What's your height and weight if you don't mind me asking? Also, are you male or female? No offense, just curious
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New Macbook Air 13 Owner: Surprisingly Disappointed
- Thread starter urkel
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What's your height and weight if you don't mind me asking? Also, are you male or female? No offense, just curious
All of these "issues" are things you should have known before buying anything.
Analysts estimates to cost are notoriously unreliable.
The MBA 13" is faster and smoother running than the MBP 13" even with an SSD.
Weight matters. You must not travel much.
I'm getting 7.5 hrs of battery life with my thin light 13" MBA. I'm not complaining.
if you want a faster proc, backlit keybaord, and higher megapizel camera then don't buy a MBA. We really have to say that?
Analysts estimates to cost are notoriously unreliable.
The MBA 13" is faster and smoother running than the MBP 13" even with an SSD.
Weight matters. You must not travel much.
I'm getting 7.5 hrs of battery life with my thin light 13" MBA. I'm not complaining.
if you want a faster proc, backlit keybaord, and higher megapizel camera then don't buy a MBA. We really have to say that?
The OP is taking a real beating here, but I'd like to say thank you for your honest and insightful opinions.
I don't think he's bashing the air, he's just talking about his experiences with it. He bought it because he knew he could return it. Hell, I know I need more CPU as well, but I'd still like to spend a week with one and see how it is.
Anyway, I agree with all observations. The 11" is the unique product and unless you are a big time traveller, The 13 MBP seems the better value than the 13" air, and if you're gonna go air, go with the 11 for the unique factor. (opinion of course, don't beat me up!)
Anyway, I want an 11, but I already have an IPAD, so I'm just blinded by new gadget syndrome, plus I gotta hold out until the MBP update to see what the competition brings to the table...Come on.. HOLD ON A LITTLE....LONGER.... MONEY.... BURNING... Owwww....
I don't think he's bashing the air, he's just talking about his experiences with it. He bought it because he knew he could return it. Hell, I know I need more CPU as well, but I'd still like to spend a week with one and see how it is.
Anyway, I agree with all observations. The 11" is the unique product and unless you are a big time traveller, The 13 MBP seems the better value than the 13" air, and if you're gonna go air, go with the 11 for the unique factor. (opinion of course, don't beat me up!)
Anyway, I want an 11, but I already have an IPAD, so I'm just blinded by new gadget syndrome, plus I gotta hold out until the MBP update to see what the competition brings to the table...Come on.. HOLD ON A LITTLE....LONGER.... MONEY.... BURNING... Owwww....
Like the original poster, I didn't feel that the MBA 13 was different enough from my MBP to tempt me into spending money.
However my new MBA 11 feels so different to carry around and have with me, than I now rarely use my MBP 13 anymore. It's like the difference between where you might carry a magazine and a hard cover textbook. And the MBA turns out to be the faster machine for most iOS development and web browsing (due to the SSD).
However my new MBA 11 feels so different to carry around and have with me, than I now rarely use my MBP 13 anymore. It's like the difference between where you might carry a magazine and a hard cover textbook. And the MBA turns out to be the faster machine for most iOS development and web browsing (due to the SSD).
Two big differences you're leaving out between 13" MBP and 13" MBA. The MBA has not just an SSD but really great firmware allowing instant on/off features. Even more important, the 13" MBA has the same resolution as the 15.4" MBP. The display on the 13" MBA is alone worth any extra costs over the MBP. The MBA truly seems more "PRO" than the MacBook PRO 13" anyways.
I think from an exterior point of view, sure there's not a world of difference in terms of usability, but the display alone makes the 13" MBA usable and the 13" MBP a DUD! I could NEVER go back to a lower resolution 13" computer, and find it disgusting that an MBP is less of a computer than an MBA.
I think from an exterior point of view, sure there's not a world of difference in terms of usability, but the display alone makes the 13" MBA usable and the 13" MBP a DUD! I could NEVER go back to a lower resolution 13" computer, and find it disgusting that an MBP is less of a computer than an MBA.
I agree that the 13 inch MBA is a wonder. I have had mine for three months and could not be happier with it. It turns out that a 13 inch Ultimate MBA can handle its rather heavy load just as well as my old MBP with 6GB of RAM did. That has been impressive.
I still think highly of the 13 inch MBP, too, though. I think it is a nearly perfect choice for a student. My grandson, a university freshman, has had a 13 inch MBP since August, uses it heavily, and loves it. For a student on a budget, it seems to me that the $1,199 entry level 13 inch MBP gives the most bang for the buck in the entire Macbook lineup. Its 4GB of RAM and 250GB of storage, are about the same as that of the 13 inch Ultimate MBA, which costs $1,800. Admittedly, the 13 inch MBP's disc is slower than the MBA's flash storage and weighs more than the MBA but the MBA costs 50 percent more than the MBP. For a student with limited resources I think that's a good trade off. All of that said, though, I'm still glad I have my 13 inch MBA.
I bought the MBA 13 (ultimate) two weeks ago, then started thinking maybe I was missing something without the backlit keyboard, extra space on the hard drive, ethernet connection, etc. This past Friday, I reluctantly went back to the Apple store to turn it in and get the 13 inch MacBook Pro, which I did.
I brought home the 2.66Ghz unit with 4G of Memory, 320G HD. The Air I bought previously was top of the line, 2.13G with 4G memory and 256G SSD. I went through this past weekend feeling pretty good about my decision until Sunday night.... in the back of my mind I hated the weight of the MBP AND the resolution of the display. The MBA seems so much faster to me as well, much snappier. Needless to say, back to the Apple store this morning to get another MBA 13". I am so glad I did.
I don't judge what other people decide what is best for them. For me the 13" Air is much better suited for my needs/taste than the 13" MBP, and since I have tried both, I know what experience both provided me.
Hope this helps someone trying to decide... I travel a lot via air and needed the mobility. I don't do video editing, etc.
Take care all....
I brought home the 2.66Ghz unit with 4G of Memory, 320G HD. The Air I bought previously was top of the line, 2.13G with 4G memory and 256G SSD. I went through this past weekend feeling pretty good about my decision until Sunday night.... in the back of my mind I hated the weight of the MBP AND the resolution of the display. The MBA seems so much faster to me as well, much snappier. Needless to say, back to the Apple store this morning to get another MBA 13". I am so glad I did.
I don't judge what other people decide what is best for them. For me the 13" Air is much better suited for my needs/taste than the 13" MBP, and since I have tried both, I know what experience both provided me.
Hope this helps someone trying to decide... I travel a lot via air and needed the mobility. I don't do video editing, etc.
Take care all....
Nothing is perfect in every way
I have a 15" MBP, latest non-unibody, 2.5ghz core2duo, 4gbs RAM, 500gb drive. I got the 13" ultimate through my work and have been using it. It is MUCH better to travel with, and obviously is quite a bit faster because of the SSD. But I have to say that for working at home, I still use the MBP a lot. The reason is the display, which is non-glossy and has considerably larger pixels. Unfortunately, Apple does not make this display anymore -- the only non-glossy one you can get is the enhanced-resolution one. Still, I have no complaints whatsoever about my MBA. It's an extraordinary machine, and is wonderful for traveling.
I have a 15" MBP, latest non-unibody, 2.5ghz core2duo, 4gbs RAM, 500gb drive. I got the 13" ultimate through my work and have been using it. It is MUCH better to travel with, and obviously is quite a bit faster because of the SSD. But I have to say that for working at home, I still use the MBP a lot. The reason is the display, which is non-glossy and has considerably larger pixels. Unfortunately, Apple does not make this display anymore -- the only non-glossy one you can get is the enhanced-resolution one. Still, I have no complaints whatsoever about my MBA. It's an extraordinary machine, and is wonderful for traveling.
I know my QWERTY without looking at the keyboard.. and the keys are reflective enough. BUT it'd still be nice to have one; whatever reason you might need it for!
Uhm, faster and smoother doing what? I have new 13" MBA as travel machine in here, and 13" MBP for use in office. Performance wise I can see MBP do a lot better with like.. everything. (I use Aperture and Adobe CS5 apps most of the time)
Still, I prefer MBA as machine to move around because of size and bit better battery time, but its no power house.
I agree with the OP, the MBA13 is a fairly pointless device in the line-up, or if I was being nicer, it's not unique and doesn't really do anything much better than the MBP13.
Agree entirely, thats why I bought an 11.
Agree entirely, thats why I bought an 11.
I have a 13inch and my partner has an 11inch. We really enjoy the fun we have using them! (Keep a straight face!)
I have a Rev A MBA, and, while it is definitely limited in horsepower, it is the computer in our household that everyone gravitates toward. I "blame" the form factor. It is just plain comfortable to handle, carry, open, close, etc. (Plus it keeps your lap so nice and toasty.)
The Rev A is definitely NOT the computer to use if you are watching Youtube, etc. But for email, web surfing, word processing, iPhoto, and other everyday chores, it is excellent. The newest MBA iterations seem to have solved all the problems that I have with the Rev A, and I look forward to getting one, when I can justify it (my current MBA won't die!)
It is also interesting to me that so many other computer companies sell mostly larger, 15" or bigger, computers, whereas Apple discovered the sweet spot of 13" units. I cannot imagine lugging around such behemoths in my travels.
I understand that some pro-users need the bigger screens for production purposes. But I think that not a lot of home-users need bigger screens. But if they want bigger screens, they are welcome to them!
The Rev A is definitely NOT the computer to use if you are watching Youtube, etc. But for email, web surfing, word processing, iPhoto, and other everyday chores, it is excellent. The newest MBA iterations seem to have solved all the problems that I have with the Rev A, and I look forward to getting one, when I can justify it (my current MBA won't die!)
It is also interesting to me that so many other computer companies sell mostly larger, 15" or bigger, computers, whereas Apple discovered the sweet spot of 13" units. I cannot imagine lugging around such behemoths in my travels.
I understand that some pro-users need the bigger screens for production purposes. But I think that not a lot of home-users need bigger screens. But if they want bigger screens, they are welcome to them!
The OP has a good review with some valid points. I think he undervalues the significant weight difference when comparing the Air to the 13" MBP.
It's obvious that a "Pro" notebook is going to have advantages over a notebook made to be super light and thin. If it is used as a primary computer or for heavy lifting, those advantages are important. In other cases, not so much.
When using a notebook on my lap for a significant length of time, I do notice the weight. So I've decided to replace my 2009 13" MBP with a 13" Air. In addition to the lighter weight, I think I will appreciate that the screen is less reflective and its resolution is higher. Since I mainly use my MacBook for casual surfing, little else matters to me.
I considered the 11" Air but decided not to sacrifice vertical pixels for even lighter weight. When Apple can shrink the bezel and put a bigger screen in the smaller Air, I'll probably switch.
It's obvious that a "Pro" notebook is going to have advantages over a notebook made to be super light and thin. If it is used as a primary computer or for heavy lifting, those advantages are important. In other cases, not so much.
When using a notebook on my lap for a significant length of time, I do notice the weight. So I've decided to replace my 2009 13" MBP with a 13" Air. In addition to the lighter weight, I think I will appreciate that the screen is less reflective and its resolution is higher. Since I mainly use my MacBook for casual surfing, little else matters to me.
I considered the 11" Air but decided not to sacrifice vertical pixels for even lighter weight. When Apple can shrink the bezel and put a bigger screen in the smaller Air, I'll probably switch.
The MBA is doing well, seeing people getting trained on using their new MBAs at the Apple store... the redesign is a total hit. Never would have considered the Rev A-C MBAs personally, but now I now I own a D.
The one valid point I have to say is that aside from price, there's absolutely no technical reason to sell a 2GB model. It should be 4GB. For most everyday computing, the MBA handles it all just fine. Aperture is still a specialty type application, and it runs just fine even, unless you're working with RAW images (which is more a niche prosumer/professional type use)... with 4GB anyways, 2GB, I have no idea.
More minor - but still, who here believes Apple couldn't have found a way to build a backlit keyboard into the current Rev D MBAs if they really wanted to? Same goes for a better camera - I'm sure they could squeeze in a 1.3mp if they really wanted to build/source for the part.
These are all rather valid issues with the MBA - the 2GB RAM configs, the low mp camera, the lack of a backlit keyboard. I can't fault the CPU portion, the low voltage Core processors aren't really that much faster than a C2D... heavy type CPU usage applications will always be better on a mobile Core i processor, non low voltage.
The one valid point I have to say is that aside from price, there's absolutely no technical reason to sell a 2GB model. It should be 4GB. For most everyday computing, the MBA handles it all just fine. Aperture is still a specialty type application, and it runs just fine even, unless you're working with RAW images (which is more a niche prosumer/professional type use)... with 4GB anyways, 2GB, I have no idea.
More minor - but still, who here believes Apple couldn't have found a way to build a backlit keyboard into the current Rev D MBAs if they really wanted to? Same goes for a better camera - I'm sure they could squeeze in a 1.3mp if they really wanted to build/source for the part.
These are all rather valid issues with the MBA - the 2GB RAM configs, the low mp camera, the lack of a backlit keyboard. I can't fault the CPU portion, the low voltage Core processors aren't really that much faster than a C2D... heavy type CPU usage applications will always be better on a mobile Core i processor, non low voltage.
This is my feeling, too. Right now, the 13" mba is superior to the 13" mbp. If the new mbp has this resolution and ssd set-up, I will seriously consider it over my 15" i5 mbp (great laptop- I just would prefer a little smaller footprint).
I agree that the 13 inch MBA is a wonder. I have had mine for three months and could not be happier with it. It turns out that a 13 inch Ultimate MBA can handle its rather heavy load just as well as my old MBP with 6GB of RAM did. That has been impressive.
I still think highly of the 13 inch MBP, too, though. I think it is a nearly perfect choice for a student. My grandson, a university freshman, has had a 13 inch MBP since August, uses it heavily, and loves it. For a student on a budget, it seems to me that the $1,199 entry level 13 inch MBP gives the most bang for the buck in the entire Macbook lineup. Its 4GB of RAM and 250GB of storage, are about the same as that of the 13 inch Ultimate MBA, which costs $1,800. Admittedly, the 13 inch MBP's disc is slower than the MBA's flash storage and weighs more than the MBA but the MBA costs 50 percent more than the MBP. For a student with limited resources I think that's a good trade off. All of that said, though, I'm still glad I have my 13 inch MBA.
Very good point. For college the 13" mbp is a solid value.
Credit Apple for sticking with the product. I had a Rev A and a Rev B (the latter with SSD) and instantly loved the form factor. They hit it out of the park with the Rev D.
Agreed. Actually, it's probably more margin than price. The extra 2GB costs about $20 and they are selling it for $100. The margin on the $999 base model is tight by Apple standards. It is very rich on the $1799 model, and even the $1099 4GB model has a much higher margin.
Agreed. This might have been another margin play.
Also agreed. This is a case of Apple having in mind what the consumer needs vs. what the consumer thinks they need. Based on the sales, it appears Apple made the right choice.
In many respects, Apple got the basic components right the first time. It just took them a while to get the implementation correct. The Rev B/C used identical processors to what they are using now (1.6GHz, 1.86GHz, and 2.13Ghz Core 2 Duo), and later Rev Cs used a similar SSD (Toshiba). Rev D finally got the heat issues resolved, and improved the battery. And the 11.6" model was a real coup.
I agree that Apple's decision to include only 2GB of RAM in entry level MBAs probably was the result of the company's desire to keep prices as low as possible. It worked, it seems to me. The $999 entry level 11 inch MBA strikes me as a bargain for anyone whose needs don't require a 4GB machine.
I'm going to tell you something funny what happened today at work, customer was buying few 13" MBA's from us (I told them they are not very powerful during meeting, but extremely mobile, they also had one in testing before). Now, they had them two days (from monday) and 4 people have been angry/disappointed from the fact that they are not more powerful than their one year "old" MBP's.
Two of those called me as I'm their contact person with Apple sales and such related stuff, and told me that they are broken as they are not so fast with their accounting software (one of them trying to be smart and blaming overheating), of course I told them what I told during meeting that they are not that powerful, especially with their accounting software seemed to be bit CPU heavy.
Didn't believe me, they called to local apple store and they said same that mobility has taken some cost from power. Didn't believe. Then one of them went with laptop during lunch break to Apple Store, and surprise, same answer was told again.
Now, I did end my day at this point and I know tomorrow I will have lots of fun ahead with them. I cannot wait!
Two of those called me as I'm their contact person with Apple sales and such related stuff, and told me that they are broken as they are not so fast with their accounting software (one of them trying to be smart and blaming overheating), of course I told them what I told during meeting that they are not that powerful, especially with their accounting software seemed to be bit CPU heavy.
Didn't believe me, they called to local apple store and they said same that mobility has taken some cost from power. Didn't believe. Then one of them went with laptop during lunch break to Apple Store, and surprise, same answer was told again.
Now, I did end my day at this point and I know tomorrow I will have lots of fun ahead with them. I cannot wait!
one thing I think is interesting is that everyone is assuming the mbp 13inch will be updated how about the possibility the macbook air 13 is the 13inch mbp upgrade. Just a thought, as steve said, it is the future of laptops. maybe just update the 15 and 17 macbook pro keep them as pro line.