Apple Announces MacBook Air

[richard.mac]

the macbook air is unbelievably thin and it looks great. looks like Apple really likes the "professional" aluminium look now. but damn that air is expensive! the SSD option is more expensive than the 17" macbook pro! i guess this is because of the SSD technology being very expensive and the optional specs has a 1.8 GHz processor.

although im not in the market for a new notebook right now i would of liked the macbook air to have a smaller screen. its about the same size as the macbook screens. except for the weight which is great it doesnt seem very "ultra portable". and also a black keyboard? looks a bit weird with the aluminium case. reminds me of the Ti-book.

 

[Selenolycus]

If you're bad at maths that's your own damn fault, don't try pinning your deficiencies on me!

Not everyone knows a MacBook is 5lb.

If you tell someone who is shopping for a computer that the MacBook Air is 40% the weight of a MacBook that isn't really doing them a favor. If you tell them it's 2lbs lighter than the 5lb macbook, it will.

 

[jnc]

Hey guys I'm really pissed off today
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

So much passion! Big update is required later in the year to MacBook Pro for a new chipset. Might see a Penryn refresh sooner than that though. Displays need updating, for sure. Seemed like Mac Pro was waiting on processors and (still waiting on) graphics cards.

I'm not too enamoured with Apple's new path either...

Damn I just read that you cant replace the battery on the MBA 'ala iPod'.. thats a major flaw

Not user-serviceable, but serviceable. $129, free Apple-authorised replacement. Means no travelling with a spare battery, though... which means nearly always travelling with a dang power adapter. Sigh!

 

[nydoofus]

For me, I think the biggest problem is the lack of an ExpressCard slot. Even though it has one USB port, if you had an ExpressCard slot, you could add whatever ports you needed via that. Even a dock if you wanted. http://www.belkin.com/pressroom/releases/uploads/10_10_06NotebookExpansionDock.html

I currently have an IBM Thinkpad X32 and a Powerbook G4 and I was expecting the MacBook Air to be something in line with an IBM Thinkpad X61s. While the screen is smaller than the MBA, the battery life with the 8 cell battery on the X61s is outstanding (something like 6-8 hours) and it only weighs 3.3 pounds with it. It also has 3 USB port, a 4 pin Firewire port, Ethernet, Modem, VGA, ExpressCard, SD Reader and it supports a Dock.

While the MBA will definitely grab points and attention for style (I think its dead sexy), I feel that Apple gave up far too much for thinness.

 

[DakotaGuy]

Sit in coach for 20 hours and lug that 5 pound laptop around your shoulder along with a backpack and luggage. Then let me know if you still feel that way not really

Well I understand what you mean and my Lenovo is a beast of a laptop, however I just needed a cheap laptop that ran Windows for my second job. The fact it is light would be nice. The only point I am trying to make is that 2 pounds is not going to make a huge amount of difference if you are already carrying 20-40 lbs. of luggage.

Other then being thin and 2 lbs. lighter what exactly is the advantage of this over the MacBook? As far as I am concerned they could have taken a MacBook and made it with Aluminum instead of plastic and saved some weight and offered a computer with a lot more function and a lower price. I think they were just going for the "gee-whiz" factor here.

 

[jnc]

Not everyone knows a MacBook is 5lb.

If you tell someone who is shopping for a computer that the MacBook Air is 40% the weight of a MacBook that isn't really doing them a favor. If you tell them it's 2lbs lighter than the 5lb macbook, it will.

Sorry, didn't realise it wasn't common knowledge - personally it's one of the first things I pay attention to in notebook specs. My shoulder usually thanks me for it later...

 

[Anuba]

Something else seems to be working for you, so who am I to convince you otherwise?

Yeah, no... I'm not whining. I'm just curious and puzzled as to why neither Apple nor their users want a docking station.

I think the reason it puzzles me is that the dock I have right now is everything that Apple is normally about. The hassle-free, convenient, utterly simple one-click type solution that makes other manufacturers go aaargh, why didn't we think of that? And yet here I am with an effing Dell setup with the kind of convenience I'd expect from Apple, while Apple offers the clumsy and primitive solution I'd expect from Dell.

Oh well, guess they got burned by Duo Dock. *shrug*

 

[Clive At Five]

No. Apple's obsession with thinness has been bugging me for a while (mostly due to the integrated battery on the iPhone) but now it's just getting ridiculous. Steve says "thin" more often than any of the presidential candidates say "change". His wet dream is to have a product so thin, it's invisible from the side. Sure, it only has one button, 10 seconds of battery time and 64 kB of memory, but hey... it's THIN! They're painting themselves into a corner, because no product can be thicker than their last one, and there will always be dealbreaking functionality compromises like missing connectivity, slower processors, second rate components, integrated batteries... blërg.

This is precisely the problem with the iMac. It sacrifices SO MANY THINGS just so it's a little bit thinner than its older brother. Using mobile-grade processors in a desktop?! Whoever heard of such a terrible idea? And SO-DIMMs are just a waste of money.

Apple: Customers don't care about "thin" and "small" as much as you do, you vain bastards! You want to make an easy-to-use computer that's simple for those who want an AIO, but upgradable for those who want more customization and choice (and to shut the xMac people up)? ADD POWER. The iMac's footprint is already small enough. No one is going to give a damn if the iMac is 1 inch thicker. Plus, if you put some easy-to-swap components in there, you'll please 75% of the xMac-crowd.

Upgradeable doesn't have to be ugly. I see the inside of the Mac Pro as a work of art. Extend that thought onto the iMac, or dammitall, just make an xMac already.

Same goes with this "MacBook Air." Making it 50% thinner, cutting off ports and the optical drive will make 7 people's lives easier. Reducing the footprint is the only thing that will UNIVERSALLY make a laptop more toteable.

Honestly! Who cares about a 1.5 lb difference? Especially at the expense of all those ports and the optical drive?! If it was difficult to carry a 13.3" laptop before, the MBA won't change that.

-Clive

 

[myjay610]

I think they were just going for the "gee-whiz" factor here.

I'd definitely agree with that...but also to just make a laptop thats so on the other side of the spectrum. This thing is made for people who don't use a lot of peripherals and live on 802.11. Although I'm personally disappointed in the lack of fw, ethernet, and optical drive, the more of those things they added the more of a MacBook it becomes then it probably wouldn't be appealing to the ultra portable type...

 

[nydoofus]

Damn I just read that you cant replace the battery on the MBA 'ala iPod'.. thats a major flaw

Ouch. Now I'm definitely not getting this

 

[Abstract]

\$3000 for nothing but a smaller solid state drive makes me scratch my head.

You're paying an extra $999 for a SSD because that's their market value. That's how much these SSDs cost. In fact, they may be giving you a discount.


This thread is driving me insane. I agree that Apple should have aimed for 12", possibly 11", but the amount of thoughtless remarks is driving me mad.

 

[Val-kyrie]

ssd cant save that processor.where in the **** are the new displays?


got dammit apple

update what matters not what you want.

Apple does not know what the diffrence between priority and want is.

Boooooooooooooooooo

Actually, I am not too surprised by the lack of displays. I imagine they will come in April(?) at the next conference which is more squarely aimed at professionals and not consumers.

I am also not too upset about the lack of MBP updates. I am hoping that the lack of an update today will mean a better update with the ACDs later. NVidia has been working on Hybrid SLI technology (though Intel IGPs are not slated until Q2) which I am hoping will be included in the next hardware revision alongside the recently-available Penryn processors.

 

[macenforcer]

This is precisely the problem with the iMac. It sacrifices SO MANY THINGS just so it's a little bit thinner than its older brother. Using mobile-grade processors in a desktop?! Whoever heard of such a terrible idea? And SO-DIMMs are just a waste of money.

Apple: Customers don't care about "thin" and "small" as much as you do, you vain bastards! You want to make an easy-to-use computer that's simple for those who want an AIO, but upgradable for those who want more customization and choice (and to shut the xMac people up)? ADD POWER. The iMac's footprint is already small enough. No one is going to give a damn if the iMac is 1 inch thicker. Plus, if you put some easy-to-swap components in there, you'll please 75% of the xMac-crowd.

Upgradeable doesn't have to be ugly. I see the inside of the Mac Pro as a work of art. Extend that thought onto the iMac, or dammitall, just make an xMac already.

Same goes with this "MacBook Air." Making it 50% thinner, cutting off ports and the optical drive will make 7 people's lives easier. Reducing the footprint is the only thing that will UNIVERSALLY make a laptop more toteable.

Honestly! Who cares about a 1.5 lb difference? Especially at the expense of all those ports and the optical drive?! If it was difficult to carry a 13.3" laptop before, the MBA won't change that.

-Clive

Nice. I could not have said it better myself.

 

[Val-kyrie]

boo hoo, i wanted a new mbp.

frankly, the mba is weird. i don't get who it's for.

My guess is that this is aimed at the mobile professional who already has a desktop. Then s/he could use the optical drive of the desktop. Moreover, with integrated graphics and the ultra-slim profile, it appears built for traveling lightly.

 

[MikeAnd]

LOL - 2 to 1 negatives to positives - that's amusing. I guess the majority of people are disappointed that it isn't a a quad-core laptop that only weighs two pounds and is priced at $999. My only disappointment is that there is no 160 GB drive option - they have it in the iPod Classic, so why not in the MBA?

 

[diamond.g]

Quoted for truth.

I've got to say that the custom silicon(e) from Intel is quite something.

Not really. The die is the same, really all Apple did was ask Intel to reduce the pin count. The last time I looked at a package tech paper most of the pins in a processor are ground pins anyways.


I too thought the die was 60% smaller, but when you look at the pic

it really isn't.

If anyone wants to see how SLOW this air book really will be just use carbon copy cloner and clone your hard drive onto your ipod and then boot from it. Then you will see how much this thing will SUCK.

That is why you spring for the SSD. duh

 

[macenforcer]

The bottom line is apple is deaf. They only hear one voice and that is Steve's. The customers mean nothing to them. We have all been saying the same stuff forever.

WE WANT:

1. A mac that uses a standard desktop processor. Not a xeon, not a mobile but a regular quad core cpu from intel. We want it smaller than a Mac Pro but larger than an mini. GET IT?

2. We want a damn macbook pro with a freakin upgradeable hard drive, a magnetic latch and some dame cellular connectivity.

3. We want an updated Mac Mini for pete sakes.

4. Put a damn Express card slot in the freakin Macbook already.

5. Put a damn SD reader in all your macbooks and macbook pros already.

6. FIX the blessid problem with using a usb hard drive on the Airport Extreme. No, the new airport with hard drive is NOT a fix.

7. Re-release a freakin new isight or put one in your monitors for heavens sakes. What the hell is wrong with you guys???

8. Oh for heavens sakes christ almighty cut that damn trackpad button in HALF and make it 2 buttons. PLEASE!!!



People have been begging for this stuff since forever but does apple listen? NO! They come out with something so completely useless like the Macbook Air. GEEEEZ!

 

[bloodycape]

The technology of SSD drives is ready for the mainstream but they are still too expensive to make - still, I think their time will come soon and Apple's intro of SSD drives is forward thinking.

It maybe forward thinking, but many Japanese laptop makers have been using SSD since late 2006 or so. Granted they are Japan only, but they have had them as an option for a while.

 

[mrwizardno2]

While I think it's a neat idea, I don't necessarily like the style of the laptop or the silly name. Of course that's all just personal taste, I'm sure some people will find this laptop incredibly useful.

Me? I'll stick to my MBP

 

[Spett85]

Final Cut Pro Group

I had read somewhere that Apple was going to unveil something super secret at their Final Cut Pro Meeting tomorrow I don't suppose an update to Macbook Pro would be announced then.

 

[NYCMacFan]

I am very happy with this offering. I type a lot and like a nice screen. So I love a 13inch screen and a full sized keyboard with less weight.

I am leaning toward buying and getting the SSD (don't mind the price too much, especially with academic discount and can save another $300 with the 1.6htz processor and bring it in closer to $2,500 with SSD).

BUT:

1. What concerns me slightly is that it is not a bit lighter. This should have come in closer to 2.5lbs (hoping it will with SSD) and more like 6-7 hours of battery life (again hoping it will get more time with an SSD).

2. I am also concerned on how much space Leopard with an XP install would leave me.

3. Traveling on subways in NYC everyday and traveling internationally, I do find a world of difference between 3lbs and 5.3lbs. I don't mind the form factor over other ultraportables that offer less usable screen space and a cramped keyboard. However, I am surprised that it is not narrower (perhaps the LCD needs more space on left and right).

4. Also, a smaller adapter really helps. But curious what it looks like. (One huge gripe I have had with some Dell ultraportables was the oversized adapter, but they are a company that cuts a lot of corners).

5. Unclear to me if a tapered system that goes up to .76 would be better than one that is a straight .5 or .6.

 

[jnc]

Yeah, no... I'm not whining. I'm just curious and puzzled as to why neither Apple nor their users want a docking station.

I think the reason it puzzles me is that the dock I have right now is everything that Apple is normally about. The hassle-free, convenient, utterly simple one-click type solution that makes other manufacturers go aaargh, why didn't we think of that? And yet here I am with an effing Dell setup with the kind of convenience I'd expect from Apple, while Apple offers the clumsy and primitive solution I'd expect from Dell.

Oh well, guess they got burned by Duo Dock. *shrug*

I think it's because Apple doesn't "want" you using notebooks how you mention. It's self-sufficient - [pitch]computer, screen, webcam, speakers, mouse, keyboard, all it needs (aside from power) is built right in.

In those rare occasions you need to use an external device, Apple has provided you with not one, but two -- count 'em TWO (how generous) usb ports, and even a firewire 400!
[/pitch]

Don't mention the term Desktop replacement to Apple - they don't want you to do that. They want you to have both!

 

[Nonsanity]

Because A Co-Worker Said It....

http://nonsanity.com/iSuckAir.jpg

 

[fowler.]

8. Oh for heavens sakes christ almighty cut that damn trackpad button in HALF and make it 2 buttons. PLEASE!!!

two buttons is useless compared to what they have implemented right now..

 

[macenforcer]

two buttons is useless compared to what they have implemented right now..

I knew a fanboy reply would be the first one. Good grief.