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Why are you returning the Air?

  • Screen (dim - washed out - both)

    Votes: 62 63.9%
  • CPU

    Votes: 28 28.9%
  • GPU

    Votes: 15 15.5%
  • Other - Please clarify in post

    Votes: 19 19.6%

  • Total voters
    97
returned my Air for one reason and one reason only :
- the screen

the screen in this new MacBook Air is just not worth the €1600 I paid for it.

Agree... I liked everything else about it....

The display simply isn't as bright as even the 2017 rMB, much less the current rMBP. The color balance is also 'off' compared to those - noticeably yellower.
 
Reading the threads here it looks like more than usual are returning their new Air.

So the question is why? Please vote in the poll only if you have returned or are returning..

My main reason was the screen. It's dim and washed out.


My main reason...if I return it...is not listed. I am still tempted to get the new iPad Pro.
 
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My main reason...if I return it...is not listed. I am still tempted to get the new iPad Pro.

I tried that (vs. the rMB not the rMBA). I just could not do what I needed to do with iOS; I needed a desktop OS. Your needs may be very different, though.
 
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I returned mine. Really wanted to keep it. It was going to replace my 2015 rMB. But I like bright displays, and this new MacBook Air is very noticeably dimmer then my 2015 rMB. Such a disappointment.

re: Screen

Anyone coming from an old Air will be thrilled
Anyone coming from a rMB or a MBP will be disappointed
Anyone coming from a recent similarly priced Win ultrabook will be disappointed

Maybe next year Apple will see the error of their ways and address the Air's screen...
 
re: Screen

Anyone coming from an old Air will be thrilled
Anyone coming from a rMB or a MBP will be disappointed
Anyone coming from a recent similarly priced Win ultrabook will be disappointed

Maybe next year Apple will see the error of their ways and address the Air's screen...

I would be willing to bet a lot that this won't happen. Apple - Tim Cook - is going to discontinue the 12" Macbook and the non-touch bar 13" MBP and then if you want an Apple laptop this junk screen Air will be your cheapest entry at $1,199-

$1,799- for the 13" MBP going forward.

The Tim Cook screw jobs continue unopposed.
 
I would probably love the dim screen of the new MBA, since I'm coming from a cMBP anno 2010, but I won't order one. At this price point I can't live with too many sacrifices and this has no TouchBar, no TrueTone sensor and is plus $200 (€250) for a still not so decent 250 GB storage size. The iPhone XR comes with less compromises! 128 GB is plenty for a phone, but nothing in a laptop. I can't put my photo, music or movie library on this. Not even one of them. TrueTone is not a gimmick for me, it is as essential for working in the dark as a backlit keyboard. And finally the TouchBar. I don't need it, but I want it when I pay $1400 (€1600) for a laptop. For all its criticism, it's still the most interesting proprietary technology which sets Apple apart from the competition. TouchBar is now two years old and still only available in the most expensive version of only one of Apple's products. Compare that to FaceID, which after one year is in every new iPhone and iPad and even $250 cheaper when you can settle for an LCD screen, which comes with rounded corners, Tap-to-Wake and HapticTouch. For as long as this trend continues, I will always find a new iOS device more compelling than a new Mac. Cheaper ARM-based Macs can not come soon enough or else I'm finished with desktop computing. Gosh, they even made the Mac mini unaffordable!
 
I returned mine. Really wanted to keep it. It was going to replace my 2015 rMB. But I like bright displays, and this new MacBook Air is very noticeably dimmer then my 2015 rMB. Such a disappointment.

Say that again. It's true. My MB is 2017 but the display is the same. So just to say it again, the rMB has a better, brighter, truer display than the rMBA. What gives?
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re: Screen

Anyone coming from an old Air will be thrilled
Anyone coming from a rMB or a MBP will be disappointed
Anyone coming from a recent similarly priced Win ultrabook will be disappointed

Maybe next year Apple will see the error of their ways and address the Air's screen...

I hope you're right, but face it - Apple was happy selling the MBA with that crappy TN panel until a week or two ago. Wait, actually, it's still for sale...
 
This was the plan yall. Next keynote Apple gets to improve the screen and say "Now with 30% more colors!" "Now 50% brighter! It's our brightest laptop screen ever". Then the year after that "Now with P3 color space!"

I seriously do not think they will let the Air languish for years again after they finally recovered from that and updated all their Macs. But they have nowhere to go with resolution so they have to leave something else for improvement.
 
I am NOT returning my AIR. I am actually getting rid of my Pro and replacing it with the Air.
The screen is VERY VERY VERY slightly dimmer than the Pro and I am chalking it off to lower voltage. It is still gorgeous!
The complaints about the screen on here are just outrageous.

Well...... The specs and testing do not lie.. 500 nits is how much brighter % wise than 300 nits? :p
[doublepost=1542248967][/doublepost]
This was the plan yall. Next keynote Apple gets to improve the screen and say "Now with 30% more colors!" "Now 50% brighter! It's our brightest laptop screen ever". Then the year after that "Now with P3 color space!"

I seriously do not think they will let the Air languish for years again after they finally recovered from that and updated all their Macs. But they have nowhere to go with resolution so they have to leave something else for improvement.

Yeah I can without a doubt see this going down... Mine is boxed and ready to roll back to Apple tomorrow...
 
I tried that (vs. the rMB not the rMBA). I just could not do what I needed to do with iOS; I needed a desktop OS. Your needs may be very different, though.
Nope. Couldn’t do it. Gave it a try and just not the same. I did eye the touchbar MacBook. Looks cool.
 
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It’s less then 1 week into being launched and can be purchased for $950-1,100 at almost every store but Apple.

Unless you are getting a custom one why do people buy directly from Apple. Other vendors are almost always cheaper.

For $1,200 it’s a over priced computer. For $1,000 not bad. Going to be my main one for 3-4 years. Maybe sell it for $600+ and get a new one in a couple years.

Also the brightness thing.... I keep mine at like 20-40% brightness same as my phone... is there no light where you guys are? I never had anything at 100% brightness
 
Nope. Couldn’t do it. Gave it a try and just not the same. I did eye the touchbar MacBook. Looks cool.
The iPad has the hardware which can realistically only be utilised by games - iOS isn't ready to replace a desktop OS experience. Those who have managed to do so, are likely those who need simple email and word processing needs with maybe some basic spreadsheet work, basically anything that can be done with an iPhone, just on a bigger screen. Even then, the iPad is way over-spec'd for their needs.
 
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I returned it at Apple. The fan was annoying

Anybody running a brand-new Mac, remember that if you import a bunch of your stuff, your Mac might still be "digesting" it: Spotlight indexing, Photos scanning for faces, iCloud syncing things, Mail downloading your archived mail... Depending on what you're bringing in, all that can ramp up energy consumption, spin up fans, etc -- so that might not be indicative of the way the machine performs later on when everything has settled down.

You can always check Activity Monitor to see what's up.
 
Anybody running a brand-new Mac, remember that if you import a bunch of your stuff, your Mac might still be "digesting" it: Spotlight indexing, Photos scanning for faces, iCloud syncing things, Mail downloading your archived mail... Depending on what you're bringing in, all that can ramp up energy consumption, spin up fans, etc -- so that might not be indicative of the way the machine performs later on when everything has settled down.

You can always check Activity Monitor to see what's up.

Yes. The fan on mine went nuts a couple of nights ago. Checked Activity Monitor. One of the Safari tabs was going crazy. Closed the tab, all was well.
 
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Is the screen so bad? I read that they improved the screen. now she's a retina. Was not your screen defective? Does the old macbook air have a brighter screen or better for you?

Let's put it this way....to many people - yes - the screen is so bad. To others it is not. So it's purely subjective. If some says they do not like the screen - they are entitled to their opinion
 
I returned mine. Really wanted to keep it. It was going to replace my 2015 rMB. But I like bright displays, and this new MacBook Air is very noticeably dimmer then my 2015 rMB. Such a disappointment.

Same here. I have a 2015 rMB as well but I need something more powerful bc my computer constantly gets hot and slows down. But after having the Air for 2 days its going back tomorrow for the non touch bar MBPro. Its pretty much the same weight with a much better screen. The screen just isn't worth it to me. Guess I'm spoiled with an iPad Pro and a MB but it is a step down IMO.
 
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I am NOT returning my AIR. I am actually getting rid of my Pro and replacing it with the Air.
The screen is VERY VERY VERY slightly dimmer than the Pro and I am chalking it off to lower voltage. It is still gorgeous!
The complaints about the screen on here are just outrageous.

So what does that even mean? Are you saying the posts where people have complaints about the screen are lying? Or worse?
 
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The issues with those who may not be completely happy with this laptop but need macOS, is that there aren't any modern alternatives

- nTB has older CPU, no TouchID, Gen 2 keyboard, no T2 for Siri/security and is heavier/thicker at the front (digs into wrists). Pro's: Might perform better and the screen will be better.
- 13" TB has a Touch Bar which many people want to avoid. It is also heavier/thicker at the front and suffers from relatively poor battery life and I reckon battery life is almost more important than performance for those in the market for an Air. Pro's: Like the nTB, has the better screen and BT 5.0.
- 15" TB has a Touch Bar but importantly, it is far larger and most people want the smaller footprint, don't need all that performance or the dGPU, especially at such a premium. Pro's: Same pro's as the 13" TB.

So those who are returning, what are you buying?
 
13" 2018 TB i5 / 16 / 512... The Air I had was same specs but the i5 in it was really an m processor.....

I could maybe work with/accept TB (who am I kidding, I would have cried), but battery life was too important for me. I guess for development, battery life is more useful than the performance gains of the 13" TB.
 
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