Well, I for one am. The two main gripes I have with my current one is that I cannot play back any HD videos on it. It will stutter horribly. And the 2hrs of actual battery life... While I don't know if it's possible to improve the battery given the size limitations, I was definitely hoping for more RAM, a slight CPU improvement and a better GPU to fix the video playback. I'm not sure which of the three is primarily to blame for the current stuttering... Perhaps the combination of all three... (Note, that I have the 1.86GHz version currently)
Has NOTHING to do with the CPU. The problem is running HD videos in a browser plug-in or a third-party app. Flash and other apps that run HD videos have never had h.264 access to APIs before. As of a few weeks ago, Apple has made access to h.264 acceleration via APIs. Now, the 9400m GPU will be able to easily run HD videos whether in a third-party app or in a browser plug-in like Flash.
You really need to learn about the difference of what is doing what and why in an MBA before you go saying it's the CPU. We have plenty of processing capabilities in 1.86/2.13 GHz MBAs. Where the problems lie are software applications, graphics acceleration, IO (drive & drive controller), and lack of RAM.
We would be much better off with a 2.13 GHz SL9600 CPU, Nvidia 320m, faster drive bandwidth, and more RAM, than we would be with a Core i7 Arrandale CPU at 1.0 to 1.2 GHz boosting to nearly 2 GHz, with Intel HD GMA graphics, and etc.
This is all Intel's doing. Intel wants people to believe they need faster CPUs, when the vast majority of normal computer users don't need faster CPUs. These people need faster GPUs, faster drives, more RAM and software that actually takes advantage of the components (like OpenCL, Grand Central Dispatch, APIs for h.264 acceleration).
EDIT = And I have never gotten only two hours on my MBA no matter what I was doing. I normally get around four hours, but if the display brightness is all the way up, WiFi and BT are on, I get about three-and-a-half hours.
Battery comes at a huge cost to weight and size. If you want a 10-hour battery, AND a faster CPU for your supposed perfect HD playback, you're going to get the computer you want in a 13" MBP. That is exactly what you need. An MBA isn't going to have an SL9600 CPU OR FASTER, and get 10 hours from battery between charges, unless we add about a pound of weight and thicken up the case just like the unibody 13" MBP.
You are missing the entire point of the MBA. If you want battery and high-end performance the MBA is NOT the right computer for you. If you are a business user, non-professional user, and need extreme portability the MBA is the right computer for you. However, you have to understand that 2.13 GHz is the limitation for CPU and a four plus hour battery in this form factor and at three pounds is all you're going to get.
Now, just think about this exact same MBA CPU de-throttled at 30% gain, an Nvidia 320m at a 50% improvement, 4 GB RAM, faster SSD, and applications taking advantage of APIs allowing perfect performance of HD video playback on your MBA... nothing wrong with this picture and it's all doable, easily. We just need to realize where performance comes from for HD playback, why we cannot get a 10-hour battery, in a 3 lb. weight limit and 1/4 to 2/3 inch thick case, and what the limitations are for this form factor MBA. Apple has done a great job of balancing performance and battery capabilities. With an Nvidia 320m, de-throttled CPU, super thin form factor, 3 lb. computer, faster SSD performance, and 4 GB of RAM, the MBA is as good as it gets with about five hours of battery (assuming Apple can use flat cells to improve density and waste less space than by the cylindrical shaped cells I am assuming are in the current MBA battery.
