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2012 13" MacBook Air Thoughts and Opinions

post #1 of 7
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Has anybody used one? How is it? I am thinking of picking one up with my student discount but before I do I want to get the opinion of someone who's used one regularly for editing documents on the go, surfing the web, and light gaming (for example, Dwarf Fortress, ADOM II, DCSS, etc).
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post #2 of 7
Well I had a 13" 2011 MBA, and I have a MBP which has the Intel HD 4000.

I think the MBA is a great laptop, and the Intel HD 4000 would easily handle light gaming.

As for document editing, the MBA is good laptop so long as you're fine with the 13" screen.
I used one (CPU wise, the 2011 and 2012 models are very close) all last year for taking notes and writing papers, and it was excellent. The battery life is also very good on the 13" (I think the new one is even better than the MBA I had).
Edited by born2bwild - 8/15/12 at 9:53pm
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post #3 of 7
I have a 2011 13" MB Pro and I love it.

Take it with me when I travel, use it on the Go alot. I do a lot of quotes and spreadsheets on it, Word files, general web browsing, Netflix, etc. Have a Windows 7 VM with VirtualBox and use it when needed. Solid computer. I tossed in a Crucial M4 SSD and that sped things up and helped a bit with battery life. I can easily get 7-8 hours when just browsing the web.

The 13" Air is very nice too. I think you would like it. OSX is very easy to get used to.
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post #4 of 7
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the posts guys. I am used to small screens with laptops (my current laptop is 12.5") so 13" is not too shabby. A bit on the pricey side (though Ultrabooks are pretty pricey as well) but I have grown to like OS X. Using it currently on my rig and it's quite enjoyable. thumb.gif
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post #5 of 7
MBA is a great ultraportable, just know that it is a fragile creature by nature. In comparison to the more robust MBP, I constantly felt that I was to always watch my step in fear of ever dropping it or nicking a wall.... Because it will dent the unibody(I NEVER drop my electronics). Even with the unibody frame, case and sleeve, I was always forced to be aware to my surroundings because the MBA is so fragile/less tangible IMO.

Don't let this scare you away from a purchase, just be aware of a practical point that won't be in any review.
 
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post #6 of 7
MBAs are great ultra portables, probably the best ultrabook out now.

The HD4000 will easily handle light gaming and you will get great battery life (7-8hours).
     
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post #7 of 7
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the posts guys! smile.gif Can't wait!
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