First Look at the MacBook Air

[MacRumors]

After the keynote, we rushed over to the MacBook Air. We will be adding more photos to this post shortly. Brief impressions

- It is quite light and thin
- Multi-touch seems to work well
- Multi-touch acts differently in different apps. Testing in iPhoto, Finder, Safari. In Safari, three-finger swip caused you to go Back and Forward in browser.
- Mac OS X 10.5.1
- Two DIMM slots
- 1 USB, 1 micro-DVI, an headphone. In drop-down panel... but does not appear to "collapse"
- Bright Display, Glossy



Article Link

[kkat69]

Wow def looks good. Wife might want one.

It's to thin for me and what I do in my job. Seems more like a fad thing to have rather than a functional.

Business people on the go maybe, as a developer I can't use it Doesn't mean I wouldn't want one.

I say Good job Apple. For a first run at slim-line laptops it's def a step in the right direction.

[Shacklebolt]

Be sure to post overall final impressions, if you'd be so kind - there are a lot of underwhelmed MacRumors Users (again, not to be confused with MacRumorUser) right now, myself included. Plus - holy crap - the $1,300 price diff between the 80gig and the 64gig. Yikessss.

[Blackbeard]

Originally Posted by Shacklebolt

Be sure to post overall final impressions, if you'd be so kind - there are a lot of underwhelmed MacRumors Users (again, not to be confused with MacRumorUser) right now, myself included. Plus - holy crap - the $1,300 price diff between the 80gig and the 64gig. Yikessss.

Underwhelmed is a good description for what I am feeling. Not disappointed but am not scrambling to pre-order. Oh, well, back to work.

[PDE]

I think this seems like a great travel companion for light work. It definitely isn't an all-round multi media/communications center though:

- lack of ethernet port
- mono speaker -yuck!
- not replaceable batter - what were you thinking?
- Heat problem! I don't need to try one to know.


Otherwise light, beautiful and the multitouch will be marvelous.

[havand]

Originally Posted by PDE

I think this seems like a great travel companion for light work. It definitely isn't an all-round multi media/communications center though:

- lack of ethernet port
- mono speaker -yuck!
- not replaceable batter - what were you thinking?
- Heat problem! I don't need to try one to know.


Otherwise light, beautiful and the multitouch will be marvelous.

Oh, come on.

I'm not even a fan of the thing. But I highly doubt heat will be an issue. It has a 37W battery. My Asus W3J pulls ~20watts on battery.

For this thing to last 5 hours, 37W/5 = 7.4W. I'm quite sure they can passively dissipate 7.4W across a surface area of 8.94inx12.8in. I'm pretty sure it'll be alright.

[QCassidy352]

Originally Posted by Blackbeard

Underwhelmed is a good description for what I am feeling. Not disappointed but am not scrambling to pre-order. Oh, well, back to work.

Same. I think this thing definitely has a market, and for those people, it will be very good. But I'm sitting on an 18 month old macbook and itching to upgrade... and this thing isn't even a consideration for me.

I think it would be a great second mac for someone who has a desktop, but it simply couldn't work as a desktop replacement (which even a macbook can do - I have mine hooked up to external mouse/KB/speakers/display/HD when at my desk).

[organic bond]

Originally Posted by Shacklebolt

Plus - holy crap - the $1,300 price diff between the 80gig and the 64gig. Yikessss.

So, you expect SSM to cost as much as normal HDs? You're genious. If you want the newest technology you have to PAY. GOOD they give this alternative choice. BAD they only give GLOSSY screens, and no other choice.

[NYCMacFan]

Been thinking about this. I will probably buy, but still a bit of a let down. I don't mind the prices and may even go with the SSD. Unlike others I am a big fan of the full sized keyboard and full sized screen. Having said that, I have 4 concerns (I wrote about them earlier):

1. I think this could have been less than 3 lbs, maybe 12.5. I look at Toshiba and Panasonic offerings. They are not as thin, but lighter and smaller footprint. Some of those have 12inch screens, but they also have optical drives and a ton of ports. I don't want an optical drive or ports, but I do want to know why this MBA isn't gosh darn lighter given it skimps on all of those. I mean a panasonic R500 is 12inch, with an optical drive and is 1.75 lbs.

2. But it could have been narrower. I am typing on in iBook G4 12inch. I note the foot print of the MBA is wider than the existing MB and even a 14inch Panasonic. What's up with the wasted space to the left and right of the keyboard and screen. Rivals don't use this space. I really wonder if this tapered design has led to wasting space. If this was more square like an PB G4 12inch, would this have been lighter and narrower (albeit not the world's thinest).

3. I don't mind that the battery is not removable that much, but again would accept this compromise if it had a longer listed battery time or lighter weight. 5 hours with an LED is not that impressive. The SSD had better be lighter and offer battery life.

4. Speaking of which, why is there no listing of battery life and weight with SSD as other manufacturers do. I am supposed to pre-order with no word on this? I am sure someone asked on this in meetings at Apple. So the question is why didn't they choose to list it.

[Bababasjd]

This notebook is a great example to show how stupid Americans are. Everyone thinks Wal-mart is really cheap but there is hidden costs, they underpay workers, they get large subsides from government over 1 billion a year, and and this with a big asterick!! THEY USE TAX DOLLARS TO MAKE UP FOR THE CHEAP ITEM sooo...Wal-mart is not any cheaper than a regualr shop. You are like wtf are you talking about, it is just like the macbook air. Yea it is really slim and all, but it is lacking all of these features! When you realize the added weight is really the same once you tug a long all of the extra cables, carrying case (it is fragile) and DO NOT FORGET the OPTICAL DRIVE. All in all it is prbably less then a pound and when the current ASUS notebook, sell for 500 less, and have dedicated GPU, with 2.6 core 2 duo, 13.3 LED, Nice design, and dual layer dvd. Yea it is thicker, but not by that much the whole laptop is .867 inches thick. I would rather have that than a piece of garbage that is not acceptable even 7 years ago, but wait it is .1 inches thick. This wont sell, only mac fans on this forum will. You will see! It is really simple economics, well actually any high school teacher can tell you that out of the four marketing areas 1) Practical 2) Skeptics 3) Belongers 4) Strivers this macbook air does not fit any one of them. Yea IM gogin to shelve out 3 grand with a notebook with 60 hd, and 1.8 core duo ohh wait the cd rom is optional! WHAT A BARGIN!!!!!!! I WANT 5

[CaptainCaveMann]

Originally Posted by Bababasjd

This notebook is a great example to show how stupid Americans are. Everyone thinks Wal-mart is really cheap but there is hidden costs, they underpay workers, they get large subsides from government over 1 billion a year, and and this with a big asterick!! THEY USE TAX DOLLARS TO MAKE UP FOR THE CHEAP ITEM sooo...Wal-mart is not any cheaper than a regualr shop. You are like wtf are you talking about, it is just like the macbook air. Yea it is really slim and all, but it is lacking all of these features! When you realize the added weight is really the same once you tug a long all of the extra cables, carrying case (it is fragile) and DO NOT FORGET the OPTICAL DRIVE. All in all it is prbably less then a pound and when the current ASUS notebook, sell for 500 less, and have dedicated GPU, with 2.6 core 2 duo, 13.3 LED, Nice design, and dual layer dvd. Yea it is thicker, but not by that much the whole laptop is .867 inches thick. I would rather have that than a piece of garbage that is not acceptable even 7 years ago, but wait it is .1 inches thick. This wont sell, only mac fans on this forum will. You will see! It is really simple economics, well actually any high school teacher can tell you that out of the four marketing areas 1) Practical 2) Skeptics 3) Belongers 4) Strivers this macbook air does not fit any one of them. Yea IM gogin to shelve out 3 grand with a notebook with 60 hd, and 1.8 core duo ohh wait the cd rom is optional! WHAT A BARGIN!!!!!!! I WANT 5

Alright who let Kim Jong-il in here? Before you go attacking Americans, as we all know you love to do. Just like your father did during the Cold War, you may want to stop relating wal-mart to "you americans". Not everyone in America shops at Wal-Mart, and not everyone will buy the macbook air. Get off your high horse.

[Uragon]

Originally Posted by kkat69

Wow def looks good. Wife might want one.

I say Good job Apple. For a first run at slim-line laptops it's def a step in the right direction.

completely agree with you, I also think this is a great machine and a good start.

[Slip]

More info here aswell http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/15/a...irst-hands-on/

[PlaceofDis]

sounds like an overall great machine for those who need max portability, but not max power.

[guitarman777]

Originally Posted by PlaceofDis

sounds like an overall great machine for those who need max portability, but not max power.

+1. My wife would love it because she likes the portability. I'm running a full studio off my MacBook Pro... 'nuff said.

[kzin]

Originally Posted by PlaceofDis

sounds like an overall great machine for those who need max portability, but not max power.

uh, can't agree with you there.

People who want max portability, these days, go with an UMPC or a MID.

What bone did Apple throw them today?

An UMPC? no.
A MID? no.
A tablet/laptop (laptop screen swivels so you can use it tablet mode)? no.
A conventional laptop that has a smaller footprint than a MacBook? no.

Just another conventional laptop. Same footprint as a MacBook, just thinner.

Who cares?

Lets just re-arrange chairs on the deck, shall we?

Last year was the year of the UMPC. Where was Apple's UMPC?
This year is the year of the MID. Where's Apple's MID?

And don't tell me it's the iPod Touch -- sure, adding on those 4 apps gets it one step closer to being a half-assed MID, but it's still not there (and what's with paying $20 for apps that should have been on it from day one!?). I'll be impressed with it as a MID when it has an ssh client (that doesn't cause later updates to brick your device), a vnc/remote-desktop client, VPN of some sort (pref. openvpn), support for bluetooth (HID, FTP, and DUN or PAN), and either a virtual keyboard you can use in landscape mode, or a slide-out physical keyboard. Oh, yeah, and an open SDK. THEN it'll be an acceptable entry into the MID market.

This was the most underwhelming keynote I can remember. And the most underwhelming announcement of the bunch was the MacBook Air.

[Zadillo]

Originally Posted by kzin

uh, can't agree with you there.

People who want max portability, these days, go with an UMPC or a MID.

What bone did Apple throw them today?

An UMPC? no.
A MID? no.
A tablet/laptop (laptop screen swivels so you can use it tablet mode)? no.
A conventional laptop that has a smaller footprint than a MacBook? no.

Just another conventional laptop. Same footprint as a MacBook, just thinner.

Who cares?

Lets just re-arrange chairs on the deck, shall we?

Last year was the year of the UMPC. Where was Apple's UMPC?
This year is the year of the MID. Where's Apple's MID?

And don't tell me it's the iPod Touch -- sure, adding on those 4 apps gets it one step closer to being a half-assed MID, but it's still not there (and what's with paying $20 for apps that should have been on it from day one!?). I'll be impressed with it as a MID when it has an ssh client (that doesn't cause later updates to brick your device), a vnc/remote-desktop client, VPN of some sort (pref. openvpn), support for bluetooth (HID, FTP, and DUN or PAN), and either a virtual keyboard you can use in landscape mode, or a slide-out physical keyboard. Oh, yeah, and an open SDK. THEN it'll be an acceptable entry into the MID market.

This was the most underwhelming keynote I can remember. And the most underwhelming announcement of the bunch was the MacBook Air.

The UMPC has been a failure as a platform generally. People who want max portability these days go with a UMPC? Where do you get that from?

Most people who are looking for portability still want some degree of general usability for common tasks; the UMPC's usually fail in this because their screens are so incredibly tiny and their input methods so uncomfortable (try typing a multi-page document in Word on a Samsung Q1 or a Sony UX) that they fall down there.

A machine like a Sony TZ is still infinitely more usable than any UMPC for most things it is supposed to be capable of; the benefit of a UMPC being able to run Windows, Office, etc. becomes kind of useless when it is practically unuseable for those kinds of apps.

Not to mention that the performance of most UMPC's to date make it clear they aren't yet ready to run full apps well, etc.

The only really compelling UMPC use I've seen recently was some of the stuff Intel showed off at CES, with a Linux-based Samsung Q1 UMPC running some pretty slick digital audio production/performance stuff.

Originally Posted by kzin

it would have made sense if it had some form of, you know, over-the-air connectivity ... like a WWAN of some sort... maybe a slot for an EVDO or WiMAX or HSPA modem. Then "Air" would have been a semi-sensical name for it (fitting into the other apple "air" products, as having a strong focus on a key wireless service).

Or maybe they forgot to mention that you can hook up all of your peripherals to a Time Capsule and dock-via-wifi? (or maybe said wireless dock is coming later, who knows)

Otherwise, what's the point of the "Air" name? (above and beyond "what's the point of this device in general?")

The "Air" name emphasizes the lightness of it, generally. "Light as air".

[kzin]

Originally Posted by Zadillo

The UMPC has been a failure as a platform generally. People who want max portability these days go with a UMPC? Where do you get that from?

Uh, 2 of Amazon's top products for 2007 were an UMPC (Asus Eee) and a MID (Nokia Internet Tablet)

Most people who are looking for portability still want some degree of general usability for common tasks; the UMPC's usually fail in this because their screens are so incredibly tiny and their input methods so uncomfortable (try typing a multi-page document in Word on a Samsung Q1 or a Sony UX) that they fall down there.

I have, in fact, typed a long document on a smaller screen than those (my Nokia tablet). Did I type it on the included keyboard? No, that would be silly (and a silly comparison for you to make). I used a bluetooth keyboard. What I do with the tablet's built in input is use it for quick notes and messages, or for _reviewing_ those documents and making quick reference of them at meetings and on the road, or making small error corrections.

It's no different than using an external monitor and keyboard on a laptop.

As for common tasks: Almost all of my common tasks are now done on my N810. Because I can do them anywhere, even in places where I wouldn't be using a laptop.

Just because the Windows based entries in those markets are failures doesn't mean the markets in general are failures. ((irony)) You shouldn't be so Windows centric :-) ((/irony))

[balamw]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

- Two DIMM slots

User accessible?

B

[iliketomac]

As a first hands-on impression, is it worth $1799? (or less with either an education or gov't dscount)!

[longofest]

Originally Posted by iliketomac

As a first hands-on impression, is it worth $1799? (or less with either an education or gov't dscount)!

This thing is DEFINITELY very portable. If you are in the market for a portable laptop, this should definitely be in consideration. I think the price is fair for the amount of engineering that went into it and the fact that it contains custom parts.

[S600MBUSA]

This thing isn't bad, but for me it won't quite do. No user replaceable battery, glossy screen, and no firewire sort of turns me off.

[PlaceofDis]

Originally Posted by longofest

This thing is DEFINITELY very portable. If you are in the market for a portable laptop, this should definitely be in consideration. I think the price is fair for the amount of engineering that went into it and the fact that it contains custom parts.

exactly.
ultraportables are always more expensive from what i've seen. they require more work to get them so small.

and complaining about no ethernet port? the last time i used an ethernet port with a laptop was.... well not with my current macbook, and probably only once or twice a few years ago with my powerbook. its not 'needed' but its 'nice to have' on a machine like this.

[organic bond]

Originally Posted by longofest

This thing is DEFINITELY very portable. If you are in the market for a portable laptop, this should definitely be in consideration. I think the price is fair for the amount of engineering that went into it and the fact that it contains custom parts.

Indeed! The previouos ones are SOOO HEAVY.

[anonymosity]

Do the "features" you gain from MBA outweigh the MB and the extra $700? I believe that depends on your usage. For me, the optical drive is not essential and merely adds to the volume and mass. I have another Mac and extra optical drives, so it's good riddance. The Firewire is no big deal. My main external has USB anyway and it's fast enough. The reduction in USB ports? Two wasn't adequate anyway, and a 4 port hub is plenty enough, for an iPod, mouse, external drive and a camera, for example.

The biggest problem I have found, as many have pointed out, is probably the internal battery. While I'd love to be able swap the battery, I rarely do so even when I have a backup ready, so less usage time, but less hassle.

What do I get out of this apart from the environmentally friendly construction (which is GREAT!), backlit keyboard and LED lit display? A minimalist portable I' really want. When I purchased my 12" PB, I "paid" the extra price for the small size. But what really made me choose it over the iBook was the NEGLIGIBLE reduction in thickness. Yes, there are people like me out there. I also bought the Mac mini instead of the the regular iMac. I'm not Paris Hilton (I'm male, LOL), but I do want computers that I can feel comfortable looking at and using. (And, of course, drawing people's attention.)

Now, the chances are, in a month time, I will be spotting the MBA in our school's cafeteria. There ARE rich students out there. (Also, it costs $100 less for students ). I won't make any sort of decision, however, until I have tried to use it at an Apple Store. And then I'll see if I can afford it.

I would prefer a tablet portable, but it will probably be quite a bit thicker and heavier than the MBA, as least within these 2 or 3 years. For me, a tablet the size of the MBA is barely acceptable, so I will damp my hopes and be satisfied with what we have now (being realistic about it).

Now here's hope for those looking for new MBP's. Expect many of these features to make their way into the MBP's. I believe it entirely possible that Apple will announce the revision you've been waiting for later this month, like around the 25th or later. Didn't they do something similar in previous years?