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To Taper or Not to Taper?

Should Apple add the iconic taper to the MacBook Air?

  • Yes, manilla envelopes for life!

    Votes: 14 26.4%

  • No, the uniform design is more practical.

    Votes: 39 73.6%
  • Total voters
    53
MICHAELSD

MICHAELSD

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
5,491
3,501
NJ
Should the MacBook Air be designed with a taper? It's iconic and a key element of the design.

While more practical and perhaps more solid, thinner even, without the wedge-shaped design I can't help but miss it on the M2 MacBook Air not having owned a MacBook Air before.

I envisioned owning a MacBook Air once it was practical to do so performance-wise and while I'm not disappointed by the fantastic M2 MacBook Air I do still think of the Air as having a design that becomes ridiculously thin at its edge.
 
MICHAELSD said:
Should the MacBook Air be designed with a taper? It's iconic and a key element of the design.

While more practical and perhaps more solid, thinner even, without the wedge-shaped design I can't help but miss it on the M2 MacBook Air not having owned a MacBook Air before.

I envisioned owning a MacBook Air once it was practical to do so performance-wise and while I'm not disappointed by the fantastic M2 MacBook Air I do still think of the Air as having a design that becomes ridiculously thin at its edge.
Click to expand...
It should look like the original design, not the boxy crap design from the early 2000s.
 
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Well, it took the m2 MacBook Air design to finally entice me enough to give the Mac a try and im not looking back now lol
 
just got my M2 air, and i prefer the 'box' to the wedge of the M1 air (which i returned after 2 days).

but yes, it's all subjective. and also yes, apple is in control, so in the moment (and probably a moment that will last for some time)... the 'box' it is.
 
New boxy design is nicer to hold but harder to pick up. I'm fine with the M2 - it's a jewel-like object much as the iPhone 4 was back when it came out.
 
Pros of the tapor:
Looks more impressive.
Allows for the actual computer to be called thinner than it actually ends up being.
Easier to pick up from a table.
Pros of the box:
Allows more components to fit in throughout the entire design.
Uniform thinness throughout the entire body, the thinnest point is the entire computer.
Lifts off the desk.
Easier to open the lid, since the slot is a lot deeper.
 
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Lounge vibes 05 said:
Pros of the tapor:
Looks more impressive.
Allows for the actual computer to be called thinner than it actually ends up being.
Easier to pick up from a table.
Pros of the box:
Allows more components to fit in throughout the entire design.
Uniform thinness throughout the entire body, the thinnest point is the entire computer.
Lifts off the desk.
Easier to open the lid, since the slot is a lot deeper.
Click to expand...
so subjective! i personally think the box looks more impressive, and don't care if someone 'calls' the wedge air 'thinner'. i have no problem picking up the M2 air from a table. i think it's just all what we like or don't like, and it's fine either way.
 
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MICHAELSD said:
Should the MacBook Air be designed with a taper? It's iconic and a key element of the design.

While more practical and perhaps more solid, thinner even, without the wedge-shaped design I can't help but miss it on the M2 MacBook Air not having owned a MacBook Air before.

I envisioned owning a MacBook Air once it was practical to do so performance-wise and while I'm not disappointed by the fantastic M2 MacBook Air I do still think of the Air as having a design that becomes ridiculously thin at its edge.
Click to expand...
I am pretty sure, most of those who have never looked M2 MacBook Air in person and compared with the M1, are voting for the Uniform Design
An Ideal MacBook Air, in my opinion would be the one with Wedge, Thin Bezel and a real good SoC like the new Apple Silicons, this would really look good
 
AbhiAchShan said:
I am pretty sure, most of those who have never looked M2 MacBook Air in person and compared with the M1, are voting for the Uniform Design
An Ideal MacBook Air, in my opinion would be the one with Wedge, Thin Bezel and a real good SoC like the new Apple Silicons, this would really look good
Click to expand...
pretty sure? and that's based on what information?

is there anyone who is unfamiliar with the air wedge design at this point in time? and anyone who has seen a picture of the new air, and/or seen it in person can have an opinion.

the people voting for the 'box' prefer the box, the people who vote for the 'wedge' prefer the wedge. considering there are currently 26 total votes, this in no way represents mac users (or anybody) out in the real world.

i prefer the M2 design to the M1 air i had (for 2 days). others may feel differently. and it still doesn't matter. we can like what we like, poll or no poll.
 
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When I originally heard that Apple was updating the MacBook Air case and removing the taper I wasn’t very inclined to like it. My fear was that Apple was going to replicate the boxy, unsexy design of the MacBook Pro. They didn’t do that. Instead they actually improved the MacBook Air chassis a lot. The new M2 MBA design all the way!
 
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I’m a huge fan of the tapered design and I’m somewhat sad they got rid of it.

However, I saw the new MBAs at the local Apple Store and, to my surprise, they were nice. I like them and if I was in the market for a new laptop, I’d buy one.

(I still voted taper, though)
 
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fisherking said:
pretty sure? and that's based on what information?

is there anyone who is unfamiliar with the air wedge design at this point in time? and anyone who has seen a picture of the new air, and/or seen it in person can have an opinion.

the people voting for the 'box' prefer the box, the people who vote for the 'wedge' prefer the wedge. considering there are currently 26 total votes, this in no way represents mac users (or anybody) out in the real world.

i prefer the M2 design to the M1 air i had (for 2 days). others may feel differently. and it still doesn't matter. we can like what we like, poll or no poll.
Click to expand...
Okay, Sorry Mate for being Harsh👍
 
Honestly, I'm glad the taper is gone. Its design language was falling behind the times compared to the rest of the lineup and needed a refresh. While it did serve a purpose in attracting people to the machine, it was time to move on to showcasing its true strength, what it could do with that slim form factor under the keyboard. Anybody who clings to the past designs should remember that Apple does things to shake up the industry, to drive perceptions of what the future design should be aiming for. I mean without them, we'd still be lugging beige metal boxes all about town.
 
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Sleix said:
Honestly, I'm glad the taper is gone. Its design language was falling behind the times compared to the rest of the lineup and needed a refresh. While it did serve a purpose in attracting people to the machine, it was time to move on to showcasing its true strength, what it could do with that slim form factor under the keyboard. Anybody who clings to the past designs should remember that Apple does things to shake up the industry, to drive perceptions of what the future design should be aiming for. I mean without them, we'd still be lugging beige metal boxes all about town.
Click to expand...
News flash, the taper isn't gone. It's still being sold.
 
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both look great in their own way: the new design looks modern and i'm preferring it too, while the old one has a classy classic look to it.

since i'm new to Macs and i also have that new design with my 16" MBP, i'm happy to have that "old" design too so that i can now pretend that i'm a longtime Apple user 😇😛
 
I really like the old sleek tapered design, for personal use. When dealing with stacks of these machines nothing beats the box design.
 
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