Seagate GoFlex Pro USB 3.0 7200 RPM Disk Speed Test Vs internal 5400 RPM drive

Here's the result of the drive on USB 3.0.

For comparison, here's my 5400 RPM internal drive.

11 inch VS 13 inch MacBook Air

Storage, computing, connections, battery, and size. I tackle these topics in the video. I'd also like to note that I've used both the 11 and 13 as my main computers.

Storage. 64 GB is not enough as a main computer you don't download any media or create media like audio and video. Keep in mind that an iPhone's backup take up a lot of space. 128 GB seems to hit the sweet spot right now, but I did have to trim down my media and photos. An external thunderbolt drive would be nice. If you're a content creator or a power user, 256 GB is a must.

Computing. I don't really care much about what the processing speed number is. I care weather or not its an i7 or i5. The i7 is more for power users and content creators while the i5 is for  normal users. Most non pro apps out there would run on the slowest processor speed for the Air.

Connections. The main difference between the two's connection is the SD card slot. It's very convenient, but that's all its for. You can always buy a USB to SD card converter. What excites me most is the thunderbolt port on both of them. My dream computer setup would be a decked out 13 Air, a Thunderbolt Display, and a fast external drive. This is a power user's setup and not necessarily a pro's.

Battery. The difference in battery life is from 5 to 7. This may not seem like much, but it was definitely noticeable. I could go all day with the 13 Air while I had to top up with the 11. I would like to see the future iteration of the Air lineup to have around 10 hours of battery life. I didn't appreciate the 30 day standby time until I sold the Airs. It's nice to just shut the lid and have pretty much the same charge when you wake up.

Size and storage are the main factors when choosing and Air. Through the magic of mathematics, I found that the physical properties like surface area, weight, and number of pixels rose by about 21% when going from the 11 to the 13. 21% may not seem like much, but it made all the difference to me. I was far more likely to open the 11 in the bus as opposed to the 13. I brought the 11 absolutely everywhere I went. While there were times when the 13 stayed home.

Overall, I'd buy the Air for mobility and as a second computer while the 13 has a good balance between portability and power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyefP3b9HkY

What Apple Laptop is Best for Students?

I've been trying to find the best Mac hardware for students for a while now. I've used several different laptops and desktops, so I think I'm in a good position to talk about them. I've owned the 13 and 15 Macbook pro, 11 and 13 Air, iPad, and iMac. The following are pros and cons of each device for a student.

The 13 Pro is the most popular laptop right now. I see this everywhere in my University. It's the balance of power, storage, and weight that makes this king. There's plenty of the power for the average student, and then some for content creator. This would probably be the main computer, so ample storage is key. The 13 Pro definitely has enough with it's hard disk drive, but the spinning drive is also part of its weakness. I see many people just take the MacBook and shove in their bag to go off to the next class. Moving the laptop while the drive is still spinning could cause damage to the drive. The 13" form factor seems to be just the perfect screen size and weight for a mobile student.

If weight is a concern, the 13" Air is the way to go. I think the 13 Air could, emphasis on could, be the new favourite. It definitely wins out on the weight over the pro, but it still falls short in some aspects. Its battery holds three hours less of a charge than the 10 hours in the MacBook Pro, and it's processing speed is just good enough to pass. The 13 Air's biggest shortcoming though, is its storage. 128 GB is not enough for the digital student of today. I say that the 13 Air would dethrone the 13 Pro because my concerns would be answered in due time. The processing speed, battery, and storage would only get better. Oh, and it's much quicker than the 13 Pro because of its solid state drive

The second most popular MacBook that I see is the 15 Pro. This is more for the power users and content creators. It's has more of what the 13 Pro has. More storage, more power, and more screen size. All this addition comes at a price, and I'm not just talking about money. The 15 Pro weighs much more and has a larger footprint. It also still has the same spinning drive that could be damaged during transit. Two side notes. First, I suggest getting the Hi-Rez version of the screen because it gives you more screen real estate to work with. Second, I predict that Apple would create dual boot MacBook Pros. This means the operating system would in the the SSD media stays in the HDD. Apple already does this with their iMac.

The rumoured 15 Air should also be noted as a possible student MacBook. If it does get released, it would have more screen real estate, longer battery life, more storage, and faster processors. This is still a rumour at this point, but this is what I expect. I also expect a fat price tag for such a slim device.

An 11 Air could work as a student computer, but it's going to need to be paired with an iMac or another computer. I don't think the 11 Air is quite there yet, nor will it be in the next few years. The 11" form factor take up the least space on your table leaving you with enough room for a Wacom tablet. The iMac would pick up where the Air is weak; power, and screen. This is an expensive combo, and I'd suggest buying refurbished from the apple store.

I wonder why the iPad isn't around the campus as much as it should. I think this could be the future of textbooks, but not until those textbook publishers start producing Apps and digital books. As mentioned, the iPad would be the perfect reading device, but not a note taking device. I like typing me notes and then annotating them with a Wacom tablet. The iPad can do both of this but only in a subpar manner. The software keyboard is no  replacement for a hardware one, and there's not enough detail on the touchscreen to efficiently annotate notes.

I like annotating and creating some notes by hand, and this is where the Wacom tablet comes in. It can be used to draw on notes during class, draw on flash cards, and it can even be used as a mouse. The unescapable fact is that drawing by hand is still needed today. This is specially true in math, physics, and chemistry.