Um, what makes me think it's a PATA drive is the fact that the spec on Apple's website SAY it's a PATA drive.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
First Look at the MacBook Air
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Um, what makes me think it's a PATA drive is the fact that the spec on Apple's website SAY it's a PATA drive.
Lenovo X61 goes for just over a grand with more features. With E-coupons you could get one for $800. I waited to order one of those so I could see what the new apple was going to look like. That was dumb of me. I was going to dualboot linux and windows.
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...-category-id=D670E9977F234D8197E1A6952DF8E9DF
i don't like this. it is not really thin, only the edges are thin making it look like the whole thing is thin, how sad. i see dell, sony and others have tried to make their laptops look thin doing the same trick and i thought if apple ever makes one it would really be thin, but i guess apple is no difference this time
My nickers are in a twit
I can't believe there is practically no one whining about lack of a macbook pro update. I am soooo sad - was almost certain there would be an update.
WHAT GIVES????
WAAAA!
I can't believe there is practically no one whining about lack of a macbook pro update. I am soooo sad - was almost certain there would be an update.
WHAT GIVES????
WAAAA!
Wrong, wrong and wrong.
Earlier I said I probably wouldn't own one, because I am tied to a desk for 18 hours a day and never really mobile.
Well, my wife just walked in... looked at it and wants it to replace the Macbook she uses around the house all day. So it looks like there will be one in this house soon enough.
So, you can now add house wives to that list: "Executives, traveling sales people and house wives"
I am sitting online on the Apple store with the MBA with SSD option in my basket. It is expensive but so damn sexy. I probably will order this config. No HD is big win for me but damn it is expensive.
Otherwise, the thing is beautiful. I have a MacBookPro CoreDuo 1'st gen 15,2" but it is a bit heavy carrying around. This one has better specs and it is so nice..
Maybe I will hit the buy button!!!!
Otherwise, the thing is beautiful. I have a MacBookPro CoreDuo 1'st gen 15,2" but it is a bit heavy carrying around. This one has better specs and it is so nice..
Maybe I will hit the buy button!!!!
hmm....
i guess you don't know that it took a long time for the ipod to get people's attention. By its 3rd generation, people started putting iPods on their buying list. by the looks of it, macbook air is a definite failure. but i'm sure apple's going to make it better by its 3rd or 4th generation.
i guess you don't know that it took a long time for the ipod to get people's attention. By its 3rd generation, people started putting iPods on their buying list. by the looks of it, macbook air is a definite failure. but i'm sure apple's going to make it better by its 3rd or 4th generation.
Probably about £300 once you've paid tax and import duty.
Blame our arse-raping government, not the American companies
Eh? When did Brown nationalise Apple Inc? Apple sets the prices, not the UK government.
BTW, no import duty. Just whatever shipping charges you can negotiate and VAT, is all.
Apple is back to gouging the Europeans. Got to keep those margins up.
rezenclowd3
macrumors 65816
Honestly I am not disappointed about the lack of a Macbook Pro update. I just bought mine about 3 months ago and am completely happy with it. Now I am just waiting for a 500gb HD for it and the price to drop to about $200.
How many housewives can just 'decide' they'd like to have this over an already perfectly capable macbook on a whim? My guess is not many, but I may be wrong. *shrug* I agree people will go 'oooo, I want one!' , but I'm skeptical how many will actually throw down.
And I thought I was the only one
Macbook air review,
"Overall, I love Apple and I would rather a Mac over a PC any day, any time, but today was just disappointing .I will be sticking with my Macbook Pro and Mac Pro until Apple decides to bring out something worth upgrading too (High Definition Video Drive?!)."
Such a narrow market
Ok, this macbook air has some good points and bad points, but there's one very large glaring problem. It seems to have such a narrow target market. Lets look at some of the possible people that would consider this laptop:
-Techie on the move- No external drive isnt a huge deal for this person, they use a lot of USB drives and when necessary can either use a cd emulation using a disk image, or just plug into one of the USB CD drives they already have. However the "techie" will most likely want built in ethernet for connectivity because frankly ethernet has numerous advantages over wireless connections, especially if you're dealing with latency diagnostics. Also keep in mind that the footprint is HARDLY ultraportable, i'd lug around my "heavy" 4 pound Dell x300 over this any day because of it's smaller footprint.
-Ordinary College student- Yes it will fill their computing needs, basic flash drive in the one USB port, external drive if in their dorm room, can play music, surf the net, and plugs in in the classroom, or can run off a single battery if in a coffee house or other place where they might not have a power plug. But price? Unless you're a student having your parents pay for a private education, odds are that you're not going to be able to afford this little puppy.
-Computer power user- Non replaceable ram, no ability for extra battery, small(ish) default hard drive, no firewire, single USB port, certainly not the ideal customer.
-trendy person that always wants the newest thing- Ahhh here i think we've found our most likely market. this person may not care about no firewire, or single usb port, or wireless only, not being able to play games at a decent rate, will most likely replace the macbook air before needing more hard drive space or ram. Price point is not really an issue as it's considered part of the package when you're on the leading edge of tech. Yes i see this being the laptop for them.
-gamer- Uhh no
-business traveler- perhaps another likely market due to companies paying for computers a lot of times, and the weight is very appealing. However lack of being able to swap an extra battery in for long periods of time without charging, a webcam (which some companies ban due to corporate secrets and proprietary information). This market probably won't be too bad, however i still think that seeing as how a large portion of businesses still rely on PC's, the market may not be as big as to warrant all these shortfalls for other markets.
I myself love ultralight computers, i have a Dell x300, a Dell 700m, a Nokia N800, a Palm Treo 700w, and i used to own a Dell 300m. I've fallen in love with many ultralights from the C1 picturebook, to the OQO. However i even have to admit that for the given price point, the Macbook Air makes too many compromises for the simple goal of slimming it down. The 12 inch powerbook is the PERFECT form factor to allow full sets of features in a portable yet stylish case. Take the 12 inch powerbook chassis, change the screen to LED backlit, create lit keys, change the slot loading dvd or cd drive to a DVD burner, reduce the hard drive to a 1.8 mm instead of 2.5, install the new intel chip, add 802.11n, give the option of the SSD, perhaps even blu-ray for a large premium. 2 USB 2.1 ports, firewire 400, mini dvi connector, magsafe power connector, and magnetic lid clasp. THIS would be perfect! The 1.8mm hard drive might allow a slightly larger capacity battery, or even if not, a 12 inch or 13 inch LED backlit screen should be able to power it for 3.5-5 hours depending on optical and wireless usage.
The removable hard drive would more than make up for any shortage in battery life. Heck perhaps even make the DVD burner modular and give the option for a second battery, or a blank to save weight. I think that this type of laptop would appeal to a HUGE array of markets. Heck, you could charge the full $1800 for this, not have to make intense design changes, and STILL come in at budget. My guess is that the chassis design alone cost apple an arm and a leg in development, when they had a perfectly elegant form factor already designed.
This is how i see it, when the iPhone came out, people were either in shock at how nice it was, or thought that it was an expensive luxury. The difference here with the Macbook Air is that people are again either in shock at how nice and thin this laptop is, OR thought that it was an "OVERPRICED" luxury. Don't get me wrong the iPhone may be a little on the expensive side, but it's a fantastic piece of beautifully crafted hardware. The Macbook Air in my opinion has all the glitz, non of the features, and an incredibly high price tag.
People are only willing to pay so much of a premium for style and ultra portability, i think Apple overshot this by a wide margin, and i think in the end, it's not going to be a good decision. But who knows, i could be wrong.
Ok, this macbook air has some good points and bad points, but there's one very large glaring problem. It seems to have such a narrow target market. Lets look at some of the possible people that would consider this laptop:
-Techie on the move- No external drive isnt a huge deal for this person, they use a lot of USB drives and when necessary can either use a cd emulation using a disk image, or just plug into one of the USB CD drives they already have. However the "techie" will most likely want built in ethernet for connectivity because frankly ethernet has numerous advantages over wireless connections, especially if you're dealing with latency diagnostics. Also keep in mind that the footprint is HARDLY ultraportable, i'd lug around my "heavy" 4 pound Dell x300 over this any day because of it's smaller footprint.
-Ordinary College student- Yes it will fill their computing needs, basic flash drive in the one USB port, external drive if in their dorm room, can play music, surf the net, and plugs in in the classroom, or can run off a single battery if in a coffee house or other place where they might not have a power plug. But price? Unless you're a student having your parents pay for a private education, odds are that you're not going to be able to afford this little puppy.
-Computer power user- Non replaceable ram, no ability for extra battery, small(ish) default hard drive, no firewire, single USB port, certainly not the ideal customer.
-trendy person that always wants the newest thing- Ahhh here i think we've found our most likely market. this person may not care about no firewire, or single usb port, or wireless only, not being able to play games at a decent rate, will most likely replace the macbook air before needing more hard drive space or ram. Price point is not really an issue as it's considered part of the package when you're on the leading edge of tech. Yes i see this being the laptop for them.
-gamer- Uhh no
-business traveler- perhaps another likely market due to companies paying for computers a lot of times, and the weight is very appealing. However lack of being able to swap an extra battery in for long periods of time without charging, a webcam (which some companies ban due to corporate secrets and proprietary information). This market probably won't be too bad, however i still think that seeing as how a large portion of businesses still rely on PC's, the market may not be as big as to warrant all these shortfalls for other markets.
I myself love ultralight computers, i have a Dell x300, a Dell 700m, a Nokia N800, a Palm Treo 700w, and i used to own a Dell 300m. I've fallen in love with many ultralights from the C1 picturebook, to the OQO. However i even have to admit that for the given price point, the Macbook Air makes too many compromises for the simple goal of slimming it down. The 12 inch powerbook is the PERFECT form factor to allow full sets of features in a portable yet stylish case. Take the 12 inch powerbook chassis, change the screen to LED backlit, create lit keys, change the slot loading dvd or cd drive to a DVD burner, reduce the hard drive to a 1.8 mm instead of 2.5, install the new intel chip, add 802.11n, give the option of the SSD, perhaps even blu-ray for a large premium. 2 USB 2.1 ports, firewire 400, mini dvi connector, magsafe power connector, and magnetic lid clasp. THIS would be perfect! The 1.8mm hard drive might allow a slightly larger capacity battery, or even if not, a 12 inch or 13 inch LED backlit screen should be able to power it for 3.5-5 hours depending on optical and wireless usage.
The removable hard drive would more than make up for any shortage in battery life. Heck perhaps even make the DVD burner modular and give the option for a second battery, or a blank to save weight. I think that this type of laptop would appeal to a HUGE array of markets. Heck, you could charge the full $1800 for this, not have to make intense design changes, and STILL come in at budget. My guess is that the chassis design alone cost apple an arm and a leg in development, when they had a perfectly elegant form factor already designed.
This is how i see it, when the iPhone came out, people were either in shock at how nice it was, or thought that it was an expensive luxury. The difference here with the Macbook Air is that people are again either in shock at how nice and thin this laptop is, OR thought that it was an "OVERPRICED" luxury. Don't get me wrong the iPhone may be a little on the expensive side, but it's a fantastic piece of beautifully crafted hardware. The Macbook Air in my opinion has all the glitz, non of the features, and an incredibly high price tag.
People are only willing to pay so much of a premium for style and ultra portability, i think Apple overshot this by a wide margin, and i think in the end, it's not going to be a good decision. But who knows, i could be wrong.
i'm sure it will be updated at WWDC...hopefully. an MBP update is wayyyy overdue. i mean, at least add the new multi-touch trackpad and keyboard as well as latchless design.
THIN is NOT a feature.
Sorry, NO it isnt. Its too BIG to be a sub-notebook. (look at the pic posted by Padraig above this post)
This a squashed MacBook with a ton of stuff missing and a bloody fancy trackpad which isnt really needed.
Its some kind of crazy compromise product.
The list of compromises is too big - especially when weighed against the list of innovations.
NO FW, no ethernet, no mic in, no optical.
Innovations? A fancy trackpad and a leftover iPod drive - not even the 160gb?
And its really thin. WTF? Who said anyone wanted thin?
Where did thin come from?
We dont need thin.
No-one asked for thin.
I have enough cash to buy one.
I was thinking of buying one when I read the rumors.
I dont want one now I have seen it.
Aaaaaaargh! ITS TOO BIG FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!
'Honey, its ok - its thin'
'But I didnt say thin - not ever did I mention thin'
Why does it got to be thin?
Thin is NOT a feature, fer fricks sake.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
I am going to lie down now, with my Apple sub-compact, the best one ever made: the iPhone.
Sorry, NO it isnt. Its too BIG to be a sub-notebook. (look at the pic posted by Padraig above this post)
This a squashed MacBook with a ton of stuff missing and a bloody fancy trackpad which isnt really needed.
Its some kind of crazy compromise product.
The list of compromises is too big - especially when weighed against the list of innovations.
NO FW, no ethernet, no mic in, no optical.
Innovations? A fancy trackpad and a leftover iPod drive - not even the 160gb?
And its really thin. WTF? Who said anyone wanted thin?
Where did thin come from?
We dont need thin.
No-one asked for thin.
I have enough cash to buy one.
I was thinking of buying one when I read the rumors.
I dont want one now I have seen it.
Aaaaaaargh! ITS TOO BIG FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!
'Honey, its ok - its thin'
'But I didnt say thin - not ever did I mention thin'
Why does it got to be thin?
Thin is NOT a feature, fer fricks sake.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
I am going to lie down now, with my Apple sub-compact, the best one ever made: the iPhone.
Bunch of Geeks
A lot of folks on MR poured hate on the iPod when it was first launched, too. And here we are years later with the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Look, this is the first release of an entirely new product line from Apple that's targeting an emerging market for the entire laptop industry.
If you're here quibbling about specs, ports, hard drive rotation speeds, ExpressCard slots, soldered RAM and glossy screens, then guess what: You're not the target audience for the MacBook Air. You're a Geek, just like every single forum member on MR, who represent the overwhelming minority of Mac users in the world.
Geeks care about expandability, battery replacements, port configurations and any number of issues that folks who simply want to write Word documents, check their email, and surf the net don't necessarily fully understand. And it's the people in this latter category who make up the majority of the world of computer users.
There's a lot of people out there for whom adding RAM to a MacBook or iMac is a difficult and challenging process, who will never use an ExpressCard to expand anything, and who don't import video or edit photos on their laptops.
There's another group of people who find current laptops bulky and heavy, but who also don't want to be writing Word documents on their Treo (which is a hell of a lot of fun, I'm sure) or straining their eyes reading Web sites on their iPhone. They want portability and the capability to help with simple, redundant computer tasks in their lives that most of the MR community look down on ("You bought a MBP so you could surf the net! How gaudy.") Why pay for computing power in a MBP or even a MacBook if you're not going to use it, and what matters more is how sore your shoulder is from lunking around your laptop? Two pounds of weight is actually a big difference to some people.
It's about choices. And yes, theres a lot of folks on MR who could say that Apple could offer a better choice. But none of us are Apple, and all of us want Apple to grow, expand and be a healthy company. So instead of faulting Apple for doing what companies do, which is diversify and push the envelope while trying to turn a buck, why not applaud the MBA as another way to spread OS X to the everyday person?
The MBA will evolve, just like the iPod evolved.
A lot of folks on MR poured hate on the iPod when it was first launched, too. And here we are years later with the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Look, this is the first release of an entirely new product line from Apple that's targeting an emerging market for the entire laptop industry.
If you're here quibbling about specs, ports, hard drive rotation speeds, ExpressCard slots, soldered RAM and glossy screens, then guess what: You're not the target audience for the MacBook Air. You're a Geek, just like every single forum member on MR, who represent the overwhelming minority of Mac users in the world.
Geeks care about expandability, battery replacements, port configurations and any number of issues that folks who simply want to write Word documents, check their email, and surf the net don't necessarily fully understand. And it's the people in this latter category who make up the majority of the world of computer users.
There's a lot of people out there for whom adding RAM to a MacBook or iMac is a difficult and challenging process, who will never use an ExpressCard to expand anything, and who don't import video or edit photos on their laptops.
There's another group of people who find current laptops bulky and heavy, but who also don't want to be writing Word documents on their Treo (which is a hell of a lot of fun, I'm sure) or straining their eyes reading Web sites on their iPhone. They want portability and the capability to help with simple, redundant computer tasks in their lives that most of the MR community look down on ("You bought a MBP so you could surf the net! How gaudy.") Why pay for computing power in a MBP or even a MacBook if you're not going to use it, and what matters more is how sore your shoulder is from lunking around your laptop? Two pounds of weight is actually a big difference to some people.
It's about choices. And yes, theres a lot of folks on MR who could say that Apple could offer a better choice. But none of us are Apple, and all of us want Apple to grow, expand and be a healthy company. So instead of faulting Apple for doing what companies do, which is diversify and push the envelope while trying to turn a buck, why not applaud the MBA as another way to spread OS X to the everyday person?
The MBA will evolve, just like the iPod evolved.
lol - you all are killing me.
"Looks of it"? Do you have some secret insight into sales and market penetration that you'd like to share or is this just the sum of your thoughts and reading here on Macrumors?
Um, what makes me think it's a PATA drive is the fact that the spec on Apple's website SAY it's a PATA drive.
OMG.. Never notice that!
One just assumed, new product, therefore must use new interface..
WTF was apple thinking?
Then again it's supposed to be a sub-notebook, hence fewer features!!
I'd imagine those who'll be buying this system will mostly be corporates who wish to give their staff something to work on - needn't be fast, as they system doesn't have a fast CPU, or a hardware GFX card.
I'd give you $800 straight up.
Identically configured white MacBooks are going for $750, and I don't value the black finish as much. $800. Send me a note if you're interested.
I REALLY WANT TO GET A MACBOOK AIR. I currently own a black Macbook C2D 2.0GHZ with 1GIG of ram and 120GB HD. How much do you think I'll be able to get for that setup?
Identically configured white MacBooks are going for $750, and I don't value the black finish as much. $800. Send me a note if you're interested.
Cant believe im saying it but Wired's design is way more appealing than apple's. OMG that black keyboard and the out of proportion screen just kills me. i would never believe apple can pull such a badly design product...man
not to talk about the price of the accessories..
i think they should have stick to that iMac black boardeer design (like Wired's) and to go with an 11 inch screen. if you buy it your not gonna use it as your main machine so why putting such a big screen.
anyway.. as a owner of an AppleTV .. i'm pretty happy after all... though im not gonna buy one of those "Air"s..lol
not to talk about the price of the accessories..
i think they should have stick to that iMac black boardeer design (like Wired's) and to go with an 11 inch screen. if you buy it your not gonna use it as your main machine so why putting such a big screen.
anyway.. as a owner of an AppleTV .. i'm pretty happy after all... though im not gonna buy one of those "Air"s..lol