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macbook air, everybody bitching

speakerwizard

speakerwizard

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Aug 8, 2006
1,655
0
London
wow, it seemed like EVERYONE here was begging for an 'ultraportable' macbook without optical at macworld and one came along and everybody is bitching about it, wow why does this happen every year? makes me wonder why these people use macs. If i wanted an ultra portable right now id be a happy man. If your waiting for an eepc forget it, apple doesnt make cheap low powered machines, the iphone is about as powerful as an ee and has a lot more storage lol. The whole battery issue is a bit of a non issue as the service is free for replacement and youd probably have to go to apple to get a new one anyway. and as for people moaning at the ssd, thats what they cost im afraid, what did you expect. now start your flaming at my moan lol ;)
 
Is a 13" laptop an ultraportable? Sure it's thin, but it's also wide.

I think most here were hoping for a sub-notebook.
 
samh004 said:
Everyone wanted a 10" screen with a resolution that could rival the 17" MBP.
Click to expand...

lol, but pretty much every rumor incuded the 13" displays apple bulk bought, shouldnt be surprised, happens every year, just some people think apple makes product for 1 individuals exact spec requirement lol. btw, LOVING locator in google maps, very accurate in uk.
 
ViveLeLivre said:
Is a 13" laptop an ultraportable? Sure it's thin, but it's also wide.

I think most here were hoping for a sub-notebook.
Click to expand...
Maybe I am ignorant, and if so I'd love to be corrected, but what is the objective criteria that defines a sub-notebook?
 
I too am disappointed with the response people have been giving in this forum too. Its very love/hate right now with hate dominating. It amazes me that 13.3" is "too wide" for people. If I had the money I'd buy the MBA in a heartbeat. I don't like crammed keyboards or squished screens where every window has to be maximized to see it well. I like multi-tasking on one screen. Oh and its so thin and sweet. mmm :apple:
 
match311 said:
I too am disappointed with the response people have been giving in this forum too. Its very love/hate right now with hate dominating. It amazes me that 13.3" is "too wide" for people. If I had the money I'd buy the MBA in a heartbeat. I don't like crammed keyboards or squished screens where every window has to be maximized to see it well. I like multi-tasking on one screen. Oh and its so thin and sweet. mmm :apple:
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The hard part is waiting for it to arrive!!!!!
 
its thin but very wide. the bezel around the screen is rather large. while having the expected drawback of a missing optical drive it also has a bunch of additional drawbacks making it look more like an executive toy than a machine to get work done with. the bitching isn't entirely unfounded I'd say especially as apparently many come from a 12"PB and would in some respects downgrade from it to the Air. Or they were interested in something akin to a 13" MB Pro where the Air also falls short of expectations. The Air seems to be very much a niche product unlike Apples previous offerings.
 
Great post from Wil Shipley (delicious library) on the macbook air haters... :D

Some journalists get so close to the truth it hurts, yet miss the large print. "OMG! The unit is all sealed and self-contained like the iPod!"

Yes... the iPod. That huge failure. Also, the iPhone. Stunning disappointment that it was. I mean, jeebus, why would Apple make ANOTHER device incredibly simple? Clearly the market has spoken, and it wants tons of ports and screws and geegaws and flippers... no, wait, no it doesn't.
...

In two weeks I'll be writing Delicious Library 2 on a MacBook Air, every day. Because it's simple and beautiful, and I crave those things.

And all you haters can... well, buy one in six months, when you realize how nice it is.
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Its pretty rare around here when people aren't bitching about new products. This new product is NOT for everyone, but for the niche it's filling - amazing!

If Apple never intends to update the macbook pro line, then this would be a disappointment, but as a whole new product it fits in with the rest of the portable line up.
 
I think the MBA will turn into the "must have" toy for the rich kids around town to be seen with......

I love how thin it is, but lets face it, for the money it's underpowered......we will see how issues such as overheating, battery problems ect effect the machine in it's first few months....

Having said all that, if i could afford one i would have one right away !!!
 
a sub notebook is generally <12, no optical drive, very light but can still function as a regular notebook, the MBa cant do any of those except be light, but it aint that light compared to other 12" notebooks, its around the same weight. also you sacrifice just about everything with the MBA, not even a network port. also a sub notebook should have a swappable battery so it can remain mobile for longer periods. the Acer 12" laptops come with DUAL batteries, 1 large, 1 small, this apple doesnt even come with a battery you can replace yourself. anyone defending this obvious rip off for a laptop really needs to see the facts in the clear.
 
pr5owner said:
a sub notebook is generally <12, no optical drive, very light but can still function as a regular notebook, the MBa cant do any of those except be light, but it aint that light compared to other 12" notebooks, its around the same weight. also you sacrifice just about everything with the MBA, not even a network port. also a sub notebook should have a swappable battery so it can remain mobile for longer periods. the Acer 12" laptops come with DUAL batteries, 1 large, 1 small, this apple doesnt even come with a battery you can replace yourself. anyone defending this obvious rip off for a laptop really needs to see the facts in the clear.
Click to expand...

I said the same things about the iPod 5 years ago. No replaceable battery, no memory slots, thin on features, overpriced. And here we are...
 
problems are always around, look how everyone bitc@ed about the iphone not having a user replaceable batt..... try to take the iphone away from the same people who bitc@ed, not going to happen
 
yet strangley true, look at what they said about the mouse / click wheel / ipod battery / all in one computer and finally EVERYBODY thought apple stores would fail.
 
MacPod Air?

My (hopefully relevant) two cents on the macbook air, its position, its charms and its flaws...

As some people have suggested on the forum before, the Macbook Air is like an iPod touch. Its sleek, and really cool, but limited. The reaction I get with my touch is quite similar to the reaction to the MBA:

“Oh, it is really nice, but it’s not £270 nice”

I find it funny how most people on the forum agree that the MBA is a wonderful machine but refuse to accept that you should pay a premium for an ultra portable. Although i'm not up to speed with the ultraportable market, im guessing apple priced the MBA to the higher end of that product market. They always have marketed their products as such. They always will.

My view (and it is only my view) in this case, for this type of machine, is that specs are of a lower importance. I for instance don’t care what processor my iPod touch has in it, or how much RAM it has, I just want to know, that I push media onto it, and it works. I’ve only owned one laptop in my life, (which was incidentally alongside an iMac I used as my main machine) it lasted me over 3 years without upgrading hardware or buying a new battery. So although I would certainly like the option of upgrading my hardware, I would be unlikely do so, if given the option.

The MBAs flaws are clear and much publicised, basically the hardware is (without voiding your warranty) 100% non upgradeable. But this is exactly what makes it the iPod of Macs. I think it’s a beautiful machine and will be in the market to potentially buy one at the end of the year (by which time there may be an upgrade that will quell some of the forum grumblings.)

In the end, i'm not sure exactly what market this laptop is aimed for. I’m also a Mac Pro owner, who wants (not needs) a portable machine. All i know is that i have the power i need on my desktop, and i want one.
 
For me, this notebook will probably become the next G4 cube. They were both very pretty looking, but both were expensive, underpowered and difficult to upgrade.

Like people have been saying, this is only a niche product. The subnotebook market should cater to a demographic that is looking for a small, cheap device (between $500 and $1000) that they can carry in a large purse or small bag that will allow them to check their email, play some music etc. It should be an extension of their computer at home, like a stereo -> ipod.

For $1700 just for the basic model, I'll take the extra inch of thickness and get a Macbook.
 
saltyzoo said:
I said the same things about the iPod 5 years ago. No replaceable battery, no memory slots, thin on features, overpriced. And here we are...
Click to expand...

a laptop is an entirely diffrent playing field (same with cell phones)
 
what i don't understand is the complaining about price. go look at all the other ultra portables on the market. this is the low end of their base pricing, ive not lower. so i don't quite understand why people thought it'd be so cheap. the Sonys start at 2k and go up a lot more from there.
 
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