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not impressed

Sesshi said:
Not really. A Sony TZ is an engineering marvel, relatively speaking. An Air is merely a marvel of marketing combined with the best that Apple can do in terms of shrinkage. They've taken the usual Apple 'smoke & mirrors' approach, this time making the machine look razer-thin by sticking with an almost-normal-laptop area. A true subnotebook with the same vertical dimensions wouldn't look as thin to the eye.

However it has a use for us business types who doesn't need the power of an MBP but likes to carry lighter stuff. To my Windows eye it's a bit crap, but it's the only choice I have for a truly portable OS X machine. I also think it's the prettiest Apple laptop out there, but that is subjective, and subject to review after I've used the Airs for a while.
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I wouldn't call the TZ a marvel.... I have one, cramped key board very small screen, very slow operation (XP or Vista)...it is a nice sub notebook, and has served me well, but trying to open two windows on the thing and typing more than a paragraph is painful. I just got my air and in my opinion the build quality is much better the keyboard is heaven and i love the screen. And its running OS X and is even pretty snappy with Vista in VMFusion. Give the decision to offer a 13 inch screen and full sized keyboard seems to have been paramount i think the engineering Apple put into it is impressive, and I think its looks soooo good.
 
I have not yet put my own two hands on a MBA, not really planning on it anyhow. I don't think for myself it is worth it, but to base it's worth on looks is silly. If one was to say it lacks power and can not perform anywhere near a MBP that would be one thing, but to say it is not worth it because the MBA is 1000 cooler is just silly.
 
Alfadoc said:
Good. Don't like it, don't buy it!

A lot of people think a Ferrari's not worth it, but enough do...

I can't wait to enjoy mine! 🙂
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No, i won't buy one. My post was just to let pre-orders know it may not be what they expect. I wanted to love it. It looks beautiful online but the screen and keyboard weren't that great. Maybe i'm just used to looking at high resolution screens and a nicer keyboard. The MBA looked fine closed.

Ferraris are for insecure guys who can't get a date with a woman who likes them for who they are.
 
Ferraris are for insecure guys who can't get a date with a woman who likes them for who they are.[/QUOTE said:
Or for someone turning 50 who after working their butts off their whole life finally has some money to burn!

I want a Ferrari...
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NC MacGuy said:
Or for someone turning 50 who after working their butts off their whole life finally has some money to burn!

I want a Ferrari...
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me too ... or a Porsche 911 Turbo ... or the new Audi A8 ... my wife promised me one in a couple years. NICE!
 
robrose20 said:
me too ... or a Porsche 911 Turbo ... or the new Audi A8 ... my wife promised me one in a couple years. NICE!
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Porshe 911 Turbo -- my love and any Audi are not in the same class as a flashy Ferrari. They are nice looking, high performance, beautiful, reliable, fast and still practical cars.
 
Sweetbike40 said:
Porshe 911 Turbo -- my love and any Audi are not in the same class as a flashy Ferrari. They are nice looking, high performance, beautiful, reliable, fast and still practical cars.
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I don't think any of the auto's aforementioned are particularly reliable. Sexy, fast, expensive all, but reliable?

I wouldn't buy any if I didn't have the money to have a factory trained mechanic on retainer. But then again, if you have to ask how much it costs...........
 
bearwise said:
I wouldn't call the TZ a marvel.... I have one, cramped key board very small screen, very slow operation (XP or Vista)...it is a nice sub notebook, and has served me well, but trying to open two windows on the thing and typing more than a paragraph is painful. I just got my air and in my opinion the build quality is much better the keyboard is heaven and i love the screen. And its running OS X and is even pretty snappy with Vista in VMFusion. Give the decision to offer a 13 inch screen and full sized keyboard seems to have been paramount i think the engineering Apple put into it is impressive, and I think its looks soooo good.
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Did you remove any of the software that the TZ comes with? I spend 2-3 hours with a new Sony removing the crapware it comes with. I see it as a necessary evil so it works as it should.

The screen has a higher resolution than the Air in an 11" format, so of course it's smaller. Keyboard is not full size of course but is usable. It's not going to be anyone's primary machine so I have no problems with it for mobile use. How's the battery life? Does the Air have a drive? Does it have built-in HSDPA/EDGE? Can it dock? I could go on... 🙄
 
Sesshi said:
Did you remove any of the software that the TZ comes with? I spend 2-3 hours with a new Sony removing the crapware it comes with. I see it as a necessary evil so it works as it should.

The screen has a higher resolution than the Air in an 11" format, so of course it's smaller. Keyboard is not full size of course but is usable. It's not going to be anyone's primary machine so I have no problems with it for mobile use. How's the battery life? Does the Air have a drive? Does it have built-in HSDPA/EDGE? Can it dock? I could go on... 🙄
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To each his own. I like to see a full document I'm working on without having to put on my reading glasses. I got chubby clumsy fingers that amazingly enough work well w. a full size keyboard. I don't need an optical drive. The Air has its place and it may not be yours but as I get accustomed to it, it seems to be more and more mine.
 
Here's the complaints I expect to see listed most often about MBA:

1. Size / footprint - Not any smaller or more convenient for airline tray use.

2. Battery - mostly life

3. #1 complaint will be lack of hard drive space (and if you have to carry a bunch of doodads to make the computer perform like its (less expensive) cousins - how long will the honeymoon last.
 
ob81 said:
I think the idea of the MBA is great, but 13" really isn't portable. If you compromise and get the superdrive, you might as well have gotten a Macbook. The look and feel is sturdy though, and it does what it is intended to do: Be light, and run OSX in it's full capacity when used.
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I agree, I think they got rid of the wrong problem when trying to make an ultraportable. I mean don't get me wrong the macbook air is cool, but I think they should have gone for a 9" screen or something instead of getting rid of something like an optical drive which people really could use.
 
Sweetbike40 said:
I've posted comments on how i thought the MBA was beautiful based on photos. I just came back from the Apple store and i have to say i was not impressed. I'm sorry, it's my opinion but i think it looks cheap. Anyone who would pay $3000 for this is crazy. Looking at, it looks worth about 700-800. After playing with it then looking at the MBP.... the 15" MBP is 1000 time more beautiful and so much more worth the money. I'd caution anyone who has ordered it without seeing it.
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I went through your posts and couldn't find one where you said that you thought the MBA was beautiful based on photos.
 
Sweetbike40 said:
Porshe 911 Turbo -- my love and any Audi are not in the same class as a flashy Ferrari. They are nice looking, high performance, beautiful, reliable, fast and still practical cars.
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Can't afford a Ferrari ... I am married and have children ... A Porsche is definitely within the realm of possibility ... in a few years.
 
mas90guru said:
Here's the complaints I expect to see listed most often about MBA:

1. Size / footprint - Not any smaller or more convenient for airline tray use.

2. Battery - mostly life

3. #1 complaint will be lack of hard drive space (and if you have to carry a bunch of doodads to make the computer perform like its (less expensive) cousins - how long will the honeymoon last.
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1. I complained about the footprint at first until I saw and held one. The thing is as big as a legal pad and weighs not a whole lot more. Had a PB 12" before so understand about airline tray use. Have a MB too and they can be used albeit not the most comfortably on a small plane - which usually has shorter flights. For long flights where I would use the laptop, I typically fly 1st class on a larger plane and room isn't a problem.

2. So far better than my MB & MBP. 4 1/2 hour WITH airport on and running iTunes. For typical airline usage, I should actually pull close or more than Apples claims of 5 hours. I also don't run my laptop itunes traveling, use my ipod which is much more efficient for entertainment. I'll let you know tomorrow when I have my first trip...

3. Got the 80G model and have 28G AVAILABLE. Plenty. Remember, it was just a couple of years ago 80G was a large HD - the largest you could get in many laptop lines.
I don't understand about doo-dads. I'm taking the laptop and charger tomorrow. What else to I really need? Wireless internet, I have USB which is almost everything and let me see, ummm - air! It isn't for everybody but I seldom used many of the doo-dads so it is for me - so far.

To each his own.
 
pondie84 said:
I went through your posts and couldn't find one where you said that you thought the MBA was beautiful based on photos.
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I never did say in a posting my opinion was based on a photo. I believe i posted before they arrived in stores. I fed into the hype and was thinking i'd be tempted to buy one when i saw it. I wasn't tempted at all based on my time with it.
 
Sweetbike40 said:
I never did say in a posting my opinion was based on a photo. I believe i posted before they arrived in stores. I fed into the hype and was thinking i'd be tempted to buy one when i saw it. I wasn't tempted at all based on my time with it.
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Fair enough! I must've misread you. Personally I'd never buy a computer/notebook without looking at it first. Plus I like to wait a few months at least to see learn a bit about how useful and practical the product is in real life experience.

At the moment I think the Air looks cool... but am not convinced it's the most practical (or cost effective) of machines.
 
aiongiant said:
i think ppl that say this are the ppl that can't afford one LOL
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+100000!

Hahahaha! So true.

I was a Ferrari mechanic for twenty-seven years. Driven my F-car 15K miles in a year and a half, changed the oil three times and the tires once...

People are attracted to great design and things that do whatever they do exceptionally well. Apple hardware, software and Ferraris are some of those things...
 
Alfadoc said:
+100000!

Hahahaha! So true.

I was a Ferrari mechanic for twenty-seven years. Driven my F-car 15K miles in a year and a half, changed the oil three times and the tires once...

People are attracted to great design and things that do whatever they do exceptionally well. Apple hardware, software and Ferraris are some of those things...
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It is not the price of the Ferrari that is a problem... Its how flashy it is. I would not own one if it was given to me. The Porsche is classier. Now this posting is turnig into an auto forum! 🙂
 
Sorry but the Sony TZ is a marvel not the macbook air. Sony's TZ is twice as small and even has a dvd burner built in and still has fingerprint reader, sd slot, dvd drive, firewire, 2 usb ports, removable battery, oh and its lighter.

Anyone can make a laptop that size by taking everything out of it. Apple didn't even make the bezel around the screen small, its huge.
 
bearwise said:
I wouldn't call the TZ a marvel.... I have one, cramped key board very small screen, very slow operation (XP or Vista)...it is a nice sub notebook, and has served me well, but trying to open two windows on the thing and typing more than a paragraph is painful. I just got my air and in my opinion the build quality is much better the keyboard is heaven and i love the screen. And its running OS X and is even pretty snappy with Vista in VMFusion. Give the decision to offer a 13 inch screen and full sized keyboard seems to have been paramount i think the engineering Apple put into it is impressive, and I think its looks soooo good.
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Couldn't agree with you more on TZ and other subcompact. They all focus on what they can pack in as small of space as they can, so they miniaturize even the ergonomics; screen size, keyboard and CPU power. After years of using subcompact, I have to say MBA have all the right criteria for most people whom need portable computing. I used to think I could not do without a DVD burner, but in reality I have maybe used it to reinstall system (Windows).

I used to think I need at least 3 USB ports, but after years of use, I really only need 1 port for iPod / iPhone sync and external drive.

The reality is that if most people pay attention to their daily use, they will find that all the 'missing' ports and interfaces are not necessary, especially trading for CPU horse power like the TZ and Toshiba R500.

Yeah the TZ have higher resolution screen, but if it requires a magnifying glass to read, it's not usable on the plane or work with on the road for long period of time.

So IMO, MBA does hit the mark with most user of their daily computing needs..

Just my 2c
 
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