You're not going to see a MBP with a bluray drive for a while. (they haven't made a slot loader yet, right?) If you want bluray I suggest a PS3 (I feel dirty).
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The real point of MacBook Air - and why everyone is missing it.
- Thread starter Stuart in Oz
- Start date
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Tosser said:
I was going to take it easy on you because you claim (not to mention demonstrate) in the above post that you know nothing about what's going on here.
You haven't taken the time to figure out the difference between a backlit display and an LED-backlit display, yet you have the expertise to tell us that other companies will infringe on Apple's multi-touch patents within months. That's primo stuff there. Get yourself a blog and get rich, Tosser. I'm sure the technorati will love your prediction that soon all laptop displays will be backlit. That's just pure genius there.
What is really irksome about you, however, are your incessant self-contradictions. You have audio equipment that you you would never take on the road; therefore MacBook air isn't for you. Holy friggin non sequitur, Batman. If you've got audio equipment that expensive that you need on a daily basis . . . news flash, Tosser, the MacBook Air isn't for you. Neither is the MacBook, nor the MacBook Pro. What you need is what is known as a desktop.
Then you accuse someone of making a strawman argument. Do you even know what that means? Here's an example of a strawman argument:
The MacBook Air isn't suitable for my desktop needs; therefore it sucks as a laptop. Oh. Wait. That's the argument you just made in reference to your audio equipment. I'm sorry. That argument is both a strawman and a non-sequitur.
I think you're trying, so don't take it so hard, but get your stuff straight before you pop off like that. Okay, kiddo?
getting it?
come on people. we all know if money wasn't such an issue, there would be a mac pro at your home and a Air in your backpack. with all things tech it might be feasible in a couple of years. the road ahead is being paved as we speak.
come on people. we all know if money wasn't such an issue, there would be a mac pro at your home and a Air in your backpack. with all things tech it might be feasible in a couple of years. the road ahead is being paved as we speak.
No - with all the money in the world, I wouldn't have an MBA. Why do people think that this is a money issue when someone doesn't want an MBA?
I like it as a design item, as a lifestyle product.
But my MB serves me better than a MBA ever could ( faster, more space, optical drive, replaceable battery, audio in), and a small MBP (i.e. a replacement for 12" PB) would serve me better still. I need hardware accelerated graphics to do 3d productivity with XP, and have smooth, fast effects within keynote.
Money no object I would have neither a Mac Pro (no 64 bit bootcamp drivers) OR a MBA.
I LIKE the MBA. I don't want one though. It would serve no purpose for me.
Doug
I like it as a design item, as a lifestyle product.
But my MB serves me better than a MBA ever could ( faster, more space, optical drive, replaceable battery, audio in), and a small MBP (i.e. a replacement for 12" PB) would serve me better still. I need hardware accelerated graphics to do 3d productivity with XP, and have smooth, fast effects within keynote.
Money no object I would have neither a Mac Pro (no 64 bit bootcamp drivers) OR a MBA.
I LIKE the MBA. I don't want one though. It would serve no purpose for me.
Doug
One evidence for this is display resolution. MB has low rez because it has to be cheap. MBA isn't cheap, so there should be more resolution, at least BTO.
I'd really like an apple version of the eePC that ASUS have released. It's about AU$500, it's less than a kilo has 3 USB ports, I'd rather it with a 1.8" HD rather than 4gb of flash, but the 7" screen with the keyboard seems quite useful to me.
It could be called the Macbook Air nano?
It could be called the Macbook Air nano?
Well ...
I would have an MBA, even it does not everything I (it's personal opinion!) need, because
But as I don't have all the money in the world, I'll wait for the MBP update
I would have an MBA, even it does not everything I (it's personal opinion!) need, because
But as I don't have all the money in the world, I'll wait for the MBP update
I agree with the OP on most of the things, however i disagree with a few statements he made.
-Apple DID make this machine to sell millions. Obviously not in the short space of time like the iphone, but it sees it as a long term feature of its laptop line
-One USB port IMO is not enough. Especially with no ethernet port. Ethernet is still essential in most big businesses for fast file transfer and data speeds. Not to mention the security issues with wireless. So maybe a 2nd USB would have been a good idea.
Apart from that i totally agree. The price is justifiable. Although the price of the SSD version seems a bit much. But if you were in the market for a true ultra-portable laptop, for working on the train/plane, to carry around with you in your bag, and to sync up with a bigger more powerful machine while at home - the MBA ticks all the right boxes.
-Apple DID make this machine to sell millions. Obviously not in the short space of time like the iphone, but it sees it as a long term feature of its laptop line
-One USB port IMO is not enough. Especially with no ethernet port. Ethernet is still essential in most big businesses for fast file transfer and data speeds. Not to mention the security issues with wireless. So maybe a 2nd USB would have been a good idea.
Apart from that i totally agree. The price is justifiable. Although the price of the SSD version seems a bit much. But if you were in the market for a true ultra-portable laptop, for working on the train/plane, to carry around with you in your bag, and to sync up with a bigger more powerful machine while at home - the MBA ticks all the right boxes.
As a road warrior the MBA would be nice if only it had an Ethernet connection. Many hotels have only Cable available in their rooms. Wireless is usually available in the lobby but I don't sleep in the lobby.
just grab one of those airport express module things. One thing I hate in hotel rooms is being tethered to the desk. The chair is often rather uncomfortable. I l ike wireless in my hotel.
Not for everyone, but best in class
As a full size laptop most posters are correct, the MBA sucks. However the MBA is an ultra-portable, and quite honestly one of the lightest, most usable, and most powerful ultra-portables on the market. At my work, my only assigned computer (a dell laptop) died and because of a budget freeze I could not get a new one. I was given a Dell ultra portable that was turned in by someone who had just left. (After a year, I should finally get a new full size laptop next month)
Here are my thoughts
1) the Dell ultra portable tops out at 1.2 ghz core 2 duo, the MBA 1.8 core 2 duo
2) the Dell screen and keyboard are too small to use every day. I have to use an external keyboard and monitor. The MBA's keyboard and screen look like they are big enough to use everyday directly.
3) The dell also uses an external drive, that I plug in about once every 3 months (It also uses a special usb cable to supply extra power to it, the MBA Superdrive uses a standard USB cable)
4) When traveling and doing presentations the lightness of the ultra-portable is sweet.
5) Price wise the faster MBA is $70 cheaper than the dell (When the ram, harddrive, and CPU are increased to match as close as possible the MBA) I will admit that Dell's SSD option is a lot cheaper than Apple's.
While I have no intensions of buying a MBA for myself (No need for the ultra lightness), If I did need an ultra portable, this is the one I would want.
As a full size laptop most posters are correct, the MBA sucks. However the MBA is an ultra-portable, and quite honestly one of the lightest, most usable, and most powerful ultra-portables on the market. At my work, my only assigned computer (a dell laptop) died and because of a budget freeze I could not get a new one. I was given a Dell ultra portable that was turned in by someone who had just left. (After a year, I should finally get a new full size laptop next month)
Here are my thoughts
1) the Dell ultra portable tops out at 1.2 ghz core 2 duo, the MBA 1.8 core 2 duo
2) the Dell screen and keyboard are too small to use every day. I have to use an external keyboard and monitor. The MBA's keyboard and screen look like they are big enough to use everyday directly.
3) The dell also uses an external drive, that I plug in about once every 3 months (It also uses a special usb cable to supply extra power to it, the MBA Superdrive uses a standard USB cable)
4) When traveling and doing presentations the lightness of the ultra-portable is sweet.
5) Price wise the faster MBA is $70 cheaper than the dell (When the ram, harddrive, and CPU are increased to match as close as possible the MBA) I will admit that Dell's SSD option is a lot cheaper than Apple's.
While I have no intensions of buying a MBA for myself (No need for the ultra lightness), If I did need an ultra portable, this is the one I would want.
Totally agree with you -- somebody has to pay the price of evolution for the benefit of all. It takes a lot of nerve and a lot of money, because Apple risks losing some cash into this one.
But being thin cannot be considered a breakthrough in this case: people have been building thinner laptops since the beginning and this will continue until we get to paper-thin. The fact that it promotes a wireless-life to the extreme is the great step.
But IMO it has a serious problem: it aims at a market which Apple do not own -- the business one. That, in my view, is their big challenge on marketing the Air, and it has nothing to do with hardware at the moment: it is about OS and support.
But being thin cannot be considered a breakthrough in this case: people have been building thinner laptops since the beginning and this will continue until we get to paper-thin. The fact that it promotes a wireless-life to the extreme is the great step.
But IMO it has a serious problem: it aims at a market which Apple do not own -- the business one. That, in my view, is their big challenge on marketing the Air, and it has nothing to do with hardware at the moment: it is about OS and support.
i visited nyc's apple store on west 14th street to see jobs' keynote and asked them if they had mba's to see. they said they get them in the stores when they ship. if that's wrong let me know. i suggest you all watch the keynote about the mba. it will clarify much about features and functionality to the many who seem to be unclear about the mba's details. the lack of a cd/dvd drive is the main reason i won't get one yet, but an external drive powered by usb is available for $50 us. the mba's price isn't really that high to me. the number of ports is another limitation for some but not for a problem for me. apple's reasoning for no drive, at least in their presentation, is that itunes movie rentals, wireless hardrives, among other things "make the disk unnessary". take that how you will, depending on if you try to work in tomorrow's methods or yesterday/today's. one strong but unsung reason i think we see this mba is as a coming-out party for the smaller intel chip and thin battery which will indicate a new standard for thin notebooks. you all should go back and (re)watch it on apple.com!
mba is actually the coming-out party for new small intel chip
i visited nyc's apple store on west 14th street to see jobs' keynote and asked them if they had mba's to see. they said they get them in the stores when they ship. if that's wrong let me know. i suggest you all watch the keynote about the mba. it will clarify much about features and functionality to the many who seem to be unclear about the mba's details. the lack of a cd/dvd drive is the main reason i won't get one yet, but an external drive powered by usb is available for $50 us. the mba's price isn't really that high to me. the number of ports is another limitation for some but not for a problem for me. apple's reasoning for no drive, at least in their presentation, is that itunes movie rentals, wireless hardrives, among other things "make the disk unnessary". take that how you will, depending on if you try to work in tomorrow's methods or yesterday/today's. one strong but unsung reason i think we see this mba is as a coming-out party for the smaller intel chip and thin battery which will indicate a new standard for thin notebooks. you all should go back and (re)watch it on apple.com!
i visited nyc's apple store on west 14th street to see jobs' keynote and asked them if they had mba's to see. they said they get them in the stores when they ship. if that's wrong let me know. i suggest you all watch the keynote about the mba. it will clarify much about features and functionality to the many who seem to be unclear about the mba's details. the lack of a cd/dvd drive is the main reason i won't get one yet, but an external drive powered by usb is available for $50 us. the mba's price isn't really that high to me. the number of ports is another limitation for some but not for a problem for me. apple's reasoning for no drive, at least in their presentation, is that itunes movie rentals, wireless hardrives, among other things "make the disk unnessary". take that how you will, depending on if you try to work in tomorrow's methods or yesterday/today's. one strong but unsung reason i think we see this mba is as a coming-out party for the smaller intel chip and thin battery which will indicate a new standard for thin notebooks. you all should go back and (re)watch it on apple.com!
UCLA Brain,
I stand corrected. You are a genius as you have mentioned.
There I was thinking that Apple technology especially its Pro machines were luxury items. You have corrected me and made me understand that they are actually closer to Citroen 2CVs.
The MBA is only going to be bought by people who want to impress others around a table at StarBucks or in a boardroom. Actually, if you pulled a MacBook Air out in a boardroom, the board of directors are likely to laugh their balls off, wondering why you brought in your childs fisher price toy.
I stand corrected. You are a genius as you have mentioned.
There I was thinking that Apple technology especially its Pro machines were luxury items. You have corrected me and made me understand that they are actually closer to Citroen 2CVs.
The MBA is only going to be bought by people who want to impress others around a table at StarBucks or in a boardroom. Actually, if you pulled a MacBook Air out in a boardroom, the board of directors are likely to laugh their balls off, wondering why you brought in your childs fisher price toy.
I usually don't cross post but this one belongs here as well ..
Well, I didn't know which thread to post this in so this one it is.
I've been reading, analzing and thinking about the MBA for weeks now. Was I disappointed? Perhaps. But only because the hype was so huge, and some of the mockups so ... different. This, well, it's nice and small and light, but it's just another laptop at the end of the day. Fits my 'exec' needs as long as I have a heavy lifter at home. For what I do now (consulting), on the road abroad ALL the time, only one laptop to do everything I needed the screen space, the DVD player etc etc etc. But once I have a normal everyday lifestyle, I'd sell my current workhorse and pick up an iMac for home and the MBA (or the next iteration) for work. And I am NOT some crazy mac fan boy or just a star struck exec with money to waste. My machine prior to this was a 12" PB G4 which was great for grad school but once I decided to get into international consulting, I need ONE computer that can do everything and this is it
But ... and here it comes .. (I'm working in Kuwait right now BTW), I just got a call from my CEO, the Director of Network Planning AND the Director of Sales. They've all seen me around the office with my tricked out MBB17, I've tried evangelizing Apple to them, showed them OSX, showed them Parallels, how light my laptop was even when compared to their Windows 15" machines etc etc etc. Nothing worked. When the MBA came out I sent a one line email to my CEO .. the line about it being thinner than the Sony at it's thickest end and the picture.
They were sold. Forget the specs, forget the power of OSX this is one sexy 'I gotta have it' machine and people will buy it. There are now 3 MAC converts. They all have iPods, Apple TVs, iphones etc etc etc but when it comes to computing, Apple still seems 'different'.
It's a brilliant strategy. Get the sexy, some say underpowered machines, into the top execs and watch the IT departments slowly start switching to MacBook's for normal staff, MBP for people who need power and maybe even the XServe. Who knows.
I personally would buy it for logical reasons adding it to a desktop. My execs just bought it purely for sex appeal but there's a little more to it than that .. they truly don't need much power from their laptops. There were orders placed for Sony Viao ultraportables but as of an hour ago, they've switched to the MBA.
Sorry for the long post. Just wanted to share here that this machine meets people's needs and Apple just did with 'sex appeal' what I've been trying to do using logic and hands on demos for 6 months.
Oh, and BTW, even as a second machine I don't really want anything smaller than a 13", even if it has a smaller footprint. This one would let me do real work (spreadsheets, web research, documents, presentations etc) and let me type on a full keyboard. Not to mention, I allready have a briefcase. This is about as big as a legal pad right? I need to carry legal pads, contracts anyway, what good does a smaller footprint do for me?
Carry on
eV
Well, I didn't know which thread to post this in so this one it is.
I've been reading, analzing and thinking about the MBA for weeks now. Was I disappointed? Perhaps. But only because the hype was so huge, and some of the mockups so ... different. This, well, it's nice and small and light, but it's just another laptop at the end of the day. Fits my 'exec' needs as long as I have a heavy lifter at home. For what I do now (consulting), on the road abroad ALL the time, only one laptop to do everything I needed the screen space, the DVD player etc etc etc. But once I have a normal everyday lifestyle, I'd sell my current workhorse and pick up an iMac for home and the MBA (or the next iteration) for work. And I am NOT some crazy mac fan boy or just a star struck exec with money to waste. My machine prior to this was a 12" PB G4 which was great for grad school but once I decided to get into international consulting, I need ONE computer that can do everything and this is it
But ... and here it comes .. (I'm working in Kuwait right now BTW), I just got a call from my CEO, the Director of Network Planning AND the Director of Sales. They've all seen me around the office with my tricked out MBB17, I've tried evangelizing Apple to them, showed them OSX, showed them Parallels, how light my laptop was even when compared to their Windows 15" machines etc etc etc. Nothing worked. When the MBA came out I sent a one line email to my CEO .. the line about it being thinner than the Sony at it's thickest end and the picture.
They were sold. Forget the specs, forget the power of OSX this is one sexy 'I gotta have it' machine and people will buy it. There are now 3 MAC converts. They all have iPods, Apple TVs, iphones etc etc etc but when it comes to computing, Apple still seems 'different'.
It's a brilliant strategy. Get the sexy, some say underpowered machines, into the top execs and watch the IT departments slowly start switching to MacBook's for normal staff, MBP for people who need power and maybe even the XServe. Who knows.
I personally would buy it for logical reasons adding it to a desktop. My execs just bought it purely for sex appeal but there's a little more to it than that .. they truly don't need much power from their laptops. There were orders placed for Sony Viao ultraportables but as of an hour ago, they've switched to the MBA.
Sorry for the long post. Just wanted to share here that this machine meets people's needs and Apple just did with 'sex appeal' what I've been trying to do using logic and hands on demos for 6 months.
Oh, and BTW, even as a second machine I don't really want anything smaller than a 13", even if it has a smaller footprint. This one would let me do real work (spreadsheets, web research, documents, presentations etc) and let me type on a full keyboard. Not to mention, I allready have a briefcase. This is about as big as a legal pad right? I need to carry legal pads, contracts anyway, what good does a smaller footprint do for me?
Carry on
eV
This is total BS.
It's 2008 now.
You are suggesting that in less than 2 years, a MacBook Air user will go through 3 machines because the battery will wear out?
Others have already corrected you on the fact that the battery *is* actually replaceable, but even if it wasn't, it's far more likely that you will still be using the MacBook Air you buy this year in 2010 and still on that first battery as well.
Yes, because it's essential to bring a laptop that can render complex Maya files or crunch multi-layer PS pics to board meetings.
I take my ultraportable Dell (supplied by my company) to board meetings. It is *substantially* less powerful than an MBA. But, like the vast majority of board meetings, the only thing I need it to do is run MS Office and have access to the network. The MBA can obviously do this, so if they did laugh they'd be proven wrong quite soon.
Here's a newsflash for you: board meetings are about strategy. They require documents, not heavy lifting apps - even if the company does work in that area. Do you think companies like Genentech or Pixar do their number crunching in the boardroom?
This parable was done a hundred years ago. The story is usually titled "The Emperor's new Clothes".
No, the parable of the One Eyed Men in the Land of the Blind.
What part of market segmentation don't you get?
LOL Ok, I'm not sure what my post said to you, but it certainly wasn't what I was saying. I have no idea how your post relates to mine.
Excellent post, this is dead on.
People consistently bash every new product apple ships, then most go on to do very well. There has been a huge amount of whining about this, but they'll sell a decent number to the millions of businessmen who do nothing more than read and write documents and emails, and want a small machine to travel with.
And I put my money where my mouth is - the day after this was announced, I bought another chunk of apple stock.
A year from now, people will point to all the bashing threads and laugh at all the people who thought it would flop.
People consistently bash every new product apple ships, then most go on to do very well. There has been a huge amount of whining about this, but they'll sell a decent number to the millions of businessmen who do nothing more than read and write documents and emails, and want a small machine to travel with.
And I put my money where my mouth is - the day after this was announced, I bought another chunk of apple stock.
A year from now, people will point to all the bashing threads and laugh at all the people who thought it would flop.