God, they really don't understand at all, do they?
It's not about the price, it's about the feature set. My 2013 Macbook Air is the best computer I've ever owned. I don't want to lose magsafe. I don't want to lose ports. And I don't want a slimline keyboard.
None of their newer laptops are appealing to me. If they bring out an Air with better specs, magsafe, and just as many ports, even at a higher price, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
I second that.
The MBA (MacBook Air 13) is the best computer I've ever used.
Every time I reach for the Air and unplug MagSafe with a mere wave of the hand
I am reminded that this is the also best power connector ever made.
Let's consider some of the things that make the Air great.
DESIGN
=====
Wedge - Great Design. This is the last laptop designed under Steve Jobs' watch.
Thick where it needs to be and thin where it needs to be.
Thick at the base of the screen allowing for strength in the hinge and
for containment of a larger battery and proper sized ports.
( The 2016 MBP was delayed months and months trying to solve the
problem of hinge weakness due to ostentatiously thin design )
BATTERY
======
It has amazing battery life, which is IMPROVED by the fact
that it does NOT have power hungry Retina infrastructure and screen.
KEYBOARD
=======
It's just right. Good travel.
SDXC slot
=========
Very fast and useful. Frees up another USB port so you can use it for other things.
Many people BOOT & RUN their OS
from this port if their internal SSD ever fails or
they just need to run other OS images.
Flush half size SD cards can also be used
INTERNAL SSD PORT
==============
Contains an internal SSD connector that lets you install larger SSD modules.
Imagine that!
In the new MacBook "Pro" it's Amateur Hour,
with the SSD soldered onto the logic board.
MagSafe PORT
=========
Best connector ever.
It's like having a third port just for power!
Oh wait - that's exactly what it is - unlike with the new models.
Thunderbolt PORT
============
Versatile and fast, although a little ahead of its time.
Note that any device faster than Thunderbolt2 is often more expensive
than the actual MacBook Air.
Real USB Ports
==========
The Air has two real Type-A that do not interfere with one another
because (unlike on the MBP) they are placed on opposite sides of the chassis.
Sorry Apple, but USB includes Type-A
(wikipedia)
As of 2008, approximately 6 billion USB ports and interfaces
were in the global marketplace, and about 2 billion were being sold each year.
Following Apple's design decision to remove all legacy ports from the iMac,
many PC manufacturers began building legacy-free PCs
No one is going to change billions of product connectors just
for the sake of TYPE-C
Legacy USB Ports? You're kidding right?
==========================
Dongle Defenders of the "legacy-free" MBP are quick to point
at the brave rollout of first iMac when defending their own zero-tolerance.
Yes, the iMac was truly a clean break from legacy
ADB / mini-DIN Serial / SCSI which led the
world forward to advanced hub-enabled USB technology.
In contrast, this squished new 2016 MacBook/Pro will continue to connect to the same old
giant worldwide set of USB, offering nothing new.
Yes, the new connector folds in Thunderbolt-3, but of the 24 billion
USB connectors on earth, how will this help you read
that jump drive someone just handed you?
Apple chose vanity over function, designed themselves into a corner (once again)
and this time buyers ended up with a bagful of dongles.
Never trust anyone who claims TYPE-A USB are "legacy devices", when
they can operate just fine with a passive cable adapter.
SteveT
