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First Look at the MacBook Air

few things really bother me:

u cant upgrade the ram, no apple remote, battery is stock, 80 gigs definitely not enough at least a 100.. other than that the design is phenomenal and price is ok for this thing compared to sony..cant expect more for this small form factor

As for this years macworld, it was upsetting, I wish they would announce new MBP which they could but off course what would they announce at WWDC..

Does anybody know if the processor on this thing is 45nm new Intel processors???
 
running said:
well, in this case, i cannot see any positive in Air (i really dont see reason for anyone to buy it), but well, i was the same with iPhone .... so i think it will be very succesful, despite almost everything (price, lack of features, battery...)
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I have a Thinkpad X31 sub-note and it is one of the best computers I've owned. Especially with a bad back!

Apple really did their homework on this one. This is PERFECT for the average sub-note user that doesn't really want to go the PC route.

I'm glad they were able to keep the price below $1800. I was expecting it to be more like $2199...
 
Great stuff. I will buy six of them for the Directors and 'road' managers of the business. They have all been asking for this for a long time. Finally Apple!

Regards,


C
 
CWallace said:
I like it, but I am glad Apple offers the MacBook and the MacBook Pro, as well. Choice is good.

And I look forward to the update to those latter two models as soon as Intel either starts shipping mobile Penryns or come May when the new Montevina CPU comes out.
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I agree.

This is so obviously a 1.0 product that will eventually filter out into the whole laptop line. They will get even smaller and eventually just become "MacBooks" (or Pros).

For instance, there is nothing to stop a MacBook Pro running Leopard to use the CD drive on your main computer if the software is installed. How long will it take before we start looking at our optical drives and wondering why we have the stupid things if that's the case? :)

This is just the bleeding edge raising it's head again.
 
imwoblin said:
These questions were posted on Macfixit..

MacBook Air raises troubleshooting questions

Apple's new MacBook Air is svelte-as-can-be, but the device's limitations and lack of traditional components raise some interesting troubleshooting/general questions:

What happens when the battery loses capacity or runs out? The battery is apparently not user-replaceable. This means you can't swap out batteries to extend operating life, and you'll likely need to seek authorized service to get the battery replaced when it inevitably loses capacity or fails altogether.
How do you perform an emergency boot? What if you can't startup from the built-in drive and need to boot from a separate volume? The MacBook Air lacks an optical drive, meaning you can't boot from an inserted DVD like the Mac OS X Leopard install disc unless you purchase the $100 optional, external SuperDrive. It's not yet clear whether the MacBook Air can boot from an optical drive in another Mac via the "Remote Disc" function, but we doubt it.
How will you apply major Mac OS X updates? If you can't boot from an installer disc, how will you be able to install the next major iteration of Mac OS X? Traditionally, Mac OS X installers have required the system to boot from the disc.
How will you use target disk mode? The MacBook Air lacks a FireWire port. This means you can't use FireWire target disk mode -- an invaluable troubleshooting tool.
How will you NetBoot? The MacBook Air lacks a built-in Ethernet port, so NetBoots won't be possible by default, precluding yet another option for emergency boots. You'll need to purchase the $20 USB Ethernet adapter.
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If the batter runs out, I'm sure that Apple will have same-day turnaround service for replacing it. I've had a logic board replaced on my Macbook in forty minutes. They're very good at the retail stores. For those not near a retail store, you will most likely have to mail it in, but it shouldn't take more than two days.

If for some reason, you are willing to spend 1800 dollars on a notebook and not buy the 100 dollar external DVD drive, Apple will certainly come up with a solution. It will, most likely, be more complicated than simply inserting a Restore DVD, but it will work. It will probably involve Remote Disk. Why don't you think that will work for restores? From what I've read so far, it seems to act no differently than if a CD was in your computer. As others have said, this is not designed to be the only computer you own.

For TDM, I think that the MBA signals the death of FireWire. With the release of USB 3.0 just a few years away, FireWire (even FW 800) won't be able to catch up. I think that Apple is moving in the right direction by removing the disk drive and the FW port. And, are you really too stingy to buy the $20 ethernet adapter? It's no different than having to buy a display adapter for the Macbook (which the MBA includes two of).

My biggest prediction relating to the MBA is that 10.6 will be available without a media, as a direct download. It will probably involve some ungodly amount of DRM, but I'm sure it will happen.
 
Disappointment

Did anyone else find todays announcement disappointing? I mean, c'mon! MacBook <i>Air</i>?

I was kind of hoping for a Penryn-included MacBook Pro.
 
homeboy said:
Sleek and thin but unfortunately the foot print is too big. No where as ultra portable as Asusand Sony's 12 inch laptops.
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yeah, it kind of bugs me no sites are highlighting the fact that it is LARGER than the current MacBook, just thinner and lighter:

MacBook Air

Size and weight
Height: 0.16-0.76 inch (0.4-1.94 cm)
Width: 12.8 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 3.0 pounds (1.36 kg)1

MacBook

Size and weight

* Height: 1.08 inches (2.75 cm)
* Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm)
* Depth: 8.92 inches (22.7 cm)
* Weight: 5.0 pounds (2.27 kg)

a sub-compact laptop this is not.

an 11" widescreen with a decent resolution, now that would be.
 
Does it have a Kensington-style security lock slot?

Thickness wasn't really the dimension I was interested in seeing reduced. I would love to have a 12-inch MacBook Pro.
 
ukor said:
Is the HD upgradable at a later date to a less pricey SSD?
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Probably not. If I were to make an educated guess I'd say the SSD is soldered in and not upgradable. After all if you could do that you wouldn't need to buy a new MBA next year.
 
solace said:
yeah, it kind of bugs me no sites are highlighting the fact that it is LARGER than the current MacBook, just thinner and lighter:

MacBook Air

Size and weight
Height: 0.16-0.76 inch (0.4-1.94 cm)
Width: 12.8 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 3.0 pounds (1.36 kg)1

MacBook

Size and weight

* Height: 1.08 inches (2.75 cm)
* Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm)
* Depth: 8.92 inches (22.7 cm)
* Weight: 5.0 pounds (2.27 kg)
Click to expand...

The english dimensions differ, but the metric dimensions are the same.
 
SthrnCmfrtr said:
Overpriced and underpowered.
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Agreed. In November I bought a MacBook for $1500.
Here are the specs...
2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
120GB Serial ATA @ 5400rpm
SuperDrive 8x DL
5.0 pounds

So... BETTER than the MacBook Air, cheaper than the MacBook Air, slightly heavier than the MacBook Air.. oh and I get over 3.5+ hours of battery life with the backlight on the monitor turned down.

A MacBook is by FAR a better deal. It doesnt have the "cool" factor, but it's still better than most other notebooks out there.
 
Good replacement for 12" PowerBook, but want something even smaller

I think Apple is following a similar strategy as it did with the 12" PowerBook. The 12" PB did not really have feature parity with the larger PowerBooks - it was more like a souped-up 12" iBook within a slimmer and lighter casing.

To its credit, in this go 'round Apple at least differentiated the MBA much more so that it's not just a slightly smaller version of the MacBook (which has the same screen size. By going so thin and light (2 lbs. less and about half the thickness), it is really in a different category altogether than the MB.

That being said, a 13" laptop is not what I would consider an ultraportable - it's more of just a "thin and light" computer. What I am still waiting for is a true ultraportable with an 11" screen and only 2 lb. weight (which would probably have to be a bit thicker to accomodate the internal components).

An 11" computer would be much more of a game-changer, especially if it was offered at a lower price point ($1299 or less). Computers like the Asus EEE PC have shown that there is a demand in the market for small and inexpensive computer, to the point that people are even willing to accept a ridiculously small 7" screen. I think Apple can try to fill the higher end of that niche with a computer that maybe costs twice as much but has a much larger screen (and of course Mac OS X).
 
michielrutjes said:
Here in the Netherlands the Macbook Air costs 1699 euro, so Apple is finally letting go of the dollar/euro equality. Still, it's cheaper to buy one in the US i guess (wich would be 1209 euros :| ).
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It's €1745 here in Denmark, which renders it a no-go. Especially considering $1799 is €1209 at the current exchange rate.

Also, the :apple:-TV is still over €300 here in Denmark. Not pretty.

EagerDragon said:
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
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Too much of a generalization for my liking. It solely depends on what your needs are in a certain profession.
 
Blackbeard said:
Underwhelmed is a good description for what I am feeling. Not disappointed but am not scrambling to pre-order. Oh, well, back to work.
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Same. I think this thing definitely has a market, and for those people, it will be very good. But I'm sitting on an 18 month old macbook and itching to upgrade... and this thing isn't even a consideration for me.

I think it would be a great second mac for someone who has a desktop, but it simply couldn't work as a desktop replacement (which even a macbook can do - I have mine hooked up to external mouse/KB/speakers/display/HD when at my desk).
 
shideg said:
The english dimensions differ, but the metric dimensions are the same.
Click to expand...

interesting... maybe it's smaller everywhere but the US? ;)
they probably just rounded up w/ the English dimensions for the Air?

either way, it's hardly sub-compact. just a thin Macbook
 
dAlen said:
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. [/Q

I thought the same thing when I saw it!
Click to expand...
 
i know it's already been said - but dam its so expensive. such a shame... i need something smaller than my 17" mbp to carry to university. i would have spent 1200. o well... guess i'll go with a dell
 
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