New macbook air for computer audio

well, I just reworked the pricing and the top of the line Air w/external disc drive is $1779- 4gRAM 256GB Storage, 1.86Ghz processor.... 15"Macbook pro w/ 4g RAM 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and 2.53Ghz i5 processor is $2149....... closer than I thought.

I guess I just question whether I need the features of the Pro to do what I am going to do with it. I.E. I will never make videos, make my own music or anything else that really uses all of the CPU.

I would like the internal cd drive and firewire. But I like the size of the Air. Apple products are annoying in that it seems there is always a compromise. Such is life.

The Air will work with most iLife apps, including iMovie and GarageBand, just fine. Even though it has a "slower" processor, the way it's designed with solid state storage and an integrated GPU allows it to perform just fine with what most of us use a Mac for. The only reason to have concern would be if you are using "pro" apps such as Final Cut and Logic.

I'm dealing with the same issue, and helping some clients decide which is best for them, so this is something that is fresh in my thought process. It really comes down to whether or not your willing to pay for the sleekness of the Air. The solid state storage also has some benefits, both with performance and sound quality. I'm a big believer that SSDs allow a Mac to sound better for music playback, and most people who have used (listened) to an SSD Mac find it difficult to go back to a standard hard drive. Adding a SSD to a MacBook Pro is not cheap, so in that regard, the Air isn't as expensive. Decisions, decisions, decisions....

Hessec,

I'd consider getting an Apple certified refurb Macbook Pro. They are cheaper and have the same warranty - 1 year. You have to buy the Applecare protection plan to get coverage for years 2 and 3 and this applies to new and refurb alike. I am a longtime Macbook Pro user and am considering the 13" MBA or a 15" 2.8 i7. I find my 17" notebook too bulky to lug around.

I also agree with Isochronism, a Mac Pro is outstanding if you only need a home based unit. I use an 8-core for my home office (used in research). You could put it on your network and have terabytes of data and also run Mac and Windows concurrently.

The other option is a Mac Mini, dedicated to the AV system. This is my third option - it has hdmi and can thus stream video directly.

I second the refurb option, I always buy all my apple products refurbed. There is absolutely no difference between a refurbed unit an a new one other than the box they come in. Now is actually a great time to get the previous generation, they have two models refurbished for 849 and 1099 which is almost half of what they were when they were fist introduced.