New Macbook Air 13 Owner: Surprisingly Disappointed

[Nautilus007]

lkk;

for me the bl keyboard added ambiance

 

[TheAngryKiwi]

I think the most important thing for people to understand about the new MBA is it is now much less a niche machine than it was when it first launched in 2008. In 2008 the machine was far less equipped than the comparative MacBook Pro - (i.e 1 USB port, Intel graphics, etc.)

Now we have an even more portable machine, but with very, very respectable hardware when compared to the rest of Apple's lineup. Just checkout the latest benchmarks on these things.

Sure, the MBA might not be for everyone (hint: it's why Apple offers 3 types of notebook), but it is important to realise it's new, enlarged place in the ecosystem.

 

[TheCableGuy]

Everyone has different needs

I've probably owned via work or personally a dozen or more laptops over the past 15+ years, including the latest MPB 13" my daughter uses. The 13" MBA I just bought (128MB) is easily my favorite. I'm a basic user -- Excel (the new Office 2011 is great), web, email, some iPhoto, iTunes. I don't game and I don't make movies or feel the need to store 1Tb of movies I never watch on a laptop.

For what I do, the MBA feels faster, it's lighter on my lap, there's no issue with no backlit keyboard, the screen is fantastic, and did I say it's very, very snappy. When I travel, it's going to weigh a fraction of what my work laptop weighs.

This is a very sweet machine. I'm not sure how anyone could argue that point. If you place any value on weight or size, this machine is a big deal. And again, it seems to me that this is faster than what I experience using my daughter's MBP.

I think I'm more impressed with this than I was the iPad when it first came out...

 

[wordoflife]

5/7hrs on the 11/13" MBA is contradictory towards what these machines are aimed to do. These are ultraportables using outdated processors with no spinning drives yet the MBP13 has a far superior 10hr battery life. So for travel then it's tough to say that the Air is Apple's best travel machine.

Lets not forget they are running on SSD's. If the Macbook Pro 13" were running on SSD's, I bet Apples "raised bar standards for monitor battery life" would be over 10 hours.

 

[kdoug]

User Profile:
After holding the wife back from updating her 13" Macbook because a CPU update is overdue to make that Macbook Pro actually deserve that "PRO" moniker. But that didn't happen so I got her a Macbook Air because I fell into the "I guess it's all she needs" trap but now that the blinders are off we're not sure if this is the right computer for her.

Initial Impression:
I'm a MBP15 user and I never cared about the original Air. It was overpriced and underspec'd so I admittedly went into this with only photos and commercials as a reference. From a consumer standpoint then the Air is a magically thin device that can get lost in a bookbag. I do believe all that advertising applies well to the 11" but since we're coming off a 13" Macbook then the wife and I were both surprisingly unimpressed with the MBA13.

Performance:
Overall performance is GOOD. SSD and 320M do a lot to hide how outdated the 2GB/Core2Duo is in 2011. Aperture runs sluggishly but it does run. The problem here is the non-upgradeable memory means that there is little future-proofing with this machine and that's a big problem.

Size:
The most interesting thing I found in real world usage is that there is a bigger difference between the MBA11 vs MBA13 than there is between the MBP13 vs MBA13.

The MBA13 looks exactly like a MBP13 from every angle except it's profile so in terms of footprint then it takes the exact amount of space. So (regarding the 13") this whole "thin" thing feels more gimmicky than useful in the real world because plane/lap/desk usage will all fee the same with either 13" Macbook.

Hardware:
In typical Apple style, hardware is top notch in some places but handicapped in others. I'm obviously not a fan of C2D in 2011, but the lack of backlit keyboard and the .3mp camera are ridiculous for a "Premium" product. The biggest deal here is SSD which I'm now considering for my MBP.

Pricing
A lower price is nice but let's be realistic. These pricepoints are more about cannibalizing sales than being fair. And based on this article then the Macbook Air is now their most profitable system.

Weight:
Most adults can carry a 3, 4 or 6lb notebook one-handed with ease. So it really comes all down to how heavy a computer "feels". Many cheapo netbooks and the 11" Macbook Air "feel" lighter than 2.4lb because the footprint is so small and the weight distribution is minimal. But because the MBA13 and MB13 share the same footprint then carrying an open Macbook Air around surprisingly felt as heavy as our old notebook.

Battery:
5/7hrs on the 11/13" MBA is contradictory towards what these machines are aimed to do. These are ultraportables using outdated processors with no spinning drives yet the MBP13 has a far superior 10hr battery life. So for travel then it's tough to say that the Air is Apple's best travel machine.


Final Verdict (PERSONAL OPINION):
We still might keep it because it's so darn cool, but in comparison to a C2D Macbook Pro 13 then the ONLY thing that the Macbook Air 13 does better is fit under a bathroom door.

My recommendation is that the Macbook Air 11 is a fantastic machine that is unique in Apple's lineup and worth the premium price. BUT, if anyone looking for a Macbook Air 13 should HEAVILY consider the Macbook Pro 13 instead.

Your crazy. I own 2 MBP's that are less than 6 months old! I'm currently typing this on my brand new 13inch MacBook Air 2.1GHz 4GB, 256GB SSD in the DARK! As soon as I'm done typing this, I'm going to sell both MBP's on eBay. Sold my IPAD 64GB 3G last week.
I'm fairly certain you don't own one or don't know what your talking about.

 

[calderone]

Your crazy. I own 2 MBP's that are less than 6 months old! I'm currently typing this on my brand new 13inch MacBook Air 2.1GHz 4GB, 256GB SSD in the DARK! As soon as I'm done typing this, I'm going to sell both MBP's on eBay. Sold my IPAD 64GB 3G last week.
I'm fairly certain you don't own one or don't know what your talking about.

People have different needs. Get over it. Also, it is "You're" not "Your".

 

[kdoug]

People have different needs. Get over it. Also, it is "You're" not "Your".

Way to interject some constructive input clown. Do you actually own a MBA, MBP or do you spell check for a hobby?
Get lost........

 

[wingnut8]

First off, yes. I do use my computer in the dark. Whether it's on the back porch at night or while in bed and I want the light down ... the backlit keyboard would be nice.

And yes, I know how to type, quite well. But imagine the scenario where you're just using the trackpad for a while, surfing the net, then come across some jackass who wonders why anyone would want to type on a keyboard in the dark... at that point in order to respond, I either have to get up and turn on a light to type, or strain to see the keys to get my hands in the right place to start typing.

Finally, even if you can type qwerty quite well, what about if you want to hit one of the function keys that aren't as familar to you?

You can't find the keys with the bumps on the F and J keys??

 

[Jaro65]

Thanks for the write up. However, I don't think your viewpoint necessarily jives with how everyone perceives usage vs weight vs power. Different people have different usage scenarios and varied power requirements.

I personally am selling my 13" MBP and replacing with 13" MBA. The reason is that the machine accomplishes everything I need to do with my laptop while being more than powerful enough for those tasks. Additionally, I spend most of my time in an airport/aircraft environment (100k + miles a year). Weight is a huge concern for me and the 13" MBP gets tediously heavy when one travels a lot. Yes, I'm not going to kill myself by carrying the extra 1.5 lbs of the MBP but over time it makes a big difference.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that perception of usage and power is widely varied amongst the consumer. To each his/her own.

I just spent some time at the Apple Store with the 13" MBA. After that I walked over to the 13" MBP...which then really felt like a brick in comparison. Plus, I really enjoyed the screen on the 13" MBA - more so than on the MBP, both due to the lower reflectivity of its panel and the higher screen resolution.

 

[robeddie]

You can't find the keys with the bumps on the F and J keys??

Dammit man... of course one can 'get by'. But for crying out loud, this is a premium laptap, and the backlit keyboard just makes things easier, and is gorgeous to boot.

Not only that, it's a feature that was ALWAYS part of the MBA, and now they've removed it, while almost every other Mac laptop has that feature.

So while I can 'get by', I'm pissed that for my $1299 such a nice and useful feature was removed.

NOTE: for those who would say 'it would drain too much battery' - 1) the backlit keyboard lights SIP power, so that would be minor and 2) Even if that WAS a concern, Apple could have simply allowed backlighting to be disabled if the user wanted the extra 5-percent (or whatever) battery life.

 

[sparkie7]

Way to interject some constructive input clown
QUOTE]

LOL *chuckle* *chuckle*

 

[wkw]

I am so peeved about the lack of backlit keyboard I can barely stand it. I just learned this very evening that there is no ambient light sensor, adding insult to injury

 

[sparkie7]

guess  will bring those to the MBP with the MBA form factor + extras > they got to differentiate the lines some how

 

[iRun26.2]

Many of us use our computers in bed next to our spouse who is sleeping. Typing in the dark isn't rare.

+1

That is exactly how I most often used my original MBA... in bed while my wife is sleeping! I know for certain that I would already have placed my order for the new MBA if it still had the backlit keyboard. As it is, without the backlit keyboard, I may wait until they realize their mistake and bring it back in the next update.

I'd gladly pay $300 for this feature, but, for now, Apple loses a sale to me...

 

[maflynn]

I don't get the OP's post.

He stated he was waiting for a MBP refresh so it would have a better CPU, but when that didn't happen he bought a MBA that uses an even slower CPU then the MBP and he's underwhelmed.

Why in the world would someone buy a slower machine while waiting for a faster one.

 

[stockscalper]

I am so peeved about the lack of backlit keyboard I can barely stand it. I just learned this very evening that there is no ambient light sensor, adding insult to injury

So, you do all your work in the dark? We have electricity and lights where I live.

 

[ct2k7]

So, you do all your work in the dark? We have electricity and lights where I live.

Waiting for someone to say "We don't"

 

[maflynn]

I am so peeved about the lack of backlit keyboard I can barely stand it. I just learned this very evening that there is no ambient light sensor, adding insult to injury

So, you do all your work in the dark? We have electricity and lights where I live.

There are times that I have my laptop with me and the lighting is such that the lack of a backlit keyboard is a huge detraction.

For instance, I'm using the laptop in the living room and we have lighting set up for my family's watching pleasure. Its not really feasible to turn on all the lights just so I can see the keyboard, and impact their watching pleasure.

Sure I can move to a different room with better lighting, but then that's why I bought a laptop in the first place, so I'd not be in a different room but the freedom to work where my family is.

conferences are another example when I'm in an auditorium and trying to type, the lighting is dimmed because of the presentation.

 

[koobcamuk]

conferences are another example when I'm in an auditorium and trying to type, the lighting is dimmed because of the presentation.

Very true. I'm a little torn. I have an old MacBook Pro, and an iPad. I won't use the iPad at a conference though... but the MBP is so large...

 

[TheCableGuy]

+1

That is exactly how I most often used my original MBA... in bed while my wife is sleeping! I know for certain that I would already have placed my order for the new MBA if it still had the backlit keyboard. As it is, without the backlit keyboard, I may wait until they realize their mistake and bring it back in the next update.

I'd gladly pay $300 for this feature, but, for now, Apple loses a sale to me...

FWIW,

I took mine to bed last night to try it out. The light from the screen, combined with the contrast between the black and white on the keys make the backlit keyboard, IMO, unnecessary (as in completely unnecessary). I'm not sure I would pay $10 for it as an add on as IMO it serves no purpose.

While there may be any number of reasons to chose a MBP over a MBA, the backlit keyboard isn't among them.

Again, this is easily the best notebook I've ever used.

 

[maflynn]

I have a dell mini which is black, so I cannot comment on the contrasting materials aiding typing but the lack of a backlit keyboard is an issue for me.

 

[gwsat]

Size:
The most interesting thing I found in real world usage is that there is a bigger difference between the MBA11 vs MBA13 than there is between the MBP13 vs MBA13.

The MBA13 looks exactly like a MBP13 from every angle except it's profile so in terms of footprint then it takes the exact amount of space. So (regarding the 13") this whole "thin" thing feels more gimmicky than useful in the real world because plane/lap/desk usage will all fee the same with either 13" Macbook.

To Put it gently, the foregoing is an oversimplification used to reach an unwarranted conclusion. There are four factors that make up the "Size" of a laptop computer: (1) Height, (2) Width, (3) Depth, and (4) Weight. Let's look at the record:

Width and Depth: The OP is right that the width and depth of the 13 inch MBA and the 13 inch MBP are about the same. Of course, at the same time, the 13 inch MBA has the same size screen as the 13 inch MBA.

There the similarity ends, though, because the differences in height and Weight are dramatic:

Height: Both the 11 inch and 13 inch MBA have a height that tapers from only .11 of an inch to a maximum of .68 of an inch, whereas the 13 inch MBP is nearly an inch (.95) in height all the way.

Weight: The most significant difference though is weight. The 11 inch MBA weighs a mere 2.3 pounds and the 13 inch 2.9 pounds. The 13 inch MBA, at 4.5 pounds, weighs nearly twice as much as the 11 inch MBA and 50+ percent more than the 13 inch.

 

[revelated]

the ONLY thing that the Macbook Air 13 does better is fit under a bathroom door.

Comedy. Absolute comedy. I LOL'd.

 

[Beau10]

FWIW,

I took mine to bed last night to try it out. The light from the screen, combined with the contrast between the black and white on the keys make the backlit keyboard, IMO, unnecessary (as in completely unnecessary). I'm not sure I would pay $10 for it as an add on as IMO it serves no purpose.

While there may be any number of reasons to chose a MBP over a MBA, the backlit keyboard isn't among them.

Again, this is easily the best notebook I've ever used.

Exactly. This is what I observed after the first few nights in bed with my early 2k8 MBP. If anything it's distracting - even when the screen is on the last notch before full dim, it's ambient light makes the keyboard easily visible.

Major head scratching here on why this is such an important feature. It's cool but the novelty isn't worth the hit to battery life. Haven't turned it on in over 2 years.

 

[topmounter]

I think there is a big disconnect between people who are capable touch-typers and those who aren't when it comes to the value of a back-lit keyboard.

I'm shopping for a replacement for my 15" MBP and the 13" MBP feels like a pig next to the 13" MBA (granted it is all relative since the 13" MBP is lighter than my 15" MBP). Coming from a 15" MBP, the lower resolution display on the 13" MBP alone is a non-starter for me.