Agree.
When traveling I carry my Airport Express. Small. Lightweight. Easy to use. It provides freedom to use anywhere in your hotel room.
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MBA sales going well?
- Thread starter PracticalMac
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When traveling I carry my Airport Express. Small. Lightweight. Easy to use. It provides freedom to use anywhere in your hotel room.
I have no use for wired ethernet at all. My external mouse is BT, so I do not need more USB ports for that either. I never print on the road... and for that matter seldom do at home... but I do have a color laser at home on the network... so my 802.11n connection is fine for the occasional printing that I do.
I would be dissapointed if the MBA got rid of the sole USB port. I certainly do not need more than one because one USB port can support as many peripherals as I want simultaneously. Usually that number is zero. I do not need the audio port, or the mini display port connectors. So for me... the MBA already has 3X the number of wired ports that I need.
/Jim
Well, on the contrary the reason I can't buy a MBA is that the place I work at does not support access to the intranet and fileservers via wlan for security reasons. Therefor I'm bound to using ethernet - and no, using the USB-to-ethernet adapter on a daily basis isn't fun.
i know that at least Sony does have those options.. i7 2.66ghz, 512ssd, 8gb ram, hd LED display and bluray to boot.. all in 3lb machine.. sure it starts at $2k but hey, shows there is NOOOOO EXCUSE
With an i7 chip, 8Gb of RAM, 256Gb SSD, and a BD drive the Sony Vaio Z goes for $4,799.99. Thats 2.67 times more expensive than the $1,799 SSD equipped MBA. Thanks but no thanks.
Apple didn't write/build Rosetta. It was developed by Transitive (which is now owned by IBM.)
The ARM chips would have problems because, unlike the transition between 68K -> PPC or PPC -> even newer x86, it would be across a performance drop not increase. From a power consumption ARM smokes x86, but if looking at performance it is the reverse situation..
For the apps and performance expectations that folks were using 5-10 years ago ARM is fine to perhaps run translated. The iPad (and to some extent MBA) work in part because many people's workload needs are not increasing faster than the CPU performance growth.
I don't understand those who say the iPad is the harbinger of the MBA's doom. Do people understand what the iPad is? It is a luxury toy. It is, at best, an entry-level computer for light computer users. It is for consuming media, email, and web browsing. It is targeted at older computer users who are not as comfortable with technology, younger computer users who are not ready for big-boy computers, and affluent consumers who already have a full-fledged computer and will use the iPad as a glorified toy. The iPad is not a full-fledged computer. It is not for productivity. The iPad and MBA are not in the same technological (or marketing) hemispheres.
Steve Jobs has all but said that the iPad will be the replacement for the low-end MacBook. However, I'm even skeptical of this. At the end of the day, the MacBook is an entry-level computer, but it is a full-fledged computer with a full-fledged OS. The iPad is a computer that is dependent on other computers for syncing and updating, so I really do not see it being successfully positioned as an entry-level computer even for those consumers who only use their computer for browsing the web, sending emails, and consuming media.
The MBA will not be EOL'd for the iPad.
Maybe Apple's line up will forgo the MB in the future.
Then the MBP prices will come down so that the MBP13 will replace the price point where the MB used to be.
So the line up will be MBA and MBP. And there will be the iPad.
well i didnt say it would be cheap!! lol... just wanted to show that upgrades were at least possible in such a small machine, though the air is slimmer... hopefully a few upgrades to key hardware wont increase the prices from where they are now
Would be an interesting choice to consider, for sure.
But I don't think Apple would add more sku's on a product line that doesn't seem very popular vs. others. A shame for people like me, who love the MBA despite its quirks.
I disagree on the "toy" aspect.
It is, for lack of a better word, a media terminal, and the ability to access any information you need at a moments notice in an very easy to use device makes it a very valuable tool.
It's data entry ability is limited, but that is more a benefit then a limitation.
The MBA is much better for light work, and that is just fine.
Question is, are sales enough to justify production?
If the early posters numbers are true, then it seems to be a good seller.
No, thanks. I want the MBA for portability. The extra aluminum and glass would add weight. More screen real estate translates to more power consumptions, which requires a larger battery. That's just more weight. Those of us in the marketplace for an MBA and those who already have it, want it/have it for portability and no other reason. Also, the glass trackpad people have been asking for: more weight (I would assume) and thickness. The MBA is all about portability. I would recommend an external display for when you need extra screen real estate.
And, to those who have said the MBA really couldn't get any lighter, consider that OLED displays are a few years down the road, next generation battery (probably not even batteries anymore) technology is about five years away, and of course Apple could always use composites for the enclosure. Notebooks, across the board, are going to get more portable in the coming years.
Very informative, Jim, thanks.
When I listed Excel, it was not that MBA could not manage it, but the small screen would slow down data entry.
But you did underscore my point, the MBA will have limitations to handling more intensive tasks that need large drive spaces (>500GB) and powerful processors.
Still, you did an excellent job leveraging MBA with chunks of data to process.
Well done!
I am using a first generation MBA for my sole computer now. I realized that I just dont need a super-fast computer, I have about 30GB of iTunes Music, 5GB of pictures in iPhoto and Scrivener (a novel writing application) and thats it. Life on my Air has been good, so much so my old MacBook is now in the hands of my parents. The hinge did break a few months ago (out of warranty!) and after a small bit of persuasion Apple fixed it for free!
I wouldn't rely on the validity of those earlier numbers. I'm not saying that they're wrong, because sales will vary from country to country and city to city. However, it is my observation that MacBook Air sales numbers are exceptionally low relative to any of Apple's other products (including the AppleTV). On the other hand, it is possible that you don't see as many people buying MacBook Airs because on average they are more tech savvy and buy online. Either way, I hope they are high enough to encourage Apple to continue development of the MacBook Air (even if it is just a minor update in the sort term and the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air merge sometime next year).
No persuasion should've been necessary. Apple covers hinge problems on the MBA out of warranty as their official policy.
Been following the MBA rumours because I'm waiting to get one. But again, it seems as if people have a misconception to what it is for. It's not a desktop replacement, it's an ultralight portable. It's not supposed to have all the bells and whistles as a desktop or a MBP would have. It does still need to have the basics like a sound card and video out (think about presentations regardless of USB sticks) so I hope apple doesn't decide to toss those out on a whim.
Some things I'm hoping for in the new revision:
-Faster, cooler processor;
-Better, cheaper SSD hard drive;
-Better, cooler battery;
-More RAM;
-one USB 3.0 port (if apple really wants to stay ahead of the game);
-maybe a better video card (but the last on the list)
-and everyone's desire (at least it should be), a higher resolution NON-FLIPPING GLOSSY screen!
Some things I'm hoping for in the new revision:
-Faster, cooler processor;
-Better, cheaper SSD hard drive;
-Better, cooler battery;
-More RAM;
-one USB 3.0 port (if apple really wants to stay ahead of the game);
-maybe a better video card (but the last on the list)
-and everyone's desire (at least it should be), a higher resolution NON-FLIPPING GLOSSY screen!
MacPro is definitely a niche item, I doubt Apple expects sales to be that high. MBA is also a niche product, its market is limited.
Who cares if you are using ethernet you aren't going anywhere, so just leave the damn usb adapter in your desk at work geez.
You're a lucky man, Jim
I "gave" the Powerbook 17 inch to my wife, but in reality we both share the same Rev A MBA.I can't conceivably justify a new Air as I can't stand the thought of that 'raised eyebrow' silent look that the Japanese women have mastered so well (my wife's from Japan): another computer?