Questions about the Mac? Get them answered here.

Only MacBook Pro models which were introduced in Mid 2012 with non-Retina display have DVD built-in drive. In addition, you can buy an Apple USB SuperDrive for your new Mac from the Apple Store. The Product Code is MD564ZM/A.

• Answered by Cu D from New York
• Oct 24, 2012
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I just purchased the 13" for the fiancé based on the fact that her work boss has the 15" and she said that thing is a beast. So, I talked to him and he said, "I wish I had bought the 13" this one is just a bit to large to travel". With the retina display you can pack more onto the screen because everything is so darn clear. Go 13-retina for sure.

• Answered by Timothy N from Monkton
• Nov 1, 2012
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The MacBook Pro does have a lot more storage space than the Air. However, that's because it uses a much slower spinning hard drive. The Air uses a more modern type of storage instead that is quieter, has no moving parts (making it harder to damage), and is much faster. But it is a lot smaller.

You can configure the MacBook Air to have quite a lot of data storage (up to 512 GB), but to be honest, you may be better off buying a default configuration. You may find that 128 or 256 GB is plenty.

If it turns out that the storage space is too small, you can always buy an external hard drive, which are available cheaply at most electronics stores. In fact, I suggest you buy one anyway and use it to set up a backup using Time Machine, especially if you're using your mac for assignments. Time Machine is very easy to use and it will protect your schoolwork from being lost if your computer were to break down.

The other notable difference difference is that the MacBook Pro has a CD/DVD drive while the Air does not. If you use your computer to play DVDs or music CDs this may be a problem. But when you buy an Air you can also buy an external "SuperDrive" that plugs into a USB port. It's not an ideal solution, but it works.

In summary: the choice basically comes down to the size and speed of your hard drive. The air is small and fast, while the pro is slow but large. But whichever one you choose, I suggest you buy a large external hard drive anyway.

• Answered by Arturo P from Katy
• Jun 13, 2013
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Depends on your Mac's processor.

If it is a PowerPC processor, you CAN NOT install Snow Leopard.

If it is an Intel processor, you CAN install Snow Leopard.

To determine the type of processor, go to "About this Mac" in the "Apple" menu. If the word "Intel" appears anywhere next to "Processor", you can install Snow Leopard. You need at least 1GB of memory, 2GB or more is better.

TIP: Consider installing Snow Leopard on a separate partition (especially since Snow Leopard may need to do some reformatting of the partition it is being installed to). With an OS installed on two partitions, you can then start up from either the Tiger partition or the Snow Leopard partition by pressing the Option Key during startup (or using the Start Up Disk preference in System Preferences). This lets you keep you OS 10.4.11 installation in case you want to jump back.

BTW: If installing to a new partition, Snow Leopard installer will search your Mac for other OS installations and ask you if you want to import OS settings, apps, and/or files from an older installation. Say yes to all for a smoother transition to Snow Leopard. All settings, compatible apps/drivers and files will be copied to the new partition.

• Answered by Ewald W from Vancouve
• Mar 26, 2013
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I just got my macbook air 13 inch... I was wondering about the pro as well, money wasn't a issue for me, but the matter of how convenient and its functionality for me. I'm so glad I got the air over the pro simply because it's so freaking light and the battery life is so awesome. Solid state drive is definitely a must... you would think it's not much and storage space is more important, but trust me..booting up OS in less than 30 seconds is absolutely fascinating... and going to sleep-wake takes less than 1 second. transferring files back and forth is effortless.. I upgraded mine to a 8 gb ram so i can run multiple programs without lag. I bought the air to do daily tasks like blogging, reading news, writing up stuff, surf the web, and casually play light flash based games. I even tried diablo 3 last night and it worked pretty well with medium settings... but i uninstalled it soon after because i have low storage. I intend to buy SDXC card online 64gb SDXC for 70$ or so, or another SSD to attach to my external casing on the go.

choice is yours... performance vs convenience...

IMHO, a college student = convenience.

I also did music editing a few days ago with my Air without problems ;)

• Answered by Youseok K from 해운대구
• Jul 5, 2012
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Hi Connor,

You say that:

"The only things that I will use my laptop for is writing papers, editing photos, downloading music/apps, and surfing the web (YouTube, Facebook, etc.). "

In which case you probably do not need a high performance laptop like the Macbook Pro.

The MacBook Pro does have a lot more storage space than the Air. However, that's because it uses a much slower spinning hard drive. The Air uses a more modern type of storage instead that is quieter, has no moving parts (making it harder to damage), and is much faster. But it is a lot smaller.

You can configure the MacBook Air to have quite a lot of data storage (up to 512 GB), but to be honest, you may be better off buying a default configuration. You may find that 128 or 256 GB is plenty.

If it turns out that the storage space is too small, you can always buy an external hard drive, which are available cheaply at most electronics stores. In fact, I suggest you buy one anyway and use it to set up a backup using Time Machine, especially if you're using your mac for assignments. Time Machine is very easy to use and it will protect your schoolwork from being lost if your computer were to break down.

The other notable difference difference is that the MacBook Pro has a CD/DVD drive while the Air does not. If you use your computer to play DVDs or music CDs this may be a problem. But when you buy an Air you can also buy an external "SuperDrive" that plugs into a USB port. It's not an ideal solution, but it works.

In summary: the choice basically comes down to the size and speed of your hard drive. The air is small and fast, while the pro is slow but large. But whichever one you choose, I suggest you buy a large external hard drive anyway.


I hope this helps!

- Liam

• Answered by Liam H
• Jun 14, 2012
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Hi Joe,

Let me start by pointing out that Airpot Express does not currently support 802.11ac. This model supports 802.11a/b/g/n protocols. That being said, and to answer your question, yes you'll need a new computer the take advantage of 802.11ac. Not all new computers support ac yet though. For example, at the time of writing, the only Apple computers to have this capability are the new Mid 2013 MacBook Air.

Hope this helps,

Jared

• Answered by Jared M from Drummoyne
• Jun 16, 2013
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Hi,

Currently, there is no Ms Office for iPad yet. But if you need to view, modify and share your Ms Office files, you can do it on iPad using app developed by Apple.

Use Pages for Ms Word files, use Keynote for Power Point files, use Numbers for Excel files. However, from my experience, you will face some minor alignment run and font changes.

Buy the app for USD9.99 for each app from App store right from your iPad.

• Answered by Hasliza S from Gombak
• Oct 29, 2012
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Hi

Flash storage is essentially a really big USB memory stick instead of using a standard Hard Drive which stores information on disks inside the drive. here are the Pros/cons to flash:-

Faster to access information from the drive
More realiable as they have a lower failure rate
Even more reliable as if the mac is dropped beyond repair you stand a very good chance of recovering your information without issue as their are no disks inside which are usually shattered/scratched resulting in a loss of information
help to make a unit lighter and more portable due to small size

Expensive
Small sizes

hope this helps

• Answered by Simon F from Darwen
• Oct 9, 2012
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I am a graduate student and a teaching assistant, I would guess she'd be happier with the portability of the MacBook. She won't be limited to doing her homework in her room, which can help productivity if she is disciplined. A lot of her homework will probably be doable in a multitasking setting like at the library, at a coffee shop, in the student lounge etc. Also, the laptop will enable her to work on group projects easier...and it won't give her an excuse not to come home every now and then ;).

I have an iMac which is fine for me since school is my 9-5 job, but I'm about to get a MacBook Air simply because I don't like being stuck at my desk when I need to get school work done.

One thing to mention; laptops and iPads for taking notes in class can be a distraction unless your daughter is VERY disciplined. The majority of students just end up playing games and checking facebook instead of listening to the instructor. As a teaching assistant I see this a lot.

• Answered by Tiffany L from Lubbock
• Jun 14, 2013
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