*List of Premium Ultraportable competitors to a Rev D MBA*

[bloodycape]

What he said. The $999 has a 128SSD. Where can I get a 256SSD for $999?

The Sony Z would be perfect if it were thinner. 1.3" is simply unacceptable for an ultraportable. It's more than 1/3 thicker than the thickest MBP. How is it an MBA competitor?

Actually it 1.3 at the thicket point(which is mostly at the end) while at the thinnest point is 1in thick.

Maybe I am not seeing it, but how is the MBA being thin really make it more portable or advantageous? I can see if the device was fairly thick like lets say 2.6in thick, but I'm not seeing it?

 

[drjsway]

Actually it 1.3 at the thicket point(which is mostly at the end) while at the thinnest point is 1in thick.

Maybe I am not seeing it, but how is the MBA being thin really make it more portable or advantageous? I can see if the device was fairly thick like lets say 2.6in thick, but I'm not seeing it?

If we're going by thinnest point, the MBA is 0.16 with .76 at the end. An average of .46, more than twice as thin as the VAIO Z (1.15 average).

If you're taking out your laptop several times a day, it's definitely easier when it's that thin. It disappears on the table when you have it laying around. It feels more much comfortable on your lap or in bed. It fits better in small messenger bags. You are more likely to use it for quick tasks.

At its thickest point, the VAIO Z is more than 1/3 thicker than the thickest MBP. I carry my MBA in a thin messenger bag around my body and it doesn't look like I have a laptop with me. The bulk of the VAIO Z would make me look silly.

If there weren't an advantage to thinness, companies like Dell wouldn't put so much painstaking effort on computers like the Adamo XPS. When the MBA was introduced, Apple used its height as its main selling point and it's not just for aesthetic purposes.

If you've been using the MacBook Air for awhile and have gotten used to it, please go to the store when the VAIO Z is released and hold it in your hands, put it in your lap. If you still don't see the advantage of having a thin laptop, then buy it.

Occasionally, I use my wife's MB and it doesn't make me want to open it. It's just not as enjoyable. While it is heavier, it's really the size that makes it feel clunky.

 

[ghileman]

It feels more much comfortable on your lap

if you're wearing a heat resistant A/C pair of undergarments this might be true, but my Rev B air gets way too hot for much time on the cojones.

otherwise i agree completely with you about the thinness being a big advantage over the Z, and certainly one of the Air's biggest selling points. but Apple has to figure out a way to cool their thin, light "toaster computer" down.

 

[drjsway]

if you're wearing a heat resistant A/C pair of undergarments this might be true, but my Rev B air gets way too hot for much time on top of the cojones.

otherwise i agree completely with you about the thinness being a big advantage over the Z, and certainly one of the Air's biggest selling points. but Apple has to figure out a way to cool the thin toaster down.

1. Install CoolBook. Best $10 I ever spent.
2. Replace thermal paste.
3. Enjoy cool and quiet MBA with even longer battery life.

EDIT: If the VAIO X had a better CPU/GPU, now THAT would be a MBA killer.

 

[Jayomat]

Are you guys all serious? The biggest advantage/achievement of the MBA is its thin design and you are all ready to give it up for something as thick as a ten year old iBook G3? This is thicker than any computer Apple has made in a long long time.

I don't understand how it's "MBA portability". IMO, thickness is just as important as weight when it comes to portability. If thinness wasn't important to you, why did you even buy a MBA in the first place?

1. I don't own a MBA as it does not meet MY requirements.
2. I'm going to replace my macbook 2,1. I want portability and power..... I usually keep working on my machines as long as it does not limit my productivity.. If I buy a Z, I think it'll serve me quite some time... +3 years definitely...
3. I'm a "one-for-all" person which means I just want to have one computer for all my computing needs.

that being said, the MBA is just not powerful enough for me.

The integrated graphics are not powerful enough if you (even if occasionally) want to play some actual games on a windows partition (I'm waiting for Starcraft2 and Halflife3.. I'm not a progamer, so all I want is decent graphics and constant fps.. I dont need 4443x2020 res, AAx100 etc.....)

the battery life of the MBA seems to be about 3-4 hrs (from what I've read on MR forums....5 hrs at best without video playback, I guess) which is, in my opinion, just too less. According to this review by engadget, the battery of the Z lasts 4:25 hrs while playing a video ( http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/sony-vaio-z-series-vpcz114gx-s-review/ )

As I already pointed out, I want one machine to do it all.. This is why 128GB is not enough for me. I know external HDs are cheap, but I like to have all my documents with me (I have plenty of iTunesU vids which are between 500-1000mb/vid).. and don't forget the win partition (50-100GB)...

2GB RAM? a joke at best...

I'd gladly sacrifice the thinness factor for all what the Z offers... my only concerns are the track-touchpad and OSX ... I love both :-/

 

[drjsway]

1. I don't own a MBA as it does not meet MY requirements.

That's fine but if the thread is about MBA competitors and potential replacements, the Vaio Z, to me, aims at a different demographic.

Although it comes close to the weight of the MBA, it is more of a MBP competitor with its overpowered GPU and optical drive.

The MBA market is more about producing the thinnest and most portable laptops still capable of functioning as a primary computer. The aim was never editing HD movies or playing Crysis on high settings. It was about minimalism, stripping away everything you don't need (optical drive, keeping ports at a minimum) while still retaining as much functionality as possible.

 

[Jayomat]

That's fine but if the thread is about MBA competitors and potential replacements, the Vaio Z, to me, aims at a different demographic.

Although it comes close to the weight of the MBA, it is more of a MBP competitor with its overpowered GPU and optical drive.

The MBA market is more about producing the thinnest and most portable laptops still capable of functioning as a primary computer. The aim was never editing HD movies or playing Crysis on high settings. It was about minimalism, stripping away everything you don't need (optical drive, keeping ports at a minimum) while still retaining as much functionality as possible.

OK. by that definition, the only competitor to the MBA is the Dell Adamo XPS. (http://www.adamobydell.com/xps/)

nevertheless, just because the MBA is an ultraportable which 'needs' to sacrifice power it doesn't mean that the Z, which does not sacrifice power, is not comparable to the MBA. To me, the biggest factor for a portable notebook os the weight. in the end, it's nice to have a thin laptop, but IMAGE (really, just try it to get my point ) the MBA would weight >2kg while being so thin, would you still consider it?

 

[codecadet]

Cross-posted from the MBP forum...

Guys, check out the following from Sony HK - you get the TOP specced version for $2.5k!

http://www.sonystyle.com.hk/ss/product/vaio/index_2.jsp

VPCZ117GG (top left selection) -- 20,000 HK Dollars, which translates to about US$2,580

Specs (http://www.sonystyle.com.hk/ss/produ.../z117/spec.jsp)
i7-620
Windows 7 Pro
8GB RAM
256GB (4 * 64GB) SSD
DVD Drive
Geforce GT330M
13.1 HIGH DEFINITION 1920x1080 screen
3x USB 2.0 slots
Backlight keyboard
etc etc

All of this, for $2.6k USD... *GULP*

I've tried this in the Ginza store and it's light! Thickness or not, I consider this as a ultraportable in every right.

 

[ghileman]

my only concerns are the track-touchpad and OSX ... I love both :-/

agreed. giving up those would be tough to swallow.

 

[ghileman]

1. Install CoolBook. Best $10 I ever spent.
2. Replace thermal paste.
3. Enjoy cool and quiet MBA with even longer battery life.

I've read that people with Rev B Air's like me don't need CoolBook and that you lose performance. but click2flash for safari, which i just installed, is making a huge difference on reducing heat.

there are so many sites, including macrumors.com, that have flash ads or other flash stuff on the page that my air's was getting outrageously hot all the time. now i've got her in my lap, vents blocked, and no problems whatsoever. awesome!

 

[drjsway]

I've read that people with Rev B Air's like me don't need CoolBook and that you lose performance. but click2flash for safari, which i just installed, is making a huge difference on reducing heat.

I install CoolBook on all my laptops, including my Rev B and MBP. You don't lose any performance at all. You get the same amount of power at a lower voltage. The reason to do it on all your laptops is to gain battery life.

The reason this is possible is because the default voltage is set for the poorest performing CPUs. Let's say Intel makes a large batch of the same CPU. Let's say 5% of them can only run at 1.15v. As a result, they are all set at 1.15v even though most of that batch can run at full power on a lower voltage.

nevertheless, just because the MBA is an ultraportable which 'needs' to sacrifice power it doesn't mean that the Z, which does not sacrifice power, is not comparable to the MBA. To me, the biggest factor for a portable notebook os the weight. in the end, it's nice to have a thin laptop, but IMAGE (really, just try it to get my point ) the MBA would weight >2kg while being so thin, would you still consider it?

No, I wouldn't, but the design of the MBA is now over two years old and the definition of an ultraportable changes all the time. I remember when under 6 pounds was considered "ultraportable". Then it became 5, then 4, then 3, and, soon, 2.

The Vaio X is Sony's MBA competitor (1.6 pounds/.55" thin), but is unusable currently because of the Atom CPU. I'm sure within 1-2 years, they'll fit something better than an Atom in it. When that happens, Apple should have a 2 pounder MBA ready.

The Vaio Z is a MBP competitor, which means Apple's goal should be getting the next-gen 13" MBP as close to 3 pounds as they can to stay competitive. That doesn't mean they are all ultraportables now. That just means the definition of ultraportable has changed once again, to 2 pounds.

 

[Scottsdale]

I install CoolBook on all my laptops, including my Rev B and MBP. You don't lose any performance at all. You get the same amount of power at a lower voltage. The reason to do it on all your laptops is to gain battery life.

The reason this is possible is because the default voltage is set for the poorest performing CPUs. Let's say Intel makes a large batch of the same CPU. Let's say 5% of them can only run at 1.15v. As a result, they are all set at 1.15v even though most of that batch can run at full power on a lower voltage.

No, I wouldn't, but the design of the MBA is now over two years old and the definition of an ultraportable changes all the time. I remember when under 6 pounds was considered "ultraportable". Then it became 5, then 4, then 3, and, soon, 2.

The Vaio X is Sony's MBA competitor (1.6 pounds/.55" thin), but is unusable currently because of the Atom CPU. I'm sure within 1-2 years, they'll fit something better than an Atom in it. When that happens, Apple should have a 2 pounder MBA ready.

The Vaio Z is a MBP competitor, which means Apple's goal should be getting the next-gen 13" MBP as close to 3 pounds as they can to stay competitive. That doesn't mean they are all ultraportables now. That just means the definition of ultraportable has changed once again, to 2 pounds.

I agree that the Z will be what the MBP tries to be in a few years. I believe the MBP will eventually look a lot like the current MBA. Sure it will have some extremely different features, but the MBA is the original vision of where all Mac notebooks are going.

I do believe the MBA will get smaller and lighter in a few revisions. I don't know if Apple is ready to eliminate the current MBA's form factor until the MBP is ready to replace it. As an MBA user, I can say that I don't care about it getting thinner, and I wouldn't give up a full-sized display nor keyboard. In addition, the iPad is the "netbook" alternative. The MBA needs to focus on providing MacBook like performance in an "Air" package/form factor.

I would accept a new MBA the same size or cut the extra space that takes up bezel and around keyboard but leave a 13.3" display, full keyboard, and make it just as capable. Reduce weight if possible. I care far more about weight than I do going thinner or lasting seven hours between charges. I will gladly take a current sized MBA at 2.5 lb. with four-hour-battery over a 3 lb. MBA with a seven hour battery.

Apple is too worried about the iPad to worry about making the MBA thinner, smaller, and much lighter weight to compete as an super-ultraportable. Right now ultraportable is enough for the MBA to take on.

 

[ghileman]

I will gladly take a current sized MBA at 2.5 lb. with four-hour-battery over a 3 lb. MBA with a seven hour battery

i understand why might feel this way, but i suspect you'd be in the minority on trading 1/2 a pound for 3 more hours of battery (and really more like 4 since a lot Air users on get maybe 3 hours right now) .

 

[ghileman]

I install CoolBook on all my laptops, including my Rev B and MBP. You don't lose any performance at all. You get the same amount of power at a lower voltage. The reason to do it on all your laptops is to gain battery life.

The reason this is possible is because the default voltage is set for the poorest performing CPUs. Let's say Intel makes a large batch of the same CPU. Let's say 5% of them can only run at 1.15v. As a result, they are all set at 1.15v even though most of that batch can run at full power on a lower voltage.

that makes a lot of sense, but I've read many posts on these forums from folks that disagree with you. has coolbook improved a lot recently, or has anyone conducted a definitive test? I think I remember reading posts from Scottsdale, who's posting in this thread, encouraging Rev B and Rev C MBA owners to stay away from CoolBook

 

[drjsway]

that makes a lot of sense, but I've read many posts on these forums from folks that disagree with you. has coolbook improved a lot recently, or has anyone conducted a definitive test? I think I remember reading posts from Scottsdale, who's posting in this thread, encouraging Rev B and Rev C MBA owners to stay away from CoolBook

I don't recall those posts. I see no reason why CoolBook would reduce performance. You can even lock the frequency at 1.86ghz if you want.

Scottsdale, is that true?

 

[drjsway]

As an MBA user, I can say that I don't care about it getting thinner, and I wouldn't give up a full-sized display nor keyboard.

Me neither. While the MBA doesn't need to get much thinner, could you be happy with a computer much thicker than a MBP? If you lay two MBAs on top of each other, at opposite ends, it would still be thinner than a Vaio Z.

In addition, the iPad is the "netbook" alternative. The MBA needs to focus on providing MacBook like performance in an "Air" package/form factor.

I would never want the MBA to devolve into a netbook, as I think the Atom is garbage, but I also don't think it needs to be much more powerful than it already is. Maybe more RAM but that's it.

I will gladly take a current sized MBA at 2.5 lb. with four-hour-battery over a 3 lb. MBA with a seven hour battery.

Is the MBA currently using Apple's new "flattened" battery technology (don't know if there is an official name for it)? I remember original MBA came out before that was introduced and I remember Apple making a big fuss over it but the subsequent revision of the MBA never saw a battery life bump.

 

[Scottsdale]

Anyone interested in reading a review of Dell V13?

There is a full review on the V13, for those that are interested in the "Poor Man's Adamo" by Engadget. At $449 you get an aluminum outer case, Pentium processor, Ubuntu, 2GB RAM, Express Card 34, SD, 2x USB, eSata, and HDMI (w/VGA). Add $100 more for a CD and Windows, or $200 more for C2D and Windows and some extra RAM. Not a bad deal. It's no MBA, but it's a nice cheap ultraportable with features not even available on the MacBook PRO 15" like EXPRESS CARD/34 and ESATA! The business ultraportable user really wins with a Dell... and on Windows 7, this thing will do HD better than the MBA does in OS X.

For anyone interested, here's a link.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/17/dell-vostro-v13-review/

 

[glitch44]

There is a full review on the V13, for those that are interested in the "Poor Man's Adamo" by Engadget.

Interesting, although this comment from Engadget makes me worry a little:

Jetblac Posted Mar 17th 2010 3:15PMNEUTRAL
I had one of these for 3 days. I think I had one from the very first shippment because I could not find a review online anywhere. The battery was a deal breaker. plus my unit had a weird buldge underneath the trackpad. it was barley noticeably, untill my finger would cross it every minute or 2, also a deal breaker. I also think the reviewer gave the viewing angles too much credit, the viewing angles suck big time. If I was laying in bed checking a movie, my wife couldn't watch it with me, unlike her dell inspiron m700. 3 Strikes and you are out. But I tried to keep it anyway until I noticed how weak the performance was, response time was slow in the web browser, explorer and google chrome. Oh here is the other thing, Sure it was Thin and Light, but it was not sexy when I was just sitting in front of it... And then it went back into the box.
This machine was maxed out by the way.
I rate it a 6

 

[Jayomat]

2 1/2 h battery life.. lol..

 

[sushi]

Dell putting in a 256GB SSD on the Adamo for $999 is insane. I literally don't know how they're managing that kind of margin

The $999 price is for the 128GB SSD model.

On a different note, I would never purchase a Sony laptop again.

Sure they look nice but they are not made to last.

 

[Scottsdale]

Interesting, although this comment from Engadget makes me worry a little:

It is amazing how different people have different expectations and different results. Engadget was pretty reassuring that this was an exceptional ultraportable. Making several great statements but admitting the battery life was less than other ultraportables are getting.

Bottom line is it's a $450 to $650 laptop that is made of aluminum, and has a lot of ports and capabilities while still coming in at under 3.3 lb and less than 1/2" thick. As MBA owners, I am sure our expectations would be greater than others in terms of usability. Clearly this isn't a laptop for entertainment purposes, as someone would buy a Sony or MBA for ultraportable that had exceptional display and graphics capabilities.

This is an ultraportable meant for the business user on the go. Would work perfect for a business person or frequent traveler who needs to work. Want to watch movies, get an iPad. Need to work on some Word docs, check email, create a spreadsheet or make a PowerPoint presentation, the V13 would be perfect. Furthermore, it has far superior port selection to the MBPs. One thing PC manufacturers give is great ports and they all compete. Apple knows people will buy its products if they look pretty, but in the real world people work for a living. ExpressCard/34 is a huge advantage... add with that eSata, 2X USB, SD Card reader, and HDMI, and the thing is ready for business.

Maybe I am out of line here, this being an MBA thread, but I really think this is one heck of a little laptop that is business ready and will do the job for the average small business owner/entrepreneur or frequent traveler doing work on the run. No, it's not an MBA, and it's not really pretty, but it sure seems very business like and is more professional in terms of ports and connectivity than Apple's own MacBook PROs.

Or look at it this way, with the iPad one gets to pay for every bit of content and cannot use technologies like Flash whether it be for a web app, video playback, or just simple navigation of a text-based website. With the MBA, one pays a substantial premium for thin and lightweight with speedy SSD and beautiful display with shiny aluminum case. The MBA can do the business workload but still does entertainment stuff really well. The V13 can do Flash and provide "free" ad supported content for people who don't mind not watching HD or who refuse to pay $2 to watch Lost when they can watch it on Hulu.com for free with 2.5 minutes of commercials. So it's not good for multiple viewers to watch an HD movie in bed, it's a work computer thus the Vostro branding. We all get what we pay for unless it's from Apple... then we only get what we pay for if it was very recently released.

 

[Scottsdale]

The $999 price is for the 128GB SSD model.

On a different note, I would never purchase a Sony laptop again.

Sure they look nice but they are not made to last.

That has changed. The first two weeks they were including a 256 GB SSD when entering it into the cart. People were working it out as paying $500 for the Adamo and $500 for the 256 GB SSD. Now, Dell has changed it so the drive included is the same drive as the advertisement states.

 

[sushi]

That has changed. The first two weeks they were including a 256 GB SSD when entering it into the cart. People were working it out as paying $500 for the Adamo and $500 for the 256 GB SSD. Now, Dell has changed it so the drive included is the same drive as the advertisement states.

Interesting.

A 256GB SSD as a loss leader.

 

[glitch44]

It is amazing how different people have different expectations and different results. Engadget was pretty reassuring that this was an exceptional ultraportable. Making several great statements but admitting the battery life was less than other ultraportables are getting.

Bottom line is it's a $450 to $650 laptop that is made of aluminum, and has a lot of ports and capabilities while still coming in at under 3.3 lb and less than 1/2" thick. As MBA owners, I am sure our expectations would be greater than others in terms of usability. Clearly this isn't a laptop for entertainment purposes, as someone would buy a Sony or MBA for ultraportable that had exceptional display and graphics capabilities.

This is an ultraportable meant for the business user on the go. Would work perfect for a business person or frequent traveler who needs to work. Want to watch movies, get an iPad. Need to work on some Word docs, check email, create a spreadsheet or make a PowerPoint presentation, the V13 would be perfect. Furthermore, it has far superior port selection to the MBPs. One thing PC manufacturers give is great ports and they all compete. Apple knows people will buy its products if they look pretty, but in the real world people work for a living. ExpressCard/34 is a huge advantage... add with that eSata, 2X USB, SD Card reader, and HDMI, and the thing is ready for business.

Maybe I am out of line here, this being an MBA thread, but I really think this is one heck of a little laptop that is business ready and will do the job for the average small business owner/entrepreneur or frequent traveler doing work on the run. No, it's not an MBA, and it's not really pretty, but it sure seems very business like and is more professional in terms of ports and connectivity than Apple's own MacBook PROs.

Or look at it this way, with the iPad one gets to pay for every bit of content and cannot use technologies like Flash whether it be for a web app, video playback, or just simple navigation of a text-based website. With the MBA, one pays a substantial premium for thin and lightweight with speedy SSD and beautiful display with shiny aluminum case. The MBA can do the business workload but still does entertainment stuff really well. The V13 can do Flash and provide "free" ad supported content for people who don't mind not watching HD or who refuse to pay $2 to watch Lost when they can watch it on Hulu.com for free with 2.5 minutes of commercials. So it's not good for multiple viewers to watch an HD movie in bed, it's a work computer thus the Vostro branding. We all get what we pay for unless it's from Apple... then we only get what we pay for if it was very recently released.

I wasn't slamming it, Scottsdale. No need for the essay defense. I was just a little concerned about build quality from the most I showed. I might consider it except for the fact I can't go back to Windows.

 

[Scottsdale]

I wasn't slamming it, Scottsdale. No need for the essay defense. I was just a little concerned about build quality from the most I showed. I might consider it except for the fact I can't go back to Windows.

I was trying to say that the reviewer that posted what you quoted obviously was expecting Sony or Mac like performance from a $450 Dell ultraportable. Perhaps just that would have done the job. We all have different expectations... when I spend $450 for a Dell ultraportable, it isn't going to be to play HD video in bed and share the display with others. It's going to be for business use or light use on the go, as it's a perfect ultraportable and inexpensive traveling ultraportable. I believe it's a hell of a little ultraportable for the price. End of story.