The reason you don't hear from microsoft fanboys is because they are too busy getting work done...
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MacBook Airs Trickling In, Apple Stores, SSD
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The reason you don't hear from microsoft fanboys is because they are too busy getting work done...
The reason you don't hear from microsoft fanboys is because they are too busy getting work done...
lol
When I switched over to Mac's a few years back, it was amazing out how much work I actually got done as I wasn't screwin' around with the OS trying to make it work right. And the 18 hour days seem to go by a little quicker when you enjoy the OS.
On Windows, I always felt like I wasn't productive enough. Spent most of my time in a putty session on linux boxen 2 feet away.
Essentially, Mac's make me work more! Darn you Apple!
Cool. It will definantly be good for switchers. But some won't find it. I've watched them, and they are pretty useless for long time users. But again, switchers will find them very useful. Unfortunatly, it's only for Leopard.
Couldn't I just upgrade my macbook from a HDD to a SDD?
As cool as the Macbook Air is, it's just cosmetics. I have a black macbook (aka, a "blackbook"), and all I have to do is upgrade the HDD to a SSD, and POOF! I have a laptop with better specs than the Air and with more connectivity (sorry, but it is necessary to have at least 2 USB ports). I'll say that it is the most gorgeous laptop I have ever seen, but we really are paying more money for less computer. Buy a Macbook, and upgrade to a SSD when the price of flash falls, and when the next version of Mac OS comes out. This can probably all be done for less than $600 in less than a year.
I just can't justify this laptop. For $1800, you're getting a HDD put into a computer that's really built for SSD. How so? LOOK AT IT! I'm not convinced that this "Air" can dissipate the heat that can come out of a HDD.
The only way to REALLY reap the benefit of this laptop is to buy the $3000 setup for that 64GB SSD, and that price is more than what people are willing to pay for.
I'm gonna wait till the next Mac OS comes out, and upgrade to that AND a SSD in one swoop, and I'll just do this on my blackbook. I just purchased 2 macbooks (one white, one black...same specs), an 8GB nano, a 16GB iPod Touch and 2 iPhones within the passed 5 months. I've paid my dues already, so now I can sit back and wait for the upgrades to roll in.
As cool as the Macbook Air is, it's just cosmetics. I have a black macbook (aka, a "blackbook"), and all I have to do is upgrade the HDD to a SSD, and POOF! I have a laptop with better specs than the Air and with more connectivity (sorry, but it is necessary to have at least 2 USB ports). I'll say that it is the most gorgeous laptop I have ever seen, but we really are paying more money for less computer. Buy a Macbook, and upgrade to a SSD when the price of flash falls, and when the next version of Mac OS comes out. This can probably all be done for less than $600 in less than a year.
I just can't justify this laptop. For $1800, you're getting a HDD put into a computer that's really built for SSD. How so? LOOK AT IT! I'm not convinced that this "Air" can dissipate the heat that can come out of a HDD.
The only way to REALLY reap the benefit of this laptop is to buy the $3000 setup for that 64GB SSD, and that price is more than what people are willing to pay for.
I'm gonna wait till the next Mac OS comes out, and upgrade to that AND a SSD in one swoop, and I'll just do this on my blackbook. I just purchased 2 macbooks (one white, one black...same specs), an 8GB nano, a 16GB iPod Touch and 2 iPhones within the passed 5 months. I've paid my dues already, so now I can sit back and wait for the upgrades to roll in.
If you do not value a decrease in weight and thickness then no, the Macbook Air probably isn't for you. Not every computer is designed to be right for everyone. That is why there are multiple models. The Macbook didn't go away. The Macbook Pro didn't go away. Heck, we still even have the mini around.
I thought about the air briefly then I pulled the trigger on a BlackBook today which will be my portable. I love my MBP but it's too big for travel and although I find the MacBook Air interesting, it's just not what I'm looking for in an ultra-portable.
I pretty much agree with rso81, the Macbook Air is a very cool looking computer and it many ways is a cool computer. Just seems like they went to far with cutting out stuff for thinness to me. The lack of ports is the big one to me. I don't base my opinion of a computer on its price really either, it just seems totally impractical for most people. This is a hey look what I got computer for sure, which is fine if you can afford to waste money on that sort of thing.
A letter to all my adoring fans:
Calling me "poor" and "brawny" and "burly" are very inefficient ways of making your point. Oh and could you dish out any more hyperbole with the "Buy a desktop and bolt a display to it, attach it to a battery pack and carry that around" comments? Because I think it could've used a little more exaggeration. -- Seriously, can we at least try to be a little more mature?
Here's my point. (I'm not saying my word this is the end-all-be-all on the MBA, either, I'm just saying): The MBA seems like a fiscally poor choice compared to its very-slightly-larger sibling, the MacBook. Sure you can say the MBA is half as thick, and 40% lighter, but realistically, the MacBook is already one of the most petite notebooks on the market and it packs a powerful punch. At 1" thick and 5lbs, it's already besting 90% of the notebook market at performance AND size... and the price (while it's not the lowest) ain't bad either. For what you get, the MacBook is a really damn good deal. When comparing it to another laptop, even the sexy and sleek MBA, it's hard to knock it off its throne.
Oh and since you asked, I'm not shopping for a laptop. I want a desktop, but I need more than an iMac can offer, but could never use eight cores of server-class CPU power. Since they're such bed-buddies now, you'd think Jobs would know that Intel makes DESKTOP-class processors too. Not just mobile CPUs and super-pro orgasm CPUs.
-Clive
Calling me "poor" and "brawny" and "burly" are very inefficient ways of making your point. Oh and could you dish out any more hyperbole with the "Buy a desktop and bolt a display to it, attach it to a battery pack and carry that around" comments? Because I think it could've used a little more exaggeration. -- Seriously, can we at least try to be a little more mature?
Here's my point. (I'm not saying my word this is the end-all-be-all on the MBA, either, I'm just saying): The MBA seems like a fiscally poor choice compared to its very-slightly-larger sibling, the MacBook. Sure you can say the MBA is half as thick, and 40% lighter, but realistically, the MacBook is already one of the most petite notebooks on the market and it packs a powerful punch. At 1" thick and 5lbs, it's already besting 90% of the notebook market at performance AND size... and the price (while it's not the lowest) ain't bad either. For what you get, the MacBook is a really damn good deal. When comparing it to another laptop, even the sexy and sleek MBA, it's hard to knock it off its throne.
Oh and since you asked, I'm not shopping for a laptop. I want a desktop, but I need more than an iMac can offer, but could never use eight cores of server-class CPU power. Since they're such bed-buddies now, you'd think Jobs would know that Intel makes DESKTOP-class processors too. Not just mobile CPUs and super-pro orgasm CPUs.
-Clive
That's probably the best way to say it. Everyone's fiscal capabilities and concerns are different. You can't blanket everyone with one opinion.
those MBA look sick. Can't wait to play with one. I wish they could run FCS then i would be ordering one ASAP!
For traveling etc. its a very sexy machine. Just hope TSA doesn't mess it up
For traveling etc. its a very sexy machine. Just hope TSA doesn't mess it up
And the point that you miss is that the goal of the MBA isn't to be the most fiscal choice. It's to be the most portable. Some people are willing to pay extra for that portability. Obviously you are not one of them, but that doesn't mean those people don't exist. Is that so hard to understand?
And it's hypocritical to whine that people aren't being "mature" in their responses when you set the tone with terms like "brain-washed RDF victims".
From that argument ALL laptops are overpriced since they reduce performance and increase price compared to desktops.
I love how every thread about the MBA becomes a petty "MBA sucks because..." thread. Yes, the MBA has it's cons, but it also has its pros. And the people that are purchasing it are those that believe that the pros outweigh the cons. Nobody is holding a gun to their heads, and I am sure they are all capable of making a well informed decision on their own (and lets face it, with an $1800 USD price tag, people are more likely to find out all they can about the computer first). It's nobody's "job" to convince them otherwise. Yes, you have an opinion. So does everybody else. State it, move on, and stop arguing the point.
On topic: I still can't believe how thin the MBA is. I wonder if the Apple authorized retailers (still thinks Apple should open up a store or two in Western Canada) would have any on display...
On topic: I still can't believe how thin the MBA is. I wonder if the Apple authorized retailers (still thinks Apple should open up a store or two in Western Canada) would have any on display...
So is making a comment that directly implies that people who like the Air lack financial sense and are wimps.
Pot, meet Kettle.
Of course I know desktops are better price vs performance than laptops. But desktops aren't portable. Even among laptops, it does not compare price vs performance (and even vs size). Sure it's small, but the MacBook is one of the smallest out there already.
-Clive
Probably securing it with something in the USB slot. Also last store I went to I was looking at a MacBook and the alarm went off when I messed with the Magsafe connector, ie I want to see how it worked and unhooked it and set off the alarm. They asked me not to do that anymore. My reply was how am I suppose to evaluate the thing if I cant check out everything.
Rj
MBA's are so cool. I would have gotten one but 80GB isn't nearly enough space for a computer. Plus, 1G tend to have something wrong with them...
Except the iPod Touch tee hee
Except the iPod Touch
tee hee
Okay, A, I stand behind the "financial sense" statement using paragraph 3 of post 61 as my reasoning. Did you read the whole post?
And, B, people KEEP ON USING the "MBA is almost HALF THE WEIGHT of the MB! and HALF AS THICK!!!1!1!!" argument. I'm saying that such a weight reduction is of little relevance when the item in question is as small as it is already.
Take a piece of bread. Pick it up. Is it easy to tote? Slice it in half and pick up one of the halves. It now weighs half as much. Is it twice as easy to tote? Scientifically speaking, yes, it takes half as much energy to move it from place to place, but we're talking about Joules here... fractions of Joules.
Same goes for the MacBook. It's five pounds. That's less than my cat. Anyone complaining that 5lbs is too heavy either has severe, severe back problems (for which I sympathize) or is a wimp. Sorry, there's no other way to slice it... no pun intended.
I'm not being immature or attacking people, I'm stating what I think is a reasonable argument. Calling someone a wimp isn't an attack when it's true. And wimps do exist. Same thing with being fiscally wise. There are a lot of people out there who just blow away their money on The Next Big Thing, somtimes even when there are bills and mortgages to pay. I'm not making this up. It does happen.
If you have money to throw away, then yes by all means, buy an MBA, but it does not represent a good value when compared to the alternatives, namely the MacBook. You'll have a hard time convincing me that you NEED an MBA. This makes it a toy. A glamour-piece. A Cube 2.0. A status icon... all these things, but not a cost-effective computer... ever.
-Clive
The stores around here don't have them yet.
I'll pondered and reasoned... acknowledged the negatives... but the truth is, even if it's crap, I want one! I just have to decide which one.
I'll be out of town for a week. Maybe while I'm away some anti-mugger will stuff a thousand bucks in my pocket, and the decision will be made.
I'll pondered and reasoned... acknowledged the negatives... but the truth is, even if it's crap, I want one! I just have to decide which one.
I'll be out of town for a week. Maybe while I'm away some anti-mugger will stuff a thousand bucks in my pocket, and the decision will be made.