Which is a better performer, the macbook air or the mac mini?

Which one performs better, the late 2013 macbook air (standard configuration: 4GB RAM, dual core i5 1,3 Ghz CPU) or the mac mini core quad core i7, 4GB RAM with a regular hard disc?

LowLuster
No Air model can be as fast as a Mini with a quad core i7 CPU. Can't happen.
I didnt solicit your opinion, and it IS a fact, .....skilled users here on this board will and DO TELL other users OFTEN that:
"outside of processor core use (video/ photo etc.) you will NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE on X computer vs. slower Y computer"
I have a 8 month old QUAD core Mac Mini and it is , as I said above "noticeably not ONE BIT" faster than my current 2013 macbook Air with 8gig.
My quad core came with 4gig of RAM as I recall, I immediately tossed in 16gig.
Notice the word "noticeably"
Your subjective hyperbole aside, you are wrong......., those above yourself and myself (point wise,...as Ogel has stated, Clinton has stated, and others) state this fact very often regarding ---"outside of processor core use (video/ photo etc.) you will NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE on X computer vs. slower Y computer"
Its not my opinion, its a fact, namely additionally that I stated "noticeably" - "my quad core mac mini on MOST EVERYTHING (which is most things since 'most things' are NOT photo and video editing) is not "noticeably" ONE BIT faster than my Macbook Air.
"most things" people do (most people) on their computer does NOT involve photo and video editing (photoshop pro, final cut pro etc etc)
This is a fact, that AS SUCH most people WILL NOT notice any difference in general computer use between a quad core mac mini (for example) and a entry level macbook Air. (SSD vs. HD speeds aside). Nobody is going to notice faster youtube, or Word use, or websurfing, Acrobat Pro, Quicktime play, general APPS that havent changed much in 7 years.
Dont curse on these family boards please, its uncouth.
Peace

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Pros and cons of the macbook air and the macbook pro

Hi!
This coming year, my younger daugter will go to high school and need a macbook because she is dyslectic. I want to know which one between the macbook air and the macbook pro will be the best for her. Thanks for your answer.

At least according to their web site, Whitesmoke Executive is not compatible with the Mac operating system.
Word Q does have a Mac version. http://www.goqsoftware.com/products/
I was unable to figure out what software package you meant by Antidote. There are several.
Word, of course, is part of MS Office, and they make a Mac OS version. I use Office 2011 daily.
None of these products are likely to tax the hardware of either of the computers you mention at all. The computer will be spending most of its time waiting for your daughter to do something.
Note - my neice just bought a MacBook Air 11". She is entering the University of South Carolina in the fall and is absolutely thrilled with the computer.

After making a note in a non wifi environment the note disappears when connecting the Macbook Air to the internet?

After making a note in a non wifi environment the note dissappears completely after connecting the Macbook Air to the internet again?

What kind of server are you using to sync Notes, if not iCloud?

Does the macbook air need the screen protection film? thx

does the macbook air need the screen protection film? thx

No, dont dare do that, it messes the screen up and can easily damage it.
forget that idea PERIOD

Is there a difference between the macbook air and the macbook pro?

i know the specs but are there some differences where you can tell me about??

The differences are pretty obvious if you've read the technical specifications comparison. Which MacBook Pro are you comparing the MacBook Air against? There are additional differences if you're comparing between 13, 15 or 17" models.
The most obvious differences:
Optical Drive
Ethernet port
FireWire port
i5/i7 CPU architecture
Dedicated GPU (15 & 17 MBP)
RAM and HDD upgradeability
Backlit keyboard

I am looking at mac computers, and cannot decide between the macbook air or the pro, can anyone help?

I am about to go into my senior year in high school and I need a new laptop. I like to be able to have a reliable laptop with fast speed and can get the job done for my porjects and presentations. I also like to play online games with my friends, and I wanrt to be able to know that I will not be stopped with a slow computer. Can anyone give me suggestions for the laptop I am looking for?

If you're doing nothing more than web browsing, email, some light photo processing, and your standard Microsoft Office Stuff, I'd get the MacBook Air 13" with 4GB RAM and the largest SSD drive you can afford. It's light, and fast.
If you're going to edit movies and use Photoshop with lots of plug-ins, do substantial graphics, play 3D games, then get the fastest MacBook Pro with the largest screen, biggest HD and most RAM you can afford.
The thing is, the MacBook Pro is more like a desktop that's portable. The MacBook Air is still a powerful computer (it's not just an iPad with keyboard like a lot of people claim), but you basically are stuck with what you got. It really can't do a lot of heavy computer lifting.
I'm a MacBook Pro guy.

Im an 8th year old and i am looking for a mac. I do alot of presentations and i like to have a lot of music and images. You think the macbook air is the one for me?

Macbook air or pro? I am in 8th grade and like to hear alot of music and save alot of images which one is the one for me?

"alot" can vary greatly depending on ones perception of the word. However, I would recommend a non-retna model MacBook Pro so you can have the option to install a higher capacity hard drive and more ram if necessary over the years. You can not install more ram in a MacBook Air after purchase and installing a new drive in a MacBook Air while it is under warranty would void said warranty.

Torn Between The MacBook Air and the Pro. Advice?

I have a MacBook Pro, but do a lot of photography and would love the Retina display. However the shorter battery life and the number of people who have warned me I will need to replace the hard drive with a SSD concerns me. I currently store my photos on an external hard drive. Thanks for your help.

In my opinion, you should only buy the Pro if you know for a fact you need the extra CPU/GPU power. If you don't, you'll be stuck with the Pro's disadvantages (heavier, worse battery, etc...) without benefiting from any of the advantages (the aforementioned additional CPU/GPU power). Wait till the end of the year/early next year to see if Apple has a retina Air. Otherwise, only get the Pro if you know you need the extra horsepower.

How powerful/fast is the MacBook Air 13inch pls?

Hello everyone, I have had a 17inch MacBook Pro for about 6 years, its a great machine but it's too big and bulky to be very portable. I go away a lot for long weekend or train journyes to see friends and wanted a lightweight portable 'sketch book' to start idea in logic/ableton/photoshop etc while I was travelling and would then bring them back to finish/carry on on an iMac which I will get next year after saving for a bit.
So I bought a 13 inch MacbookPro, which is a great little machine but after only a week I am wondering if it's still a bit too heavy/thick for my needs. I am away now and it took up quite a lot in my ruckack and then I had to walk a couple a miles to the hostel and it go pretty heavy with all my other stuff. So I am wondering if I might return it and get an Air, but worry that it may not be the greatest at running these programs. Does anyone use it for such things or had any experience please? As I say I wont be tracking a whole orhcestra or choir just bacically for getting up ideas running/watching films/net etc
Thanks very much for all help.
PS My old MacBook Pro was 2.6 core 2 duo 4GB ram and seemed to run everything fine. Is the new i5 much better?

Hi Ian.id,
A couple of tips to maximize your shopping research.
1.) Apple Support Communities is an awesome resource for getting quick tech tips and help from a community of individuals who either work in the business, are enthusiasts or generally like to share their knowledge and experiences with others. While we all like to provide correct and accurate information that doesn't always happen (we're all human, after all) but the good news is that often times there's enough relevant data in these forums to where you can get pointed in the right direction or find your answer in another topic discussion.
2.) I'd rank these hardware communities as "ok" (at best) to get a thorough response to specific use cases. For example, with a Logic question you'd be better to ask this in the forums designed for Logic discussions. That forum is here -
https://discussions.apple.com/community/professional_applications
While I realize your question(s) are about the MacBook Air, ultimately the majority of topics in the machine-specific forums are about hardware/software troubleshooting. That's not to say you can't ask here and there (a lot of people will triple or even quad post) to increase visibility. It's no secret that each sub-community has their regulars.
3.) As Ableton is not an Apple product you're not going to get the visibility you're probably after here. What are the odds that someone who uses Ableton on a MacBook Air will see your thread and then actually response in a helpful manner? I'd say it's low. I'd recommend going through Ableton's support community channel which appears to be here -
https://www.ableton.com/answers
4.) Lastly, do you have any music software forums or community sites you frequent? I find those profession-specific forums are usually MUCH better for hardware discussion versus profession-specific discussions in a hardware forum.
Good Luck!

A few questions about the Macbook Air

Well I currently have a 2011 MacBook Pro which I love but it has definetely turned into my Desktop computer. I dont really ever even take it around my house but it is a major powerhouse.
Well even though the holdidays are 6 months away around that time I am either going to be in the market for either another iPad because I currently have the iPad 1 and will seel it or maybe a Macbook Air.
I mainly use my iPad for browsing the internet, going on forums, and checking email. The iPad gets really annoying if you are trying to type and mine is very slow.
Do you think that the Macbook Air would be over kill or would it fit perfectly. The only thing I cant justify about the Macbook Air is the price. I was thinking about going refurb but I dont know if that would be the smart thing to do.
Could anyone help me out with this issue.
Thanks

I think that this is such a personal preference issue, that any answers would simply be a "what would you do?" poll.
That you already have a MBP and an iPad, you already know the advantages and disavantages of both. The Air is going to be somthing that is, in a way, having some of the features of both. The Air, insasmuch as it is portable, somewhat like the iPad, but with OS X and a keyboard. You also don't like the cost of the Air.
I don't know that here is a reasonable answer, just for the reason that we don't know how much you get out of the iPad. Personally, I ditched my iPad after I got the 11" Air. I then more, or less gravitated to the 13" Air, and then ditched my MBP. For me, the 13" Air has then replaced them both.

Does the Macbook Air run full, standalone versions of software or does it require special, streamlined apps?

I'm looking to buy a Macbook. Will the Macbook Air load and run full, unabridged versions of Mac-compatible software, such as what I already own, or does it require only special "apps" versions such as the iPad and iPhone do? I realize that the Macbook Air blurb states you can wirelessly use another Mac's drive to load software onto a MBA or buy an add-on drive to connect it up and load software but my question is the performance capability of the MBA to actually run full versions of ALL OS X Mac-compatible software.

The MacBook Air runs the identical operating system as any other Mac, and is subject to no arbitrary limitations imposed on the latest software, or by the latest software.
The only remaining factor is hardware. All Mac software has it's own individual requirements for the system, that being the speed of the processor, the amount of memory, the type of graphics processor required, etc. Some select software, say intense game apps, will not run very well or at all on the MBA, and it simply the lack of a system's component compatibility of performance. But this is a factor present in all computers, nothing special about the MacBook Air.
So, as long as the hardware is sufficient for the system requirements of the software, you can install and use any full version app designed for OS X Lion.

Does the MacBook Air have a slot for a lock?

My current MacBook has a slot in which I can insert a lock to protect the computer in a public location (a library, for example).
Does the MacBook Air have the same slot?
Thanks.

Unfortunately the MBA is too thin for the Kensington lock. I've seen a couple solutions but they aren't inexpensive. I've seen this one and some of these. I recommend Prey for after the fact.

My imessages app on the macbook air is not working

I have the Macbook Air and the Ipad. I received the Ipad first, therefore have a apple account and everything set up including the imessage app on ipad. However when i got the Macbook Air and used the same email i did for the ipad, it sync and could send messages to people from either product. but later the app on mac didnt send messages anymore neither synced with the ipad or by itself. The imessage ap on the mac is very slow for my mac but i can use the internet super fast. Also the imessage app is not sync with the ipad anymore. I didnt turn on icloud but when both imessage apps on the ipad and mac i wasnt using icloud. So here's my questions:
Is the Imessage app usually slow on Macbook Air?
How do you sync the imessage app for ipad and mac?

I tried ti shut down and The...: Apple Support Communities

Using an external display with the macbook air

hi, i wanna know if i can use an external display with the macbook air as the tunderbolt is a bit pricey? i was thinking about buyin a LCD moniter wih a VGA port. many thanks

Yes. You can use VGA DVI or HDMI monitors by buying a Minidisplay port to xxx adapter and the the appropriate cable (vga, dvi or hdmi).
The MiniDisplayport adapter plugs into the Thunderbolt port.
Regards,
Captfred
Here's a sample HDMI adapter. All these available in the Apple online store.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/H1824ZM/A/Moshi_Mini_DisplayPort_to_HDMI_Adapt er?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng

I dont know wether to pick a macbook air or a mac because i want to use it for gaming purposes?

I want to have a fast computer i can use for school to type papers but i also want it to be fast forgaming as well. Im stuck bewteen the macbook air and the mac desktop computer. Somone please Help.

Hi, it is dependant on what games it is you would be looking at playing, as to which would suit for those purposes.
The Latest MacBook Air (If you're looking at the basic model) has an Intel Core i7 Dual Core processor (1.7Ghz), whereas the latest basic iMac, has an Intel Dual Core i5 (2.7Ghz), so when you look at the processor speed and compare them, in theory the iMac would be "faster", when talking about processor speed.
The MacBook Air ships with an SSD, no matter what spec you order, which would increase speed, however they are quite small for the basic model.
The MacBook Air, ships with Intel HD 5000 Graphics, and the iMac ships with the nVidia GeForce GT640M 512MB GDDR Memory, and the iMac has many more "Configure to Order" options available, that would allow you to increase the performance of the computer should you want to.
I can't find the amount of VRAM on the MacBook Air Graphics Card, but based on processor performance, and expandability (RAM Upgrades / HDD Upgrades / Graphics Card Upgrades) I would for gaming recommend the iMac, however there is a large price difference between the two.
Obviously go and do a bit of comparing on the Apple Website, and read a couple of reviews before deciding, as they all cost quite a lot of money, and you want to make sure you get what you want for your money, so you're probably better reading reviews, as I own neither myself.
Thanks,
Ollie.

Which is a better performer, the macbook air or the mac mini?

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