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MacBook Air First Impressions and Notes

Do you guys think that an MBA would compliment an Imac?


Or would an regular MB compliment an Imac better?(in your views).
 
either one would compliment an imac greatly. i use my mba to compliment my vista pc. it's a power house and has plenty of hd space, so i store all my stuff on the pc. the mba is my mobile machine.
 
Yes, an MBA should complement an iMac very nicely, as it can be the on-the-go machine and you can sync and share files between the two. I don't need to keep much on my MBA as all my important files and images, etc., are on my other Macs. I haven't installed iTunes on the MBA because I have my music available on my iPhone when away from home and on my other machines when at home. Your iMac will serve well as your repository for all important files and such and then when you're going away from home you can just grab the MBA and go.....

The MBA has the advantage of being lighter weight than the MacBook, but if you really need to have more ports and such available while away from home or if you need to carry a lot of files and things on your laptop, then you might need to consider the MB.
 
I just got mine a couple days ago and I absolutely love my MBA. At first, in January, I was skeptical in buying one. I thought i needed more usb ports, firewire, and optical drive. When school started this semester, the black 2.16ghz macbook went on sale so I just decided to get one of those since I thought I needed one of those instead.

Once i saw the Macbook Air, i was hooked and as a couple months went by i realized that the only thing i did with my Macbook was web browsing and word processing. I did all my picture editing, copying dvd videos for my iPhone, Music transfers, and everything else on my iMac. I still had some doubts about the space on the hard drive, but I remembered that I did pretty well on space with my 60gb dell that I had before the macbook and I was scared that Apple will turn around and upgrade their line up like they always do, leaving me with an older model. I just brushed it off my shoulders and bought one anyway. I love my 1.8 ghz 64ssd MBA. I dont watch dvd's, and I carry it around everywhere. its nice and sleek. I also had to buy the invisible shield for it because it feels like it will get scuffed if i dont protect it.

the only reason i took so long on getting one is because it was too expensive, i had to find the right price on ebay. there was no way i was gonna spend over three thousand.

I love my MBA 😀
 
Dear All,

I truly love the MBA. I'm planning to buy an Imac for the office together with a MBA for on the road. I travel a lot by high-speed train through Europe. I truly love the MBA for being so thin and light.

I have one question. Will the difference between the 1.6GHz. Or 1,8Ghz. Processor really noticeable? It is a consideration to take.

Thanks in advance for your answer.

With kind regards,
Bas
 
i really doubt you'll be able to tell the real world difference between 1.6ghz and 1.8ghz. unless you need the latest and greatest, i would stick with 1.6ghz and wait for the next revision of the mba to see what the change will be in processing power.
 
Wow Mba 1.6/80gb

I just can't stop smiling. This thing is amazing. And the customer service is top rate. I ordered my MBA with a USB Ethernet Adapter, Super Drive, and Remote. I got the USB and Super Drive in a day and a half. However when I checked on the computer itself I saw it was coming from China. I called customer service and after just a couple of option selections I was connected with a human I could understand. That in and of itself far surpasses the experience I have had with Dell and Toshiba regarding their laptops and customer support numbers. I asked about the China shipping and told them that I already had the accessories and it was showing a 10 day travel time from China. They told me that it usually takes much less. I followed the tracking and it was actually in my hands at 0930 the NEXT DAY!!! AMAZING!!!

As far as performance it is top notch. I am amazed at how easily it has connected onto the shares on my Windows and Ubuntu Linux network. Printer install was a snap.

I am going to get one of the Time Capsules because that is just what I have been looking for - a cross platform backup network drive. I use the Mac with OSX, a PC with Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP and my wife has my old Dell laptop with Windows XP. The MBA just works with all of them seamlessly.

I am actually kicking myself for not changing to MAC earlier.

Bravo Apple - you have won yet another PC user - my next Desktop WILL be a MAC!!!

It took me a little while to get used to the installing programs and uninstalling as I am used to Windows and Linux but it is very easy. I loaded Firefox with all my bookmarks and Open Office Beta with no problems at all.

I look forward to many years of computing with this great machine!!
 
fuzzielitlpanda said:
i really doubt you'll be able to tell the real world difference between 1.6ghz and 1.8ghz. unless you need the latest and greatest, i would stick with 1.6ghz and wait for the next revision of the mba to see what the change will be in processing power.
Click to expand...

Dear fuzzielitlpanda,

Thank you for your response. I don't necessary needs the latest and the greatest. I'm also not planning to buy the new MBA after apple upgrades them. I want to keep this beauty for a long time. That is why I want to buy the right one from the start. I was wondering. Does the 1.6Ghz or 1.8Ghz. Make any difference in battery life?

In general I want to comment about the macbook air. I think lots of people overreact when they say it is an unusable computer. I'm one of those who travel a lot. Believe me the MBA is a dream come truth. U hardly even feel you have it with you.

Yes I like to watch DVD's on the road... that is why we have "Mac the ripper" before my trip start I use Mac the ripper to put the DVD of my choice on the hard drive. It safes battery power.

Nearly two years ago I worked with a much heavier powerbook 1.67GHz. Which was my main computer. In every way in theory this powerbook will be slower then the MBA and for me it worked fast and flawless.

I praise the MBA! Not because it is a gadget, not because it is so incredible beautiful, but because for the first time I can always bring my computer with me while traveling without getting insane of the heavy weight pulling on my shoulder.

I'm not only talk about the laptop, but a bag in general with cloths and toilet stuff etc. With a normal macbook or macbook pro weight will be just too much. The macbook air (I tried one for a week) I don't even feel it is there.

I love it!

With kind regards,
Bas
 
One last question,

What about difference in battery life between the 1.6Ghz. and 1.8Ghz.?

Is it not that the 1.8Ghz. will draw more power and decrease the battery life?

And what about heat issues? Will the 1.8Ghz. not turn out hotter and more change on core shutdown?

Lot's of questions.... sorry 😀 I'm about to order my MBA tomorrow so I really appreciate answers... 😀

With kind regards,
Bas
 
I got it!!!

Dear All,

I'm a happy owner now of the MBA SSD. After reading scary messages bout the "screeching" sounds from the hard drive I decided to go for the SSD version. Also since I could get a very good price. Coming from an 700Mhz. G4 Imac and a G4 1.67Ghz. powerbook this machine is incredible fast instant! 😀

I will post my impressions about a week, but I like it already very much. They screen is wonderful and the keyboard is a pleasure to type on.

With kind regards,
Bas

(Ps. this is my first message from my MBA 😀)
 
I have had my MBA for about two months now. Overall, I think it is a great portable notebook, even better than my previous PB12". However, I am a bit underwhelmed by its performance, or the lack thereof. With Time Machine backing up to Time Capsule and watching a flash video file, the MBA becomes extremely lethargic with the pointer jumping all over the place to render it almost unusable. This is especially the case when the MBA is attached to a 20" ACD. The fan will also come on non-stop unless I put the computer to sleep. The MBA is at its best with casual word processing, emailing, and web surfing. Very responsive. However, once you begin to watch some video, the fan easily reaches 6200/rpm. It is therefore, in my opinion, quite limiting when it comes to being a primary computer. I thought about either "upgrading" to a MBP or getting an iMac for more task intensive work. The weight (or the lack thereof) is simply amazing and I can't imagine going 2 lbs more for the MBP. Maybe I should get an iMac. I have never had two computers and that is what holding me back.
 
Dear All,

Maybe a stupid question. But why if I look in "about this mac" the hard drive capacity only indicate 55.9GB? It should be 64GB.

Sorry I'm a complete noob.. 😀

With kind regards,
Bas
 
it's 4 months after the release of the macbook air but i finally got to use it for an extended period of time (my classmate's). it's really weird because i'm not sure if the fans are doing anything as i didn't hear anything and the left side was uncomfortable to touch. however, youtube videos didn't stutter and watching 720p movie trailers was fine. i felt awkward using the air because i felt like if i didn't prop the air up using my hand while it was on my lap, i would block the vents and it would fry itself.
 
Dear All,

Just wanted to mention four things after a day of use with my MBA.

Battery
- I managed to get 4,5 hours of battery life out the MBA/SSD with continues internet browsing. The power management was put on "Better Energy Savings" I had no music or other programs running.

Wireless
-From all apple laptops we have here in the building (Ibook g4, MB and PB 12") the MBA have the best airport reception. In a concrete basement one stage away from the Airport I still have full reception where the others don't

Noise/heat
-My MBA is dead silent. only on a few occasions the fan turned on but it is still acceptable. The MBA is 90% of the time dead silent and cool.

Speed
-The MBA is instant fast. Even heavy photoshopping goes fast and and smooth. I played some HD movie trailers and it was smooth without any stops.

All with al the machine performs far above expectations and I use it already as my main computer all day long. We will see after a week.



With kind regards,
Bas
 
I really wanted to like it...

Actually bought the MBA a few weeks ago and then exchanged it for my Black MacBook. I was in love with how light and sleek it was. Much too slow for me. Waiting for pages to load while surfing the net was like watching paint dry. I just couldn't deal with it. I was replacing an older MacBook Pro (15.4"). I still wanted something smaller, so the Black MacBook was perfect. I'm so glad I returned the Air. Very happy now.
 
Huh?

MacLadybug said:
Actually bought the MBA a few weeks ago and then exchanged it for my Black MacBook. I was in love with how light and sleek it was. Much too slow for me. Waiting for pages to load while surfing the net was like watching paint dry. I just couldn't deal with it. I was replacing an older MacBook Pro (15.4"). I still wanted something smaller, so the Black MacBook was perfect. I'm so glad I returned the Air. Very happy now.
Click to expand...
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"Waiting for pages to load...is like watching paint dry." I don't understand this comment. One of the things I like best about my Air, is how zippy it seems, while surfing the net. And just for the fun of it, I tested this by going head-to-head with a friend (and her MacBook). We were both surprised, in that the difference in speed, and page loads, transitions, etc, was barely perceptible. But she conceded that the air was INDEED zippier. Not very sophisticated testing--I will admit, but enough for me to feel good about my "zippy" little Air.😉
 
MacLadybug said:
Actually bought the MBA a few weeks ago and then exchanged it for my Black MacBook. I was in love with how light and sleek it was. Much too slow for me. Waiting for pages to load while surfing the net was like watching paint dry. I just couldn't deal with it. I was replacing an older MacBook Pro (15.4"). I still wanted something smaller, so the Black MacBook was perfect. I'm so glad I returned the Air. Very happy now.
Click to expand...

There must be something wrong with your AIR. My MBA is instant fast with internet and browsing . As a matter of fact it is the fastest internet computer I ever worked on. Faster then my mothers MB.

With kind regards,
Bas
 
You guys must be right...

Maybe there was something wrong with the Air I bought. It was sooooo slow. I would click on a site and it took forever. The WiFI would go in and out too. My old MBP was so speedy and now my new Macbook is like greased lightening. If no one else has had that problem then it must have been a Dud. I just kept looking at the processor speed thinking that was it. You know 1.6 vs. 2.4 and all that. I had to talk myself into the small drive and then when it didn't perform I felt that I bought it too early. I always am tempted by "first model years" and then regret it when the better stuff comes out. But maybe it was just messed up. I'm happy now and I even saved a few bucks.
 
Sound Evolution said:
Dear All,

Maybe a stupid question. But why if I look in "about this mac" the hard drive capacity only indicate 55.9GB? It should be 64GB.

Sorry I'm a complete noob.. 😀

With kind regards,
Bas
Click to expand...

because the drive is formatted and the operating system takes up space
 
I never thought a trip to the Apple store to get a little more hands on time with one of these would be so worth-while. I just got back, and man, my fears are laid to rest, for sure. Having decided I wanted to upgrade, and having enough money in my account for any of the Macbook models, I've done the research and come to a conclusion in only three days.

The very last thing I was worried about was the core failure issue, where either heat or GPU strain, or something shuts down a core and causes the laptop to freeze. So took 15 minutes to drive down to the nearest Apple store, as fast as I could through the rain on the highway, and again, laid that worry to rest.

Using the same demo model that has been in the store for months, on all day long, I was able to pull up the Steve Jobs Keynote speech on Youtube, play music on iTunes and scroll through Coverflow while that played, and then open iMovie and play around with that for a few minutes with not so much as a stutter! The worry I had was that the Macbook Air wouldn't even be able to complete the 10 min Youtube video without crashing. Now I'm totally confident in its awesomeness.

I've got an iMac, typing this up on that now. Tomorrow I'm going back to the Apple store before work and picking up the MBA. Worry free. (But not laissez faire... I have thought this over considerably already.)
 
Just got home with a new Macbook Air. 1.8GHz and SSD. Bought it before I had to go to work; now I'm gonna open it up and update this post with my first impressions.

First thing I noticed: It was funny, at the store, everybody gave me a strange look when they found out I was interested in the Air, like, "Are you serious?" Then I said, ah - but I have an iMac at home already. And then they all had the exact same reaction - which totally explains the expected "user base" the MBA is designed for - "So you're looking for a COMPANION Mac, ahhh." I was a bit confused myself, as to what Apple had in mind when they released this thing, but now I know it's a perfect companion for current Mac users who want/need a little more productivity from their Mac environment (in the form of a laptop in this case).

So, for the uninitiated: (spoiler alert!) "Congratulations, you and your Macbook Air were made for each other." I like that.

Why I "bit the bullet" and bought the SSD version: "Notice: Wait a few seconds until the sleep indicator light on the front of your Macbook Air starts pulsing (indicating that the computer is in sleep and the hard disk has stopped spinning) before you move your Macbook Air. Moving your computer while the hard disk is spinning can damage it, causing loss of data or the inability to start up from the hard disk." No worries :apple:.

...umn, it just came to life, without me touching anything - all I did was plug in the power chord!

"Time is a wave, there's no time in this place!" - T.M.V. Rather: time flies when you're having fun. This is just joy. So far. No problems to report, everything works. This is probably the best-going first night with an Apple product I've ever had.
 
I just realized what this is for. Or, what I subconsciously realized as I was seriously considering buying the MBA. This machine is made, with bare minimum "extras" and all, so that I can pleasantly do work - AWAY FROM my iMac, which has become a multimedia machine. Every-time I go to my iMac it's to watch a movie, or play a game, or watch Youtube and download a hell of a lot of stuff on bit torrent. With the Air, the hardware is designed with achieving a good workflow and keeping in mind that I can't just throw in a DVD when I'm bored, or download tons of music I'll never listen to, and so on. So, with this in mind, I'm even more thankful that Apple designed a Macbook that's "against the grain." So awesome.
 
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