Is the new Macbook an MBA killer?

[wordmunger]

The new Macbook is $500 cheaper, now only weighs 1.5 pounds more, and has a faster CPU than the MBA, not to mention the better array of ports, the fancy new trackpad, and the better battery life. It's only .2 inches thicker at the MBA's thickest point. I'm not sure if I'd be buying an MBA today if I needed a new laptop. I still don't care about the MBA's "missing" optical drive though. What do other MBA owners think about the new Macbook?

 

[foodcoma]

I believe there's already another thread about this.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/581293/

However, my view is that for anyone asking this question, then the air is probably not for you. I don't think that getting the air is about maxing one's bang for the buck. I, for one, am actually very excited about the new air. Can't wait to read reviews about it. Would certainly be keen to pick one up for myself as well.

 

[JRSimmons]

I was thinking exactly the same!
However went into the Appe store earlier and compared both side by side the Air is still the Daddy! - trust me.
The new MB is quite good looking, the clickpad is nice - the whole pad doest click, just the bottom half. But seeing both side by side, the Air is much nicer and still feels much thinner and much lighter.
Honestly, while the new MB definately feels more sturdy, it doesn't feel any lighter than the old plastic ones.

I've just ordered a new Air through the HE UK store, expecting delivery first week of Nov!

 

[gooddeal]

Also, no back-lit keyboard on the $1300 macbook.

 

[wordmunger]

I believe there's already another thread about this.

That seems to be a little more about the MacBook Pro than the Air.

JRSimmons: good points. I don't mind the look of the new MacBooks as much as many people seem to -- and I love my MBA, don't get me wrong. Maybe what I really want is the new MBA with its superior GPU (though the battery life isn't as good as my older version).

gooddeal: I've turned off backlighting on my keyboard and only use it rarely. I haven't found it to be very useful and it's often quite annoying.

 

[allmIne]

That seems to be a little more about the MacBook Pro than the Air.

JRSimmons: good points. I don't mind the look of the new MacBooks as much as many people seem to -- and I love my MBA, don't get me wrong. Maybe what I really want is the new MBA with its superior GPU (though the battery life isn't as good as my older version).

gooddeal: I've turned off backlighting on my keyboard and only use it rarely. I haven't found it to be very useful and it's often quite annoying.

I love the backlighting! That said, though, I only use it when my MBP is plugged in, and then it's really only aesthetic, because I'm using an external keyboard. I'd occasionally use it on a flight, but generally, it's a no go when out and about because I find the battery life pretty shocking as it is

andy.

 

[gooddeal]

gooddeal: I've turned off backlighting on my keyboard and only use it rarely. I haven't found it to be very useful and it's often quite annoying.

Well, I use the backlight on my keyboard all the time b/c I use my Air mostly at night or when I'm watching TVs. I just set the light to really low to save some power.

 

[lftrghtparadigm]

The answer is quite obviously yes.

 

[BWhaler]

The answer is quite obviously yes.

I disagree. For me, I care most about weight and size. The speed of all laptops nowadays is fast enough for me. (And truth be told, it is for 99% of the people nowadays.)

So what I lose in a small delta in productivity, I gain in portability. Sure, it is more expensive, but for me, it is perfect.

"Obvious," perhaps, to you.

 

[BLACK MAC]

Depends on your needs. I was looking to purchase the MBA, but then changed my mind to the MB. The MB in my opinion looks nice. You get more bang for you buck with the MB. But the MBA does offer the compact-portability feature over the MB. But not by very much.

 

[CalMin]

I will reserve final judgment until I play with the new MacBook at the Apple store, but from a price/performance perspective, I would have definitely gone MB vs. MBA if I was buying now. Plastic didn't cut it for me with the old MB - I was replacing the 12" Al Powerbook (the best computer I have ever bought).

The MBA is awesome and while I totally love it, I find the 80gb HD is restricting and it makes me change the way I use the computer. So much so that I am tempted to ditch it on eBay and get a new MB with a 250gb HD. The lack of a swappable battery also irks me, even though I rarely need to swap.

 

[buccsmf1]

Also, no back-lit keyboard on the $1300 macbook.

yea i dont understand why they wouldnt add this feature for the macbook? its so nice that i dont think i would buy another laptop that didnt have it

 

[darquette]

The speed of all laptops nowadays is fast enough for me. (And truth be told, it is for 99% of the people nowadays.)

So what I lose in a small delta in productivity, I gain in portability.

Amen to that! Forums are inhabited by more power users than one would see in the general population. I am not a power user, and my losses in productivity are entirely due to mindless browsing on the web, not slower CPUs/GPUs.

That being said, is the economic recession a Macbook Air killer?

 

[bidwalj]

the air shines in weight and thin.

The new macbook does not "kill" the overall feel of the air.

with that said, the new macbook's quietness is a welcome change.

 

[aleksandra.]

yea i dont understand why they wouldnt add this feature for the macbook? its so nice that i dont think i would buy another laptop that didnt have it

Which is why you would get a high-end MacBook if you wanted a new MacBook, right?

 

[maestrokev]

That being said, is the economic recession a Macbook Air killer?

I doubt it because the MBA target market are people who are recession proof.

 

[mrJnC]

A subtlety of the new MBA

The new MB has 3 MB of L2 cache.

The updated MBA has 6 MB of L2 cache.

So while there is a delta in CPU clock speeds, having 2x cache certainly can help performance. The cache in the original MBA was 4 MB.

 

[Mikebuzzsaw]

Macbook will definitely bite in the MBA market even more now.

 

[dudup]

Macbook will definitely bite in the MBA market even more now.

I'm not sure. The new graphics and storage on the MBA, the absence of Firewire and price raise (100USD) on the MB made the MBA an better option.

You go for the MB for budget reasons, or if it's going to be your only computer - which would make really need that DVD drive, extra USB and ethernet.

If the 'book is going to be your secondary machine, the MBA makes much more sense.

 

[em500]

Personally I feel they should have equipped the Air with a 12-inch screen and much thinner bezels, so that it's smaller in all dimensions than the MB, not just in thickness (a 12-inch screen is typically the same 1280x800 resolution and the body can still accomodate a full size keyboard).

Right now I don't think you get enough for the price premium. Sure, it's thinner and lighter, but it you give up a lot of features and it is much more expensive. I'd be OK with one of those (feature cut for the same price, or full featured for higher price), but not both. That's just asking a bit too much for only a but less thickness and weight.

 

[yoppie]

Add me to the group of people who are giving the new MacBooks a serious look. I was completely sold on getting the MacBook Air but now that the MacBooks are aluminum and have the nice screen and keyboard, I'm willing to overlook the weight factor. I guess I wanted the MBA for the look.

 

[rotorblade69]

About 95% sure I will be getting the air and the new 24 LED display when available. BUT is anyone else pissed about the fact that the air did not get the buttonless Glass trackpad.
Looking at the confrence vid with Ive it looks as if the AIR and the New MB and MBP's have the same chassis design. Only the area where the trackpads are is different. The air is just a hole, where as the MB MBP's have a little flange all the way around, and a center extension coming up along the bottom.
They will have to change the case to fit the glass trackpad. But when it comes to machined aluminum then all they have to do is redesign and then change the CAM program to reflect changes in the air's Unibody. IF it will even fit in an airs thin frontal frame.




Oh and how in the HELL do you get audio into the new 24" LED display (When Available).

 

[kenned]

Oh and how in the HELL do you get audio into the new 24" LED display (When Available).

Audio goes through the USB cable, even though the displayport connecter is able to carry the sound aswell.

 

[Mikebuzzsaw]

I'm not sure. The new graphics and storage on the MBA, the absence of Firewire and price raise (100USD) on the MB made the MBA an better option.

You go for the MB for budget reasons, or if it's going to be your only computer - which would make really need that DVD drive, extra USB and ethernet.

If the 'book is going to be your secondary machine, the MBA makes much more sense.

Yea, i think most people will go for MBA is portability is top 3 for buying a laptop. If it isn't, then people will always buy the MB.

 

[Ironic]

I had a Macbook Air, Had nothing but 6200RPM fans, and sold it after a few months, I just ordered a new MB 2.4 which will be be better for me, I was going to buy a Pro but see no need for it.

I do think the new MB will be a MBA Killer.