Newbie to MacWorld - need help

[New2APPL]

Newbie to MacWorld - need help deciding b/w MB

Hi All -

Forums are such a great thing when one wades into unknown waters...thanks in advance for any insight

Here is my situation:

Forever PC user; travel frequently; my own company. Desktop at office and laptop for road and home.

Just got an iMac at the office to handle totally separate tasks dealing with video creation and editing we are undertaking. It is not my desktop, but it is the first Mac in the office (got a great closeout on last year's model at MacMall!) Nice loking machine BTW

My Sony laptop is almost 3 years old and is finally slowing down and running hot. Typically I have gotten 2 years out of laptops, but this one's lasted pretty long and I've been happy with it. Went as far as trying to wipe the drive and do clean install but it is still slow - maybe the inside needs cleaned. Anyway, I'm in the market for a new laptop.

Perhaps to make my life more difficult (at least in the short term), I am thinking of trying a MacBook with an eye toward eventually moving my entire office to Mac products.

I know I can sync a MacBook with the Dell desktop using Windows Live Mesh (BTW, anyone do this?) - this is how I currently sync my Dell desktop and Sony laptop. My big question - and thanks for your patience in getting to it - is whether I should go with a MacBook Air or Pro. I know there is tons of threads, but it boils down to one question/area of concern, as I've worked all the othesr out in my head...

I would prefer to get the MBA with 256GB SSD. But, I will definitely need to run Parallels for using Access occasionally (will get Office for Mac for other Office programs). This use will be occasional, but I really want to avoid having to Boot Camp if necessary.

I know that I trade processor speed and overall RAM if going with the Air. Considering I will be running parallels 7 with Windows 7 and there is no upgradability of the RAM in the MBA, would MBP work better for my situation? If I were to get a MB Pro, I would likely get the 8MB RAM. Ultimately, I'm worried that Parallels running all the time will slow the machine and cause it to run hot, reducing it's life. For the cost, I plan on getting at least 3 years service out fo the new MB.

Comments?

 

[osxx]

My bias goes towards a MacBook Pro.

 

[wolfpuppies3]

MacBook Pro

was my choice. I have a 15", 8 gig memory, 500 gig HDD. Threw my HP laptop as far as it could be thrown. Ditto my previous Toshiba laptop. Loaded Windows 7 with Bootcamp and MS Office. Never used Office, use Pages and Numbers and Keynote instead and save to whichever format I wish. Unloaded MS Office and installed Parallels/Windows 7 just to deal with a couple of small old legacy MS Windows programs.

Now have a MB Air, 11" 4 gig, 256 SSD which I use as a netbook in addition to the MBP 15". Love them both but, if could only have one, it would be the MBP.

The PC Tower at home is used solely by my wife who can't tolerate the thought of a Mac for unknown reasons. I use the MBP with a 27" Apple monitor as my desktop at home and work (a windows environment).

 

[aestheticxxlove]

Hi All -

Forums are such a great thing when one wades into unknown waters...thanks in advance for any insight

Here is my situation:

Forever PC user; travel frequently; my own company. Desktop at office and laptop for road and home.

Just got an iMac at the office to handle totally separate tasks dealing with video creation and editing we are undertaking. It is not my desktop, but it is the first Mac in the office (got a great closeout on last year's model at MacMall!) Nice loking machine BTW

My Sony laptop is almost 3 years old and is finally slowing down and running hot. Typically I have gotten 2 years out of laptops, but this one's lasted pretty long and I've been happy with it. Went as far as trying to wipe the drive and do clean install but it is still slow - maybe the inside needs cleaned. Anyway, I'm in the market for a new laptop.

Perhaps to make my life more difficult (at least in the short term), I am thinking of trying a MacBook with an eye toward eventually moving my entire office to Mac products.

I know I can sync a MacBook with the Dell desktop using Windows Live Mesh (BTW, anyone do this?) - this is how I currently sync my Dell desktop and Sony laptop. My big question - and thanks for your patience in getting to it - is whether I should go with a MacBook Air or Pro. I know there is tons of threads, but it boils down to one question/area of concern, as I've worked all the othesr out in my head...

I would prefer to get the MBA with 256GB SSD. But, I will definitely need to run Parallels for using Access occasionally (will get Office for Mac for other Office programs). This use will be occasional, but I really want to avoid having to Boot Camp if necessary.

I know that I trade processor speed and overall RAM if going with the Air. Considering I will be running parallels 7 with Windows 7 and there is no upgradability of the RAM in the MBA, would MBP work better for my situation? If I were to get a MB Pro, I would likely get the 8MB RAM. Ultimately, I'm worried that Parallels running all the time will slow the machine and cause it to run hot, reducing it's life. For the cost, I plan on getting at least 3 years service out fo the new MB.

Comments?

Go with a MBP you won't regret it!

 

[New2APPL]

thanks everyone for your advice.

I made my decision and got ..... the MBA. Why? Here are the reasons and how I came to my conclusion:

1. I viewed both side by side in person - advantage MBA due to size and for whatever reason I didn;t care for the abrupt staright edge on the front edge of the MBP. The MBP is the same size as my current Sony, but the Sony's front slpoping egde makes it's easier when hands are resting on it and typing.
   
2. I reviewed various test and saw that despite the lower processor speed, the MBA was running comparable to the MBP - I assume because of the SSD
   
3. I came home and inventories all the programs that I can;t get a Mac program for - the ones I would absolutely need to run under Windows. And then I contemplated how many times I use each program. I contrasted this with this possibility of having to boot camp when necessary as I did not think running a virtual machines was going to be prudent with only 4GB RAM in the MBA.
   
4. Ultimately, I found that I would have to boot camp not very often - and. considering the speed at which the MBA turns on and off (as I tested multiple times at the store!!), I decided I can live with boot camping as necessary.
   

I'm very excited to give this whole Mac thing a try and my MBA should be here next week! Now, time to study Mac 101 and hang out some in the switchers forum!