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first i was thinking to buy some ubuntu based netbook like asus 1225c but its not 64 bit however i hada look at macbook air which is expensive but in light weight category it has i5 processor as well as 4GB DDR3 Ram

other than that of anyone has opinion regarding a 64bit ubuntu netbook please share ? how good it is to go with macbook air ?

Edited by happygeek because: moved
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Short summary and practical advice for (and thanks to for the upgrade point): for programming and cross‑platform testing you want a 64‑bit, performant laptop; for developing tools for Autodesk Maya and Foundry Nuke you also need a proper GPU or a remote GPU workstation. Both Nuke and modern Maya/Arnold expect workstation‑class graphics for GPU‑accelerated nodes and many vendors only support GPU rendering on systems with supported drivers (historically NVIDIA on Windows/Linux for Arnold). (colorway.foundry.com)

Minimum practical checklist (real‑world): 64‑bit quad‑core CPU, 16 GB RAM (8 GB is minimum but 16+ is strongly recommended for VFX work), fast NVMe SSD, and a discrete GPU that’s certified or commonly used in pipelines (NVIDIA Quadro/RTX or similar). If you need to run VMs for cross‑platform testing, add RAM (16–32 GB) and enable VT‑x/AMD‑V in firmware. If you must prioritize weight/battery, plan to offload heavy renders to a desktop or cloud GPU. (docs.chaos.com)

If you plan to run Ubuntu (64‑bit) on the laptop: test with a Live USB first, choose “Install third‑party software” to fetch proprietary drivers during install, and use the Additional Drivers / ubuntu-drivers flow for NVIDIA. Common troubleshooting steps: boot with nomodeset if the live session goes black, and blacklist Nouveau if proprietary drivers fail. For Broadcom Wi‑Fi you’ll likely need bcmwl‑kernel‑source from Ubuntu’s docs. Example commands: 

sudo ubuntu-drivers devices
sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall
sudo apt install bcmwl-kernel-source

See Ubuntu’s desktop install guide and the binary‑driver howto for details. (documentation.ubuntu.com)

A note about macOS and “Hackintosh” ideas: installing macOS on non‑Apple hardware is unsupported and restricted by Apple’s licensing; running macOS on Apple hardware is the supported path. If you like macOS but need GPU power for Maya/Nuke, consider a Mac Pro/MacBook Pro configured with appropriate hardware or a Windows/Linux mobile workstation instead. (developer.apple.com)

Checklist (quick): 64‑bit CPU, 16+ GB RAM, NVMe SSD, discrete NVIDIA/validated GPU (or plan remote/cloud GPU), test Ubuntu live USB and install proprietary drivers only after checking compatibility.

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Member Avatar for aVar++

Remember if you buy one with a good proccessor you can always upgrade the Hard drive, ram, fans. If you find a windows notebook with good spec you can always install ubuntu onto it. If you were to go with apple the macbook pro has very positive reviews but unless you specifically want an OS X operating system you can get more for your money with windows netbooks, but you still want the speed right? The ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A has speed, very positive reviews and an i7 proccessor all for the price of the macbook air.

Edited by aVar++ because: Spelling mistake
Member Avatar for krystosan

is it available in India ? or does it have backlit keyboard and how much it weigs ?

Member Avatar for aVar++

Here's the specs:

Member Avatar for aVar++

It does have a backlit keyboard, it weighs 1.3 kg and you will have to find out if it's avalible in india.

Member Avatar for krystosan

however this is a good factor of macbook air Up to 5 hours wireless web

Up to 30 days standby time

Built-in, 35-watt-hour, lithium-polymer battery

i guess i can also install MAC OS on Asus Zenbook,

Member Avatar for aVar++

No, no you cant. However you may be able to install ubunto on MAC but im not sure, you would have to look into it. What will you be using the netbook for?

Member Avatar for krystosan

programming and testing code in diff platform, develop tools for maya (3d animation software) and Foundry Nuke (VFX compositing package)

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