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Apple Announces MacBook Air
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But the tech specs say nothing about an infra red receiver. And it would just be crazy to have that but not the remote lol
So, by that logic, you shouldn't be using a Mac at all! A Dell is functional. An Asus is functional. These manufacturer's (and others) all make computers that are functional and less expensive than an Apple. They all make laptops that are lightweight. We all pay a premium to get what we want and what meets our needs the best. When you make a purchase for something other than a computer, are function and cost the only determining factors for you? Do you give no thought to the design and feel of a product?
Wow, what's with the MacBook hate?
Firstly, were all things equal, then most people would prefer a MacBook Pro over a MacBook. But the problem is that they aren't equal, at all, the MacBook Pro costs considerably more than a MacBook and you're basically over-paying for a crappy graphics card. Which really isn't very smart. The OSX gaming scene is pathetic so basically the only reason you'll need a GPU is to do things that 90% of people will never do (mostly design-orientated work). I, rather than wasting my money on a MBP, bought a MB and a PS3. Which means I have a BETTER games machine, a Blu-Ray player, a media server (better than
TV as it can play .avi files) and a laptop that for most intents and purposes is as good as a MBP. But combined they both still cost me less than a MBP.I don't need to "lie" and say I'd rather have bought a MBP. Now perhaps there is a reason why you hate the MB and it's buyers with such vitriol? Perhaps you refuse to believe that anyone is happy with their MB to convince yourself that you're happy with your MBP, and that you haven't wasted your money when a MB would do just as well (and be more portable)?
And all these "many advantages" the MBA has over the MB are largely useless and at best minor cosmetic advantages. While in terms of useful functionality and value, you know the things that actually matter, it's outclassed by a laptop that nearly costs half as much. Size isn't everything, it's what you do with it that counts, and the MB does a lot more with it's size than the MBA.
It seems sensible, intelligent buyers annoy you. As do good-value products like the MB. You're a strange cookie my friend.
BTW Clive, good break-down on the previous page on the advantages and disadvantages of the MBA compared to a MB. Spot on.
I think it is thicker towards the back is because of the jacks (headphone, USB, micro-DVI). Sure they're in a flip-down door, but when opened they sit horizontal. And a USB jack, for instance can never be smaller than 0.31". Headphone jacks have a minimum height as well.
Simply? Yes. When her main bulletpoint for buying a less-functional, more expensive laptop? Yes.
Look, I'm not saying the MBA is fuctionless, it just doesn't offer the right enhancements. I said it before and I'll say it again. If you couldn't tote a 13.3" laptop before, the MBA is not going to change that. If Apple wanted to make a laptop that had a significant advantage to the MB for the MASSES, they would've cut down on the screen size. They did not, and instead tried to disguise their error with a sexy shell.
Wow. A new low, DJ Spice.
Two words: SENTENCE CONTEXT.
I resent your implication that I support male-dominance and expect an apology for pinning me as a sexist.
Clearly my statement used the word "allow" as an intransitive verb:
American Heritage Dictionary said:
To translate: You know Apple. You know the RDF. Your wife does not. All Mac-users fall victim to the RDF at some point in time and require the Mac Community to steer them straight. You are your wife's Mac Community, thus you have a duty to help her avoid the RDF. You did not do so. You allowed (INTRANSITIVE!!!) your wife to fall victim to the RDF.
Oh, and by the way, I'm from the suburbs of Minneapolis, which is about as un-redneck as you can get.
Again, if that's her main bulletpoint, then there is some serious vanity at work. If you're both fine with it, that's okay. It's only right to admit that you're vain for doing so. I won't judge you for being honest.
Art is NOT just a pretty picture. It's emotion and talent woven into the colors and brushstrokes. A painting used solely to decorate a room is a painting that is misused.
Although I would be found guilty of calling the G4 Cube "art," there is a very limited capacity at which a computer can actually be called so. I would classify the MBA and Cube as "artistic," but not in themselves "art." However, art to some is not art to others so you can perceive as you will, but I feel as though most people would agree with my perspective. If you truly regard the MBA as "art," then by all means decorate your desk with it.
HAH! Macs come with OS X and iLife which are critical to what I use a computer for. I am in a company of individuals who write productions for local performance. Garage Band, iMovie, FCE, and Logic are all critical to our undertaking... and not only are they Mac-exclusive, but they have no equal on the Windows side. So yes, Macs are worth the premium to me, but more for the HW/SW than for their physical appearance, though I will admit that it's a nice touch. The G4 iMac (my current Mac) is not only beautiful, but it works (moreso 'worked') wonderfully for what I needed it for... but the reason I got it was because it was the perfect price-for-performance ratio... not because it was stunning to look at.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said about today's iMac or the MacPro... but that's another rant for another thread.
-Clive
I have a substantial selection of Apple products in three homes and overseas. In the last six months, I have started the migration to Intel processor equipment. I have both recent MPB and MB models along with iMacs and Mac Pros.
What intriques me about the MBA is the size and power stuffed into a small package. If I want to use my USB Verizon WAN card, I can access the internet anywhere I can reach a Verizon cell tower or a similar provider in the US or in Europe. With the ethernet dongle, I can attach to a local network. The built-in Airport and Bluetooth round out all the connection possibilities. I have looked at SSD drives and they are fast but also expensive. I opted for the SSD because of it's inherent speed. I purchased Apple care. The drive is covered for three years along with the rest of the system. Frequent backups and exchange of data to fixed systems makes reliability less of a concern. This is a very light travel machine after all. The masters of any file are somewhere on my network. In the event of a SSD failure, I would loose just today's efforts while on the road to a destination.
I like the fact that the system will allow me to do simple office tasks (using iWork and not bloated "Office") and control remote servers and systems with Timbuk2, ssh, and ftp. The keyboard is the same size as all the other laptops, so my typing skills are not challenged by miniature keys. It is not an industrial hardened system for the shop floor! Reasonable care is required of any laptop.
I think Apple's price for a loaded MBA version is competitive. It does exactly what I wanted a travel system to do. Even my wife thought it was just the the system for travel via road/airplane/motorcycle. I expect it to arrive early February.
If someone does not care for the current MBA, why complain? Just do not buy it. No one is forcing anyone to purchase any Apple product. Their designs are based upon their perceptions of what will sell. The Edsel was a dud for Ford. They still made other models.
What intriques me about the MBA is the size and power stuffed into a small package. If I want to use my USB Verizon WAN card, I can access the internet anywhere I can reach a Verizon cell tower or a similar provider in the US or in Europe. With the ethernet dongle, I can attach to a local network. The built-in Airport and Bluetooth round out all the connection possibilities. I have looked at SSD drives and they are fast but also expensive. I opted for the SSD because of it's inherent speed. I purchased Apple care. The drive is covered for three years along with the rest of the system. Frequent backups and exchange of data to fixed systems makes reliability less of a concern. This is a very light travel machine after all. The masters of any file are somewhere on my network. In the event of a SSD failure, I would loose just today's efforts while on the road to a destination.
I like the fact that the system will allow me to do simple office tasks (using iWork and not bloated "Office") and control remote servers and systems with Timbuk2, ssh, and ftp. The keyboard is the same size as all the other laptops, so my typing skills are not challenged by miniature keys. It is not an industrial hardened system for the shop floor! Reasonable care is required of any laptop.
I think Apple's price for a loaded MBA version is competitive. It does exactly what I wanted a travel system to do. Even my wife thought it was just the the system for travel via road/airplane/motorcycle. I expect it to arrive early February.
If someone does not care for the current MBA, why complain? Just do not buy it. No one is forcing anyone to purchase any Apple product. Their designs are based upon their perceptions of what will sell. The Edsel was a dud for Ford. They still made other models.
I am not arguing the fact that the MB packs more power for the punch than the MBA does, but why do so many of you seem to think that this is the only consideration when buying a laptop? Some of us don't need that power and appreciate an esthetically pleasing form-factor. The MB is a great value computer and I've recommended them to many of my friends who have become switchers.
Why can't some of you see that the MBA can have a following, too? Just because it doesn't meet your needs doesn't mean that it will be a "flop" or "sucks".
I've already posted on here that my wife has pre-ordered one and been told that this makes her a "vain fool" and that I should be "ashamed". But now, I just got off the phone with my dad who is a sales rep for a metal-fab company and is a real "guys guy". He needs a laptop to do 2 main things. Email and viewing and then quoting on CAD drawings. This MBA appeals to him for 2 reasons.
Firstly, it does everything he needs it to do and is cheaper than a MBP. Now you'll argue that a MB can do this and more for less money. I agree in principle but he doesn't like the design of the MBs and as such, has put off buying one. He is easily set up for wireless access with his home Imac so that isn't a problem either, nor is the lack of ports or optical drive.
Second, he's a sales rep who deals with purchasers and engineers in the oil and gas industry and the MBA would be an attention getter. Anyone in sales knows that you have to leave a mark with your clients, something that helps them remember you in a sea of other reps all vying for their dollars and this computer would help with that. These guys appreciate good design and engineering so the computer ends up, to some degree, becoming a sales tool simply by its looks. No vanity involved.
Again, I understand that this computer is not for everyone. Probably not even for the majority. But why, oh why must you trash it and the people who would find it useful and appealing?
It probably is the IR receiver... the Apple Remote is an optional extra on the MacBook Air (as is the Ethernet USB adaptor)
I have a substantial selection of Apple products in three homes and overseas. In the last six months, I have started the migration to Intel processor equipment. I have both recent MPB and MB models along with iMacs and Mac Pros.
What intriques me about the MBA is the size and power stuffed into a small package. If I want to use my USB Verizon WAN card, I can access the internet anywhere I can reach a Verizon cell tower or a similar provider in the US or in Europe. With the ethernet dongle, I can attach to a local network. The built-in Airport and Bluetooth round out all the connection possibilities. I have looked at SSD drives and they are fast but also expensive. I opted for the SSD because of it's inherent speed. I purchased Apple care. The drive is covered for three years along with the rest of the system. Frequent backups and exchange of data to fixed systems makes reliability less of a concern. This is a very light travel machine after all. The masters of any file are somewhere on my network. In the event of a SSD failure, I would loose just today's efforts while on the road to a destination.
I like the fact that the system will allow me to do simple office tasks (using iWork and not bloated "Office") and control remote servers and systems with Timbuk2, ssh, and ftp. The keyboard is the same size as all the other laptops, so my typing skills are not challenged by miniature keys. It is not an industrial hardened system for the shop floor! Reasonable care is required of any laptop.
I think Apple's price for a loaded MBA version is competitive. It does exactly what I wanted a travel system to do. Even my wife thought it was just the the system for travel via road/airplane/motorcycle. I expect it to arrive early February.
If someone does not care for the current MBA, why complain? Just do not buy it. No one is forcing anyone to purchase any Apple product. Their designs are based upon their perceptions of what will sell. The Edsel was a dud for Ford. They still made other models.
What intriques me about the MBA is the size and power stuffed into a small package. If I want to use my USB Verizon WAN card, I can access the internet anywhere I can reach a Verizon cell tower or a similar provider in the US or in Europe. With the ethernet dongle, I can attach to a local network. The built-in Airport and Bluetooth round out all the connection possibilities. I have looked at SSD drives and they are fast but also expensive. I opted for the SSD because of it's inherent speed. I purchased Apple care. The drive is covered for three years along with the rest of the system. Frequent backups and exchange of data to fixed systems makes reliability less of a concern. This is a very light travel machine after all. The masters of any file are somewhere on my network. In the event of a SSD failure, I would loose just today's efforts while on the road to a destination.
I like the fact that the system will allow me to do simple office tasks (using iWork and not bloated "Office") and control remote servers and systems with Timbuk2, ssh, and ftp. The keyboard is the same size as all the other laptops, so my typing skills are not challenged by miniature keys. It is not an industrial hardened system for the shop floor! Reasonable care is required of any laptop.
I think Apple's price for a loaded MBA version is competitive. It does exactly what I wanted a travel system to do. Even my wife thought it was just the the system for travel via road/airplane/motorcycle. I expect it to arrive early February.
If someone does not care for the current MBA, why complain? Just do not buy it. No one is forcing anyone to purchase any Apple product. Their designs are based upon their perceptions of what will sell. The Edsel was a dud for Ford. They still made other models.
Well, apparently, your statement wasn't as clear as you would of liked as I misunderstood but, that being said, I do apologize for insinuating that you were something you are not.
Maybe the Razor had something to do with it going thin. Hay maybe we'll see some new commercials with Mac throwing it at PC's head and watch it stick? I'm just glad Jobs got that cube thing out of his head.
One thing, I didn't see MBA replace any of the MB's or MBP's. That tells me they've looked at research data that shows there's a niche they want to fill or they are going to try and create one. After all, there isn't just one iPod.
This is my first time in this forum, did the same type of comparisons occur when new iPod's were unveiled? Maybe they shouldn't have called it a Macbook?
One thing, I didn't see MBA replace any of the MB's or MBP's. That tells me they've looked at research data that shows there's a niche they want to fill or they are going to try and create one. After all, there isn't just one iPod.
This is my first time in this forum, did the same type of comparisons occur when new iPod's were unveiled? Maybe they shouldn't have called it a Macbook?
I find it interesting that Apple is able to charge people a lot more money for a lot less functionality.
Obviously getting a computer down to as thin as the MacBook Air is a design feat. True, the MacBook Air's slim design is slick, cool and weighs less. But, as has been stated over and over again in the few pages I've read in this thread, and as can easily be seen, there is obviously much less functionality in the MacBook Air than the MacBook or MacBook Pro. Since the main points (and only advantages) of the MacBook Air is it's slimmer, lighter design factor and it's cool looks, then is that worth the $100's extra? (For an extreme comparison, look at the high end base model MacBook: $1499 and the high end base model MacBook Air : $3098). That's $1599 for slim, light and cool (and a lot less functionality). Are we as consumers being tricked if, giving into Apple's form over function approach in this specific case, when buying a MacBook Air?
Obviously there is a market for this (though I'm not sure who) or Apple would not have created it. I hope Apple keeps these advances of form for the sake of function in this specific product category and that they don't expand it to the MacBook or MacBook Pro families. I obviously prefer a fully functional laptop.
For comparison look at the base models in the Apple Store, the most expensive MacBook model (US $1499) is cheaper (as it should be given it's in the product category below) than the least expensive MacBook Air model (US $1799). However, the most expensive MacBook Air Model (US $3098) is more expensive than the most expensive MacBook Pro (US$1799). The least expensive MacBook Air (US $1799) is only $200 off from the least expensive MacBook Pro (US $1999) while the least expensive MacBook (US $1099) is $700 off the least expensive MacBook Air (US $1799).
Obviously getting a computer down to as thin as the MacBook Air is a design feat. True, the MacBook Air's slim design is slick, cool and weighs less. But, as has been stated over and over again in the few pages I've read in this thread, and as can easily be seen, there is obviously much less functionality in the MacBook Air than the MacBook or MacBook Pro. Since the main points (and only advantages) of the MacBook Air is it's slimmer, lighter design factor and it's cool looks, then is that worth the $100's extra? (For an extreme comparison, look at the high end base model MacBook: $1499 and the high end base model MacBook Air : $3098). That's $1599 for slim, light and cool (and a lot less functionality). Are we as consumers being tricked if, giving into Apple's form over function approach in this specific case, when buying a MacBook Air?
Obviously there is a market for this (though I'm not sure who) or Apple would not have created it. I hope Apple keeps these advances of form for the sake of function in this specific product category and that they don't expand it to the MacBook or MacBook Pro families. I obviously prefer a fully functional laptop.
For comparison look at the base models in the Apple Store, the most expensive MacBook model (US $1499) is cheaper (as it should be given it's in the product category below) than the least expensive MacBook Air model (US $1799). However, the most expensive MacBook Air Model (US $3098) is more expensive than the most expensive MacBook Pro (US$1799). The least expensive MacBook Air (US $1799) is only $200 off from the least expensive MacBook Pro (US $1999) while the least expensive MacBook (US $1099) is $700 off the least expensive MacBook Air (US $1799).
I, rather than wasting my money on a MBP, bought a MB and a PS3. Which means I have a BETTER games machine, a Blu-Ray player, a media server (better than
Smart buy! Some people just don't realize that Apple doesn't always offer the best products in every category... especially for gamers! (Not just hardcorde gamers... even moderate ones like myself! I maintain a PC that I upgrade for about $300 every 4 years or so. Keeps the new games running smoothly enough. I'm'a need to upgrade again before StarCraft 2 comes out! EEEEEEEEE! I'm excited!)
-Clive
De gustibus non est disputandum, but I do think Apple should've taken an already traveled approach - a true subcompact at 10-12" with the price tag around a current MacBook. Would anyone here find that less desirable than the slow thin MBA with a $700 premium?
I just had to respond to this post:
And we'll probably get them - maybe sans the cellular - in the next update.
Um.... no thanks. I have a perfectly good USB card reader for the few times I actually have to plug an SD card directly into my PowerBook.
For a start, the original iSight was discontinued because one (or more) of the chemicals in it were made illegal... and I guess that Apple considers the ACDs as a bit too 'Pro' for a slightly more consumerish iSight. And, you never know, there may actually be engineering issues in there somewhere (yeah, I know, unlikely, but everyone here seems to want to tell Apple to do stuff, without actually telling them how.
HELL NO. As a lefty I regularly switch hands when using the trackpad... Is putting two fingers on the trackpad and clicking too much for you?
So, I'm gonna re-iterate a key part of your post...
Better than hearing everyone's voices at once and actually listening to them... you've listed at least two features that I would actually DETEST in a MacBook.
And we'll probably get them - maybe sans the cellular - in the next update.
Um.... no thanks. I have a perfectly good USB card reader for the few times I actually have to plug an SD card directly into my PowerBook.
For a start, the original iSight was discontinued because one (or more) of the chemicals in it were made illegal... and I guess that Apple considers the ACDs as a bit too 'Pro' for a slightly more consumerish iSight. And, you never know, there may actually be engineering issues in there somewhere (yeah, I know, unlikely, but everyone here seems to want to tell Apple to do stuff, without actually telling them how.
HELL NO. As a lefty I regularly switch hands when using the trackpad... Is putting two fingers on the trackpad and clicking too much for you?
So, I'm gonna re-iterate a key part of your post...
Better than hearing everyone's voices at once and actually listening to them... you've listed at least two features that I would actually DETEST in a MacBook.
The EE pc is not for me, but just saying you can run it none the less. Design is subject, therefore I will say it does not look bad, but it is not sleek or good looking like my MBP is.
You know why others don't use aluminum? It is because aluminum interferes with wifi reception, it can get dirty easier it not taken care of properly, and it can be more fragile if not careful.
Creative battery life is just as solid as apples when it comes to video. Then again Creative does make 4in wide screen devices with 5 hours of video battery, so you don't have to ruin your eyes. FM is very nice because is some cities news and sports are broadcasted on FM stations and for some that is nice when they are on the go, and not near an actual radio or tv.
For the same reasons that someone buys a BMW 7 Series instead of a Ford Mondeo; for the same reasons someone buys a Versace suit instead of a Next Suit; for the same reasons someone buys a Dualitt toaster instead of a Morphy toaster.
There will always be premium, mainstream and low-end products in the same product sectors. Life is full of choices. They don't all have to be justified. Sometimes you buy something because you want it, not because you need it.
Hmm, I did the math. Where can I get a MacBook Air for $600?? At $25/month, two years = $600. You may do 'darngooddesign', but you 'suckatmath'.
But I do see the point. Some people will justify the cost with no problem. And this is likely relative to their income.
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