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Shoot! I was just lamenting to someone just now about the exact same thing!

Anyway, Apple's omission of a backlit keyboard on the MBA is a big big mistake & the main reason I will always pause on recommending MBA to everyone.

My take on the new MBA will be Core i5, Sandy Bridge, backlit KB & Thunderbolt. default RAM and SSD will likely stay the same. Let's see.

If the RAM and SSD stay the same, count me out. Even if they did add a backlit keyboard, I won't buy with low ram and ssd specs.
 
If only there was a way of combining the backlit keyboard with a better graphics chip. There's no way I'd trade the 320m for a crappy Intel chip just to see my keyboard glow. ;)

True but it was Apple's attempt to get you to buy this model. It may work for some ppl in the same situation.
 
Queue the 'I-don't-need-it-because-I-can-type-in-the-dark-so-no-one-else-should-either' know-it-all in 3... 2... 1...

what we really need is backlit ports as well. helps me when I need to plug in the ethernet / fw at night.

or maybe some marker lights around the edges.

or maybe some lights to indicate the wireless strength

or maybe some lights for battery status

or maybe a trackpad backlight !!!!!

/sarcasm
 
I can pretty much guarantee they won't be any cheaper than the current ones...

Do you mean like the current ones that are less expensive than the ones they replaced ?

not worth it if it raises the cost $100 or so.

I am with you on that. Same with built in 3G.

I would be slightly annoyed with a soldiered on SSD, unless it actually increased speed. Then I would be ok with it.

The only annoying part for me about the soldiered on SSD would be in 4-5 years and it starts to wear out because it has been written to too many times. Then you are pretty much stuck without a way to self repair.

But I suspect I will only be keeping my air for around 3 years at the most before upgrading again.

As for the backlit keyboard...I wouldn't mind if they had one without it for $899, then left it to the more expensive models.

4-5 years ? Try over 228 years. Most SSDs have a MTBF of 2,000,000 hours. Even the ones from 4-5 years ago that listed the number of writes, the life span was 50+ years.

$899 MBA would be sweet. Order them ala cart. How about a matte display that doesn't cost extra?

what we really need is backlit ports as well. helps me when I need to plug in the ethernet / fw at night.
/sarcasm

You are on to something with that one. I'll take it.
 
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what we really need is backlit ports as well. helps me when I need to plug in the ethernet / fw at night.

or maybe some marker lights around the edges.

or maybe some lights to indicate the wireless strength

or maybe some lights for battery status

or maybe a trackpad backlight !!!!!

/sarcasm

my first and last and only non-apple laptop (a VAIO) behaved itself just like a christmas tree with all that blinking with all those different colors... ;)
 
Might be cool. To tell you the truth, I'd take backlit keyboards over that *super high fidelity awesome* MBA sound it has now. You just don't buy ultra portables just to have the loudest and cleanest sound of the laptops. In fact, that's usually lower on your priority list. However, if they can find the magic to do both at the same time, I'd take it.

Of course, for right now, I'd so not trade off my 320M. I love that card. It's the little card that could, for right now.
 
4-5 years ? Try over 228 years. Most SSDs have a MTBF of 2,000,000 hours. Even the ones from 4-5 years ago that listed the number of writes, the life span was 50+ years.

I think you need to google MTBF as that is not how it works.
 
The problem with smaller versions is not just the screen, but the overall form factor. As you shrink the screen you also shrink the keyboard - and anything appreciably lest than 11" will be tough to type on as well as lack the screen real estate needed for a good user experience for most users.

While there are users who really don't need much screen space and can live with a chiclet keyboard they are neither Apple's target market nor would such a machine fit in with Apple's vision of the Apple experience. That, plus Job's seeming aversion to small screens tend to point to no Air mini's.

Exactly the same arguments when only the 13-inch model was available. And then the unexpected 11-inch outsold it. A 7-inch MacBook Air will also outsell the other heavier and larger models. But again, the same arguments arise as said.
 
Battery life IS part of portability. The more portable a device is, the more battery life matters. It doesn't matter how small or light or powerful a laptop is, if the battery is flat.

Yet, the 11-inch model outsold the 13-inch one even with much lower battery life of the former than the latter. Those are facts. It is weight and size what matters in this case.
 
Ahhhh, finally.

If the new MacBook Air has a backlit keyboard then it's mine, all mine! :)

I'd have moved from the Rev A already, but no backlit keyboard was a deal breaker for me.

Now I just need an integrated SIM slot so I can leave my MiFi at home and the Air would be my perfect laptop.
 
Of course you'll buy it, both of them, like every other MBA Apple releases. Apple has you hook, line, and sinker.

Let's see, my family has two MBPs, two MBAs, two iPad 2s, a Mac mini Server, 27" iMac, 4x 24" LED ACDs, a 27" LED ACD, 2x iPod Touches, 4x iPods, and an iPhone 4.

Yes, Apple has a hook in me, but a gigantic part of the love with Macs are the Nvidia GPUs. Going to Intel's IGP especially in the LV and ULV SB models will probably kill the love. I just hope Apple introduces an external GPU via Thunderbolt connectivity. Either a media dock like Sony's or a GPU built into the next ACD itself.
 
Let's see, my family has two MBPs, two MBAs, two iPad 2s, a Mac mini Server, 27" iMac, 4x 24" LED ACDs, a 27" LED ACD, 2x iPod Touches, 4x iPods, and an iPhone 4.

Yes, Apple has a hook in me, but a gigantic part of the love with Macs are the Nvidia GPUs. Going to Intel's IGP especially in the LV and ULV SB models will probably kill the love. I just hope Apple introduces an external GPU via Thunderbolt connectivity. Either a media dock like Sony's or a GPU built into the next ACD itself.

only 1 iphone !!!
 
Exactly the same arguments when only the 13-inch model was available. And then the unexpected 11-inch outsold it. A 7-inch MacBook Air will also outsell the other heavier and larger models. But again, the same arguments arise as said.

People did say a full sized keyboard wouldn't fit in an 11" MBA, but they were wrong. Anyone could figure that out with the dimensions of an Apple Keyboard and a little math. However, it you drop below 11", that argument does hold true.

As I argued before they announced the 11" MBA, 11" is relatively sacrifice free, but dropping below that is not.

Undersized keyboards, undersized screens, atom processors, tiny batteries are not sacrifice free. They are, however, margin free for Apple. How much would you pay for a 7" Apple netbook running on an Intel Atom chip? There's no way they could fit an i5, its heatsink and its battery in there.
 
what we really need is backlit ports as well. helps me when I need to plug in the ethernet / fw at night.

or maybe some marker lights around the edges.

or maybe some lights to indicate the wireless strength

or maybe some lights for battery status

or maybe a trackpad backlight !!!!!

/sarcasm

No, a keyboard backlight is all that is needed and wanted by a lot of people as it is a feature that suits their needs, even if it doesn't suit yours.

No sarcasm switch needed.
 
Let's see, my family has two MBPs, two MBAs, two iPad 2s, a Mac mini Server, 27" iMac, 4x 24" LED ACDs, a 27" LED ACD, 2x iPod Touches, 4x iPods, and an iPhone 4.

Yes, Apple has a hook in me, but a gigantic part of the love with Macs are the Nvidia GPUs. Going to Intel's IGP especially in the LV and ULV SB models will probably kill the love. I just hope Apple introduces an external GPU via Thunderbolt connectivity. Either a media dock like Sony's or a GPU built into the next ACD itself.

With all those Macs at home, why would you need more graphics horsepower on your mobile platform? For its intended use, the MBA will more than suffice.
 
why r all the apple fanatics always crazy over batter life? i rather have awesome features than a battery life that i have to charge at one point anyway.
 
I think you need to google MTBF as that is not how it works.

It all depends on how you look at it. Do the math. Bigger the drive, the longer the life. 4-5 years of continues writes across the drive isn't even close. Now, how many hours a day do you use your SSD, and during that time, how much writing is being done. Sure, in 200 years time, component degradation will probablty render the drive usless before then, but it won't be because it has been written to too many times.
 
I am planning to buy the next model of Air that is released, whenever that may be. I truly hope it has a backlit keyboard.

I bought the first unibody aluminum MacBook. At the time, it was $250 more for the higher end model with only three differences: faster CPU, bigger HD, and backlit keyboard. I wish I had bought the higher end model strictly for the keyboard.

I admit that you don't need it all of the time, and I am a touch typist, but when you need it, you really wish you had it.
 
This would definitely add a bonus reason why for me to upgrade to a new ultimate 13" MBA from a 2009 15" mbp (w/AppleCare)...I work in healthcare and finishing up my schooling this august and don't need a mbp for media development needs. Plus I like to travel with both my iPad 2 and computer...which may soon change from 15 mbp to this new 13" MBA ultimate! Whoohoo! Now I can have a super light, thin, mobile laptop that has better performance than my current mbp and still fit in most of my smaller bags such as my new Daniel GM LV messenger.... :D
 
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