First Look at the MacBook Air

[achtung!]

well, there's nothing new about macbook air. they just throw away some USEFULL stuff, to make an alien notebook. yes it looks like an alien spaceship to me, an hybrid beast, that flyes in the pictures but could fit in an envelope.
ok it's finner, but it's wider than other apple notebook. plus, the specs are very very low, and it's very costy. what's the point of releasing such a device like this? i'm very disappointed. and that huge huge border around the display? i know, they compress everything in height and it expands for the sides, great apple, really great!! nice job! and that black keyboard? oh god!!! doesn't fit at all...
just my 2 cents

 

[Cloudane]

Much like a hole in a spacesuit, I can't see the Air lasting very long. When you can pay £500 LESS (or in the USA a *slightly* more reasonable $700 less) for a better machine that is about the same dimensions but a little bit thicker and a little bit heavier, I don't think this new one will go very far.

If it'd been truly *small* i.e. A5 paper size it might've been worth the extra cost, but they were determined to give it a massive screen and keyboard so it's still a full size laptop, just a bit thinner. £500 (*and* the loss of performance and features) is a lot to pay to shave off half an inch of thickness.

It's a beautiful piece of art and engineering, and great publicity for Intel and Apple alike... I just don't think it'll sell.

 

[dAlen]

It was also more than $200 bucks here. In the UK we have to pay a premium for tech. Not so long ago you were getting $2 for £1, but apple products are a hell of a lot more over here.

Ah, I do feel for you.
I now live in Hungary and prices are the same rip off here as in the rest of Europe. Havent bought my first mac in Europe yet...but Im about to once those macbook pros are updated.

Anyway, glad you found something that worked for you, thats the key indeed.
Im on a Powerbook G4 667mhz with a broken monitor (one side is completely off the hinge, Im hooked up to an external monitor...just waiting for these new Intel chips to make their way into the macbook pros.

Peace

dAlen

 

[Quillz]

Much like a hole in a spacesuit, I can't see the Air lasting very long. When you can pay £500 LESS for a better machine that is about the same dimensions but a little bit thicker and a little bit heavier, I don't think this new one will go very far.

If it'd been truly *small* i.e. A5 paper size it might've been worth the extra cost, but they were determined to give it a massive screen and keyboard so it's still a full size laptop, just a bit thinner. £500 (*and* the loss of performance and features) is a lot to pay to shave off half an inch of thickness.

It's a beautiful piece of art and engineering, and great publicity for Intel and Apple alike... I just don't think it'll sell.

You're right, it could go the way of the G4 Cube, another example of form over function.

 

[willdenow]

Not one of those has an accurate price. You've selectively picked out various upgrade options and not changed the price.

The Dell you mention does not come with an LED-backlit display ($150 option), nor does it come with a modem ($29), nor does it come with wireless-N ($25), nor does the stock battery advertise a 7-hr life ($110). The base price also reflects not Dell's normal price, but a promotional one--configured as you've described, it lists for $2033, and even on sale, comes in at $1684. It is also substantially thicker.

Your Toshiba doesn't exist, as their Protege is not an ultraportable according to their site. They don't make Proteges in that segment, only Satellites and Tecras (M200/M8).

The Sony SZ 680, at factory, needs to add RAM ($110), needs hard drive bump to match your claimed 160 GB ($130), and says nothing about having a modem onboard. It comes to $2298.98 to match what you describe (including a temporary $100 price break).

More spurious claims.

Even accepting your figures, you've handedly demonstrated that MBA is competitively priced in the segment, even when you toss in the $99 optical drive to catch up. It is also substantially thinner and lower in volume than any you've suggested, which as anyone can tell you, is where the real price hikes come from.

NOT TRUE: I reconfigured everyone and recalculated the price. I know the truth hurts, but you're beginning to sound desperate.

Yes, I know the real price hike comes from the thinnes. That's the WHOLE point dude. Unless you can show me how thinnes will allow you to install an OS or troubleshoot a hard drive without an optical drive; unless you can show me how I can connect my external firewire drives using only the form factor; unless you can show me how I can simultaneously be online where there is no RELIABLE WiFi and review Powerpoint slides my mate has burned to a CD; in fact, unless you can show me how thinnes overcomes each and every feature that Apple discard WITHOUT purchasing additional hardware or making additional compromises, you lose. You lose because each and every machine that I listed has not only all the features that Apple discared, but in each instance at least one that Apple has NEVER included, in the basic form factor, with the same or less weight, at the same or less price.

It's apparent from your dealings with others in this thread that you are not really interested in the give and take of honest and active discourse. Rather you're acting like an Apple market rep hoping that if you yell loud enough and often enough, you will be able to distract people from the fact that in this case, the emperor really has no clothes.

Mac zealots like you really anger me because you make it almost impossible to attract new users to the platform. Steve Jobs tells you the sun is blue and you all shout hallelujah, how could the rest of the world be so wrong. You turn owning a mac into a cultish religion. You loose touch with all rationale thought processes. I can't count the number of times I've had to explain such irrational behavior to my windows friends. Of course, maybe this is all part of the devious plan. It kind of hard to be an elitist if Apple market share were to exceed 49%, wouldn't. God save us from Saint Steve, the shills and the reality distortion field. Ahmen.

For the rest of you, before shelling out a ton of money for a design concept, I encourage you to go to the Dell, Sony and Toshiba web sites. The Dell site is particularly good because they are having a significant mark down. The 1299 laptop is normally $1700 for the configuration I listed above. I guess Matticus was seeing so much red, he couldn't the green (or in this case, the lack thereof). You can get an even more powerful, lighter machine with a 2.2 GHZ proc for $1599 (normally $2100 or $2200, can't remember).

 

[emotion]

It's a beautiful piece of art and engineering, and great publicity for Intel and Apple alike... I just don't think it'll sell.

I agree with this statement. A bit like the Cube.

I think this machine is not meant to sell that well. It's Ive's attempt to get us used to some new design cues for the new MBP/MB machines later this year. If looked at like that it may turn out to be a success.

Even with my willingness to buy a pro-cost new laptop I won't be getting one though.

 

[ZLurker]

BULL CRAP!!!!!!!!! The machine is using iPod and cell phone parts and as such is nothing special. Further is looks like Apple went out of its way to avoid providing the basic I/O a laptop this size should have. Frankly Apple has avoided a lot of costs on this machine and due to that I suspect it is one of the highest profit margin machines they sell right now.

Dave

Could you be so kind and enlighten me with a referens where you find a C2D 1.8Ghz with 800Mhz FSB and 2Gb ram in a phone or an iPod?
This is a totaly different breed of products.
And it will be interesting to see the performance of both disks!

As for the selling margin, who knows, i am just comparing products.
I do agree that you spend alot for the design and formfactor.

 

[Quillz]

I agree with this statement. A bit like the Cube.

I think this machine is not meant to sell that well. It's Ive's attempt to get us used to some new design cues for the new MBP/MB machines later this year. If looked at like that it may turn out to be a success.

Even with my willingness to buy a pro-cost new laptop I won't be getting one though.

I just can't see Apple intentionally introducing a product they know is doomed to fail. Neither the G4 Cube or Apple TV were destined to low sales, it's just something that happened. The Air will certainly appeal to some people, but for the rest of us, I just don't see what the Air truly has over the MacBook. Did the MacBook suddenly become this huge behemoth of a machine? It's really not all that larger or heavier than the Air, it really isn't.

 

[willdenow]

MBAir Could potentially develop into a nice product in 1-2 revisions, lets wait and see.

What I find funny are all those "This is innovation / Revolution | Apple rules and shows them all" and co comments here.

Besides Multitouch trackpad I fail to see any innovation in this and as a whole, MBAir is hardly more then a above average niche product with nice development potential.

You are correct, Sir! In fact, even multitouch isn't that revolutionary since Apple has been able to program some gestures into existing mouse pads, i.e. the 2-finger swipe that simulates the track wheel of a standard mouse for scrolling web pages. Certainly there is prior art here such that any patent claims granted to Apple will likely be narrowly confined to specific gestures and their results, not the multitouch track pad as a whole.

 

[Cloudane]

You're right, it could go the way of the G4 Cube, another example of form over function.

Indeed...

Form over function in itself isn't always a bad thing. If I had a choice between an ugly boxy car that had a little more power or a gorgeous curvy sporty car with slightly less power I'd probably end up with the latter because like most human beings I'm a sucker for having things that look good. Macs have slanted that way for a while (basically since the iMac was invented) but it's always been reasonable and within moderation. Pay a little extra, maybe sacrifice a little bit of performance, and get something that looks great.

The latest iMac, which I have, started to push the boundary a bit. This thing pushes the boundary a *lot*, and is several steps too far into the "form over function" zone, IMO.

 

[myeggsareboiled]

European Mac Rip Off!

Ah, I do feel for you.
I now live in Hungary and prices are the same rip off here as in the rest of Europe. Havent bought my first mac in Europe yet...but Im about to once those macbook pros are updated.

I am away to get a mini for the living room telly. Was hoping for a revision with a GPU, but its not to be. Just have to swallow my hopes.....

but as an example, the mini here is £658
In america it is $1153 = £588

Can't see how it costs £70 ($137) to ship something that small to the UK

 

[matticus008]

NOT TRUE: I reconfigured everyone and recalculated the price.

Then why do you list so many upgraded components but just the model's base price? Clearly you're mistaken, and the store links prove it.

Mac zealots like you really anger me because you make it almost impossible to attract new users to the platform.

Yawn. Zealotry, blah blah...you're the one not making any sense, and no one's shouting or talking about Steve Jobs. You seem to have a closeted obsession with the whole ordeal--maybe you'll start going 'fanboi!' 'lulz!' soon and complete the circle. It's boring.

Obviously not understanding where Im coming from.

Sure I do. You're just making outrageous claims. "Text documents only" and "gutted" computer it's not. It's pure hyperbole bordering on trolling. You don't want to pay that price for an ultraportable. You're not an ultraportable customer.

It's amazing, with as easy to do and useless as you assert this product to be, that no one has been able to top it thus far, and that ultraportable users swear by their little machines.

I never suggested the airbook was for 3D, someone else did my friend.

Sure you did: "I can say if this is the only computer you have you will kill yourself trying to work with it." No one presented this as a sole machine for media professionals. But you insisted on spinning it that way all the same.

Also, my point about gutting the macbook pro...features. Who cares if you have a thin book but cant do anything...[/quote]
You can do anything you want. I don't know what your obsession is with this "text" notion--a dual core 1.8GHz processor and 2GB of RAM is nothing to sneeze at. Most people don't use a fraction of that power.

So I appreciate your last observation that I do have a leg to stand on as your right that the reduction is NOT worth the price.

That would be your observation that the compact size is not worth the price to you. It shouldn't surprise you that you agree with yourself.

You do *not* have a leg to stand on as regarding the value comparatively--MBA is priced within sniping distance of its cheapest competitors, and manages to do so at a fraction of the volume.

Im sure you have already pre-ordered yours.

I don't want one of these. I have different priorities.

Again, I like the book, but lets keep it to the point I made...price point is totally off against a macbook pro,(they are ripping you off with the textbook air)

Maybe if it were a competitor to a MBP, that would make sense, but it's less than half the size of one--it's close to half the size of a MacBook, which is already a slim machine! That has value to the people this is aimed at. You do seriously need to let the whole "text" thing go--it's absurd and totally undermines everything valid you might have to say.

 

[iJaz]

I haven't heard this much whining since the introduction of the iPod...

 

[willdenow]

Much like a hole in a spacesuit, I can't see the Air lasting very long. When you can pay £500 LESS (or in the USA a *slightly* more reasonable $700 less) for a better machine that is about the same dimensions but a little bit thicker and a little bit heavier, I don't think this new one will go very far.

If it'd been truly *small* i.e. A5 paper size it might've been worth the extra cost, but they were determined to give it a massive screen and keyboard so it's still a full size laptop, just a bit thinner. £500 (*and* the loss of performance and features) is a lot to pay to shave off half an inch of thickness.

It's a beautiful piece of art and engineering, and great publicity for Intel and Apple alike... I just don't think it'll sell.

In fact, I'm not sure how much of this is actually even Apple engineering. Back in February or March, Intel debuted its own version of an ultrathin that was little more than half an thick throughout and weighed fully a pound less than Apple's MBA. In addition, the Intel machine incorporated WiMax and an SSD drive as standard. It supposedly had "many companies" interested and Business Week predicted that these ultra portables would be lining the selves come Christmas of 07. Seems nobody came to the party, Except Apple, at a pound heavier. With no WiMax. Late.

I suspect that many of the miracles of engineering being crowed about by the Mac faithful are actually Intel engineering. I will give Apple thei due, They came up with the idea of a wedge shape enclosure over one that had even thinness throughout. Apple even thought to bevel the edges to give it that Jetson look. Well worth an extra grand!

 

[achtung!]

Posted by ZLurker I do agree that you spend alot for the design and formfactor.

I agree that they spent a lot with THIS "airbook" design, 'cause it's not worth it! MacBook Vaccum could have been a better name. 'cause it feels like nothing!

hey, where's the propulsion button? 'cause if it flyes, i want to see it in action!! maybe apple could post a guided tour, of how to use remote control to steer the "air". me and my friends, we're gonna spent a lot of nights, racing with our "airs"!

 

[willdenow]

I am away to get a mini for the living room telly. Was hoping for a revision with a GPU, but its not to be. Just have to swallow my hopes.....

but as an example, the mini here is £658
In america it is $1153 = £588

Can't see how it costs £70 ($137) to ship something that small to the UK

It doesn't. They're shipped worldwide from Taiwan which is about the same distance going east from Taipei to London as it is going west from Taipei to New York. Just another example of fortune 500 greed.

 

[Uragon]

Wow def looks good. Wife might want one.

I say Good job Apple. For a first run at slim-line laptops it's def a step in the right direction.

completely agree with you, I also think this is a great machine and a good start.

 

[Uragon]

That Remote Disk is really impressive. Can use to meet someone....

Boy ask Girl, Hi, can I use our optical drive....

 

[wizard]

Could you be so kind and enlighten me with a referens where you find a C2D 1.8Ghz with 800Mhz FSB and 2Gb ram in a phone or an iPod?

How about the 1.8" disk, the ultra small discreet parts and the micro connectors. If you look closely at the motherboards you will see tht they are very much constructed in the mold of a cell phone or other piece of high density electronics. Even the CPU was reworked for high density packaging for Apple.

The point is that there is little reason to believe that the electronics are especially expensive in the Air. The construction techniques are pretty much run of the mill. Thus people have no reason to suggest that the devices small size justify its price based on build cost. I suspect that Apple has a huge profit margin with Air.

This is a totaly different breed of products.

Not at all same construction techniques and in many cases the same parts.

And it will be interesting to see the performance of both disks!

Yep! I'm afraid that many will be disappointed with the 1.8" disk. After all why would Jobs make a point of suggesting that the SSD is very fast.

As for the selling margin, who knows, i am just comparing products.
I do agree that you spend alot for the design and formfactor.

Way to much in my opinion! Why pay big bucks for something that delivers so little?

Dave

 

[meshuga]

I just wished it had firewire and/or express card slot

 

[Tosser]

dAlen-

I would say that everything you list is a non-issue for people who don't care about the laptop being powerful... How powerful does it really need to be to run office documents, browse the internet, and view pictures and a few movies? The hard drive size can be supplemented by external ones like the wireless one they released today.

Haha, yes. The next product Apple will be releasing will be the portable Airport with storage. It will have an inbuilt battery and come with it's own charger. That way you get the best of what Apple has to offer: A "road warrior" PC, where you have to keep even more things charged.

Speaking of which (my emphasis):

I think you raise a good point. There is no doubt third party developers will jump at the chance to offer peripherals for the MBA. I can envision USB to Firewire converters (but limited to only one device because of USB's limitations); specially designed USB hubs, batteries that plug into the magsafe port, blueray, dvd-ram and combo drives for the USB port, etc. The question is, how much extra are you going to feel like spending in order to recoup the absent functionality on a machine in the Pro price range. Also, will you be negating the weight savings by packing up and toting along the extras? Only time will tell.

I have seen many people say this, as if that would be a neat workaround. Are you people aware of how inefficient it is to charge a battery in the first place, and then use that battery to charge another? Are you aware of how much of that energy is wasted (needing you to carry a bigger (and therefore heavier) ekstra battery?

Of course, if one could make the eksternal battery forego charging the internal, it would be such a big energy problem.
However, I wonder how you will connect to battery? Yes, via the magsafe, of course, but how will the actual box be connected? Via straps? Velcro? Or how about a big pad containing the battery. Yes, all "fine" ideas, right?

External batteries to charge the internal is a no-go. It would mean you would have to sit very still, or be prepared to be disconnected.

And for all those ekstras, you will only have a single USB-port, providing a measly 5 volts. That means you would have to have yet more chargers/wallwarts.

Btw, that bezel of the MBA, anyone but me thinks it resembles an oldschool Cinema display (the one with the feet)? The bezel-screen ratio looks very "2002" to me, and I am almost willing to wager that there is nothing out there except for a thin slice of air (no pun intended), so they can claim it's 0,4 inch thick at the outer end.

 

[rolandf]

Ugly

My first impression was when I saw it: Ugly. Looks like a Sony.

The artist renderings looked much better then this. Disappointing design.

 

[Twe Foju]

i love the Remote Disk though

it is so awesome, i wish MBP would use no internal Optical Drive and instead use Remote Disk

and also, love the multi-touch trackpad

im sure the future MBP are gonna have the multi-touch trackpad

 

[ZLurker]

Even the CPU was reworked for high density packaging for Apple.
...
The point is that there is little reason to believe that the electronics are especially expensive in the Air. The construction techniques are pretty much run of the mill. Thus people have no reason to suggest that the devices small size justify its price based on build cost.
...
Yep! I'm afraid that many will be disappointed with the 1.8" disk.

Dave

Then we are talking about different things, i totaly agree that its cheap to manufacter this product. But the development costs for the board, dieshrink etc have to come back in a small batch since this is not a mainstream computer. They will not sell a ton of these.

And the 1.8" disk, im afraid so too.

 

[Tosser]

My thoughts exactly. People bitch, bitch and bloody well bitch about anything that gets released.

This is a gorgeous bit of kit - not cheap, but not exactly overpriced for what you get.

And what do you actually get – I am serious here, not just bitching?

You get a slimmed down MacBook (not a slimmed down MBP).
Everything in it is MacBook, not pro. The only resemblance to a Pro is the aluminium, which brings me to the next point:

Plastics is much less rigid than aluminium, meaning, you have to "overengineer" the plastic to make it just semi-rigid. By going with aluminium the casing and the "struts" that stiffen it will be much thinner for the same rigidity and stiffness (not to mention weigh less).

When you have done that, you switch the HDD to a much slimmer one: An iPod drive.

Third, you remove the optical drive, in reality giving you much more space internally.

In addition to number three, you also remove most of the MacBook's ports so you can taper the sides.

And hey Presto! We have a product that some people think is a real design feat. Only it isn't.

Yes, I like the looks when closed, I like the keyboard – it reminds me of the black one on my TiBook, but that's about it. It's not much more than a new casing for MacBook where they have removed the optical drive and the ports and slammed in an iPod Drive and pass it off as something special.