garageCube

I'm very curious to know how the new MacBook AIR handles Modul8, especially with the SSD option (Solid State Drive)

Heck, even without the pricy SSD, could a MacBook Air (with 2GB RAM) handle a reasonable load from Modul8?

The SSD might provide a substantial performance boost, running video clips almost as if they were pre-loaded to RAM.

Are there performance limitations due to the Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor (144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory)?

Does GarageCUBE want to send me a MacBook Air w/SSD for "extensive field testing"?

Really though, would the developers mind venturing a guess as to performance with this new machine? What could we really expect?

For your reference, here are benchmarks recently posted at MacRumors comparing the 1.6GHz HDD and 1.8GHz SSD models. Stats are there regarding Quartz Graphics, Open GL and various disk tests, but interpreting this stuff is not my forte. Anyone else?

I'm admittedly spoiled with a MBP 15" maxed with 4GB RAM and a 256 VRAM, but I'd switch in a heartbeat to it's lightweight cousin if I thought it could handle the load. I do use it for much more than just running Modul8 at shows, and I could care less about the screen size... as far as I'm concerned the lighter, the thinner, the better.


Blair

mmm... I don't think it's a good idea to run modul8 on this thing, there's no videocard, this means you cannot have a second screen but only mirrored screen wich is annoying with modul8. Also, you don't have much disk space and only 1 usb connector, so you are limited in the number of media you can have on our hard disk (if you don't use this computer only for modul8, I think you'll have aroung 20go left for your clips) and you cannot have a fw800 external disk plugged on it...
This macbook air is a computer for powerpoint presentations or for workshops in a school or to use as a typewriter

Actually, the MacBook AIR is fully capable of running a second screen in both "extended desktop" mode and "mirrored display" mode. The independent external display can run at a full 1920x1200 (millions of colors) but I'd still only be running 1280x720 at the most for video projection.

The 144MB of shared memory is a big jump over the 64MB shared in the original MacBook series. I know that those were definitely on the weak side, but I wonder how the newer graphics processor and increased shared memory work out?

Yes, the 64 GB SSD is not huge, but I think I could squeeze in what I needed. I VJ with a <10GB library and save space by fully optimizing the files for Modul8 per GarageCUBE's specs.

No FireWire 800 (or even 400) is definitely a bummer.

One USB connector I don't consider a limiting factor, because you can hub connect multiple devices. I wouldn't be using USB for a hard drive (not while running Modul8 at least). That would defeat the whole idea in the first place, which is to take advantage of the fast SSD for loading clips.

I understand the MBA's connectivity limitations and the smaller drive size. I'm hoping someone at GarageCUBE or a techie user might look at the GMA X3100 specs and let us know what would/wouldn't work well in Modul8.


Blair

For the record we have not and are not able to test on the Mac Book Air. We do not have one. So if you do go for it please report what you have experienced.

Personally for the price of a Macbook Air you get a top of the range Macbook Pro with 4GB Ram, Fast internal drive, all the ports you need and a proper graphics card and BTW the MBPs are not that big and heavy, they are portable computers !

The SSD is great but really a £130 external firewire 800 drive is pretty damn fast....

Macbook air big of a gimmick IMHO and to be avoided by power users.....

My own personal opinion on this is that macbook air is ahead of its time. I would wait for future iterations, and then the solid state drive price may plummett as well. I would like to see reintegration of firewire, for example. IMHO

studioc wrote:My own personal opinion on this is that macbook air is ahead of its time. I would wait for future iterations, and then the solid state drive price may plummett as well. I would like to see reintegration of firewire, for example. IMHO

I would have to agree. As a previous owner of the 12" PB G4, I was really hoping that the MBA would be a viable alternative for me. But, since my primary use (DJing) relies on a FireWire out, it's not viable. That said, even if there was a FireWire port, a maximum drive size of 80 Gigs would probably be the second show-stopper. But, I imagine in the not-too-distant future, those things will change and I'll trade in my C2D MacBook (which can use up to 144MB of VRAM, BTW and works pretty well with M8) for an MBA.