Ask YC: MacBook Black vs. MacBook Air

looks like you've made up your heart and now you're trying to make up your mind and/or wallet.<p>It may seem silly, but for me the main reason to choose a computer is what I call "the regret factor" (i.e: how much you'll miss the one you didn't choose)<p>No amount of processing power or future expandability can compensate just a single "I wish I had bought the other computer"<p>Just my .02

I am sorely tempted to tell you to wait just because WWDC is around the corner. Not much chance that the MacBooks will be updated, but you never know..but given your timeframes it seems you don't have a choice.<p>My two cents: black MacBook and get extra ram and battery for the same price as an air. The air is a nice machine, but if it's going to be your only computer on the trip, you might want to reconsider (taking into account your budget, length of travel, et cetera).<p>On a sidenote, I've been sorely tempted to buy an air but I've been sidetracked by the vastly cheaper ultraportables (like the eee and hp mininote 2133) that fit in my purse. Something to go between my blackbook and my iPhone. The air doesn't quite fit that niche well and I would be pretty mad if someone stole it or I lost it, while losing an eee wouldn't be as tear-inducing. They don't run (unhacked) OS X, so I can't do some development work (iphone iphone iphone ;) ), but I could do other things on there...and they all do email and web and what have you.

If you intend to do heavy lifting in OSX and VMWare/Windows concurrently you either need "patience" or 4GB of RAM. If you only need one OS at a time 2GB should work. This advice is specific to my type of software work. Depending on your specifics the RAM issue may be the decision point or it may not be.<p>BTW, the RAM upgrade to 4GB right now is ~ $100 (see crucial.com).

The MacBook Air is slow. Go for Black.

MacBook Air, no question. It's fast enough.<p>I came to this conclusion unexpectedly, having lived with a couple of generations of MBP 17", and, tiring of slow laptop drives, got a latest-generation 24" iMac a few weeks ago. (Which is a great balance of disk/CPU speed, size and cost vs the high-end Mac Pros. I had a 30" cinema display on the MBP and found it too large, oddly enough, while the 24" size seems just exactly right, especially when paired with another 23" cinema display for serious real estate.)<p>Then, having passed on my latest 17" to my daughter for some serious InDesign production work (2000+-page concordance), I realized I'd need a portable machine, so got the Air as an after-thought, assuming I'd only use it on the road.<p>Without my realizing it, I had shifted most of my daily work to the Air (email, web browsing, Campfire, iChat, NetNewsWire, Terminal (emacs), etc.), leaving the iMac for only actual development work. (Mostly iPhone development these days.)<p>The Air seems just as snappy as my recent-generation MBPs, and it's a dream to pick up and carry around--more like a paper notebook than a computer. The screen is about the best you'll ever find (LED backlighting), and the CPU core shutdown problem seems to be defeated fairly easily by simply selecting Optimization: Normal in the Energy Saver system preference panel. (I don't think this particular fix is well-known. It certainly solved the YouTube-video-causes-one-core-thermal-shutdown problem for me.)<p>So go with your heart and you won't be sorry. ;-)

I have a white MacBook that's about a year old, and it's already taken quite a beating. I've been in school, and admittedly I have been pretty rough on it. But there are scratches in the white lacquer, and more disturbingly, there are some cracks in the case, near the trackpad.<p>Since the black MacBook doesn't have the same glossy finish, you won't have the same type of exterior scratches. But I doubt build quality is actually much different between the two. I'd be wary of buying another MacBook.<p>The MacBook Air is only about $300 more, but all reports indicate that the build quality is phenomenal. (Same with the MacBook Pro.) If you're going to be using the laptop on the road, and you want to keep it a few years, then I'd spend the extra money for the Air.<p>Plus, you're clearly more excited about the MacBook Air... so go for it! :)

I think you have to be realistic about HOW LONG you will be carrying a laptop on your shoulder before you take a break. 10 minutes? Half an hour? 3 hours? Realistically? A 'standard' notebook is no problem to carry in a shoulder strap bag for up to an hour at a time I'd say. Any more (like my recent siteseeing trip around London and you'll wish you had an Air. I certainly did! Most people go for only a relatively short distance before sitting.

MacBook Air is a truly excellent computer. It's powerful enough for all but the most intense compiling. I don't know anyone who has one and doesn't love it.

Dunno if the latest versions of the black MacBook still have this problem, but I had one of the first (Core Duo), and that thing picked up grease like nobody's business.<p>If they still have that problem (which I think they do), you're better off going with a white MacBook. But personally, if you're not going the Air route, I'd opt for a 15" MacBook Pro: it's only 0.4 lbs heavier, with more screen real estate.

I faced the same choice last month and went for the Macbook black. Mainly because of the better specs for a lower price.

I recently bought a MacBook and I'm very disappointed with the screen as it's vertical viewing angle is very narrow. Looking at the screen other than at exactly the right angle results in the screen appearing very washed out.<p>Compare it against the MacBook Air and your descision will be made easier.

I'd be reluctant to be an Air just yet as it's still so new.<p>If you ever use ethernet, remember, there's no port. It may be compact and light but as you mention, it doesn't have as good a spec and costs more. You're paying for style and size, and unless you travel <i>a lot</i>, is it worth it?

My rule of thumb when purchasing a computer: think about what will be most (relatively) useful 18 months from now. I always consider purchasing a new computer every 24-30 months. The 6-12 months is my "coping" period between the old computer and new computer depending upon my needs.

A friend of mine bought a MacBook Air. It is nice if you don't have to high expectations performancewise. Another problem is, that the Air gets very warm. All the other limitations you can work around.<p>I would get the MacBook Black because it is more bang for the buck.

I took a macbook black around Eastern Europe last year, and it was invaluable, however - it was quite a weight to lug around.<p>I assume the Air is a lot lighter?<p>If it saved me a kilo I'd seriously consider it. Battery life is important too.

Being unsure of the specs I bought an Air at a local big box store so I could bring it back later if I was unhappy. I did. -no power-

I have a MacBook black, and I'd go with the MacBook Pro - the more screen the better.

I'd go with a Macbook black.

black