How do I fix this problem?

I just installed MacOS X Yosemite on my MacBook Air 2011. After installing Yosemite I installed the Photoshop Elements 12.1 upgrade, but now when I open the program and try to use the tools, the program freezes. How do I fix this problem?

If you use a trackpad and don't want to switch to a mouse, you can uninstall and reinstall all day long and will still have problems, but if you really want to try it, you can download PSE 12 here:
Download Photoshop Elements products | 12, 11, 10

MacBook Air 2011 Fan increased after installed mountain lion

Hi all,
I have a Macbook Air 2011, Intel core i7. After when I installed ML I noticed that battery go down very fast (about 2:40h) and the Fan speed RPM is about 6500 all time, but I haven't any strong operation pending or App. I have the same app open since lion (Internet, chat, jdownloader) in background (skydrive,evernote,weatherhd) the same app and background task I have with Lion.
In monitor activity all task is from 1% to 20-30% of usage.
Any Tips?

I only have the fan kick in when the graphics is getting hit hard (playing games, driving external displays, etc) with crappy intel on board graphics.
Is your MacBook Air in a protective case, skin or having anything block the vent hinge?
Definitely sounds like the OS thinks it needs to keep running the fan.
You might try this smart temperature desktop widget and monitor your temperature to see if there is any sane reason for the fans to be on (they are loud!).
http://www.bresink.com/osx/TemperatureMonitor.html
My CPU Temp A Diode reports 117 plugged into AC with no fan running on a 13" MBA mid 2011

MacBook Air (2011)

MacBook Air (2011) needs 20 plus seconds to restart (about 12 seconds when new). Anything wrong?

Could it be that you added one or the other app and driver since you bought it which get loaded during start-up? Check under Login Items in your user account, and think what other "utilities" you're running - eventually silently in the background.
20 seconds isn't too bad. Once it's minutes, come back here.

Firmware update on a Macbook Air 2011

Hello guys, i have a Macbook Air 2011 that had the hard drive damaged, i installed a new one so him only starts on the Utility Page for Reinstall the OSX...
This version of Mac Air are with troubles to Download/Reinstall the OSX using the Utility Page, him needs a Firmware Update to fix, but i just can't open that Update on the Utilities Page, i tried to put the Update Archive on a Pendrive using other Mac, and i just put the pen drive on the Mac Air and tried to execute the update file using the Terminal, but i got the error: cannot execute binary file.
So how i can fix that Mac?
I can't execute the Firmware update, and without fix the firmware update i can't install the Osx, i also tried to install a new version using the USB Drive Bootable Mountain Lion, but this kinda of Macs Air 2011 only accept a custom Lion OSX, that can be downloaded after the Firmware fix..
Hope someone can help!
Thanks

You replaced the the SSD in a MBA that cannot be user serviced, so that's quite an accomplishment. Your model does not require a firmware update to use Internet Recovery - Computers that can be upgraded to use OS X Internet Recovery. Here's the process you follow:
Install Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion Using Internet Recovery
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Internet Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.
Partition and Format the hard drive:
Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
After DU loads select your newly installed hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion. Mavericks: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
This should restore the version of OS X originally pre-installed on the computer.

Macbook air 2011 reinstall problem

I'm really tired
Actually I have a Macbook air 2011 /4g/ 11" , I format my hdd from disk utility and now I want to access to startup menu to reinstall it, I try that with holding option key and it just show me the internet recovery, my internet speed is very low, after about 8 hours it's show me the start up menu finally and ask me to reinstall the lion 1.7 so on that time because of some issues I just turn my macbook off because I think everything downloaded,
now, again when i turn it on for continue the installing process it's show me again the internet recovery and want to download from internet again
how can i access to the downloaded data and continue my work
command+r and option key again straight me on internet recovery
please help me

OS X Recovery requries a broadband connection as noted > OS X Recovery
There's no need to hold down the Option key to restore OS X.
Hold down the Command + R keys.
If your download speeds are less than 10Mbps, you may not be able to restore your Mac using OS X Recovery.
If you can, take your Mac to an Apple Store > Apple - Find Locations
In most cases, they will restore OS X for free for you.

After installing Mountain lion, macbook air 2011 very slow

After installation of Mountain lion my macbook air 2011 got very slow. There has been a firmware upgrade too. Can you help?

Hi guys! Just installed ML on my early 2009 MBAir (after market upgraded to a 240g SSD, but still just 2g of ram), and I panicked a bit at first when it turned out to be painfully slow and not displaying right (+slow trackpad!).
Bear in mind that the first thing ML will do is index your files for spotlight, which takes a while and is a bit of a resource hog that will slow everything else down and cause your machine to heat up.
I let it work all night, but by morning, my CPU usage was STILL at 100% and everything slow...
Activity monitor showed nothing over 10% CPU usage... First tip was to display ALL processes in Activity monitor, and not just MY processes, to see what exactly was sucking up my CPU!
Then, and it seems to often be the culprit on MBA's, it turned out that the kernel_task process was using up to 170% of my CPU usage (!). Problem is, that process sort of does a million things, so it can be hard to pinpoint the actual issue.
One of the things it does though, is work against overheating...
Given the download+install+indexing, my machine had been working all day and night, and was indeed getting super hot. Turning it off and letting it cool down for a whole fixed it all.
Kernel_task is back to normal, CPU usage is normal, display and trackpad are back to perfect. And in the end, ML is snappier than SL for me, even with the bare minimum in memory!
Good luck! <3

Macbook Pro (2010) vs Macbook Air (2011)

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for