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How is the new MacBook Air 2018 compared with X1C6 and X1Y3?
- Thread starter hajime
- Start date
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Air uses 5W chips, and a dual core chips. Not really comparable at all with X1C. That new Air isn't Air at all. It's just a bigger Macbook with 2 TB3 ports.
With the exception of the TB3 chips, it almost sounds like it competes more with my 2017 Surface Pro than with the X1C. Sadly for Apple, even Microsoft’s detachable keyboard type cover for the Surface Pro has a better feel to it than the Butterfly keyboard.
I could think of dozens of computers I would buy before the Air, including the 13 MBP, if it was going to be an Apple solution.
I could think of dozens of computers I would buy before the Air, including the 13 MBP, if it was going to be an Apple solution.
I would buy almost anything before the Air.....
Man that sucker is waaaaaay overpriced for what you are getting.. Is it a beautiful machine? Yes but other than that it's meh...
The 'Apple Tax' is out of control......
Man that sucker is waaaaaay overpriced for what you are getting.. Is it a beautiful machine? Yes but other than that it's meh...
The 'Apple Tax' is out of control......
The MacBook Air reminds me of women’s shoes based on my wife’s experience with them. They have half the leather and other materials as mine, yet somehow cost twice as much.
Dual core works fine for my Surface Pro for what I use that machine for, but I doubt you will be happy with it as your only laptop for what you appear to want to do with it.
Resist temptation
Dual core works fine for my Surface Pro for what I use that machine for, but I doubt you will be happy with it as your only laptop for what you appear to want to do with it.
Resist temptation
The MacBook Air reminds me of women’s shoes based on my wife’s experience with them. They have half the leather and other materials as mine, yet somehow cost twice as much.
Dual core works fine for my Surface Pro for what I use that machine for, but I doubt you will be happy with it as your only laptop for what you appear to want to do with it.
Resist temptation
True and your dual core Surface is likely 15W not 5W
These ULV CPU's are only good for basic productivity (owning a 2015 Retina MacBook with M5 CPU) Which I think is fair, what's not fair is Apple's price gouging. Why Apple has to be so amazingly greedy is beyond me. $1K USD would be a reasonable with a 256SSD for the new Air...Microsoft's Surface Pro 6, i5 (8250U Quad Core) 8Gb RAM, 256SSD, with keyboard is $1360 having both Pen & Touch input, Apple's new MacBook Air with a matched 256 SSD is clearly a bargain at only $1400. One of these two can replace a desktop (light use), one of these two can re-role as tablet, one of these two has an SD card slot, one of these two has a OEM dock, one of these two has a keyboard design proven not to fail in time.
Franky both are very much sealed and non upgradable/repairable units. I know where my money will be going, I really like & enjoy the design language of the Air, my only ever problem with it was the cheap TN panel, equally purpose needs to be served. The new Surface Pro 6 simply offers so much more at a lower price point...
Q-6
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Everyone is being really anti Apple here.
But consider this:
Now we at least know what Apple is doing with all those failed butterfly keyboards. When they fail, entire top shell needs to be replaced. So they used all that aluminium and plastic and created Macbook Air.
If you look at it that way, new Air is created almost out of thin air
But consider this:
Now we at least know what Apple is doing with all those failed butterfly keyboards. When they fail, entire top shell needs to be replaced. So they used all that aluminium and plastic and created Macbook Air.
If you look at it that way, new Air is created almost out of thin air
True and your dual core Surface is likely 15W not 5WThese ULV CPU's are only good for basic productivity (owning a 2015 Retina MacBook with M5 CPU) Which I think is fair, what's not fair is Apple's price gouging. Why Apple has to be so amazingly greedy is beyond me. $1K USD would be a reasonable with a 256SSD for the new Air...
Microsoft's Surface Pro 6, i5 (8250U Quad Core) 8Gb RAM, 256SSD, with keyboard is $1360 having both Pen & Touch input, Apple's anaemic new Air with a matched 256 SSD is clearly a bargain at only $1400. One of these two can replace a desktop (light use), one of these two can re-role as tablet, one of these two has an SD card slot, one of these two has a OEM dock, one of these two has a keyboard design proven not to fail in time.
Franky both are very much sealed and non upgradable/repairable units. I know where my money will be going, I really like & enjoy the design language of the Air, my only ever problem with it was the cheap TN panel, equally purpose needs to be served. The new Surface Pro 6 to me offers so much more at a lower price point...
Q-6
These ULV CPU's are only good for basic productivity (owning a 2015 Retina MacBook with M5 CPU) Which I think is fair, what's not fair is Apple's price gouging. Why Apple has to be so amazingly greedy is beyond me. $1K USD would be a reasonable with a 256SSD for the new Air...Correct, my Surface Pro is a 15w CPU. I was also able to buy it under a business purchase so it has a 4 year warranty with accidental damage. But even educational purchases are 2 year with accidental damage.
Additionally, while they are both sealed units you read in the main section where people who have had to have their logic boards replaced have had to wait weeks for a replacement board leaving them without a computer for that time or leaving them one with limited functionality. If I have an issue with the Surface, I can get an advanced replacement for a new unit. Probably the way logic board issues should be handled by Apple rather than a 4-6 week wait for a part.
Everyone is being really anti Apple here.
But consider this:
Now we at least know what Apple is doing with all those failed butterfly keyboards. When they fail, entire top shell needs to be replaced. So they used all that aluminium and plastic and created Macbook Air.
If you look at it that way, new Air is created almost out of thin air
Nice! I had not considered that! MacBook Air, now even airier!
Then again, when I heard it was made from recycled aluminum I thought it might be a way for me to buy back all those soda cans, beer cans and Nespresso capsules I have so faithfully recycled over the years
Everyone is being really anti Apple here.
But consider this:
Now we at least know what Apple is doing with all those failed butterfly keyboards. When they fail, entire top shell needs to be replaced. So they used all that aluminium and plastic and created Macbook Air.
If you look at it that way, new Air is created almost out of thin air
Very simple brother, Apple only expects the customer to foot the bill up & down the line no more no less.
Q-6
I think they fully believe that they've solved the issue of the failed keyboards. I do believe the keyboard condom has fixed much of the failures, but I think overall the design is lacking. I've said this many times, I am happy with my MBP, but the keyboard is one area that I'm concerned about.
What is probably even more surprising is that they added the T2 chip to other mac models, but NOT the touchbar. I think after two years and a lack of embrace by apple, its a gimmick that failed to catch on and apple will be discontinuing it after the next revision.
People are nervous about the T2 causing KPs in the Mini and MBA, so I think that's just as big of an issue as the keyboard
Perhaps more interesting would be if the MBA and Mini have no KP issues, while the iMP and MBP continue to. That would leave me to believe that rather than admitting an issue with past T2 chips, that Apple has instead silently updated the T2 chip to resolve a hardware issue.
It would be hard to believe that Apple would release even more models with the same faults as the iMac Pro and MBP, but then again they added the butterfly keyboards to more models, despite reports of significant problems even with Gen3. I had issues myself with one of them, but there are folks like @navaira who are onto unit 4(?) and still having similar keyboard issues? Apple doesn't appear to mind the "sell them now and deal with the issues later" approach.
I agree with you that the touch bar is for all intents and purposes dead. I would be very surprised to see it in a future update of the MBP and I think those who were hoping to see it in an external keyboard are probably hoping for a unicorn. The interesting question will be does Apple return to the Function Keys? Go to a Display Touchpad to make use of that iPhone sized pad? Go full taptic e-ink style keyboard? or finally, embrace touchscreen? Whatever the case, I would not be surprised if we have seen the last of the models to include the touch bar.
If keyboards are still failing, and judging by the posts on this forum - they are, I doubt it that Apple isn't aware. They are a business after all, and this thing is eating their profits.
I owned a iMP for almost 6 months I believe. Never had single KP or problem with that device. Best Apple computer I have ever purchased. But since I'm moving from Apple completely, I've passed it along to a colleague of mine. And I bought the in the 2 weeks after release. So if newer ones don't have KP, that doesn't mean that they update T2 chips.
The question is how many are failing. I'm not marginalizing the issue but rather Apple feels that the keyboard is worth the occasional failure, so much so they have now fully embraced it, with all laptops they sell having the butterfly keyboard. It doesn't make sense for a company to roll out a product that will in the end cost them more money, so I think they're counting on the failure rates being low.
I will be perfectly honest and that some of the recent posts of the 18 keyboard failing has given me pause. If that happens to mine, I'll get it repaired and then turn around and sell it.
It is hard to gather facts on a forum where people often come because they have an issue. I went through 4 units and one had an issue where key presses would not always register. @navaira had 4 units and I can't recall if 3 of 4 or all 4 have had issues. There are a number of other folks posting in the various threads with 2018 models with keyboard failures. Some have had them repeatedly.
So while it is hard to grasp the actual numbers from a forum such as this, I do get the feeling that the number is higher than Apple lets on?
I have no idea what Apple's profit margin is per machine is. I also assume they refurbish returned units and faulty top cases for further repairs, so I am not sure at what percentage point failures become no longer profitable.
This is where I'm at. I really believe that apple has complete faith in the butterfly keyboard otherwise they would not have used it in the MBA. I do think because apple included it, the 3rd gen butterfly keyboard is better and should be ok. Still, my faith has been shaken
In your shoes I'd get rid of it at the end of AC, as any repair will be horrendously expensive, equally that's why they are designed this way...
Q-6