Xiaomi Surprises With MacBook Lookalike 'Mi Notebook Air'

[8692574]

You must be using a different version of OSX than me. I've never experienced a version of any OS that didn't have issues. Maybe you're "misremembering" a little bit. As far as drivers and crashes go... you lost me there bro. Malware, I'd agree with there. Although anecdotally, I haven't had any malware on my PC's in about 10 years.

You are using it wrong

 

[camnchar]

They can't even come up with an original name.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

On topic: I find it funny that, to me, Xiaomi just out Apple'd Apple. By that I mean, they took the basic premise of the MB and totally improved the practicality of it. Apple usually lets others jump in with both feet. Then they follow up with a more developed idea. This time it's Xiaomi watching Apple take the leap with the MB and following up with a more developed idea.

Is that not how it's been going for a few years now... the sense of what was formally derided as copycats making inferior tech to the copycats appearing to "catch up..." and then step ahead? I recall "us" deriding NFC when copycats added it. I recall us pounding away at "gimmicks" that "99% don't want" such as waterproofing and wireless charging; but now we spin rationalization for jettisoning headphone jacks due to those very same benefits. I recall us ripping into competitors with more than one model of anything with "fragmentation" and the miseries therein for their programmers. The infamous "10th anniversary iPhone" getting features like a curved screen, OLED screens, etc have us looking forward to stuff the copycats already have too.

I think you are exactly right here. Apple used to have this halo of being out front which now feels like that's mostly lost and they need to catch up all across the product lines. It wasn't necessarily because they really were out front but more so because they proved pretty good at putting hardware together in ways that had "enough" to give us all something to bite into (pay up... and rationalize how much we paid). Now, "we" seem to be increasingly stretching the spin to try to rationalize sticking around... "because Apple isn't usually first, but they do it right."

Hopefully whatever has seemed to be distracting Apple for the last few years is about to roll out. OR, hopefully Apple leadership starts feeling the heat and delegates more decision-making authority to others more focused on updating the individual products in the lines. Either way, competition is good. Seeing what could be and pressures of falling sales can sometimes light fires to at least be more competitive. Else, goodwill and brand loyalty can only be ridden so far. Ignore the lines too long and the new money will start flowing somewhere else (see countless popular brands before that roared toward the top and then appeared to stall).

 

[orthorim]

Those are two beautiful notebooks. In my opinion.

In my opinion, the only thing Xiaomi truly rips off perfectly is Apple's product presentation.

The products themselves are not even close in fit, finish, thoughtfulness. They're basically taking a design masterpiece and making a cheap knock-off. Looks similar only from a distance, as you get closer it's really disappointing. Then again, it's way cheaper than Apple stuff so one shouldn't be surprised - the cost savings have to come from somewhere.

I expect these notebooks to be no different.

I have held and inspected various Mi phones and this was true for every one of them. Next to an iPhone, they're crap - doesn't compare.

I bought a Xiaomi power bank, or two - the 5,000 maH version, and the 10k version. They're OK - nothing is horribly wrong with them. But they are not nearly as nice as they look in the promo shots, and they are very obviously not Apple products - there's blinky LEDs where there shouldn't be, weird buttons, sharp aluminium corners that, in hindsight, make these a usability nightmare (they scratch up your phone - whoops!).

The point is, in the promo shots these looks like Apple products. In real life, they look like any random chinese product.

 

[LordQ]

Apple is killing off the MacBook?

Everything seems to point towards the end of the Air lineup—MacBook and iPad.

 

[Glassed Silver]

To be frank, if Apple continues to slack and screw as much as they have been doing for so long now I wouldn't even mind getting a copy cat Macbook-lookalike from Xiaomi some day when I need a laptop.

Why? Whilst I see that Apple's design is beautiful, I really don't think they are filling it with much anymore.
So if they don't care about making their laptops worthwhile, why would I try to shoehorn their weak lineup into my needs?

Now granted, it takes a little more to convince me to get such a laptop, for example I'd love to know a couple of technical details first, mostly concerning repairability, but if things match up and reviews are solid I may keep an eye on this laptop.
Emphasis on may, because I'd still compare at the time of buying.

Oh and whether or not they launch over here isn't that much of a big deal, there's plenty of importing options or shops that sell them with national shipping pre-imported. (latter at least here in Europe, I assume those laptops might make it to the Banggood US warehouse. Ignore their name, they are a solid seller.)

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[jonnysods]

How could anyone be surprised by a Chinese manufacturer ripping off a design from another manufacturer?

 

[coolfactor]

Wow. Just a few weeks ago I was looking at HP and DELL laptops and some Hackintosh forums just to see what it would be like, just in case Apple doesn't update the Macs and keeps the silly price.

Just think of this. $1600 for a 500 Gig SSD Macbook, $1500 for 500 Gig SSD Macbook Air or $2000 for a 500 Gig Macbook Pro. What are they smoking over there in Cupertino? If they keep milking the old products I will switch to a Hackintosh. There are enough nice and powerful PCs now.

People sometimes forget the millions that they pour into software development and then GIVE AWAY for free as part of the package. If you had to purchase software to match what a Mac comes with, you'd be at or above that price range, easy... if that software even existed and worked as well.

 

[inhalexhale1]

Apple is killing off the MacBook?

Probably meant the air

 

[TechZeke]

On topic: I find it funny that, to me, Xiaomi just out Apple'd Apple. By that I mean, they took the basic premise of the MB and totally improved the practicality of it. Apple usually lets others jump in with both feet. Then they follow up with a more developed idea. This time it's Xiaomi watching Apple take the leap with the MB and following up with a more developed idea.

Apple seems more concerned with making a statement than actually making practical laptops.

They can't even come up with an original name.

The funny part is that these look allot more like a 13" rMBP than a MBA.

 

[pokerplayer73]

Buying a new one is what I'm suggesting. At only $540, it's not that much more than Applecare at $249 and you get a new one instead of a repaired old one. Nothing against Applecare or Apple service here- just pointing out that for less than the cost of an Apple phone or some iPad, this pricing buys a whole new laptop... or for about 2X Applecare, it buys a whole new laptop.

If I'm taking a poke at something, I'm probably taking a poke at relative pricing of both laptops.

Well, price is only relative if it is sold in the same market. $540 for m3 processor in China. In US, it will be much more. There is a reason they don't sell here. There is a lot of margin added in US related to Product Marketing, regulatory approvals, etc. Add to that the fear of getting sued. No way that laptop will sell for 540 here

Also, 8GB MacBook Air was selling for $800 in BestBuy this Monday, which is the current version. Not a bad deal and not that far off from RMB4999 for the i5 machine.

 

[JackANSI]

MacBook batteries are great. Stop stretching.

And they only have industry standard ports.

I will have to agree mostly agree... The battery on Apple laptops is mostly adequate. My Early 2011 MBP still holds enough charge to do 5 hours of work after 596 cycles. I've never had a laptop battery go that distance before, ever.

I don't think for a second that it's magic, it's probably the OS getting better at power management and Apple probably sourced good batteries (least they could do for the price, am I right? )

----------

As soon as these Xiaomi's hit Aliexpress, I'm getting one and retiring my MBP. I'm done with Macs, this one put the nail in that coffin. (Unless Apple puts out something that I don't have to compromise to use)

 

[Taipan]

They could at least have the decency to not copy most of the name.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

They could at least have the decency to not copy most of the name.

Its probably why they have a hard time expanding. Think of the law suits in legit countries.

 

[n-evo]

Windows 10 > MacOS

Only haters will say anything different.

All of Windows 10' build-in apps are complete trash compared to what comes with macOS. The other day I wanted to annotate something in a PDF on Windows 10 and I had to go through this:

http://www.techradar.com/how-to/sof...s/how-to-work-with-pdfs-in-windows-10-1307513

On my MacBook Pro I simply double-click the PDF, which opens Preview instantly, and hit the annotate tool. Windows 10's apps have countless other issues like that, none of the build-in Universal apps offer the same features as the macOS counterparts do. Hell, Windows 10 Mail doesn't even allow me to view two emails side-by-side. The out-of-the-box app experience alone makes macOS a lot better in my opinion.

 

[Scottsoapbox]

If they really were copying Apple it wouldn't have all those industry standard ports and would have removed the entire battery if necessary to make it 1mm thinner than the last one.

MacBook batteries are great. Stop stretching.

Apple products MUST get thinner. If functionality has to be reduced in pursuit of this goal so be it, because Apple products MUST get thinner.

If you haven't noticed this then you haven't been paying attention.

 

[9081094]

Apple is not innovating anymore, and it shows, competitors are copying "old products" and "old products names" nowadays....

As they're both build in China it's the more obvious for me that Apple is becoming the Prada and Gucci of the computer industry. You buy a brand and by buying Apple you can show off how successful you are by not having to look at the cost. Apple computer the brand where I used to be very proud of is losing their soul as a company and only hunting for profits today.

 

[djlythium]

And now we know where companies get those generic laptops to use in their advertisements.

 

[lra108]

Whats up with LG, Xiaomi making their laptops almost an exact replica of a macbook? Just as Dell and HP are finding their own design language for their laptops.

Look at it. Its as if the Xiaomi designers just don't even bother anymore

 

[44267547]

It's ironic this article about Xiaomi is published a day later after Apple's earnings and lack of MacBook Pro's.

 

[GhostRaider]

If it wasn't for the display, I think this would have nailed it.

 

[rolsskk]

Windows 10 > MacOS

Only haters will say anything different.

Ummm...yeah. If it's so great, why does Microsoft force it on everyone?

 

[Sylvan]

Windows 10 > MacOS

Only haters will say anything different.

Eh, I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's better than MacOS. I do like it though. I use both Windows 10 and MacOS at home, although I spend most of my time in El Capitan because I enjoy using it more. I usually only boot into Windows to play games.

 

[newyorkone]

Shameless hardware bootleggers who are incapable of an ounce of original, creative thought.

 

[mi7chy]

Macbook copied early 2000 Sony magnesium VAIO. Considering both Xiaomi and Macbooks are Made in China I'll take the one with more functionality and lower profit margin. Bonus if it has touch screen.