Any MacBook Air Users Here?

romad · 08-21-2015, 03:38 PM

I've been using Calibre on my iMac running Mac OS 10.7.5 to convert Kindle books downloaded to the Kindle for Mac (K4M) application into ePub format. Unfortunately, Amazon says they will no longer support the version of K4M on my iMac and the new version is incompatible with Mac OS 10.7.5 AND 10.8.5. So I was thinking of installing Mac OS 10.10.x on my MacBook Air (MBA) just so I can still use K4M to download Kindle books that I would then convert to ePub using Calibre.

Here is my dilemma: the MBA only has 2GB of RAM. Will this be enough to run Mac OS 10.10, K4M, and Calibre?

eschwartz · 08-21-2015, 04:58 PM

I don't use any Apple products, but I *think* 2 GB RAM should be fine.

unix operating systems like OSX and linux tend to be much lighter on system resources than, say, Windows 7.

I have been happily running calibre on ArchLinux on an ancient Dell with 2 GB RAM.
Kindle for PC running in WINE (Windows emulation compatibility layer) runs fine too -- though I usually just use my E-Ink Kindle.

dgillette.rm · 08-21-2015, 07:02 PM

I have an Air running 10.10.5, but it has 4GB of ram. It is fine, but I am not sure if 2GB is enough. I recently thought my iMac was running slow and maxed out it's memory. I cannot say that fixed it, so maybe 2GB is fine.

romad · 08-21-2015, 08:13 PM

I remembered that I could use Activity Monitor to check memory usage. It turns out that on my iMac, Calibre uses about 350 MB and K4M uses about 250 MB for a total of 600 MB. That is 30% of my MacBook Air RAM so I suspect they won't be able to run very well if I have both running at the same time. Even running only one at a time they will probably be very slow.

eschwartz · 08-23-2015, 12:38 AM

Well, how much RAM does OSX use, when you aren't doing anything?

Slowness would come when you max out your RAM and start swapping...

romad · 08-24-2015, 12:19 PM

Just ran Activity Monitor on the MacBook Air for System Processes. For Mac OS 10.8.5 the results are:

Free: around 872 MB
Wired: around 643 MB
Active: around 437 MB
Inactive: around 94 MB
Used: around 1.14 GB (I think this is the sum of Wired & Active because the sum of all 4 is about 1.99 GB

So if I'm correct in estimating around 600 MB of RAM usage for Calibre & K4M then I should have about 200 MB free if I ran both of them at the same time. However, I'll need to run Activity Monitor again after I've installed Mac OS 10.10.5

08-21-2015, 03:38 PM	#1
romad U.S. Air Force, Retired Posts: 204 Karma: 5212 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Prescott, AZ Device: iPad Mini 5 & Mini 6	Any MacBook Air Users Here? I've been using Calibre on my iMac running Mac OS 10.7.5 to convert Kindle books downloaded to the Kindle for Mac (K4M) application into ePub format. Unfortunately, Amazon says they will no longer support the version of K4M on my iMac and the new version is incompatible with Mac OS 10.7.5 AND 10.8.5. So I was thinking of installing Mac OS 10.10.x on my MacBook Air (MBA) just so I can still use K4M to download Kindle books that I would then convert to ePub using Calibre. Here is my dilemma: the MBA only has 2GB of RAM. Will this be enough to run Mac OS 10.10, K4M, and Calibre?

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08-21-2015, 04:58 PM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	I don't use any Apple products, but I think 2 GB RAM should be fine. unix operating systems like OSX and linux tend to be much lighter on system resources than, say, Windows 7. I have been happily running calibre on ArchLinux on an ancient Dell with 2 GB RAM. Kindle for PC running in WINE (Windows emulation compatibility layer) runs fine too -- though I usually just use my E-Ink Kindle.

08-21-2015, 07:02 PM	#3
dgillette.rm Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 10072 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: sony	I have an Air running 10.10.5, but it has 4GB of ram. It is fine, but I am not sure if 2GB is enough. I recently thought my iMac was running slow and maxed out it's memory. I cannot say that fixed it, so maybe 2GB is fine.

08-21-2015, 08:13 PM	#4
romad U.S. Air Force, Retired Posts: 204 Karma: 5212 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Prescott, AZ Device: iPad Mini 5 & Mini 6	I remembered that I could use Activity Monitor to check memory usage. It turns out that on my iMac, Calibre uses about 350 MB and K4M uses about 250 MB for a total of 600 MB. That is 30% of my MacBook Air RAM so I suspect they won't be able to run very well if I have both running at the same time. Even running only one at a time they will probably be very slow.

08-23-2015, 12:38 AM	#5
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Well, how much RAM does OSX use, when you aren't doing anything? Slowness would come when you max out your RAM and start swapping...

08-24-2015, 12:19 PM	#6
romad U.S. Air Force, Retired Posts: 204 Karma: 5212 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Prescott, AZ Device: iPad Mini 5 & Mini 6	Just ran Activity Monitor on the MacBook Air for System Processes. For Mac OS 10.8.5 the results are: Free: around 872 MB Wired: around 643 MB Active: around 437 MB Inactive: around 94 MB Used: around 1.14 GB (I think this is the sum of Wired & Active because the sum of all 4 is about 1.99 GB So if I'm correct in estimating around 600 MB of RAM usage for Calibre & K4M then I should have about 200 MB free if I ran both of them at the same time. However, I'll need to run Activity Monitor again after I've installed Mac OS 10.10.5

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