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Apple Announces MacBook Air

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Well it is interesting, but other then being thin what exactly is the advantage over the standard MacBook? The MacBook is more powerful, has a built in optical drive, a lot more ports including an ethernet port, and a user replaceable battery all for a lot less money. Ok, so the MacBook Air is thinner, but other then that, what is the point? If you use a laptop as a DVD player as I do something tells me that the external optical drive would actually make the computer even less convenient.

Well I guess for the people that value style more then anything this is the real deal, but I think for most customers it would be a waste of money and nothing more then a flashy fashion accessory.
 
jnc said:
No wayyyy could this be your sole computer. This is your Mac On-The-Go(TM), just to keep you going until you get back to the real deal at home :)
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So I guess everyone who had a previous generation MacBook can no longer use it as their only computer. I have a 15" Powerbook G4 that I use as my only computer, specs wise its far slower than the MBA but there is no way I could use it as my only computer.
 
cliffrouse11bas said:
They should have came out with a model that was priced around $1200. I might would have bitten, but $1799 for a computer that is much slower than my current MacBook and the only advantage I will have is thinner and a little lighter. I would say that the only people that will buy this are people that will buy anything Apple comes out with. I call them Super Apple Fanatics. I consider myself an Apple lover but not Fanatic. I would love to see a 12" MacBook Pro myself.
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Price is a factor. I was thinking it would be $1499. Not expecting the $300 jump for the non-SSD model.
 
The MBA is a nice computer, which I'm sure some business and academic buyers will get as their travel machine. It's a niche machine. The solid state HDs will be cheaper in a year or two.

I personally wish they made a 12in PB form factor sans optical, 2.5 in HD, smaller footprint, 8-12 hr battery, 3.5-4 pounds, + dedicated graphics. It would be rugged, portable, run all day, and fast enough for most people.
 
appletastic said:
Maybe apple should produce thousands of different products for all the different people in the world (you could specify the exact requirements you need), maybe also give them product codes rather than names.. fancy a Macbook ZcX500? Or an iPhone 450DX? bugger.. maybe the Macbook XcX501 is better..

Oh that company already exists.. it's called Sony.

Apple produces a select suite of products for a select market, simple.
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What are you on about?

Adding this new laptop only confuzzles things. MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air. They should've just made a true sub notebook on either the mb or mbp line instead of going for the WOW factor from thinness. That's what I hear people wanting from Apple. Not a sheet-thin computer.
 
true777 said:
Plus I don't see the point of it at all -- even I, a 5'2" 95lbs woman, have never had a problem carrying a 17" MBP to business meetings or on an airplane, so what's the benefit of this thing?
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I used to think that way, back when I had a 17" HP notebook with a desktop processor inside. Gorgeous glossy screen, battery life of about 10 minutes, and it generates heat better than most campfires. I think it weighed something like 9.2 pounds.

I took it on a business trip to Tokyo from Newark, NJ with a stopover on the west coast. Carrying that beast, along with a development notebook, a backpack, and an upright suitcase for nearly a day through three airports in 20 hours and several additional hours of Tokyo "limousine bus" from Narita (which is not a limousine, just a bus, damn lying Tokyo public transit) nearly tore my shoulders off, and I'm 6'2 and built like an offensive lineman in football. Situations like that are where you notice every extra ounce. As soon as I got back from Tokyo I ordered a 2.7 lb Thinkpad X.
 
appletastic said:
Maybe apple should produce thousands of different products for all the different people in the world (you could specify the exact requirements you need), maybe also give them product codes rather than names.. fancy a Macbook ZcX500? Or an iPhone 450DX? bugger.. maybe the Macbook XcX501 is better..

Oh that company already exists.. it's called Sony.

Apple produces a select suite of products for a select market, simple.
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Exactly! That is why Apple should have considered their newest machine more carefully. A "select suite" should offer the most coverage for their select market. And Apple's market is not users with specific needs, but rather a select group loyalists with many different usage profiles. I just don't believe that for a company with a minimalist approach to model availability, they are best serving our needs with the Macbook Air. Now we will have wait for another two years for Apple to realize and subsequently produce the laptop that everyone was hoping for.

Why would it have been so damn hard to have simply dusted off the old Powerbook 12" factor and revised it? We don't need thin, as has been said; the PB 12" was almost thin enough, and the foot print was great. Heck, even a 13.3 at .70 inches all over would have killed, had it offered a robust feature-set instead of the skimpy vanity outfitting of the Air.
 
Anuba said:
And you sound like the stereotypical Apple fanboi who can't stand hearing anyone criticize your religion, but I didn't ask you to gtfo because it's not my business to tell you what you what to do.

I'm talking about the one thing that keeps me from switching to Mac.
I was under the impression that the Mac community encouraged switching, but I guess not.
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Hmm?


...


Sorry, I usually turn off when I hear the word fanboy used incorrectly.

Look, I don't even want a MacBook Air but this USB/cable whining is bogus.

This stuff is easy man. Do whatever - I like what I have, and if that ever stopped being the case, I'd get something else!

Something else seems to be working for you, so who am I to convince you otherwise?
 
Selenolycus said:
But the big question is: will someone who only wants a second computer spend $700 more on something that is technically inferior because it is 2lb lighter than the cheaper product?
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Think of it this way: this is analogous to an ultralight racing bike for someone who already has a BMW. It won't go as fast or carry as much, but it's a delightful piece of engineering which fulfills an entirely different function.
 
I think I can live w/o an optical drive.
At the same time, they could have saved almost an inch if they would cut those ugly wide edges around the screen. The same goes to the base. I do not thing there is anything besides aluminum casing in those Dell-ish wedges.
Then would make a footprint a bit smaller.
 
backtothefuture said:
The best thing would be to rip DVDs to iTunes, but I dont think this is on the horizon.
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Handbrake does a great job of ripping DVDs. I ripped 87 episodes of Friends for my daughter to put on her 160GB iPod Classic. And there was still almost 130GB of available space. With Handbrake, you can set your dimensions of the ripped movie, it's not just for iPod video.

Here's a link and guide to help you. Just up the size from 320x240 to get a video that is larger and nicer to watch on your laptop: http://howto.diveintomark.org/ipod-dvd-ripping-guide/

Of course, with the MacBook Air, you'll need the external Superdrive to do your ripping.
 
darngooddesign said:
So I guess everyone who had a previous generation MacBook can no longer use it as their only computer. I have a 15" Powerbook G4 that I use as my only computer, specs wise its far slower than the MBA but there is no way I could use it as my only computer.
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What?

Abercrombieboy said:
If a person can't carry 5 pounds of weight in their bag it's time they started to exercise.:)
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Haha, THAT one never gets old! Oh wait. Yeah it does. Take a law degree on my campus. That is the &*%^*&ing exercise.
 
really really pissed off

Hey guys I'm really pissed off today:mad:
whats wrong with you Apple can't u see the 5 years old design that needs an update?! yes its called powerbook ohhh sorry macbook pro! and what about the displays?!!!!
whats wrong with u? taking a year and half to update the mac pro??!!
i still didn't forget "the last 30 years were just the beginning welcome to 2007!!!!" and we ended up with a phone and something useless called Apple T.V!!
where is the innovation?! u want to convince us that we don't need cds or dvds anymore?! r u ok?! then y the hell r sending us dvds then???!!! or what about blu-ray!!
didn't u hear about capacitive display??? did u pass by dell recently??
sorry Apple but I think u r simply making it a lot easeir for ur competitors...I think we will see a new player in the near future who will simply take the pros from u, leaving u in the hands of the Nouveau riche
 
I travel a lot and the things I use the most on my current 12" PB (which I was hoping to maybe replace with this) is my optical drive (DVDs on planes, etc) because sometimes I just don't handbrake them before I leave and the Ethernet port because every hotel I stay at that advertises wireless does a poor job covering every room; which isn't a trivial task sometimes given the size of some hotels. Those mini wireless travel routers are cool but just something extra you have to carry. However, it's a cool product and great innovation on Apple's part if you ask me. Excited to read the reviews once they start shipping!

John
 
skunk said:
Think of it this way: this is analogous to an ultralight racing bike for someone who already has a BMW. It won't go as fast or carry as much, but it's a delightful piece of engineering which fulfills an entirely different function.
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Hmm what are the price tags on these ultralight racing bikes and BMWs you speak of? A MBA ($1800) is more than 50% the cost of a Mac Pro ($2800) + Display ($600). I imagine BMW's start around $30,000. How many ultralight racing bicycles run over $15,000?
 
Disappointment

I am disappointed at the MacWorld Keynote. I am a long time Windows user I decided to buy a Mac about a month and a half ago but all the rumors sites including this one seemed sure that in addition to a sub notebook that the other laptops would also be updated so I waited until today under the apparently mistaken belief that the MacBook Pro line would be updated. I don't care about a sub notebook sure it's thin and I guess that's cool but it doesn't satisfy my needs. Anyway Apple is already doing really well I mean whereelse can anyone find a 17" Desktop Replacement class notebook that is only an inch thick and less than 7 pounds. To me that is far more impressive than this Macbook Air
 
How many times Apple has recalled the battery?!
Almost every time! At least on my Powerbooks, both 15 and 12 inch.
Well, it was Sony's fault or someone else.. Doesn't matter.

Now you cannot even replace it yourself.
 
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