with the amount of money people want to pay for this thing you could sell it and buy a top of the line new macbook air, and a new 24" led screen to boot.
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Fake / Prototype Macbook Air
- Thread starter brett33
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Yeah I am surprised no one mentioned that. The seller probably didn't even turn on the computer to see how large the harddrive was, instead probably just copied the info from the first gen MBA specs.
sorry if it had being posted:
Notice the F keys, they are layed out differently, and quite a few of them are unoccupied. Also the arrow keys say page, home and end on them.
I'm pleased they didn't go with the black casing it looks awful... what was you thinking Apple
NStocks
... I would love to work in the R&D Department
Notice the F keys, they are layed out differently, and quite a few of them are unoccupied. Also the arrow keys say page, home and end on them.
I'm pleased they didn't go with the black casing it looks awful... what was you thinking Apple
NStocks
... I would love to work in the R&D Department
The seller couldn't power it on, he said it was DOA until he removed the swollen battery. Then it fired up.
These are civil claims so far since there is no theft claim pending. As such the owner can sell it before any such claim is made legally since he obtained it with no NDA or belief it was stolen.
Whoever gets it next shouldn't post and brag about it however. Not for 7 years.
Rocketman
apple is either thinking "crap how did this get into the wild" or HAHAHAHAHA what a donkey, he thinks its a prototype. If you get a call from apple in the next day you know something is up. If not, you prob got a fake macbook air. I hope you do get a call from apple.... make a deal - free computers every 2 years along with ipod and iphone
It just amazes me as to how on earth that got out of apple! It was either stolen or some major screw up. From what a previous poster found out, it looks like this was not the only one made.
I wonder how many more of other models are out there, or exist? There must be a powerbook g5 somewhere
I wonder how many more of other models are out there, or exist? There must be a powerbook g5 somewhere
Or you can read the rest of the thread where someone looked up the serial number. The only donkey here is you.
They wont care if it was in his hands before it went on sale / announced some one from Apple would be aware and Apple Legal would have pulled down this tread and story. Apple Pre-Production models hit ebay all the time, and I know at least one person who got a Quicksilver G4 from the refurb store that had a not tested by the fcc sticker on it. He called them and they sent him a new sticker lol.
I would keep it. Get a 3rd-party battery for the Air and solder on your prototype's batter connector to get it working again. Get a real Air power adapter and use it as the Mac you bought it for. Spend what, another $150 and have your own, one-of-a-kind Mac. Heck, image the drive for preservation and then put Leopard on it.
Or just sell it to a collector and get the Air you wanted all along. =)
Or just sell it to a collector and get the Air you wanted all along. =)
just email steve@apple.com and ask him if he'll trade you a new air for it. if not, apple won't give a crap that it's out in the wild and you can sell it to the highest bidder you find.
if so, well, you get your air.
if so, well, you get your air.
I am wondering if a Leopard Install DVD, will install on it since it is an unknown model and firmware version. Should be interesting to see. I can guarantee that the MacBook Air Install DVD's will not
Yeah, OJ just learned that lesson. If something is stolen from you, you cannot legally "steal" it back on your own.
Maybe when there was that fire at the R&D building at Apple, the bottom of this prototype MBA got burnt!
I call it fake! This is definitely done in PhotoShop-job. There is no way Apple would release a computer this thin, people.
HAHAHAHA
This is indeed a cool find.
Apple couldn't care less about what happens to prototypes once the product that the prototype was created for hits the market. There's no value in it from the companies' perspective.
If that MacBook Air was discovered BEFORE the MBA was released (or even known about) now THAT would have been wicked awesome, and Apple Corporate would be going nuts about it being in the wild.
So the value this holds is one for collectors, and, as such, should be worth more than the money originally paid off of eBay. The seller didn't realize the inherent value of it as a collectable - he/she just saw it as a slightly off-kilter Mac that maybe someone could use for parts.
There may be some serious collectors here at MacRumors that are members or lurkers who may have already sent you private email about the possibility of buying it off of you. If so, by all means, go for it. Obviously, you can get a much better condition MBA and some cash to boot, and have had the experience of 15 minutes of Apple related fame, especially if you don't particularly care yourself about this devices' uniqueness. If it were in my hands, that's the route I would take - without fear of repercussion from corporate or otherwise.
Apple couldn't care less about what happens to prototypes once the product that the prototype was created for hits the market. There's no value in it from the companies' perspective.
If that MacBook Air was discovered BEFORE the MBA was released (or even known about) now THAT would have been wicked awesome, and Apple Corporate would be going nuts about it being in the wild.
So the value this holds is one for collectors, and, as such, should be worth more than the money originally paid off of eBay. The seller didn't realize the inherent value of it as a collectable - he/she just saw it as a slightly off-kilter Mac that maybe someone could use for parts.
There may be some serious collectors here at MacRumors that are members or lurkers who may have already sent you private email about the possibility of buying it off of you. If so, by all means, go for it. Obviously, you can get a much better condition MBA and some cash to boot, and have had the experience of 15 minutes of Apple related fame, especially if you don't particularly care yourself about this devices' uniqueness. If it were in my hands, that's the route I would take - without fear of repercussion from corporate or otherwise.
Do I see a matte screen?
I noticed that too. This guy just bought the better version of the MacBook air
(or is it dust on the screen?)
I noticed that too. This guy just bought the better version of the MacBook air
(or is it dust on the screen?)
The way it photographs leads me to believe that it indeed matte.
Dude. Your MacBook Air is worth peanuts as a collector's item. In 5 years, no one will care that it has a black aluminum bottom. I say sell it to the guy who wanted it for $4k, buy yourself a new MBA and save the rest to spend on some lucky lady.
-Clive
-Clive
Sell it, and use the extra money to not only buy your fiancee a new Mac Air, but something else nice. She'll love you even more!
Anyway, this is a great story. Shows that some good things really do come of the eBay experience.
Nope, this is different. Apple II clones were sold all over the world and were all legal, since the architecture was open for cloning, as was the case for the IBM PC...my first Apple compatible was actually and Apple //e clone from Brazil, called TK3000 //e...this was just one among at least 20 different brands in that market...there was even an Apple // clone called Elppa //e..!
What the poster above bought was a prototype...lucky guy!