The Future of the Macbook Air

[knemonic]

Hey everyone,

I was at my local apple store and noticed out of all their laptops on display, they only had one Air out. Three months ago, they had 3. I purchased one in October, refurbished for $1350. They drop the price down to $1200 three weeks later and I called them on that and they threw me a $100 refund. Now I look at the refurbished price and it is down to $1000.

Simply put, do you think there is a future for the Air? Is the market for an extremely thin and light laptop big enough to sustain the Air?

At this point, I almost want to sell mine because I am worried I am going to lose so much value, in six months it wont be worth $750. At least now I might be able to get $900 or so. I could then take that and invest in a new aluminum macbook or even get a plastic refurbished one for $850 which has a bigger hard drive, faster cpu, a superdrive and the ability to watch full screen video without a glitch. Obviously though the main reason I bought it was because it is so light, as light as a netbook but still a huge and glorious screen. I hate carrying around heavy things.

Thoughts?

[gan6660]

Apple is only lowering the prices because the economy is bad and the cost to make the air is dropping. I wouldnt be suprised if new ones cost $1500 or less in the next few months. Also they need to compete with $300 netbooks since the Air is a secondary machine.

[mkrishnan]

There is the issue that they're dealing with some of the dissatisfaction issues with the first gen Macbook Air, also. Remediable or not, they did sour the market slightly (particularly the heat and the problems some users experienced playing streaming video).

I think, on the other hand, that with Apple, there's also a lot of focus on the newest kid on the block. The new unibody MB/MBPs are getting a lot of that latest attention now. I would presume from that front that, when there's a significant revision to the Air, you'll see attention drift back.

[travis64]

i buy it for 900 ha

[qpid]

Who cares what the value is in 6 months? I don't buy my computer worrying about what it is worth in the future, I buy it because it is the tool I need for the task at hand.

[juro]

Who cares what the value is in 6 months? I don't buy my computer worrying about what it is worth in the future, I buy it because it is the tool I need for the task at hand.

Completely agree. Computers are not real estate.

The moment you buy one, it's already devalued.

[zer0tails]

Who cares what the value is in 6 months? I don't buy my computer worrying about what it is worth in the future, I buy it because it is the tool I need for the task at hand.

precisely. If your macbook air is working well for you, and you enjoy using it, why would you want to sell it simply because its value is going to be less in 6 months?!

Do you own a car? Do you own a new one every 6 months?

[CoreyMac]

Who knows what the future is, but I hope its great. After battling internally between purchasing a Rev.B 1.86/128SSD and a 2.4GHz/4GBRAM/250GBHD AlumBook, I went with the AlumBook. Its an outstanding unit and I wouldnt trade it for a current MBA....however the Rev.B was not too far off from what my ideal notebook is. Im gonna use this alumbook for about 2 years (Xmas 2010) then upgrade to what will hopefully be a beastly MacBook Air. a 2.4GHz/512GB SSD/4GB RAM MBA w/ Snow Leopard would be an absolute dream...and Im sure by then they'll be using an even lighter material in them than the current 3lb. aluminum casing. Excited to see the future :]

[stevo8]

Completely agree. Computers are not real estate.

The moment you buy one, it's already devalued.

Shoot if you bought a home in the area I live (CA bayarea)when the MBA was released and a MBA at the same time you still lost more % on the home then you did the computer. Pretty sad really.

[HasanDaddy]

I think the future is VERY bright for the MBA

I hope they offer bigger screens eventually, with the same small body

other than that - I think its a bright future

[jtmav]

Completely agree. Computers are not real estate.

The moment you buy one, it's already devalued.

Wouldn't that make them more like real estate? :eek:

JTMav

[Kan-O-Z]

Hey everyone,

I was at my local apple store and noticed out of all their laptops on display, they only had one Air out. Three months ago, they had 3. I purchased one in October, refurbished for $1350. They drop the price down to $1200 three weeks later and I called them on that and they threw me a $100 refund. Now I look at the refurbished price and it is down to $1000.

Simply put, do you think there is a future for the Air? Is the market for an extremely thin and light laptop big enough to sustain the Air?

At this point, I almost want to sell mine because I am worried I am going to lose so much value, in six months it wont be worth $750. At least now I might be able to get $900 or so. I could then take that and invest in a new aluminum macbook or even get a plastic refurbished one for $850 which has a bigger hard drive, faster cpu, a superdrive and the ability to watch full screen video without a glitch. Obviously though the main reason I bought it was because it is so light, as light as a netbook but still a huge and glorious screen. I hate carrying around heavy things.

Thoughts?

If the Apple stops making Air, it'll probably increase it's value. Think about how everyone talks about the 12" Powerbook on these forums. They make it sound like it was gods gift to Apple and that the Air pales in comparison...which is a bunch of *****. Anyways if Apple stops making the Air, the Air will become the new legendary Powerbook that people will yearn for and wish Apple still made. I'll bet you'll have no problems selling it.

I'm not concerned with Apple stopping to make the Air. If they do, I will really prize my Air as it's one of the most special laptops Apple has ever made. For me 13" screen size is PERFECT and it's THICKNESS(not footprint) is what makes it more portable than anything else on the market. For those that want to argue this point, whats more portable and easier to slip into a bag: a notepad or a small pizza box that has a smaller footprint than a notepad? On top of that, it's got enough power to be your main computer and it's also the most beautiful laptop on the planet!

Keep and enjoy your Air!

Kan-O-Z

[BlizzardBomb]

I think Apple should change the Air to a 12" widescreen but at the same 1280x800 resolution (like the Samsung P210s etc.). Right now, the MacBook is worryingly close to it in weight and better value for money for many people in the current economic climate. But hey, that's just my opinion :)

[Kan-O-Z]

I think Apple should change the Air to a 12" widescreen but at the same 1280x800 resolution (like the Samsung P210s etc.). Right now, the MacBook is worryingly close to it in weight and better value for money for many people in the current economic climate. But hey, that's just my opinion :)

The Macbook weighs 50% more than the Air. It may not sound like much on paper but pick them up side by side. On top of that, the Air is way thinner than the Macbook...again the Macbook is 4 times thicker than the Air. One feels like a magazine, the other feels like a book. Sure you can stuff a book into your backpack everywhere you go but wouldn't you rather just stuff a magazine in there instead? ;)

By the way, to top it off, the Air has a better screen than the Macbook. It's one of the best 13" screens on the market. The Macbook might be a better deal but once you've experienced the Air, you'll want it.

Kan-O-Z

[Kebabselector]

I know in the UK the MBA does not sell well at all. My local apple store has only 1 (maybe 2) MBAs on display. (actually only seen 1 MBA in the wild, plenty of other MBs)

John Lewis has dropped selling the Air as it just didn't sell (the guys at my local JL couldn't recall selling any). Sure it's a great design/product and the new version is even better but it seems people are voting with their wallets.

The new AluMacbooks are flying off the shelves though.

[CoreyMac]

The Macbook weighs 50% more than the Air. It may not sound like much on paper but pick them up side by side. On top of that, the Air is way thinner than the Macbook...again the Macbook is 4 times thicker than the Air. One feels like a magazine, the other feels like a book. Sure you can stuff a book into your backpack everywhere you go but wouldn't you rather just stuff a magazine in there instead? ;)

By the way, to top it off, the Air has a better screen than the Macbook. It's one of the best 13" screens on the market. The Macbook might be a better deal but once you've experienced the Air, you'll want it.

Kan-O-Z

50% lighter than the MacBook sounds better than saying the Air is only 1.5lbs lighter than the MacBook first of all....Secondly, the new MacBook is 0.95"....the Air is 0.76" .....thats not "way" thinner. The Air is a beautiful machine, but the problem I have with it is that it regardless of weight and "thinness" the Air still takes up the same amount of tabletop as the MacBook...which means it still essentially takes up the same amount of bag space as the MacBook. There is a weight difference between the two that is noticeable....but if you never held an Air, you would think the AlumBook is a dream. The Air needs to get lighter or a smaller footprint IMO because the AlumBook stole ALOT of its thunder, and Im not just saying this because I own one. I fully intend on buying what would be probably the MBA Rev.D Xmas 2010...Gonna ride this one out for a while.

[uniforms]

I think the future should be good for MBA. I had to wait for my local apple store to get one when it first came out and I bought one. I didn't have all the issues that I read about here, I found it to be a great machine. I didn't like the available hard drive space, so when B came out I sold my old one on ebay and bought the SSD 128. I have to say I do like the SSD version. It's VERY quiet. I recently bought the 24 inch Cinema display to go along with it and LOVE it!!! I hardly ever turn on the G5 now. I travel a great deal for work and weight is the most important thing. I carry my air and a portable canon printer along with catalogs and other small items. So by the time your done, every half pound makes a big difference. I would love to see a 2.5 lbs air, but I feel in order to get a solid case using other materials the air would get thicker and that would not be good either. I would like to see longer battery life, and hope the new technology from the 17 pro would transfer down to the next generation of air. I would also like more screen resolution. But I have to give Apple a lot of credit, the came out with one sweet machine! I'm sold!!! I'm not sure what I love more, my air or my iphone.

[fyrefly]

The LCD panels on the new MacBook Aluminums are just atrocious. I've used a MB Alu at work and the poor quality LCD on it gives me eye strain like an old CRT would. I'll take my RevA MBA over a new MB Alu any day.

Plus, if you're a road warrior, the 1.5lbs difference really does matter, if your laptop is with you 24/7 in a bag.

Also, the MBA is much more of a niche product than the MB, Apple's #1 selling Laptop. If you're using lower sales numbers as an indicator of the future you could also say there's no future for the 17" MBP or the Mac Mini, as both of those sell far less than the 13" MBs as well. :D

[rhyx]

MacBook Air will be staying around for a while.

[coupdetat]

As much as I like mine, I don't see the Air sticking around for more than a couple generations. They may not continue it after this current iteration. Apple does this from time to time--releasing risky products, which are cool/interesting but ultimately die off due to lack of market support.

My university is selling refurbed first gen MBA's for $999. It's been selling them since September and still has plenty of stock... no one's buying! They didn't even bother to order any second-gens, so the display model at the campus store is still a rev A.

Maybe the Air will become the next Cube or Newton.

[iMacmatician]

50% lighter than the MacBook sounds better than saying the Air is only 1.5lbs lighter than the MacBook first of all....Secondly, the new MacBook is 0.95"....the Air is 0.76" .....thats not "way" thinner. I guess everybody forgets that the MacBook Air tapers down to .16"?

The Air needs to get lighter or a smaller footprint IMO because the AlumBook stole ALOT of its thunder, The carbon fiber rumor. Who knows what the future will bring?

As for me, a 15" MacBook Pro with dual hard drives and a faster CPU would be almost the perfect notebook for me.

[spaceballl]

Who cares what the value is in 6 months? I don't buy my computer worrying about what it is worth in the future, I buy it because it is the tool I need for the task at hand.
I agree 100% that I buy the computer to USE, not as an investment. Technology drops in value faster than anything else. Now all that being said, I do care somewhat about the value of the computer because I always sell my old one to help pay for the new one!

[SFStateStudent]

The MBAir will do just fine. I'm looking forward to Rev. C next year...:p

[hscottm]

Just wanted to note (for the poster above who suggested that a possibility was that they might release an MBA at a lower price) that apple rarely reduces the price. In general they keep the same price points but pack in higher speed processors, more RAM, bigger hard drives, etc. Sometimes the prices go down slightly, but thats fairly rare, and mostly on non-computer items.

Anyway I wouldnt expect significant price changes on this model line. That doesnt mean they wont add something under the "umbrella" with a lower cost (this is part of the reasoning behind the iphone nano rumors).

ALso note while some people say iphone prices went down with the 3G, what really happened was the net price to the consumer went down but apple is basically getting the previous price from the manufacturer ($400-ish).

Apple does not compete on price.

[JoshJosh117]

If it's suiting your needs, then keep it. If you'd rather have a MBP or something, then sell it for as much as you can.

[CoreyMac]

I guess everybody forgets that the MacBook Air tapers down to .16"?

The carbon fiber rumor. Who knows what the future will bring?

As for me, a 15" MacBook Pro with dual hard drives and a faster CPU would be almost the perfect notebook for me.

Carbon Fiber would be great...if its good looking. Secondly, I didnt forget it goes down to .16"...but the fact remains you still have to accommodate for the thickest part of the unit which is .76"

[Scottsdale]

The MBA v2 is amazing. The first one was little more than a netbook. Everyone says the MBA doesn't sell because the first version is so cheap. I think the first version is obsolete which is why it's cheap. No matter if it was $500, the first MBA is not as good of a value as the new MBA at $2499! Nobody wants the netbook when they can have a MB that's super portable!

I think that Apple could eventually make the MBA into the MB. The new MBAs are nearly as powerful as the MBs.

So, one way or another, the MBA will live on for many years in my opinion. It may get smaller too! But right now, the MBA v2 is the coolest computer on the market.

I am waiting on MBA 3.0. I want:
Glass trackpad
Glass display (if it's light enough)
2 GHz CPU
4 GB RAM
256 GB SSD
Snow Leopard

Sell it for $2999 and I will buy it the day it's introduced. I really need the memory.

[CoreyMac]

The MBA v2 is amazing. The first one was little more than a netbook. Everyone says the MBA doesn't sell because the first version is so cheap. I think the first version is obsolete which is why it's cheap. No matter if it was $500, the first MBA is not as good of a value as the new MBA at $2499! Nobody wants the netbook when they can have a MB that's super portable!

I think that Apple could eventually make the MBA into the MB. The new MBAs are nearly as powerful as the MBs.

So, one way or another, the MBA will live on for many years in my opinion. It may get smaller too! But right now, the MBA v2 is the coolest computer on the market.

I am waiting on MBA 3.0. I want:
Glass trackpad
Glass display (if it's light enough)
2 GHz CPU
4 GB RAM
256 GB SSD
Snow Leopard

Sell it for $2999 and I will buy it the day it's introduced. I really need the memory.

I'm also waiting for the MBA to hit 2.0GHz, 4GB RAM & 256GB SSD before I buy one....but $2999? I would never pay 3g's for a 13" laptop with 1 USB port, no removeable battery and no dvd burner drive.......$2499 is already pushing it.

[Scottsdale]

I'm also waiting for the MBA to hit 2.0GHz, 4GB RAM & 256GB SSD before I buy one....but $2999? I would never pay 3g's for a 13" laptop with 1 USB port, no removeable battery and no dvd burner drive.......$2499 is already pushing it.

Well, the 256 GB option in SSD is $900 on the 17" MBP, so I doubt they can do it for $2499 right now. Maybe if it takes a year to release the next MBA it will be priced there. I am hopeful for a mid-year 2009 release of the MBA take 3!

Please Apple, take my money! Gladly pay the $2999 for the options I mentioned within the next few months.

[gkarris]

I am waiting on MBA 3.0. I want:
Glass trackpad
Glass display (if it's light enough)
2 GHz CPU
4 GB RAM
256 GB SSD
Snow Leopard

Sell it for $2999 and I will buy it the day it's introduced. I really need the memory.


Not in today's economy, try:

Glass trackpad
1.6 GHz Dual Core Atom
nVidia Ion
2 Gig RAM
120 Gig HD
Snow Leopard
$1,299

Just throwing this thought out there - Atom/Ion for the Mini, followed by Atom/Ion for the Air, which would lower costs.

[dubhe]

I am the target (consumer) buyer for the MBA, I have a steady job, I love Macs and I have a bonus coming in April. I have decided I want the MBA because of it's thinness, coolness (I also own a PB12), SSD and the fantastic screen. The cost is purely a technicality. If they dropped the price by £200 it wouldn't bring any more buyers.

The current MBA does everything I need, in my real world use (surfing web, pages and numbers, organising viewing photos/music/movies) I believe it is as fast as my current BlackBook.

I'll wait for Rev. C before I buy, but I hope they don't change anything on the outside. I like having a trackpad button, I like the design, though it would be nice to have a bit more RAM and a 2GHZ processor...

In summary, it is a great product because it is technically brilliant. If you think the AlumBook is in the same ballpark then the MBA is not for you.

[MooneyFlyer]

Who knows what the future is, but I hope its great. After battling internally between purchasing a Rev.B 1.86/128SSD and a 2.4GHz/4GBRAM/250GBHD AlumBook, I went with the AlumBook. Its an outstanding unit and I wouldnt trade it for a current MBA....however the Rev.B was not too far off from what my ideal notebook is. Im gonna use this alumbook for about 2 years (Xmas 2010) then upgrade to what will hopefully be a beastly MacBook Air. a 2.4GHz/512GB SSD/4GB RAM MBA w/ Snow Leopard would be an absolute dream...and Im sure by then they'll be using an even lighter material in them than the current 3lb. aluminum casing. Excited to see the future :]

+1 -- Almost the exact same thoughts, outcome, and new plan. Occasionally, on a long trip, I wish I had the lighter unit... but not all that often. (Leaving for ASIA on Monday for 2 weeks -- that will be one of those times!)

[Airforcekid]

:apple:People cant look ahead well and still think we need a cd drive I saw people worried that there was no floppy. Once wireless gets even more advanced it will be a way better seller!:apple:

[dvdhsu]

i buy it for 900 ha

Now that's not very nice.
But yeah, you shouldn't be buying a computer based on its resale value, you should be buying it on how much you need it, and like it.:D

[Scottsdale]

Not in today's economy, try:

Glass trackpad
1.6 GHz Dual Core Atom
nVidia Ion
2 Gig RAM
120 Gig HD
Snow Leopard
$1,299

Just throwing this thought out there - Atom/Ion for the Mini, followed by Atom/Ion for the Air, which would lower costs.

I don't want those specs, and I don't want a lower price. Having lower prices means compromises. I don't want compromises. I want top-notch hardware, and I want ultra portability.

The Atom would ruin the MBA. I love having a true Core 2 Duo 45 NM Penryn Chip in there. And the 6 MB L2 cache really is the difference to the MBs slightly faster CPU speed but only 3 MB L2 cache.

Another person said it, a $400 price break isn't going to change anything. At this price, it's a luxury item. We are paying for the luxury of super portability. Otherwise, we would all choose the MB at 50% heavier with optical drive. The MB and MBA have one difference - portability. They both have nearly the same specs. And if you use it with a lot of peripherals, the MB has more ports. But, the MBA buyer is willing to pay the premium for ultra lightweight and super COOL features.

I think the future of the MBA is bright. A MB Lite or MB Nano or MB Mini can have an Atom chip and smaller display. I will take my MBA fully loaded! Make it better, charge more, sell more. If the MBA had a dedicated graphics chip in it, they would probably sell three times as many. Lots of MBP buyers NEED a dedicated graphics chip but want a 13.3" display. That may be in the future of the MBA (I can always hope for it).

LONG LIVE THE MACBOOK AIR!

[oscillatewildly]

The MacBook and MB Air will merge to become the MacBook. DVD in 3 years? SSD capacity increasing, battery technology, charging by magnetic induction ... In 3 to 5 years the thinness and weight of the MacBook will be close enough to the current MB Air.

Cheers,
OW

[iMacmatician]

In 3 to 5 years the thinness and weight of the MacBook will be close enough to the current MB Air.I don't think the MacBook Pro will merge with any Air derivative, but I can see the MacBook merging into the MacBook Air. But that'll take many years.

[liketom]

even though i've just bought a MBA but not got it yet - reading this thread reminds me of an older Apple product that was treated the same way :

Apple Cube - hated for the price on release - Still loved by the faithfull til this day
http://www.theapplecollection.com/design/macreleased/images/g4_cube_front.jpg