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So in 2014 we will have only 1 macbook air?

D

Dr. McKay

macrumors 6502a
Jan 20, 2010
818
112
Belgium, Europe
skaertus said:
So, Macs are not always superior to PCs. Especially old Mac models.
Click to expand...

You're talking purely about hardware specs. My opinion is that although an equivalent PC may have better specs, the execution and implementation of hardware and software is way better on a Mac.
Windows 8 will never work as smoothly together with any PC because it runs on a myriad of devices, each with their own advantages and quirks. In all honesty, if Apple licensed OS X to hardware vendors, you'd see the same thing happening in OS X. There are simply too many variables.

So yes, Apple is expensive, but more than worth it.
 
iRun26.2

iRun26.2

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,123
345
skaertus said:
I agree that MacBook trackpads may be better. But that is due to the operating system itself more than due to hardware. And some Windows laptops have a touch screen, which also helps.

The superiority of OS X in battery life has nothing to do with hardware, only software.

So, Macs are not always superior to PCs. Especially old Mac models.
Click to expand...

While I always like hearing your opinion and often agree with you, I must say a I think you've made a contradiction here.

You said earlier that OSX doesn't have anything that MS Windows doesn't have yet you've just mention two very important things that make Apple computers better than PCs because of the OS:

1) Battery life (I despise the fact that my computer's battery will be depleted faster in BootCamp than OSX).

2) Trackpad operation (I hate how poorly MS Windows trackpad / pointers work compared to OSX).

I don't consider these differences minor. By themselves, they could convince me to buy a Mac.

[And..., I don't like any finger prints or smudges on my MBA screen. I clean my screen daily even without it being a touch screen. I would hate having one that coworkers might think they could touch even though I never would! Who wants to move fingers away from the keyboard all the way to the screen anyway?]
 
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skaertus

skaertus

macrumors 601
Feb 23, 2009
4,232
1,380
Brazil
Dr. McKay said:
You're talking purely about hardware specs. My opinion is that although an equivalent PC may have better specs, the execution and implementation of hardware and software is way better on a Mac.
Windows 8 will never work as smoothly together with any PC because it runs on a myriad of devices, each with their own advantages and quirks. In all honesty, if Apple licensed OS X to hardware vendors, you'd see the same thing happening in OS X. There are simply too many variables.

So yes, Apple is expensive, but more than worth it.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree. You're putting everybody else in the same pool.

Yes, there are lots of variables, but Windows runs smoothly on a handful of devices nonetheless. Microsoft has its own device, the Surface, and Windows is smooth running on it.

Most of PC hardware is really cheap and crap, but not all of them are. There are some (although very few) high-end hardware that matches Apple's standards of quality. Sometimes PC manufacturers take a long time to catch up, but they eventually do.

As for software, OS X is very smooth and intuitive. But so is Windows. Both operating systems are well built and well designed, and I couldn't tell you which approach is better. Microsoft did a terrible job with the "Metro" interface, but it's being fixed for Windows 8.1. The difference, if any, would be so subtle that wouldn't justify the purchase of one or another except if there is a strong personal preference.
 
skaertus

skaertus

macrumors 601
Feb 23, 2009
4,232
1,380
Brazil
iRun26.2 said:
While I always like hearing your opinion and often agree with you, I must say a I think you've made a contradiction here. [/COTE]

Thank you! I much appreciate that.

You said earlier that OSX doesn't have anything that MS Windows doesn't have yet you've just mention two very important things that make Apple computers better than PCs because of the OS:

1) Battery life (I despise the fact that my computer's battery will be depleted faster in BootCamp than OSX).

2) Trackpad operation (I hate how poorly MS Windows trackpad / pointers work compared to OSX).

I don't consider these differences minor. By themselves, they could convince me to buy a Mac.

[And..., I don't like any finger prints or smudges on my MBA screen. I clean my screen daily even without it being a touch screen. I would hate having one that coworkers might think they could touch even though I never would! Who wants to move fingers away from the keyboard all the way to the screen anyway?]
Click to expand...

Actually, what I meant was that any task that can be done on a Mac can also be done on a PC running Windows.

Word processing, photo and video editing, spreadsheets, gaming... nearly everything you can do on a Mac you can also do on a PC. And most of the things that can be done on a PC can also be done on a Mac (there are a few notable exceptions, though: Windows is far better for games, for instance).

So, the bottom line is: which one is more worth it? A Mac is hardly a requirement for performing any task. So, it's a matter of value to choose or not a Mac.

Some people think that a Mac offers better value because of a personal preference over the operating system, the less susceptibility of getting viruses, the always good build quality, and so on. Other people prefer PCs, because they are usually cheaper, or offer a more familiar environment, or there are more options available, and so on.

Yes, I agree that OS X offer better battery life than Windows. And I also agree that Macs have better touchpad support than Windows. But Windows also has its features: it has support for multi-touch screens, for instance. It's a matter of which qualities you fancy on your operating system of choice. But the tasks to be performed remain the same.
Click to expand...
 
D

Dr. McKay

macrumors 6502a
Jan 20, 2010
818
112
Belgium, Europe
skaertus said:
There are some (although very few) high-end hardware that matches Apple's standards of quality. Sometimes PC manufacturers take a long time to catch up, but they eventually do.
Click to expand...

I believe you, but personally, I still have to see any PC machine running Windows (whether that Win 7, 8 or 8.1) that matches a Mac running any version of OS X.
Subjective, I know, but that's my experience.
 
C

calvol

macrumors 6502a
Feb 3, 2011
995
4
Dr. McKay said:
I believe you, but personally, I still have to see any PC machine running Windows (whether that Win 7, 8 or 8.1) that matches a Mac running any version of OS X.
Subjective, I know, but that's my experience.
Click to expand...

Agree, real men run Win on Macs.
 
BenTrovato

BenTrovato

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2012
3,035
2,198
Canada
iRun26.2 said:
But there are many people (on other threads) that say that their 12" PowerBook was the best computer they've ever owned.
Click to expand...

It was hard not to love those aluminum powerbooks even if you had the larger versions. I still think 11 and 13 is better than 12 but I'm open to Apple making a 12" that knocks it out of the park.
 
F

FrozenDarkness

macrumors 68000
Mar 21, 2009
1,728
969
i wonder why they don't fit 15" macbook air

but in regards to it as a machine. it's meant to be a cheap machine. apple doesn't cram every feature under the sun because macbook air doesn't have to stand on its own. if you want higher resolution, you should buy a rmbp. if there was a retina macbook air, it might eat into rmbp for example. Apple is very into their product distinctions.

once retina screens become cheap, it'll come into the macbook air and apple will have to think of some way to differentiate rmbp.

btw, one thing on cheaper laptops. other manufacturers aren't wizards. they don't get parts that are cheaper than apple. logic will dictate that when the money makes sense apple will do it.
 
iRun26.2

iRun26.2

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,123
345
FrozenDarkness said:
...
but in regards to it as a machine. it's meant to be a cheap machine.
...
Click to expand...

I am not happy that the MBAs are now thought of in this way (cheap). When they were first introduced, they were special... and you paid for it! Now they have turned into the entry-level MacBook replacements. How boring!

In their first and only major revision (2010), Steve Jobs, referring to the fact that they were now to be all SSD based, said 'This is the future'. They did introduce the future for the all SSD option for the MBP. (This wasn't introduced with the MBP).

I want the 12" MBA to be called the 'New MacBook Air' to distinguish it from the standard versions. They need to be a statement from Apple showing, yet again, where the future of laptops is going. A thinner and lighter device yet having a fantastic retina screen is what I'm expecting. The competition has caught up and it is time for Apple to show where further reductions are possible. I don't want the new 12" model to be inexpensive...

Who knows, with Broadwell they may even be able to get rid of the fan. I am excited to see this! Intel definitely has a major role to play in the leading edge of future ultra-books. ARM can not yet rival Broadwell.
 
brdeveloper

brdeveloper

macrumors 68030
Apr 21, 2010
2,629
313
Brasil
I want a 13" Air form-factor with IPS/IGZO/whatever gives good viewing angles without distorting colors. Don't care for massive resolutions. The current resolution is ok, the problem are viewing angles. Also, 32GB RAM options and quad-core ULV i7 processors. This little workhorse would cost as much as a rMBP 15", but who cares? It would be way more portable than a rMBP 15" and would perform almost as good as it.
 
iRun26.2

iRun26.2

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,123
345
brdeveloper said:
I want a 13" Air form-factor with IPS/IGZO/whatever gives good viewing angles without distorting colors. Don't care for massive resolutions. The current resolution is ok, the problem are viewing angles. Also, 32GB RAM options and quad-core ULV i7 processors. This little workhorse would cost as much as a rMBP 15", but who cares? It would be way more portable than a rMBP 15" and would perform almost as good as it.
Click to expand...

You must be joking, or, at least, not being very serious:

1) You won't see 32G (I think we will see 8G max, maybe 16G, but I doubt it).

2) Quad-core??? I don't really even want that! I'd much rather not have a fan noise (and have peace and quiet) and have longer battery life. Note, though, that I'd rather have it also thinner than getting 'all day battery life'.
 
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L

linjac951

macrumors member
Jun 1, 2014
30
0
the way I see it is that they may be phasing out the air line with their own processors. Possibly redefining the air line. My speculation is that the air will contain a8 arm chip, with retina display. The a8 is possible because its 64 bit
 
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