wow that thing is too thin. I'll wait until they update the macbooks with multi-touch to get one.
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First Look at the MacBook Air
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I have a feeling that the MacBook may come down in price some. Besides the weigth and thinnest, the only thing this realy brings is the multi-touch keypad.
3 levels
a) traveler - MacBook Air
b) General polulation - MacBook
c) Pro and gamer - MacBook Pro
3 levels
a) traveler - MacBook Air
b) General polulation - MacBook
c) Pro and gamer - MacBook Pro
For me, to save nearly 1.2 kilos over my MBP is a big thing. When you regularly schlep a computer around the world for word files, photos, and the like -- this is great. I carry a small external drive already for my photos, so the small HD on this box is fine.
Yes, this is a niche machine - but for those who want that 1.2 kilos back so they can carry other important things - this is great!
-Brian
Yes, this is a niche machine - but for those who want that 1.2 kilos back so they can carry other important things - this is great!
-Brian
Underwhelmed
Underwhelmed is a good description for what I am feeling. Not disappointed but am not scrambling to pre-order. Oh, well, back to work.
Underwhelmed is a good description for what I am feeling. Not disappointed but am not scrambling to pre-order. Oh, well, back to work.
I was about to ask that; I figured they'd not include a user-serviceable battery. it seems like their style of late...
exactly.
ultraportables are always more expensive from what i've seen. they require more work to get them so small.
and complaining about no ethernet port? the last time i used an ethernet port with a laptop was.... well not with my current macbook, and probably only once or twice a few years ago with my powerbook. its not 'needed' but its 'nice to have' on a machine like this.
This reminds me of the introduction of the revolutionary powerbook 500 series in 1994.
Shape: Something unlike Apple (or anyone else) has ever done before. 500 series and the Air are attractive but certainly controversial.
Pointing Device: 500 series had first trackpads in the industry. The Air has the first multitouch.
Price Range: The 500 series active matrix color display was a $2000 upgrade over the standard passive greyscale. Makes that solid state upgrade look fairly nominal.
Missing Features: 500 series had an expensive add-on PCMCIA slot while most laptops had this as a standard feature. the Air leaves out ethernet. Many decry Apple's approach of deciding what standard features users need/don't need, but this philosophy is absolutely essential to making gorgeous computers that push the market forward.
The Air is a product meant for people who spend a lot of money on computers. Pair this with a 24" iMac, and you have an incredibly elegant and powerful mobile/home computing solution.
Shape: Something unlike Apple (or anyone else) has ever done before. 500 series and the Air are attractive but certainly controversial.
Pointing Device: 500 series had first trackpads in the industry. The Air has the first multitouch.
Price Range: The 500 series active matrix color display was a $2000 upgrade over the standard passive greyscale. Makes that solid state upgrade look fairly nominal.
Missing Features: 500 series had an expensive add-on PCMCIA slot while most laptops had this as a standard feature. the Air leaves out ethernet. Many decry Apple's approach of deciding what standard features users need/don't need, but this philosophy is absolutely essential to making gorgeous computers that push the market forward.
The Air is a product meant for people who spend a lot of money on computers. Pair this with a 24" iMac, and you have an incredibly elegant and powerful mobile/home computing solution.
Not likely. Everything is aluminum, and it's not a G5 (oddly enough), so chances are it won't get too hot.
You can add a USB one for 49$, I think.
Not necessarily true.
1. Glossy - provides more vibrant colors and when showing a proposal onsite without an overhead projecter a dull off color matte screen might not win a customer over with the 'ohs' and 'ahs' but seeing a vivid eye popping color chart just might.
2. iSight Camera - Those in legit business KNOW the true marketing power of virtual teleconverences or video conferances. I mean when you can wipe out your laptop in Madrid Spain and not have to fool with accessories to be able to join a video teleconference and all you have to do is lift your laptop lid and the iSight is right there and works, it gives a better impression to a customer rather than "well I don't have a camera so I'm just going to voice in"
These 2 items will NOT eliminate it from any amount of the 'bulk' of the corporate market. Maybe a small percentage but coming from a major govt contractor the built in camera DOES make a big impact and onsite presentation (visiting someone at their desk and showing cost charts etc for example) and even if the customer is dazzled by the vivid colors, that too will make a difference.
I'm sure with the engineering that has gone into it that they have made sure that it won't overheat in summer
Your friend is just a skeptic
They've been gone since the new Apple KB's intro'd in August and on the MacBooks since the Santa Rosa update in November
In response to Feverish Flux
Sealed non user replaceable battery? True
Soldered on RAM? True
No ethernet jack? There is a USB-adapter
$1799? And the SSD drive adds a $999 premium
Sealed non user replaceable battery? True
Soldered on RAM? True
No ethernet jack? There is a USB-adapter
$1799? And the SSD drive adds a $999 premium
I think this seems like a great travel companion for light work. It definitely isn't an all-round multi media/communications center though:
- lack of ethernet port
- mono speaker -yuck!
- not replaceable batter - what were you thinking?
- Heat problem! I don't need to try one to know.
Otherwise light, beautiful and the multitouch will be marvelous.
- lack of ethernet port
- mono speaker -yuck!
- not replaceable batter - what were you thinking?
- Heat problem! I don't need to try one to know.
Otherwise light, beautiful and the multitouch will be marvelous.
Well it's so light that it floats. So if you throw it (something my duo survived!) it should never land,therfore it should never break
Right???
First, to much space around screen.
Either have a bigger screen, or reduce the trimming around it to hug the 13 inch monitor. This reminds me of the 'fat' flat displays that were out in plastic version before they got a trim in the aluminum version.
People wanted a smaller footprint, and it could have happened if they just trimmed it a bit. (I am writing this on my powerbook G4 that has a nice thin trim around the monitor. I want the monitor not bulk on the side...especially if its portable.)
And how do I get my info off of my firewire DVD drive...oh, come on Apple, you pushed the fire wire standard...I wonder if its powerful enough to do any form of video editing, if so, firewire...firewire...firewire...ooops, forgot about that.
If it is truly a wireless machine that they claim it to be, they should have dumped the USB along with it.
Peace
dAlen
not to mention I dont have anything that is wireless...not even a cellphone.
So I suppose I am still waiting for the macbook pro updates.
What is the big deal about 3lbs vs. 5lbs...not that much of a difference...not really.
Either have a bigger screen, or reduce the trimming around it to hug the 13 inch monitor. This reminds me of the 'fat' flat displays that were out in plastic version before they got a trim in the aluminum version.
People wanted a smaller footprint, and it could have happened if they just trimmed it a bit. (I am writing this on my powerbook G4 that has a nice thin trim around the monitor. I want the monitor not bulk on the side...especially if its portable.)
And how do I get my info off of my firewire DVD drive...oh, come on Apple, you pushed the fire wire standard...I wonder if its powerful enough to do any form of video editing, if so, firewire...firewire...firewire...ooops, forgot about that.
If it is truly a wireless machine that they claim it to be, they should have dumped the USB along with it.
Peace
dAlen
not to mention I dont have anything that is wireless...not even a cellphone.
So I suppose I am still waiting for the macbook pro updates.
What is the big deal about 3lbs vs. 5lbs...not that much of a difference...not really.
Soo... a super thin laptop that does NOT have a optical drive?
Who really cares? I'd rather have something 1/4" thicker that can read a DVD. Why is Apple so obsessed with thin? What I REALLY want is a laptop that I can jimmy a lock with in case I don't have a credit card handy.
Who really cares? I'd rather have something 1/4" thicker that can read a DVD. Why is Apple so obsessed with thin? What I REALLY want is a laptop that I can jimmy a lock with in case I don't have a credit card handy.
same thing.
and about the heat issue: its running a slower clock speed than a MacBook, and a smaller chip at that too. it shouldn't get too hot. the hard drive won't get too hot being so small and slower, and with 2gigs of ram, unless you're really pushing it to swap stuff to the drive for memory you should be okay.
It all depends on the business sector. I think the majority of business users would love this.
What I see happening now is that more and more executives want this, and that will eventually change their IT department policies.