Macbook Air 2017 - what kind of buyers?

[AFEPPL]

But for it to be the "best" for something/anything it has to do something measurably better than the rest of the range, be it weight, performance or screen and it just doesn't. Value is subject, so it's fair to say the MBA is the cheapest, but many would argue against a tag of "best value".. Best connectivity for legacy devices is the "best" best i can find to describe the MBA.

All said, it's irrelevant. I'm sure we could find some cult group that will say PPCs are the "best" macs.
If it works for you, cool. But people want to find labels for everything... Generally people don't confirm to all those labels, but i think it's absolutely fair to say is both the MBA and the mini are in the range to provide an entry point for mac ownership above that "what kind of buyer?" - whoever wants one.

I agree to disagree.

 

[AZhappyjack]

But for it to be the "best" for something/anything it has to do something measurably better than the rest of the range, be it weight, performance or screen and it just doesn't. Value is subject, so it's fair to say the MBA is the cheapest, but many would argue against a tag of "best value".. Best connectivity for legacy devices is the "best" best i can find to describe the MBA.

All said, it's irrelevant. I'm sure we could find some cult group that will say PPCs are the "best" macs.
If it works for you, cool. But people want to find labels for everything... Generally people don't confirm to all those labels, but i think it's absolutely fair to say is both the MBA and the mini are in the range to provide an entry point for mac ownership above that "what kind of buyer?" - whoever wants one.

I agree to disagree.

"Best" is relative. We all have different reasons for valuing one item over another, independent of what the next guy or gal thinks. That's the beauty of options. It's great to have the newest, fasted, shiniest widget available, but that choice is often tempered by the cost, the utility and the practicality of such a choice.

But you are correct... if it works FOR YOU, great. If it doesn't, get what does work for you. Get the "best" for your needs and your situation. One can certainly play 18 holes of golf with nothing but a putter... but it may not be an enjoyable experience.

 

[AFEPPL]

I prefer blondes.... it doesn't mean they are the best..!

 

[kingdf]

I simply prefer smaller laptops like the MBA11 and MB12. And my usage on computers only consists of basic stuff like internet, email, docs and music which my MBA does well. I had a rMBP as my first Apple computer previously but after a year with it I sold it to switch to the smaller MBA back in 2015 and to this day I'm still lovin it. My fav computer so far.

 

[maerz001]

The point is that some of us do not use the Cloud, (at all) and prefer to have what we need stored on our own device.

My iTunes library (all CDs, either bought by me, or given as gifts to me - not a single, solitary piece of music is downloaded as I deplore the rentier model of music, and dislike the poor audio experience it offers) alone exceeds 100 GB.

Candidly, the rMB at this stage of its development reminds me of the MBA when it first came out; a gorgeous machine, exquisitely designed - I lusted after one the minute it appeared - but nothing like as good as it contained the promise to be, and underpowered with an underwhelming battery and limited memory.

For what it is worth, I bought my first MBA in 2010, (the so-called rev-C), and also - for a short while of a few months - had a 2012 11" MBA (which was good, but nothing like as good as the post 2013 models) while I was waiting for my CTO model to be put together.

In truth, the MBA only because the machine it always had the potential to become from 2013, when - with a vastly improved battery life - it became one of the best computers (the best to my mind, and in my experience) Apple ever made.

I don't doubt that the rMB can be improved, - drastically - (as the MBA was) but, until that happens, I won't be tempted to buy one.

Sure when u need the storage, buy it. That's what I said. But niji said "always max out everything". Which makes of course no sense when u don't store lots of things...

A maxed out Air is $1549. for 10% more you get the nT MBP with the same storage or the 2016 model even cheaper. So buying the Air just for the SD card reader or having USBa?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sure when u need the storage, buy it. That's what I said. But niji said "always max out everything". Which makes of course no sense when u don't store lots of things...

A maxed out Air is $1549. for 10% more you get the nT MBP with the same storage or the 2016 model even cheaper. So buying the Air just for the SD card reader or having USBa?

Not sure I understand your post.

Anyway, I like the MBA for the reasons I have stated.

Money - or, rather cost, - is not what drives my purchases - I'm not looking for "the cheapest" but the best for my own personal needs. And one of those needs is portability, which the MBP lacks (from my perspective); another is power, yet another is terrific battery life, and a further one is utter reliability.

 

[macgeek18]

I love the MBA's silver screen bezel. Reminds me of my other favorite Mac notebook of all time. The PowerBook G4 12". Just like I love the white bezels on my iPads.

 

[maerz001]

Not sure I understand your post.

Anyway, I like the MBA for the reasons I have stated.

Money - or, rather cost, - is not what drives my purchases - I'm not looking for "the cheapest" but the best for my own personal needs. And one of those needs is portability, which the MBP lacks (from my perspective); another is power, yet another is terrific battery life, and a further one is utter reliability.

I was trying to say that one should just buy a computer with the storage and or CPU he really uses. And not as user "niji" said with the maximum apple offers.

What makes an Air more portable beeing larger and having the same weight? The wedge shape?

Power? The two generations old CPU is faster than the nT MBP?

Reliability? What makes u think an Air is more reliable than the other notebooks? From all Apple products I had, the only one which broke with screen defect was an Air. But without having real numbers from repair shops this is also a very subjective point

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I was trying to say that one should just buy a computer with the storage and or CPU he really uses. And not as user "niji" said with the maximum apple offers.

What makes an Air more portable beeing larger and having the same weight? The wedge shape?

Power? The two generations old CPU is faster than the nT MBP?

Reliability? What makes u think an Air is more reliable than the other notebooks? From all Apple products I had, the only one which broke with screen defect was an Air. But without having real numbers from repair shops this is also a very subjective point

I think you have difficulty comprehending that what you deem important is not what motivates me.

I have already written that whatever a MBP offers is irrelevant, as - until I have the sort of permanent office where it can live as a desktop - I have no desire (and no need, either) to acquire one.

My MBA is the 11"; that is an exceptionally powerful, portable - and yes, reliable - computer.

 

[Osty]

What makes an Air more portable beeing larger and having the same weight? The wedge shape?

Power? The two generations old CPU is faster than the nT MBP?

Reliability? What makes u think an Air is more reliable than the other notebooks? From all Apple products I had, the only one which broke with screen defect was an Air. But without having real numbers from repair shops this is also a very subjective point

Portability means more than weight. I factored the need to travel with dongles and the inconvenience of using them with all the legacy devices out there. Just because Apple says USB-C is the future, doesn't mean that enterprises/conference centres/hotels/airports will change in this decade.

The air also affords two extras hours batter life than the nT MBP.

CPU power is not an issue. Intel has stagnated for years with minimal year-on-year improvements. Unless you have a specific performance need (or you want a new feature like H265 decoding) then anything as far back as Broadwell or even Haswell is fine for most uses.

Reliability. I have had a Macbook Air (2010) fail once because of a broken keyboard cable, which turned out to be a cheap and easy fix. Compare that with the legion of complaints about the new keyboard mechanisms failing all the time. Marco Arment has been bitching about it for months on ATP. The same dodgy keyboard drove writer/blogger Matt Gemmell to abandon the Mac in favour of going 100% iPad.


My point is we make the choices that suit our needs. There is no perfect Mac laptop for all users and all use cases; in fact I think the lineup is poor and represents a lot of compromises. Any reasonable person though should be able to stack them side-by-side and work out what best fits their needs.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

Yeah,if it's just for light use like email or such,an iPad Air 2 will do that,and a lot more,and the price is about 1/3 of a MacBook.

iPad Air 2? What are you living in the Stone Age? Any 2017 iPad would suffice. I recommend the 10.5 Pro.

 

[Stefan johansson]

iPad Air 2? What are you living in the Stone Age? Any 2017 iPad would suffice. I recommend the 10.5 Pro.

Yes,the iPad Pro is better,but as it’s too bulky and far too expensive for simple web browsing and in the field photo editing,I prefer the Air 2. If I need more power than that,I got an I7 MacBook Pro,that does everything my iPad cannot do. I don’t use tablets as replacements for computers,I merely use them for tasks when the phone screen is too small,like web browsing,reading and simple photo editing. Why pay for an iPad Pro when I already got a working laptop?

 

[Ffosse]

I find my current set-up fine. I do all the usual smartphone things on my iPhone 8 - my iPad Pro is for reading books and using applications with the Pencil. Also Netflix.

And I like my MacBook 12 for typing on; it isn't a very high spec but it suffices for my needs. I sold the MBA as I was getting tired of the resolution and wanted a better screen even at the cost of some performance. I've never felt limited by the one USB-C port.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

I simply prefer smaller laptops like the MBA11 and MB12. And my usage on computers only consists of basic stuff like internet, email, docs and music which my MBA does well. I had a rMBP as my first Apple computer previously but after a year with it I sold it to switch to the smaller MBA back in 2015 and to this day I'm still lovin it. My fav computer so far.

Might as well get an ipad