MacBook Airs Trickling In, Apple Stores, SSD

[AidenShaw]

You paid the "black macbook tax" and you critique the MBA on the basis that "its just cosmetics".

White plastic is just incredibly tacky looking - the BlackBook is the only reasonable one. "Just cosmetic" doesn't apply - you aren't choosing between a good looking laptop and a better looking one, you're choosing between a reasonable laptop and one that looks like a child's toy.

Now, if only Apple would get rid of the tacky white plastic power bricks, dongles, cords and other accessories. How embarrassing to plug a white plastic USB cord into an Ipod Touch - it's like fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror of your A8 .

 

[foodcoma]

macbook air

I've been reading news and forums on this website for quite a while now and this is my first post. Not to make this sound like a "pc anonymous" post, but I have been a long time PC user and I am now seriously considering getting an apple - a macbook air (probably the 1.8/ssd). So, i suppose I am apple's target market.

I have looked at other apple lineups but none of them interest me, except for the MBA. The only issue I have is that I wished they provided an option for a slightly larger ssd, but I suppose 64gb is sufficient for me - I'm only using about 10gb right now (majority are documents and the rest are photos/music).

So, why am I thinking about switching? Well, because the MBA looks good, it's light, it's thin, and from a technical standpoint, it offers pretty much everything that I would ever need (even for an only computer). I know many other colleagues and friends who are looking forward to getting one for the same reasons as mine, but they would probably never go online and post on a forum about it.

Also, there are plenty of us out there who don't need the kind of horsepower that many designers, architects, programmers, media folks, etc. need. The only applications I ever use on my laptop are office and the browser. Apple has yet created another niche through its release of MBA and I think it's great! It fulfills my needs, and many others like me.

 

[queshy]

I've been reading news and forums on this website for quite a while now and this is my first post. Not to make this sound like a "pc anonymous" post, but I have been a long time PC user and I am now seriously considering getting an apple - a macbook air (probably the 1.8/ssd). So, i suppose I am apple's target market.

I have looked at other apple lineups but none of them interest me, except for the MBA. The only issue I have is that I wished they provided an option for a slightly larger ssd, but I suppose 64gb is sufficient for me - I'm only using about 10gb right now (majority are documents and the rest are photos/music).

So, why am I thinking about switching? Well, because the MBA looks good, it's light, it's thin, and from a technical standpoint, it offers pretty much everything that I would ever need (even for an only computer). I know many other colleagues and friends who are looking forward to getting one for the same reasons as mine, but they would probably never go online and post on a forum about it.

Also, there are plenty of us out there who don't need the kind of horsepower that many designers, architects, programmers, media folks, etc. need. The only applications I ever use on my laptop are office and the browser. Apple has yet created another niche through its release of MBA and I think it's great! It fulfills my needs, and many others like me.

Welcome to the forums!

The MBA certainly is a niche product but I think it's going to do very, very well. Their marketing strategy is incredible, as well. I have a 100% functional perfect macbook pro, yet I want the MBA!

 

[John.B]

White plastic is just incredibly tacky looking - the BlackBook is the only reasonable one. "Just cosmetic" doesn't apply - you aren't choosing between a good looking laptop and a better looking one, you're choosing between a reasonable laptop and one that looks like a child's toy.

On one hand I don't disagree with you. On the other hand, you can see how someone else could conceivably make that same value judgment: Between what they might consider to be an "incredibly tacky looking" black Macbook vs. the sexy-looking aluminum MBA?

Honestly, what has the world come to when even Macheads don't get the value of aesthetics?

 

[latestmonkey]

Well after reading through this thread, I've learned very little about the MBA and whether it's in the store near me. However, i have learned that Clive at Five is a moron who thinks product development should revolve around him. He's a focus group of one. And if you don't agree, you're getting robbed by Apple. But hey, he's fiscally smart and not a wimp...

 

[AidenShaw]

Honestly, what has the world come to when even Macheads don't get the value of aesthetics?

De gustibus non est disputandum

You like what you like, I like what I like.

I can't stand white plastic...

I also think that the MacBook Cube Air sacrifices too much practicality in order to be thin. If it were a few mm thicker, and had a normal complement of ports, and a larger hard drive, and a user-swappable battery, and a narrower bezel around the screen so that the footprint wasn't so huge - it could be interesting.

As it is, it's a big, flat laptop without enough battery runtime to be considered.... "Beautiful" and "Useless" don't get the cash to come out of my wallet.

 

[Tosser]

Well after reading through this thread, I've learned very little about the MBA and whether it's in the store near me. However, i have learned that Clive at Five is a moron who thinks product development should revolve around him. He's a focus group of one. And if you don't agree, you're getting robbed by Apple. But hey, he's fiscally smart and not a wimp...

You should have read the deleted posts. Both his and the ones from other people.

 

[zlinger]

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.

You have raised some interesting points, and I seriously pondered about whether to go for a MB or MBA for an hour last night at the Best Buy store. In the end, MBA won... even without trying the MBA. I selected the MBA with 1.8Ghz 80GB option (until SSD prices drop) to future proof it a bit. Sure the specs are not the same... but I have a main computer at home anyway (Mac Mini), and I'm no longer in the school of thought about the one size computer fits all. Without benchmarking the two in person, from what I have read the specs are not really that bad (depending on your needs though). Yes, SSD is the way to go... and I don't mind paying the CPU premium now and a drive upgrade later. With the MB demo last night, concern about ergonomics and plastic construction of the MB is a deal breaker for me, and solidifies my decision to go for the MBA.

I found the MB case is kind of sharp on the edge of the keyboard and it digs into your palms (that reminded me of my MBP that I sold). The bezel seems quite large and stands out in black plastic. The screen was kind of dull. The fingerprints, wear marks, scratches, smears that it left were a complete turn off. And the weight was too heavy for what I would expect in a portable at 13".

In the end, I'm willing to trade-off some performance, for a 3 lb. aluminum case, internal battery, and slower processor (relative to the use). You pay for design, ergonomics, style, and quality.. this is not just cosmetics.

 

[G4DP]

There seems to be some really sad people posting in this thread. THere are those who explain their point of and reasons for not buying - as you would expect in a forum. There are those who admit it's a very nice machine and actually need it for practical reasons.

Then you have the sad fanboys who think the sun shines out of Steve Jobs backside and that Apple can do nothing wrong, any one who has a different opinion to them is a waste of space.

At least it makes it easier to tell who actually uses there Macs for work and not just the latest fashion accessory.

I, like many others, think it looks great, the price is a little high but not as bad as other Apple products but it's not practical for what I do as a career. So I wont be purchasing one unless I win the lottery.

 

[John.B]

De gustibus non est disputandum

You like what you like, I like what I like.

I can't stand white plastic...

I also think that the MacBook Cube Air sacrifices too much practicality in order to be thin. If it were a few mm thicker, and had a normal complement of ports, and a larger hard drive, and a user-swappable battery, and a narrower bezel around the screen so that the footprint wasn't so huge - it could be interesting.

As it is, it's a big, flat laptop without enough battery runtime to be considered.... "Beautiful" and "Useless" don't get the cash to come out of my wallet.

I certainly didn't mean to cause a dust-up over the white vs. black macbooks.

I'm only saying someone else may see the beauty or utility in the MBA that you may not. That its not useful to you is good enough reason for me if you don't want to buy one.

FWIW, as a Logic user I'm as disappointed at the lack of a FW port as anyone. That doesn't mean it doesn't have value, just that it doesn't suit my needs today.

 

[Clive At Five]

Well, I hate to bust your bubble but personally I think the Macbook is for kids. [...] That's awesome that Apple sucked you in an took your cash on that toy.

Good thing I didn't, nor have I ever, purchased a MacBook. I would personally only buy an MBP, b/c, yes, I would use the graphics card, as crappy as it is

Actually they would not. The Cube was hardly upgradable[wrong]. It had on-board graphics [wrong], no way to switch out the hard drive [wrong], no way boards to it [what?] and no way to swap out or add another optical drive [wrong]. The G4 Cube was was worse than the Mac mini whereas it was crazy expensive and you had to still buy your own wireless card.

The only part of that sentence you got right was that the Cube was expensive. Otherwise, yes, you can EASILY swap out the GPU, RAM, Optical Drive, HDD (though there was an internal limit of 120GB or something, which had something to do with the hardware at the time, not just the Cube. Luckily, there's a software hack out for it so that problem is not really concern. The Cube's only problem was that it was waaaaay overpriced, and that it was just a *little* too small. It prevented some of the upgrade cards from not fitting correctly and subsequently, required a bit of a hardware hack to get it to fit.

Anyway, yes. I maintain my belief that an upgradeable tower would sell like hotcakes.

-Clive

 

[salvatorereda]

down with the boxes

you should be able to return the boxes back to mac after purchase for them to be reused again. (refurbished units)

save paper and the environment

take your macbook and macbook air home in a timbuk tu bag! (that would be free with the purchase of the computer)

good idea huh!

 

[foodcoma]

Welcome to the forums!

The MBA certainly is a niche product but I think it's going to do very, very well. Their marketing strategy is incredible, as well. I have a 100% functional perfect macbook pro, yet I want the MBA!

Thanks! I, too, think that it will do well.

 

[Mac In School]

MacBook Air First Impressions

 

[Koolio27]

I stopped at the Cambridge, MA Apple Store during lunch and they had 3 MBAs on display...they were also already sold out. No SSD versions on display but the woman did say they will eventually get an SSD display model sometime in the near future.

It definitely is sweet but it's not for me. Oh, and I don't mind the black keyboard - it looks better in-person than in pics.

 

[milo]

Actually they would not. The Cube was hardly upgradable. It had on-board graphics, no way to switch out the hard drive, no way boards to it and no way to swap out or add another optical drive. The G4 Cube was was worse than the Mac mini whereas it was crazy expensive and you had to still buy your own wireless card.

The reason the mini sells because it's cheap.

People don't want Cube 2, they want a mid tower. A cheap, basic machine with no money wasted on unnecessary design frills or miniaturization.

You should have read the deleted posts. Both his and the ones from other people.

Posts were deleted? I guess not nearly enough...

There seems to be some really sad people posting in this thread. THere are those who explain their point of and reasons for not buying - as you would expect in a forum. There are those who admit it's a very nice machine and actually need it for practical reasons.

Then you have the sad fanboys who think the sun shines out of Steve Jobs backside and that Apple can do nothing wrong, any one who has a different opinion to them is a waste of space.

So you see people who blindly praise apple, but fail to see those who blindly bash apple? Gives your own post a bit of a fanboy slant...
But I do agree there are some sad people posting in this thread.

 

[Clive At Five]

Well after reading through this thread, I've learned very little about the MBA and whether it's in the store near me. However, i have learned that Clive at Five is a moron who thinks product development should revolve around him. He's a focus group of one. And if you don't agree, you're getting robbed by Apple. But hey, he's fiscally smart and not a wimp...

Thank you for finding me to be a moron.

Now really, am I actually a moron? I've stated my opinion clearly and logically several times, but never in a matter that was "moronic." Maybe I'm persistent, but that's just because I like to have the last word. Hardly makes me a moron, so much as stubborn.

As for the facts, comparatively, the MacBook is a very sleek small machine with a lot of power, which bests 90% of the laptop market to begin with. This is a fact. Actually the most common complaints about the MacBook are regarding "the cheap white plastic" -- never that it's too slow or too heavy or too thick. Yet Apple decided to sacrifice so much for such small improvements.

That's all I'm saying. I'm not calling people idiots for buying it. I'm not calling Apple stupid for designing it, because I know there are people who will buy it, whether they actually need it or not. It just doesn't seem to represent a wise monetary choice - "to me" - and I'm shocked at how many people consider the MBA to represent a good cost-value.

And no, I don't think Apple should cater their product line to "me." Look at all desktops. 90% (or maybe even more) of them sold are mid-towers. Whether people actually need a tower or not, they (like the MBA) think they do, which is what is important. People buy what they think they need. Just as so many people here think they need an MBA, I think I need a mid-tower; as do 90% of people who buy desktops, apparently. To me, an MBA seems like a stupid idea, just as to you an xMac would be. Statistics show, however, that the mid-tower market is huge (unlike the UPMC market) and Apple can (and should) tap in to that. This much I know is true, as per the conversations on these forums and amongst my predominantly PC-using friends: there are people who want the simplicity of OS X AND a hardware configuration they think fits them. They haven't found it yet, which leads me to believe there's something missing from Apple's product lineup.

-Clive

 

[milo]

Thank you for finding me to be a moron.

Now really, am I actually a moron? I've stated my opinion clearly and logically several times, but never in a matter that was "moronic."

You think your opinion is clear and logical, are you really the best judge of that?

I'm sure most morons don't consider themselves to be morons.

If "moron" rubs you the wrong way, would you prefer "tiresome hypocrite"?

I assume "moron" isn't being applied to your opinion of the machine...just your insistence that your opinion is the only one that matters.

I'm not calling people idiots for buying it.

You're saying they lack "common fiscal sense"...sure sounds like you're calling people idiots.

 

[Clive At Five]

You think your opinion is clear and logical, are you really the best judge of that?

I'm sure most morons don't consider themselves to be morons.

I am wise enough to know I am not wise. That's all I can say for myself.

...but do you, honestly, not think my opinions, especially those in Post #142, were not stated in a clear and logical manner? I don't know how much clearer I can be about my opinions. I've explained my reasoning several times and each time instead of replying maturely to my arguments, you just say "You're an idiot. You don't get it. What a moron. He thinks Apple's computer lineup should revolve around him."

Are you not capable of retaliating to the CONTENT of my posts rather than perpetuating a childish name-calling war? Trust me, by fighting back with things like "morons wouldn't think of themselves as morons" it just goes to prove that you aren't capable to responding to the issues I've raised in my posts, nor has anyone even tried. They automatically jump for the kill. Real mature.

And I'm the moron.

Yes my opinions are "controversial," and I'll be the very first to admit that I see things differently than you and as I tried to highlight in my post above is that the MBA doesn't make sense - "to me." I specifically highlighted those words to clarify that it is my OPINION. I've then gone on to explain what isn't computing for me regarding the desirability of this machine... Yet no one cares to discuss the issue, I'm just labeled as wrong and stupid and a whiner.

If "moron" rubs you the wrong way, would you prefer "tiresome hypocrite"?

I assume "moron" isn't being applied to your opinion of the machine...just your insistence that your opinion is the only one that matters.

No, I'm raising a point of discussion, to which no one has cared to respond in a mature way. Again, you jump in for the kill, fabricating the idea that I am imperialistic about my opinion and that all those who disagree should burn in hell. Are you capable of responding to the points I've raised without being snarky and rude? You haven't proven so yet...

You're saying they lack "common fiscal sense"...sure sounds like you're calling people idiots.

You are taking that quote way beyond where I ever meant to take it. It was said in the very beginning of this thread when I was basically asked to justify my opinion, which I did, trying to say it in a light-hearted manner. Obviously people took it to heart, and I've subsequently spent the last 60 posts trying to clarify what my point was in a serious way, yet no one chooses to listen or even read, again, the CONTENT of what I am saying. They won't take it as a point of discussion, they just jump to the conclusion that I am a nay-saying idiot.

Honestly. I've never met a less-mature group of individuals.

It's called a discussion board because you discuss things, not beat of people who have a conflicting opinion of something. "Oh, he sees things differently! Let's bash him until he shuts up, regardless of whether or not he's actually bringing up some good points!"

Please, I honestly want to discuss these things, which is why I brought them up. So I will give you one last chance to prove to me that you are not just a bunch of children:

1) Is the MacBook seriously too large? ...enough so to justify a smaller laptop, one that sacrifices so much and ends up costing more than its sibling?

2) Is the MacBook Air a suitable replacement for the 12"PB, many of whose fans were wishing the MBA had a smaller footprint while maintaining most of the features of the MacBook Pro line (i.e. SuperDrive, GPU, etc.)?

3) Relating to #2, do you think Apple does a good job of listening to its customers wants and needs?

4) Relating to #3 (but unrelated to this thread), do you think there is a performance gap between the iMac and the MacPro, and if so, do you think it should be filled? By a bigger iMac? By a headless mid-tower, a.k.a. "xMac"? Do you think people would buy it?

These are the topics I've been trying to raise, all of which have been "answered" with immature slams and the like. I really am curious as to people's opinions on these issues, so please attempt to respond to these points in a civilized manner... or heaven help me, I will literally go insane.

-Clive

 

[Clive At Five]

2) Is the MacBook Air a suitable replacement for the 12"PB, many of whose fans were wishing the MBA had a smaller footprint while maintaining most of the features of the MacBook Pro line (i.e. SuperDrive, GPU, etc.)?

Just as a discussion point regarding #2, I want to post this link as a source for 12"PB comparison, specifically, that the beloved notebook was 4.6 lbs (almost the same as today's 5-lb MacBook), had a GPU, and cost less than the MBA. The SuperDrive model matched today's MBA price at $1800.

Due to its striking similarities to today's high-end MacBook, it seems as though the major distinguishing factor between the 12"PB of yore and the MB is the smaller footprint and presence of a GPU.

Would it not, then, make sense that a suitable 12"PB replacement embody these two things: smaller footprint & graphics performance? The omission of the optical drive is probably excusable since most people have flash drives with decent capacity, although the lack of an optical drive forces the owner to have possession of either a host PC or a specialized tethered SuperDrive (which, due to the MBA's sole franken-USB port is an over-priced uni-tasker [by which I mean it cannot be used with other computers]).

So in terms of giving 12"PB owners a replacement, I think Apple dropped the ball. As for developing a product that will work well in its own niche, of course they succeeded... but the question remains of whether or not Apple is listening to the requests of their customers/fans. With all the clamoring for a suitable 12"PB replacement that was taking place before the MBA's announcement, it seems not.

Another question remains is whether or not 12"PB fans will actually find the MBA to be better than what they thought a 12"PB replacement would've been. I can see some people having this opinion.

Thoughts?

-Clive

 

[foodcoma]

1) Is the MacBook seriously too large? ...enough so to justify a smaller laptop, one that sacrifices so much and ends up costing more than its sibling?

It's not too large for me, but it's certainly too heavy. I travel a lot, most of which are international flights. Even when I'm not traveling, I do carry my laptop with me most of the time. Some may say that the difference of 2 lbs is immaterial, but that's relative. 2 lbs make a world of a difference when you are on the move as much as I am. Also, I prefer thinner laptops but that's just my personal preference.

2) Is the MacBook Air a suitable replacement for the 12"PB, many of whose fans were wishing the MBA had a smaller footprint while maintaining most of the features of the MacBook Pro line (i.e. SuperDrive, GPU, etc.)?

Can't really comment on the comparison between macbook air and pb. However, the footprint of the MBA is good for me - I like the 13 inch screen but I do agree with some of the posters saying that apple could perhaps have made the MBA a little narrower while keeping the current screen size. The "features" of the MBA (i.e. 1 usb port, etc.), or lack thereof, suits me fine. I do realize that this is not the case for many other people.

3) Relating to #2, do you think Apple does a good job of listening to its customers wants and needs?

No idea but the MBA made me switch over from the PC world (the last time I used a Mac was more than 15 years ago). This is envisaged to be my sole computer as I don't really need a lot of hard disk space or processing power.

4) Relating to #3 (but unrelated to this thread), do you think there is a performance gap between the iMac and the MacPro, and if so, do you think it should be filled? By a bigger iMac? By a headless mid-tower, a.k.a. "xMac"? Do you think people would buy it?

No comment - I'm hardly in a position to answer this.

 

[Lord Sam]

Mine has arrived! Oh YEAH! It is one of the coolest machines I have ever used.

 

[jnc]

White plastic is just incredibly tacky looking - the BlackBook is the only reasonable one. "Just cosmetic" doesn't apply - you aren't choosing between a good looking laptop and a better looking one, you're choosing between a reasonable laptop and one that looks like a child's toy.

Now, if only Apple would get rid of the tacky white plastic power bricks, dongles, cords and other accessories. How embarrassing to plug a white plastic USB cord into an Ipod Touch - it's like fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror of your A8 .

I didn't see "imho" anywhere in that post. Yet I should have, about ten times.

 

[Lord Sam]

No SSD on mine tho. $650? No way