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MacBook Air 11.6" vs 13.3" - Side-By-Side Comparison [pictures]
- Thread starter nicmar
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I was at an Apple store comparing the screen of a new MBP with the MBA, and that's mostly the reason why I didn't buy a MBA. 11.6" screen doesnt matter that much, but if there comes one of each size, I think I'll go for the 11.
But anyhow I just want a better screen and a little performance-bump. The rest is just a wet fantasy
I personally think that the macbook air has a much nicer screen than the macbook pro, its not glossy, its brighter and it has a wider viewing angle.
This is the best machine Apple ever made IMO (I owned 3!) I don't think it looks ugly with the keyboard like this.
Personally, I think making the MBA a smaller form-factor machine aimed at being a sexier, better-built netbook (but preferably still with a decent CPU, I couldn't really care less about the GPU on this class of machine. I don't game on my notebooks [and especially wouldn't on an 11.6" one!] and I've never felt even the GMA950 in my current MB was too holding me back.) As the MBA stands, it makes no sense to me - it's not like the unibody MB is a particularly large/heavy machine but IMO neither are 'ultraportable' due to the 13.3" form factor. I'd love to have a real Mac I can take everywhere.
But keep the screen res at 1280x800 please. Less is painful.
Less is More
Small 11.6 inch is good for me. I do play movies and if the CPU is bit better, if more memory, and if they fix some of the oddities (like better battery, better hinges, no screen with diagonal lines, no trackpad button that scratches the top bezel when closed), this machine will ROCK to be the sexiest of the portables.
I'd be curious if they will change the clam shell shape to be more flat. It'll be nice if they revise the look to be more flat and less curved. Less bezel and edge around keyboard would be a bonus... indifferent about the glass screen (although it would make it more durable but add weight and reflection).
I'd love to see upgrade options for 3G, USB3, 1tb hard drive (SSD or regular hard drive), and maybe even touch technology (kicking off the new options for future features). Doubt this currently but eventually sure this stuff will be standard.
Small 11.6 inch is good for me. I do play movies and if the CPU is bit better, if more memory, and if they fix some of the oddities (like better battery, better hinges, no screen with diagonal lines, no trackpad button that scratches the top bezel when closed), this machine will ROCK to be the sexiest of the portables.
I'd be curious if they will change the clam shell shape to be more flat. It'll be nice if they revise the look to be more flat and less curved. Less bezel and edge around keyboard would be a bonus... indifferent about the glass screen (although it would make it more durable but add weight and reflection).
I'd love to see upgrade options for 3G, USB3, 1tb hard drive (SSD or regular hard drive), and maybe even touch technology (kicking off the new options for future features). Doubt this currently but eventually sure this stuff will be standard.
The current Air has a 5mm, 1.8" hard drive so the 7mm, 2.5" is definitely out
I really hope we see a revision soon. September isn't too far away. However, if September passes without an update, then I'd say that it's January or bust for the Air.
This is the best machine Apple ever made IMO (I owned 3!) I don't think it looks ugly with the keyboard like this.
Personally, I think making the MBA a smaller form-factor machine aimed at being a sexier, better-built netbook (but preferably still with a decent CPU, I couldn't really care less about the GPU on this class of machine. I don't game on my notebooks [and especially wouldn't on an 11.6" one!] and I've never felt even the GMA950 in my current MB was too holding me back.) As the MBA stands, it makes no sense to me - it's not like the unibody MB is a particularly large/heavy machine but IMO neither are 'ultraportable' due to the 13.3" form factor. I'd love to have a real Mac I can take everywhere.
But keep the screen res at 1280x800 please. Less is painful.
I agree with you about the Powerbook G4, but the keyboard running off the edges is one thing that irked me about that machine.
I would wholeheartedly pick up a MacBook Air if it has the 11.6" display with 1280x800 resolution. Anything less is just ridiculous, although the iPad tends to do quite well, but it's a different beast. Apple also needs to include four gigabytes of memory in the base model and a sixty-four gigabyte solid-state drive with the option to upgrade the one-hundred twenty-eight gigabytes. The latter is particularly important if they intend on using a Core i3 ULV, as it'll help keep performance relatively high. Finally, a GPU on the order of a 320M would be really nice, and it'd allow the Air to be a decent, portable gaming machine as well. An SDXC slot would be nice for additional storage, but I doubt it'd happen.
The AMD Roadmap for the upcoming Neo platform promises a lot better performance for a lot less energy. AMD Neo II performs about the same as an Intel Core 2 Duo CULV but uses about 25%-30% more energy. So if the new Neo platform uses the same amount of energy as a CULV but also is faster than the C2D CULV, and combines a ATI Radeon 5200 HD, I could see Apple going for it, dramtically reducing the price, having better performance overall if you think about both the graphics card and processor, and increasing the battery life over current MacBook Airs. This platform however is supposed to come out in early 2011.
Intel HD graphics... No just no. Intel IGPs preform horribly in windows I couldn't imagine them on OS Ten. Heat from basic task i.e. Youtube, hulu, and FLASH (big one there) would be horrible not to mention performance would suffer.
Me, too. What do people want with an additional bezel next to the keyboard? Place cups on it?
For me the idea of having a laptop that sacrifices functionality for looks is just painful. I dislike the bad, Darth-Vaderesk looks of the Thinkpads, and the plastic look of the Vaio Z, but I believe that the design should always be functionally justified.
Also, I do not care if the MBA is 12 or 15mm thick, and how thick it looks. I want it to be pleasant to use and as portable as possible.
BTW: I wrote my dissertation happily on a crisp 10in display. Without my Fujitsu Lifebook P that I could take everywhere with me, it would probably have taken several months longer... 11.6in will be ample on the road.
I don't know how much a move to AMD would affect performance. My guess is that Apple could compensate with software tweaks, but prices would fall too.
As for the new MacBook Air, on second thought, I don't think the keyboard on the PowerBook G4 12.1" ever bothered me. However, my main concern is the configuration of the machine, and I could care less about the keyboard, but it should be backlit. Also, I don't really see the price going down that much if Apple intends on including solid-state drives, unless manufacturers cut them a major deal. I'm just excited as it would make the perfect machine for me.
One thing that concerns me is how Apple would position the MacBook Air. If the price is lowered to around the one-thousand mark that some people are predicting then that could cannibalize MacBook sales. I would say that Apple should move the MacBook to the eight-hundred mark and then let the MacBook Air take the one-thousand mark. I also think the MacBook and MacBook Pro 13.3" should be updated to use Core i3 processors, but the graphics presents an issue there. In regards to that, I think the Air might end up being used as a guinea pig for that.
As for the new MacBook Air, on second thought, I don't think the keyboard on the PowerBook G4 12.1" ever bothered me. However, my main concern is the configuration of the machine, and I could care less about the keyboard, but it should be backlit. Also, I don't really see the price going down that much if Apple intends on including solid-state drives, unless manufacturers cut them a major deal. I'm just excited as it would make the perfect machine for me.
One thing that concerns me is how Apple would position the MacBook Air. If the price is lowered to around the one-thousand mark that some people are predicting then that could cannibalize MacBook sales. I would say that Apple should move the MacBook to the eight-hundred mark and then let the MacBook Air take the one-thousand mark. I also think the MacBook and MacBook Pro 13.3" should be updated to use Core i3 processors, but the graphics presents an issue there. In regards to that, I think the Air might end up being used as a guinea pig for that.
+1 again. I found that a really appealing part of that 12" PB design; and I happen to recall being quite happy with a 1024x768 display as well ... until that became insufficient to browse the iTunes store, while they were still shipping such machines.
11.6" @ 1280x800 or even 1280x720, maybe better 1366x768 for meeting that 4:3 height, I think would be absolutely fine. Still really looking forward to whatever happens for the Air!
I liked it, but seriously, 2.93GHz i3? I think maybe in 2013, when Apple updates it again
I agree, also can we really expect an i3 and Nvidia graphics? surely the specs would be similar to netbooks, i.e. an Atom processor and intel graphics. I don't think it could be that much slimmer than the current one either.