If you wanted mobility around the house while avoiding WAN latency and reliability issues, you could buy a server and keep it in your house, rather than renting it and accessing remotely. Then get the Air and use that to RDP, SSH, etc. to the server.
Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
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Re: Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
#12I found this article really helpful when I realized all my work really revolved around my servers. I've got an iPad with a really nice Logitech Bluetooth keyboard and I love the fact that I can charge it overnight and use it all day (just like my cell phone). Of course, there are more limitations with my rig than you'd experience with a MacBook Air. http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/swap-your-laptop-ipad-li...
This is what I've been doing when traveling and the Logitech Ultrathin is relatively nice to type on.
Normally when I travel I need internet access anyways to do all my tasks (fix and/or deploy something), so a local environment isn't very important to me. I guess if I was some coffee house coder doing dev work I'd go for laptop
Re: Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
#13I found this article really helpful when I realized all my work really revolved around my servers. I've got an iPad with a really nice Logitech Bluetooth keyboard and I love the fact that I can charge it overnight and use it all day (just like my cell phone). Of course, there are more limitations with my rig than you'd experience with a MacBook Air. http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/swap-your-laptop-ipad-li...
Thanks, I remember that article too. For Windows development it wouldn't work well but I do envy that battery life!
Re: Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
#14Re portability with the Retina MacBookPro: I've had mine (15") for about 3 months now, and I have to say it's absolutely great. The Air is very thin, and weighs in at 1.35Kg, but has a weak CPU and Intel graphics. The rMBP is not that extremely thin, but it's amazingly thin as well, a lot thinner that the old MBPs and other laptops. It weighs only 2Kg which still makes it very light to carry around. I'd say that for…
Thanks prody, thats really helpful. I've also got an awful habit of consuming media content on my laptop whilst lying back in bed and on the sofa etc. Do you ever do this and find the 15" cumbersome or heavy in these situations?
Re: Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
#15I have asked myself the same question as I would like to upgrade my machine. I currently run a MBA 2011 with 4GB of RAM. It is by far my best computer purchase. When I'm at a desk, it's plugged into an external monitor. Until Mountain Lion, I never had a problem with RAM, but I've adjusted how I do things on my laptop to fix the issue. I wrote up a PrOACT and found that it came down to 1 point for me.
- Do I require the dedicated video card and is that video card worth $1000+ increased bill
So if you're only looking to do development, go for the MBA since it's better cost for use. The Retina doesn't matter if you're always plugged in like I am.
Your only question you should ask yourself is, do you either want to use multiple monitors which the MBA can not do or do you want to be able to play games that require the video card?
Latency to me is not a problem. I live in asia and there is internet everywhere. Would it really make that much of a difference for you?
Re: Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
#16Assuming you will use the laptop for two years before selling it for 50% of the original price, the server will cost extra 1200 eur (24x50) during that period, making the Air + server option more expensive. Also, it's much more comfortable to have everything running on localhost. No network lag issues, no dependency on fast internet connection, less hassle, etc. Not to mention very nice 2880*1800 display.
Thanks, I already have the server capacity available and paid for so I wouldn't incur any additional cost. You may be right about that resolution though, I've never seen it. Thanks for the advice.
Re: Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
#17At work we all use the higher spec 13" air's - keeping our dev environment inside linux vm's that run locally.. I run a few windows vm's for front end testing but we do have a beautiful windows machine sat in the corner too - as long as I don't try and run everything at once its fine, with the benefit of having the lightweight machine to take around the place..
Do you always stay connected to the internet when you need to work / how much would it affect your productivity if you weren't able to access a remote server? I imagine the latency would get annoying, even if it were minor.
Re: Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
#18You'd have much higher latency working on the remote VMs than on local VMs. You'd also be dependent on Internet connectivity and you'd have to rely on Hetzner's machines being available whenever you need to do your work. Shit does happen.
Pinging my existing Hetzner servers is around 45ms which is acceptable latency for me. Reliability from Hetzner hasn't been great for our servers but for what I need it for it is reliable enough.
Reliability problems with Hetzner? I was under the impression they're a very good host.
Re: Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
#19I have asked myself the same question as I would like to upgrade my machine. I currently run a MBA 2011 with 4GB of RAM. It is by far my best computer purchase. When I'm at a desk, it's plugged into an external monitor. Until Mountain Lion, I never had a problem with RAM, but I've adjusted how I do things on my laptop to fix the issue. I wrote up a PrOACT and found that it came down to 1 point for me. - Do I require…
Thanks, I don't do any gaming but I would like the ability for multiple monitors. This article suggest that the latest 2012 models do support 2 external displays - http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/06/new-macbooks-can-manage...
Re: Ask HN: Macbook Air + Remote Server = Macbook Pro?
#20No apple store to check out the macbooks? I just ordered the rMBP, 2.6 16 256(best value I think) for $2499. The SSD is way to expensive to justify for me, my data can be on an external hd or server. They are light and slim enough for me. Movies and photos are amazing and its fast enough to load up Starcraft2 or other games when I want.