*WWDC Macbook Air Rev D Update Thread* (if it happens) 7-11 June 2010. Likely specs?

[Scottsdale]

Scottsdale -- First, I agree that a 10 hour battery probably isn't in the cards for the MBA, even if Apple should opt to make it slightly thicker and heavier. It would be nice, though, if there were a way to increase its very limited 5 hour battery to 7 or 8 hours. Obviously, though, if that would require increasing the MBA's weight significantly, Apple probably wouldn't do it, and shouldn't in my humble opinion.

My primary point of concern with the MBA, as you know, is its hardwired 2Gb of RAM. Frankly, I don't think even 4Gb of hardwired RAM would be enough to convince me to buy one. If RAM slots could be included, though, even at the expense of a slightly thicker, heavier computer, I would almost certainly buy one. All of this gets back to what we see over and over again in laptop design. Everything is a compromise, with the need for thinness and lightness battling with the need for power. Every time I contemplate this dilemma I come to the same conclusion: there is no free lunch.

I seriously doubt Apple would ever consider going thicker in any way than the current MBA is. In Apple's history of selling Macs, it rarely changes a model/case design in less than three years. I believe we're going to see the "next" MBA case design in January 2011. The question is, will we see a new MBA with the exact same case one more time before then. With Apple's strategy of using one base configuration for five Macs, and with Apple sticking with C2D and Nvidia GPU/chipset in the 13" MBP, I don't think there's any reason not to update the MBA and keep it relevant until the major update next year.

When the MBA gets updated, I agree that Apple might eliminate the tapering. Look at the new iPhone HD design to see what Apple could do with the MBA. It could go thinner in the thickest part and use that one thickness across the entire MBA. But will that be better? I don't know, because the MBA feels like it's 1/4" thick due to the tapering. It might feel like 2/3" all the way across which could feel a lot thicker than the current MBA. With uniform thickness, there would be far less wasted space. However, if anyone takes apart the MBA, they will realize almost zero wasted space in it.

I don't know where Apple is going to take the MBA, but I believe that we will all be seriously disappointed if there's a 10-hour battery in the next MBA. The rumors of an ultra low voltage Arrandale CPU seem baseless given the past and current strategy Apple has used across five Macs including the MBA. In addition, there is the marketing problem of selling a 2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo and moving to a 1.2 or 1.4 GHz Core i7. I just don't believe it would be easy to sell an "upgrade" to a CPU that loses 40% of its clock speed. I still believe when Apple moves beyond C2D it will move to the replacement CPU for the SL9x00 which is the low voltage Core i7-6x0LM. At 25W, Apple could turn off the HD GMA and save 8W, then use a dedicated ATI solution to get the MBA at 29W or less, and maybe even use a different cooling system to achieve such a feat.

I just have to believe that Apple will keep the MBA fully primary Mac capable. Moving to ultra low voltage or sticking us with Intel HD GMA wouldn't be that far from just selling us a damned iPad. Surely Apple wants to keep these products as different as possible to ensure the luxury price tag on the MBA. One last thing, I truly believe we're in for a price update that adds as much as $300 to the high-end MBA. A $1999 high-end MBA seems most likely, and I believe Apple will reward those willing to spend more money with a larger SSD and some other advantage in spending more money... and I hope it's an HD IPS display. It just makes sense in charging a premium for such an MBA, and I think Apple will sell more MBAs than ever before if it just gets the MBA to 4 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD. I would love two RAM slots, but I believe we will have to wait for a newly designed MBA to get such a luxury.

 

[gwsat]

Scottsdale -- I could live with even a $300 price bump for the MBA if it included a larger SSD and significantly more RAM. Only 4Gb of RAM and a price of $1,999, though, would be a deal breaker for me. A significantly more expensive MBA would have to have at least 6Gb of RAM. As I have said before, I would line up to buy such an upgraded MBA on day one.

 

[halledise]

My primary point of concern with the MBA, as you know, is its hardwired 2Gb of RAM. Frankly, I don't think even 4Gb of hardwired RAM would be enough to convince me to buy one.

4 gb of memory is more than sufficient for the tasks that one would perform on an Air.
Goodness me, 4 gb of memory is sufficient for most if not all tasks on a MB Pro or iMac.
to go to or demand 8 gb is simply a case of 'my dick's bigger than yours' when it comes to 95% of tasks the people do - excluding perhaps video manipulation.

in which case one may as well buy a Mac Pro.

sure additional memory helps but it's not all about RAM - it's about the combination of cpu speed / graphics speed-capabilities / bus speed / HDD speed etc as prior posts have alluded to.

 

[jdechko]

4 gb of memory is more than sufficient for the tasks that one would perform on an Air.
Goodness me, 4 gb of memory is sufficient for most if not all tasks on a MB Pro or iMac.
to go to or demand 8 gb is simply a case of 'my dick's bigger than yours' when it comes to 95% of tasks the people do - excluding perhaps video manipulation.

in which case one may as well buy a Mac Pro.

sure additional memory helps but it's not all about RAM - it's about the combination of cpu speed / graphics speed-capabilities / bus speed / HDD speed etc as prior posts have alluded to.

Virtual Machines? The majority of the people clamoring for 4+ GB want to run more than one OS at a time. They're generally not editing videos, music or photos as you might guess. But they'd surely like to be able to allocate more than 1GB each to OS X and Windows 7.

 

[gwsat]

4 gb of memory is more than sufficient for the tasks that one would perform on an Air.
Goodness me, 4 gb of memory is sufficient for most if not all tasks on a MB Pro or iMac.
to go to or demand 8 gb is simply a case of 'my dick's bigger than yours' when it comes to 95% of tasks the people do - excluding perhaps video manipulation.

in which case one may as well buy a Mac Pro.

sure additional memory helps but it's not all about RAM - it's about the combination of cpu speed / graphics speed-capabilities / bus speed / HDD speed etc as prior posts have alluded to.

I run VMware Fusion and Windows 7 in Unity mode with two or more Windows apps always open on the OS X desktop, along with 3, 4, or 5 OS X apps. I am a member of VMware's beta testing group for Fusion 3.1. I have raised this issue in several VMware Forum threads and nobody has said that 4Gb of RAM would handle those kinds of stresses. Several posters have said that 4Gb is inadequate for such uses. In fact, 6Gb of RAM causes things to be a little slow on my MBP sometimes but never unstable. Unless I can configure an MBA to be my go to computer, as my MBP is now, I can't use it. Thus, 4Gb of RAM wouldn't work or me. Sad, but there it is.

 

[gwsat]

Virtual Machines? The majority of the people clamoring for 4+ GB want to run more than one OS at a time. They're generally not editing videos, music or photos as you might guess. But they'd surely like to be able to allocate more than 1GB each to OS X and Windows 7.

Indeed, you anticipated my last post. I have half of my RAM, 3Gb, dedicated to my Windows 7 virtual machine and it's still a little slow, although not unstable. I have reluctantly concluded that 6Gb or RAM is the absolute minimum necessary for my setup.

 

[jdechko]

gwsat, it's unfortunate that an Air likely won't ever truly work for you, but at least you are aware of the limitations from the computer. What is truly unfortunate is those who look at the Macbook Air as a toy simply because it does not, and cannot, fulfill their computing needs, and those who want a Mac Pro just to show off.

In my current situation, I can't even say that I need more than 2GB of RAM at any one point, but I'd still rather not buy an Air with less than 4GB because I know that in the future, 2GB will be limiting (just as 384MB was on my last laptop). In the future, my computing needs will likely change, and I'll have to evaluate the different options at that time.

 

[gwsat]

gwsat, it's unfortunate that an Air likely won't ever truly work for you, but at least you are aware of the limitations from the computer. What is truly unfortunate is those who look at the Macbook Air as a toy simply because it does not, and cannot, fulfill their computing needs, and those who want a Mac Pro just to show off.

In my current situation, I can't even say that I need more than 2GB of RAM at any one point, but I'd still rather not buy an Air with less than 4GB because I know that in the future, 2GB will be limiting (just as 384MB was on my last laptop). In the future, my computing needs will likely change, and I'll have to evaluate the different options at that time.

I think the biggest mistake a prospective buyer could make would be to buy an MBA without first determining whether it could do the job the buyer needed it to do. I agree with the conventional wisdom that the MBA's RAM will probably be upgraded to no more than 4Gb. Alas, that wouldn't work for me. Curses! Maybe next year's update, whatever it turns out to be will solve the problem for me. I can only hope so.

 

[Scottsdale]

4 gb of memory is more than sufficient for the tasks that one would perform on an Air.
Goodness me, 4 gb of memory is sufficient for most if not all tasks on a MB Pro or iMac.
to go to or demand 8 gb is simply a case of 'my dick's bigger than yours' when it comes to 95% of tasks the people do - excluding perhaps video manipulation.

in which case one may as well buy a Mac Pro.

sure additional memory helps but it's not all about RAM - it's about the combination of cpu speed / graphics speed-capabilities / bus speed / HDD speed etc as prior posts have alluded to.

I agree. Anyone needing more than 4 GB of RAM isn't going to get it anytime soon from an MBA. I don't even think it's within the realm of acceptability to expect it from the next MBA (4 GB absolutely, two RAM slots not going to happen). If it had two RAM slots, I would upgrade to 8 GB of RAM so Apple could get an extra $500 from me (or whatever they charge). But I expect and would be ecstatic with 4 GB of RAM soldered to the board.

It's going to take a new design and board to get two RAM slots in this thing, and Apple needs it designed so RAM is the first thing visible when removing the bottom case... it's really not going to happen! I really think it's absurd to wait for a 8 GB RAM MBA (6 GB of RAM isn't going to ever happen as it's an odd number that the old MBPs could accept up to unofficially). The point would be Gwsat, that you might as well take yourself off the "Planning to buy MBA upon update list."

Jdechko - I completely agree with your statement of why people want 4 GB of RAM. Most running just OS X would be completely fine with 2 GB of RAM. Most of us that want to run multiple OSes in a VM need more than 2 GB of RAM.

Of course 4 GB of RAM is more than enough for both OS X and Windows 7, Gwsat. It's really not going to happen that you will get your magical 6 GB of RAM in an MBA before or at WWDC. You might as well come back to the boards in Early 2011 and hope for two RAM slots.

 

[gwsat]

Scottsdale -- I have expressed my agreement in several earlier posts to various threads that Apple probably won't upgrade the MBA's RAM beyond 4Gb anytime before a significant redesign takes place. I agree that it's possible to run OS X and Windows with only 4Gb of RAM. Unfortunately, though, 4Gb of RAM is insufficient to run Fusion in Unity mode in order to have several Windows programs open on the OS X desktop along with several OS X programs.

I'm going to continue to watch and wait to see what happens to the MBA over the coming months. Fortunately, AppleCare on my current go to machine, an MBP, has almost a year to run and my iPad has turned out to be surprisingly good as a walking around lightweight for Web surfing and for watching Netflix streaming. Thus, I am in in no particular hurry to get another ultra portable. Still, hope springs eternal that Apple, somehow some way, will ultimately offer an MBA that I can use.

 

[Scottsdale]

Scottsdale -- I have expressed my agreement in several earlier posts to various threads that Apple probably won't upgrade the MBA's RAM beyond 4Gb anytime before a significant redesign takes place. I agree that it's possible to run OS X and Windows with only 4Gb of RAM. Unfortunately, though, 4Gb of RAM is insufficient to run Fusion in Unity mode in order to have several Windows programs open on the OS X desktop along with several OS X programs.

I'm going to continue to watch and wait to see what happens to the MBA over the coming months. Fortunately, AppleCare on my current go to machine, an MBP, has almost a year to run and my iPad has turned out to be surprisingly good as a walking around lightweight for Web surfing and for watching Netflix streaming. Thus, I am in in no particular hurry to get another ultra portable. Still, hope springs eternal that Apple, somehow some way, will ultimately offer an MBA that I can use.

At the end of the day I seriously hope you get the MBA you want sooner rather than later. I really would LOVE 8 GB of RAM in an MBA, and I would pay more than $500 to get that upgrade. If they offered 8 GB in a BTO configuration that had to be soldered to the board for $999 upgrade, I would do it. I just feel like an MBA with 8 GB of RAM would last for three years for me... and that's a problem for Apple. It always gives INCREMENTAL upgrades. I see 4 GB now, and maybe if everything goes right, 8 GB in the first version in a new model/case design. Apple would definitely benefit from people like us who would pay ridiculously for the exact luxuries we want from an MBA. I get why Apple removed the BTO options from the MBA last June to get costs down for those wishing to buy the MBA as a secondary Mac, but I expect BTO options to make a comeback in the next MBA... and prices to go up also. I really hope you get the 8 GB capable MBA you want whether it's soldered to the board or via two RAM slots.

As far as Fusion Unity mode, I really don't know about all of that. Unfortunately, with the MBA I don't have any option to run both OSes at the same time. I wish I knew those troubles because it would mean an MBA that meets those requirements, ha ha. I just didn't know we needed 8 GB to do that. In all honesty, I will probably open up Windows via Fusion or Parallels a few days per week. I will only then boot into Windows a day or two per month. I hope that Apple allowing third-party access to h.264 for developers of HD apps and Flash gets me out of the habit of needing or wanting to go into Windows 7. I really like 7 but it's not as clean or fun as OS X. I once used Parallels with an aluminum MB, and it was great for the limited uses back then, but I will get all of the details from you and a few other members about running VMs as soon as we get a 4 GB RAM MBA. I hope that will be one of the next three Tuesdays or more likely WWDC in a month.

 

[gwsat]

Scottsdale -- After I read your previous post and posted my response to it last night I started thinking about ways to get by with an MBA with only 4Gb of RAM and may have come up with something. My constant need for Windows stems from my reliance on Quicken 2010 for Windows. I use it constantly, not only to enter and track financial transactions but to consult concerning what I bought earlier. It occurred to me that I might be able to get by without Fusion's Unity mode by having only Quicken open in Windows most of the time. If I could get by with leaving Fusion running with Windows and Quicken loaded, although not in Unity mode, it might work. I am going to experiment with various configurations on my MBP and see what the changes do. I cannot overstate how delighted I would be to come up with a workaround that would allow me to get by with 4Gb of RAM and still have my Quicken for Windows app as readily available as it is now.

 

[Santabean2000]

I think you've hit the proverbial nail on its head here.

Anyone see a 15" MBA option in the next major redesign?

 

[jdechko]

gwsat, I was wondering if you had ever thought about doing some major tweaking your Windows install? There are programs (nlite and vlite, for XP and Vista/7, respectively) that will take a windows installation disk and remove unneeded features. The output is an ISO that you can burn to CD or transfer to a flash drive to install.

I've actually created a small enough Vista install that it runs okay with 256MB of RAM, and only requires about 3GB of disk space.

If you're running only 1 program, it might be worth it to take a look.

 

[gwsat]

jdechko -- Thanks for your suggestion. I have been experimenting with some changed settings in Fusion and am encouraged. I have reduced the amount of RAM dedicated to the Win 7 vm from 3Gb to 1Gb. Nevertheless, the Win 7 Performance Index score is only marginally lower than it was when I devoted 3Gb of RAM to Windows. VMware has upgraded Fusion 3.1 beta to 3.1 Release Candidate and it runs much faster than the beta version did. I am a little more optimistic about being able to tweak my setup in a way that would let me do what I needed done on an MBA with 4Gb of RAM. I hope that's not wishful thinking.

In addition to Quicken, I am also running the Oxford English Dictionary on CD in Windows. My version is very old, so a kludge was required to make it work. Despite its Rube Goldberg aspects, the OED runs well in Fusion and the ability to keep it open on the OS X desktop has been a pleasure. The OED, though, is a luxury, not an absolute necessity. Thus, I would gladly jettison it from an MBA setup if I could get Fusion, Win 7, and Quicken to work well on it with 4Gb of RAM.

 

[pharmx]

I'd love to see the new Intel SSD in the next update as well. Not sure how long before they are released, supposedly this year though. Double the drive space for the same price, although I'm not sure how much of that savings will be passed on. I guess it will also depend on if Apple still has a stockpile of the Toshiba drives.

 

[jdechko]

jdechko -- Thanks for your suggestion. I have been experimenting with some changed settings in Fusion and am encouraged. I have reduced the amount of RAM dedicated to the Win 7 vm from 3Gb to 1Gb. Nevertheless, the Win 7 Performance Index score is only marginally lower than it was when I devoted 3Gb of RAM to Windows. VMware has upgraded Fusion 3.1 beta to 3.1 Release Candidate and it runs much faster than the beta version did. I am a little more optimistic about being able to tweak my setup in a way that would let me do what I needed done on an MBA with 4Gb of RAM. I hope that's not wishful thinking.

Tweaking the VM is certainly one way. I was actually talking more about tweaking Windows itself. For instance, using Aero takes up a lot of system resources, so you could disable it altogether.

This site is kind of geeky and may not be something you want to touch, but it's got a great guide for tweaking windows services (which affects resources and performance).

http://www.blackviper.com/Windows_7/servicecfg.htm

 

[gwsat]

Tweaking the VM is certainly one way. I was actually talking more about tweaking Windows itself. For instance, using Aero takes up a lot of system resources, so you could disable it altogether.

This site is kind of geeky and may not be something you want to touch, but it's got a great guide for tweaking windows services (which affects resources and performance).

http://www.blackviper.com/Windows_7/servicecfg.htm

Blackviper is a nerd after my own heart, so I found his suggestions concerning Win7 tweaks to be fascinating. I will certainly keep that in mind when and if I get an MBA with 4Gb of RAM. For the moment, however, I am becoming more optimistic all the time that I might be able to make 4Gb work by dedicating only 1Gb to the Win7 VM. So far , at least, the Fusion Win 7 setup is working well on 1Gb of RAM, even with Aero and 3d engaged, and Fusion set to Unity mode. As noted in an earlier post, Win 7's system performance numbers turned out to be virtually the same with 1Gb of RAM as they had been with 3Gb.

 

[ChemGolf]

I'm keen on buying a MBA this summer as well. My guess for the next update (at WWDC the latest): same as current model but 4 GB RAM, option for 256 SSD and/or UMTS modem with micro SIM card slot just as the iPad has one. I would definitely go for all that

 

[roxygal9]

jdechko -- Thanks for your suggestion. I have been experimenting with some changed settings in Fusion and am encouraged. I have reduced the amount of RAM dedicated to the Win 7 vm from 3Gb to 1Gb. Nevertheless, the Win 7 Performance Index score is only marginally lower than it was when I devoted 3Gb of RAM to Windows. VMware has upgraded Fusion 3.1 beta to 3.1 Release Candidate and it runs much faster than the beta version did. I am a little more optimistic about being able to tweak my setup in a way that would let me do what I needed done on an MBA with 4Gb of RAM. I hope that's not wishful thinking.

In addition to Quicken, I am also running the Oxford English Dictionary on CD in Windows. My version is very old, so a kludge was required to make it work. Despite its Rube Goldberg aspects, the OED runs well in Fusion and the ability to keep it open on the OS X desktop has been a pleasure. The OED, though, is a luxury, not an absolute necessity. Thus, I would gladly jettison it from an MBA setup if I could get Fusion, Win 7, and Quicken to work well on it with 4Gb of RAM.

Can I ask, if you don't mind, why you run the Oxford English Dictionary? Is this for your legal career or something else?

I am hoping we see a MBA update soon. I am in between the 13MBP/MBA at this point. I need 4 GB RAM/192 or 256 SSD and the current processor/GPU are fine for me. THough no glass trackpad on the MBA may be a deal breaker the one on the air currently seems kinda cheap feeling....

 

[gwsat]

Can I ask, if you don't mind, why you run the Oxford English Dictionary? Is this for your legal career or something else?

I am hoping we see a MBA update soon. I am in between the 13MBP/MBA at this point. I need 4 GB RAM/192 or 256 SSD and the current processor/GPU are fine for me. THough no glass trackpad on the MBA may be a deal breaker the one on the air currently seems kinda cheap feeling....

The Unabridged OED is the ultimate source for definitions and usage examples. I have used it for so long, it has spoiled me. I bought it so long ago, online from Barnes & Noble, the record of the transaction is not even in my Quicken archives.

In order to avoid the necessity of keeping the OED CD in my MBP's optical drive all the time, I had to copy it on to a virtual drive and then install a third party .exe file to make it run. None of that was fun but now it's all pretty seamless and I can load the OED in Win 7 and run it from the OS X desktop.

I could live with the older model trackpad if Apple left it on the MBA because that's what my MBP has. It is certainly not as elegant as the glass trackpad but it works pretty well nonetheless. What I couldn't live with, though, would be only 2Gb of non upgradeable RAM.

 

[Scottsdale]

The Unabridged OED is the ultimate source for definitions and usage examples. I have used it for so long, it has spoiled me. I bought it so long ago, online from Barnes & Noble, the record of the transaction is not even in my Quicken archives.

In order to avoid the necessity of keeping the OED CD in my MBP's optical drive all the time, I had to copy it on to a virtual drive and then install a third party .exe file to make it run. None of that was fun but now it's all pretty seamless and I can load the OED in Win 7 and run it from the OS X desktop.

I could live with the older model trackpad if Apple left it on the MBA because that's what my MBP has. It is certainly not as elegant as the glass trackpad but it works pretty well nonetheless. What I couldn't live with, though, would be only 2Gb of non upgradeable RAM.

Ever consider the OED online edition? I have access through a university program, and it's accessible from a Mac. I cannot imagine a personal access membership is too costly. I also believe there's a version for the Mac. If I remember correctly, I recently got a flyer with software for educational faculty that had the OED on disk, and I am pretty sure there were both Windows and Mac versions of the very latest OED. I was very surprised how low the pricing was too, at least for educators.

So am I correct in reading that you only use Windows for OED and Quicken? That seems unfortunate. I suppose many people are using Windows for such apps that don't have a Mac version or the Mac versions just don't compare to their Windows counterparts. Most of these people just stick with Windows because it's easier to just have Windows which runs the vast majority of apps written. It is really a pain to be a Mac OS X user/fan at times. Sometimes it amazes me just how much us Mac fans will go through when it's really a Windows world. It's just too bad that we have to install Windows at all.

 

[pharmx]

...
It is really a pain to be a Mac OS X user/fan at times. Sometimes it amazes me just how much us Mac fans will go through when it's really a Windows world. It's just too bad that we have to install Windows at all.

It doesn't have to be that way...all Apple has to do is get more quality developers interested in developing for the Mac platform. We might see an interesting shift in the future though, if the influx of developers from the iPhone OS market cause a spillover into greater interest in developing for Mac OS X. I guess it depends on what Apple's long term goals are with respect to their product lines.

 

[MartiNZ]

It doesn't have to be that way...all Apple has to do is get more quality developers interested in developing for the Mac platform. We might see an interesting shift in the future though, if the influx of developers from the iPhone OS market cause a spillover into greater interest in developing for Mac OS X. I guess it depends on what Apple's long term goals are with respect to their product lines.

I feel it is more likely that iDevice development will be moved to native instead, reducing the need for the Mac in any form.

 

[gwsat]

Ever consider the OED online edition? I have access through a university program, and it's accessible from a Mac. I cannot imagine a personal access membership is too costly. I also believe there's a version for the Mac. If I remember correctly, I recently got a flyer with software for educational faculty that had the OED on disk, and I am pretty sure there were both Windows and Mac versions of the very latest OED. I was very surprised how low the pricing was too, at least for educators.

So am I correct in reading that you only use Windows for OED and Quicken? That seems unfortunate. I suppose many people are using Windows for such apps that don't have a Mac version or the Mac versions just don't compare to their Windows counterparts. Most of these people just stick with Windows because it's easier to just have Windows which runs the vast majority of apps written. It is really a pain to be a Mac OS X user/fan at times. Sometimes it amazes me just how much us Mac fans will go through when it's really a Windows world. It's just too bad that we have to install Windows at all.

Unfortunately a subscription to the online edition of the OED costs $29 a month or $295 a year. That's more than the OS X version would be, Amazon has it for $226. Thus, I'll stick with my old version for awhile, at least. I worked in academia for some years but no longer do, so I would have to get an individual subscription to the OED Online.

Unfortunately, Quicken for Windows is still the only game in town. The OS X version sucks and the online version is worse than that. Mint.com has given online money management the college try but it is a pale imitation of the real thing. This is a good illustration of the truth of what you have said about the paucity of OS X apps. The main reason i stick with Macs, though, is that the 17 inch Powerbook G4, which I bought 7 years ago, and the 17 inch MBP I bought to replace it two years ago are both exponentially superior to the dozens of DOS and Windows computers I have used over the course of many years.

I once used the entire Office suite for Windows, as well as WordPerfect. I still use WP once in awhile but these days I mostly use Office for OS X, as well as other native OS X programs such as Address Book, iCal, and Mail.

Actually, except for Fusion and Windows being such resource hogs, I am pretty happy with my current setup. I finally have everything configured so that I can run Windows apps as easily as I can OS X apps.