So, about the only two people in here that mention are are mentioned to have shown sincere interest in buying a MBA are two wifes. Does that make the MBA a WoMac now?
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Apple Announces MacBook Air
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So, about the only two people in here that mention are are mentioned to have shown sincere interest in buying a MBA are two wifes. Does that make the MBA a WoMac now?
Nice, but who is going to buy it?
I am so glad I bought my SR MacBook three months ago. I always thought there would be a slight regret when the new aluminium super slim came out, but I don't regret it now.
OK, I wish I had the LED screen, and the multi-touch trackpad and the lit up keyboard, but I also need 2 USBs, a Firewire, a DVD burner. I also acknowledge that I am paying a premium for an Apple product (£820 compared to Dell's £450 for an equivalent spec machine) but I just can't see who is going to pay an even bigger premium for something that sacrifices everything to be slim. But it'll be somebody's bag, and it's a nice engineering exercise for Apple. I'd like to see some of the technology rolled out across the range.
Doesn't make it a bad product, just not what I want.
I am so glad I bought my SR MacBook three months ago. I always thought there would be a slight regret when the new aluminium super slim came out, but I don't regret it now.
OK, I wish I had the LED screen, and the multi-touch trackpad and the lit up keyboard, but I also need 2 USBs, a Firewire, a DVD burner. I also acknowledge that I am paying a premium for an Apple product (£820 compared to Dell's £450 for an equivalent spec machine) but I just can't see who is going to pay an even bigger premium for something that sacrifices everything to be slim. But it'll be somebody's bag, and it's a nice engineering exercise for Apple. I'd like to see some of the technology rolled out across the range.
Doesn't make it a bad product, just not what I want.
Many people are basically saying the Air is "style over substance".
WTF is the iPhone then!!!!? The iPhone is exactly that - style over substance at a very high price!!!!
Apple know style sells, so is anyone really surprised?
Come to your favourite computer store soon - 3rd party MacBook Air docking stations.
WTF is the iPhone then!!!!? The iPhone is exactly that - style over substance at a very high price!!!!
Apple know style sells, so is anyone really surprised?
Come to your favourite computer store soon - 3rd party MacBook Air docking stations.
Rushed Results
Wow. :O So many negatives on this release - when SO many ppl really wanted, pushed, screamed for it.
This is what happens when investors, consumers and the like rush a company to release a product BEFORE its ready to do so.
This goes against Apple's stand to include a drive inside every laptop.
I just hope the refresh of the MacPro begins to include a carbon-fibre composite shell (the rumored Dell laptop is looking mighty sweet in design).
Wow. :O So many negatives on this release - when SO many ppl really wanted, pushed, screamed for it.
This is what happens when investors, consumers and the like rush a company to release a product BEFORE its ready to do so.
This goes against Apple's stand to include a drive inside every laptop.
I just hope the refresh of the MacPro begins to include a carbon-fibre composite shell (the rumored Dell laptop is looking mighty sweet in design).
Sorry to pick on you as an example but;
So many people speculate and rumor in here that when the product doesn't come with all the features speculated they think it's a failure.
And then you go and do the same thing with the MacPro!!!
So many people speculate and rumor in here that when the product doesn't come with all the features speculated they think it's a failure.
And then you go and do the same thing with the MacPro!!!
It does look very nice but it’s pointless to be honest as it just too close to the regular Macbook.
For Apple to introduce a new laptop it should have either been a 13” Pro machine or been one that had a smaller foot print, maybe 10 inches to make it ultra portable, you just need to look at the Asus EEE to see how much you can squeeze into a tiny machine and that’s £1000 cheaper.
It makes you wonder when the Macbook get its next revision what kind of update it will get because all that really sets the Macbook Air apart is the weight and seeing as Apple are going Green all their products will eventually have a lighter thinner aluminium casing deeming the Macbook Air pointless.
For Apple to introduce a new laptop it should have either been a 13” Pro machine or been one that had a smaller foot print, maybe 10 inches to make it ultra portable, you just need to look at the Asus EEE to see how much you can squeeze into a tiny machine and that’s £1000 cheaper.
It makes you wonder when the Macbook get its next revision what kind of update it will get because all that really sets the Macbook Air apart is the weight and seeing as Apple are going Green all their products will eventually have a lighter thinner aluminium casing deeming the Macbook Air pointless.
I never GAVE a timeline of my expectations. I just said I hope, as I think the all aluminum finish is getting long in the tooth. But I understand your point.
That page can't be right - it shows the Europe price with a GBP sign (£) not a Euro () sign. If they are quoting in GBP, then at current exchange rates, the £139 incl. taxes for Europe is $273!
Even if the sign should be for Euros, then 139 = $205 currently.
Rip-off right there!
I kinda like the design, but I tried running with one USB port on a Dell Latitude C400 and it got to the point that I got a USB PCMCIA card to give some connections.
That machine was a good size and design when released in 2001:
12.1" screen,
PIII 1.2Ghz CPU
Intel i830M on-board graphics
upgraded to 768Mb ram (max 1Gb)
upgraded to 80Gb 2.5" hard drive
added an Intel 802.11a/b/g mini-PCI card
10/100 Ethernet
External DVD-CDRW
Headphone & Microphone sockets
On-board modem
Serial port
VGA port
Infrared sensor
4-cell 27Whr or 6-cell 40Whr battery
PCMCIA slot
Height - 26.6mm to 30.5mm (1.04 to 1.2")
Width - 290mm (11.4")
Depth - 238mm (9.4")
Weight 1.63kg (3.6lb with 4-cell battery)
So the new MBA is half an inch thicker at the thick end, 1.4" wider and just under half an inch narrower, plus half a pound lighter.
For that weight difference:
Dell smaller screen (by 1.2" diagonal)
Dell smaller battery (by 10Whr plus lithium-ion against MBA's lithium polymer)
Apple has bluetooth module & built-in wireless
Apple has larger hard drive in basic weight specs (20Gb on original Dell)
Dell has built-in 10/100 Ethernet, serial port, built-in modem and connector, infra-red sensor, microphone input jack
Apple has aluminium case against plastic on the Dell
So win some and lose some on both sides, but the MBA with some of the Dell functionality (ethernet and smaller screen, mostly) would've pushed me towards buying one as a complement to my Mac Mini (I've hardly used the Dell at all since buying the Mini in June 07), although the price in the UK is a push for a second machine to be used occasionally (I'd use the Mini when at home for over 80% of the time). I rarely used the external drive on the Dell so that doesn't worry me - hmm, wonder if the MBA SuperDrive would work with my Mini as it doesn't have a DVD burner.....)
Does your wife, the banker, realize she could've saved $600 by buying a MacBook; a computer with the same footprint, more power, and Apple's industrial design? Sure you'd have the "burden" of a 1" thick unit and two extra pounds to carry - oh, and having to carry around that darn optical bay... No, certainly that's way too much of a burden to bear for $600, stupid me.
No, DJ Spice, I did not know who this computer was for but now I do: vain fools. Your wife has fallen victim to the RDF and you, being the self-proclaimed "good Apple user" that you are, should be ashamed that you allowed her to do so.
-Clive
Do you honesty think that a bank exec doesn't do her research? The cost of the MB is irrelevant, she wanted the AirBook. She wanted the significantly lighter weight and the overall smaller size. She may not even use the optical drive much, so why should she have to carry one around all the time?
Right - just one reason why Rumours are *bad* for Apple. They set unrealistic / false expectations and people whine and cry when the product doesn't meet the rumoured expectations.
Wow, what's happened to Apple lately? This is a terrible product in many ways, mostly due to the price. This thing is a piece of junk compared to the MB in terms of value.
You're paying about 80% more for a slower processor, waaaay slower HDD, no optical drive, no firewire, no ethernet, one USB. But it's thinner, wipee! The fact that you don't get the external super-drive in the box is like a slap in the face. What if you don't have another computer to install stuff from? You're screwed and have to fork out another $100 for something that is required to install software which is utterly ridiculous.
And what the HECK is up with the UK price? The base UK MacBook Air costs $2400, that's a whopping third more than the US one. First the iPhone rip-off and now THIS?
Style over substance seems to be Apples mantra these days.
Like the iPhone this thing is a magnificent piece of engineering, and I'm impressed with what they've done. It just seems very over-priced and crippled (like the inability to install software or use any kind of optical media).
You're paying about 80% more for a slower processor, waaaay slower HDD, no optical drive, no firewire, no ethernet, one USB. But it's thinner, wipee! The fact that you don't get the external super-drive in the box is like a slap in the face. What if you don't have another computer to install stuff from? You're screwed and have to fork out another $100 for something that is required to install software which is utterly ridiculous.
And what the HECK is up with the UK price? The base UK MacBook Air costs $2400, that's a whopping third more than the US one. First the iPhone rip-off and now THIS?
Style over substance seems to be Apples mantra these days.
Like the iPhone this thing is a magnificent piece of engineering, and I'm impressed with what they've done. It just seems very over-priced and crippled (like the inability to install software or use any kind of optical media).
Whoa, now that's what I call a balanced assessment. What about the fact it's the first Mac to include an SSD option? 13" LED backlighting ? 60% of the MacBook's weight? First Mac with Multi touch trackpad? First sub-15" with illuminated keyboard? Thin isn't the only thing that sells this.
Then you don't buy it. Or you get the external drive. Either / or! Sure you think it should be included, but (many) people exist out there that don't use discs on a portable at all, and were it included, they would then be griping that the price could be lower if the external was offered as an option. Remote Disk is the perfect solution.
No way is this supposed to be anyone's sole / primary Mac. It's also quite clear this is not in anyway a Mac for the budget-conscious. If anything this new model might just push out more MacBooks for people that are more interested in weighing up performance specs than thinking about the new offerings the MBA brings (where I'm sure a lot of the reasoning behind the price lies)
I don't think many here understand that the MacBook Air is clearly not meant to be someone's only computer, but if it were, you could still have the optical drive option.
It is competitively priced and featured compared to others in the same class. It's clear what it is supposed to be, and who it's for. Someone like me who would like something in the Sony TZ class, but wants it with a bigger screen, keyboard, and faster processor. The footprint isn't the key for me, because I don't ever want to use a miniature keyboard. I don't need firewire, ethernet, or 6 USB ports at once, or even an optical drive. I have a different computer for all that.
If I could only have one computer, this wouldn't be it. As a compliment to my other systems, it's perfect. I wouldn't use it for audio or video production, but I know that's not what this model is intended for.
I ordered the 1.8 with SSD and I can't wait for mine to ship.
My wife looked at it and loved it at first sight.
She's used my Mac Pro a bit and says she didn't like it (OSX).
But she didn't give it a chance, now with MS Office out, it's a no brainer for her, that's 90% of what she uses! But I'll wait till there are reports, back and the thing is shipping.
She's used my Mac Pro a bit and says she didn't like it (OSX).
But she didn't give it a chance, now with MS Office out, it's a no brainer for her, that's 90% of what she uses! But I'll wait till there are reports, back and the thing is shipping.
I think id rather spend 500 dollars less and get a macbook that does it all.
This thing only appeals to those who are anal enough to allow themselves spend more money than they should on something thats basically intended to do the most simplest of things. Its a stripped down macbook. If I wanted a stripped down computer that was portable just to check emails and crap like that, id get an EEE PC for 300 bucks. Paying $1,799 before taxes to do just that, would be very stupid. But I see some people in this thread have already done that.
This thing only appeals to those who are anal enough to allow themselves spend more money than they should on something thats basically intended to do the most simplest of things. Its a stripped down macbook. If I wanted a stripped down computer that was portable just to check emails and crap like that, id get an EEE PC for 300 bucks. Paying $1,799 before taxes to do just that, would be very stupid. But I see some people in this thread have already done that.
jnc said:
A thousand bucks for a 64Gb HDD is hardly what I would call a selling-point. Something for people with more money than sense perhaps, but certainly not a selling point. You can practically get an entire MacBook for the price of that 64Gb HDD alone. Unless it's some kind of super-magic HDD that cures cancer it's not worth it.
And the other things cost Apple pennies to put in. Back-lit keyboard? Multi-Touch trackpad?
The MacBooks don't have LED screens now because they're late in their product cycle, the next ones will have the exact same screen the MacBook Air has.
Like I said, anyone would be better spending their money on the next rev of the MacBook over the Air. More powerful, more versatile and (in the UK at least) almost half the price. It also has the same footprint, with the only difference being weight and thickness (and the MB isn't exactly fat).
In most of the important areas the MB has the Air beat. Even in size and weight there isn't a huge difference, if you can carry an Air it's unlikely that you couldn't carry a MB as it has the same footprint (but is a bit heavier).
The Air is for people who are quite happy to throw thousands of dollars at a secondary computer that isn't even that good but looks nice. The UK price is utterly ridiculous which doesn't help things, as it costs a third more than the already expensive US price.
diabolic said:
I'm sorry for being of the opinion that if I buy a $2400 laptop (being in the UK) that I can install software on it without also having to buy another computer or fork out for an external optical drive, it's one of the most basic things a computer needs to do. The USB SuperDrive should be in the box.
MBA Perspective
I think we're missing Apples intention with the MBA. If you look at the vid overviews on Apples site you'll see they focus on how easy it is to connect to peripherals and how easy the peripherals connect with other equipment. For instance, the new Time Capsule, it's not just a hard drive, its got an Airport base station in it, USB ports, and Ethernet ports. Connect a printer to it and set it anywhere in your home and you have wireless coverage for internet, backup and printing. That's three cables right there you don't have tied to your MBA, after all its supposed to be portable. If you need anything from any PC or Mac/s on your LAN or WAN, they are a desktop click away. Oh, don't forget back to Mac functionality and screen sharing. Certainly, the MBA was not intended to be used for editing 60meg Photoshop files, but I bet it could still do it even if the file is on NAS.
I think it has a future. It may not have had one three years ago, but Apple has positioned its equipment and infrastructure to support it now.
There is a bigger picture - let it set you free!
I think we're missing Apples intention with the MBA. If you look at the vid overviews on Apples site you'll see they focus on how easy it is to connect to peripherals and how easy the peripherals connect with other equipment. For instance, the new Time Capsule, it's not just a hard drive, its got an Airport base station in it, USB ports, and Ethernet ports. Connect a printer to it and set it anywhere in your home and you have wireless coverage for internet, backup and printing. That's three cables right there you don't have tied to your MBA, after all its supposed to be portable. If you need anything from any PC or Mac/s on your LAN or WAN, they are a desktop click away. Oh, don't forget back to Mac functionality and screen sharing. Certainly, the MBA was not intended to be used for editing 60meg Photoshop files, but I bet it could still do it even if the file is on NAS.
I think it has a future. It may not have had one three years ago, but Apple has positioned its equipment and infrastructure to support it now.
There is a bigger picture - let it set you free!
I think we're missing Apples intention with the MBA. If you look at the vid overviews on Apples site you'll see they focus on how easy it is to connect to peripherals and how easy the peripherals connect with other equipment. For instance, the new Time Capsule, it's not just a hard drive, its got an Airport base station in it, USB ports, and Ethernet ports. Connect a printer to it and set it anywhere in your home and you have wireless coverage for internet, backup and printing. That's three cables right there you don't have tied to your MBA, after all its supposed to be portable. If you need anything from any PC or Mac/s on your LAN or WAN, they are a desktop click away. Oh, don't forget back to Mac functionality and screen sharing. Certainly, the MBA was not intended to be used for editing 60meg Photoshop files, but I bet it could still do it even if the file is on NAS.
I think it has a future. It may not have had one three years ago, but Apple has positioned its equipment and infrastructure to support it now.
There is a bigger picture - let it set you free!
That would require buying Time Capsule, for example. Thats more money down the crapper. As I said:
I think id rather spend 500 dollars less and get a macbook that does it all.
This thing only appeals to those who are anal enough to allow themselves spend more money than they should on something thats basically intended to do the most simplest of things. Its a stripped down macbook. If I wanted a stripped down computer that was portable just to check emails and crap like that, id get an EEE PC for 300 bucks. Paying $1,799 before taxes to do just that, would be very stupid. But I see some people in this thread have already done that.
It doesn't do it all, doesn't have a Express slot like the MBP so no cellular card unless you use up one of your USB ports (which leaves you in the same situation as the AirBook), doesn't do gaming anywhere as well as the MBP, doesn't have FW800, doesn't have a real video card, doesn't have a backlit keyboard, doesn't have as high a screen res as the MBP, and if you can carry the MacBook you can certainly carry the MBP unless you are a pathetic weakling.
Wait you mean that not all of those things are important to you, and what it does do meets your needs? Apply some of that clever reasoning to the AirBook.
what are limiting factors to thinness?
I posted this somewhere before but can't find it anymore: what, in people's opinions, are limiting factors to a notebook such as the MBA, which has been stripped of the optical drive. I mean the fact that it's thicker toward the end than in the front, is this mainly due to a single component, or multiple ones?
I posted this somewhere before but can't find it anymore: what, in people's opinions, are limiting factors to a notebook such as the MBA, which has been stripped of the optical drive. I mean the fact that it's thicker toward the end than in the front, is this mainly due to a single component, or multiple ones?
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