Macbook Air, the worst Macbook ever, don't buy it

[bubbleboil]

When I bought MBA 2013, it's was the first few laptop in my market to support haswell with Intel hd5000 and cost as much as any other ultrabook with ivy bridge with Intel hd4000 (non ultra books are relatively cheaper)

3 years later, it still boot up within 1 minute while my 2012 window desktop required 5-10 min to boot up.

I am able to do some light gaming like left for dead, tomb raider, Batman and I am amazed that it is able to maintain the temperature at 60 degree for hours of gaming.

MBA is a very good device in my opinion

 

[tsaulic]

Funny, my MacBook Air 2011 model, is ~5 years old now and I still love it. My best tech investment. I just need to replace the battery sometime soon. I just love everything about that device. What I hope for in the future is more battery live + juice and a stable OS. Don't care about retina. I also have nothing against pixels. Pixels are cool.

 

[Cycling Asia]

Funny, my MacBook Air 2011 model, is ~5 years old now and I still love it. My best tech investment. I just need to replace the battery sometime soon. I just love everything about that device. What I hope for in the future is more battery live + juice and a stable OS. Don't care about retina. I also have nothing against pixels. Pixels are cool.

I agree 100%, I got a 2nd hand 2011 11 inch (128GB storage) and I use it every day. I've already done the battery replacement from an eBay store (forgot which one) and it still runs well. I did crack the screen, but it has appeared to have healed itself (the previously visible crack has now vanished).

This was also my first real Mac after using a dell d630 (hackintosh) for many years.

 

[wubsylol]

I'm pretty fond of my 11" MBA.
Yes, the screen is average, but it's ridiculously light and very well-built.

 

[hawon]

TR;DR

Simple, who would buy MB when MBA has all ports, more power, and have Retina display with cheaper price? Yes MBA can add better display but they wouldn't as long as they sell ton of MBA w/ TN panels.

One great thing about MBA display? Much less glare and eye fatigue.

If I buy one now I'd get MB. I cannot see a reason to spend $1500+ without dedicated video card. All I want is next gen MB will have USB-C with TB. Until then I will keep my 2013 MBA that I decided to keep after selling my 15in 2012 rMBP and bought a new 2016 MB for wife.

 

[Osty]

Right that does it. This post has inspired me. I miss my 11 inch air so much, I'm going to buy one before Apple kills them off.

Take that OP!

 

[andreyush]

Hold that thought until after the release of the new 13 & 15 " MBP, expect VERY THIN, and 1-2 USBC

I was talking about Macbook...Not Macbook Pro
And just another thought. Thinner it doesn't mean better . I don't want to cut salami with my notebook .

 

[bubulol]

TR;DR

Simple, who would buy MB when MBA has all ports, more power, and have Retina display with cheaper price? Yes MBA can add better display but they wouldn't as long as they sell ton of MBA w/ TN panels.

One great thing about MBA display? Much less glare and eye fatigue.

If I buy one now I'd get MB. I cannot see a reason to spend $1500+ without dedicated video card. All I want is next gen MB will have USB-C with TB. Until then I will keep my 2013 MBA that I decided to keep after selling my 15in 2012 rMBP and bought a new 2016 MB for wife.

You wrong about eye fatiguing, better density pixel is less than fatiguing for eyes
Why do you want all ports? MBA 11 means portability or secondary device, you dont need to have all those ports unless you absolutely need it for your work (e.g)
Its same debate with internal superdrive, floppy disk, ethernet port...
You are absolutely not concerned by the futur of Macbook, whether you like or not
Apple dont care about power users, professional, all they want its same public as iPhone/iPad
Now i am not saying MBA is bad laptop either but its a thing of past anyway
-> if you dont like Apple philosophy, you may try alternatives, Apple will no longer support Macbook Air i am afraid

Note i am not a dumb Apple fanboy, i dont own every Apple device, if you like Macbook Air, good for you but its going to be abandoned by Apple in near future, think about real alternatives
Macbook shows a little piece of the Apple Macbook future

 

[Osty]

You wrong about eye fatiguing, better density pixel is less than fatiguing for eyes
Why do you want all ports? MBA 11 means portability or secondary device, you dont need to have all those ports unless you absolutely need it for your work (e.g)
Its same debate with internal superdrive, floppy disk, ethernet port...
You are absolutely not concerned by the futur of Macbook, whether you like or not
Apple dont care about power users, professional, all they want its same public as iPhone/iPad
Now i am not saying MBA is bad laptop either but its a thing of past anyway
-> if you dont like Apple philosophy, you may try alternatives, Apple will no longer support Macbook Air i am afraid

Note i am not a dumb Apple fanboy, i dont own every Apple device, if you like Macbook Air, good for you but its going to be abandoned by Apple in near future, think about real alternatives
Macbook shows a little piece of the Apple Macbook future

Ports are useful. Also the MBA crossed the that threshold in 2012. It's powerful enough to be someone's primary machine. So in that context it's highly portable and expandable.

It's not the same debate as though legacy IO devices you mention. They are bulky, single purpose. Thunderbolt and USB 3 by contrast is highly versatile meaning you can expand your system in many different ways.

What Apple does or doesn't do in the future is irrelevant. They are secretive and do not publish a roadmap. The MacBook might be that future but it's not relevant to me now in 2016. The MBA is available now and it's Apple best device for the metrics that are important to me.

As for Apple not caring about professionals. I agree in part with this but then there a many types of professionals and not all them are videographers and 3D modellers.

iPad might make a good portable accessory device. At least I could pair it with a keyboard that doesn't suck as bad as the one Apple put in the MacBook.

Here's what's messed up though. I can be a MBA for less than an iPad Pro and for me it's much more practical device. Also if I buy a new MBA it will last me 5 years with my usage. I don't know and don't care what apple's lineup looks like in 2021. I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

 

[madoka]

I own every size Macbook (17", 15", 13", 12", and 11") and over 20 iPads also in every size. The MBA is the one I like the most. So much in fact that I bought seven of them.

 

[Wackery]

I own every size Macbook (17", 15", 13", 12", and 11") and over 20 iPads also in every size. The MBA is the one I like the most. So much in fact that I bought seven of them.

that is.. impressive, picture?

 

[decio]

To this day the MBA is one of the most iconic laptops on the planet! The ooh-factor is amazing too. I thought nothing of it when I bought it but there are still lots of people who have never seen one in person and are so stunned by it.
It is light, sturdy, beautiful in design and it hits the sweetspot in usability and connectivity, so for me and millions of others it is the perfect laptop!

 

[hawon]

You wrong about eye fatiguing, better density pixel is less than fatiguing for eyes
Why do you want all ports? MBA 11 means portability or secondary device, you dont need to have all those ports unless you absolutely need it for your work (e.g)
Its same debate with internal superdrive, floppy disk, ethernet port...
You are absolutely not concerned by the futur of Macbook, whether you like or not
Apple dont care about power users, professional, all they want its same public as iPhone/iPad
Now i am not saying MBA is bad laptop either but its a thing of past anyway
-> if you dont like Apple philosophy, you may try alternatives, Apple will no longer support Macbook Air i am afraid

Note i am not a dumb Apple fanboy, i dont own every Apple device, if you like Macbook Air, good for you but its going to be abandoned by Apple in near future, think about real alternatives
Macbook shows a little piece of the Apple Macbook future

sure better pixel density helps but not as much as matte display and I don't use my laptop right in front of my nose.

Why do i want all ports? because MBA 13 can get things done unlike current MB. Oh PROFESSIONALS do need their ports and real power users will not care portability to begin with. Honestly if Apple wouldn't care too much about design and form factor, it'd make more sense to have MB, rebrand MBP 13 to MBA, and MBP as strictly 15" with dedicated GPU. A laptop without dedicated GPU claims to be a pro machine is hilarious imo.

Lastly, yes I am absolutely not concerned by the future of MB or Apple entirely. They will be irrelevant to me from the moment they don't sell products that I need or someone else offers better solutions.

Are you sure you are not a dumb apple fanboy? Drunk say they are not drunk, alcoholics say they are not addicted drinking, and apple fanboys claims that they are not apple sheep j/k

 

[bubulol]

dumb Apple fanboy me? I got my first iPhone since 3.5 years, i was on Android, i also have Windows computer, i have Xperia Z3 Tablet
2 Apple products, one Windows, one Android, sure i am an Apple addict
It seems you wont share same future view as Apple
I dont claim its the path to choose but Apple will most likely erase Macbook Air from Macbook entire range

 

[Osty]

It seems you wont share same future view as Apple

Debatable and who says we have to share their vision. They are a tech company, not the oracle of Delphi. Other companies like Asus (zenbook) already have an alternative vision to coreM based ultraportables and it's cheaper and has a better keyboard.

Also early adopters of apple tech get screwed. It took three generations for the MBA to be competitively priced and four generations for it to be a powerful enough contender as a primary device.

When Apple drop the price by $500 AUD and lift the key travel another 2mm and USB C docks become commonplace, only then will I consider the MacBook a worthy successor to the MBA