Goodbye Macbook Air...

[InfoSecmgr]

Yes, i think they are all puny weak super nerds(Nah jk lol). I carried heavier laptops to work all the time. Up stairs down stairs, you name it. Carrying 15 pounds while walking for 15mins doesn't bother me at all. people need to man up and possible work out because holding a 15in mpb is like holding a tv remote. I also carried stacks of laptops in one arm and not hard at all. Ive being carry heavier laptops for a long time and i dont have joint problems.

I want to see a story on how someones joints were affected from carrying a 5lb laptop for prolonged periods of time.

This is similar to my attitude as well. I have a 17 inch MBP i5 and I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. It is not heavy, it is not too big. Perhaps getting off my duff and working out 4-6 times a week is why I don't think it is too heavy. In fact, I have gotten so used to the screen size that it feels like my old 13 (obviously with more real estate, I'm just talking in terms of comfort).

 

[Scottsdale]

Even for healthy normal people... your comment is dead wrong, and shows ignorant insensitivity.

Clearly, you do not value the design point of the MBA. If you do not care about weight... go back to the 20'lb notebook that you are so proud of. Clearly the MBA is not for you.

/Jim

Jim,

I don't know how or why, but my post about this is COMPLETELY GONE! I find that comment far more ignorant insensitivity than you do.

How in the world can people get away with posting ignorant terms such as this here and not get banned permanently if the term "ONETWO" where ONE equals Fan and TWO equals Boi gets people banned?

I personally think the user needs banned forever for publicly making such insensitive remarks... and then dismissing it without an apology!

I would love to hear more remarks to the

"Crippled"

comment ACE134BLUE left... do people think this is acceptable in any context here at MacRumors?

 

[Ace134blue]

Are you claiming that the 17 inch MBA, which weighs 6.6 pounds and has a surface area of more that 162 square inches, is easier to haul around that the MBA, which weighs only 3 pounds with a surface area of 114 square inches? If you are, I would like to have some of what you must have been smoking or, alternatively, ask you to tell the rest of us about your weight training regimen.

Id like to know what your smoking. Ive never heard of a 17in mba?
The two main selling points of the air was portability and thinness. Im comparing the weight of the mbp to the air. Hardly a difference to me.

 

[Ace134blue]

Jim,

I don't know how or why, but my post about this is COMPLETELY GONE! I find that comment far more ignorant insensitivity than you do.

How in the world can people get away with posting ignorant terms such as this here and not get banned permanently if the term "ONETWO" where ONE equals Fan and TWO equals Boi gets people banned?

I personally think the user needs banned forever for publicly making such insensitive remarks... and then dismissing it without an apology!

I would love to hear more remarks to the comment ACE134BLUE left... do people think this is acceptable in any context here at MacRumors?

Im sorry if anyone here has taken it the wrong way but, what terminology which you like me to refer to it as? Disabled? Means the same thing.

 

[Ace134blue]

This is similar to my attitude as well. I have a 17 inch MBP i5 and I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. It is not heavy, it is not too big. Perhaps getting off my duff and working out 4-6 times a week is why I don't think it is too heavy. In fact, I have gotten so used to the screen size that it feels like my old 13 (obviously with more real estate, I'm just talking in terms of comfort).

Exactly my point.

 

[gwsat]

Id like to know what your smoking. Ive never heard of a 17in mba?
The two main selling points of the air was portability and thinness. Im comparing the weight of the mbp to the air. Hardly a difference to me.

My post has been corrected, although I am certain you knew exactly what I meant, my typo notwithstanding. I have used 17 inch Macs for more than 7 years and have hauled them all over the country. I have also maintained a vigorous exercise regimen for many, many years. Nevertheless, the large size of the 17 inch MBP compared to the MBA, and the MBP's exponentially, literally, greater weight still leaves me shaking my head that you don't recognize how significant the difference is. We can agree on one thing though: clearly, you will not be buying an MBA.

 

[entatlrg]

Jim,

I don't know how or why, but my post about this is COMPLETELY GONE! I find that comment far more ignorant insensitivity than you do.

How in the world can people get away with posting ignorant terms such as this here and not get banned permanently if the term "ONETWO" where ONE equals Fan and TWO equals Boi gets people banned?

I personally think the user needs banned forever for publicly making such insensitive remarks... and then dismissing it without an apology!

I would love to hear more remarks to the comment ACE134BLUE left... do people think this is acceptable in any context here at MacRumors?

Your post gets removed and what do you do?

You start all over again.

 

[flynz4]

The ease of use of the MBA has very little to do with the "carry weight". Yes, the low carry weight is wonderful. The smaller power adapter is wonderful... but that is just the icing on the cake.

The real advantage of the MBA light weight (at least for me) is in how you use it ("use weight"). This is especially true if you use it on the couch, in your easy chair, sitting back in an office chair with it on your lap in a meeting, laying in bed, etc.

I move my air back and forth from my left side of the couch, to the right side... I move it to my lap. I will lay down in bed and move it around.

The key thing is this is done using just a thumb and forefinger (or two) on the front right corner of the device. No other laptop (by far) is as comfortable to hold, and reposition during normal casual use of the device.

The bottom line is that the MBA has a significant advantage regarding "use weight". It also has an advantage in "carry weight"... but for many, that is of secondary importance.

Anyone who thinks the "use weight" of the MBA and any other MBP are similar... is totally missing the point. It is like holding a magazine, vs an encyclopedia

/Jim

 

[Scottsdale]

The ease of use of the MBA has very little to do with the "carry weight". Yes, the low carry weight is wonderful. The smaller power adapter is wonderful... but that is just the icing on the cake.

The real advantage of the MBA light weight (at least for me) is in how you use it ("use weight"). This is especially true if you use it on the couch, in your easy chair, sitting back in an office chair with it on your lap in a meeting, laying in bed, etc.

I move my air back and forth from my left side of the couch, to the right side... I move it to my lap. I will lay down in bed and move it around.

The key thing is this is done using just a thumb and forefinger (or two) on the front right corner of the device. No other laptop (by far) is as comfortable to hold, and reposition during normal casual use of the device.

The bottom line is that the MBA has a significant advantage regarding "use weight". It also has an advantage in "carry weight"... but for many, that is of secondary importance.

Anyone who thinks the "use weight" of the MBA and any other MBP are similar... is totally missing the point. It is like holding a magazine, vs an encyclopedia

/Jim

+1 another nice post...

 

[PsyD4Me]

Your post gets removed and what do you do?

You start all over again.

Your stuck on Scottsdale like white on rice aren't you

 

[Ace134blue]

My post has been corrected, although I am certain you knew exactly what I meant, my typo notwithstanding. I have used 17 inch Macs for more than 7 years and have hauled them all over the country. I have also maintained a vigorous exercise regimen for many, many years. Nevertheless, the large size of the 17 inch MBP compared to the MBA, and the MBP's exponentially, literally, greater weight still leaves me shaking my head that you don't recognize how significant the difference is. We can agree on one thing though: clearly, you will not be buying an MBA.

Well i guess you dont lift weights. I had an air before, didnt like it (was a 2nd gen). Btw, im a power user so no i wouldnt buy it. Its dirt slow, sure if your a web browsing person itll do fine. Unless they put an i7 in the mba than no i wont be getting it.

 

[Ace134blue]

The ease of use of the MBA has very little to do with the "carry weight". Yes, the low carry weight is wonderful. The smaller power adapter is wonderful... but that is just the icing on the cake.

The real advantage of the MBA light weight (at least for me) is in how you use it ("use weight"). This is especially true if you use it on the couch, in your easy chair, sitting back in an office chair with it on your lap in a meeting, laying in bed, etc.

I move my air back and forth from my left side of the couch, to the right side... I move it to my lap. I will lay down in bed and move it around.

The key thing is this is done using just a thumb and forefinger (or two) on the front right corner of the device. No other laptop (by far) is as comfortable to hold, and reposition during normal casual use of the device.

The bottom line is that the MBA has a significant advantage regarding "use weight". It also has an advantage in "carry weight"... but for many, that is of secondary importance.

Anyone who thinks the "use weight" of the MBA and any other MBP are similar... is totally missing the point. It is like holding a magazine, vs an encyclopedia

/Jim

Yes, i can do all of this with my mbp. When steve introduced the mba, he didnt spend an hour tallking about how "light" it was. He talked about how thin it was and how portable it was( the point of putting it in a folder). Now, because i have more muscle mass that might be the reason. But the next time someone talks about the mbp being *heavy* needs to be smacked a good one.

 

[Scottsdale]

Im sorry if anyone here has taken it the wrong way but, what terminology which you like me to refer to it as? Disabled? Means the same thing.

The apology was a step in the right direction, but then you had to say "means the same thing." If God forbid, you or anyone in your family ever become "disabled," I think you will certainly agree that "crippled" is offensive at a minimum.

Too bad people don't have more respect.

 

[gwsat]

Well i guess you dont lift weights. I had an air before, didnt like it (was a 2nd gen). Btw, im a power user so no i wouldnt buy it. Its dirt slow, sure if your a web browsing person itll do fine. Unless they put an i7 in the mba than no i wont be getting it.

I wouldn't buy a current generation MBA either, so there we agree. It remains to be seen what the next generation produces, if, of course, there is a next generation MBA. I have always been a power user, too, which is why I have always had 17 inch Macs. That isn't the issue here, though.

The source of our debate remains your claim that, and I quote "Weight is no problem. Comparing the 17in to the mba is hardly noticeable." Such a claim simply isn't credible. I suspect that the vast majority of posters here would agree with that assessment.

 

[Spacekatgal]

I wouldn't buy a current generation MBA either, so there we agree. It remains to be seen what the next generation produces, if, of course, there is a next generation MBA. I have always been a power user, too, which is why I have always had 17 inch Macs. That isn't the issue here, though.

The source of our debate remains your claim that, and I quote "Weight is no problem. Comparing the 17in to the mba is hardly noticeable." Such a claim simply isn't credible. I suspect that the vast majority of posters here would agree with that assessment.

I agree, it's just not credible.

Granted, I'm a girl, and don't have much upper body strength, but I do run almost 3000 miles a year. The 17 inch from the last gen was way too much for me to carry. Let's get real.

 

[Scottsdale]

Thank You!!!

Your stuck on Scottsdale like white on rice aren't you

Some people hate the player... others hate the game. The funny thing is I attack debate positions while others attack me. I don't mind others not getting the difference. It's this way in media everywhere...

"if they hate him why do they listen?... most common answer, they want to see what he will say next."

- Private Parts (1997) -

Quite honestly, that doesn't bother me. What bothers me is the disgusting talk about me behind my back when I was banned for saying "ONETWO" where ONE equals Fan and TWO equals boy. Thanks for stepping in there. Amazingly, all of the positive posts were removed as maybe "irrelevant?" I don't know, would love to know what notice you might have received about it? I have noticed some of the negative posts remain. Needless to say, I was honored to have many friends stick up for me. Most of the time people only lash out against someone. It is nice to have people actually defend me. Those who know me realize I take passionate positions in debate of positions, but I intend no malice.

To clarify my position in regards to the "insult," it wasn't intended to be an "insult" in any way, shape, or form. I meant it as "local terminology" when someone seems to be failing to see any position other than Apple's positions. I have declared myself "the word," I have had others call me "the word". I have never considered it to be a heinous insult in any way. Others in these very forums use the word in their signature, and the word was found more times than "troll" on these very forums when doing a Google search and combining both the "y" and "i" endings. In a random search of those results, I found about half were people calling themselves "the word" and the other half were people calling others "the word."

 

[Ace134blue]

I wouldn't buy a current generation MBA either, so there we agree. It remains to be seen what the next generation produces, if, of course, there is a next generation MBA. I have always been a power user, too, which is why I have always had 17 inch Macs. That isn't the issue here, though.

The source of our debate remains your claim that, and I quote "Weight is no problem. Comparing the 17in to the mba is hardly noticeable." Such a claim simply isn't credible. I suspect that the vast majority of posters here would agree with that assessment.

Yeah, but i would also have to restate my previous statement. "I guess you guys dont lift weights." If you guys just sit on a couch and watch youtube videos than sure it might be a strain to carry 5lbs. If you do lift weights than most people would agree that the weight between the two isnt a big difference. I highly doubt anyone spends 2 grand for a slow pc that weighs a few lbs less than a mbp, weight being the sole reason for justifying the less than stellar price.

 

[Ace134blue]

The apology was a step in the right direction, but then you had to say "means the same thing." If God forbid, you or anyone in your family ever become "disabled," I think you will certainly agree that "crippled" is offensive at a minimum.

Too bad people don't have more respect.

Dont take it the wrong way than. I know many people who have disabilities refer to themselves as *crippled*.

 

[gwsat]

Yeah, but i would also have to restate my previous statement. "I guess you guys dont lift weights." If you guys just sit on a couch and watch youtube videos than sure it might be a strain to carry 5lbs. If you do lift weights than most people would agree that the weight between the two isnt a big difference. I highly doubt anyone spends 2 grand for a slow pc that weighs a few lbs less than a mbp, weight being the sole reason for justifying the less than stellar price.

Dont take it the wrong way than. I know many people who have disabilities refer to themselves as *crippled*.

Not to put too fine a point on it, when you find yourself in a hole, it's always best to just stop digging, if you take my meaning.

 

[silverblack]

- I hate it when people give me change in coins instead of bills
- I make an effort to pack light and avoid bringing that extra pair of shoes when I travel
- I pay extra premium to get Nikon 4 lenses for my glasses because of it's lighter weight
- I do notice a significant difference in weight between carrying a MBA vs 13" MBP. In fact, I much prefer traveling with an iPad now, due to its even lighter weight and more importantly a battery life that is not pathetic.

I am not disable, nor crippled.

 

[laff2]

Wow...I started this post just to share my thoughts from my experience. Now it has gone to places that I did not ever think or would have to think it would go.

So I am going to make a clear statement... As I soon switch to a MBP 15" at 5.6lbs, it is not overly heavy in general. But traveling with a MBA at 3lbs for a few years is when you really notice a huge difference in just a few pounds. (as well as size, height, etc). On paper (or for those in debate, the gym) 2.6 extra pounds is not that much. But this is not to be judged or valued in the way a hand weight or brick is carried (not sure that makes sense for my point). It basically is very noticeable and quite enjoyable to travel with less weight. Just wish it had the abilities the MBP 13 or 15 does. In time I hope.

 

[Ace134blue]

Not to put too fine a point on it, when you find yourself in a hole, it's always best to just stop digging, if you take my meaning.

Yeah but if you keep digging youll eventually find a treasure . Fine, ill state that the weight is all about personal preference and opinion. If people want to complain that the mbp's weight will give them back problems and joint problems, so be it><

 

[pharmx]

Yes, i think they are all puny weak super nerds(Nah jk lol). I carried heavier laptops to work all the time. Up stairs down stairs, you name it. Carrying 15 pounds while walking for 15mins doesn't bother me at all. people need to man up and possible work out because holding a 15in mpb is like holding a tv remote. I also carried stacks of laptops in one arm and not hard at all. Ive being carry heavier laptops for a long time and i dont have joint problems.

I want to see a story on how someones joints were affected from carrying a 5lb laptop for prolonged periods of time.

I'm not sure if you're trolling, or genuinely ignorant about the situation. Nobody is saying that 5 pounds in itself is heavy. Even a young child can lift 5 pounds without any effort. Nobody is talking about a quick 15 minute walk either, the same child could do that as well. But if you're paying a premium for a luxury product, why would you settle for something heavier...especially if you traveled frequently, and had to carry your briefcase or bag for extended periods of time?

If you keep your laptop on your desk, barely move it, or only short distances when you do...then the difference between 3 pounds and 5 pounds might be negligible or barely noticeable. But anyone who spends most of their day on the go, in and out of airports, or just has to carry their briefcase/bag all day for whatever reason.....they will DEFINITELY notice the difference. This is not because they are incapable of carrying something heavier....but why should they? To show that they are strong enough to be able to do so? That's rather silly don't you think? If we were talking about the MBP, then I could maybe see your point, with respect to people "whining" about the weight. But the MBA is an ultra-portable laptop, designed for traveling businessmen and professionals. The whole purpose of its existence is to be as light and thin as possible, while still being capable enough for its target market. It sounds like you don't understand/agree with the concept of an ultra-portable.

As far as injuries go, there are several documented cases of people suffering from muscle sprains, strains, and fatigue, as well as nerve damage and blood circulation issues. The way people grip, hold, and carry things affect their neck, back, wrist, and elbow, just to name a few. How much weight do you think it takes to cause these kinds of issues? I'm not saying that everyone who has a 5 pound laptop is going to suffer one of these problems....but they're definitely at a higher risk of doing so than someone with a 3 pound laptop...especially when carrying it for prolonged periods, and over time.

My whole point in all of this was to try and get you to understand that people have different needs based on their specific circumstances. A lot of things are situation dependent, and in this case, the weight of the laptop is relative to its intended use. Five pounds might not be heavy for a regular laptop, but definitely is for an ultra-portable.

 

[SaleenS351]

Thought I'd chime in here with my thoughts on my recent purchase of a Sony Vaio Z.

I've always been a Mac guy. This is my first real experience with a windows machine in the past 15 years. I needed windows for medical school, their testing software runs on windows only. I would gladly have gotten a new air and ran windows in bootcamp, but it didn't work out that way and I start school in one week.

I've had it for about 2 weeks or so and I am really pleased with it. The screen is really nice. In comparison to my glossy MBP it shows a lot less reflections under lights and the resolution is perfect. This is my first machine with an SSD. It is screaming fast though. It take a split second to open up applications In that department it blows any machine I've ever owned out of the water. I haven't done anything processor intensive yet except for converting some itunes library into AAC, which in comparison to my iMac was a quite a bit faster. Where I really love the ultra-portability is typing on the couch. It weighs 3lbs. and it makes a HUGE difference compared to my MBP. All the heat escapes out the side and my lap never gets hot and it is whisper quiet. The keyboard is great and the build quality is decent certainly not as bad as I was expecting. After some use it's actually starting to feel quite solid. The speakers on it are abysmal!! The keyboard back-lighting doesn't work as well as on my MBP but it's doable. I haven't been able to test out the battery much, but what I have seen so far is it is meeting my needs and exceeds that of my '06 MBP. As far as windows 7 the more I get used to it the more it's not so bad. It really borrows a lot from OS X and in that sense it is familiar. Overall Windows 7 has not been a bad experience and the vaio has been pretty cool so far. Definitely will be hanging on to this for quite some time. I would, however, rather be typing on an updated MBA.

 

[Spacekatgal]

Thought I'd chime in here with my thoughts on my recent purchase of a Sony Vaio Z.

I've always been a Mac guy. This is my first real experience with a windows machine in the past 15 years. I needed windows for medical school, their testing software runs on windows only. I would gladly have gotten a new air and ran windows in bootcamp, but it didn't work out that way and I start school in one week.

I've had it for about 2 weeks or so and I am really pleased with it. The screen is really nice. In comparison to my glossy MBP it shows a lot less reflections under lights and the resolution is perfect. This is my first machine with an SSD. It is screaming fast though. It take a split second to open up applications In that department it blows any machine I've ever owned out of the water. I haven't done anything processor intensive yet except for converting some itunes library into AAC, which in comparison to my iMac was a quite a bit faster. Where I really love the ultra-portability is typing on the couch. It weighs 3lbs. and it makes a HUGE difference compared to my MBP. All the heat escapes out the side and my lap never gets hot and it is whisper quiet. The keyboard is great and the build quality is decent certainly not as bad as I was expecting. After some use it's actually starting to feel quite solid. The speakers on it are abysmal!! The keyboard back-lighting doesn't work as well as on my MBP but it's doable. I haven't been able to test out the battery much, but what I have seen so far is it is meeting my needs and exceeds that of my '06 MBP. As far as windows 7 the more I get used to it the more it's not so bad. It really borrows a lot from OS X and in that sense it is familiar. Overall Windows 7 has not been a bad experience and the vaio has been pretty cool so far. Definitely will be hanging on to this for quite some time. I would, however, rather be typing on an updated MBA.

I'd really love to see a more detailed review in its own thread! As much as I love the idea of that machine, I can't stress Windows. How are you faring so far?