The Macbook Air And Macbook Pro Are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!!

This is exactly what I'm saying in this thread. The Macbook Air has almost nothing in common with the Pro. The biggest dividing line between the MBP and the regular Macbook is the presence of a discrete graphics card. Which does the MBA have?

I've got the same MBP as yours and I totally get it.

Because its how it works economics wise.

Most of us would be buying a MBP if it wasn't for the MBA. That's why the MBA is made design wise like the MBP except improving on some things (new track pad)

Now I don't have to get a MBP. I can just get my MBP for ultra portability and have an imac at the house.

Whenever a new Apple product is rumored, people weigh in with opinions on what it ought to look like. Most of these folks, of course, have no idea how to design a real product, so they predict all sorts of ridiculous features and combinations that have no basis in reality. Then they complain when the real product doesn't look like the one they hypothesized. That's just part of the fun of being an Apple fan.

The MBA is designed to be an ultraportable notebook, and makes some compromises to that end. Apple decided that a larger screen, full-size keyboard, multi-gesture touchpad and software solution for optical drive loading are the best combination. They could have made some different decisions, sure, but it's not immediately apparent that the choices they made were poor ones. Or that the alternatives would justify the inevitable tradeoffs.

But portability is the key. The MBA is not intended to replace Apple's more traditional notebooks. That much should be abundantly clear.

ahaxton said:

improving on some things (new track pad)

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I'm sure some one will soon find a way to add the multi-touch functionality into existing MB/MBP trackpad.

there are toooo many threads on this topic. do we need another one honestly?

dukebound85 said:

there are toooo many threads on this topic. do we need another one honestly?

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Sorry, its my fault. They got mad at me for getting all business on them.

squeeks said:

dude you are trying to some how explain how the iphone was the reason for the macbook air...

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No, it just motivates the company's business plans.

squeeks said:

k, i follow that, but HOW?

you've yet to explain that, or i missed it

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The focus on appealing to the eye moreso than ever before. That's a huge market to Apple. I bought into it (the iPhone). I think aesthetics was higher on the list than a dedicated video card. They totally want to cater to the market that would buy a MBP if there was no MBA.

ahaxton said:

The focus on appealing to the eye moreso than ever before. That's a huge market to Apple. I bought into it (the iPhone). I think aesthetics was higher on the list than a dedicated video card. They totally want to cater to the market that would buy a MBP if there was no MBA.

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But this doesn't make it an ultraportable Macbook Pro. In fact, it makes it more of a consumer notebook than ever. You can call the MBA a UP MBP from here until next year, but it will never be purchased by someone needing to do *pro* work, because someone in such a state will always pick the MBP over the MBA--not due to the aluminum, the keyboard, and the backlight, but due to the graphics card and pro-level components inside. Calling the MBA a pro notebook because it's covered in aluminum is like calling the Mac Mini a UP Mac Pro because it's also a tower instead of an all-in-one. It might make sense to you, but no one else (no, not even Apple) will agree.

heatmiser said:

But this doesn't make it an ultraportable Macbook Pro. In fact, it makes it more of a consumer notebook than ever. You can call the MBA a UP MBP from here until next year, but it will never be purchased by someone needing to do *pro* work, because someone in such a state will always pick the MBP over the MBA--not due to the aluminum, the keyboard, and the backlight, but due to the graphics card and pro-level components inside.

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I'm sorry but I'll never get over pure economics.
Portability and Looks is the most important to me. If I don't want a MacBook, but I still need something ultraportable that looks and has features of a MBP, I am going to go MBA.

This is where the whole iPhone talk came about. Geek sense doesn't always make real sense.

squeeks said:

IT HAS NO PRO QUALITIES AT ALL

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Apple pro laptops are high priced, aluminum, and have a backlit keyboard.

The MBA is high priced, aluminum, and has a backlit keyboard.. so it's priced in the 'pro' market, so people think it's a pro machine. The fact that people wanted a 12" PB replacement doesn't help.

Oh, and how many non-pros are going to drop 3K on a computer?

thejadedmonkey said:

Apple pro laptops are high priced, aluminum, and have a backlit keyboard.

The MBA is high priced, aluminum, and has a backlit keyboard.. so it's priced in the 'pro' market, so people think it's a pro machine. The fact that people wanted a 12" PB replacement doesn't help.

Oh, and how many non-pros are going to drop 3K on a computer?

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Oh yeah another thing about my comments on Apple's intent for the ultraportable MBP. They would have made it different as well as priced differently if it wasn't meant to appeal to those who would buy a MBP if there was no MBA.

ahaxton said:

I'm sorry but I'll never get over pure economics.
Portability and Looks is the most important to me. If I don't want a MacBook, but I still need something ultraportable that looks and has features of a MBP, I am going to go MBA.

This is where the whole iPhone talk came about. Geek sense doesn't always make real sense.

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You aren't making any sense--geek, real, any whatsoever. You're simply saying the same thing over and over again--that you wanted the superficial look of a Macbook Pro. The fact that your computer bears no internal resemblance to the Macbook Pro is one you are happy to ignore. But it doesn't change the fact that you bought a consumer notebook, and not a pro-level one. You should be happy with that, instead of trying to turn water into wine. There's nothing wrong with having a consumer-level notebook. That's exactly what you have. Be happy with it!

eba said:

The MBA is designed to be an ultraportable notebook, and makes some compromises to that end. Apple decided that a larger screen, full-size keyboard, multi-gesture touchpad and software solution for optical drive loading are the best combination. They could have made some different decisions, sure, but it's not immediately apparent that the choices they made were poor ones. Or that the alternatives would justify the inevitable tradeoffs.

But portability is the key. The MBA is not intended to replace Apple's more traditional notebooks. That much should be abundantly clear.

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If MacBook Air was designed as an ultraportable notebook it would have a smaller screen. A computer with a 13" screen, no matter how light it is can never be considered an ultraportable.

heatmiser said:

You aren't making any sense--geek, real, any whatsoever. You're simply saying the same thing over and over again--that you wanted the superficial look of a Macbook Pro. The fact that your computer bears no internal resemblance to the Macbook Pro is one you are happy to ignore. But it doesn't change the fact that you bought a consumer notebook, and not a pro-level one. You should be happy with that, instead of trying to turn water into wine. There's nothing wrong with having a consumer-level notebook. That's exactly what you have. Be happy with it!

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I've made my point over and over. To class the Air in with a MacBook or less than a MacBook is stupid. What's with the whole consumer and pro words. I know a girl with a rhinestone encrusted MacBook pro. Don't think she's doing much "pro" work with that. Really all we can talk is economics.

heatmiser said:

but it will never be purchased by someone needing to do *pro* work, because someone in such a state will always pick the

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Define 'Pro' work for me please? I am a professional. I work in finance. I am always referred to as a professional whether I like it or not. I used to work on PC but switched when OSX came out.

I think people on these boards need to realize that Apple is not just appealing to the creative professionals anymore.

Its a whole brave new world out there my friend!

The MBA appeals to the mobile 'professional' out there, while being wholly unsuitable for the video 'professional' out there...

Regards,

C

ahaxton said:

I've made my point over and over. To class the Air in with a MacBook or less than a MacBook is stupid. What's with the whole consumer and pro words. I know a girl with a rhinestone encrusted MacBook pro. Don't think she's doing much "pro" work with that. Really all we can talk is economics.

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It doesn't matter whether she bought it because she wanted a Pro book or one she could encrust with rhinestone; the bottom line is that she has a Pro-class notebook. What she does with it is her own business. The Macbook Pro is a pro-class notebook. The Macbook Air is not. The Macbook Pro comes with a dedicated graphics card. The Macbook does not. The Macbook Air does not. You might not have taken this into consideration when you bought it, but plenty of folks will, and won't delude themselves into thinking they're buying UP MBPs just because the MBA is covered in aluminum.

Catch said:

Define 'Pro' work for me please? I am a professional. I work in finance. I am always referred to as a professional whether I like it or not. I used to work on PC but switched when OSX came out.

I think people on these boards need to realize that Apple is not just appealing to the creative professionals anymore.

Its a whole brave new world out there my friend!

The MBA appeals to the mobile 'professional' out there, while being wholly unsuitable for the video 'professional' out there...

Regards,

C

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Bingo!

Personally I think Apple is more and more catering to the masses and farther away from the creative "professionals"