Can't decide between a laptop and an ultrabook

[chaoshon]

Hi. So the budget is around $1300, and I can't seem to decide between the Macbook Air and the Asus N76.

The Asus has an i7, a 120GB SDD, a 500GB HDD and 8GB of RAM. The MBA has an i5, 120GB SDD and 8GB of RAM. If I were to buy the Mac I'd connect an external HDD and work with it. About the processor - I believe i5 is enough for general use with a Mac, since the OS is very light and not as demanding as Windows. Right?

I'm generally a windows user but I have been to the Apple store and worked with the Mac OS for about an hour. I started to get it and it wasn't very difficult to use, in fact I started to like it. I also like the excellent track pad and its functions (scroll up/down/sideways/pinch to zoom etc').

I can't decide which is better for me - battery life and portability or a big laptop with a big screen and good speakers, and the fact that I wouldn't need an external HDD... So it all comes down to the processor, and the future usability. Am I correct when I assume that for general use, an i5 with a Mac is generally equal to an i7 with windows? And which of those two systems will be more relevant to the future?

Thanks.

 

[DarkOutlaw]

If you wanna get the Mac you can just give me your money and you will be happier.

Apple is about to hit rock bottom (althought I thought they were already there....) and there is nothing that a mac book can do that a PC cannot. The laptop i5 is really only a dual core machine, the i7 is the only true quad core laptop CPU intel makes.

 

[joecole1572]

Apple is not about to hit rock bottom. They are a fine company that makes high quality products for people willing to spend the extra money.

For general purpose, the Mac book Air might not be a bad idea. If you are not gaming or using heavily threaded applications, the two laptops may run almost identical to each other. The MBA probably has better battery life and will be a little more portable.

That being said, the thinner the laptop, the easier it is to break, so you should really consider the durability of each machine if you want them to last.

 

[Sakkura]

Am I correct when I assume that for general use, an i5 with a Mac is generally equal to an i7 with windows?

No, an i5 with Mac OS is generally equal to an i5 with Windows. Except the latter is cheaper.

I believe laptop i5's are dual-cores while i7's are quad cores, so there is a potentially significant difference there, especially as more programs begin to take advantage of more cores. For regular use (browsing the internet, using Office or the like, watching a movie) the difference will probably still be too small to notice. Unless you really love doing several things at the same time.

 

[DarkOutlaw]

Apple is not about to hit rock bottom. They are a fine company that makes high quality products for people willing to spend the extra money.

Is that why Apple customers cannot tell the difference in a Galaxy Tablet and an iPad?