Anyone else think MacBook Air ...

[abrooks14]

I dont see the point of the MBA, time for apple retired it to history.
They have two other great offerings in the rMB and rMBP,

I don't think the Macbook is a great computer. Good, but not great. It's expensive, is poorly connected and has a keyboard that a lot of people are put off by. It's USP - thinness and lightness - is utterly pointless as the MBA weighs nothing already.

To cheer up all the people (like me) who love their MBA I think they will continue it with spec bumps and a non-retina screen, simply because Apple won't start their notebook line-up at the price point of the Macbook.

If I am wrong I will buy the latest 11inch MBA maxed out and keep it as long as possible; as I'm typing this on a 2010 MBA that would be quite some time.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I don't think the Macbook is a great computer. Good, but not great. It's expensive, is poorly connected and has a keyboard that a lot of people are put off by. It's USP - thinness and lightness - is utterly pointless as the MBA weighs nothing already.

To cheer up all the people (like me) who love their MBA I think they will continue it with spec bumps and a non-retina screen, simply because Apple won't start their notebook line-up at the price point of the Macbook.

If I am wrong I will buy the latest 11inch MBA maxed out and keep it as long as possible; as I'm typing this on a 2010 MBA that would be quite some time.

Ever since I bought my first MBA in 2010 I have been a huge fan of the MBA. For someone who needs that sweet spot of power and portability it is the best computer that Apple have ever built.

As long as Airs exist, I shall have one.

"Air" is the name Apple has applied to a class of computer, namely 11" and 13", highly portable, moderately powerful laptop computers. That class has been described by more than one rating entity as the best laptops in the world. Whether Apple chooses to maintain the Air class of laptops is unknown at this time.

Apple muddied the marketplace by introducing the Macbook, a 12", even more portable laptop that, due to having only one port, seems geared to those who are happy using cloud storage. While "Air" devotees can and do use cloud storage (me, for instance), the computer has the flexibility to plug in a couple USB drives, or a Thunderbolt drive, or a big, fancy monitor—all at the same time (no, I don't want to hear about multi-headed USB-C adapters).

I don't think anyone cares what Apple calls that line of computers; MacBook Ritazorch anyone? What we do care about is Apple discontinuing the best laptop computer in the world.

Actually, I have a 13" MBA that I ordered in 2013, a CTO, (8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and Core i7). Without a doubt, it is the best computer I have ever owned, and it has travelled the world with me, ready and able to take on whatever is thrown at it. Portable, powerful, fast, with an amazing battery life, yes, a retina screen would be rather nice, but it is not a necessity, whereas portability and power and an exceptional battery life are.

Reading this thread, I suspect that a lot of the MBA's fans are female, who need a professional standard computer for work, but for whom portability and power also matter.

I dont see the point of the MBA, time for apple retired it to history.
They have two other great offerings in the rMB and rMBP,

No. These don't fit my needs.

Once upon a time, I had a MBP - a terrific computer, but a real pain to haul around. It was too heavy to be comfortable.

And the rMB - come on; that is an underpowered device (as was the MBA when it first appeared, it must be admitted). Underpowered, and under-resourced. I'm not interested in the Cloud - I want everything I need on a computer, and I want a computer that is fast, light, powerful with a superb battery life, and a decent memory.

Every MBA since the 2013 upgrade has had the specs I need.

 

[tampageek]

I dont see the point of the MBA, time for apple retired it to history.
They have two other great offerings in the rMB and rMBP,

Retiring the Air would be a HUGE mistake for . Not only is it the best laptop on the planet, it fills a market space that will be hard to replace.

I have both a rMBP 13 and 11 MBAir with an i7 and 8GB Ram. Using both, I can tell you that the 11 Air is faster and runs smoother with the same apps on both. The display is not as crisp on the Air, but that's why it has better battery life. I also have an 12.3'' i7 Thinkpad X 230 with 16GB ram and tons of ports. And even though it was upgraded to the best display available, it's still not as good as the display on the 11 Air.

IMHO  needs to remember that offering a high quality laptop with excellent battery life for under $1000 is still the best way to bring new customers into the  ecosystem.

A lot of people need ports and don't want to carry around a bag full of dongles for the underpowered 12 MB no matter how good the display is. If it were up to me I'd kill off the 12''MB. The keyboard is horrible.

I'd love to see a breakdown of MAC sales to see if the rMB is really outselling the Air's.

 

[navaira]

I'd LOVE a breakdown of Mac sales. I read conflicting information, someone said Air is the best seller, someone else said rMB is. But I think we're getting that breakdown right after the number of Apple Watches sold.

 

[cincygolfgrrl]

IMHO  needs to remember that offering a high quality laptop with excellent battery life for under $1000 is still the best way to bring new customers into the  ecosystem.

Essentially, that's how  got me—an i5, 4MB, 128GB 11" MBA. It's almost five years old and I see no reason it won't last at least another five.

 

[gnatmm]

I think you're right though, when the MacBook was announced, I could see that it would immediately be an attractive option to some people who would be 11" Air users, but that for the majority, it was too limited in terms of connectivity options. Presumably the next iteration will be more powerful but they're unlikely to add any more ports, so where does that leave people looking to upgrade their Air?

I'm surprised they've not released some sort of mini hub (or a new 27" USB-C display) for the MacBook which would let users connect that big Thunderbolt display and storage arrays etc when working from their desk. But then Apple's data might show that the amount of people who want such a thing are in the minority.

It will be interesting to see what happens this year when the MBA and MacBook lines are refreshed/updated.

I have to question the second part of your statement. MBA 13 can be a perfect balance (I have a i7 13 mba 8gb 512gb and this is the perfect workhorse for me light when I travel and powerful when in the office, attached to my bolt screen.

Do a quick count in an airport lounge, this might change your PoV. The Mba 13 users are not a minority imho. Let's have a servi about sales stats.

Actual mbp ares simply too heavy for road runners, medium to high power and storage needs. If they discontinue the MBA I will fallback on the pro, the MacBook is a toy. no brainer.

 

[andreyush]

I can't stand this change of mentality ! Now the people need so much the rMB because of its lightness and its retina display. I am so pissed off because so many people now says that rMB it's so superior to MBA because of its screen. On this forum one user said: "I am not able to work on a MBA because of that low-resolution screen, rMB it's better." Say what? Maybe the MBA's screen it's not the best but it's so great than others screens out there. For its lightness it has a powerfull CPU and it has more ports than rMB, not to mention that the difference between rMB and MBA in the weight and thickness it's so freackin' SMALL. The versatility it's on MBA for sure !
Back in 2013 many users said that MBA is so thin and there is no need for change. Many said that if the MBA would be even thinner then it would suck. NOW we want a piece of paper as a notebook because we can't carry 1 kg in our backpacks ...We are so weak ! We need something thinner for god sake (please feel the irony)! Sigh... Where is George Carlin when you need him.
I am a rMBP user and I am so tired of these people who needs TO EVOLVE in total blindless. I am not saying that rMB it's not a good device but some people is going crazy with this thing and give into oblivion everything just to promote it.

 

[navaira]

People have various needs and desires and they have the right to.

Personally I wouldn't want the 1st gen rMB unless it dropped to €399 and then I'd buy it for shiz'n'giggles. I am very, very happy with my 13" Air, I was worried I made a wrong choice but I didn't. The only things I own that have retina class screens are my phone and tablet and frankly speaking I can live with pixels here and there, having started with a ZX81 and moved on to WAY SUPERIOR Atari 65XE with a tape recorder. This does not say anything about anybody else. I do not represent any group of users. I represent myself and in the surveyed group of 100% Navairas MBA 13" wins.

Maybe it helps to keep a distance of at least 50 cm between your eyes and screen.

 

[andreyush]

People have various needs and desires and they have the right to.

Personally I wouldn't want the 1st gen rMB unless it dropped to €399 and then I'd buy it for shiz'n'giggles. I am very, very happy with my 13" Air, I was worried I made a wrong choice but I didn't. The only things I own that have retina class screens are my phone and tablet and frankly speaking I can live with pixels here and there, having started with a ZX81 and moved on to WAY SUPERIOR Atari 65XE with a tape recorder. This does not say anything about anybody else. I do not represent any group of users. I represent myself and in the surveyed group of 100% Navairas MBA 13" wins.

Maybe it helps to keep a distance of at least 50 cm between your eyes and screen.

1400x900 13" MBA it's by far a good resolution to do everything on it. Yes people have various needs and desires but we can't universalize the rule that rMB is by far superior than MBA and we can't throw into oblivion such a good device just because the rMB came with one or two advantages...It's neither logical nor practical.

 

[can$rules]

1400x900 13" MBA it's by far a good resolution to do everything on it.

No, it is not, specially in 2016. At a minimum a 1440p screen would make it competitive but otherwise it is just a relic. If we can have a retina screen on an iPad there's no reason we can't have it on an MBA, other than Apple's target profit margin.

 

[andreyush]

It is. It's not like your eyes can't process 1440x900 just because they have seen the gourgeous retina display. Come on. There are so many people who preffer the versatility of MBA and 1400x900 screen than to spend min 1200$ just for a better resolution. I get the idea on rMBP ... You get power, conectivity, the display and many other advantages.
I assure you that not everyone is thinking like that : HEY IT'S 2016 ! I want a better resolution!

 

[toddzrx]

I assure you that not everyone is thinking like that : HEY IT'S 2016 ! I want a better resolution!

No, they're thinking: "I have a retina phone and tablet, and a lot of laptops nowadays are going retina too. No point in upgrading my laptop if it doesn't have a retina resolution."

 

[andreyush]

No, they're thinking: "I have a retina phone and tablet, and a lot of laptops nowadays are going retina too. No point in upgrading my laptop if it doesn't have a retina resolution."

Wow, OK, I'm done . There is no point to continue.

 

[navaira]

No, they're thinking: "I have a retina phone and tablet, and a lot of laptops nowadays are going retina too. No point in upgrading my laptop if it doesn't have a retina resolution."

Actually I agree, with the addition that they have no clue how much more processing power and energy is needed for a retina screen, and they have no actual need for retina but since their friend George just bought an Asus laptop with hires screen they obviously need one as well.

 

[andreyush]

Actually I agree, with the addition that they have no clue how much more processing power and energy is needed for a retina screen, and they have no actual need for retina but since their friend George just bought an Asus laptop with hires screen they obviously need one as well.

And this is not the way anyone should buy a laptop or any device.

 

[navaira]

And this is not the way anyone should buy a laptop or any device.

Indeed, but I'd hazzard a guess that over 90% Mac buyers aren't members here and don't even know what retina means, they just see "OMG Mabel look at this screen, our wedding photos will look SO GOOD on it".

 

[andreyush]

Indeed, but I'd hazzard a guess that over 90% Mac buyers aren't members here and don't even know what retina means, they just see "OMG Mabel look at this screen, our wedding photos will look SO GOOD on it".

Maybe but I disagree xD... I tell you I know this area ( of music and editing video) and people just ignore the device and focus on the primary thing, the picture, the melody. Of course you need good equipament and the right tools but most of the people ignore these things. You don't go at the concert to see what guitar is the guitarist using with what amp and what compressor, you and listen to the music and enjoy it. In fact I know a guy ( weddings photographer by the way) who edits his photos on a MBA 13". When I compare the photos on my retina there is no much difference. He calibrated so well the screen that these photos look amazing even on MBA's "poor screen".
As I said, even when a device it's so good looking and so tempting to buy we need to look if we fits our needs and if we really need it because MAYBE we have already a good device which fulfill all our needs. This thing that I can't look at 1400x900 because I already seen a rMB it's so wrong IMO. And I also think that most of people who thinks like that are the users on this forum. I've never met somebody telling me that rMB beats the crap out of MBA.

 

[quackers82]

I have a 15" 2013 rMBP and a 2012 Macbook Air, i prefer the Macbook Air! Infact using a program called Parallels 2X i get lag on the retina screen where as the Air is smooth as butter.

I only get the pro out when i am at work or i want to game and it needs the Nvidia gaming card. I could not care less about the retina screen, the Macbook Airs res is already above what most laptops are.

 

[sracer]

Maybe but I disagree xD... I tell you I know this area ( of music and editing video) and people just ignore the device and focus on the primary thing, the picture, the melody. Of course you need good equipament and the right tools but most of the people ignore these things. You don't go at the concert to see what guitar is the guitarist using with what amp and what compressor, you and listen to the music and enjoy it. In fact I know a guy ( weddings photographer by the way) who edits his photos on a MBA 13". When I compare the photos on my retina there is no much difference. He calibrated so well the screen that these photos look amazing even on MBA's "poor screen".
As I said, even when a device it's so good looking and so tempting to buy we need to look if we fits our needs and if we really need it because MAYBE we have already a good device which fulfill all our needs. This thing that I can't look at 1400x900 because I already seen a rMB it's so wrong IMO. And I also think that most of people who thinks like that are the users on this forum. I've never met somebody telling me that rMB beats the crap out of MBA.

I have long since learned to stop defending the MBA's screen. If people want to engage in the melodramatic hyperbole of, "the MBA's screen is so lo-res that it is a pixelated mess" and pass up on owning a terrific notebook, I don't feel the need to save them from themselves.

 

[t0mat0]

Current pricing: MBA which sell a shed load are the starting prices for MacBooks, with MacBook 12" & rMBP 13" $300-400 more. MacBook 12" unlikely to be able to drop it's lowest price $300 in a year.

MBA
11" is $899 - 1,649
13" is $999 - 1,749
MacBook
12" is $1,299 - $1,599
rMBP
13" is $1,299 - $2,699
15" is $1,999 - $3,199


1) Have the InfinityEdge style small bezel screen as a differentiator on the new Skylake rMBPs, refresh MBA but keep larger bezel?

Like the iPads guessed to go iPad Mini 4 (8") / iPad Air 2 (10"), iPad Pro ((10" rumoured) & 13")
For the MacBooks - MacBook (12") / MBA (11" & 13"), MBP (14" & 16" )?

2) Bring Small bezel to both MBA and MBP
MacBook (12") / MBA (12 & 14") / MBP (14" & 16" )?

Would Apple ever drop the MBA line to just one size? Be curious to hear - seems the MBA forum doesn't have a multipage "New MBA" thread like the Mac Pro/MBP forum sections.

 

[AFEPPL]

Where does the assumption that the MBA "sells a shed load" come from?
Any sales data for that?

 

[t0mat0]

Anecdotal from one of the relay fm presenters who'd worked at Apple previously irc.
It's a decent best laptop at places like wire cutter http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-laptop/
Beaten by MBP 13" at amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Sellers-Computers-Laptops/zgbs/computers/429886031
also at US http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Laptop-Computers/zgbs/electronics/565108
Could easily have changed as this is old info above.

On a side note - whatever happened to the November 2015 rumour about Apple having big changes for the MBAs in 2016 at WWDC?
http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/11/30/rumor-apple-to-unveil-13-and-15-macbook-air-at-wwdc-2016
(EDN don't have the best record https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/economic-daily-news/ but had some on the watch)

 

[AFEPPL]

That's nothing to do with real sales numbers
Number one in the amazon UK list is a rMBP and 4 is a Air... in the US list the Airs not on the first page

And the review, "best" would no doubt also apply to the iPhone 5s as the best iPhone right now if you factor in price which is basically whats happening.

 

[kiwipeso1]

I used to have the MBA 11" mid 2011 i5 2GB 64GB, was glad to move up to a 13" MBA i7 2013 8GB 256GB.
However I still think that my friend has an awesome 17" 2011 MBP, which now has a 1TB SSD and loads Logic Pro in under 5 seconds with all the plugins.
I would be really pleased to have an equivalent 2016 MBP 4k or 5k, as I need to get into a business opportunity, and this MBA is really not worth upgrading the SSD, as I can upgrade to a great macbook pro, a moto x play and a 2016 tablet (not going to do nexus or pixel c though, will do a microsd system drive with Android 6 and 4G.)

 

[Melrose]

Good gosh I hope they don't kill off the Air, or bump the screen res. That Retina MacBook is a joke - it's not powerful enough to be a highend computer, and not cheap enough to an entry-level.

I genuinely don't understand how anyone with half a brain can talk themselves into buying one. People buy it because they're either misinformed or want bling-bling.

EDIT: autocorrect turned High-end into highness.....?