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Apple Highlights 2018 MacBook Air and Mac Mini Reviews
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What is a beast? The Mini? Yes, if you spend an extra £1000 configuring it to beast mode.
The Air has a gutless low power Y-Series dual-core CPU. At no point can that class of processor every be considered a 'beast'.
I also think the price will ensure they will not sell like hotcakes beyond the initial wave of pre-orders. More like a slow trickle of sales once the consumer realises it's not actually that amazing.
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Isn’t all this talk about dongles getting old? It is possible that I am either younger or have more recent technology than the other keyboard warriors on Mac Rumors, but I have a single USB C to USB A hub that I rarely use. My external hard drives, card readers, and monitors are USB C. My headphones, keyboards, and Magic Trackpad and BT. Printer and scanner are wifi. Even my car has USB C ports in it. What is the obsession with USB A? It almost feels like the complaints about the CDROM drive being removed years ago. Seriously a bit confused as to what all the dongles are needed for. Maybe I’m missing something.
Truth.
I felt the same about the MacBook Pro.
And where is the “more affordable” laptop we were led to believe was coming?
The Retina Display is not worth the price increase. And not retaining at least one USB-A port along with the media card slot with that price increase is robbery, made worse by still having only 128GB storage at the inflated entry level price.
If they had made these “upgrades” while holding the price it would be (somewhat) more acceptable, but as is it’s just a cash grab with poor return.
If Apple didn't think dongles are necessary Apple wouldn't make them, they would leave it up to third parties, but they do make them so even Apple recognises the need for them.
Now, it's not just you. It's the same whining as with the removal of SCSI, floppys, CDROM (as you said), and every other obsolete (or near obsolete) technology Apple - and eventually everybody else - has axed over the years.
And definitively not an age thing, as this old fart also rarely depends on USB A, for connectivity that is, I still use it for charging with my KOPPLA from IKEA.
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I just bought a Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard 2 and a Series 4 Apple Watch. ALL of them came with a USB-A cable.
Well, they could compare their products with those from other companies. However, wins would not be so easy.
Old Farts don't like change. They just hold the tech world back. Vote with your wallets. It's clear that they are in the minority since Apple hasn't changed course and therefore on the wrong side of history.
BTW I Voted for the first time yesterday!
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Third generation iPod shuffle (no click wheel)
2014 Mac mini (weak CPUs, soldered RAM)
2018 MacBook Air (inferior butterfly keyboard)
I wanted to switch from my 2010 Mac mini to a new 2018 MacBook Air.
The retina display is nice, I could live with two USB-C ports by using a hub on my desktop and carrying a small USBA-to-USBC adapter, but the increase in price for barely any more CPU power than a 2015 MacBook Air and that butterfly keyboard are a deal breaker for me.
So now either I buy an basic 2018 i3 Mac mini and stay attached to a desk, or I wait until Apple lowers the price of the 2017 MacBook Air, which is unlikely to ever happen except when they discontinue that model in a year or two. But since Mojave looks incredibly bad on non-retina displays, the 2017 MacBook Air is not a good choice and I'd have to buy a new monitor to go with my new Mac mini. I have zero interest in all-in-ones for a desktop machine, so I have no idea what I'm supposed to do.
iPads are simply not good enough since they cannot run the macOS applications that I need for work.
I have Windows 10 on my gaming PC and I also have zero interest in using that OS as my main computer.
Yes, the 2018 Mac mini is exactly what I was hoping for... in 2014.
But since I wanted to go mobile, Apple will not get any money from me. Time to go back hunting down a used 2015 MacBook Air on Kijiji and continue using a pre-Mojave macOS version.
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Great use for USB-A, slower charging of stuff with all the old chargers out there, everything else not so much.I just bought a Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard 2 and a Series 4 Apple Watch. ALL of them came with a USB-A cable.
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Old Farts is a state of mind, not chronological and it sounds like you are an old fart with rigid thinking on stereotypes.
I really hate this "The best-X- Yet" what you think they will releases one with lesser specs?
Jobs used this term when he released a completely new product with a huge jump that deserves this mention, for example the original iMac.. he could have said "The best Mac yet" or the G5 Mac Pro... but when all you do is upgrade the spec..don't mention it.
Jobs used this term when he released a completely new product with a huge jump that deserves this mention, for example the original iMac.. he could have said "The best Mac yet" or the G5 Mac Pro... but when all you do is upgrade the spec..don't mention it.
Does the incremental size/thinness/weight matter that much? Honest question. Guess I should compare the two in a store but, geez, the MBA is a pretty fly weight device...
My wife is still using her 2013 Air and I haven't suggested she upgrade. Any problems with her technology soon become my problem. I can just imagine the earache I'd get if one of her keys got stuck. Also, I am pretty sure the beautiful new screen would barely register with her.
I am glad I don't like or use laptops given Apple's contentious past 3 years. I would suggest a Mac Mini/iPad Pro combo like my own to anyone else who can get away with that. I love both of these machines and am super excited to upgrade.
I am glad I don't like or use laptops given Apple's contentious past 3 years. I would suggest a Mac Mini/iPad Pro combo like my own to anyone else who can get away with that. I love both of these machines and am super excited to upgrade.
Are you saying any chosen change by AAPL should be expected to be unarguably good and the correct vision for the future? That there's no possibility that any negative trade-offs could, for once, have at least some merit for a non-insignificant portion of users?
Removing low-hanging fruit with elegant workarounds that are on the periphery of everyday usefulness (and don't need ongoing accommodations like purchasing, distributing, and toting around a bagful of adapters for nearly every-day use) is one thing... The optical drive is a favorite example but at that very moment, music files were prevalent as were software downloads (finally).
It's fascinating to see that as the list of eligible things to axe diminishes, sentiment seems to remain strong that it's not at all possible to reach a point where the pains don't outweigh the gains.
And as the list of eligible pinata items diminishes vs. AAPL's incessant drive to give more next year by giving less than last year, what's left? ESC key? Remove the arrow keys? One USB-C port? Remove all ports and replace the butterfuly keyboard with a microwave oven control pad-like keyboard, so Apple can advertise 50m water resistance macbooks? A serious thought to ponder...
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.. and rather don't mention removed magsafe, the removal of this port from all the Macbooks can really be called a crime - unbelievably stupid and shortsighted move
I like the new design of the MacBook airs, but this should have been in 2015 instead of the MacBooks.
I'm confused by Apple...they remove a flagship/iconic port, the MagSafe in lieu of Thunderbolt3/USB-C, while it is a great port, makes the device more I dont know if restricted is the word or basically the MagSafe made the MacBooks feel effortless to disconnect.
However, they are putting very identical technology and pieces into the iPad, magnetic charging and attachment for the pencil and Smart Keyboard. those are both great ideas and does not compromise ports, functionality or intuitiveness...why are similar functions not available for the Mac? Perhaps they one a single cable design, so that was the compromise? there has to be other ways.
all in all I like the MacBook Air, wish the price was consistent with the previous generations.
I'm confused by Apple...they remove a flagship/iconic port, the MagSafe in lieu of Thunderbolt3/USB-C, while it is a great port, makes the device more I dont know if restricted is the word or basically the MagSafe made the MacBooks feel effortless to disconnect.
However, they are putting very identical technology and pieces into the iPad, magnetic charging and attachment for the pencil and Smart Keyboard. those are both great ideas and does not compromise ports, functionality or intuitiveness...why are similar functions not available for the Mac? Perhaps they one a single cable design, so that was the compromise? there has to be other ways.
all in all I like the MacBook Air, wish the price was consistent with the previous generations.
Couldnt agree more. When I think of best, it could be something older, that isn't great now but at the time, it was groundbreaking and major leap forward and remembered as one of the best. You could say the iphone X is one of the best but saying the Xs is the best yet....nah, it just has better specs.
There’s certainly some truth to that but people only grumbled about floppy’s, SCSI, cd-rom etc for 1yr or so. We’re now 3.5yrs in since the Macbook’s release and a LOT of people are still grumbling about loosing USB-A and MagSafe (among other things). It would seem a substantial amount of users do need/miss these things
These review sites are too cliquey with Apple's PR dept. This is why it's important to have sites like Consumer Reports calling out the MBP is a piece of junk where all other review sites coddle up to Apple. Just how stupid do Apple think independent thinkers really are?
That's the difference between inspired change rooted with a meaningful basis vs. change for the sake of change.
Ahead of whatever Jony removes next year, look at today's MBA, MB, and MBP's and ask yourself what could possibly disappear next yet provide value to you as a user.
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Positive reviews are the only ones I care about, because they are the only ones trying to talking about the product I want to hear about.
I'm not interested in "negative" reviews. There's nothing wrong with the frigging product that I need someone to tell me about.
If the product explodes when it comes out of the box, maybe I'll be interested in that negative review. Otherwise, they can go back to typing on their 2012 MacBookPros and save it for someone who cares.
The only possible legitimate complaint could be the removal of the SD slot. While many cameras gained wifi transfer and some cameras use a different standard, transferring photos to the computer requires an external card reader. Other than that, some of the things you complain about being removed were ‘replaced’ with technology from today. USB A with USB C for example. The trackpad has also got significantly larger which makes the computer easier to use. It is interesting that if you read the forums, many people criticize the iPad for the lack of mouse support and criticize the Mac for lack of touchscreen. It seems there is more of a complain for the sake of complaining going on.
People complained for a lot longer than a year on the removal the floppy and CD-ROM.
Isn’t looking at what we lose versus what we gain taking the negative approach? I find the USB C ports to be far more valuable then the ancient USB A legacy ports. Sure, i lost my DVI, mini DVI, SuperDrive, FireWire ports, RJ45, maybe if i go back far enough Serial and parallel ports, but is that really that big of a deal?
I was on the MacBook Air since 2011. I really love my air, the whole concept of it. Upgraded to MacBook Pro 13-inch 3 weeks ago. Do I have buyers remorse? Should I have waited for the new MacBook Air? Here's what I think:
+ I love the slim design of the MacBook Air
+ Mo battery life
+ a little bit lighter (like one small book or a smart phone of a weight difference)
- Almost same price as MacBook Pro 13-inch (actually just $100 less at 265GB RAM, compared to nTB 13-inch base model)
- Only 2 ports, no more SD card slot, no MagSafe
- Screen is said to be inferior to MacBook Pro 13-inch
MacBook Pro 2018 13-inch
+ True-Tone sensors+display, at first I was like "whatever" but within a few days I really think this is an essential, especially in the dark winter of central Europe
+ Battery replacement gives you a fresh keyboard and fresh trackpad (replace at end of year 3 still under AppleCare)
+ 4 ports. Upon purchase I bought 7 cables and the the Kingston Nucleum multiport adapter from Amazon. In 2 weeks never used the Nucleum even once, returned it to Amazon. New cables and 4 ports is sufficient (2 cables for HDDs, 2 adapters USB-A to USB-C, 1 USB-C to HDMI adapter, one iPhone cable, one USB-C to USB-C mini cable for SD Card reader and other USB-C mini accessories).
+ More horse power. 4 cores!
+ Touchbar is sometimes more convenient than mousing to a tiny button on the screen
Therefore, even though I still find the Air's design more sexy, obviously the Pro was the better deal.
+ I love the slim design of the MacBook Air
+ Mo battery life
+ a little bit lighter (like one small book or a smart phone of a weight difference)
- Almost same price as MacBook Pro 13-inch (actually just $100 less at 265GB RAM, compared to nTB 13-inch base model)
- Only 2 ports, no more SD card slot, no MagSafe
- Screen is said to be inferior to MacBook Pro 13-inch
MacBook Pro 2018 13-inch
+ True-Tone sensors+display, at first I was like "whatever" but within a few days I really think this is an essential, especially in the dark winter of central Europe
+ Battery replacement gives you a fresh keyboard and fresh trackpad (replace at end of year 3 still under AppleCare)
+ 4 ports. Upon purchase I bought 7 cables and the the Kingston Nucleum multiport adapter from Amazon. In 2 weeks never used the Nucleum even once, returned it to Amazon. New cables and 4 ports is sufficient (2 cables for HDDs, 2 adapters USB-A to USB-C, 1 USB-C to HDMI adapter, one iPhone cable, one USB-C to USB-C mini cable for SD Card reader and other USB-C mini accessories).
+ More horse power. 4 cores!
+ Touchbar is sometimes more convenient than mousing to a tiny button on the screen
Therefore, even though I still find the Air's design more sexy, obviously the Pro was the better deal.