'Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac'

Messages in this thread

Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - crearle, 23 Jul 08:48PM
     Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Laurence Payne, 23 Jul 09:24PM
         Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Steve, 24 Jul 06:42AM
             Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Mario , 25 Jul 04:43AM
                 Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Laurence Payne, 25 Jul 08:36AM
                     Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Peter Castine, 25 Jul 08:01PM
     Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Mike P., 25 Jul 08:25PM

Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac
Posted by crearle - 23 Jul 08:48PM (edited 23 Jul 08:48PM)
Hey guys,

I just want to get opinions on using Sib on a Macbook Air. I am looking at a new system and am seriously considering the Air, but am not sure if it has the horsepower for Sib...thoughts?
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Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac
Posted by Laurence Payne - 23 Jul 09:24PM
I've just checked the specs and prices. I find myself asking, rather bewildered, "Why?".
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Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac
Posted by Steve - 24 Jul 06:42AM
Standard RAM is 4 GB upgradable to 8 GB. i5 processor configurable to i7. Still coming in under $1200 before taxes and shipping here - you could do worse (but you could do better too). Playback with beefy sounds libraries and/or large scores could require more RAM for optimal performance (especially if you don't opt for the 8 GB upgrade).

I think the 13 inch screen would be the most frustrating part of the experience for me, but if you absolutely need a laptop, your options will remain somewhat limited in this regard. (For Sibelius, give me a large iMac screen anyday over a tiny laptop screen of any make or build.)

Of course, you won't get a DVD drive or numeric keypad either at this price... Both of which can come in handy with Sibelius. Limited storage as well, but enough, especially if you intend to use external storage in addition to the built in storage.

Honestly, I wouldn't buy an Air for use with Sibelius, but it's your life. If it will be a system dedicated to Sibelius, I'd go with something more configurable and as big a screen as I could get - and a numeric keyboard.


--
Sibelius 7.1.3, iMac - Snow Leopard 2014.
http://ComposersofSibelius.com
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Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac
Posted by Mario - 25 Jul 04:43AM
I use Sib 6.2 on a macbook 3.1 (core2duo, 4Gb ram), a macbook air is way more powerful....
As for the screen, you can connect a external display of enough inches for your taste and use a bluetooth keyboard/mouse...
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Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac
Posted by Laurence Payne - 25 Jul 08:36AM
> I use Sib 6.2 on a macbook 3.1 (core2duo, 4Gb ram), a macbook air is way more powerful....
> As for the screen, you can connect a external display of enough inches for your taste and use a bluetooth keyboard/mouse...

There seems little point in choosing an ultra-portable computer then cluttering it with peripherals to bring it up to a useful spec!
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Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac
Posted by Peter Castine - 25 Jul 08:01PM
> There seems little point in choosing an ultra-portable computer then cluttering it with peripherals to bring it up to a useful spec!

The Air is useful as it is. And light while traveling.

For those who travel a lot but also work a lot at a home desktop, it may be useful to have the large screen, etc. at home. With the added convenience of not having to worry about synch'ing two different machines (which is still a pain, even with all the Cloud offerings).
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Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac
Posted by Mike P. - 25 Jul 08:25PM
I agree that a MacBook Air is not the ideal computer if you want to use it for working on Sibelius at home. However, I have a MacBook Air that I have used and enjoyed immensely since 2011 and have several suggestions in this regard:

1. The screen size is too small to show a full page at a time unless it is unusably small and this is a debit. However, the Air and other laptops are small enough to take anywhere and depending how you will use it, this portability can be a big advantage. Also, if you plan on using your laptop both at home and away, it is easy to hook up to a larger screen at home.

2. Playback on the Air is compromised if you write large scores (e.g. orchestral scores) with many instruments and want to use large sample libraries. However, I mostly work with vocal music and have absolutely no problems with SATB and piano or organ. As well, I recently acquired NotePerformer from Wallander Instruments and using it, I am readily able to play back large orchestral scores with great sound on my MacBook Air. Considering its low memory needs, this relatively inexpensive software is a huge asset for Sibelius users with modestly-powerful computers.

3. Using a keyboard with a numeric keypad is useful with Sibelius even though such keypads are always inconveniently located close to your right hand rather than left. However, if you already have an iPhone or iPad you can download Numpad from martiancraft.com and that will give you not only a remote numerical keypad but one that shows all 5 faces used on the Sibelius keypad. The cost is nominal and this gives you a keypad you can easily use with your left hand, which I find handy.

4. As far as the relative advantages and disadvantages of Mac v. PC, this is a topic that will spawn as many arguments as would a discussion about politics or religion. Don't be discouraged by those who would decide differently than yourself. Instead speak to advocates for both and decide what fits best for you.

Mike Philcox

--
OS X 10.8.2, 13" MacBook Air w. SSD, 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5 & 4 GB memory, Apogee Duet 2, Sibelius 7.1.3 incl. Sounds, Pianoteq 4, NotePerformer
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Messages in this thread

Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - crearle, 23 Jul 08:48PM
     Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Laurence Payne, 23 Jul 09:24PM
         Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Steve, 24 Jul 06:42AM
             Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Mario , 25 Jul 04:43AM
                 Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Laurence Payne, 25 Jul 08:36AM
                     Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Peter Castine, 25 Jul 08:01PM
     Re: Sib. 6.x: Sibelius on a Mac - Mike P., 25 Jul 08:25PM