Is the Macbook Air worth paying 4 times the price of this?

[NT1440]

But if you want one, fire ahead - just don't believe that the world envies you because you can afford such an expensive computer.

This is what bugs me about how people view apple customers. Apparently we are all arrogant jerks who are smug beyond belief simply because of what we buy.

Sure there are cocky people in any grouping of people, but PLEASE do not insult us all by assuming a small minority represents a group of people.

 

[Vantagecb]

I registered just to say...

Stop using the Lotus Elise as a comparison. I own and drive a 2007 Elise and everyone's opinion here on them is very incorrect. No car can take a corner like it can, not to mention 9/10 people think it's a ferrari when I payed 38 thousand for it.

And everyone is forgetting one thing. The name. Why buy a $275 Gucci wallet when the Fossil counterpart does just the same for $35? Why buy a $7,500 Rolex when a $10 watch from Walmart has more features? You pay a HUGE premium on the name of the product.

And everyone knows the Macbook Air is a niche product. It either works for you or it doesn't. And if you don't want to spend 2,000 on a laptop, get a cheaper one. The Macbook Air was engineered to be a secondary computer, so it is obviously aimed at people with money. I for one love my new Macbook Air that I bought as an early Christmas present. If you can't afford one, stop complaining about the price and buy something else.

 

[j26]

This is what bugs me about how people view apple customers. Apparently we are all arrogant jerks who are smug beyond belief simply because of what we buy.

Sure there are cocky people in any grouping of people, but PLEASE do not insult us all by assuming a small minority represents a group of people.

Not aimed at the Apple community in general, but I do have to say, sadly, I don't find macrumors as satisfying to post on as I used to a couple of years ago. It is in large part due to the attitude inherent in the post I responded to, which has become more prevalent in the last while. Many of the long term posters here are sound and pragmatic and know what they want - and yes this includes criticising Apple. What I cant stand is these people who believe Apple can do no wrong because they make shiny stuff, and then weigh in with the horrendously overused car analogy which is meaningless - I am a keen motorcycle enthusiast, but that doesn't compel me to want a MV Augusta F4 1000S, beautiful as it is, because it simply doesn't do what I want.

Having said that, I am aware that they are a minority, but as I said, sadly gaining more traction here.


Or maybe its just my sore neck making me cranky.

 

[jaytv111]

Jay, to be honest, you're an idiot.

Why, thank you! it's nice to see civility on these forums. And I appreciate your honesty!

Of course you can play COD4 on a 360, but that's not the point. The point is that you have a MacBook Air that runs it well, and tons of other things, not to mention being portable. If the only use of the Air was to play 360 games, then of course it wouldn't be worth it, but the list of things it can do stretch incredibly further than an XBox.

Well maybe if games were important then you should consider a desktop or a console. Hey, if it runs COD4 great, then that's alright. I honestly don't care too much about gaming ability when I consider a laptop.

And secondly, statements like "impractical for nearly everyone" are childish and incorrect. You can't make the assumption that it's impractical for nearly everyone; you don't know nearly everyone. The fact is, there's quite a few of us that don't need ports, and don't need the speed for what we do, and for us, the air is perfect. Why buy specs and features you don't need when you could have a more portable laptop that does what you need? Sure, you pay a couple hundred dollars more, but considering the use you'll get out of your Air, and you'll likely have it for two years at minimum, the couple hundred dollars is like a drop of water in an ocean.

Alright, I should change that. It's impractical for me and that's that. If it's good for you, then buy it. Whatever. The point was a netbook would work well if you don't care about specs or ports or anything like that. Regardless, use your own judgment in this matter.

Are you so foolish to believe that due to the fact it's not convenient for you, that it isn't convenient for others? Grow up.

That's not only foolishness but arrogance and a touch of hubris . I was just using my judgment as to what I believe most people are using their computers for. Not based upon my needs but observations in the real world. In fact, take a look at Amazon.com's bestselling laptops. 8 of the top 10 are netbooks, the other two are the MB and MBP. These things are selling like hotcakes, so like it or not, netbooks are the next big thing. link By the way, I've seen one Air owner in the real world. Take that with a grain of salt, but it doesn't look too popular to me.

I'll add this disclaimer: everything said in this post is by an idiot (according to Doju), so ignore everything in this post if you please.

 

[Doju]

Your honesty is both appreciated and rather amusing.

 

[The Toddfather]

I registered just to say...

Stop using the Lotus Elise as a comparison. I own and drive a 2007 Elise and everyone's opinion here on them is very incorrect. No car can take a corner like it can, not to mention 9/10 people think it's a ferrari when I payed 38 thousand for it.

And everyone is forgetting one thing. The name. Why buy a $275 Gucci wallet when the Fossil counterpart does just the same for $35? Why buy a $7,500 Rolex when a $10 watch from Walmart has more features? You pay a HUGE premium on the name of the product.

And everyone knows the Macbook Air is a niche product. It either works for you or it doesn't. And if you don't want to spend 2,000 on a laptop, get a cheaper one. The Macbook Air was engineered to be a secondary computer, so it is obviously aimed at people with money. I for one love my new Macbook Air that I bought as an early Christmas present. If you can't afford one, stop complaining about the price and buy something else.

Good post, but sadly it will fall on deaf ears.

 

[Kan-O-Z]

With the exception of the last sentence, that is possibly some of the most ridiculous and arrogant tripe I've seen in my several years on this forum. Enough of the car analogies and ego stroking that goes with it.

Sure there are cocky people in any grouping of people, but PLEASE do not insult us all by assuming a small minority represents a group of people.

Having said that, I am aware that they are a minority, but as I said, sadly gaining more traction here.

Am I the cocky ego stroking minority that you guys are referring to. Perhaps you guys don't know how to hold an intelligent conversation without resorting to namecalling.

In case you didn't realize, the title of this post is "Is the Macbook Air worth paying 4 times the price of this?" Am I not allowed to state that I believe it IS worth 4 times the price? And by giving my reasons as to why, I am being arrogant.

Seriously learn to have an intelligent conversation and don't be so judgemental. I have never put up an arrogant post here. I am not an arrogant person. Just because I like a luxury car or a luxury computer and I want to pay extra for it doesn't make me arrogant.

I gave you guys tons of reasons it's worth more....from specs, to everything else. I have even proven the specs and how they are at least 3X as fast. I have proven that even Toshiba, Dell, and Lenovo make their versions of the Air and are just as expensive. What all of this boils down to is that the Air is worth it's price. Just because it doesn't suit what you need or value doens't mean it's a piece of overpriced junk and that I'm arrogant!

Kan-O-Z

 

[j26]

...If you can afford an Air ... If you can afford an Air ...As a car analogy think of a 2 seater Porsche Boxster!

If you couldn't care less about your computer ... This is the mentality of a netbook owner ... If you are one of these people, then get a netbook.
As a car analogy, think of a 2 seater Smart Car!

... the Porsche ... It's for people who #1 can afford one and #2 are passionate about cars and passtionate about driving ...

I know I'm picking parts, but that can hardly be considered anything but derogatory towards netbook users, and pretty judgmental, despite your protestations. The constant repetition of the affordability issue certainly seems arrogant to me.

And believe me, the car analogy is so tired here that it immediately makes people switch off. However, at the risk of boring people here's a little bike tale.

A few years ago, I rode a Suzuki Bandit which I had to restrict the power down to 33bhp due to the intervention of the local constabulary . A friend of mine (a summer biker) rode an R1 (150+bhp). After a day out we raced home. On paper the R1 should have left me for dead in speed, it handles better, it is a prettier bike and it costs considerably more, but guess what? Yes, I won by some considerable distance.* Power, looks and price do not beat the ability to use what you have. Any enthusiast (as you profess to be) should know that. Similarly, a netbook in talented hands will achieve more than a MBA in a hacks hands (no comment about you or me here btw)

The MBA is without doubt a faster computer, but the performance gains are not worth the additional price. It's not junk by any means, but it is overpriced based on the specs. If style or "user experience" (which obviously depends on the individual user) is more important then maybe it's worth it. But remember that in a recession, where value comes to the fore, to most people it will look like an expensive toy.


*Having said that I never road raced again - it's way too dangerous

 

[Kan-O-Z]

I know I'm picking parts, but that can hardly be considered anything but derogatory towards netbook users, and pretty judgmental, despite your protestations. The constant repetition of the affordability issue certainly seems arrogant to me.

You're making it derogatory. If you read my whole sentence it says this: If you can afford it + are passionate about it and value the user experience, then you should get a Macbook Air!

That's a big plus in the middle of that sentence and it makes all the difference in the world. You seem to not have read this second part. Nowhere did I state that the Air is only for those that can afford it. As a matter of fact, many people here have made it clear that they can afford it but choose not to buy because either they don't need/value what it offers or it just doesn't fit their needs.

If style or "user experience" (which obviously depends on the individual user) is more important then maybe it's worth it.

Yes, exactly. This is what I'm trying to say. Yes the Air is for people who not only value the specs but also the "user experience" which consists of everything from a high quality screen, keyboard, trackpad to style, build quality, service, etc. Some don't care about any of this "user experience stuff" so I understand, the Air is not worth it. By the way this "user experience" stuff costs money and makes it more expensive along with it's faster components and specs.

So l'll still stand by what I said earlier:
The Air is worth what it's worth.
The question really is: Whether it's worth it to YOU! (Do you value it and does it fit your needs)

Kan-O-Z

 

[Kan-O-Z]

A few years ago, I rode a Suzuki Bandit which I had to restrict the power down to 33bhp due to the intervention of the local constabulary . A friend of mine (a summer biker) rode an R1 (150+bhp). After a day out we raced home. On paper the R1 should have left me for dead in speed, it handles better, it is a prettier bike and it costs considerably more, but guess what? Yes, I won by some considerable distance.* Power, looks and price do not beat the ability to use what you have. Any enthusiast (as you profess to be) should know that. Similarly, a netbook in talented hands will achieve more than a MBA in a hacks hands (no comment about you or me here btw)

Yes trust me, I used to own a Toyota Supra Twin Turbo, a Suzuki Katana 600 and a Mazda Miata. I think I liked the Mazda Miata the best and it was the slowest My brother owned a Porsche Boxster and I can also tell you that while that car does seem over-priced, drive one sometime. It's one awesome car despite it's not so incredible specs for it's price. You can feel the engineering that went into it, and how connected you feel, how nimble it is and how well it handles along with it's aural pleasure behind your ears of a mid engine...it's a feeling that specs don't describe. There are cars half the price that will go about as fast but there is something special there that stirs your senses that no other cheaper car will do. That was worth it to my brother

Kan-O-Z

 

[NT1440]

Kan-O-Z, just so you know I wasnt talking about you. I thought you've been quite in the right saying that the air is a great product, IF YOUR PART OF THE MARKET ITS AFTER (thats in regards to the people calling it a POS toy or something).