First MacBook Air Orders Shipping. Not in Stores Yet.

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Previous reports of shipments may have been premature, as the first customers who ordered the stock (1.6GHz/80GB) MacBook Airs immediately after the keynote are now getting shipment notifications (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=415463&page=44) for the latest Apple laptop. Calls to retail Apple Stores reveal that MacBook Airs have not yet arrived to retail locations.

Meanwhile, the earliest ship date for customers who upgraded to the Solid State Drive (SSD) remains February 6th, 2008.

Article Link (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/01/29/first-macbook-air-orders-shipping-not-in-stores-yet/)

[SheriffParker]

Too Bad... I really want to see what these things look like in person.

[SteveSparks]

Thanks for the update. I was wondering if they had arrived at any stores. I doub't that there is "any large stack" hidden in the back of a store.

What I hope is that systems that can be built and delivered to customers (not stores) will be shipped asap. I doubt that this will happen, but getting all the pre-orders filled first would be a good first step in making people happy and meeting expectatons.

I don't recall but has anything like the MBA been announced at Macword with a "it will ship is 2 weeks" annuncement? I would think "coming soon" or in the "net quarter" etc.. but two weeks is pretty precise.

[dyerucf]

Called both my local apple stores, no dice here. They are still clueless as to when they are coming in. As for my apple store order. Still shipping Feb 13th!!!

[darthraige]

Can't wait to see what these things look like in person as well. I want one. :)

[gkarris]

Apple is going to try to fill many of the pre-orders first, then ship them to retail.

They probably don't want what happend to the iPod Touch to happen again. Many who preordered got them after people just walked into the store to pick one up.

[clayj]

I just spoke again with my local Apple Store... they've received no word as to when they will be receiving any MBAs. In fact, the rep here said "We'll know when we're getting them when we open the big box that FedEx drops off".

If they get 1.8s with SSDs in locally, I'll swing by and pick one up. Otherwise, just have to keep waiting until February 11th...

[cmezak]

Does this mean that 10.5.2 is likely to be released by tomorrow?

[ErikAndre]

Does this mean that 10.5.2 is likely to be released by tomorrow?

I think so. Or tonight.

[walnuts]

My friend said that they had Macbook Airs on display that he tested as of last weekend at the Smithhaven Apple store on Long Island. I had assumed he was wrong. There's no way he was right, is there? From what I understand they are still not in any stores.

[bacaramac]

Again, as many others have said, the 10.5.2 release does not appear to be tied to MBA as the current systems were running 10.5.1.

[chaseardoin7]

just got my tracking number.
this is going to be the longest
two days of my life :-P



chase :apple:

[happydude]

looking forward to people's unboxing photos and first impressions!!!

[tothelimit]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A93 Safari/419.3)

My friend said that they had Macbook Airs on display that he tested as of last weekend at the Smithhaven Apple store on Long Island. I had assumed he was wrong. There's no way he was right, is there? From what I understand they are still not in any stores.

sounds like he's pulling your chain man. I'm sure there would be buzz all over these forums is there was an Apple store with demo units already.

[0racle]

Again, as many others have said, the 10.5.2 release does not appear to be tied to MBA as the current systems were running 10.5.1.

Isn't 10.5.2 required for the MBA optical disk sharing? I don't really care, I just want 10.5.2.

[SteveSparks]

If they get 1.8s with SSDs in locally, I'll swing by and pick one up. Otherwise, just have to keep waiting until February 11th...

I think the "cancel order" issue and get one at the store is the exact reason why we won't see MBA's in stores for a week or more. I think Apple is going to fill pre-orders made the first 5-10 days before they ship to stores.

Inventory management is a key on a $1799+++ item and having 100's of "canceled orders" will be huge hit on the Apple Online Store.

I know that if I could get one at the store now, It would be purchased and my online ordered canceled. I think that is true for 100's of pre-order people. This then creates a problem for people who are waiting to purchase them from a store... While some of them will get the item, others will be delayed because of the additional online/cancel crowd. The lat of MBA's in a store post release at the store will also be a problem with the impulse shopper, if it is not in the store, Apple as lost a sales opportunity. Better to reduce the load on the Retail Inventory caused by all the Apple Fan-Boy base and keep it available for retail-only people.

I however don't think this was "pre-planned". The # of Air's sold, I believe has been a surprise to Apple and they changed the time frame when the Stores would get the MBA. The reason I think this is true, is because of the review dates. Usually the reviews are the day before items are in the store. I think it was too late to change the review schedule but not too late to change the way pre-orders were going to be processed.

[writeous]

Isn't 10.5.2 required for the MBA optical disk sharing? I don't really care, I just want 10.5.2.

I think the reviewers have used it, so it possibly doesnt.

[dezeinstein]

Actually, they are in the stores, but they are so thin you can't even see them!

[guzhogi]

I'd really like to see how MBAs are in person. Seem like an interesting concept. The SSD and having no moving parts sounds good. I work in an elementary school and kids (and teachers sometimes) don't always treat laptops as well as they should. Plus, kids don't need that much in terms of performance, ports, etc. Shame they're so expensive. Maybe if they were in the $799-$999 range, more people would buy them.

Anyone know if the SSD versions come w/ the sudden motion detector? There's really cool (yet frivolous) app called MacSaber that uses the motion detector to make your laptop sound like a light saber. Kinda fun and total waste of time.

[arkmannj]

Isn't 10.5.2 required for the MBA optical disk sharing? I don't really care, I just want 10.5.2.

My uninformed guess would be that for the general public the update needed to use remote optical disk will be in 10.5.2 . But I would also guess that the remote optical disk piece of the update could be on the MBA install disks without the rest of 10.5.2 .

[SteveSparks]

My friend said that they had Macbook Airs on display that he tested as of last weekend at the Smithhaven Apple store on Long Island. I had assumed he was wrong. There's no way he was right, is there? From what I understand they are still not in any stores.


Did someone call the store to verify? If they were on display, I bet they they have been removed.

[lazyrighteye]

• Seeing one in person is as far as my interest goes with this device.

• I too thought 10.5.2 was tied to Optical Disc Sharing.

• It would seem bad form to have these in stores before pre-orders are received. Kind of defeats the purpose of pre-ordering, yes?

[dt1611]

My uninformed guess would be that for the general public the update needed to use remote optical disk will be in 10.5.2 . But I would also guess that that piece of the update could be on the MBA install disks without the rest of 10.5.2 .


I think that everything will just be included in the 10.5.2 update. If some MBA orders are supposed to be in homes today, then I believe the 10.5.2 update will be available today. Also, we have to remember that the Apple community is also getting its AppleTV update today. I know that Steve told us it will be an automatic update within the AppleTV itself, but I believe that you will be able to manually manage content from your computer.

But on the other hand, people like John Mayer have a MBA and he prolly doesn't have 10.5.2, so you may be right in the sense that it will be included on the install disks....oh wait, it doesn't have a drive. :)

[dernhelm]

• Seeing one in person is as far as my interest goes with this device.

• It would seem bad form to have these in stores before pre-orders are received. Kind of defeats the purpose of pre-ordering, yes?


It wouldn't be the first time that happened! iPod touch comes to mind...

[arn]

• Seeing one in person is as far as my interest goes with this device.

• I too thought 10.5.2 was tied to Optical Disc Sharing.


I believe the MBA comes with an intall disk that allows you to install Disk Sharing on any Mac or PC. And the MBA runs 10.5.1 from all reports.

arn

[tothelimit]

I believe the MBA comes with an intall disk that allows you to install Disk Sharing on any Mac or PC. And the MBA runs 10.5.1 from all reports.

arn

good point - disc sharing would have no reason to be tied to 10.5.2 if its also available for PCs.

[arkmannj]

I think that everything will just be included in the 10.5.2 update. If some MBA orders are supposed to be in homes today, then I believe the 10.5.2 update will be available today. Also, we have to remember that the Apple community is also getting its AppleTV update today. I know that Steve told us it will be an automatic update within the AppleTV itself, but I believe that you will be able to manually manage content from your computer.

But on the other hand, people like John Mayer have a MBA and he prolly doesn't have 10.5.2, so you may be right in the sense that it will be included on the install disks....oh wait, it doesn't have a drive. :)

Nice catch on the install disks :p
guess I should have further explained what I was thinking.
The MBA would obviously already have the installers installed on the hard drive, and the update could be on the install disks for non MBA machines (kind of like the Airport extreme Base Station updates to enable 802.11n in Macs that had an 802.11n card but only running 802.11g enabled drivers)

[Doctor Q]

__________________
--- My Wife and I:
MacBook Air 1.6ghz 80Gb - Ordered
MacBook 2.2ghz White
Macbook Pro 2.4ghz 256MB VideoI'll be watching your signature for updates! :)

[nuclearwinter]

Any here order from Mac Mall?

[lazyrighteye]

I believe the MBA comes with an intall disk that allows you to install Disk Sharing on any Mac or PC. And the MBA runs 10.5.1 from all reports.

arn

Ah. Cool.
Thanks for the clarification.

[twoodcc]

well, maybe tomorrow?

hopefully they'll be in stores soon though. i want to check them out for myself

[0racle]

I believe the MBA comes with an intall disk that allows you to install Disk Sharing on any Mac or PC. And the MBA runs 10.5.1 from all reports.

arn

I hadn't heard that disk sharing ran under Windows. That's interesting.

[chaseardoin7]

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e303/johnbridges/shippingcopy.jpg

chase :apple:

[roland.g]

I would assume that they might do what they did in the past with 12, 15, & 17 in PBs as well as G5 PMs. Send one to each store for a window display, maybe 2 to have a floor display as well, but not retail stock for 3-5 days after until the preorders have been somewhat filled. It wouldn't hurt them to send out 300-400 units to stores for display along with the preorders but not send quantities for another week.

[chadaw]

Called both my local apple stores, no dice here. They are still clueless as to when they are coming in. As for my apple store order. Still shipping Feb 13th!!!

From my experience with updates, both software and hardware, Apple employees are either told not to tell or they are clueless to actual dates. I believe its more like they are clueless. So it basically does not good to even try to get them to talk. Its company policy not to disclose that info.

I believe the Iphones were delivered the night before they went on sale in stores. Thats how close-net they are.

As towards 10.5.2, I was anxiously all last week and decided to relax. I have had no problems with Leopard 10.5.1. Tiger updates were a different story. (MBP 2.33).

[EagerDragon]

I think the "cancel order" issue and get one at the store is the exact reason why we won't see MBA's in stores for a week or more. I think Apple is going to fill pre-orders made the first 5-10 days before they ship to stores.

Inventory management is a key on a $1799+++ item and having 100's of "canceled orders" will be huge hit on the Apple Online Store.

I know that if I could get one at the store now, It would be purchased and my online ordered canceled. I think that is true for 100's of pre-order people. This then creates a problem for people who are waiting to purchase them from a store... While some of them will get the item, others will be delayed because of the additional online/cancel crowd. The lat of MBA's in a store post release at the store will also be a problem with the impulse shopper, if it is not in the store, Apple as lost a sales opportunity. Better to reduce the load on the Retail Inventory caused by all the Apple Fan-Boy base and keep it available for retail-only people.

I however don't think this was "pre-planned". The # of Air's sold, I believe has been a surprise to Apple and they changed the time frame when the Stores would get the MBA. The reason I think this is true, is because of the review dates. Usually the reviews are the day before items are in the store. I think it was too late to change the review schedule but not too late to change the way pre-orders were going to be processed.

When I want most Apple products I drive from work (NH) to the Apple store and pick it up tax free and a little corporate discount. If instead I order online, I only get the corporate discount because I live in MA and MA has sales tax.

I prefer the tax free and corporate discount to being the first guy in the block to have one. A week or two wait wont kill me, and I can put that money into some software or hardware I need instead.

[spriter]

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e303/johnbridges/shippingcopy.jpg

chase :apple:

Called both my local apple stores, no dice here. They are still clueless as to when they are coming in. As for my apple store order. Still shipping Feb 13th!!!

Just a note about delivery and potential lack of in-store models...

Currently south China, especially Guangzhou & Shenzen, where alot of the factories are and Shanghai airport are covered with heavy snow and experiencing unusually bad weather. Guangdong province is usually warm year-round so it is entirely possible many products from the factories there are experiencing delays.

It's been like that for the past week and has caused massive delays for people traveling around the country as they return home for the big annual Spring Festival (Lunar/Chinese New Year).

I expect this has caused a problem getting the Airs out of the factories to the departure ports like Shanghai. If there is a slow uptake in stores, I'd think it's because Apple will prioritise them going to pre-orders first since they would prefer to deliver on time if they quoted a delivery date long before the bad weather hit.

I also wonder if there'll be a shortage or longer wait times a few weeks down from now since the Spring Festival is a national holiday dictated by the government so a large part of the population will not be working for the next few weeks.

[aristokrat]

I can't wait for these to show up so that all the questions can finally be answered, the most burning one for me being whether this chip can do SSE4 or not? If so, then I'm definitely getting it. I'll probably get it anyway, unless it turns out to be a stovetop like the MBP.

By the way, have any of you tried the Thermaltake iXoft for laptop heat dissipation? It's awesome and works really well. Just thought I'd pass that along. Ah, the wonders of chemistry...

[jeffmc]

i held one last night :D

as impressively small and compact as it is, i still hate it

[boyhandsome]

Just a note about delivery and potential lack of in-store models...

Currently south China, especially Guangzhou & Shenzen, where alot of the factories are and Shanghai airport are covered with heavy snow and experiencing unusually bad weather. Guangdong province is usually warm year-round so it is entirely possible many products from the factories there are experiencing delays.

It's been like that for the past week and has caused massive delays for people traveling around the country as they return home for the big annual Spring Festival (Lunar/Chinese New Year).

I expect this has caused a problem getting the Airs out of the factories to the departure ports like Shanghai. If there is a slow uptake in stores, I'd think it's because Apple will prioritise them going to pre-orders first since they would prefer to deliver on time if they quoted a delivery date long before the bad weather hit.

I also wonder if there'll be a shortage or longer wait times a few weeks down from now since the Spring Festival is a national holiday dictated by the government so a large part of the population will not be working for the next few weeks.

Besides what you said above, now there is serious shortage of electric power and the situation may go even worse next week. Shanghai airport has also been shut down for several times.

[TheSpecialist]

A classmate girl said to me yesterday her boss at a restaurant in The Netherlands (Holland) has one... And she used it, and he had it for over a week. Lol I laughed at her so hard for pretending she has ANY knowledge of it. What a morons in this world:eek: try to bragg with that theyve seen it!

And then I had a big fight with her that that would be IMPOSSIBLE and she's just showing off, because hey, an Apple fanboy (me) with less knowledge about it then a girl that only brags with her iPod Touch:apple:, and that they couldnt be in someone's hands except Steve Jobs and John Mayer before february.

Specialist:apple:

[AppleDude]

When I want most Apple products I drive from work (NH) to the Apple store and pick it up tax free and a little corporate discount . . .

Actually, the computer wouldn't be tax-free if bought in NH. While it's true that NH would not charge sales tax, your home state almost certainly requires you to file and pay use tax (typically equivalent to sales tax) on such items.

I know in CA, the Franchise Tax Board has been agressively sending amnesty offers to individuals, requesting they report items purchased out-of-state for which the buyer never paid sales tax.

[robby818]

Are the external superdrives shipping with the MBAs?

Also, can I use a non-Apple USB DVD writer with the MBA to install software?

[cal6n]

A classmate girl said to me yesterday her boss at a restaurant in The Netherlands (Holland) has one... And she used it, and he had it for over a week. Lol I laughed at her so hard for pretending she has ANY knowledge of it. What a morons in this world:eek: try to bragg with that theyve seen it!

And then I had a big fight with her that that would be IMPOSSIBLE and she's just showing off, because hey, an Apple fanboy (me) with less knowledge about it then a girl that only brags with her iPod Touch:apple:, and that they couldnt be in someone's hands except Steve Jobs and John Mayer before february.

Specialist:apple:

You, sir, are an ignorant, arrogant, misogynistic fool.

Not only that, but you're probably wrong as well!

[mrrydogg]

After playing with the MBA at Macworld, I was in love, but then the reality of its limitations came knocking at my door. If it was priced as a low end model, with the MB getting a makeover and firm status as the mid end model, I could and probably would drop $999 on it. But with basic configurations easily exceeding $2000, your basically paying for style. I don't mind paying extra for Apple's design and quality, but there is a limit.

Here to hoping everyone enjoys their MBA's! In 2 years, they probably will be worth it.

I will say this.....it is cool as hell and definitely the sickest looking laptop around. But Apple, get rid of the black keyboard. Looks like a HP or Dell or something like that. Step back in my opinion.

[MrCrowbar]

I can't wait for these to show up so that all the questions can finally be answered, the most burning one for me being whether this chip can do SSE4 or not? If so, then I'm definitely getting it. I'll probably get it anyway, unless it turns out to be a stovetop like the MBP.

By the way, have any of you tried the Thermaltake iXoft for laptop heat dissipation? It's awesome and works really well. Just thought I'd pass that along. Ah, the wonders of chemistry...

I don't believe the Core 2 Duo does SSE4. Wasn't it hyped for the current Mac Pros only?

[AidenShaw]

I don't believe the Core 2 Duo does SSE4. Wasn't it hyped for the current Mac Pros only?

You are right - the MBA has a "FrankenChip" which contains a 65nm Merom (Mobile Core 2 Duo) chip wedged into a package which was designed for a future mobile 45nm Penryn.

Merom is SSE3 only, you need a 45nm chip for SSE4.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSE4

[Gregintosh]

Here's an interesting tidbit of information: If you go to Best Buy.com and click on the MacBook Air pre-order page and click "estimate arrival date" it says Feb 4-10.

That would indicate next Tuesday would be the date it arrives in stores, at least Best Buys with an Apple store inside. It makes sense if it shipped out today or is about to in the next few days.

[mmendoza27]

I can't wait for these to show up so that all the questions can finally be answered, the most burning one for me being whether this chip can do SSE4 or not? If so, then I'm definitely getting it. I'll probably get it anyway, unless it turns out to be a stovetop like the MBP.

By the way, have any of you tried the Thermaltake iXoft for laptop heat dissipation? It's awesome and works really well. Just thought I'd pass that along. Ah, the wonders of chemistry...

Only the Penryn chips do SSE4, those aren't even in the MBP's yet, only the Mac Pro's. Even then, it will probably only benefit for video editing and encoding. It's not really going to be hot, the MBP's and MB's TDP is 35 watts, this processor is around 17-20, but the casing is smaller of course. I don't think this will really be too hot, but haven't seen the inside of a MBA.

[Lord Sam]

I hope mine gets here soon! I can't wait!:D

[camarobh]

No MBA's in SD just yet, at least at the Fashion Valley store.

I am anxious to augment my iMac with the MBA, it is perfect for traveling. I think people who are critical of the MBA don't understand the target market. In my mind it isn't someone who is replacing a MBP or desktop, it is someone like me who has an iMac and wants something small and light to travel with. And for that it is perfect.

[mrrydogg]

No MBA's in SD just yet, at least at the Fashion Valley store.

I am anxious to augment my iMac with the MBA, it is perfect for traveling. I think people who are critical of the MBA don't understand the target market. In my mind it isn't someone who is replacing a MBP or desktop, it is someone like me who has an iMac and wants something small and light to travel with. And for that it is perfect.

Its thin, not small.

[MLeepson]

On the Apple Retail site it says:
The world's thinnest notebook is coming.
MacBook Air will be available at Apple Retail Stores soon. Check back for the most up-to-date in-store availability.

Maybe they'll have the same thing as they did for the iPhone; a part of the web site that says if the iPhone/MBA is available or not at each store. (green and red circles)

[arn]

user manual.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/MacBook_Air_Users_Guide.pdf

arn

[cloudnine]

who gives a dookie? where's the 10.5.2 update that macrumors implied was coming out immediately like a week ago?

o_O gah.

[Akira1980]

No MBA's in SD just yet, at least at the Fashion Valley store.

I am anxious to augment my iMac with the MBA, it is perfect for traveling. I think people who are critical of the MBA don't understand the target market. In my mind it isn't someone who is replacing a MBP or desktop, it is someone like me who has an iMac and wants something small and light to travel with. And for that it is perfect.


If I had a iMac or MacPro, I would get MBA in a second to bring it with me everywhere.

[UMHurricanes34]

I can't take the wait for 10.5.2 anymore. My iMac has become nearly useless in the past couple of days. It seems everything I do causes a stall and finder hangs every 20 minutes.

[AppleMojo]

As far as delivery goes, Apple stores have always not been made aware of ship dates.

As far back as I can remember, new devices and systems just arrive. Apple employees find out when we find out.

[lazyrighteye]

user manual.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/MacBook_Air_Users_Guide.pdf

arn

Oooh, thanks!
A fun read...

[BornAgainMac]

I wish the actual hard drive was user installable and you can purchase it without the drive so it can ship earlier. And you can purchase your own 8 / 16 GB solid-state drive for about $100 bucks (guessing) until the higher capacity SSD's came down in price. I am sure the price of those drives will drop quickly in the next 18 months compared to other components.

[mdl0039]

I ordered on Jan. 16th, the day after they announced it, and have still not received a shipping notice... anxiously awaiting despite what you nay-sayers say.

[AppleMojo]

Its thin, not small.

I think it's small. It's not large and it's not tiny... but it is small.

[naroola]

If you read the user manual for the Macbook Air, it says that you can install the remote disk software on any Windows XP or Vista machine or any Mac running 10.4.10 or later - this is on page 15. I guess people who are still on 10.3 are left out.

Also, on page 16, it clearly states that the Remote disk software is on the OS X install disk 1. I wonder if we'll be able to download this software from Apple's website as well. I don't want to take my install disks on the road everywhere.

Sorry if all the above was previously mentioned already.

[nagromme]

Found only one new thing in the manual: the lid opens to 125 degrees. That's 35 degrees past vertical.

[SteveSparks]

Found only one new thing in the manual: the lid opens to 125 degrees. That's 35 degrees past vertical.


Only 35 degrees past verticial!!!! :confused: That is a deal breaker for me!! :p

[fishkorp]

Ordered at 6:00pm EST the day of the keynote and mine still says "not yet shipped." No BTO options either, just stock base model. Damn, was hoping it would ship today too since others seem to be shipping.

[mrrydogg]

I think it's small. It's not large and it's not tiny... but it is small.

Its bigger than a regular MacBook.....barely, but it is. Its light and thin, but not smaller than anything Apple already makes.

[malckwan]

Interesting that the MacBook AIR has the IR port for the remote, but the "What Comes in the Box" illustration in the PDF manual does not show an Apple Remote in the box.

Anyone have some clarity on this?

[diabolic]

Anyone have some clarity on this?

The MBA does not ship with the Apple Remote. You have to buy it as an add-on.

[jedivulcan]

It's kind of a slap in the face that an Apple Remote is 20 dollar cost extra when it ships in both Macbook and Macbook Pro systems...

[mrrydogg]

It's kind of a slap in the face that an Apple Remote is 20 dollar cost extra when it ships in both Macbook and Macbook Pro systems...

Yeah what's up with that? Sucks big time.

[diabolic]

Yeah what's up with that? Sucks big time.

Looks like they include the DVI adapter cable instead of the remote.

[andy721]

About the Mac Pros 8800GT Limited cards, I am so pissed that they give me 40 days to get this mac pro I purchased Jan 17th, this better ship in a week or less. Don't ship it at the date you gave me in the invoice FEB 29th time arrive to my house, Such *********.:mad:

[oldwatery]

Loop Rumors have just posted this story which calls for a Friday release in Apple stores.

"Apple is planning to release its MacBook Air for sale in its retail stores this Friday.

Stores have already received planograms that instruct how to install the window displays and are calling on employees to stay late at the close of business on Thursday to set up the new window treatment.

As you can see, Apple plans to use the effect of the new laptop 'floating' in the cloud background.

According to many reports, Apple's MacBook Air has already shipped to those who ordered early and will also arrive on Friday, February 1st."

http://www.looprumors.com/article.php?apple-readies-macbook-air-displays,1939617461

[Salty Pirate]

Page 22 of the users manual says:

NOTICE: Wait a few seconds until the sleep indicator light on the front of your
MacBook Air starts pulsing (indicating that the computer is in sleep and the hard disk
has stopped spinning) before you move your MacBook Air. Moving your computer
while the hard disk is spinning can damage it, causing loss of data or the inability to
start up from the hard disk.

Do they all say that? I move my MBP all the time. Is the 1.8" disk super sensitive to movement and head crash? Do I need to cancel my 1.8/80GB and just go with the SSD, even though less space more money???

[yayaba]

I can't take the wait for 10.5.2 anymore. My iMac has become nearly useless in the past couple of days. It seems everything I do causes a stall and finder hangs every 20 minutes.

I dunno if 10.5.2 is going to solve your problems there.

[SheriffParker]

Page 22 of the users manual says:

NOTICE: Wait a few seconds until the sleep indicator light on the front of your
MacBook Air starts pulsing (indicating that the computer is in sleep and the hard disk
has stopped spinning) before you move your MacBook Air. Moving your computer
while the hard disk is spinning can damage it, causing loss of data or the inability to
start up from the hard disk.

Do they all say that? I move my MBP all the time. Is the 1.8" disk super sensitive to movement and head crash? Do I need to cancel my 1.8/80GB and just go with the SSD, even though less space more money???

I don't think it would really be a problem. Most iPods have 1.8" disks and they move all the time. Plus Apple would never make a laptop that couldn't be moved while it was on. The idea is ridiculous. I move my MBP all the time while it is on, resting it on my lap, etc. It will be fine. I think Apple is just covering themselves legally.

[Salty Pirate]

I don't think it would really be a problem. Most iPods have 1.8" disks and they move all the time. Plus Apple would never make a laptop that couldn't be moved while it was on. The idea is ridiculous. I move my MBP all the time while it is on, resting it on my lap, etc. It will be fine. I think Apple is just covering themselves legally.

Lawyers suck™:D

[AidenShaw]

Too Bad... I really want to see what these things look like in person.

Find a three year old Dell Latitude X1, and clean up the lines a little. That's what it looks like.

Oh yes, and remove all of the useful ports like FireWire which the Dell has....

[AidenShaw]

I think it's small. It's not large and it's not tiny... but it is small.

The footprint (width x depth) is almost identical to a MacBook, therefore it won't fit in a small bag (like a standard briefcase).

It's thin (height is small), so after buying a large bag for it, there's more room for other stuff.

On the coach class airline tray table, it's no smaller than a MacBook due to the very wide bezel around the screen (why did Apple use such a wide bezel?).

And the chiclet keyboard doesn't exactly lend an air of elegance to it - but that's another discussion.

[R.Youden]

The footprint (width x depth) is almost identical to a MacBook, therefore it won't fit in a small bag (like a standard briefcase).

It's thin (height is small), so after buying a large bag for it, there's more room for other stuff.

On the coach class airline tray table, it's no smaller than a MacBook due to the very wide bezel around the screen (why did Apple use such a wide bezel?).

And the chiclet keyboard doesn't exactly lend an air of elegance to it - but that's another discussion.

I get the impression that a MacBook Air is not on your shopping list anytime soon?

[AidenShaw]

I get the impression that a MacBook Air is not on your shopping list anytime soon?

;)

Nope, it really misses out on some of the major things that I'd look for....


It's not that pretty. They could be aluminum or plastic, hard to tell without scratching it with a sharp object. Overall, looks like an update to an old Dell.
No user-swappable battery. If you're traveling or at an all-day conference - what do you do when the 2 1/2 to 3 hour battery dies? Pull out a spare MBA?
No ports? "Form" is getting way out in front of "function" here. I want my mouse, my Ethernet cable (this hotel doesn't have WiFi) and charge my cell phone and MP3 player. My Dell has 4 USB ports, and it's not that unusual to have all 4 in use.
The footprint is not small - that wide bezel around a good sized screen means that it's as big as a MacBook. Thinner counts for nothing on the airline tray tables. Smaller counts....


And there's the fact that Rev A is using a FrankenChip with a Merom wedged into a Penryn SFF chip carrier. There's the lack of 3G or WiMax (although Apple may have found it embarrassing to put 3G in a laptop (like Dell/HP/Lenovo/... do) when their trendy fashion statement cell phone doesn't have it).

But, Apple did do the right thing by dropping the optical drive. Too bad a lot of other usefull stuff went with it.

[thesmileman]

I found it really strange comming to MR and seeing that people had not already recieved there Macbook Airs. My dad got his yesterday. Has anyone else got theirs? My dad ordered his the first moment he could so maybe he was one of the first. How knows.

[AidenShaw]

I found it really strange comming to MR and seeing that people had not already recieved there Macbook Airs. My dad got his yesterday. Has anyone else got theirs? My dad ordered his the first moment he could so maybe he was one of the first. How knows.

And I find it really strange that a newbie who registered today, in her first post, makes a claim that seems more or less absurd to the rest of us.

Absurd because if MBAs had been delivered yesterday, we'd have 500 grainy YouTube videos of "Here's me unwrapping my new MacBook Air"....

I don't believe you, smile man. You probably don't even have a father.

[thesmileman]

And I find it really strange that a newbie who registered today, in her first post, makes a claim that seems more or less absurd to the rest of us.

Absurd because if MBAs had been delivered yesterday, we'd have 500 grainy YouTube videos of "Here's me unwrapping my new MacBook Air"....

I don't believe you, smile man. You probably don't even have a father.

First I have never posted because I just read the news. I probably never will again because it appears no one cares. Sorry for bothering the community.

[Chrispy88]

First I have never posted because I just read the news. I probably never will again because it appears no one cares. Sorry for bothering the community.

Post a pic of the macbook air!!! :)

[iViking]

Actually, they are in the stores, but they are so thin you can't even see them!

LOL

[matticus008]

The footprint (width x depth) is almost identical to a MacBook, therefore it won't fit in a small bag (like a standard briefcase).
I call shenanigans. A standard briefcase is 17x11x5, which is more than adequate for a MacBook Pro, let alone an Air.
On the coach class airline tray table, it's no smaller than a MacBook due to the very wide bezel around the screen (why did Apple use such a wide bezel?).
And since a 15" MBP can be used on a tray table, it's a non-issue (even a 17" fits, but I imagine it would be awkward in the coach cabin).

The bezel provides rigidity to the lid, which is somehow even thinner than the MacBook Pro. It's a minor thing, but given that Apple already has the thinnest upper shells on the market, they've kinda boxed themselves in. The Air looks less impressive next to the MacBook because the MacBook is among the thinnest notebooks to begin with.

[AidenShaw]

I call shenanigans. A standard briefcase is 17x11x5, which is more than adequate for a MacBook Pro, let alone an Air.

My bad, I was thinking of the traditional hard-sided briefcase with internal dividers for papers and other items.

It seems that these are more commonly called attaché cases, whereas briefcase is more generic.

The real point is that the true ultra-portables stay within the footprint of a sheet of A or A4 paper - they'll fit in a compartment meant for papers.

[mdl0039]

My bad, I was thinking of the traditional hard-sided briefcase with internal dividers for papers and other items.

It seems that these are more commonly called attaché cases, whereas briefcase is more generic.

The real point is that the true ultra-portables stay within the footprint of a sheet of A or A4 paper - they'll fit in a compartment meant for papers.

Hmmm Im a little confused... I thought Jobs pulled the MBA out of an envelope... an envelope meant for papers?

[AidenShaw]

Hmmm Im a little confused... I thought Jobs pulled the MBA out of an envelope... an envelope meant for papers?

Apple has been using an over-sized interoffice envelope in their ads - the kind that closes with a string. These are made for holding many sheets of paper, including normal sheet-sized envelopes with papers within.

"A" sheet - 8.5" x 11" x paper-thin
"A4" sheet - 210mm × 297mm
Office Depot "A" envelope (http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/330808/Office-Brand-Clasp-Recycled-Envelopes-x/;jsessionid=0000Iq9rm5JyKnzDJo2MuSL4Kvd:10gghks9k) - 9" x 12" x flat
MBA - 8.9" x 12.8" x 0.7" (227mm x 325mm x 20mm)
Office Depot Interoffice envelope (http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/844803/Office-Brand-Interdepartmental-Envelopes-x-Brown/;jsessionid=0000Iq9rm5JyKnzDJo2MuSL4Kvd:10gghks9k) - 10" x 13" x flat

Do the math.

And don't try to fit the MBA into a standard envelope - it's too big.

[joegomolski]

I can't take the wait for 10.5.2 anymore. My iMac has become nearly useless in the past couple of days. It seems everything I do causes a stall and finder hangs every 20 minutes.

Sounds like you need to do a reinstall of Mac OSX.
I believe it should clear up your problem.

[peterlobl]

seems likely that MBA will appear in PA on Friday, accord to slightly-less-than-peon store hounds...

on apple website, this confirm is great news for all PC (other than iPhone peeps like me)

"MacBook Air requires a USB optical drive for the installation of Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2) or Microsoft Windows Vista (32-bit versions only). The Remote Disc sharing software included with the MacBook Air cannot be used to install Microsoft Windows. Be sure to connect your external USB optical drive to your MacBook Air before starting the Boot Camp Assistant."

so can use current external DVD, can run BootCamp, can run in need-to cases PC apps!!!

MBA i get thee!

[AidenShaw]

so can use current external DVD, can run BootCamp, can run in need-to cases PC apps!!!

MBA i get thee!

Note that you don't need a USB optical for Windows applications, Windows file sharing has supported remote optical drives for a decade or two.

On the remote Windows system, simply enable sharing on the DVD. On the Windows MBA system, simply mount the share.

(No idea if Apple's CIFS implementation will serve a CD though.)

The only application that would need a local drive is a DVD movie player - since the DRM doesn't like a shared drive.

[matticus008]

My bad, I was thinking of the traditional hard-sided briefcase with internal dividers for papers and other items.

It seems that these are more commonly called attaché cases, whereas briefcase is more generic.

The real point is that the true ultra-portables stay within the footprint of a sheet of A or A4 paper - they'll fit in a compartment meant for papers.
An attaché is still 17x11 (on the inside) in profile--the same as a leather briefcase--they tend to be somewhat less deep, though. Different designers use slightly different proportions, but the general rule is the same. All are large enough to store US legal paper without folding, though ledger paper will sometimes not fit. Smaller cases have become fairly popular, but 17x11 is the traditional size.

Internal dividers might present a problem depending on your specific model, but every "standard" document carrier is at least 16" wide to accommodate normal paper sizes. A 15" notebook will fit inside any "standard" example of either a briefcase or an attaché case.

I'm not sure what you mean by a sheet of A paper--that would be four times the dimension of an A4 sheet. (Edit: it looks like you're talking about US letter size paper (ANSI A), but this is not "A paper" in most uses.)