First Look at the MacBook Air

[elgruga]

Wow, not many people are impessed with the MBA. It is obviously aimed at a particular type of person or one with certain needs.

Yes - but who would that be, exactly?

 

[hjelmn]

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.

Not really. The processor/memory are about 2-8x faster but the graphics card in the Air sucks. I would take the G4's Geforce, firewire, optical drive, etc over any of the "features" of the Air.

 

[lmalave]

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.

I'm a little bit more optimistic. The fact that Apple branded it differently means that the "Air" brand could have room for more than one form factor. I don't think it's inconceivable that Apple would release an 11" Air, or, for that matter, even a 15" Air.

I think Air is a qualitatively different product line. One of its objectives is to be "legacy free" by eliminating the optical drive and the ethernet port, and a couple years down the road the standard hard drive will also be completely eliminated. In general, I think this is a product that is a couple of years ahead of the curve as the original iMacs and iBooks were back in the late 90's.

 

[riverpoet]

Thin is nice, but the black keys are just plain ugly. Color wise the Air looks much like my old Asus 1690WLMI, so no, thanks.

I don't quite get what's the target audience for this thing.
All I want is a 13.3" MBP. And this is certainly not it.

But the next generation of Macbook Air should be interesting - different design, SSD only, same price, yeah, that's more like it.

 

[Padraig]

So far I've had three laptop batteries recalled and replaced by Apple. Normally this isn't a big deal, they just send you out the new one and you return the old battery in the same box.

Should there be an issue with the batteries in the MBA, will Apple send out a new laptop? Somehow I doubt it.

 

[DOUGHNUT]

I was kinda hoping to see the larger multitouch trackpad we saw on the mockups and patent designs. That's okay though, no biggie

the trackpad is large enough IMO (larger than the MBP ones at least). can't be too wide either since that would interfere with typing when you need a palm rest.

disappointed at the lack of MacBook Pro update though. where's Penryn?!?!?!

 

[Collin973]

I want to throw my two cents in here. I've been in classes all day and I forgot all about this until now.

For what market segment the Macbook Air is being marketed to, I think it's great. Apple is a smart company and I'm sure they did the research about this. Apple won't make "dumb" decisions for no reasons.

I have an MBP currently and I'll use my experiences with it to contrast with the now MBA.

Optical Drive:
The last time I used my optical drive was to install leopard and iwork 08. Apple developed the Remove Drive, solves my problem. Even the USB super drive is fine by me. Optical media will, in the near future, will likely disappear. I love the Remote Drive future. I think that's brilliant.

Hard Drive:
Ok. I have a problem here. I realize it needs a 1.8" drive, but PATA and only 4200 rpm? That gets me. I can't splurge for the SSD, even though it would be sweet. Hopefully, we'll see an update soon with a larger and maybe faster 1.8" drive in the coming months. Also, SSD prices will fall in the near future (soon then opticals disappearing).

Non-replaceable Battery:
I don't really care. I understand that making the battery replaceable needs mechanisms that make it thicker. Hopefully, sony has those batteries fixed, so apple stores won't suffer an influx of MBA's needing replaced batteries. I'm fine with internal. Hey, iPods have internal batteries, and you haven't died.

Glossy screen:
Eh. Not a huge fan, but I could deal with it.

Ports:
I could careless about firewire. I have nothing that uses firewire and this is an ultra portable. So, no firewire needed. Ethernet, no big deal, I rarely ever ever use it. I think another USB would be needed. Only one to be shared between the super drive, ethernet, cameras, etc could cause a problem.

Case:
I think it's a great case. Very slim. Very portable.

My two cents:
I'm a college student and I bought a 15" MBP to take with me to school. I've realized, it's a little big and bulky for this purpose. So, now I just leave it on my coffee table and wait till i get home to use it. As I said before, I rarely use the optical drive, firewire or ethernet. Even the regular macbook is a little big to take around, but not as big as the MBP. I don't need the speed power of a super fast processor, but the 4200 rpm drive is tough pill to swallow, but so is the SSD price. I would definitely consider buying one if it had a faster hard drive. I would probably buy one if the hard drive was a little better. If this changes in a few months, check the market place for my mbp!

I think Apple's done a great job and has taken laptops a leap in time.

 

[havand]

Perhaps the limitations and size of this beastie are better understood if there is indeed a docking station that looks like an iMac that this thing slides into from the side. There have been rumors about such a product in the works. However, the combined cost of this pricey laptop and I would guess at least $800 for the docking unit is too rich for my blood. I do, however, think there's more to this story than we have at present.

Oh really? Please, do tell...Where is the highspeed interface for such an operation? Any docking station compatible laptop has one.

 

[UltraNEO*]

Why are people so convinced that a quarter inch thinner and 2 lbs makes it so much more portable? Overall I am pretty disappointed. No one will buy this thing- yea its awesome but its awesome in that sort of "wow thats awesome" kinda way. I guarantee people will walk by the store, say holy S thats awesome and then keep walking because no one in their right mind would ever want to drop so many features just to save a little less than an inch in thickness. Unless you really need to look that cool at the coffee shop. This has to be some sort of novelty attention getter for Apple. There is no way they actually could expect this to be a hit.

Even if you folks won't buy it.. perhaps due to price or whatever, I'm telling you this thing will probably fly of the shelf here in Japan, cause people here will kinda buy any Apple product, so long as it's cool! And I dare say the MBA is fairly cool!

Though, even if Apple doesn't sell it's wafer thin machine, they still have the title for making the thinnest laptop so far this year... however, it's definitely not the lightest! Then again for the price, it's a bargin when you compare CPU speeds it to the sub-notebooks on the Windows side..

 

[tveric]

After reading a lot of posts here, its somewhat obvious that this thing does NOT have mass market appeal.

Oh yeah. Cuz MacRumors forums users are representative of the mass market. Don't make me laugh even harder, I beg you. If Apple had to depend on only the whiners in here to make money, they'd have been out of business long ago.

 

[robby818]

Wow, not many people are impessed with the MBA. I am amazed and impressed. For those it doesn't suit, don't buy it. It is obviously aimed at a particular type of person or one with certain needs. There is still plenty of choice if it doesn't suit you.

Enjoy the release, marvel at the product and critique where necessary. But don't be disappointed, just choose another amazing mac!

I think people will be amazed when they get ot see/touch one at an Apple store. It's hard to convey just how slim it is in photos.

That said I'm an ultra-portable fan, been using ThinkPad x-series (x61s currently) for a few years now and really appreciate light, no nonsense laptops. The macbook air looks impressive and I love how Apple trimmed the fat so to speak but I think they went just a bit too far. At the very least a couple of USB ports (in case one goes out) would have been nice. And I'd like ethernet and two speakers. My x61s which is also about 3 pounds even has firewire and an sd card reader which are nice but not necessary IMO.

Beware though that 1.8" drive may be sluggish..I tried an x40 once and quickly returned it for an x32 because the x40's hard drive was just too slow. Maybe drive technology has gotten these to be more repsonsive but I think they were designed for low power consumption.

 

[coffey7]

Why are people so convinced that a quarter inch thinner and 2 lbs makes it so much more portable? Overall I am pretty disappointed. No one will buy this thing- yea its awesome but its awesome in that sort of "wow thats awesome" kinda way. I guarantee people will walk by the store, say holy S thats awesome and then keep walking because no one in their right mind would ever want to drop so many features just to save a little less than an inch in thickness. Unless you really need to look that cool at the coffee shop. This has to be some sort of novelty attention getter for Apple. There is no way they actually could expect this to be a hit.

I thought that was the whole point. To look cool. Remember how Steve is always talking about how the other companies lack style? Its not about features or price its about putting on a turtle neck and going to coffee shops and looking really cool. I guess I am like the PC guy in the ads. I use my computers for work and to earn money. Then I go home and use my custom built pc to play Crysis near full resolution. This new laptop is not for me. I do hope people enjoy it since you will have to take a loan out to buy one.

 

[AppleMojo]

After reading a lot of posts here, its somewhat obvious that this thing does NOT have mass market appeal.

The price doesnt matter - it MUST appeal to everyone, even if they can NEVER afford it.

hahaha

This is completely false! It doesn't appeal to a bunch of wishers and whiners.

Name ONE device launched by Apple that doesn't have a bunch of hosers in here spewing negative comments about it.

They get themselves all worked up to be let down, because it can't do everything "they" want, for the $20.00 they have in their bank account.

If you don't think this is about price? Read the thread again, and the majority of negativity relates to comparisons of other hardware over price, or USD to Euro / Pound conversion.

 

[csubear]

For everyone who thinks it is priced to high

Do you remember the 12" powerbook? It started at $1600ish, and way few features than the regular powerbook.

This is not a macbook. This is a sub-notebook. Any one who was thinking that this was going to be 1k is living in a dream world. Go look at what the sonys are going for. My friend shelled out 3k for a sony sub-notebook that only had a 32mb ssd, and is thicker than the macbook air.

 

[Greatbug]

Somebody defecated aluminum onto a gen 1 iBook?

Seems almost as useful (har har)

 

[gphoto]

To all the whiners and detractors out there who are comparing the MacBook Air to all the other laptops out there that are in some way "better", please read the original iPod thread, and see what everyone said back then, before whining about another product that could easily revolutionize the way people think about ultraportable computers, and design.

Thanks.

 

[deputy_doofy]

Oh yeah. Cuz MacRumors forums users are representative of the mass market. Don't make me laugh even harder, I beg you. If Apple had to depend on only the whiners in here to make money, they'd have been out of business long ago.

Quote of the day, methinks.

 

[mill2000]

very very disappointing

i waited over a year for this thing to come out. now i'm really regretting that i should have bought that macbook when it first came out.
Apple could have done a lot better for a machine that costs $1800!!!

pros
light and thin.

cons.
no optical
1 USB port
bigger footprint
built-in battery
soldered RAM

but the BIGGEST
1.8 80G PATA HD - PATA is so gone. i bet next year, there won't be any PATAs meaning that we won't be able to upgrade our $1700 slab of useless metal. i know that there are no SATA 1.8"s out so i'm wondering if apple should've gone for a slightly bigger notebook and gone with 2.5" SATA instead. Moreover, what is this 1990s? 80G!?!?!!
This is because the only 8mm thin HD come in 80G. (Figure out why your 160G iPod is thicker than 80G one).
I know there are limitations to fit these BASIC things in the small form factor, but a smart manager knows how to makes compromises and steve doesn't seem like one.

 

[pjarvi]

It's the perfect laptop for executives and traveling sales people, but useless for almost everyone else. I work with all of our remote employees, and there are some of them that would snatch this up in an instant. It's more than powerful enough to run Office, use for giving presentations (I think this is the only reason they kept the mini-DVI port on it), and thin enough to keep with a portfolio or small briefcase. A lot of executives hate having to carry around a laptop bag.

Pro users will get their update in time for the developer's conference, i'm sure.

 

[UltraNEO*]

Glossy screen:
Eh. Not a huge fan, but I could deal with it.

As far as a Glossy screen goes, you could stick an anti-glare filter on it, thus turning it into a matt screen... and the advantage here is, if you scratch it, just replace the filter! Hell of a cheaper option to a new screen.. no?

Well.. that's what i did with my MBP.

 

[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..

Yep - toshiba has jumped on the boat as well. - was premiered at the CES last week.

160 gb 1.8 inch

aussie_geek

 

[Digitaljim]

So the trusty old 12" Powerbook G4 remains the only truly portable modern Mac laptop.

Yes, width and weight matters with laptops, but the greatest factor has to be the footprint. How many wide & thin bags do you own? How less robust is a 0.5" thick enclosure bound to be compared to 1" thick one?

The Macbook Air is certainly sexy and has that 'wow' factor in abundance, but ultimately it's a very gimmicky executive toy. Like the G4 Cube it's desirable, but I can't realistically envisage much effective demand for it.

I wasn't in the market for a new laptop anyway, so i'm not bothered.

 

[ydb1914]

My Wait is Over, MBA is not for me!

I'm buying a MBP - unless apple will upgrade their MBP soon...in that case, i can still wait... need advice from the "predictors"...thank you!

 

[Lintott]

in the tech specs it just says builti-in mono speaker, so that's it.

Even the iPhone got stereo speakers...

 

[macidiot]

What makes you think it's a PATA drive? Don't you think they make 1.8" SATA's? Here's a 72Gb SDD by SanDisk... it's 1.8" and SATA!

well, other than the fact that it says PATA all over Apple's website, nothing.