Can you run Photoshop on a MacBook Air

Question

Level 1

9 points

Can you run Photoshop on a MacBook Air

Will a Macbook Air run Adobe Creative Cloud Apps as quickly as an iMac?

I am looking to trade in an iMac for a MacBook Air, for portablity reasons, want to be able to work on the go.

I need to know if a MacBook Air can operate as smoothly as an iMac when working with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Muse, and After Effects. I don't plan to have all open at the same time, but I definitely need to be able to have Photoshop, Illustrator open at the same time on the MacBook Air.

I know the iMac has almost no issues with speed.

I just want to know if I am in for a huge let down if I decide to trade in speed for portability of the MacBook Air.

Am I being unrealistic to want speed and portability?

Thank you for sharing your opinions and expertise!

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Nov 7, 2018 9:39 AM

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Answer 1

babowa

Level 9

78,556 points

Nov 7, 2018 10:09 AM in response to kindledesign

I'd suggest you a) check out the technical specifications on both Machines and then also b) check out benchmark testing on both.

As a general observation, a fast i7 processor is best with that kind of app as well as lots of RAM (the new OS versions all require far more RAM and so does Adobe), so 16 GB would be a minimum.

And, a laptop is designed for portability, not necessarily processing power (unless it's a top model Macbook Pro).

Pick a model you're considering and check out the specs, then do the same with iMacs:

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook-air/index-macbook-air.html

Mac Benchmarks - Geekbench Browser

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Answer 2

dwb

Level 7

33,214 points

Nov 7, 2018 11:29 AM in response to kindledesign

If you mean will the new MBA run Adobe CS as fast as the currently shipping iMacs the answer is no but whether the speed difference will be significant for your use is something we can't answer without further information. What I mean is this: For years I used Photoshop and InDesign on my MBA and iMac - my iMac was considerably faster and newer than my MBA but I never wished for or gave thought to getting a faster notebook because nearly all my work involved hand editing so the computer spent more time waiting for me than I spent waiting for it.

However, one of my colleagues is an artist who often runs multiple filters or scripts on batches of photos and she continually complains at how slow her work computer is compared to her home computer. For what she does the difference in speed is noticeable because a slower computer means waiting for tasks to complete.

More than likely Apple will have Photoshop installed on the new MBAs so you probably need to visit a store.

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Answer 3

kindledesign Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 7, 2018 1:06 PM in response to babowa

Thank you, this is very helpful!

I know that more RAM is better but that is about it...the name of the processors has never really sunk in with me which ones are better or faster doesn't feel as intuitive for some reason...between all the devices...like how am I supposed to know before I buy, feels like taking a leap of faith and once you've bought it you can't return it if it isn't what you were expecting, or can I...

Thanks again eh!

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Answer 4

kindledesign Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 7, 2018 1:13 PM in response to dwb

Thank you so much, I was hoping someone who works with Adobe Creative Cloud programs would be able to let me know if they noticed any difference between their iMac and a MacBook Air! So you've helped me a lot with your opinion!

I do feel like the safest bet would be to go with a MacBook Pro because it's the best of both worlds speed and portability...just wondering if I might be able to make it work and save some money with the MBA, I do a bit of freelance and my own illustration but not sure I need a powerhouse, you know what I mean? I almost wish I could plug a laptop into a device that boosts the speed and makes the machine more efficient just when I need it to be more efficient and maybe pay by the hour for that exta boost and then when I'm done, I can disconnect and just use it for blogging and browsing and music, know what I mean and the machine won't have to be a huge heavy thing?

Thanks again eh!

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Answer 5

dwb

Level 7

33,214 points

Nov 7, 2018 1:35 PM in response to kindledesign

The good news is that the MBP isn’t all that much heavier and I do like my MBP. The big advantage of the MBA over the MBP is battery life. I always could get my expected all day use without recharging the Air. The MBP sometimes surprises me with its low battery warning.

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