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Steve Jobs Introduced the MacBook Air Exactly 10 Years Ago Today
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The original machine was not really apt. But just a few iteration later it got a lot better.
I got one from the 2011 generation and it was great. It still lives on.
I recently got a 2017 generation, as that offers the right set of ports and takes a SDXC card.
Together with my 2014 QC mini server, I hope to be set when it comes to computing needs for a long long time. I do hope that by 2023-2025 Apple has found their way back to building proper macs.
I got one from the 2011 generation and it was great. It still lives on.
I recently got a 2017 generation, as that offers the right set of ports and takes a SDXC card.
Together with my 2014 QC mini server, I hope to be set when it comes to computing needs for a long long time. I do hope that by 2023-2025 Apple has found their way back to building proper macs.
This thread delivered what I hoped it wouldn't but not surprised it did. 
There are those who "get" the Macbook Air and why it is still preferred today, and those that don't. Not "getting it" is NOT an indication of any lack of intelligence or any other deficiency. It is simply a matter of personal preferences and needs. No amount of spec sheet comparisons will change one's preference of a Macbook Air over a retina Macbook.
Ounce for ounce, inch for inch, my 2014 4GB/128GB 11" Macbook Air is the most powerful (getting things done, not benchmark numbers) mobile device for productivity I've owned. (and I have and still own a LOT of devices) My 12.9 iPad Pro + ASK cannot hold a candle to it in that department. It isn't even close.
But for a more casual and more "direct" (for lack of a better word) interaction, the iPad most definitely wins.
The days of the Macbook Air (13") are numbered. The 11" MBA is already gone. I hope that Apple produces something that meets my needs that the 11" MBA currently does before I need to replace it.
There are those who "get" the Macbook Air and why it is still preferred today, and those that don't. Not "getting it" is NOT an indication of any lack of intelligence or any other deficiency. It is simply a matter of personal preferences and needs. No amount of spec sheet comparisons will change one's preference of a Macbook Air over a retina Macbook.
Ounce for ounce, inch for inch, my 2014 4GB/128GB 11" Macbook Air is the most powerful (getting things done, not benchmark numbers) mobile device for productivity I've owned. (and I have and still own a LOT of devices) My 12.9 iPad Pro + ASK cannot hold a candle to it in that department. It isn't even close.
But for a more casual and more "direct" (for lack of a better word) interaction, the iPad most definitely wins.
The days of the Macbook Air (13") are numbered. The 11" MBA is already gone. I hope that Apple produces something that meets my needs that the 11" MBA currently does before I need to replace it.
What? Apple get ridiculed for trying to patent the shape of an iPhone, but Sony can claim exclusives on "smaller and thinner" and "made out of metal"? Also, you're forgetting Apple's 2001 Titanium PowerBook G4 that made metal laptops sexy and was also thinner and lighter than other laptops of comparable power.
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The original Air had just one USB port and a Mini DisplayPort (it was a bit of an executive toy) but at least it also had MagSafe, so you didn't have to waste one of those to plug in the charger. Later revisions included a second USB and Thunderbolt which was a bit more sensible.
The Vaio had a USB port, FireWire, a PCMCIA slot, a modem, a proprietary floppy connector (external drive included) and a custom connector for an external port replicator (included) with RS232, parallel, VGA display and PS/2 mouse ports. It also came with a PCMCIA CD-ROM drive (...according to the specs I can find online: my memory was that it had a USB CD-ROM drive but between multiple models and my unreliable memory I'm not sure). That actually sounds good... reality was, though, that back then USB and Firewire devices were like hen's teeth (apart from Firewire MiniDV camcorders) and you still needed floppy discs and CDs on a regular basis, so you ended up carrying all the junk all the time. Things had changed somewhat by the time the Air came out: and part of the point of the Air was that you'd use wireless for everything.
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Or, from where I'm standing, for anything that involves typing more than a sentence or two, editing text (as opposed to typing in notes and putting up with autocorrupt) or having more than one document open in more than one application, there's still no substitute for a proper laptop or desktop. I like my iPad - for browsing the web while sitting in a comfy chair.
The true vision with the Air was the Apple had the foresight to take this prestige product and turn it into their mass market laptop. And on top of that, it would get CPUs powerful enough to not feel like a compromise.
They created this allure in a niche product, and then later said this is now for everybody.
They created this allure in a niche product, and then later said this is now for everybody.
And thus began Apple's obsession with thinness to the exclusion of everything else. Though I think Steve understood thinness has its place and should be limited to that place, post-Jobs Apple has totally lost sight of this and is losing its core base because of it.
Would love to see a 10th Anniversary Edition of the MBA.
A bezel less display.
A retina display.
Face ID.
Space gray.
Higher specs.
Bring back the 11" version.
But Apple won't do it. They are way too focused these days on the iPhone. Apple's vision for the future : iPhone
A bezel less display.
A retina display.
Face ID.
Space gray.
Higher specs.
Bring back the 11" version.
But Apple won't do it. They are way too focused these days on the iPhone. Apple's vision for the future : iPhone
I have a 13” MacBook Pro, an iPad Pro 10.5”, and my dad has the 11” air. It’s crazy when you realize the iPad is only half an inch bigger than the 11” air’s screen.
Students still buy it and it’s the cheapest Mac in the lineup I think that’s why, when Apple drop the price of the MacBook I think the Air will be removed. I think the MacBook is all about the future and the next 10 years, even tho some people have been complaining about it the same is probably true for the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
I actually really liked the VAIOs. The 45 minute battery really encouraged you to be efficient. That and their propensity to catch on fire.Enjoyed that. But had to chuckle - the Sony looks like a toy.
In other words:
It has well-rounded ROBUST design not focused on fashion-first, nor marketing-first, nor thinness-first, nor let's-make-a-statement-first-at-the-sacrifice-of-overall-customer-usage-flexibility-and-ease-of-use-and-oh-yeah-also-enjoyment-of-use...
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I agree about the lightning port, especially if a USB-C port might help with addressing my issues of the male end of the lightning connection wearing away quickly due to particles getting trapped in the iphone/ipad, often causing the contacts on the lightning cable to wear off. Now I'm aware of the need to frequently perform gentle clean-out of the phone/ipad ports via toothpick before my expensive lightning cable contacts wear away. The USB-C connection looks more durable/large to withstand this type of situation, but that's based solely on conjecture....
As for touching a MacBook screen...I once thought that'd be a great idea but have since strayed from that viewpoint. For the ways I physically hold/interface with a laptop, I'm not sure I'd want to be required to reach over and touch the screen in order to do something I can currently do with a mouse, keyboard, and keypad within closer direct reach. I would, however, welcome paying more for a combo ipad pro / MacBook that's dual-bootable to iOS & OSX once you separate the screen from the computer body.
Apple, please DO NOT ever minimize over to a one-size-fits-all single OS like Microsoft thought was a good idea. Just like there are boys & girls in the world, cats & dogs, salt & pepper, we need independently-configured OSX/iOS's, even if you can switch views at the touch of a button and access the same data/programs if you so wish.
Really ??.........
So the word 'Air' is what does it for you? Are you that much of a slave to corporate branding? I find that fascinating.
I much prefer a 12 inch retina MacBook over a bulkier MacBook 'Air' with much lower screen resolution. But that's just me. I'm feature oriented. I don't much care what they call it.
Same here. I have a 2012 11" i7 8GB RAM(I am so glad I sprung for the 256 GB SSD). I will admit lately it's starting to have some issues with multitasking a lot of tabs but I think its due to a lot of junk installed causing unnecessary processes to eat at CPU/memory so I am planning doing a fresh high sierra install.
You might even say, Apple could use some fresh Air
I see what you did there
the Air could of had a Retina display but with the MacBook around it won’t get it. There should be a price drop with the MacBook and the Air will be removed from the lineup.
Ha, one man's "features" is another man's "limitations."
Jony Ive says potahto, I say potayto...
Jony Ive says "less is so much more," I say "dammit, stop taking away more each year and disguising it as giving us something more !"
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So you prefer a slower and harder to use machine. Got it.
...and the time to have done that would have been with the launch of the headphone-jack-less iPhone 7, before everybody went out and invested in Lightning headphones. Sigh.
Trouble is, although USB-C makes more sense on phones than on powerful laptops that don't need to rely on multi-function ports, the next step for phones will probably be to go all-wireless. USB-C might have a short lifespan.
