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MacBook Air 2018

If Apple update the MacBook Air (Retina display, thinner bezels) will you buy?

  • Yes it’s what I’ve wanted them to do for years

    Votes: 187 83.9%

  • No the MacBook Air is dead I want something else

    Votes: 36 16.1%
  • Total voters
    223
torana355 said:
That photo does not show the difference between them very well at all. I suggest looking at them in person, I compared them side by side today and the difference is substantial. The 2018 Air is not even any brighter then my 2011 MBA, its actually disgraceful. This is coming from someone who desperately wanted the new Air to be great as I really want to upgrade :( You are right about one thing though, the average consumer will not care or even notice.
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Yea i'm going to see them in person later this month! on Apple's website they have it as 300 nits brightness, the panel seems the same in specs as the 12" Macbook. I wonder if it's the display units in the Apple store? i'm reaching here, i have not idea. I've seen the 12" Macbook in person and i thought the screen looked great, this is suppose to be the same i think.
 

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blairh said:
Watch this. Clearly they were going to position the nTB Pro to take over for the Air moving forward.
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Boom, you nailed it.

But the reason people were still buying the MacBook Air through most of this past year is that they wanted all the traditional ports (SD card slot, USB A style slots, etc), and the lower PRICE! Soooo... what do they do with the 2018 MacBook Air'? They REMOVE all those ports and RAISE the price. And as an extra bonus, they add the controversial keyboard that still has serious questions about it's reliability!

It's almost as if they want their laptop lines to fail or something.

The only other possibility is that Apple thinks we're so dumb that we'll just buy it because it's still called a 'MacBook Air', like we we're somehow enamored with the name, regardless what piece of metal they slap it on.
 
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Dave245 said:
Yea i'm going to see them in person later this month! on Apple's website they have it as 300 nits brightness, the panel seems the same in specs as the 12" Macbook. I wonder if it's the display units in the Apple store? i'm reaching here, i have not idea. I've seen the 12" Macbook in person and i thought the screen looked great, this is suppose to be the same i think.
Click to expand...
The 12" MacBook in person was brighter then the new 2018 MBA as well. Even though they are rated at the same 300 nits they certainly don't look it. From the reviews I've looked at the new MBA got an average of around 250nits while the old MBA got an average of 340nits. So on average the new MBA is not even as bright as the one it replaces and that was backed up with what I saw in person today. Anyway in going to leave it at that, i'm sure plenty of people will love it!
 
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torana355 said:
The 12" MacBook in person was brighter then the new 2018 MBA as well. Even though they are rated at the same 300 nits they certainly don't look it. From the reviews I've looked at the new MBA got an average of around 250nits while the old MBA got an average of 340nits. So on average the new MBA is not even as bright as the one it replaces and that was backed up with what I saw in person today. Anyway in going to leave it at that, i'm sure plenty of people will love it!
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The brightness issue has took me completely out of the market for the new Air, it was annoying that it wasn’t the 500 nit of the nTB but when it was dimmer than the MB, that was straw that broke the camel’s back. I don’t think people understand when they say it’s a non-issue or it’s usable.
 
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BigBoy2018 said:
It's almost as if they want their laptop lines to fail or something.

The only other possibility is that Apple thinks we're so dumb that we'll just buy it because it's still called a 'MacBook Air', like we we're somehow enamored with the name, regardless what piece of metal they slap it on.
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Those are obviously not the only two possibilities. That’s completely absurd.

Certainly there are those who are heavily enamoured with the name. All you have to do is look at the “it’s not a real Air because x, y, z”. But to suggest that those two are the only possibilities is ludicrous.
 
That looks like a pretty large difference. Is there any particular reason why Apple might have chose to use 240Hz on iPhone X series... (lower cost, power consumption)?
EugW said:
PWM on the MacBook Air is at 113600 Hz. Total non-issue.

The PWM people complain about is on the iPhone X/XS/Max because it’s only 240 Hz.
Click to expand...
 
Ma2k5 said:
The brightness issue has took me completely out of the market for the new Air
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A wise decision. The screen is not up to Apple's standards. The resale market for these will crater.

I don’t think people understand when they say it’s a non-issue
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It's definitely an issue. Anyone with any significant experience with prior MBAir, and past or current experience with MBPro, will instantly see how dim and dull the 2018 MBAir screen is. Hard pass on these 2018 Airs. And I really wanted to like this machine, was going to buy one, saw the screen, and it took around three minutes to think about it and conclude, "no."
 
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BigBoy2018 said:
Boom, you nailed it.

But the reason people were still buying the MacBook Air through most of this past year is that they wanted all the traditional ports (SD card slot, USB A style slots, etc), and the lower PRICE! Soooo... what do they do with the 2018 MacBook Air'? They REMOVE all those ports and RAISE the price. And as an extra bonus, they add the controversial keyboard that still has serious questions about it's reliability!

It's almost as if they want their laptop lines to fail or something.

The only other possibility is that Apple thinks we're so dumb that we'll just buy it because it's still called a 'MacBook Air', like we we're somehow enamored with the name, regardless what piece of metal they slap it on.
Click to expand...
Did you watch the last keynote? They clearly are banking on the name 'MacBook Air' to drum up sales.

To me the MBA looks like a product they scrambled to create, versus something they envisioned for years with a clear purpose. Look how similar it is to the nTB MBP in shape and weight. Look how close they are in price. Things are a complete mess right now by having the MBA and MBP so alike in the lineup. The new MBA should start at $1000. It would at least add a little clarity and division between the 3 different laptops.
 
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Samsung made it to Apple's specification... so most likely it was set by Apple.
On the iPhone section, some say that they get eye strain using iPhone X but not the Samsung S9, so curious to know why Apple chose to use a lower PWM frequency on iPhone X.. but again it's more pertinent in the iPhone section.
EugW said:
I dunno. Those are the screens Samsung makes, and Apple uses them.
Click to expand...
 
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studium4sk said:
Mine struggled a lot to perform 4k/60fps. Fan is / was blowing full speed and the MBA2018 heated up super quick.
I will return mine next week.
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So the 2018 Air struggles with 4k video too? What good is a thin laptop if it can't do basic stuff? Form over function is destroying the Macbook lineup.
 
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Walt Mossberg likes the new Macbook Air, i think if Walt likes it then it must be good :)
 
Dave245 said:
Walt Mossberg likes the new Macbook Air, i think if Walt likes it then it must be good :)
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Please don't take Walt's words about any MBA seriously. The man loved the previous model so much he bought one and never opened it, keeping it wrapped in plastic in his closet.
 
blairh said:
Please don't take Walt's words about any MBA seriously. The man loved the previous model so much he bought one and never opened it, keeping it wrapped in plastic in his closet.
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Walt was a great reviewer of Apple products, he could be critical at times, so much so that Steve Jobs would call him up angry at some of his reviews. Walt loved the original Air, for good reason, when Steve Jobs stood up on stage and announced the Air it was jaw dropping and something that for years later other companies were trying to replicate.
 
Dave245 said:
Walt was a great reviewer of Apple products, he could be critical at times, so much so that Steve Jobs would call him up angry at some of his reviews. Walt loved the original Air, for good reason, when Steve Jobs stood up on stage and announced the Air it was jaw dropping and something that for years later other companies were trying to replicate.
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I don't think Walt and most journalists have been critical enough about the display. Given his previous love for the Air (again, to buy an Air and keep it wrapped in your closet is utterly ridiculous) I wouldn't look to him to be the voice of reason on this product.
 
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I'm wondering why Apple put Bluetooth 4.2 instead of 5.0 to this laptop. All new hardware gets Bluetooth 5.0, which has many advantages.
 
What Walt Mossberg source are we basing his opinion off of?

That Vergecast when they called him?
He been tweeting or writing about it?
 
turbineseaplane said:
What Walt Mossberg source are we basing his opinion off of?

That Vergecast when they called him?
He been tweeting or writing about it?
Click to expand...

Vergecast, it wasn't a full on review because he's retired, so i don't expect to see him writing about it in a column.
 
Solos79 said:
I'm wondering why Apple put Bluetooth 4.2 instead of 5.0 to this laptop. All new hardware gets Bluetooth 5.0, which has many advantages.
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Good question. It's looking like a swing and a miss on the wireless connectivity front on this one, unfortunately.
 
Solos79 said:
I'm wondering why Apple put Bluetooth 4.2 instead of 5.0 to this laptop. All new hardware gets Bluetooth 5.0, which has many advantages.
Click to expand...

Because it's an overpriced and substandard laptop, like all MacBook Airs are.

You were expecting the latest tech on a MacBook Air???

I have a bridge to sell you.
 
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