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PC ultrabooks, would you switch?

scarred said:
I bought the MBA for the eco system firstly, and because it is so cool secondly. Take away the eco system, and you are left with something that just looks cool but doesn't work well.

Now, with that said, this is my first Mac, and while I love it to death...I'm worried the Mac App store isn't going to take off (pretty meh right now). This would be a real damper on the switch.

Maybe I need to break out my Xcode and help!
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You do realize you can get software for the Mac other places than the Mac App Store. If it's meh, look elsewhere. I still buy most of my software outside the MAS.

I suspect, however, that over time more and more developers will add their wares to the MAS.
 
To be honest, not being a power user, I am not interested that much in GHzs, bits per whatever and GB etc...

There isn't anything an "proper PC machine" can offer me right now I don't have already. When I need W7 I use bootcamped version on my iMac and it runs superbly..

So, right now, no way mate..

Also some of those PC machines are so bloody ugly... I mean.. where did those designers grow up? Stalinist Soviet Union c.1932?! I realise that beauty is in the eye of beholder.. but jesus... plastic? I mean really... At least put some effort in you cheap bastards... :)
 
The things Apple has going for them in their Macbook Air is the body, trackpad, screen, keyboard, price-point, and OS.

With Windows 8, we'll likely see a lot more trackpads like on Mac laptops. We'll see better screens undoubtedly (as screen tech is always improving). Good keyboards are hit and miss. And good laptop bodies in a PC are seldomly seen... but it could be done (just, arguably, probably not as well as Apple does it).

So PC manufacturers could compete with the Air rather easily. It all depends on whether they feel there is a market for it, whether it is profitable for them to compete with Apple's price-point, and whether they manage to get it done properly.

I'm not too worried.
 
Oppressed said:
PC makers are working on making Macbook Air equivalent PC's with similar price points. Wether or not this will actually happen is another debate, but if PC makers were able to make an ultra book that not only offered what the Air had but also included say a desecrate graphics chip, more battery life, larger SSD's, etc would you make the switch?


This isn't directed to any fan boys. To be honest I'm not interested in hearing "Mac OSX or GTFO".
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Unless those PC makers can make a trackpad + software support as good as the Apple trackpad.
 
haruhiko said:
Unless those PC makers can make a trackpad + software support as good as the Apple trackpad.
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They already have great trackpads. My Acer TimelineX has a great trackpad with gesture support. Two finger scrolling, swipe forward and back for navigation and pinch zoom. That's really all I need. Also I prefer to have physical buttons because I hate clickpads so much. Most people who say PCs have bad trackpads are probably thinking about the 2005 era trackpads.
 
boonlar said:
They already have great trackpads. My Acer TimelineX has a great trackpad with gesture support. Two finger scrolling, swipe forward and back for navigation and pinch zoom. That's really all I need. Also I prefer to have physical buttons because I hate clickpads so much. Most people who say PCs have bad trackpads are probably thinking about the 2005 era trackpads.
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The problem is Windows support! Of course I know the trackpads on Windows PC notebooks support multi-touch gestures, my last purchase of a windows laptop was in late 2010, a Fujitsu SH560 running Windows 7. Its trackpad was nice, but there were few problems that made me uncomfortable: 1. it's not covered by glass, touch on it feels a bit weird as there is too much friction 2. Windows does not support those gestures well, the drivers and softwares was written by Synaptics, scrolling works, but not smooth.
 
No.
I only explored Palm OS devices when there were no Apple options.
With a Mac you can run any OS, so why would you prefer to be limited only to Windows?
 
Apple's key to success is the carefully created and choreographed "ecosystem" of hardware, software, stores, innovation, and control. No other PC maker has that. Sure, PC makers will probably pump out a ultra thin laptop speced to spank the MBA, but Windows? As a first time Mac user I've been playing with Lion since it launched, and the user experience is outstanding.

Now I don't care if a new PC is a little faster or higher resolution. I don't care if the screen is LG or Samsung, or the SSD is Toshiba. I care about the entire user experience.

I've bought what Apple is selling (and I'm talking about more than just product). I'm not going back. :apple:
 
For business, I would go with the x220 when they get the Sandy Bridge throttling problem fixed.

For home, I like the MBA for its 1400x900 resolution, glass trackpad, and great battery life (2010 MBA).
 
ZBoater said:
Apple's key to success is the carefully created and choreographed "ecosystem" of hardware, software, stores, innovation, and control. No other PC maker has that. Sure, PC makers will probably pump out a ultra thin laptop speced to spank the MBA, but Windows? As a first time Mac user I've been playing with Lion since it launched, and the user experience is outstanding.

Now I don't care if a new PC is a little faster or higher resolution. I don't care if the screen is LG or Samsung, or the SSD is Toshiba. I care about the entire user experience.

I've bought what Apple is selling (and I'm talking about more than just product). I'm not going back. :apple:
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It sounds like you're a tad bit enamoured by the whole package the Apple has to offer. I do enjoy the feeling too, though I prefer to keep an open mind: If I were not open-minded, I certainly wouldn't be typing this post on an Apple computer at all.

I like the ecosystem (as you call it) that Apple has to offer. It's definitely interesting, and it keeps you playing ball in their field. They've an expanding app store (it's not quite impressive to me yet), and nice integration features; I'm left considering purchasing an iPad and an iPhone in the future quite possibly... though I have somewhat sworn off smartphones, as I feel as though all I want in a phone is battery life, a good signal, decent sound quality/mic quality, the ability to phone, and the ability to text. None of this fancy planner stuff, or calendar stuff... it's so unnecessary. I have an ultraportable Air: Why would I want to carry around another tiny computer when I don't want to bring my own computer with me? :D

Anyways... getting off-topic: I never want to act or be like a fanboy. To say I'm sticking with Apple is to say that I am a blind consumer, bending to the whim and word of a major corporation. My next phone may be an iPhone, or it might just be that I keep my current phone which is still working quite fine. I may purchase an iPad, but I might not: it depends what Apple has to offer. I may even buy a non-Apple product if it has something offered that works well for me.

I'm really not concluding what I have to say here... I almost forget what you said in the first place... just relaxing on the couch before bed... uhhh... *submits reply*
 
McGiord said:
I only explored Palm OS devices when there were no Apple options.
With a Mac you can run any OS, so why would you prefer to be limited only to Windows?
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Where do you get being limited to only Windows from? Just because it came with Windows doesn't mean that you are not able to install any of the many many linux/unix operating systems out there. Just like you can do on any Apple computer.
 
I think the exciting thing about the Ultra books is the move to a push notification style system while in "sleep"
 
As others have mentioned, similar price-points but not similar specs (that's backwards for an Apple/PC comparison, huh?). Most early predictions/future ultra books will cost $2K USD+ when equipped similarly to the MBA (SSD and such). By that logic I'm paying more to get the same specs, but I lose out on the amazing build quality of the MBA, fantastic trackpad, let alone OS X. Yeah, not worth it.

Even if a PC ultrabook had a higher clocked i7 than my 11", weighed less, had 8GB of RAM, and was $999- I still wouldn't buy it over my current 11" MBA.
 
I'm not a big fanboy of apple. Quite some people that asked me what to buy, I te to get a cheap 500 bucks acer. The reason is simple: they want a cheap computer to sometimes use for some emailing and Internet. No big exciting things or games. They use it a few times a week.

At the same time I'm stuck with apple (not a bad thing for me). It's not just the laptops design, not just the os-x, not the pricepoint, it's everything together, it's the seamless integration where my time capsule makes backups without a hitch, my MacBook air just works and does everything I need or want from it, the new phone number in my iPhone gets send to MobileMe and my MBA without me thinking even about it.
There are dozens of these things, perhaps even 100's of them. And you don't notice it. It just works.
And those last three words are what no other brand has done for me. Toshiba failed miserly, three laptops in a row. I've seen the oddest problems with drivers on an acer. I had an expensive HP laptop that crapped out on me big time.
And yes, my last MacBook pro stopped working after 9 months or so, but that was after it dropped from 1m80 (6ft) on concrete because the shoulder band of my backpack broke. Not something you can blame on apple IMHO.
And when I hear that the Sony Vaio is really good and I configure one on the Sony site, I got a price that is about 50% more for approximately the same
Configuration as an MBA 13"? And I dont get the unibody, I don't get seamless integration, nor the user-friendly os-x neither the it just works?!
I still will ask occasional users if they want to spend 2 or 3 times as much money on a laptop and have no problems with them selecting a 500 bucks laptop. But if you work all day on it? It seems like a no-brainer to me.
 
oBMTo said:
Lenovo x220 IPS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>MBA's TN
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MBA 1440x900 > Lenovo 1368x768



xraydoc said:
I suspect, however, that over time more and more developers will add their wares to the MAS.
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I doubt this. Most developers, especially big software giants, have no need to use MAS since they have their own software distribution channels. Apple takes $0.30 of each dollar so basically, e.g. MS would be giving money to their biggest rival.

iOS App Store is different since it's the only way to install software but at least in current OS X, that's not the case.
 
brand said:
Where do you get being limited to only Windows from? Just because it came with Windows doesn't mean that you are not able to install any of the many many linux/unix operating systems out there. Just like you can do on any Apple computer.
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Can you install Lion? And decently use it.
Trackpad gestures similar or better than Apple hardware?
 
No.

Windows 7 sucks.
Build quality and service and support will be inferior.
Cost will be higher.
 
DarwinOSX said:
Windows 7 sucks.
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Even though I am a recent Mac convert, I would disagree. Having used every Windows since 1.0 (runtime version that came with a game I ran on my amber screen PC), Windows 7 is the bet Windows ever. And being able to run on a gazillion combinations of 3rd party hardware is no small feat. It is Windows 7 greatest strength, and its biggest weakness.

I don't want to take anything away from Apple, but when you control the hardware and the software, your job is a bit easier. But hardware is more expensive, you have fewer choices as a consumer, and if you don't like what Apple is serving, you're screwed. Its all about choices.
 
OSX vs W7 story is crap.

I got the job done on both and I really have no preference one over another. Both excell and suck at different areas but all together they are both long overdue for a nice new more efficient kernel.

My selling point on a laptop has to be the screen due to the nature of my job. Apple got better with their screens recently, half a decade ago they were really bad so my choice was VAIO with premium display. Today if you get antiglare option you might somehow get correct color but gamut is still lacking.

Are MBP displays for 2011 Adobe RGB gamut?
 
boonlar said:
They already have great trackpads. My Acer TimelineX has a great trackpad with gesture support. Two finger scrolling, swipe forward and back for navigation and pinch zoom. That's really all I need. Also I prefer to have physical buttons because I hate clickpads so much. Most people who say PCs have bad trackpads are probably thinking about the 2005 era trackpads.
Click to expand...

TimelineX is a piece of ****. Get out of here.

Worst trackpad, EVER. I even got a full refund for that damned trackpad. That was the last Acer POS I used before switching to the Air.

10.1 Aspire One > 11.6 Aspire Timeline > 11.6" 1420P swivel tablet thing > 13.3" TimelineX (worst trackpad of all of them) > 13" 2010 MacBook Air Ultimate > 13" 2011 MacBook Air Ultimate > 13" 2012 MacBook Air Ultimate

- Sincerely, Ex Acer Fanboy
 
McGiord said:
Can you install Lion? And decently use it.
Trackpad gestures similar or better than Apple hardware?
Click to expand...

I never said you could install Lion on a PC or mention anything about trackpad gestures so I am not sure where that is coming from. Your the one that said a PC is "limited only to Windows" which is not true at all so I mentioned being able to install any of the various linux/unix operating systems.
 
xraydoc said:
There's more to a computer than just specs and clock speed.

Personally I don't care if there's a 4GHz WindowsBook Air with 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD and super nvidia 990x-somethin' somethin' graphics. I prefer to use OS X.
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Exactly my thoughts.
 
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