Nope, not the ideal machine. a $10k Mac Pro would be much better. I was given the impression it would be adequate though, and I picked it for it's portability.
If it's not adequate for the tasks it shouldn't be promoted as such. The web page for the Macbook Air says it comes with Xcode, and runs a large external display. Perhaps I should have known better, but I tried to do my research. ;-)
Yea, I don't think people quite understand what the Macbook Air issue is. As a fellow MBA owner, I can vouch for this behavior. The system will become completely unusable while the 'kernel_task' takes over the system trying to cool it down.
I've experienced the exact same thing running a 24" LCD, firefox, and Entourage. Hardly an uncommon or extreme setup, but it's enough to throw the system off kilter. And when kernel_task goes into "cool this thing off NOW" mode, the system is unusable for 4-5 minutes.
"If it's not adequate for the tasks it shouldn't be promoted as such."
I think there's a disconnect here. Yes, it comes with Xcode. Yes, it's advertised as being able to run a large external display. But the question is: "can it do both of these things (in the case of Xcode, most likely building some complex project) simultaneously, and persist in so doing for an extended period of time?"
It appears the answer to that question is "no", and frankly I don't find that particularly surprising. I also don't think it really contradicts the marketing materials. Consider a different example: the MacBook Air comes with a wide variety of applications preinstalled, and this is an advertised feature of the laptop. But if I attempt to launch and use them all simultaneously, the system will become unusable very quickly as it runs out of RAM and has to start swapping. Does that mean Apple is falsely advertising its capabilities by touting the applications which come preinstalled?
This isn't the case with the MBA. You have no idea how little it takes to push it over the edge.
There's a good chance that running anything on the external display is what's pushing it over the edge. If you look around, the most common complaint is that flash video (you know, non-HD youtube) is enough to kick the machine. In my case, it's Entourage.
If it's not adequate for the tasks it shouldn't be promoted as such. The web page for the Macbook Air says it comes with Xcode, and runs a large external display. Perhaps I should have known better, but I tried to do my research. ;-)