I ordered my first MBA in January 2008 and my second last April (with hindsight, I should have waited 1.5 months until the last release, but this is another story). I love this machine because of its form. I disliked the MBPs because they are thick and have a useless optical drive. I like the new rMBP because it became almost as thin as the MBA by getting rid of the optical drive. I am tempted by a rMBP because I do some GPGPU programming with CUDA and it would be nice to have an nVIDIA GPU on my laptop (it will become a tough choice if a 13" rMBP with an nVIDIA GPU will come out, but this is yet another story).
However, what I would need much more on an everyday basis is built-in cellular connectivity, since I am often travelling, especially by train (I am based in Europe). I work around this lack using a Huawei LTE USB stick or my iPhone 4S (sadly without LTE), but it is not the maximum of comfort. I have been wondering since 2008 why cellular connectivity is not included in an ultraportable machine like the MBA that has been stressing wireless to the point of disposing of an ethernet port. I have been wondering even more since cellular connectivity came with the iPad. Now yet another new MacBook has been released, the rMBP, without built-in cellular connectivity. Why? Does this mean there is a decided Apple policy to leave this feature away from MacBooks? Or is it just a matter of time until it won't be offered just with the iPad?
However, what I would need much more on an everyday basis is built-in cellular connectivity, since I am often travelling, especially by train (I am based in Europe). I work around this lack using a Huawei LTE USB stick or my iPhone 4S (sadly without LTE), but it is not the maximum of comfort. I have been wondering since 2008 why cellular connectivity is not included in an ultraportable machine like the MBA that has been stressing wireless to the point of disposing of an ethernet port. I have been wondering even more since cellular connectivity came with the iPad. Now yet another new MacBook has been released, the rMBP, without built-in cellular connectivity. Why? Does this mean there is a decided Apple policy to leave this feature away from MacBooks? Or is it just a matter of time until it won't be offered just with the iPad?
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