With the other options for an apple laptop or an ipad, why are people buying a MBA? A relative of mine wants a apple laptop badly , so i've been looking at them. I dont see why i would buy an MBA over a macbook pro. Am i missing something?
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What is the appeal of a MBA?
- Thread starter LucasLand
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Why MacBook Air?
Maybe some people don't need the MB(P) and like the MBA, because it offers a smaller and lighter build?
Maybe some people don't need the MB(P) and like the MBA, because it offers a smaller and lighter build?
Yeah, smaller and lighter.
I think the issue is that the additional cost may be difficult to justify over, say, a 13" MB or MBP, given that the reduction in weight and size is not that significant and you take a performance hit.
So perhaps the better question is "Is it worth paying the price of the MBAir for the somewhat smaller size?"
I think the issue is that the additional cost may be difficult to justify over, say, a 13" MB or MBP, given that the reduction in weight and size is not that significant and you take a performance hit.
So perhaps the better question is "Is it worth paying the price of the MBAir for the somewhat smaller size?"
How often do you bring your laptop around with you?
In short, having the Air at least doubles the amount of time you will have a laptop with you.
if you have to ask, yes you are
Agreed; but I would not have understood it until I actually had it for some time...
weight, weight, weight.
nothing else. I need a good or better keyboard, a decent sized screen, and then the lightest possible weight. Nothing beats the AIR (if you like OSX), but I fear I may have to decide what is second best pretty soon. I suspect the AIR may be at the end of the line.
nothing else. I need a good or better keyboard, a decent sized screen, and then the lightest possible weight. Nothing beats the AIR (if you like OSX), but I fear I may have to decide what is second best pretty soon. I suspect the AIR may be at the end of the line.
Mobility. If you are mobile a lot with a notebook and can live within the MBA limitations (cpu, ram, storage, ports etc) its a phenomenal machine thats a MUCH better mobility experience than the 13" MBP.
Lots of people would be as well or better served with a MBP or MB, but where mobility is the primary factor the MBA is worth taking a look at.
An iPad is an appliance not a general purpose computer as it runs such limited software in such limited ways not really suitable for someone that needs a computer.
You can ask these questions all day long. Why an iPad over an iPod. Why a mbp over a mb. Why bother getting a Mac Pro when you can save a bunch of money and just get an iMac with the benefits of being an all in one computer. The whole reason apple has so many different computer models is that they have so many different customers and each person likes something different or values something different. Some people like the Air because it is very light weight, powerful enough for most tasks, and it very attractive to hold and work on. I can tell you that while a 13" Macbook is not a heavy notebook you really can tell the difference by having a MacBook in your lap for an hour, versus having a MacBook Air in your lap for an hour.
The MBA is a laptop stripped to its essentials. A good quality screen in the smallest really usable size and resolution. A full size keyboard and a large comfy trackpad. Solid wireless connectivity. Rigid metal design. Pretty good battery life (~4 hours). OSX.
And thats it.
Eliminating all the legacy ports and extraneous slots allowed Apple to make a laptop that really feel effortless to carry and use. If your usage can fit into the Air's limitation it is a great choice.
I have both the Air and a 13" MBP. The difference in weight is only 1.5 lbs, but that's an additional 50% of the weight of the Air when carrying the MBP. The different in weight (and even bulk) is quite apparent to me.
I've retired my Air (a first gen, with 64GB SSD) because it runs scary hot and performance is quirky, but I'd buy a new one immediately if it became available. I'd be happy with the current specs plus 4GB RAM. I'd really like the glass track pad too, if possible.
The Air is just a sweet piece to carry, and I can do most of my office work on it, and even run my full Eclipse-based development environment on it. I don't miss built-in cellular in my Macs since I carry a Mifi.
I've retired my Air (a first gen, with 64GB SSD) because it runs scary hot and performance is quirky, but I'd buy a new one immediately if it became available. I'd be happy with the current specs plus 4GB RAM. I'd really like the glass track pad too, if possible.
The Air is just a sweet piece to carry, and I can do most of my office work on it, and even run my full Eclipse-based development environment on it. I don't miss built-in cellular in my Macs since I carry a Mifi.
Its a stupid question really, why do you think its called an "AIR"?
I bought one because I travel a lot and dont want to be hulking a 5.6 pound laptop around, simple!
I bought one because I travel a lot and dont want to be hulking a 5.6 pound laptop around, simple!
And the answer is...
The OP question is akin to asking: 'What's the appeal of the 17" MBP since there are smaller models that essentially do the same thing.'
Agreed. Different machines for specific tasks.
The OP question is akin to asking: 'What's the appeal of the 17" MBP since there are smaller models that essentially do the same thing.'
Agreed. Different machines for specific tasks.
iPad is the new MacBook Air*, but it is not a MBA**.
* Its the new ultraportable machine from Apple.
** The Air is a more powerful and does more computer-related tasks while the Pad is more for for watching, reading and browsing.
I thought it was a good analysis, too. I recently bought an iPad instead of an MBA. I did so, however, only because the software I habitually run, including Fusion and Windows 7 in Unity mode, meant that the MBA, with its 2Gb RAM limitation, wouldn't work for me. The danger for anyone considering an iPad is that they expect it to do too much. Although the iPad is smaller, lighter, easier to handle, and a bunch cheaper than the MBA, there is a lot it won't do. That's why it's very important to consider that, when you get beyond Web browsing and reading, the iPad has significant limitations. It's an ultra portable device, as is the MBA. As such, both have strengths and weaknesses and its up to the prospective buyer to decide before buying either which strengths are more important and which weaknesses less so.
Hi ... first post from a long time Apple user.
The appeal of the Air to me is simply the weight, how thin, I like the way it looks.
I'm a Photographer and have a Mac Pro as my main machine for doing the heavy work, Last week I bought an i7 Macbook Pro and the moment I got home I felt it was the wrong purchase .... reasons? it was too heavy and too big to pack in to a bag along with two camera bodies, lenses, etc etc. I stuck with it for a week and tried to convince myself otherwise and felt it was overkill. I don't need that much power in a notebook and I wouldn't want to edit hundreds of images on a 15" screen.
So what did I need? A light weight, reasonably powerful, quick, robust notebook. Something I can pick up and move away from my desk and sit on the sofa or out in the garden .... it had to run OSX as I have too much invested in applications to switch OS .... plus I really enjoy using OSX over Windows. Now all of the above features could be had in a 13" MacBook Pro with more power and less money .... but still heavier and not as comfortable to use in my opinion. I genuinely feel that the MacBook Air for laptop use has better ergonomics with the keyboard area being lower profile and not requiring my wrists to rest on the edge of the casing like they did on the MacBook Pro.
I returned my MBP Pro and took an Air instead and absolutely love it .... I'm comfortable with the fact I paid nearly £400 more than the more powerful base level MBP Pro, I'm comfortable with only having one USB port and no built in superdrive, I'm comfortable in admitting that looks were a deciding factor .... who can honestly say they don't take aesthetics in to account when making any kind of purchase?
I'm completely happy with my purchase of a MacBook Air ...
The appeal of the Air to me is simply the weight, how thin, I like the way it looks.
I'm a Photographer and have a Mac Pro as my main machine for doing the heavy work, Last week I bought an i7 Macbook Pro and the moment I got home I felt it was the wrong purchase .... reasons? it was too heavy and too big to pack in to a bag along with two camera bodies, lenses, etc etc. I stuck with it for a week and tried to convince myself otherwise and felt it was overkill. I don't need that much power in a notebook and I wouldn't want to edit hundreds of images on a 15" screen.
So what did I need? A light weight, reasonably powerful, quick, robust notebook. Something I can pick up and move away from my desk and sit on the sofa or out in the garden .... it had to run OSX as I have too much invested in applications to switch OS .... plus I really enjoy using OSX over Windows. Now all of the above features could be had in a 13" MacBook Pro with more power and less money .... but still heavier and not as comfortable to use in my opinion. I genuinely feel that the MacBook Air for laptop use has better ergonomics with the keyboard area being lower profile and not requiring my wrists to rest on the edge of the casing like they did on the MacBook Pro.
I returned my MBP Pro and took an Air instead and absolutely love it .... I'm comfortable with the fact I paid nearly £400 more than the more powerful base level MBP Pro, I'm comfortable with only having one USB port and no built in superdrive, I'm comfortable in admitting that looks were a deciding factor
.... who can honestly say they don't take aesthetics in to account when making any kind of purchase? I'm completely happy with my purchase of a MacBook Air ...
As long as you are satisfied that the MBA's 2Gb of RAM will be enough for your purposes, I think you will likely be very happy with it. But for its limited RAM, I would have bought an MBA, too, but didn't for the reasons stated in my last post. As nice as the MBPs are, they are significantly thicker and heavier than the very svelte MBA. Enjoy!Hi ... first post from a long time Apple user.
The appeal of the Air to me is simply the weight, how thin, I like the way it looks.
I'm a Photographer and have a Mac Pro as my main machine for doing the heavy work, Last week I bought an i7 Macbook Pro and the moment I got home I felt it was the wrong purchase .... reasons? it was too heavy and too big to pack in to a bag along with two camera bodies, lenses, etc etc. I stuck with it for a week and tried to convince myself otherwise and felt it was overkill. I don't need that much power in a notebook and I wouldn't want to edit hundreds of images on a 15" screen.
So what did I need? A light weight, reasonably powerful, quick, robust notebook. Something I can pick up and move away from my desk and sit on the sofa or out in the garden .... it had to run OSX as I have too much invested in applications to switch OS .... plus I really enjoy using OSX over Windows. Now all of the above features could be had in a 13" MacBook Pro with more power and less money .... but still heavier and not as comfortable to use in my opinion. I genuinely feel that the MacBook Air for laptop use has better ergonomics with the keyboard area being lower profile and not requiring my wrists to rest on the edge of the casing like they did on the MacBook Pro.
I returned my MBP Pro and took an Air instead and absolutely love it .... I'm comfortable with the fact I paid nearly £400 more than the more powerful base level MBP Pro, I'm comfortable with only having one USB port and no built in superdrive, I'm comfortable in admitting that looks were a deciding factor
I'm completely happy with my purchase of a MacBook Air ...
It's a ultraportable computer from Apple; that's it; it gets the job done at a minimalist way. Sure it lacks a lot of connectivity, but altogether it works.
And for another $500 less than that, I can walk to the library to read books, go online, check my emails, but it doesn't make an iPad.
And for another $500 less than that, I can walk to the library to read books, go online, check my emails, but it doesn't make an iPad.
the fact that i can run professional grade software on it, light PS work, SPSS, and still carry it with two fingers
For many the MBA is the finest portable machine made. Fits the bill in all of my uses to date. The sexy part helps all the more.
Save your shoulders
I've already saved the price difference in chiropractor bills.
(as a student, I carry the MBA everywhere, and even the smallish weight difference totally changed my life.)
I've already saved the price difference in chiropractor bills.
(as a student, I carry the MBA everywhere, and even the smallish weight difference totally changed my life.)