Is there a point in the Air now?

[mhnajjar]

uesless info? Ive used an Air before....and every reviewer that played with it longterm said the 4200RPM drive in the original Air sucked. Why would this be any different? Im just pointing out the price comparison for what you get.....then you take out the SSD to make it more comparable to the MB price-wise yet its performance gets even worse with the 4200 drive....just trying to see the logic i guess? As hard as it may seem to believe....I adore the idea of the new MBA coming next month and am battling internally with what to purchase...the Air or the Reg. MacBook as I too like the Air's screen alot more, along with its obvious weight and thickness.....Im just trying to really throw things out there and see what the benefits are to an Air over a MB.......

Okay then, if you are trying to make a decision, then we have already given you all the info we have about the MBA and how it compares to the MB and I guess everyone here suggested the MBA over the MB due to many factors and the final decision is yours.

Good luck in your purchase

 

[funkyc]

why does a thread like this even exist?
my god, the air is the only laptop that runs osx natively and is thin, light and sexy. i carry a macbook around with me all day with the rest of my textbooks and curse the fact that the air wasn't around yet when i bought it
if u can afford the premium then what anybody else says doesn't really matter
if u can't afford it then go buy an asus or dell or something and start complaining abt vista instead.
end of story.

 

[Grimace]

uesless info? Ive used an Air before....and every reviewer that played with it longterm said the 4200RPM drive in the original Air sucked. Why would this be any different? .

The 4200rpm aspect wasn't the problem. The PATA interface was the problem. A 4200rpm SATA drive doesn't operate that slowly -- for most tasks, you can't tell the difference between that and a 5400rpm SATA drive.

 

[WPB2]

Used Air with dent included at no extra price.

I am selling a MBA 1.6/80gig. with MS Office full installed. any takers 950.00.

 

[aristobrat]

uesless info? Ive used an Air before....and every reviewer that played with it longterm said the 4200RPM drive in the original Air sucked.

I owned an Air and the only time I ever thought the non-SSD drive sucked was when I rebooted it. After it was booted and I started the apps I use daily, the way OS X caches stuff in RAM, I never noticed the drive being a drag on performance, even when I closed stuff out completely and reopened it later.

 

[tigres]

Everyone.. Roll on the Air Gen. 2

The Air is the hottest notebook out. If you can afford it, do it.

 

[Jig]

The 4200rpm aspect wasn't the problem. The PATA interface was the problem. A 4200rpm SATA drive doesn't operate that slowly -- for most tasks, you can't tell the difference between that and a 5400rpm SATA drive.

I'm afraid this isn't true. It really is the speed of the drive - though a higher capacity drive should be faster due to density.

The PATA interface is fast enough even for 7200rpm drives, especially in this context where the bus isn't being shared by a dvd drive. SATA is good for compatibility reasons, but if you are expecting improvement just because of that, you will be disappointed.

 

[six.four]

I'm afraid this isn't true. It really is the speed of the drive - though a higher capacity drive should be faster due to density.

The PATA interface is fast enough even for 7200rpm drives, especially in this context where the bus isn't being shared by a dvd drive. SATA is good for compatibility reasons, but if you are expecting improvement just because of that, you will be disappointed.

The above needs to be emphasized as it seems so many have the misconception that the interface change between PATA and SATA somehow boosts performance. The PATA interface is not the bottleneck, it is the 4200rpm speed (and sometimes small buffer). Although the theoretical maximum throughput of an SATA interface is greater than PATA, a notebook drive, especially those running at 5400rpm or slower, will never reach the max throughput of PATA.

If there is a speed boost between PATA and SATA, it surely will not be attributed to the interface change.

 

[CoreyMac]

Thank you guys, I knew I wasnt "ignorant" in regards to the 4200rpm HD like some of these people insisted.

 

[zer0tails]

I owned an Air and the only time I ever thought the non-SSD drive sucked was when I rebooted it. After it was booted and I started the apps I use daily, the way OS X caches stuff in RAM, I never noticed the drive being a drag on performance, even when I closed stuff out completely and reopened it later.

what happened to the Air?

 

[lidomkj]

I got rid of the air and got the new 2.4 macbook w 4gb ram. So much better and I can actually watch video with stutter or overheating. Runs cool 44-50 degrees even with movies. The weight is not that much more compared to the air, the build feels more solid (screen back flexed on the air) the trackpad is so much nicer. I got lucky and have the better model screen on my macbook. Also, for the price, I now have a macbook with better specs and a Dell mini 9 on order for the same price.

So now I have the best of both worlds. The macbook is portable(only slightly heavier), but will have the Dell when I need ultra-portable. Plus, you can install OSx on the mini9 and get a 64gb SSD upgrade, easy hack for GPS and/or 3g wireless.


Very happy now. The Macbook air was repaired 3 times and could not even use it to watch movies from itunes on it. The repairs did not include the multiple trips to apple having them say it "was in spec".

 

[aristobrat]

what happened to the Air?

I sold it. The workarounds I had going in regards to squeezing my life into an 80GB system frustrated me too much. I'm extremely interested in a MBA v2 + 24" new Cinema Display monitor combination. If I hear good things about that, I'm back.

 

[dogg]

I got rid of the air and got the new 2.4 macbook w 4gb ram. So much better and I can actually watch video with stutter or overheating. Runs cool 44-50 degrees even with movies. The weight is not that much more compared to the air, the build feels more solid (screen back flexed on the air) the trackpad is so much nicer. I got lucky and have the better model screen on my macbook. Also, for the price, I now have a macbook with better specs and a Dell mini 9 on order for the same price.

So now I have the best of both worlds. The macbook is portable(only slightly heavier), but will have the Dell when I need ultra-portable. Plus, you can install OSx on the mini9 and get a 64gb SSD upgrade, easy hack for GPS and/or 3g wireless.


Very happy now. The Macbook air was repaired 3 times and could not even use it to watch movies from itunes on it. The repairs did not include the multiple trips to apple having them say it "was in spec".

What make the video playback slow and stuttery?

Is it to do with the processor or the HD?

 

[AppliedMicro]

Sales will slow though. If the 13" AlBook had been around, I would have got it over my air.

I like the Air as much as anyone. Even though I still haven't gotten one yet

I had only been waiting for a 2nd gen. MBA to buy... But now, I have doubts, and I'm holding off buying again. I was really hoping for a price cut. But with making the DVI adapter optional, Apple essentially raised (!) prices. And even though they might not be as good as the MBA's, I have read that the new MacBooks' displays are an improvement on the previous models.

Sure, I really (!) like less weight to carry around, cause I can feel 1.5 lbs more or less. But the new MacBooks seem a way more reasonable deal, and the premium for the MBA quite high. 500$ for 1.5 lbs less, lower performance? And a slightly better display... which I wouldn't really notice in comparison? Pretty steep premium...

I will probably be holding my breath for a price cut.

The new MacBooks got more attractive, relative to the Air. So I'd assume, less people are going to buy the Air. Which should eventually lead to lower prices. When they make it sub-1500$ or add an SSD in the base model (at today's price points), I'm gonna get one.

 

[iDave]

performance—who cares?

I don't think anyone's really buying a MacBook Air for its performance. They're buying for the light weight, the nice display, the thin form, the wow factor, or any of the above. Therefore, IMO, debating whether there's a point to the Air relative to the MacBook based on specs is pointless.

Every couple of years I get a new portable Mac and sell the old one. Until now I'd not considered an Air. When Apple removed Firewire from the MacBook and increased the glossiness of the screen, I started to reconsider. Since my portable is a second computer, speed is of no real importance. Weight and heat are the two biggest considerations for me. So I'm concerned when I hear the Air is hotter than the MacBook. I hate glossy screens and have never been very impressed with the MacBook screen anyway; and since the MacBook is now extra glossy, that's pretty much a wash with the possible heat issue, in my mind.

So I'm considering the 1.6Ghz MBA with the hard drive. It'll be plenty fast enough for the light duty work I do on a portable. The slower processor will be slightly cooler and it'll be worth the $500 difference over the MacBook, for the nicer screen and the lighter weight. I wish it came with one of those fancy new trackpads.

 

[six.four]

I wish it came with one of those fancy new trackpads.

After using a friends glassback for a few hours, I found that I personally am not a fan of the new glass touchpad. My fingers aren't clammy by any means, but they do have a bit moisture, and I found that overall, my fingers didn't "glide" as well using the glass trackpad. While the no-button trackpad is an interesting idea, I'd say its still a novelty and I prefer normal trackpad buttons.

 

[JtheLemur]

Just got back from a two week trip to LA, San Francisco and Vancouver. This was my first big trip since getting my Rev.A Air.

Reasons, regardless of travel, why I love the Air w/ SSD:

- You can "toss it around" without worry.
- You can palm it securely.
- You can use it standing up, held in one hand, securely.
- You can whip it out *anywhere* without concern for where to set it down, because it's so light. For example, sitting in cramps mass transit, crowded plane, etc - like, bottom leaning against your chest and screen sticking out.
- You can fit it in *any* bag.
- Hell, you can fit it in an airline seat pocket.

=)

 

[brucku]

That is right. I bet your Mac Pro would destory the new Macbook.

Plus for me, a new baisc air is $1457. Go 25% employee discount.

Do you have any idea when the MBA is going to hit your EPP store. I know it was not up 2 days ago. My bro is buying one when it hits the store.....

 

[Scottological]

In 2004 or so, the ad agency I was working for gave me a 1.33 Ghz PowerBook G4 with a 60 gig hard drive and something like 236 MB of RAM. One of my art directors was enraged with jealousy: what are you going to do with all that, he wanted to know. I was a writer, see, and his thinking was that I shouldn't have been given 1.33 Ghz of power when he could use such a gorgeous machine for editing video.

The idea that an MBA has a 128 gig SSD, two whole gigs of RAM, and a processor that can clock in at 1.8-whatever Ghz in a three pound package thin enough to slide under a door is stunning to me. In fact, it's way more juice than I need - or for that matter, most of us need - on a day to day basis.

So that's the point of the Air, my friend.

 

[Roba]

The current AL MB has a battery capacity of 4200mAh. I have been reading that the MBA has a battery capacity of 5200mAh i don't know if this is true or not but if it is this could potentially make quite a bit of difference battery life wise.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=1261

 

[powerbook911]

In 2004 or so, the ad agency I was working for gave me a 1.33 Ghz PowerBook G4 with a 60 gig hard drive and something like 236 MB of RAM. One of my art directors was enraged with jealousy: what are you going to do with all that, he wanted to know. I was a writer, see, and his thinking was that I shouldn't have been given 1.33 Ghz of power when he could use such a gorgeous machine for editing video.

The idea that an MBA has a 128 gig SSD, two whole gigs of RAM, and a processor that can clock in at 1.8-whatever Ghz in a three pound package thin enough to slide under a door is stunning to me. In fact, it's way more juice than I need - or for that matter, most of us need - on a day to day basis.

So that's the point of the Air, my friend.

Very true, however software also advances and changes. Programs were made back then to run ok on that Powerbook.

 

[Lyrrad]

The current AL MB has a battery capacity of 4200mAh. I have been reading that the MBA has a battery capacity of 5200mAh i don't know if this is true or not but if it is this could potentially make quite a bit of difference battery life wise.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=1261

According to System Profiler, the capacity on my Air 2.0 is 4847mAh. I haven't calibrated it yet.

Edit: Using the program listed in the blog posting you mentioned, the original battery capacity is 5090mAh

 

[mark34]

I love my rev A 1.8/SSD though I have been frustrated with issues with video and sometimes question my hard drive space compromises..(I use it as a subset of drive at home).
With that in mind I have seriously considered the new MB. Almost pulled the trigger. The deal killer is a step back in screen quality. The MBA screen is fantastic. I don't want to go back.
Now I will have to consider the MBP. hmmm, that would be a big swing in size from the MBA.. I really want to always have all my stuff with me... 320GB... but do I want to carry a brick?

 

[09872738]

Hi Guys,

i also consider switching to the MBA.

The thing is: i got one of the new MacBook Alus, which isn´t at all a bad machine. Even the screen so many complain about is stunning. However, the MBA is thinner, lighter and of course looks more sexy.

I´d go for the MBA, but hesitate coz i need to run Windows (XP, Vista) on it, preferable under VMWare Fusion. 2 GB of RAM isn´t too much there, virtualization really needs a fast processor (the 1.86 GHz should do i guess) and, even more, lots of RAM.

Does anyone here run Windows under VMWare on a MBA? Any experience/report on that matter?

Thanx,

Max

 

[iMacmatician]

The idea that an MBA has a 128 gig SSD, two whole gigs of RAM, and a processor that can clock in at 1.8-whatever Ghz in a three pound package thin enough to slide under a door is stunning to me. In fact, it's way more juice than I need - or for that matter, most of us need - on a day to day basis.

If the thinness and light weight didn't matter much, the MacBook has BETTER specs for LESS money. And who wouldn't want that?

So that's the point of the Air, my friend.

No, it's that it's thin and light for the mobility-conscious consumer.