The standard config of 2 GB is stupid. All other Apple laptops ship with 4 GB, you have to pay another $100 for 4 on the Air, and it means BTO only for 4GB, and no retailers, including Apple stores, have them in stock. Idiotic and annoying. I would have had a loaded 13" already if not for this foolishness.
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2 GB is stupid Apple
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There have been lots of threads around here about the fact that Apple stores are carrying loaded versions of the MBA at retail, both 11" and 13" versions. It does seem to vary by area a bit but lots of stores have them.
There have been lots of threads around here about the fact that Apple stores are carrying loaded versions of the MBA at retail, both 11" and 13" versions. It does seem to vary by area a bit but lots of stores have them.
2 GB is enough for most!!
My lord, if i keep seeing post like this i may vomit! lol
honestly, you all need to understand that the 2gb is not equivalent to other mac or any pc models for that matter. $100 is NOT that much money for most any mac customer. Everyone knows that apple can make a lot of money from these $100 upgrades even thought you don't even need it!
My lord, if i keep seeing post like this i may vomit! lol
honestly, you all need to understand that the 2gb is not equivalent to other mac or any pc models for that matter. $100 is NOT that much money for most any mac customer. Everyone knows that apple can make a lot of money from these $100 upgrades even thought you don't even need it!
2 gig as a BTO to deliver on the headline price point and 4 gig as the base configs in shops might have been a better option
I think it's smarter to offer a $999 base price so using 2 GB RAM allowed that... while a $1099 starting MBA with 4 GB RAM seems like a higher price to all. This way Apple isn't forcing people to spend $1099 if they don't need 4 GB RAM.
I think it was a great move. The only problem arrises when stores don't have them in stock with multiple configurations, but it sounds like Apple is trying its darndest to keep all of them in stock.
When I went to the Apple store a week after they were introduced, I saw six people leaving with MBAs in less than 20 minutes. They had all four configurations in stock also... 2 GB RAM 11" for $999 and ultimate 11" and 2 GB RAM 13" and ultimate 13" MBAs. I think these MBAs are selling better than ever and I think that's because it seems like a great price at $999, although most will spend more when they get to the store.
I think Apple knows its market better than us Mac lovers. $999 for a Mac seems like an anomaly anyways.
I think it was a great move. The only problem arrises when stores don't have them in stock with multiple configurations, but it sounds like Apple is trying its darndest to keep all of them in stock.
When I went to the Apple store a week after they were introduced, I saw six people leaving with MBAs in less than 20 minutes. They had all four configurations in stock also... 2 GB RAM 11" for $999 and ultimate 11" and 2 GB RAM 13" and ultimate 13" MBAs. I think these MBAs are selling better than ever and I think that's because it seems like a great price at $999, although most will spend more when they get to the store.
I think Apple knows its market better than us Mac lovers. $999 for a Mac seems like an anomaly anyways.
I have a dell mini 10v hackintosh and a mac mini both have 2gb of ram and to be honest, I've not had any issues with paging or performance. Granted in both cases, I'm doing "normal" work. Office apps, surfing, emailing and letting my kids use the computer for education software.
I'm NOT running vmware, photoshop, aperture or other demanding apps. 2GB for the 11" MBA is not stupid as it will suffice for the majority of the needs. Apple also provides an option to get the 4GB so instead of whining about 2GB, just buy the 4GB model
I would have liked the 128GB version of the 11" to have 4GB standard. I would have bought one yesterday in store if that was the case 
x2, this is small and light ultraportable. You don't use for Photoshop, or Final Cut. You use for reading emails, web browsings, and watching videos. For those casual computer tasks, 2 GB of memory is plenty.
I know, I have a brand new Mac Mini that came with 2 GB. It's attached to TV in my living room, and used for the these casual tasks. It works great, no slowness, I'm glad I didn't waste money upgrading to 4 GB.
I agree with some of your points, but you are misleading people by giving away wrong information.
1. Macbook still comes with 2GB ram. It doesn't come with 4GB. White macbook is not part of MBA line up. You said all other apple laptops. Wrong information!
2. I agree with 13 inch should have 4GB, but 11 inch is different story. MBA is so thin and it is thinner than any netbooks. Most of netbooks still don't come with 4GB.
3. If you whining about price, you are paying for a brand and performance in laptop that is so slim and thin.
I have the previous gen air with "just" 2GB ram and I really don't find it any sort of a limitation. For most users using it to create documents, do work, browse the internet, watch movies and listen to music, 2gb is more than enough. I agree 4GB is a must for some users, which is why Apple give the option.. but why force everyone to have 4GB which they might not use and increase the base price of the machine?
http://www.macmemory.com/ItemDescription.asp?Item=MBP4G
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=F27D0DCDA5CA7304
I don't really see the fuss. It looks like the average price for 4 gigs in a macbook is more than the $100 that you would have to spend from Apple.
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=F27D0DCDA5CA7304
I don't really see the fuss. It looks like the average price for 4 gigs in a macbook is more than the $100 that you would have to spend from Apple.
2GB for the Air is not only economical, it's quite ample. Any owner of previous MBA revisions will say they never really cared for more RAM but rather a better hard drive.
Being that Mac OS X is based on Linux, it's much better able handling memory management. Not only that, but with there being no spinning, slower hard drive, any bit over 2GB that might be used as swap space will not be NEARLY as slow.
I'm not sure how fast RAM is compared to a flash memory hard disk as this, but I'm willing to be it's 70% as fast. That means when you do tide over 2GB of RAM, the computer will slow down a tad but nothing terribly noticeable. Most people won't exceed that limit anyhow and those that do already know to upgrade to 4GB.
Apple is trying to make the Air affordable to all walks of earth. The point is being minimalistic (physically and hardware-wise). For most applications you are not going to maxing out the CPU/RAM, so why include that much by default? If you think you're going to need it, upgrade.
What always amuses me is that if Apple had made it 4GB standard and added $100 the price tag there would be a bunch of people saying "I wish I could get it for a tad cheaper." Obviously, they can't please everyone.
Being that Mac OS X is based on Linux, it's much better able handling memory management. Not only that, but with there being no spinning, slower hard drive, any bit over 2GB that might be used as swap space will not be NEARLY as slow.
I'm not sure how fast RAM is compared to a flash memory hard disk as this, but I'm willing to be it's 70% as fast. That means when you do tide over 2GB of RAM, the computer will slow down a tad but nothing terribly noticeable. Most people won't exceed that limit anyhow and those that do already know to upgrade to 4GB.
Apple is trying to make the Air affordable to all walks of earth. The point is being minimalistic (physically and hardware-wise). For most applications you are not going to maxing out the CPU/RAM, so why include that much by default? If you think you're going to need it, upgrade.
What always amuses me is that if Apple had made it 4GB standard and added $100 the price tag there would be a bunch of people saying "I wish I could get it for a tad cheaper." Obviously, they can't please everyone.
could still have made a 2gig 999 version but left it as a BTO, folks go into the shop or order online they have to wait a week for their 2 gig $999 version
Folks go in for the 4 gig they walk out the door with it in their hand (and a good chance a number of those looking for the 999 base config think "ah what the hell its to sexy to wait a week, lets have some instant gratification" and walk out the door with a 4 gig ram model too..
Folks go in for the 4 gig they walk out the door with it in their hand (and a good chance a number of those looking for the 999 base config think "ah what the hell its to sexy to wait a week, lets have some instant gratification" and walk out the door with a 4 gig ram model too..