Don't hope for too much, Apple's black friday discounts are worth waiting for but never any more than US$100, dunno how much that is in pounds...
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MacBook Air 'Ultimate' Configurations Benchmarked
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Don't hope for too much, Apple's black friday discounts are worth waiting for but never any more than US$100, dunno how much that is in pounds...
that's exactly what I thought. macbook air is not replacement for any macbook pro at all. people totally misreading here. do you think that you can do whatever you want with this? NO. flash memory is still very expensive, of course, it is deserved for showing high performance. but for majority of people, it's not ready. it is way way ahead of future to adapt it for many people. it doesn't matter whether macbook air 11 inch basic model is sold like hot cake now. it's just people's curiosity that they want to have one for a while. obviously you can return it within certain days. just put damn flash memory for macbook pro, then it will show more than 200% better performance than before and macbook air.
To be honest, this video proves nothing. If he would have started a multiplayer game showing us how well it handles about 200-400 units/buildings etc on a med/big map after 10-15/20 mins of game play, that's one thing, but this videos just shows a bunch of marines/marauders roaming through the map... That's not the typical SC2 gameplay... Don't get me wrong, I love the new MBA and would love to buy one, but please don't say it run SC2 decently if that video should be your proof...
It's like saying: "I can ride a skateboard decently", if all you can show off is staying on it..
Incorrect.
Apple stores carry the "maxxed" versions of both MBAs. Just call ahead first.
Yes, but MOST salespeople in Apple stores that actually have the ultimate version in stock don't even know it and are using the same old "you have to order it online for 4GB" line.
I had to literally ask two salespeople to check specifically and after they did they found out that they had the "ultimate" versions in stock, unbeknown to them.
Very frustrating, but got the souped up 13" tonight after vowing not to because of lack of backlit keys... truth is screen is gorgeous and it will be replacing a UMBP 2.4C2D with an intel 160 Gen1.
Man, all this says to me is to put an SSD in my 2.4 i5 and get blazing.
If only there was TRIM support. Don't want such a big investment getting slower over time.
If only there was TRIM support. Don't want such a big investment getting slower over time.
I think it's time to axe the 13" MacBook Pro
EDIT: And also time for me to invest in a SSD for HAL...zippity doo dah
EDIT: And also time for me to invest in a SSD for HAL...zippity doo dah
This happens with every new release -- when I bought my maxed 15" MBP a few years ago I basically had to *argue* with the guy to go check in back. When they asked me to "rate" my experience online I ripped the guy and the store a new one. Got a call from corporate
and an apology from the store manager. LOL.Congrats on the new Air -- I have a maxed 11.6 on order, wanted something different from my Rev A MBA. Trust me, after you carry it for awhile you will never want to carry a regular notebook again.
JT
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)
I have exactly the same problem.
jazz1 said:
My heart says (buy) now, my brain says (should have bought) yesterday, my spouse says no
I have exactly the same problem.
To me this just says that Apple need to scrap the Macbook range.
Then make the Air the base model - lets face it the aluminium body means they can get rid of the polycarbonate Macbooks once and for all, Then theres the fact also that the prices are very similar too.
Once they do that they need to make the Macbook Pro model just that, a "PRO" model again.
Include 2.5" SSDs by default (note the plural as they can scrap the Superdrive and just use the Airs USB version on it).
HD screens as standard.
Keep the optical (toslink) connectors and also all the Firewire and SD card slots as current but give it something to make it REALLY stand out from the crowd.
Because the way it is at the moment the Macbook and Macbook Pro models are not that huge a difference and now the Air is even catching up.
Just an idea.
Then make the Air the base model - lets face it the aluminium body means they can get rid of the polycarbonate Macbooks once and for all, Then theres the fact also that the prices are very similar too.
Once they do that they need to make the Macbook Pro model just that, a "PRO" model again.
Include 2.5" SSDs by default (note the plural as they can scrap the Superdrive and just use the Airs USB version on it).
HD screens as standard.
Keep the optical (toslink) connectors and also all the Firewire and SD card slots as current but give it something to make it REALLY stand out from the crowd.
Because the way it is at the moment the Macbook and Macbook Pro models are not that huge a difference and now the Air is even catching up.
Just an idea.
Get a sandforce drive, they have built in garbage collection and hardly degrade over time. I got a good deal on an OCZ vertex 2 (<200 shipped for 120gb) and the difference is huge on my 13" MBP2010. I went with "only" 120 because of cost but haven't regretted the decision. As flash storage gets cheaper I might upgrade again down the road.
Personally, I'd be overjoyed if they could add a docking station option back in just so it could catch back up to the crowd.
SSD Is the difference, swaped mine out and I see it
I just ordered the maxed out 13.3 with 4gig ram, 256 SSD and largest processor. Sure it will be speedy. But the reason I'm writing...
I currently own a 2 year old Macbook air 1.6 that I got with the 64 SSD (original). Prone to overheating, but otherwise was pretty fast due to the SSD. (Comparison: At work I have an i7 iMac 27inch (not maxed out, but almost) and I've got an Ipad too. i7 iMac was faster, but my two year old MBA still felt good in comparison.
But the storage was too small. 64 gig SSD is really like 55 when formatted. So I swapped in a larger HDD (uses same drive as iPods) recently. The speed decline is shocking and palpable. You can REALLY notice the difference...
P.S. For those that have not spent a lot of time on one - the 13 inch is a real stand alone computer for someone that uses nothing else. Screen, specs and full sized keyboard insure that. 11 inch is great to behold, not sure on usability for me (and my eyes).
I just ordered the maxed out 13.3 with 4gig ram, 256 SSD and largest processor. Sure it will be speedy. But the reason I'm writing...
I currently own a 2 year old Macbook air 1.6 that I got with the 64 SSD (original). Prone to overheating, but otherwise was pretty fast due to the SSD. (Comparison: At work I have an i7 iMac 27inch (not maxed out, but almost) and I've got an Ipad too. i7 iMac was faster, but my two year old MBA still felt good in comparison.
But the storage was too small. 64 gig SSD is really like 55 when formatted. So I swapped in a larger HDD (uses same drive as iPods) recently. The speed decline is shocking and palpable. You can REALLY notice the difference...
P.S. For those that have not spent a lot of time on one - the 13 inch is a real stand alone computer for someone that uses nothing else. Screen, specs and full sized keyboard insure that. 11 inch is great to behold, not sure on usability for me (and my eyes).
Yes, but then I'm typing on a MBA in my lap right now and I have to tell you it is much more comfortable to use. Full size keyboard, nice screen, big weight reduction. Don't want a Pro myself. But important point for me is the MBA 13 inch is a real, full machine, not an ipad, a netbook or some computer you use in conjunction with your main machine. (I have an iMac i7 27incher on my desk, but I'm just as happy to use this and take it with me everywhere.)
11 inch? Beautiful, but won't work for more eyes or basic office tasks as I just don't have enough screen real estate
Wait as it will only get cheaper then and the video processor will also hopefully improve. I'd recommend the Air to anyone except gamers or people that can afford to wait (for cheaper SSDs and newer intel processors).
Nice one. I ordered a maxed out 13" air yesterday, so am pleased to see it has decent benchmarks. I'll be doing mostly web and email, but also some light photoshopping and coding.
Can't wait to get it!
Scottie
Can't wait to get it!
Scottie
There are higher costs, plus hedging fx to a certain extent too, but we're talking 11-12% here which is pretty painful. I suppose Apple have to pay for that expensive Covent Garden real estate somehow
Cheers,
jahman
Standard formula is US$ - UK£ exchange rate
PLUS 6.5% IMPORT DUTY
PLUS 17.5% VAT ( ON converted Price AND DUTY !)
Plus 7% For bank fees and currency hedging
TO give retail price in UK plus a little marketing round up to nearest £--9 price mark
ALSO UK RETAIL SALES PRICES BY LAW must be advertised inclusive of VAT
I walked into the local Apple store last night and bought the "ultimate" 11" model and I must say.. it's anything but slow. I'm coming from a Merom 2.4ghz MBP 15".
Through out the night I've been running VMware, all sorts of crazy apps at the same time, web browsing, etc and I haven't noticed any slowness at all. So far I'm a happy camper!
Through out the night I've been running VMware, all sorts of crazy apps at the same time, web browsing, etc and I haven't noticed any slowness at all. So far I'm a happy camper!
This is not true. I emailed Steve Jobs about this and he even confirmed that the stores will in fact carry maxed out 11" and 13". His confirmation was further backed up today when I walked into my local Apple store and bought a maxed out 11".
Yeah this issue seems to be resolved on the new ones. The reviews and commentary emerging from the likes of Anandtech and Techcrunch suggest the SSD, GPU and CPU have all been optimized.
I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just go buy an SSD and don't beat the hell out of it with endless disk stress tests and benchmarks. The speed will be fantastic.
I have a Corsair [something] 256gb in my i7 15" MBP. Blazing, blazing, blazing fast.
I think it has garbage collection. But I don't really care. I've been using it for a few months, all is perfectly fine. I have no idea what the benchmarks are for it, but I do know if feels perfectly, deliciously, blazing fast, just like the day I installed it. If for some reason it starts feeling not that way, I'll clone, refresh, and reinstall. No big deal.
Hey guys,
I know everyone says not to get the Air if we wanna game, but you see, the thing is, I travel a lot. I need a computer like an Air for the lightweight portability. But I also need to unwind during my downtime, and to do that, I like to play games. Eve Online, if it's possible to get online, or SC2 if not. Thus, I really need to know if the new Airs can cut the mustard with these 2 games, or which one would be able to... I suspect there are many other like me who want to know as well.
Of course we know it's best to be gaming on an iMac, or even a Windows setup in the first place, but there's no way these things have the portability that we need.
Could we compromise and go 15" or 17"? Maybe, but that would increase our travelling weight, only for the purpose of being able to play a few games a little better. That compromise is not acceptable. If you travel for business and have to lug your laptop everywhere, you'll understand what I mean.
So, anyone got specs or recommendations on how Eve Online and SC2 play on the new Airs?
I know everyone says not to get the Air if we wanna game, but you see, the thing is, I travel a lot. I need a computer like an Air for the lightweight portability. But I also need to unwind during my downtime, and to do that, I like to play games. Eve Online, if it's possible to get online, or SC2 if not. Thus, I really need to know if the new Airs can cut the mustard with these 2 games, or which one would be able to... I suspect there are many other like me who want to know as well.
Of course we know it's best to be gaming on an iMac, or even a Windows setup in the first place, but there's no way these things have the portability that we need.
Could we compromise and go 15" or 17"? Maybe, but that would increase our travelling weight, only for the purpose of being able to play a few games a little better. That compromise is not acceptable. If you travel for business and have to lug your laptop everywhere, you'll understand what I mean.
So, anyone got specs or recommendations on how Eve Online and SC2 play on the new Airs?