Apple is geared towards making lighter, efficient, and longer-lasting notebooks, the Macbook Air proved to be their first step in that direction. I, like many of you are eagerly awaiting the new Macbook Air as I do not think the iPad is a proper replacement. I do think it would be an interesting move if they used a sort of hybrid between iPhone OS and OSX for the next MBA OS --it would in turn be an iPad with a keyboard but also with more functionality. The main selling point of the Air is the weight factor and sheer beauty in being thin. I think using a modified OS for their most portable laptop would be a pretty interesting choice. I would like to see the iPhone OS in the next Air but with some modifications, perhaps being able to save to the hard drive, create folders, plug in an external harddrive if need be, etc.). I know this probably will never happen but I would like to know what you all would think of this? Scottsdale, take it away....
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My Next Macbook Air request
- Thread starter ercanbas
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Agreed. I think we have talked about this all over the place... there are rules about needlessly starting threads that are duplicates to other threads. Sorry OP, but I find this thread is doing just that.
The last time you whined about repetitiveness, the moderator for reasons that were puzzling, to me at least, banished it to the iPad hinterlands I hope that you don't get by with it again.
On the issue of the OS, though. The primary problem with the iPad is that it is in many, if not most, ways an oversized iPhone. Thus, it lacks a lot a capability that we have come to take for granted in the MBA and other OS X laptops. Not only would I be surprised if Apple shifted to some sort of bastardized smartphone OS in the next MBA, I would be bitterly disappointed. Although I have an iPad and like it for what it does, I would be the first to tell you that computers are computers and the iPad is not a computer. Thus, I cannot imagine that Apple would ever similarly cripple the MBA.
The problem you're having is the Mac Rumors rules on thread creation... I advise you to go take a peek. This thread isn't even about the iPad, so you're a little off topic.
This is the nature of any special interest forum. I have been posting to so such places for the better part of 30 years and have learned that it is the nature of the beast. While the thread is not about the iPad specifically, it is about the possibility that Apple might substitute an iPad/iPhone like OS for OS X in the MBA. As I noted in an earlier post, I think that's a horrible idea and unlikely to happen. Still, it is speculation about the possible future of the MBA, which was appropriately started here.
Despite its clear appropriateness, you criticized the OP for starting a "repetitive" thread. With all due respect, that's not your call. It was up to the OP to decide where such a thread should be started or if it should be started. You are not the thread police. If the thread needs to merged elsewhere (it seems to me that it does not) let's leave that decision to the mods and not clutter the thread with unhelpful complaining having nothing to do with the issue at hand.
In the spirit of my own advice, I have said my last on the matter and will restrict any further posts here to the future of the MBA.
LMAO
Actually, I was just agreeing with the other poster who already said this thread was a duplicate of others out there. LOL
I tell you Scottsdale, the corellation I can draw between the MBA and iPad is this.
The iPad has taught me thin is in. I love it for what it does, and it's thin-ness, and capabilities has me looking seriously at the MBA.
With my Arithritis, handling even my BMB is becoming cumbersome, and I do so appreciate the thin-ness and lightness of the iPad. For what it can't do, I'd love a MBA, revamped and redone, 4-6 GB Ram,maybe an i3 Processor, or a Quad 4 AMD processor, and a 256 SSD,(with a 512 option), or at least a 7200 rpm HDD.
I am going to be watching for the next re-do with bated breath
honestly, at this point I'll take anything, any update, i mean the MBA is pretty outdated so any update will certainly fix some of its flaws, whether its the RAM, battery (i'll take an extra hour), hinge design, you name it...
We are of like mind here. I had been contemplating just giving up on the idea of an updated MBA and getting a 13 inch MBP, instead. I've backed off of that idea, though, because my iPad has been a dramatic demonstration of what thinness and lightness can add to portable computing. Alas, the MBP is almost an inch thick, compared to the MBA's .76 of an inch, which tapers to .16 of an inch. Worse, the MBP weighs 4.5 pounds compared to the MBA's 3 pounds. The bottom line is that I am back in waiting for a new MBA mode.I tell you Scottsdale, the corellation I can draw between the MBA and iPad is this.
The iPad has taught me thin is in. I love it for what it does, and it's thin-ness, and capabilities has me looking seriously at the MBA.
With my Arithritis, handling even my BMB is becoming cumbersome, and I do so appreciate the thin-ness and lightness of the iPad. For what it can't do, I'd love a MBA, revamped and redone, 4-6 GB Ram,maybe an i3 Processor, or a Quad 4 AMD processor, and a 256 SSD,(with a 512 option), or at least a 7200 rpm HDD.
I am going to be watching for the next re-do with bated breath
The deciding factor leading to my decision to keep waiting for the MBA to be refreshed was a post in another thread. There, the poster gave the wise advice that if you really need a new computer, it makes sense to buy the best thing you can find that fills those needs. He added, though, that if you don't have an immediate need for a new computer, it makes sense to wait. My 17 inch MBP fills my current needs admirably, and still has almost a year left on its AppleCare coverage. My iPad is just fine for light, walking around, Web browsing and watching Netflix videos while I am doing other things around the house. All of that convinced me that I can afford to wait for a new and better MBA for awhile, at least.
I would take 4 GB of RAM and a glass trackpad!
Or better yet, 4 GB RAM, glass trackpad and an aluminum-capped keyboard!
Or even better still, 8 GB RAM, Core i7-640LM, ATI 5870 w/1 GB VRAM, 512 GB SSD, IPS HD/3D display, glass trackpad, aluminum-capped keyboard, USB 3.0, LightPeak, wireless docking station, half the thickness, weighs same as iPad, and has a 72-year "Arc Reactor" Iron Man branded battery-replacement powering system (that wirelessly powers electrical car too), all for $1799!
iPhone OS on a MacBook Air is just plain silly...what would be the point? An iPad with a bluetooth keyboard should suffice for that situation. It's only a matter of time before we see some nice cases that "convert" the iPad into a form factor more suitable for people requiring a physical keyboard, by incorporating a clamshell design, etc.
I agree GW, to my 62 year old fingers and shoulders, laying my BMB on the table next to me is a big OUCH, the iPad, no problemo
I LOVE this Lil thing, and the touch screen has ruined my family for anything that isn't, I want everything touch screen, and NOW!
My Daughter and I went to the Apple Store today to get a new battery for my BMB and look at the iMac, as she ran her finger across the screen of the 27" i Mac she said, "to bad ,no touch screen",THAT'S where computing is headed, and the iPad did it!!!
My daughter, like me, is a nerd. She is a program developer for an insurance company. She got on the iPod bandwagon early on and now thirsts for an iPad. Fortunately, her husband plans to give her one for her birthday later this month.I agree GW, to my 62 year old fingers and shoulders, laying my BMB on the table next to me is a big OUCH, the iPad, no problemo
I LOVE this Lil thing, and the touch screen has ruined my family for anything that isn't, I want everything touch screen, and NOW!
My Daughter and I went to the Apple Store today to get a new battery for my BMB and look at the iMac, as she ran her finger across the screen of the 27" i Mac she said, "to bad ,no touch screen",THAT'S where computing is headed, and the iPad did it!!!
I have a love-hate relationship with the iPad's touch screen. Although its ability to allow me to manipulate apps with a simple touch is terrific, its large screen is a smudge magnet and bothers me. I keep a Best Buy LCD cleaning kit close at hand so that I can swipe the iPad's screen with its microfiber cloth whenever needed. By contrast, I don't have to clean my MBP's screen once a month, if that.
I am even older than you are, so being able to carry the iPad around one handed instead of toting my 6.6 lb 17 inch MBA has been a pleasure. There is simply no substitute for a thin, lightweight device, whose images are, nevertheless, easy to see. My love-hate attitude toward the iPad, it's really more love than hate these days. The little thing is really good at doing what it does. In fact, getting this first hand experience with a true ultra portable makes me wish all the more for an MBA that has enough horsepower to allow me to make it my go to machine. That way, I could have the best of both worlds.
^^^^ reply to the two posts above
Sure touch is perfect for those that don't want complexity... however, it's never going to be as efficient as mind reading, voice recognition, or even simple typing input.
I don't like the fact that I have to touch my iPad to watch a movie. The feature of touch is great for my grandma or mom or anyone that doesn't like "traditional" computing... it allows one to easily learn exactly what to do by what is obvious. My pop has said he's far less anxious doing anything on my iPad. He says he naturally gets "anxiety" when trying to record a TV program on a VCR... so I introduced Tivo... he doesn't like the computer... so I introduced iPad!
However "fun" the iPad is, it's far less capable in terms of putting my ideas into the machine to create a real result. I can get a lot further a lot faster typing on a real keyboard. Applications and the components of the Mac allow real performance and capability of creation. The iPad is consumption and fun, but it's not serious business for you or I, it's serious for our AAPL shares! Not to say that a few apps don't allow some serious business, but that's not the shear nature of the iPad itself - not what it's mainly marketed for... it's marketed for FUN OBSERVATION!
I will continue to prefer the Mac until the iPad can read my mind and do the work for me faster than I can do it on a Mac.
Bring on a new MBA!
Sure touch is perfect for those that don't want complexity... however, it's never going to be as efficient as mind reading, voice recognition, or even simple typing input.
I don't like the fact that I have to touch my iPad to watch a movie. The feature of touch is great for my grandma or mom or anyone that doesn't like "traditional" computing... it allows one to easily learn exactly what to do by what is obvious. My pop has said he's far less anxious doing anything on my iPad. He says he naturally gets "anxiety" when trying to record a TV program on a VCR... so I introduced Tivo... he doesn't like the computer... so I introduced iPad!
However "fun" the iPad is, it's far less capable in terms of putting my ideas into the machine to create a real result. I can get a lot further a lot faster typing on a real keyboard. Applications and the components of the Mac allow real performance and capability of creation. The iPad is consumption and fun, but it's not serious business for you or I, it's serious for our AAPL shares! Not to say that a few apps don't allow some serious business, but that's not the shear nature of the iPad itself - not what it's mainly marketed for... it's marketed for FUN OBSERVATION!
I will continue to prefer the Mac until the iPad can read my mind and do the work for me faster than I can do it on a Mac.
Bring on a new MBA!
Simple solution:
1) Get rid of the regular MacBook line and make iPad the "entry level" computing device. Perfect for content consumption and light work.
2) Drop the "Pro" designation from the current 13 inch MBP and make it the mid-grade mobile platform with options such as +/- optical drive, AG screen, HR screen, etc. It should be the ideal choice for consumers who want the flexibility to consume or create content based on the current situation.
3) Beef up the 15 and 17 inch MBP with things like separate SSD boot drive, better base configurations, etc. Basically take it to the next level so that there is no doubt in anyone's mind that these are "Pro" level machines made for content creation, and not consumer oriented devices made for content consumption.
4) Restore the MBA to it's original vision of being the ultimate mobile device for business or traveling professionals. It should achieve a perfect balance of power and portability for its target audience. As Scottsdale has mentioned a few times, small improvements to the current model (4GB RAM and 256 SSD standard) would be awesome. A high end model that also included improvements to screen, GPU, trackpad, etc. would make this a dream laptop for many people.
Oh well, that's how it would work in my delusional Apple land anyways
1) Get rid of the regular MacBook line and make iPad the "entry level" computing device. Perfect for content consumption and light work.
2) Drop the "Pro" designation from the current 13 inch MBP and make it the mid-grade mobile platform with options such as +/- optical drive, AG screen, HR screen, etc. It should be the ideal choice for consumers who want the flexibility to consume or create content based on the current situation.
3) Beef up the 15 and 17 inch MBP with things like separate SSD boot drive, better base configurations, etc. Basically take it to the next level so that there is no doubt in anyone's mind that these are "Pro" level machines made for content creation, and not consumer oriented devices made for content consumption.
4) Restore the MBA to it's original vision of being the ultimate mobile device for business or traveling professionals. It should achieve a perfect balance of power and portability for its target audience. As Scottsdale has mentioned a few times, small improvements to the current model (4GB RAM and 256 SSD standard) would be awesome. A high end model that also included improvements to screen, GPU, trackpad, etc. would make this a dream laptop for many people.
Oh well, that's how it would work in my delusional Apple land anyways
Scottsdale -- Don't misunderstand my kind words about the iPad's touch screen. I've said before that its virtual keyboard is but a pale imitation of a real computer's keyboard. Although I can see some combination of touch screen technology and a real keyboard as being a possibility at some future time, I agree that any device as incredibly small and lightweight as the iPad requires compromises in design that the designers of even the smallest and lightest laptop don't have to contend with. Indeed, that's why I still thirst for an MBA with enough power to do all that I need to do.