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Initial Hands-On Impressions of the New MacBook Air
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Would someone please explain to me exactly why they insist on using four-year-old processors in their 'new' models? Could one of the world's most powerful consumer electronics companies not look forward and jump onto a newer architecture, or are we expected to put up with second best in terms of CPUs?
They have (and have had) every opportunity to lead the pack with new processor technology. Design isn't everything; sorry Mr Ive.
They have (and have had) every opportunity to lead the pack with new processor technology. Design isn't everything; sorry Mr Ive.
There is one thing that isn't particularly clear - the screen properties.
Although it says glossy, I'm assuming it won't be AS glossy as the MBP because of the absence of the glass cover?
I hearing reports that there are some anti-glare properties but not entirely matte...?
That's one thing that puts me off the MBP lineup, the absence of matte screen and the fact that I have to buy it as an optional extra for the 15'' & 17''
Although it says glossy, I'm assuming it won't be AS glossy as the MBP because of the absence of the glass cover?
I hearing reports that there are some anti-glare properties but not entirely matte...?
That's one thing that puts me off the MBP lineup, the absence of matte screen and the fact that I have to buy it as an optional extra for the 15'' & 17''
Nice Piece Of Kit
The dude giving the Video was rubbish. He was tossing the Machines around as if it was old kit ready to be thrown out. He wasnt passionate at all about the product didnt give it justice, for something that was hot off of the press.
The Macbook Air has always been lovely and a wow factor, but I personally would never see why I would need one. I would go for a Macbook pro any day. Future Macs will have the tecnoligy in time for Lion.
Watch this space.
The dude giving the Video was rubbish. He was tossing the Machines around as if it was old kit ready to be thrown out. He wasnt passionate at all about the product didnt give it justice, for something that was hot off of the press.
The Macbook Air has always been lovely and a wow factor, but I personally would never see why I would need one. I would go for a Macbook pro any day. Future Macs will have the tecnoligy in time for Lion.
Watch this space.
seems like the new MBAs are fantastic computers for the coffeehouse set or for students who are liberal arts majors. you certainly won't be running the newly-touted AutoCAD on these with much joy. i'd be surprised if iMovie '11 will even run acceptably when you've got one connected to a large external monitor. that's all fine. not every computer is best for every task, but at $1600 for the high-end one, you're getting into Sony Z territory and losing significantly.
the only thing i really don't understand is the instant on feature. from when i begin to raise the lid of my iBook to when it's usable is 3.96 seconds. at least half of that is the time i took to raise the lid. i can't see how saving 2 seconds is going to appreciably improve my life.
ah well, it does seem this is the way of the (apple) future, so i should either like it or move one...
the only thing i really don't understand is the instant on feature. from when i begin to raise the lid of my iBook to when it's usable is 3.96 seconds. at least half of that is the time i took to raise the lid. i can't see how saving 2 seconds is going to appreciably improve my life.
ah well, it does seem this is the way of the (apple) future, so i should either like it or move one...
iMovie had always run well in older gen of MBAs. Since iLife 11 is introduced together with the new MBA and bundled in it, what makes you think that it won't run satisfactorily? Efficiency of a computer has a lot more to do with just the Ghz of a CPU. Going all out on flash memory essentially cut out the bottleneck of modern computing these days. I guarantee iMovie 11 will run superbly on the new MBA. And please stop comparing PC with Macs. Everytime a new mac is out, there are people who start comparing them to PCs. If you think Sony Z is good, go get it. FYI, Vaio Z starts at $1799. Beside GHz wise, I don't see how Vaio Z can hold a candle to MBA. Besides it looks like crap!
I think you misunderstood the meaning of "Instant On". Read the product page please. Does your iBook has a standby time of 30 days? Yes? The MBA does, and it ALSO has the "Instant On" feautre like your iBook too. Wow... everyone should just get an iBook then. Oh wait, my crappy old $299 PC netbook has it too.
Seems ok. Looks like they added another USB port to the system. Or maybe I saw it wrong. But there were ports on both sides of the system now, from what it looked like. A plus.
Nothing I saw would really make previous owners jump at it, though it is steadily dropping the entry price for MBAs.
What the new MBAs really did was make me wish for a cheap SSD alternative for my MBP. I'm still playing the waiting game. A 512GB SSD drive is still more expensive than an entire MBA.
I'd love for 256GB SSDs to get to the price that the 512GB 2.5 HDs cost, someday. If they do that, I'd jump into SSDs with both feet.
Nothing I saw would really make previous owners jump at it, though it is steadily dropping the entry price for MBAs.
What the new MBAs really did was make me wish for a cheap SSD alternative for my MBP. I'm still playing the waiting game. A 512GB SSD drive is still more expensive than an entire MBA.
I'd love for 256GB SSDs to get to the price that the 512GB 2.5 HDs cost, someday. If they do that, I'd jump into SSDs with both feet.
1. Um, why would you want to run AutoCad on an ultraportable? Stop being ridiculous. I can think of many, many people besides the "coffeehouse set and liberal arts" students, like global road warriors working on massive remote compute clusters, coders, web developers, real estate agents, cloud afficiaonados..
2. The InstantOn feature is also related to the standby time. Take any Mac Laptop and put it to sleep. It's probably slow to sleep. Wake it up; it may or may not wake up quickly, but it certainly isn't instantly. That time difference is perceptible (and even annoying on the old MacBook Airs). Finally, consider stand by time. I turn off Wake from Sleep on lid opening because I got tired of the lid bouncing open in a bag and the battery being DOA. Nevertheless, the battery barely holds a solid charge for a day or two, but actual battery life with use is fine.
Right. You might want to move on to like a Ti Powerbook. Don't break the bank though.
R&D Fee
Ah, yes. But you probably don't have a severe lack of patience, as I do.
You're welcome.
I will wait for the price to come down some more, when it makes more sense. Saving a minute or 2 here and there is not a big deal, I set my Mac to auto start-up and shut down. No concerns here.
Ah, yes. But you probably don't have a severe lack of patience, as I do.
BTW thank you to all those who are paying for the R&D now for all those SSD technology advancements so I can benefit down the road.
You're welcome.
I think the design of these is very impressive.
There is a lot of overlapping edges in the Apple lineup now. Not that it is a bad thing, choice is good. Each product has a unique set of advantages but some are too close to one another to justify owning both.
For example, many will see the Air competing with the iPad. Both are non-power user devices, probably used primarily for email, surfing, watching videos, listening to music, etc. Sure, the Air can do a lot more. But, I doubt the Air is a primary machine for most users. If you already own an iMac or a Macbook Pro, chances are you'd do your more complex stuff on that machine more often than not.
The Air could definitely replace my old white 1st gen Macbook. That beast is only used for the things mentioned above and the only time I've ever used the optical drive was to reload OS X.
OTOH, an iPad could also replace my old white Macbook- the form factor is more compelling in some cases but the virtual keyboard loses when compared with the Air's full sized keyboard for lots of typing.
There is a lot of overlapping edges in the Apple lineup now. Not that it is a bad thing, choice is good. Each product has a unique set of advantages but some are too close to one another to justify owning both.
For example, many will see the Air competing with the iPad. Both are non-power user devices, probably used primarily for email, surfing, watching videos, listening to music, etc. Sure, the Air can do a lot more. But, I doubt the Air is a primary machine for most users. If you already own an iMac or a Macbook Pro, chances are you'd do your more complex stuff on that machine more often than not.
The Air could definitely replace my old white 1st gen Macbook. That beast is only used for the things mentioned above and the only time I've ever used the optical drive was to reload OS X.
OTOH, an iPad could also replace my old white Macbook- the form factor is more compelling in some cases but the virtual keyboard loses when compared with the Air's full sized keyboard for lots of typing.
MacBook Air Displays = Killer!
The specs on the screens are impressive.
The 11.6 packs a 1366 by 768 (native) and the 13 packs a 1440 by 900 (native).
The 11.6 has a higher resolution display than any 13" machine has ever had.
The 13 has the same resolution as the current 15.4 MacBook Pro.
The Air now has serious differentiation.
My next machine will be an 11.6!
The specs on the screens are impressive.
The 11.6 packs a 1366 by 768 (native) and the 13 packs a 1440 by 900 (native).
The 11.6 has a higher resolution display than any 13" machine has ever had.
The 13 has the same resolution as the current 15.4 MacBook Pro.
The Air now has serious differentiation.
My next machine will be an 11.6!
Blinding and Useless!
Nice quick n' dirty look-see without the marketing BS. If not for the counter-productive displays, I would be very tempted to buy the 13-inch. I mean, that coffee shop was a 'real-world' environment where us earth people may actually use a computer. The glare was horrible and makes no sense whatsoever. Still, if you're ever stuck in an elevator during a power outage, you're in luck!
Sorry Steve Jobs, but you're a complete dummy for not offering a non-glare version for a planet filled with lights and sunlight. As it is, they will serve as a great make-up mirror for the ladies, or for guys popping zits.
Regards,
Dan
Nice quick n' dirty look-see without the marketing BS. If not for the counter-productive displays, I would be very tempted to buy the 13-inch. I mean, that coffee shop was a 'real-world' environment where us earth people may actually use a computer. The glare was horrible and makes no sense whatsoever. Still, if you're ever stuck in an elevator during a power outage, you're in luck!
Sorry Steve Jobs, but you're a complete dummy for not offering a non-glare version for a planet filled with lights and sunlight. As it is, they will serve as a great make-up mirror for the ladies, or for guys popping zits.
Regards,
Dan
Glossy Displays
There are companies that make anti glare screen for $15-25.
They work well.
There are companies that make anti glare screen for $15-25.
They work well.
I'm aware of the various band-aids to make Apple screens usable.
Ironically, I’m typing while using Apple’s very first flat panel 22-inch Cinema Display that was made more than a decade ago. Granted, it’s now faded to a point of needing replacement but it still far exceeds the visual ergonomics of the new displays. In fact, the blinds in my office are partially opened and this is something I simply can't do when I use my son's MacBook from the same sitting position.
Sometimes, I'm embarrassed to be an Apple fanboy from 1985 to this day ~
Regards,
Dan
Glossy Screens
You know, I hear lots of people complain mercilessly that they cannot possibly buy a glossy-screen computer. I have been using both an iMac and an M.B.A. with glossy screens and, honestly, it almost never bothers me. The screens are so bright that it always overcomes the glare.
Additionally, I find that my eye focus, being on the text or images of the screen, really don't see the reflection. Sure, if you're looking for it to justify not wanting a glossy screen, you're going to find it. But after using it for a couple of years now, it genuinely doesn't bother me on the few times it does exist.
But I really needed to put my fears aside and just buy one to be convinced. No amount of talking was going to change my view, literally.
You know, I hear lots of people complain mercilessly that they cannot possibly buy a glossy-screen computer. I have been using both an iMac and an M.B.A. with glossy screens and, honestly, it almost never bothers me. The screens are so bright that it always overcomes the glare.
Additionally, I find that my eye focus, being on the text or images of the screen, really don't see the reflection. Sure, if you're looking for it to justify not wanting a glossy screen, you're going to find it. But after using it for a couple of years now, it genuinely doesn't bother me on the few times it does exist.
But I really needed to put my fears aside and just buy one to be convinced. No amount of talking was going to change my view, literally.
I actually like the glossy screen. The colors look much nicer on it and like you, I don't notice the reflections, they just don't bother me or get in the way of seeing what I'm doing.
Plus, I like the black border cause I much prefer my screen be framed in a dark (and neutral since a screen does not have a static image) color than a light color.
I fully appreciate your view (no pun intended). I can go outside during the day without sunglasses and see very well, but when I wear sunglasses, it’s simply more pleasant and less irritating. This was really my point and nothing more. Party on my friend. ~
Regards,
Dan
I've had a MBA with 1.86GHz C2D for over a year, and I can only recall a few occasions where the fans turned on, and I've NEVER seen the beachball on it. I run Firefox and MS Office 2008 on it all the time. Not sure what you're doing with your MBA, but those temps and problems are not normal. Are you running Snow Leopard?
Agreed. An SSD is the best performance upgrade a laptop can get IMO. I'm spoiled by mine. Snappy. Can't wait to try out the new MBA and compare to the old with SSD.
I can't deal with no backlit keyboard. No new MacBook Air for me
Hard to believe that would be the make-or-break issue for anyone. You can always use a glow-in-the-dark iSkin ProTouch FX keyboard cover:
http://www.iskin.com/protouch_macbook/fx_features.html#continue
The dude giving the Video was rubbish. He was tossing the Machines around as if it was old kit ready to be thrown out. He wasnt passionate at all about the product didnt give it justice, for something that was hot off of the press.
I don't mean to single this post out since there were others, but come on. Snark at the indoor sunglasses sure, but I didn't see anything wrong with how he handled the Air. He certainly didn't baby it but tossing around? The idea that the Air needs to be treated with respect is pretty ridiculous. It's a beautiful machine that I'm now coveting, but it's still just a machine.