i've been using my MBA in bed while i was sick for the last few days and it has been such a pleasure, the thinnes felt great on my legs while laying down...
i think that I am having second thoughts...
Hope you're feeling better. Don't give up on the MBA. If you need to think about replacing it, just use it for a few days. I cannot stomach the idea of switching to the Sony Vaio Z. It looks great on paper, but moving to over an inch thick to gain power and performance I don't need just seems crazy. 4 GB of RAM is my only true NEED from a new MBA.
Unlike many of you, I have no care for a better battery UNLESS I can get it without gaining weight, adding size, or affecting the performance of the MBA in any way. Moving to the 320m we can save some energy, but let's use that extra savings to remove the throttling from the CPU. Seriously, we have to assume we need to be at about 25W TDP. If the 320m is now at 8W TDP, and the CPU is at 17W TDP, we're ready to go full out with the CPU. Reducing the throttling of the CPU can add some serious performance gains.
I am not sure if Apple is using the same battery tech as uses in other Mac notebooks. I know it was the first to go non-removable. It was January 2009 when Apple introduced the new battery technology in the 17" MBPs. Apple never mentioned any changes to the MBA's battery. Apple doesn't advertise the MBA as having a 1000 cycle battery as it does with the other Mac notebooks. Nor did Apple ever advertise it as using the layered cells to decrease wasted space from cylinder shaped cells before it like it did when it introduced the technology. It mentioned that when it upgraded the MBPs and even the MB battery. I wonder if Apple can change the battery slightly to make it fit a little better using the new technology that don't waste space between the battery's cells. It could make the battery slightly denser but wouldn't add any substantial weight or demand more space. If anyone has ever opened the MBA, they can see that there is absolutely no space to add anymore battery. In addition, the thought of going to ultra low voltage CPU to give us more battery sounds like a bad idea and terrible hit to the CPU performance. And it doesn't even solve the problem of there being no space to add it in the first place.
People surely have to realize that the battery performance comes at a huge cost to size and weight of the Macs. The 17" MBP has a 7/9 hour battery, but wouldn't most MBP users prefer it to be thinner or have a better graphics system in place of the space and weight added by that battery? We can get more battery performance from our MBAs people, we just have to buy them stamped MBP that weigh 50% more. That is essentially the difference in the 13" MBP and the MBA. Sure, there are some performance differences, but the battery is the major cost to weight of the 13" MBP. And the optical drive costs it a lot of size, but the battery is still the largest component inside of the 13" MBP by a long shot. So if you want a thin Mac, like the MBA, that weighs three pounds, you have to be willing to accept four hours as more than acceptable. If you want a product for observation or entertainment viewing the iPad is right for you. I have never needed more battery. I have a charger at the couch, one at the bed, one at each desk I use (in the 24" LED ACDs), and keep one in my bag. I have an airline charger for my bag too. That all keeps me going fine. I have never needed to use the MBA for more than four hours away from a charger of some form. If people need that functionality, they should carry a 13" MBP instead. As the difference is mainly all the battery.
I would prefer that any additional capability added to battery be offset by using more powerful components CPUs/GPUs or by reducing the weight further. I am perfectly happy with a 4-hour battery. I would rather drop a half pound vs. add an 8-hour battery. I don't believe Apple would be dumb enough to add thickness or weight to the MBA. However, I wonder if it could do something similar as it did with the iPad to reduce the curving of the edges to eliminate the little wasted space there is? It would affect the minimum thickness of the MBA but probably reduce the maximum thickness ares of the MBA's case.
It may be me, but I am perfectly happy with the form factor of the MBA. I am happy with the battery. When I think about the changes I absolutely NEED, all I can think of is 4 GB of RAM. If I had to use it for three years or more, I would NEED the capability of upgrading to 8 GB of RAM at some point. Nothing else is needed. Sure, I want more stuff, but Apple could get a sale from me by just upgrading the RAM.
Where Apple really needs to go next is back to taking advantage of the BTO options and buyers (like the MBA buyers) who want more and are willing to pay for every bit of it!
Have you ever thought about how much you would pay for your dream MBA? What does it consist of? Do you want more performance power? More battery life? Higher quality components? Or more INNOVATION?
