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First Look at the MacBook Air
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At first gush I was in total lust over it.
At sloppy seconds I started feeling some uncertainty.
At my third time around the block I had some issues.
Now at 4am of an all night bender I'm not so sure that this laptop really makes sense in today's world.....
Give it about 60 days after release and you will see a boat load of these appear in the Refurb Store. There is too much that can and WILL go wrong with all the parts that users can't get at.
There will be a mountain load of RAM and HD's that are bad. Batteries will die like the MacBooks and the whole unit will have to be sent in to get replaced. Hinges on the USB/DVI/Audio port will break from misuse.
The price point has also really broken my heart over the Air also. I understand that this fits inbetween the MacBook and MBPro, but in reality a laptop like this should be below the MacBook and priced at $799 for the lack of features it showcases.
Unfortunately, and I have NEVER said this before, I think we are looking at the next Cube. It's almost too revolutionary for today's world at this price point, like the Cube was. I give it 16 months.
At sloppy seconds I started feeling some uncertainty.
At my third time around the block I had some issues.
Now at 4am of an all night bender I'm not so sure that this laptop really makes sense in today's world.....
Give it about 60 days after release and you will see a boat load of these appear in the Refurb Store. There is too much that can and WILL go wrong with all the parts that users can't get at.
There will be a mountain load of RAM and HD's that are bad. Batteries will die like the MacBooks and the whole unit will have to be sent in to get replaced. Hinges on the USB/DVI/Audio port will break from misuse.
The price point has also really broken my heart over the Air also. I understand that this fits inbetween the MacBook and MBPro, but in reality a laptop like this should be below the MacBook and priced at $799 for the lack of features it showcases.
Unfortunately, and I have NEVER said this before, I think we are looking at the next Cube. It's almost too revolutionary for today's world at this price point, like the Cube was. I give it 16 months.
Is this a joke? I mean seriously! You might as well just buy a PDA and save yourself $2k!!
I can live with all the limitations (which are quite a few) except for the no optical drive art! What the hell were they thinking!! Just because your on a "business trip" doesnt mean that you wont need an optical drive!
What if u get to your destination and go in the meeting room and your boss has a cd full of a bunch of figures he wants you to analyze?? Thats great for you people that supposedly never use the optical drive, but what about all the rest of us? Were not at the stage where we can use USB for everything.
I can live with all the limitations (which are quite a few) except for the no optical drive art! What the hell were they thinking!! Just because your on a "business trip" doesnt mean that you wont need an optical drive!
What if u get to your destination and go in the meeting room and your boss has a cd full of a bunch of figures he wants you to analyze?? Thats great for you people that supposedly never use the optical drive, but what about all the rest of us? Were not at the stage where we can use USB for everything.
Amen.
This feature set would have been perfect with a 10.6" screen, thereby making it infinitely more usable on a plane. 13.3" leaves a big footprint (relatively speaking).
People will buy it of course, because its the latest (not greatest) Apple, but I can't see why. Guess thats why Steve has his job and I don't.
I think I like it - after looking at 4087 pics....
I would really like it if it was about 2 -3 inches smaller in its length and width.
It isnt a breakthrough in size, its more like a breakthrough in how to flatten something.
Thats my feeling - its just too big. Have to see one in the flesh though.
I would really like it if it was about 2 -3 inches smaller in its length and width.
It isnt a breakthrough in size, its more like a breakthrough in how to flatten something.
Thats my feeling - its just too big. Have to see one in the flesh though.
What am I to do if I want to hard wire to the net instead of using wifi and also need to use an usb accessible device, like say my optical drive!
I think that is why I'm so disappointed. With the release of the MacBook Air it rules out a true ultraportable as I don't see Apple releasing a 4th distinct laptop line.
It's gaining momentum yet Apple strips it from it's premier media players (and now computers)? That's a laugh. Firewire isn't dead by any means, especially since a fair amount of cameras and hard drives still use it, but i fail to see how it is gaining momentum.
how can a site devoted to mac computers have soooo many people on complaining about an awesome new technology that we've just been introduced to??
so it's not YOUR perfect machine for everything YOU want to do. get over yourselves.
it's thin, it's fun, and it's revolutionary.
lets just enjoy it!
Meh - fanboy statement.
We have all expected alot from Apple in the past and still do. This machine while looks nice is lacking in hardware performance and included technology. They are a little ahead of themselves I think.
Ram is soldered to MB - no upgrade.
Battery is inbuilt - no upgrade.
1 Usb port - should have at least 2.
Mono Sound.
HD -1.8 inch PATA - 80 GB. Why not the Samsung 160GB?
No CD - U need an external APPLE drive. Also I am not too keen on installing software over wireless.... This functionality pretty much requires you to have a draft N router. Not everybody has these.
So, when you buy this , be ready for buying an external CD, a new router and Applecare for sure. Too much $$$ - Over $3k here in au incl all the upgrades / warranty accessories that would make this computer complete.
The price you pay for new tech. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice looking computer and it will sell well. Not for me though - and going by the negative votes on the thread here at MR it is a definite no vote from the majority of forum members.
When it has USER REPLACEABLE Ram up to 4GB, at least a 2GHz core 2 , and a replaceable battery I may be interested. Version 2 will be out for XMAS me thinks.
Also, Apple has blown their trumpet about it being more recyclable / environmentally friendly. This is literally a throw away computer. What about all those chemicals in the battery that will end up in landfill. I suppose , when the battery dies you could run it off mains power as a desktop but the thought of having a dead Lithium Polymer battery in your house always hooked up to a power source is asking for an inferno.
aussie_geek
Any information on what type of video card is in it ? Seriously, I need to know how WoW would play on it. I might be eligible for an upgrade soon at work and if it runs WoW good, I might replace my MBP with it
All this rhetoric about how it is going to fail reminds me of the story of the Literary Digest. In this case it is MacRumors and the people sending the cards back are the members. We are all eliteists. Anyone that knew today was MWSF and watched the blog represent a very small and a very opionated, power using group.
For all of you who say this is going to flop, do you think that Apple just through something together and didnt think to do some research on it?
In summation never underestimate first time laptop owners that are going to college. Their parents will pay for anything and smaller is always good. How many of you would feel fine telling someone "This is great for what you do. its light and portable and will work great to surf the web and manage your iPod."
I never use ethernet, I never use my disc drive. I rarely use USB (yay bluetooth) and the most that comes out of my MB is the power cord. For those of you who make the arguement that a USB hub "defeats the purpose of portability" you are making it with accessories I wouldnt carry around with me anyways. Wired keyboard, wired mouse, iPod dock, external HD and a SuperDrive to quote one poster. C'mon.
Don't underestimate the wow that will be generated by college bound kids and non-power users.
For all of you who say this is going to flop, do you think that Apple just through something together and didnt think to do some research on it?
In summation never underestimate first time laptop owners that are going to college. Their parents will pay for anything and smaller is always good. How many of you would feel fine telling someone "This is great for what you do. its light and portable and will work great to surf the web and manage your iPod."
I never use ethernet, I never use my disc drive. I rarely use USB (yay bluetooth) and the most that comes out of my MB is the power cord. For those of you who make the arguement that a USB hub "defeats the purpose of portability" you are making it with accessories I wouldnt carry around with me anyways. Wired keyboard, wired mouse, iPod dock, external HD and a SuperDrive to quote one poster. C'mon.
Don't underestimate the wow that will be generated by college bound kids and non-power users.
Looks like some short work with a torx will show us what's under the hood. Anybody carrying at MWSF? You'd only need a few minutes to distract the staff.
Okay I was about to buy it until I figured out it does not support the 30inch apple lcd. I wish apple made it a bit thinner to support dual link dvi or at least a floppy. I dont know this notebooks really is over hyped i think apple fans really need to calm down. The only thing that is really good is how thin it is but i still like. I don't like the keyboard though! But nothing is perfect you know apple does their best, they take on risks, and this is a big risk. I think this was a bold move and apple did their best. Lets just see how it sells.
See my other post for your other points, but:
-Footprint? Who cares about the footprint? It is about WEIGHT and BULK.
-USB: A bit of a weakness(especially for those of us who use USB to charge our iPods & cell phones while travelling overseas), but a hub is an easy enough solution.
-1.8" Drive: Not ideal, but remember this is meant to be LIGHT and portable, so sacrifices are necessary. There are other MacBooks for those who want speed - get one of those. Who cares how fast your drive is if you are answering email, preparing a Powerpoint presentation or loading songs on to your iPod? My IBM X40 sucks for processing power, but in the middle of taking taxis around Shanghai for 3 weeks I was glad it only weighs 3 lbs. I'm not playing Bioshock on business trips or vacations.
If Apple could make a laptop that was all things to all users, they wouldn't have 6 different models. As it is I think they offer all the choices that anyone would want, and the Air fills the one niche(LIGHT) they were missing.
If you really like the Sony(and they are the best Win laptops IMO, so not a bad choice), go buy it and I hope you enjoy Vista. If you could run OSX on them, it might not be a bad way to go(of course you CAN, but it can be a little buggy...).
Uh ... never mind, I totally lost interest in it. I want a replaceable battery for my iPhone, but I require a replaceable battery on a laptop. This is not acceptable.
Meh - fanboy statement.
We have all expected alot from Apple in the past and still do. This machine while looks nice is lacking in hardware performance and included technology. They are a little ahead of themselves I think.
Ram is soldered to MB - no upgrade.
Battery is inbuilt - no upgrade.
1 Usb port - should have at least 2.
Mono Sound.
HD -1.8 inch PATA - 80 GB. Why not the Samsung 160GB?
No CD - U need an external APPLE drive. Also I am not too keen on installing software over wireless.... This functionality pretty much requires you to have a draft N router. Not everybody has these.
So, when you buy this , be ready for buying an external CD, a new router and Applecare for sure. Too much $$$ - Over $3k here in au incl all the upgrades / warranty accessories that would make this computer complete.
The price you pay for new tech. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice looking computer and it will sell well. Not for me though - and going by the negative votes on the thread here at MR it is a definite no vote from the majority of forum members.
When it has USER REPLACEABLE Ram up to 4GB, at least a 2GHz core 2 , and a replaceable battery I may be interested. Version 2 will be out for XMAS me thinks.
Also, Apple has blown their trumpet about it being more recyclable / environmentally friendly. This is literally a throw away computer. What about all those chemicals in the battery that will end up in landfill. I suppose , when the battery dies you could run it off mains power as a desktop but the thought of having a dead Lithium Polymer battery in your house always hooked up to a power source is asking for an inferno.
aussie_geek
Plz dont tell me they could have used a 160 gig instead plz..if they could they are stupid for not using one...what can u actually do with 80 gigs?? I wanted to install windows on this thing for some of the softwares i need..not sure if i can do that..
What happened to MacBook Pro?
What happened to the MacBook Pro? It is LOOOOOONG overdue for an update. I was very disappointed that no changes were made to the line to coinside with the Air. As far as the Air, I am concerned about fragility. I also don't quite understand the need... shaving 2.5 pounds vs. performance and expense. Just another cool gadget.
I was going to sell Apple before the keynote... should have.
What happened to the MacBook Pro? It is LOOOOOONG overdue for an update. I was very disappointed that no changes were made to the line to coinside with the Air. As far as the Air, I am concerned about fragility. I also don't quite understand the need... shaving 2.5 pounds vs. performance and expense. Just another cool gadget.
I was going to sell Apple before the keynote... should have.
Just a suggestion ...
The magnetic connection on the Book and Pro line is great, innovative, and I'm sure the Air line of laptops still has that brick of a transformer hanging off from an electrical outlet.
Just a suggestion: the transformer should be maybe at least a half foot length (or more) of wire's distance away from where the magnet connection upon the laptop is, so that any sudden tripping pull to the wire will first pull the heavy transformer, and dissipating the force of the pull away before then causing the disconnect of the magnet and the cord from the computer.
I'm sure Apple design engineers have gone through the gamut as far as thinking of a design for the electrical cord, and this idea was already thought of and nixt.
Macally designed a power cord for the G4 similar to what I describe, though not magnetic. Probably patents preclude doing so.
Hope those guys thought that brick out of the Air Book line.
The magnetic connection on the Book and Pro line is great, innovative, and I'm sure the Air line of laptops still has that brick of a transformer hanging off from an electrical outlet.
Just a suggestion: the transformer should be maybe at least a half foot length (or more) of wire's distance away from where the magnet connection upon the laptop is, so that any sudden tripping pull to the wire will first pull the heavy transformer, and dissipating the force of the pull away before then causing the disconnect of the magnet and the cord from the computer.
I'm sure Apple design engineers have gone through the gamut as far as thinking of a design for the electrical cord, and this idea was already thought of and nixt.
Macally designed a power cord for the G4 similar to what I describe, though not magnetic. Probably patents preclude doing so.
Hope those guys thought that brick out of the Air Book line.
randy newman
Hi everypody. I am sorry to throw in this off-topic comment, but I just had to.
Truly a tasteless performance by Randy Newman. A fallen genious.
... But great products. I love the Macbook Air. May be just a little too pricy.
Cheers,
fj
Hi everypody. I am sorry to throw in this off-topic comment, but I just had to.
Truly a tasteless performance by Randy Newman. A fallen genious.
... But great products. I love the Macbook Air. May be just a little too pricy.
Cheers,
fj
There's one thing about the macbook air though: even though it's not as powerful as the macbooks or macbook pros, it's still about 1000x as powerful as the 12 inch G4.
This Air is a pretty stinkin' advanced piece of machinery, yet because of all of the whacked hype, MacRumor's users give it 1/3 more negative than positive reviews.
With comments like: "I can't use it as a developer, so its not practical" or "battery can't be replaced, it's worthless"
What!?
If your a developer, what are you doing reviewing ultra-thin portables for anyway?
Lets whine now about the lack of power to process all of your video editing... on a machine that wasn't designed for that purpose... And we'll give it negative marks for that too.
Because you wouldn't use it, doesn't mean it's "useless".
I myself, probably won't end up with one as I am mostly tied to a desk. But personally I think its one fantastic little piece of hardware.
.. and for all of the "thanks, but I'll pass" -- you were probably just looking for reasons because you can't afford it.
It's sad.
With comments like: "I can't use it as a developer, so its not practical" or "battery can't be replaced, it's worthless"
What!?
If your a developer, what are you doing reviewing ultra-thin portables for anyway?
Lets whine now about the lack of power to process all of your video editing... on a machine that wasn't designed for that purpose... And we'll give it negative marks for that too.
Because you wouldn't use it, doesn't mean it's "useless".
I myself, probably won't end up with one as I am mostly tied to a desk. But personally I think its one fantastic little piece of hardware.
.. and for all of the "thanks, but I'll pass" -- you were probably just looking for reasons because you can't afford it.
It's sad.
OMG were you sold as a baby to Apple? This simply isn't true, no matter what spin Apple put on it!
You may love Apple but I'm very sure they don't love you as much fanboy!
I'm sure if Sony and Lenovo wanted to make a laptop this thin(and 13.3 instead of 11") they could do it in a heartbeat. All you have to do is cut out all of the same features that apple did. My friends X61 thinkpad is 12" and is lighter with more power and features. AND it was only $800 with an E-coupon.
when the hype settles, seems like a good laptop for those who truly want portability and for the first adopters... on the flip side, i think i'd still look at macbooks and really wish for a 12" macbook pro.
to me it's worth it to have the drive in the laptop, not next to it as an accessory. so many reasons to just look at other options besides the mba.
to me it's worth it to have the drive in the laptop, not next to it as an accessory. so many reasons to just look at other options besides the mba.