My 2011 MacBook Air goes back to Apple tomorrow.

[tom vilsack]

[*]The lack of restore media in box does bother me. It really does. Because quite honestly it costs Apple pennies to include.

im with you on this one...

-yes i know we can redownload os using recovery partition...but not all of us have blazing fast internet...(would take me 5+ hrs)...and if somewhere without internet connection (cabin ect)...well sol
-as of right now,can't even dl retail lion and make dvd or usb as mba uses a newer version of lion...thus retail lion... as of now,wont work.
-just feels not right,when i can buy a cheapo acer netbook and make recovery dvd's and yet $$$$ mba won't even give me this option

mainly for this reason...im holding off purchase until mid aug,when ill be able to buy for $69 (errrr...would it really hurt bottom line to provide free of charge to buyers on new mba) a usb stick with lion install....

 

[P0stalTek]

Seems reasonable to me. For those that need more than facebook and internet it seems the Air still isn't an option. Oh well.

I use my MBA 2011 to do EVERYTHING, including online classes, managing scheduling for my job, email, Parallels VM with Windows 7 Ultimate, Photoshop, Office work, etc.

Just because you are super picky doesn't mean the MBA isn't perfectly acceptable for 98% of computing needs of even astute users.

P.S. I have a Windows 7, full-fledged 15.6", and I'll tell you.. it hasn't been on since the migration process to my new MBA happened. And I'm in the IT field for a living..

 

[Moccasin]

If you're still in your return window and unhappy, then clearly you should return it as 10.7.1 (which may well fix the waking from sleep issue) probably won't arrive for a while yet. I've not upgraded my 2010 11" MBA to Lion yet as my ReadyNAS won't allow Time Machine backups until they upgrade the firmware however it does seem that Lion has caused issuses with waking from sleep for a lot of users and the combination of that and the other bugs I'm hearing about have convinced me to wait.

I've purposefully kept away from the 2011 MBA models - could prove expensive... for me though the MBA is a perfect little machine and very capable. If I'd wanted something just for surfing I'd have bought an iPad.

 

[vitzr]

im with you on this one...

-yes i know we can redownload os using recovery partition...but not all of us have blazing fast internet...(would take me 5+ hrs)...and if somewhere without internet connection (cabin ect)...well sol
-as of right now,can't even dl retail lion and make dvd or usb as mba uses a newer version of lion...thus retail lion... as of now,wont work.
-just feels not right,when i can buy a cheapo acer netbook and make recovery dvd's and yet $$$$ mba won't even give me this option

mainly for this reason...im holding off purchase until mid aug,when ill be able to buy for $69 (errrr...would it really hurt bottom line to provide free of charge to buyers on new mba) a usb stick with lion install....

I too agree. You're approach seems like a good one.

 

[Moccasin]

-just feels not right,when i can buy a cheapo acer netbook and make recovery dvd's and yet $$$$ mba won't even give me this option

My understanding was that it is relatively easy to create a bootable Lion USB stick and allowing re-install - no different to making recovery DVDs surely? What have I missed?

 

[alecgold]

im with you on this one...

-yes i know we can redownload os using recovery partition...but not all of us have blazing fast internet...(would take me 5+ hrs)...and if somewhere without internet connection (cabin ect)...well sol
-as of right now,can't even dl retail lion and make dvd or usb as mba uses a newer version of lion...thus retail lion... as of now,wont work.
-just feels not right,when i can buy a cheapo acer netbook and make recovery dvd's and yet $$$$ mba won't even give me this option

mainly for this reason...im holding off purchase until mid aug,when ill be able to buy for $69 (errrr...would it really hurt bottom line to provide free of charge to buyers on new mba) a usb stick with lion install....

I just don't see your problem.
If you really want to, you could also make a copy with carbon copy cloner on a rather large USB stick when you have the new, fresh system then you have a completely ready system to boot from the USB-stick. It would be much cheaper than the $69 for the lion-stick.
But I'm wondering, how often will you forget to take the install DVD or carbon copy cloner USB stick to a cabin for the weekend? And if you do have a bootdisk/stick, what use is it if you don't have all your files and programs with you in the cabin?!

 

[KPOM]

I have the 2010 ultimate 13 and the 2011 ultimate 13. Here are my observations.

1. The screen is better on the 2010 and both of them have samsung. v1 on the 2010, v3 on the 2011. The 2010 is whiter and the 2011 is a little yellow.

2. I know they are both aluminum but my 2010 feels cold all over when its off and when the 2011 is off it is not. Makes me think its plastic. Different grade of aluminum???

3. The keyboard on the 2011 with back-light is a must have. I can never read my 2010 in dim light. Can't believe it came without back-lighting.

4. Sure, the 2011 is faster than the 2010, by a landslide.

5. 2011 has awful resume from deep sleep. Horrible.

Those are the differences I noticed besides the different lion keys and lion of course.

I have the 2011 11" Ultimate and just sold the 2010 11" Ultimate. Here are my comparable observations:

1) I had the LG Philips screen on both. I find they are about the same. Spyder3 didn't make as many adjustments to my profile this time around, but I consider the end result comparable.

2) I haven't noticed a difference. The i7 runs hotter at times than the Core 2 Duo, but the fan seems quieter. Both cooled off pretty quickly. I haven't done extensive tests, but perhaps the 2011s dissipate more heat through the case than the 2010s, which is why you aren't finding it as cool to the touch?

3) Agreed.

4) Agreed

5) Agreed, and hopefully Apple addresses this through firmware. Maybe Steve Jobs uses a MacBook Air for his daily use and will have a little MobileMe-style "then why doesn't it do that?" speech with the MacBook Air and Lion firmware teams.

 

[m3digi]

Fortunately for me, I don't buy "okay" machines. I buy epic machines.

And on that note, it's time to cue up the credits. Why was such a post necessary to begin with? If you're not happy, take it back. End of story.

I don't recall Apple ever touting any of its systems as epic. A Bugatti Veyron is epic, an expedition across the Arctic is epic... a $1600 laptop, mmm... not so much.

 

[ZBoater]

And on that note, it's time to cue up the credits. Why was such a post necessary to begin with? If you're not happy, take it back. End of story.

I don't recall Apple ever touting any of its systems as epic. A Bugatti Veyron is epic, an expedition across the Arctic is epic... a $1600 laptop, mmm... not so much.

LOL. Epic reply!

 

[Ubuntu]

My understanding was that it is relatively easy to create a bootable Lion USB stick and allowing re-install - no different to making recovery DVDs surely? What have I missed?

The App Store version of Lion (which I've burned to a disc) is not compatible with the MBA, apparently. The MBA uses its own version.

EDIT: Talking about the 2011 models as this topic is about the 2011 model, apologies for the lack of clarity.

 

[eckthroi]

Regarding Point 3, that isn't normal. The 2010s did not do that, and I suspect it's a bug either in the new firmware, Lion, or both. It will be fixed soon. You can count on that.

Regarding point 5, I haven't noticed that at all. The build quality of my 2011 is just as good as the build quality of my 2010s (I had both a 13" and an 11" at various points).

Actually I learned from another thread the delayed wake is caused from a bug in Lion when the wifi is turned on- turn it off and the instant start returns to normal- hopefully this fix will be addressed soon

 

[Lord Appleseed]

Your MacBook Air cracks during use? What...I dont even...

 

[Moccasin]

The App Store version of Lion (which I've burned to a disc) is not compatible with the MBA, apparently. The MBA uses its own version.

Erm not quite sure what you mean? Not heard this anywhere else and rather doubt it - does that mean no-one can upgrade to Lion if they have an MBA? Does the App Sore know what computer you have and serve up the right version?

 

[IngerMan]

Erm not quite sure what you mean? Not heard this anywhere else and rather doubt it - does that mean no-one can upgrade to Lion if they have an MBA? Does the App Sore know what computer you have and serve up the right version?

I downloaded Lion on my 2010 MBA last week. No problems except the rare Lion bugs, mostly opening iPhoto.

 

[Moccasin]

I downloaded Lion on my 2010 MBA last week. No problems except the rare Lion bugs, mostly opening iPhoto.

Quite, exactky what I thought - not quite sure what was being said but didn't want to be rude!

 

[Ubuntu]

Erm not quite sure what you mean? Not heard this anywhere else and rather doubt it - does that mean no-one can upgrade to Lion if they have an MBA? Does the App Sore know what computer you have and serve up the right version?

This is just what I've read around these forums - about the MBA 2011, that is. But because I'm no fan of spreading false rumours I'll give it a try. I have that disc I used for my iMac, I'll try it on my MBA 2011 and let you know how it works out.

 

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

You are obviously comparing 2-3 pounds machine to 4.5-5.5 pound machine...

If it's thicker, there is more room for more components. It will do much better in just about everything. Point of MBA is not to beat MBP. It's to design a laptop that can perform well, but it will be much lighter and thinner.

This is what worries me about what I read for the next-gen MBP: all those articles hinting that Apple wants to make the MBP ultra-thin like an Air. The Air has to compromise because of its weight/size, but, I don't want that in a workstation replacement like the MBP.

 

[KeithJenner]

When looking at About This Mac, the operating system on my older computers that have Lion from the App store is:

Mac OS X Lion 10.7 (11A511)

On my 2011 Air it is:

Mac OS X Lion 10.7 (11A2063)

So, I think that the Air does have a slightly different build for some reason.

 

[Ubuntu]

I downloaded Lion on my 2010 MBA last week. No problems except the rare Lion bugs, mostly opening iPhoto.

Quite, exactky what I thought - not quite sure what was being said but didn't want to be rude!

Just tested it, it worked fine on my iMac but not on my 2011 MBA, which is annoying. I'm wondering if I can get all the downloaded components from the MBA's recovery utility onto a disc, though.

But to clarify, the Lion copy you download from the Mac Apple Store doesn't work with the MBA 2011 as it uses a different version (pointed out by someone else - thanks).



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[aristobrat]

[*]The lack of restore media in box does bother me. It really does. Because quite honestly it costs Apple pennies to include.

Those days are over.

Not even the "epic" MBPs are shipping with recovery media any more (and they're not even capable of Internet Recovery if the hdd is wiped/replaced, like the new Airs and minis are).

 

[revelated]

Those days are over.

Not even the "epic" MBPs are shipping with recovery media any more (and they're not even capable of Internet Recovery if the hdd is wiped/replaced, like the new Airs and minis are).

Give it time. As with the backlight keyboard. Give it time.

As for the restore media I'm really tired of some of you making excuses for Apple. I should not have to do Apple's job. How is it even remotely acceptable to sell a computer without a 100% viable way to restore it REGARDLESS OF INTERNET CONNECTION? Don't give me the cost BS. As I said, it costs them literally pennies to manufacture.

The beauty of it all is that I'm the furthest thing from an "Apple hater". I gave the Air a fair chance. Love the 4GB RAM, love the processor, love the backlight. Unfortunately I expect everything else to be simply amazing, and it wasn't.

Now maybe if Apple in its infinite wisdom allowed users to downgrade to Snow Leopard, it might be a different experience. Since some of you keep making excuses for clearly hardware issues and blaming it on the software, in theory Snow Leopard should work like gold. But then Apple doesn't want you doing that even though it's capable of such. That's my problem and that's the primary reason it's going back: I won't be keeping a machine where I'm forced to use software that is negatively affecting my experience. That's perfectly reasonable.

If what you say is true and Lion's the problem, don't defend it: it's half-baked, not ready. That means that the various threads blasting Lion aren't too far off base.

Down the road, IF they fix a lot of the issues and it turns out to have been Lion, then I'll reconsider it. Until then it's a $1300+ investment that doesn't have solid returns.

 

[KohPhiPhi]

Seems reasonable to me. For those that need more than facebook and internet it seems the Air still isn't an option. Oh well.

This is ABSURDLY wrong. I am a web admin managing multiple web applications at once, and my 13" MBA is my sole working machine. It's a very capable laptop!

 

[BJonson]

Not going to defend it, just explain it. It saves apple money not to include media so they cut it. They have been cutting accessories since the first ipod with video and learned they save big bucks. Cheap bastards. It only pisses you off if you are not a stock holder though. LOL.

 

[KohPhiPhi]

I don't recall Apple ever touting any of its systems as epic. A Bugatti Veyron is epic, an expedition across the Arctic is epic... a $1600 laptop, mmm... not so much.

This is a rather stupid comment. A $1600 price tag on a laptop should make it pretty epic in terms of other laptops.

 

[m3digi]

This is a rather stupid comment. A $1600 price tag on a laptop should make it pretty epic in terms of other laptops.

I eagerly await your list of epic $1600 ultrathin laptops. By epic, I mean in technology history, please present the most epic ultrathin systems in creation; so epic that they are unmatched, without flaw, timeless, irreplaceable, do not warrant the need to upgrade.

Even the MacBook Air, for all the great things it is, it still has its compromises.