Is MBA your dream laptop?

[silverblack]

People usually come to this forum to report problems and look for solutions. Occasionally, some need reasons to justify their decisions NOT to buy MBAs.

I don't think it's fair, and I want to tell everyone that I have been very very happy with my MBA. In fact, it is the dream machine that I have been waiting all these year since I switched over to Mac OS (panther).

To me, a true portable laptop should be less than 4 pounds. My first Mac notebook was a 12" powerbook. It wasn't heavy, but not light either. However, Apple discontinued it when migrating to Intel. The G4 processor was getting too slow, and so I had to get a Macbook. Macbook was surely a good-value laptop. With 4 GB of ram, my powerbook was no comparison. I was happy with its power and value, but my only complaint was the weight.

During the time I have my Macbook, I've always missed my Windows days when I owned a Sony ultraportable. I have seriously considered hacking a Sony to run OS X, and desperately hoped that Apple would come up with an ultraportable one day... then they announced the MBA.

I was a bit disappointed at first that the MBA had the same footprint as the macbook (I wished it was smaller). However, I had to buy it. I didn't even care what's in and not in the MBA, I just couldn't wait to lose 2 pounds off my briefcase.

After I owned the MBA, I started liking it more and more. Apple's choice of going with the 13" screen and hence the larger (macbook) footprint was actually a good one. I am very happy with the screen. The heat issue - to me is, "What heat issue?". I don't think my macbook ran any cooler than my MBA. All laptops (computers) run hot under stress - that's the law of Physics. May be I am lucky, I never run into core shut-down issues. I admit that I'm no software or graphic engineer. I use my MBA as my sole computer for office and internet use all day (1.6 GHz, 80Gb HDD). I also rip and convert movies from time to time, no problem. The computing power is sufficient for my needs. I connect it to an external monitor when I use it on my desk, and I take it with me where ever I go. Couldn't be happier.

Anyone else care to join me in sharing your happy thoughts?

[Cabbit]

The air will be my dream computer onces it gets a GPU, matte screen, stereo sound, larger SSD and loose the USB port it has no use.

[TwinCities Dan]

No, the lack of a CD drive was a deal breaker for me, they are pretty though... ;) :)

[mBurns]

No, I don't think I could purchase on with its current limitations in good concious.

[sushi]

The MBA is a wonderful solution for those that it fits their needs.

I was about ready to get one, and I must admit that I do check them out each time I visit a store that has them on display, but the following kept me from getting one:

A. Only available with a glossy display. I neet a matte screen.

B. Small HD for my needs. Sure I could get an external, but IMHO that sort of defeats the purpose of the MBA.

C. No Firewire.

Instead I purchased a MBP15 2.4 (last year's model), after the new ones came out, at a big discount. I've upped the RAM to 4GB and will be installing a 500GB HD this week. So instead of rotating between 4 computers, I will now be able to use one instead. Sweet.

Originally, I planned to get the MBA to augment my desktop and other computers. However, now that I've gone the MBP route for everything I may just stick with that. Not 100% sure yet, but this solution is growing on me. :)

[ScottFitz]

It just depends on why you buy one, what your needs are. It's perfect for what I do. The screen is amazing.

[silverblack]

Didn't you know that you CAN get MBA with a superdrive, larger HDD, even faster CPU and up to 4GB of RAM? It's called the Macbook; comes in black and white. Stop asking!

[ryanide]

the MBA, while thin, is still too large. It has the same outter dimensions as the other macbooks, while having reduced features.

A perfect subcompact would be like Sony's TX or TZ series with Mac OS X and Apple's sleek outter finish. i would rather have a smaller form factor that is slightly heavier if it included the DVD burner (or better yet Blu-Ray) and USB and ethernet.

The 12" Macbook G4 was the closest Apple has come to a subcompact.
The Air is just a bunch of PR Air!!!

[silverblack]

the MBA, while thin, is still too large.

I used to think like you before, until I actually own an MBA. Now I totally prefer thin over small footprint. Why? Two reasons. 1) When carrying it in a briefcase, thin (and light) dimension fits much better. 2) Bigger footprint = larger screen.

If you have a chance to test drive the MBA for a day or two, you'll know what I mean.

[bc008]

The 12" Macbook G4
did i miss something?
do you mean iBook?

[Gregintosh]

I think the dimensions are perfect. With the laptops I owned before I always wanted something lighter (not necessarily thinner but that's a nice bonus). The MBA has hit the perfect weight where I can carry it around for a long time and while I am doing that I can forget I even have a laptop on me.

The CD-ROM being taken out is totally ahead of its time, but for someone like me who hardly uses CDs at all as is its totally not even noticeable, much less a deal breaker.

The only things I would do to it are increase storage a little bit on the SSD, which is going to be an inevitable upgrade in the near future (within a year or two I am sure 120-250GB SSD HDs will be around) and make it run cooler (the speed is fine on the SSD HD, but if it could run at full speed while maintaining near silence, it would be beautiful).

And lastly I would increase battery life. I make this wish for every computer since I love the idea of not having to take my charger with me. The MBA is already there since I only use it for 2-3 hours on the go when I do take it out which is usually fine with no charger, but 7-9 hour battery life would be beautiful. That's totally a "some day" wish though, definitely not happening in the near future.

[TwinCities Dan]

The CD-ROM being taken out is totally ahead of its time, but for someone like me who hardly uses CDs at all as is its totally not even noticeable, much less a deal breaker.


Alright, we obviously use our computers very differently (which is good) and I do agree that is totally ahead of its time. I just think a lot of people still have needs for CDs. A lot of people go buy their software and music in stores and it comes on discs, how does that work with the remote drive thingy? I understand the Air is a portable and meant to be as thin and light as possible but I stick with my big ol' clunker MBP... ;) :)

(I don't think the Air will be the only computer without a CD drive, it is ahead of its time, the question is how far is it ahead? :confused:)

[ScottFitz]

My air links flawlessly to my imac's dvd drive. It's awesome.

[TwinCities Dan]

My air links flawlessly to my imac's dvd drive. It's awesome.

I am curious about this feature (which sounds great if you have multiple macs! :p)...

Is it only mac compatible? Or will any ol' PC with wireless work? I assume both computers need wireless cards correct? :confused:

[ScottFitz]

I am curious about this feature (which sounds great if you have multiple macs! :p)...

Is it only mac compatible? Or will any ol' PC with wireless work? I assume both computers need wireless cards correct? :confused:

It's supposed to work nicely with PC's as well.

[TwinCities Dan]

It's supposed to work nicely with PC's as well.

Interesting, what if the PC doesn't have wireless can you connect and use the drive via ethernet or firewire or something?

[TheBearman]

Interesting, what if the PC doesn't have wireless can you connect and use the drive via ethernet or firewire or something?

Works fine with my PC. It is hard wired to the net(router) with the Air connected wirelessly.

[TwinCities Dan]

Thanks for all the answers guys, that is very impressive technology (didn't mean to hijack the thread :o)

Thanks again guys, I'll let real MacBook Air owners discuss...

[billyripkin]

In the past year I have owned a Macbook and then a Macbook Pro and now a Macbook Air and I think I am in love. I never used the DVD drive and could care less about the USB/firewire ports. I have iMac for those things, what I needed was a simple ultra portable laptop that could get me on the net and let me watch movies. For me this computer is a homerun.:)

[a104375]

personally I never plan to get a MBA due to what I have heard about the overheating and strange sluggishness. If those are fixed I would definitely consider it but dream laptop, not anytime soon..ill stick with a MB or MBP

[AC Rempt]

And of course, you can get a SuperDrive for it. I actually did and use it to watch the occasional DVD. Works just fine, and most the time, I don't need it, so it stays in its alcove at home. Easily done.

And no, while I love my Air, it isn't my dream computer. I love the size, the screen, the keyboard and so much more, but I want a 12 hour battery, a terabyte hard drive and unlimited RAM with a voice activated OS.

Until then, I'll make do.

[Sound Evolution]

Dear,

The MBA was and is still my dream laptop, and it does everything I need very good and very fast. There is only one issue that turns my dream into a nightmare and that is that hell of a core shutdown every time.

It is unbelievable that it is not possible to have a skype conversation on a computer of nearly $3000. All my PC friends who I always coursed before :D laugh at me and my mac if after 10 minutes my webcam image starts to stutter and the freeze because of my core shutdown...:(

With kind regards,
Bas

[MacGeek7]

If I had a lot of money I would ditch my MacBook, get a 24" iMac and a MacBook Air. but i don't have a lot of money so my MacBook is a good compromise

[gcmexico]

It's my dream machine...meets all my needs...mba rocks!!:D

[Apple Ink]

Its preeettttyyyy......

And thats where it ends. Nothing more!

Yeah Its my dream computer if trump can finance it for me!;)

[jons]

Yeah, I tried one for about a week, fell in love and had to buy one. It's the perfect travel computer to compliment my Mac Pro.

[alphaod]

My dream machine: a computer that has a GPU, big screen, nice battery life (replaceable too!), lots of ports and connections, nice speakers, and an optical drive. Wait I already own that.

The Air is good laptop for many people, but not me.

[Sesshi]

My dream laptop doesn't exist.

The best ultraportable I've had is the Sony TZ. The best 13" ultraportable I've had is the X300. The best 13" lightweight I've had is the Sony SZ. The only 13" supported OS X platform that I can practically carry all day I've had is the Air.

[pilotError]

I used to think like you before, until I actually own an MBA. Now I totally prefer thin over small footprint. Why? Two reasons. 1) When carrying it in a briefcase, thin (and light) dimension fits much better. 2) Bigger footprint = larger screen.

If you have a chance to test drive the MBA for a day or two, you'll know what I mean.

I agree. I too read the MR bashing posts and thought it might not be for me. I wanted light. I already have an iMac that does the bulk of my computing, this was my portable machine. I got a great price on it, so I went for it. No regrets whatsoever.

I waited to purchase the Superdrive and I'm glad I did, since I haven't had any real need for it yet. I don't miss the ports (or lack thereof) and I haven't had a real need for wired ethernet yet.

I never really had the concept of a "Dream Laptop", but the MBA is much better than most of the bashers had made it out to be. Just look at this post, folks who don't own it came in to bash it.


Alright, we obviously use our computers very differently (which is good) and I do agree that is totally ahead of its time. I just think a lot of people still have needs for CDs. A lot of people go buy their software and music in stores and it comes on discs, how does that work with the remote drive thingy? I understand the Air is a portable and meant to be as thin and light as possible but I stick with my big ol' clunker MBP... ;) :)

(I don't think the Air will be the only computer without a CD drive, it is ahead of its time, the question is how far is it ahead? :confused:)

I wouldn't say its ahead. It either fits your needs or it doesn't. This is targeted as a portable second machine and it fits that role very well. If you want to rip and install 20 packages, spend the $99 and get the superdrive. The only thing I've had to use a CD drive for so far was Microsoft Office. Just about everything else I was able to download.

personally I never plan to get a MBA due to what I have heard about the overheating and strange sluggishness. If those are fixed I would definitely consider it but dream laptop, not anytime soon..ill stick with a MB or MBP

Don't believe everything you read. My machine is perfect and has never suffered from any of the reported symptoms. I'm a little suspect of someone that has come across 4 or 5 bad machines. Not to say that it hasn't happened, only that it's pretty unusual. Some folks never even tried to remedy the situation and installed software to reduce voltage to the chip. I don't believe that's a solution and should be taken back to Apple if it was that reproduceable.

There's a lot of bashers, but if you look at the MBA owners poll (a month ago?), you'll see very different numbers of happy owners. That's were the proof is, not someone who isn't buying it because they don't like the configuration or the price.

[ScottFitz]

I've owned a lot of laptops and they all got hot when I stressed them. I've not experienced any of the core shutdowns.

So, if I take that complaint out of the picture, I'm not sure what else there is to complain about. Everything else (lack of ports, no DVD, non-user replaceable battery, smallish hard drive) are all things you know about well in advance of any purchase.

You can either live with these limitations or you can't. :rolleyes:
I can and I'm very happy with it so far.

Pluses that have me wowed are:

LED backlit incredible screen
backlit keyboard
size and form factor
keyboard tactile feel
aluminum case
snappy performance
2 gb ram standard

It either meets your needs or it doesn't. The good news is that if it doesn't, Apple offers various Macbooks and Macbook Pros that ought to fit.

Rule of business: unhappy customers squawk much more tha happy customers. For every unhappy guy blogging it up, there's a couple of hundred that never pipe up.

[n0de]

I agree with GCMexico (if GCMexico=DS-W, this is JSK). It is perfect.

Not that I do not have a couple of complaints, but they are all about OS/Driver implementation on the Air, not the hardware itself.

For the comments on linking to drives on other Macs, all I did was turn on drive sharing in the standard OSX control panel on my Mini and the drive showed up in Finder on my MBA.

[Techguy172]

I would like a MacBook Air, but I'm not sure it's the Computer for me. The USB Ports, Storage and lack of overall performance would limit me. However I have tried it before and it was really light and nice to use.

[kelly g]

Mine is fantastic!

It runs a great deal faster than my iBook g4. I'm so excited to finally have a built-in iSight, illuminated keyboard, and a system that is portable enough to bring everywhere I go on campus. The heat issue and fans are completely manageable, and I'm yet to experience a core shutdown. An extra USB port would have been nice, but I don't miss the superdrive.

Love it. I'm so happy I chose Air over the nicely-priced MacBook. :apple:

[silverblack]

I forgot to comment about the price point of MBA.

I think Apple has done a perfect job in setting the price point, right in between the black Macbook and 15" MBP. It's not meant to be a student or value computer, so being more expensive than the MB makes perfect sense. Setting the price of MBA any lower would hurt the sales of Macbooks.

Likewise, MBA is not meant for power users. MBP should remain as the most expensive line of laptop, being the most powerful and luxury in performance.

I'm also glad that Apple offers the regular HDD and SSD options, and the fact that they now lowered the premium of getting the SSD. I opted for the traditional HDD, but will be upgrading it myself to SSD when the price comes down further. Related to this, I am very happy to see that the design of MBA allow easy access to the interior hardware.

[McKs]

The 12" Macbook G4 was the closest Apple has come to a subcompact.
did i miss something?
do you mean iBook?

He means the 12" PowerBook G4 (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook_g4/stats/powerbook_g4_1.5_12.html)
Slightly smaller and lighter than the 12" iBook of the time, it was a full featured 12" PowerBook; DVD burner, great keyboard (compared to the iBook), matte screen, discrete graphics etc. I still use mine daily. If only Apple made a 12" Macbook Pro, sigh.

[Chosenbydestiny]

It's going to take them a very long time to fit some of these "dream" components into the macbook air's form factor. Especially a decent GPU. The overheat issue reports are bad enough, why add more heat? And CD drives add to boot time, weight, and overall performance as well as a little bit more heat. It doesn't make sense. Just burn all of your optical disc images into an external hard disk.

[Cheffy Dave]

Originally Posted by Gregintosh
The CD-ROM being taken out is totally ahead of its time, but for someone like me who hardly uses CDs at all as is its totally not even noticeable, much less a deal breaker.

agree, if it's such a dealbreaker, you can still buy the additional one for $99, IMHO, many never use theirs, much less daily

[Cheffy Dave]

Another pricedrop,and at least a 128 SSD, gets me in the picture:rolleyes::cool::D
and I always forget about these
LED backlit incredible screen
backlit keyboard

[Cheffy Dave]

Dear,

The MBA was and is still my dream laptop, and it does everything I need very good and very fast. There is only one issue that turns my dream into a nightmare and that is that hell of a core shutdown every time.

It is unbelievable that it is not possible to have a skype conversation on a computer of nearly $3000. All my PC friends who I always coursed before :D laugh at me and my mac if after 10 minutes my webcam image starts to stutter and the freeze because of my core shutdown...:(

With kind regards,
Bas

Why aren't you heading to an Apple store with this issue???:rolleyes:

[Cheffy Dave]

http://blogs.computerworld.com/macbook_air_reccomendation_wait

Good rundown of reasons to wait - hopefully a new one is coming soon

Great article, thanks for posting Cleve;)

[Sound Evolution]

Why aren't you heading to an Apple store with this issue???:rolleyes:

Dear Cheffy,

I did and Apple is always very willing to help me. Tomorrow I get my 3rd MBA replacement.

The core shut down is a general problem that affect all MBA's. Not everyone will notice it though with average use. The good news is, that Apple is working in an solution and will be available soon.

With kind regards,
Bas

[janph76]

It fits my need so well that barely touch my iMac and my MacBook anymore........to be able to carry it around the house or other places is wonderful.

Can't imagine using anything else.

[carve]

Nah, the mbp is. I'm getting one when I go to highschool. Right now I have an iBook G4 and I love it, its just that I want something a bit faster.

[J&JPolangin]

...what I needed was a simple ultra portable laptop that could get me on the net and let me watch movies...:)

...= MSI wind with a faster processor (when over clocked), same size HDD and enough left $$ over to get one for all your friends (ducks and runs for cover)...

[a456]

No, I'd rather the MBP.

[silverblack]

The missing superdrive, to me, is one of the most desirable features. I don't know about you, but to me, that "di-di" sound the superdrive makes everytime you turn on or wake up a MB/MBP drives me nuts!! I have seriously considered opening up the darn thing to disconnect the drive.

I was so happy to know that the MBA does not have a superdrive. Aside from the quiet start up, it also lightens the weight and keeps it thin. I sincerely hope that Apple never brings the optical drive back in future generations of MBA.

I have a couple old USB DVD drives around to get the job done, never missed the integrated drive for even one moment.

[BWhaler]

For me, yes.

I travel a great deal, and I used to travel the world with the 17". I loved the power and the screen, but after "going small" I can never go back.

[crazydoctor2b]

i am stupid lol! i love sleek thin fun new stuff, MBA touch screen would be so siiiiick!

[HotAir]

If I had a lot of money I would ditch my MacBook, get a 24" iMac and a MacBook Air. but i don't have a lot of money so my MacBook is a good compromise

Gee you make me feel special as I have both.

The 24" iMac is my big fat wife at home and the MBA is my sexy mistress. ;)

[godslabrat]

My first laptop was a 13" Sony 505 series which I bought in 1999. I bought it because it was an inch thick, which at the time was mindblowing. I traveled so much I needed something small and portable.

The laptop I bought to replace that was another Sony 505 series, ca. 2003. Again, I bought it because it was an inch thick and could be easily shuffled around the house.

My current laptop is a 14" HP DV1000 series. Still about an inch thick, incredibly lightweight. It's been a great travel laptop.

I was happy with all the above, but the MacBook Air takes everything I liked and multiplies it by twenty! For a guy who has spent the past eight years chasing a laptop that is small, thin, durable, and gets good battery life, the MBA IS MY DREAM COME TRUE! Yes, I know that options were sacrificed to make the design the way it was, but those are ALL sacrifices I personally was willing to make. (Okay, truth be told, I wanted a matte screen too, but I'll take that lump.)

The MBA is what I've been trying to get in a laptop ever since I bought my first one. I'm in the process of re-evaluating how long I want the HP to last before I replace it, because there is no doubt what my next laptop will be.