MBA Questions

I've had the MBA for about a month and a half, and I have a few questions.
1. My number of battery cycles is 22, and battery health is 95%. Is this normal? I'm not sure I'm practicing the correct battery habits.
2. I want to try out a basic flight simulator on my Mac partition. Every time I try to download the file, the CPU temperature jumps and fan speed increases slowly. I don't want to do damage to my MBA, so I stop the download. Is there a reason for the CPU temperature and fan speed increases? I'm running other very graphic-intensive programs on my Windows partition just fine.

I have a 1.86 Ghz MBA that's about 1 1/2 years old (Rev B or C?). iStat shows 121 cycles and 92% battery health. As you can see, I don't often use the computer on battery - it's plugged in most of the time. I do, however, try to remember to drain it completely once a month and recharge.
As for the download: I'm no expert but I wouldn't worry about the fan/CPU temperature as you describe. I often run Win7 in Fusion and move back and forth between the two O/Ss; the fan comes on and the machine gets noticeably hotter, but it continues to work just fine. I doubt very much that you have any issue with your download.

Similar Messages

Three questions about the MBA...

Hiya,
Here's my first question: What is the resolution on the iSight camera that's built into the MBA? Is it the same as the ones on the other MacBooks, or is it different? I was reading AppleInsider's review of the MBA and they say that the MBA uses "a similarly lower end video camera" that seems to have a lower resolution than the 1.3 megapixel iSight cameras on the other MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Also, Apple's own specs for the MBA doesn't say specifically what the resolution is for it. But AppleInsider is claiming that pictures taken with the MBA's iSight camera are "visibly softer" and don't work in Photo Booth for some reason. :S (If you'd like to see the AppleInsider review I was looking at, here it is: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/02/04/macbookair_hdd_model_an_in_depthreview.html. Please go to page 5 of this review to see what AppleInsider is talking about with the iSight camera--it's pretty much the first thing they address on that page.)
Also: Is it true that it's not possible to turn off the wi-fi on the MBA? I was doing some window shopping at a Micro Center in my neighborhood and happened to talk about the MBA with some salespeople in the (Windows) laptop department, and they claimed that the wi-fi on it couldn't be turned off. Or, rather, they said that there was no visible, physical wi-fi button on the MBA, so they took that to mean that there was no way to turn the wi-fi off at all. Personally, I find this really hard to believe--surely there's some internal system preference that allows someone to turn off the wi-fi because it's obviously not going to be needed all the time?--but I want to hear from MBA owners here and see what you guys have to say about this.
And finally...assuming the wi-fi can be turned off, how many hours the MBA run? I haven't seen anyone answer this question yet, and I'd really like to know because I don't think I'll be using an MBA with the wi-fi always on.

LOL! I figured as much. I figured that the MBA's like my iPod touch and the wi-fi controls are in the system preferences somewhere. But yeah...those salesmen at MicroCenter were really digging into the MBA as they struggled to turn off some security controls that they'd tripped in their own department and had to talk loudly over their security alarms. To be fair, some of what they said is true:
--for the kind of money you'll have to pony up for even the cheaper MBA model, you can easily get a lot more laptop for the money. Of course, these (Windows) laptop salesmen weren't going to name any MacBooks that were in a different department in the store, but they started naming Sony Vaio's and such.
--there's no built-in optical drive. (Well, DUH. I thought this was understood? And to be fair, a lot of ultraportables don't have optical drives either, right? So this is nothing new.)
--the MBA is underpowered. And...yeah, I suppose that's true if you want to compare the MBA to other MacBooks or some other laptops in general. But if we compare the MBA to ultraportables or other slim/light notebooks, the MBA is still more powerful than them, isn't it? And speaking in terms of what I already have (a 5-year-old HP laptop running Windows XP), I'm sure that the MBA is more powerful and it's gonna run faster than this computer that I'm already using.
And then those salesmen just had to throw in the wi-fi comment. I went "Uh-huh" and walked out and let them keep talking and figure out how to turn off their security alarms. I'm not sure what these salesmen actually know about computers, but one thing was clear to me as I walked out of their department--they're willing to say just about anything to get a sale. I'd hate to think what they would tell me if I was honestly shopping around for one of their Windows laptops--I'd hate to hear the kind of trash they might tell me to make me buy a laptop and/or other products for it. :S

Mba freezes and than can't reboot (question mark in folder)

My mba acts kind of crazy lately. It suddenly freezes and when I try to reboot it doesn't find my ssd and gives me the dreaded question mark in folder sign. When I try recovery mode it doesn't show my ssd, but if I keep trying sometimes after a few minutes or a few hours it boots just fine.
Is it a software ot hardware issue?
Thanks in advance for your help.

If you have the original disk that shipped with the iMac, you can try booting from it.
Put the disk in and restart the computer while holding the C key down. If the computer boots you can start the installation process. (You are not reinstalling.) After the screen where you select the language you will see a menu bar. Click Utilities and run Disk Utility. In DU, select the hard drive on the left, First aid, and click Repair disk. When that is done, quit DU and restart the computer in the usual way.
If DU tells you the disk cannot be repaired, you will have to replace it.

Questions before I make the switch to a MBA

I've own'd a Macbook 2.4 Ghz with 2 gig memory now for about 8 months. I'm happy with the machine but always wanted the MBA for the portability. I travel everyday and would love a MBA but was not ready to jump in on the first rev.
I use my MB for webmail, photos, converting HD video and some light editing. My question is the new 1.8G/128SSB able to handle video processing as good or better than this Macbook? I would think the SSD would be better and the graphics chip is probably alot better then this x3100 model.
Looking for any advice you MBA owners have! Thanks.

I went from a 2.4/7200 MBP to this 1.86/SSD. I still have my Pro and I am in my 2 week "trial period" with the Air. The Air actually feels quite a bit faster than my Pro overall due to the SSD. I'm sure it's not as fast for encoding video, etc., but it is more than adequate for my needs.
This biggest difference I see is battery life and charging time. I definitely seem to get more life out of the Pro, and the recharge time is ridiculous at times (5-8hrs!!?). I'm hoping this clears up after some more calibration and cycling. I hear that the new Pros and Macbooks have the same issue though.
Overall, it's a beautiful machine that appeals to my minimalist nature. If the regular Macbooks had a screen this nice I might have gone that route because of the ability to upgrade, etc. I may actually still do that if this battery issue doesn't improve....

MBA closer to MBP? - Config advice and questions.

I was recently configuring a MBP, and anxiously awaiting the Back to Mac Event to see if there might be incentive / improvements to wait for purchase or perhaps go with the MBA. I was really hoping for TRIM support on the MBP. Now in consideration of the MBA release, just wondering (not speculating), if Apple may eventually just circumvent the whole SSD market and move all their products to an integrated Flash format.
The whole event has also brought the MBA much closer to the MBP and I am now considering if the MBA may be acceptable solution to my computing needs. Looking for feedback on if the following MBA config would likely perform well with the software / processing requirements and question listed below.
MBA Config:
# 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
# 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
# 256GB Flash Storage
Using:
Microsoft Office Mac Business Ed.
Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac (http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/)
Note: Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac has the following requirements (below ###). I can see the that MBA config meets these, but am really looking for clean and smooth performance with multiple OSs - XP, Win 7 (64 bit), Ultimate (64 bit), Linux distos (not all open and running at once, but each - or two at a time - being able to run efficiently in parallel with the Mac OS) - and some OS specific apps. So, don't want to see a large performance degradation and no system "hiccups".
It is the MBA 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo that concerns me the most, then the 4GB RAM (would like 8GB RAM).
Parallels requirements:
# Any Macintosh computer with an Intel processor (1.66 GHz or greater). To run 64-bit operating systems in virtual machines, an Intel Core 2 or higher processor is required.
# Minimum 1 GB of memory, 2 GB of memory is recommended.
# About 500 MB of disk space on the boot volume (Macintosh HD) for Parallels Desktop installation.
# About 15 GB of disk space for each virtual machine.
Any idea if PGP and the 256GB Flash Storage would be an issue - for any reason?
I don't have any problem going with a MBP (especially with 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 and 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, with larger 17" screen). So, aside from the config vs "fit for use" question, I am also interested in trying to grasp how Apple is actually evolving - as of today. Seems like MBA is now likely the center of their Mac product line. I understand Lion will be out in summer, so just trying to see how others feel about MBA taking center stage and if they might consider it suitable replacement for MBP.
PS. the lack of backlit keyboard or glossy screen doesn't factor in that much for me (currently typing away, in dim light on glossy screened HP laptop).

I've been running a 1.86 GHz MBA with 128 SSD for a couple of years. Although I have Fusion installed, I boot Win7 using Boot Camp when I want/need to do anything more strenuous than surf the web.
I love the SSD and believe that it makes the unit run faster (but it isn't "instant on" like Apple's hype claims -- boot time is very quick, much quicker than Win7, but a cold start is, in no way, "instant").
I seem to recall one of the Mac blogs doing a speed test comparing the 1.86 C2D with the 2.13 C2D when that processor was first introduced in the MBA. Surprisingly, the 1.86 was actually FASTER in some operations; I'd be leery of assuming that the 2.13 upgrade is worth $100. Clearly, 4GB of RAM is a nice, and worthwhile, improvement for $100.
In summary, I don't think you really want an MBA if you need to do a lot of parallel computing -- running multiple O/S in parallel. The MBP you've spec'd will be FAR better for the tasks you describe.
Not saying I don't love my MBA; I do. But, as the saying goes: 'a man's gotta know his limits'.
I was itching for a faster processor and more RAM, and ready to buy a new MBA. But this Rev.A unit doesn't do it for me -- I don't see that it is a substantial improvement on my 2-year-old MBA.

My MBA is being shipped, question about transferring files from old PB

Hey guys,
I just ordered a new 13" MBA and am anxiously awaiting for it to arrive... I currently have a 12" Powerbook G4 with 10.5.8 that I use an external drive to back up with time machine.
My question is this; when I get my MBA will I be able to use the time machine back up to migrate my files even though my old computer has an older version of Mac OS on it?

A Basic Guide for Migrating to Intel-Macs
The Knowledgebase article Intel-based Mac: Some migrated applications may need to be updated refers to methods of dealing with migrating from PowerPC chips to Intel with the Migration Assistant safely. The authors of this tip have not had a chance to verify this works in all instances, or that it avoids the 10.6.1 and earlier Guest Account bug that caused account information to get deleted upon use of the Migration/Setup Assistant. However, a well backed up source that includes at least two backups of all the data that are not connected to your machine will help you avoid potential issues, should they arise. In event it does not work, follow the steps below.
If you are migrating a PowerPC system (G3, G4, or G5) to an Intel-Mac be careful what you migrate. Keep in mind that some items that may get transferred will not work on Intel machines and may end up causing your computer's operating system to malfunction.
Rosetta supports "software that runs on the PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor that are built for Mac OS X". This excludes the items that are not universal binaries or simply will not work in Rosetta:
Classic Environment, and subsequently any Mac OS 9 or earlier applications
Screensavers written for the PowerPC
System Preference add-ons
All Unsanity Haxies
Browser and other plug-ins
Contextual Menu Items
Applications which specifically require the PowerPC G5
Kernel extensions
Java applications with JNI (PowerPC) libraries
See also What Can Be Translated by Rosetta.
In addition to the above you could also have problems with migrated cache files and/or cache files containing code that is incompatible.
If you migrate a user folder that contains any of these items, you may find that your Intel-Mac is malfunctioning. It would be wise to take care when migrating your systems from a PowerPC platform to an Intel-Mac platform to assure that you do not migrate these incompatible items.
If you have problems with applications not working, then completely uninstall said application and reinstall it from scratch. Take great care with Java applications and Java-based Peer-to-Peer applications. Many Java apps will not work on Intel-Macs as they are currently compiled. As of this time Limewire, Cabos, and Acquisition are available as universal binaries. Do not install browser plug-ins such as Flash or Shockwave from downloaded installers unless they are universal binaries. The version of OS X installed on your Intel-Mac comes with special compatible versions of Flash and Shockwave plug-ins for use with your browser.
The same problem will exist for any hardware drivers such as mouse software unless the drivers have been compiled as universal binaries. For third-party mice the current choices are USB Overdrive or SteerMouse. Contact the developer or manufacturer of your third-party mouse software to find out when a universal binary version will be available.
Also be careful with some backup utilities and third-party disk repair utilities. Disk Warrior 4.1, TechTool Pro 4.6.1, SuperDuper 2.5, and Drive Genius 2.0.2 work properly on Intel-Macs with Leopard. The same caution may apply to the many "maintenance" utilities that have not yet been converted to universal binaries. Leopard Cache Cleaner, Onyx, TinkerTool System, and Cocktail are now compatible with Leopard.
Before migrating or installing software on your Intel-Mac check MacFixit's Rosetta Compatibility Index.
Additional links that will be helpful to new Intel-Mac users:
Intel In Macs
Apple Guide to Universal Applications
MacInTouch List of Compatible Universal Binaries
MacInTouch List of Rosetta Compatible Applications
MacUpdate List of Intel-Compatible Software
Transferring data with Setup Assistant - Migration Assistant FAQ
Because Migration Assistant isn't the ideal way to migrate from PowerPC to Intel Macs, using Target Disk Mode, copying the critical contents to CD and DVD, an external hard drive, or networking
will work better when moving from PowerPC to Intel Macs. The initial section below discusses Target Disk Mode. It is then followed by a section which discusses networking with Macs that lack Firewire.
If both computers support the use of Firewire then you can use the following instructions:
1. Repair the hard drive and permissions using Disk Utility.
2. Backup your data. This is vitally important in case you make a mistake or there's some other problem.
3. Connect a Firewire cable between your old Mac and your new Intel Mac.
4. Startup your old Mac in Target Disk Mode.
5. Startup your new Mac for the first time, go through the setup and registration screens, but do NOT migrate data over. Get to your desktop on the new Mac without migrating any new data over.
If you are not able to use a Firewire connection (for example you have a Late 2008 MacBook that only supports USB:)
1. Set up a local home network: Creating a small Ethernet Network.
2. If you have a MacBook Air or Late 2008 MacBook see the following:
MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008) and MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)- Migration Tips and Tricks;
MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008) and MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)- What to do if migration is unsuccessful;
MacBook Air- Migration Tips and Tricks;
MacBook Air- Remote Disc, Migration, or Remote Install Mac OS X and wireless 802.11n networks.
Copy the following items from your old Mac to the new Mac:
In your /Home/ folder: Documents, Movies, Music, Pictures, and Sites folders.
In your /Home/Library/ folder:
/Home/Library/Application Support/AddressBook (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Application Support/iCal (copy the whole folder)
Also in /Home/Library/Application Support (copy whatever else you need including folders for any third-party applications)
/Home/Library/Keychains (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Mail (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Preferences/ (copy the whole folder)
/Home /Library/Calendars (copy the whole folder)
/Home /Library/iTunes (copy the whole folder)
/Home /Library/Safari (copy the whole folder)
If you want cookies:
/Home/Library/Cookies/Cookies.plist
/Home/Library/Application Support/WebFoundation/HTTPCookies.plist
For Entourage users:
Entourage is in /Home/Documents/Microsoft User Data
Also in /Home/Library/Preferences/Microsoft
Credit goes to Macjack for this information.
If you need to transfer data for other applications please ask the vendor or ask in the Discussions where specific applications store their data.
5. Once you have transferred what you need restart the new Mac and test to make sure the contents are there for each of the applications.
Written by Kappy with additional contributions from a brody.
Revised 1/6/2009

MBA to HDTV question

Have my MBA connected to a Panasonic TV via the Belkin mini display to HDMI adaptor - the MBA sees the Panasonic, but the TV is not seeing an incoming signal from the MBA. Do I need to configure the MBA in some way to send video out the Thunderbolt port? Thanks for the help.

All the settings are in System Preferences > Displays > Arrangement tab. This tab will only appear if the MBair recognizes that the monitor is attached. Turn your TV to the proper HDMI input channel and you should see the default desktop wallpaper. This is extended desktop mode where the monitor is logically located to the right of the MBair. Dragging an app off the right side of your desktop should make it appear on the TV.
Try toggling CMD F1 to switch to mirror mode and back. See if you get a signal.
You can also set the resolution for the monitor in System Preferences. If none of this works, look at the options in the Panasonic.
Regards,
Captfred

MBA SSD Question

I am thinking about switching to the 13 inch MBA but the current SSD is not large enough for me.
Has anyone upgraded the SSD to a larger capacity?
Feedback appreciated.

While I personally haven't done the upgrade, a co-worker of mine put a 240GB model in his 11" MBA (that came with the 64GB) and it was a painless install. The cost prohibitive nature of moving to the 480GB model is probably the biggest limiting factor.
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura_Pro_Express

Yet another MBA connection question

I just purchased my MBA in July and it started off working beautifully. Just in the past month or so my internet connection has gotten a bit lousy. My Airport says I have a full connection to the internet yet pages either never load and sit in internet limbo forever or i get a "safari can't open the page - operation could not be completed' message pop up. I bought this computer for it's portability, but no matter how light and thin a computer is made, when it has no internet it is a useless brick. Is there anything i can do to fix this? I am a new mac user so if you can put it in english that would be great, most of this mac-ese is still a bit greek to me!

Do you have any other computers on your wireless network? Are they running ok? Do any of them run Torrent software? Or on your MBA?
Have you taken your MBA to another location with a different wireless router and tried it? was the connection ok from there?
I would try it from another location first - that will narrow down the issue instantly to either your MBA - or something with your home network.

Just one question before I buy new MBA

Hi all,
Being a Microsoft Access developer, just wanted to confirm whether I would be able to run Microsoft Access & related VBA components through *boot camp* as normally as I could do on a PC?
Thanks
Rajat

The new MBA is capable of running Windows 7 via BootCamp with full support from Apple. You can also run Virtual Machines via Parallels or VMWare Fusion, and these can be just about anything you want. Some have had success running other operating systems via BootCamp, but it can present technical challenges you may not be ready to handle.
Windows 7 will likely get the job done. If you are concerned about software compatibility, make sure and use Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, as they support Microsofts VM for Windows XP etc.

Question about 2010 MBA 2GB

Looking at picking up a used one for $700. Little nervous about the 2GB of RAM. I am going to be using it for Office/Pages/Keynote email, web, and maybe watch a movie every now and then. Is the 2GB going to be a problem?

Last year I had ocassion to use Lion with a 2GB iMac along with Office 2011 and a few other programs preparing for the upgrade at work. That testing convinced me that we needed more RAM but that was a computer with a conventional drive. The MacBook Air with its SSD uses virtual RAM much more effectively. In many ways the Air feels like a conventional computer with twice as much memory. The 2GB Air should work for the purposes you describe.

Differences between my MBA and old MBP

I've noticed a few differences in the behavior of these two computers, and I prefer the OLD way better, but I can't figure out how to do it.
In the past, both my iMac & MBP allowed me, in Mail, to use my mouse/trackpad to select a whole string of emails at once, either by just scrolling down, or by holding COmmand as I clicked on each email. I could then delete the whole bunch at once.
But now, on the MBA, I can only select and delete one item at a time. Is there a setting somewhere I am missing?
On the old computers, I could wake my computer by moving the mouse. Now I have to hit a key to wake from sleep. Not a biggie, but old habits die hard! :-)
Other "new" stuff I see on the MBA:
Under DEVICES in the FINDER, I see a "Remote Disk" that has nothing in it, and that I cannot remove. If I look in GET INFO, it gives me no information, other than a box I can check to Lock it. What the heck is this?
Oddly, while I CAN charge my iPhone via the USB port, it will not charge my Nook via that same Port. And when I try to attach an external hard drive using a USB hub, it won't see the EHD - but that same hub allows me to charge the iPhone, or attach a mouse.
Battery seems to last FOREVER! :-)

I can help with one of those questions -- the Remote Disk. Since the MacBook Air does not have an optical drive, you can use remote disk to share another computer's optical drive. The following has information: DVD or CD sharing: Using Remote Disc

MBA 11 (2013) pinch zoom does not work after some time, how to fix it ?

Recently I purchased MBA 11 (2013) model ( 4GB ram & 1.3 Ghz dual core). Although I use iPhone 5 & iPad 4 but never used mac. So when I found the track pad is capable of pinch zoom(along with other gesture) I was excited. But later I found after opening few apps (like safari, chrome etc) pinch zoom stop working . I need to restart in order to make it work again. Other gestures works fine just issue with the pinch zoom. Along with this issue I have some other questions as well
1) How to fix this pinch zoom issue?
2) I use eclipse for android development, but when I connect android phone/tablet - os crashes, no idea why?
3) How to uninstall & update apps properly which was downloaded from web (like I installed x-code) ?
4) I want to use mouse (i am comfortable) - I need to know whether right click, wheel, ling click & drag works perfectly.
5) How to back up the os if something goes wrong I can retrieve from there ?

Error 2, 4 (or -4), 6, 40, 1000, 9006
Follow Troubleshooting security software. Often, uninstalling third-party security software will resolve these errors.
There may be third-party software that modifies your default packet size in Windows by inserting a TcpWindowSize entry into your registry. Your default packet size being set incorrectly can cause these errors. Contact the manufacturer of the software that installed the packet size modification for assistance or follow this article by Microsoft: How to reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
Verify that access to ports 80 and 443 are allowed on your network.
Verify that communication to albert.apple.com or photos.apple.com is not blocked by a firewall, or other Internet security setting.
Discard the .ipsw file, open iTunes and attempt to download the update again. See the steps underAdvanced Steps > Rename, move, or delete the iOS software file (.ipsw) below for file locations.
Restore your device while connected to a different network.
Restore using a different computer.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3694#error6

TS3775 Hi I am trying to connect my mba mid 2011 with an imac 27" 2011 with target display mode tdm. When I am using a thunderbolt cable nothing will work. When I use a minidisplay cable, both screens turn blue but eventually nothing happens. What is the

Hi I am trying to connect my mba mid 2011 with an imac 27" 2011 with target display mode tdm. When I am using a thunderbolt cable nothing will work. When I use a minidisplay cable, both screens turn blue but eventually nothing happens. What is the problem

Your answer is likely in Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Apple Support If you are familiar with this document, please re-read it and I suspect you may find something you either missed or are doing incorrectly.

Macbook Air (13") screen question

Does the mid 2013 Macbook Air have any sort of coating on the screen?

Jon P D
Unfortunately I have not tried to play WoW on this MBA yet, it is realy a pain for my ears to listen to the fan noise from such a thin machine. And I also use iStat menus and temperatures like 98-100 C excite me even more. But as soon as I decide to game a bit - I'll post here ))
wickedHangover
Thank you very much for a professional advice ! This information is very usefull, because EVERYTIME I rise the question of high temperatures everyone sais "its ok dont worry, its mac, its Apple, so everything should be ok etc". And finaly I do hear about overheat issues. As for me, I ALWAYS use Just-Mobile Cooling Bar if I use the integrated monitor, otherwise I use Twelve South stand - when connected to an external display (both of these cooling pads provide passive cooling).
So if you do not recommend stressing a work machine I will not do it for sure. I'll look for some other gaming solution...maybe iMac... or replace MBA with new thin MBP . . . Or maybe Apple will intergrate GPU in the upcoming thunderbolt display lol ))))
Otherwise it doesnt make much sence.

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