Are 4GB RAM & i5 enough?

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Jaaydee95 Author

Level 1

1 points

Are 4GB RAM & i5 enough?

I am planning to buy the Macbook Air 13".

I have a bad experience with my old laptop very slow. (it's Windows by the way)

So im gonna switch to Mac, but im not sure whether the 4GB RAM combined with the i5 processor is enough

I have been looking at some HP laptops as well, even though most of them have more RAM, most of them have HDD.

I'm a college student so i'm mostly gonna use it to write essays etc. beside that it's basic browsing, making music in Garageband

So it all comes down to the question if the RAM and the i5 are enough...

and in your experience does the battery drain fast? it says 12 hours on apple's website but with time the battery drains faster, does this happen very fast or does the battery still last long after let's say a year

P.s. If someone could give me 3 reasons to fully go apple would be great 😝

Posted on Nov 17, 2014 2:27 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Nov 17, 2014 2:36 PM in response to Jaaydee95

4 GBs of RAM may prove sufficient today, but will it be 2, 3, 4 years from now. I would opt for 8 GBs. You cannot upgrade RAM in the new laptops so you are stuck with what you get. Get more than you need so you won't be stuck when you do need it. The i5 processor is quite adequate. It's not possible to say anything about battery life because it is entirely dependent upon how you use the computer and the battery.

About Batteries in Modern Apple Laptops

Battery University

Apple - Batteries - Notebooks

Apple - Batteries

Extending the Life of Your Laptop Battery

MacBook and MacBook Pro- Mac reduces processor speed when battery is removed while operating from an A-C adaptor

Apple Portables- Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance

Mac notebooks- Determining battery cycle count

There is only one reason to buy any computer - does it have the hardware needed to run the software needed? It's just a tool; like a hammer.

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Answer 2

petermac87

Level 5

7,447 points

Nov 17, 2014 2:36 PM in response to Jaaydee95

Hi, I am not into narrowing down to 3 reasons, but I can tell you that most students I know are happy with their MacBook Airs. 4GB would be the minimum amount that I would use with the newer OSXs. *GB is preferable if you are going to be doing a lot of Graphic Work or Video Editing etc. which doesn't sound like the case. I just put a new Hard Drive in an older MacBook Pro for a student and with 4GB he is running Mavericks extremely fast doing as you intend doing and a bit more. The i5 with 4GB should be plenty for your needs, though if you believe your circumstances will change in the future and you will apply a heavier load to the Processor or Memory, then I would recommend 8GB to start with. Windows machines are fine to. The new 8.1 seems popular and the price is usually cheaper and the majority of the computer market use them. .For myself, I prefer the less clunky interface and the all round ease of use of the Apple Machines and OSXs. But you are asking in an Apple Forum. 😉

Hope that helps a bit.

Pete

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Answer 3

Jaaydee95 Author

Level 1

1 points

Nov 17, 2014 2:49 PM in response to petermac87

okay! I dont like the idea of a 2-in-1 and it seems to be the only thing that most brands manufacture these days.. but i am glad to hear this. I have the Windows 8.1 but the OS is designed for tablet and like I said, I prefer the two separated. With Mac everything syncs together and that is what i admire about it... why I wanted to make the switch in the first place.

Thanks for your answer Pete!

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Answer 4

petermac87

Level 5

7,447 points

Nov 17, 2014 2:56 PM in response to Jaaydee95

You are welcome. 🙂

Pete

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