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eron

macrumors 6502
Dec 2, 2008
394
0
I think the fact that the Z is so good, Apple is making sure that the revised MBA is at least comparable before releasing it.

LiquidMetal, CF to reduce the weight, the new trackpad and a better 13" screen.
 

sparkie1984

macrumors 68030
Dec 20, 2009
2,909
2,227
a small village near London
the thing is as has been said i was holding off due to osx, but to be honest i reckon i could live without it!

dont get me wrong i love osx, and ideally would love a mba refresh!!!!!

but who knows, if they fail to deliver by the time ive sold my ipad and macbook pro. i may just go.....

then what does the mac pro follow and go too? maybe ill like windows 7 :(
 

eron

macrumors 6502
Dec 2, 2008
394
0
dont get me wrong i love osx, and ideally would love a mba refresh!!!!!

but who knows, if they fail to deliver by the time ive sold my ipad and macbook pro. i may just go.....

I'm looking to sell my 15" MBP to fund for the new MBA. Was considering the Z, but as the MBA is going to be shared by the other half as well, I consulted her opinion.

As a VAIO fan 3 years back, she immediately said "No! VAIO is uncool now.".
:apple:'s marketing and branding is powerful. :cool:

That being said, I actually do use Win7 on bootcamp for work. More compatible and runs faster, partly due to the fact than my OSX has alot of apps running at the same time. :p
 

sparkie1984

macrumors 68030
Dec 20, 2009
2,909
2,227
a small village near London
Thanks for the reply eron.

Thing is thought that im not so sure if spending on a MBA now is the best idea due to it's being soooooooo old!

I really dunno if I can bring myself to spend on something that old :(

For god sake apple just release a new air and it's job done!
 

PsyD4Me

macrumors 6502a
Mar 11, 2009
778
0
under your bed
I'm looking to sell my 15" MBP to fund for the new MBA. Was considering the Z, but as the MBA is going to be shared by the other half as well, I consulted her opinion.

As a VAIO fan 3 years back, she immediately said "No! VAIO is uncool now.".
:apple:'s marketing and branding is powerful. :cool:

That being said, I actually do use Win7 on bootcamp for work. More compatible and runs faster, partly due to the fact than my OSX has alot of apps running at the same time. :p


haha, Vaio is uncool.
apple is becoming a cookie cutter company which is uncool, their retail stores looks like flea markets.
I'm 90% set on replacing my MBA with a Z....


entatlrg: where did you get such a good price for your unit?
 

FuNGi

macrumors 65816
Feb 26, 2010
1,122
33
California
haha, Vaio is uncool.
apple is becoming a cookie cutter company which is uncool, their retail stores looks like flea markets.
I'm 90% set on replacing my MBA with a Z....
-snip-?

Wah? Those aluminum pressure blasters are one hell of a "cookie cutter" and, really, flea markets :rolleyes:? You must live in Zurich if your flea markets look like futuristic Apple stores. Get your Z and move on with your specs. I will wait for an Air update but I am patient. I believe that Apple is patient too. Very patient. They are waiting for the perfect combination of high performance parts to balance with their DESIGN. Everyone can blame iOS-whatevers for taking away their engineer teams from an over due Air update but you can also blame iOS-whatevers for building their stock and ability to DESIGN the new Feather Air that's just around the corner (of a really big block [of aluminum]).
 

ahlong

macrumors newbie
Oct 1, 2010
14
0
it's ok to wait for an air.. but god knows how long that would take..

but by all means.. do NOT get the current gen
 

PsyD4Me

macrumors 6502a
Mar 11, 2009
778
0
under your bed
Wah? Those aluminum pressure blasters are one hell of a "cookie cutter" and, really, flea markets :rolleyes:? You must live in Zurich if your flea markets look like futuristic Apple stores. Get your Z and move on with your specs. I will wait for an Air update but I am patient. I believe that Apple is patient too. Very patient. They are waiting for the perfect combination of high performance parts to balance with their DESIGN. Everyone can blame iOS-whatevers for taking away their engineer teams from an over due Air update but you can also blame iOS-whatevers for building their stock and ability to DESIGN the new Feather Air that's just around the corner (of a really big block [of aluminum]).

And you must be a recent PC convert
 

FuNGi

macrumors 65816
Feb 26, 2010
1,122
33
California
And you must be a recent PC convert

I guess your Demi-God status would imply omniscience :cool:

Is four years recent for you? Does it matter with regards to my preference for design and user experience vs. blue-ray+HDMI+8gigs+littlestickersonmyhandrest?
 

PsyD4Me

macrumors 6502a
Mar 11, 2009
778
0
under your bed
I guess your Demi-God status would imply omniscience :cool:

Is four years recent for you? Does it matter with regards to my preference for design and user experience vs. blue-ray+HDMI+8gigs+littlestickersonmyhandrest?

You broke the personal barrier pal
 

ippikiokami

macrumors regular
Feb 25, 2010
162
0
Simply put the Z is just a d$mn good computer. With the SSD it blazes.

I still might get a mac pro for my desktop but you guys really need to try out the Z without all this incredible bias.
 

bloodycape

macrumors 65816
Jun 18, 2005
1,373
0
California
Only reason I move from my MBP was the lure of those 10in Netbook and all those people hacking it to run OSX, since Apple stopped making 12in ibook and powerbook. Realized the size was right but performance was garbage, and found a Vaio TT at a great price and had to jump on it. I found Sony support to be just as good as Apple support(then again the TT along the Z are one of the few laptops still made in Japan), plus I spoke to someone in Florida a nice refresh. I got no problem with Windows 7 at all, but I wish I could dual boot OSX. If a new MBA(with at least a firewire port) refresh isn't out by the time I want to get a new notebook(maybe 1.5 years from now) then I may just jump on the Viao Z of the time(or its replacement model).

Maybe Apple is somehow planning on making the iPad more laptop like in form factor to replace the Air and competing netbooks?
 

skate71290

macrumors 6502a
Jan 14, 2009
556
0
UK
why? if it meets my needs?

Because you are paying **** loads for outdated hardware, and if a product update is imminent (yes haters i know we have all been saying this for months) then surely you and you pocket burning money can wait a bit longer?
 

skate71290

macrumors 6502a
Jan 14, 2009
556
0
UK
Wanting 15" MBA or 13" MBA with upgradeable screen resolution and Matte option if they opt to go Glossy, come on Apple its late 2010 and we are still stuck with 1280x800 resolution and 2GB RAM, what the hell are you pissing about at!
 

gwsat

macrumors 68000
Apr 12, 2008
1,920
0
Tulsa
I agree that the Vaio Z is a remarkable entry in the ultra lightweight category. It is far more capable than the MBA but weighs no more. Alas, the Z is not in the cards for me because it can't run OS X natively. In stark contrast, there are two ways to run Windows 7 in OS X, either in Bootcamp or through emulation with either VMware Fusion or Parallels. I have become accustomed to running Windows apps from the OS X desktop with Fusion and don't want to give up that capability. Perhaps I have become too set in my ways for my own good but there it is.

On to another issue. As an iPad owner I echo what has already been said by several other posters, it is not, I say again, not the functional equivalent of even the obsolescent MBA. The iPad is all right for Web browsing, as long as you stay away from sites that require Flash, but it's no good for real work. Trying to use its virtual keyboard is torturously slow and tedious compared to having a real, full sized keyboard. Thus, it is the next thing to useless for document preparation.

If Apple discontinues the MBA, a 50-50 proposition in my estimation, I will be looking hard at the 13 inch MBP. Although it is heavier than the MBA, it will accept 8Gb of RAM and as big an SSD as your pocketbook can accommodate. Even if Apple does market an upgraded MBA, if the upgrade is as timid and half-hearted as its other laptop upgrades have been in recent years, I still won't buy one. I am coming around to accepting the proposition that Steve Job's and Apple's policy is one of benign neglect of its laptop lineup, while it concentrates on its red hot iOS devices.
 

kryca

macrumors member
Jul 6, 2010
71
0
Because you are paying **** loads for outdated hardware, and if a product update is imminent (yes haters i know we have all been saying this for months) then surely you and you pocket burning money can wait a bit longer?

For those who look at a computer just as a working horse the only question is if does what you want. Because you need it *now*. Otherwise you wouldn't look for a replacement computer.

Others may feel an urge to own the latest and greatest equipment. That is absolutely legitimate.

As for the price - again don't look at the raw components. A MBP15 is no doubt a great machine, full of things I don't need. The MBA is cheaper. Should I now go with the machine that is *more* expensive and *inferior* in my specific case?

It's all about individual choice. Having an i7 doesn't make me write faster in Word. Having a lightweight computer allows me to take it with me all the time and have something to write on.

That's why the MBA is a great computer. :)
 

gwsat

macrumors 68000
Apr 12, 2008
1,920
0
Tulsa
For those who look at a computer just as a working horse the only question is if does what you want. Because you need it *now*. Otherwise you wouldn't look for a replacement computer.

Others may feel an urge to own the latest and greatest equipment. That is absolutely legitimate.

As for the price - again don't look at the raw components. A MBP15 is no doubt a great machine, full of things I don't need. The MBA is cheaper. Should I now go with the machine that is *more* expensive and *inferior* in my specific case?

It's all about individual choice. Having an i7 doesn't make me write faster in Word. Having a lightweight computer allows me to take it with me all the time and have something to write on.

That's why the MBA is a great computer. :)
+1! It seems to me that those who subscribe to the notion that one should avoid buying a new computer because it is due to be replaced by a better and more feature rich computer are misguided. Carried to its logical extreme nobody would ever buy a new computer because the current model will either be discontinued or replaced by something better. That's how its been in the computer business ever since there was a computer business. The only considerations in buying a new computer should be (1) whether it will do what I need it to do (2) whether my current computer suffers from weaknesses that a more current computer would eliminate and (3) whether I can afford the new computer. Factoring in when or if a newer model will be introduced is an exercise in futility, it seems to me, because we never know what might happen before it happens, especially in the Apple world.
 

entatlrg

macrumors 68040
Mar 2, 2009
3,385
6
Waterloo & Georgian Bay, Canada
I agree that the Vaio Z is a remarkable entry in the ultra lightweight category. It is far more capable than the MBA but weighs no more. Alas, the Z is not in the cards for me because it can't run OS X natively. In stark contrast, there are two ways to run Windows 7 in OS X, either in Bootcamp or through emulation with either VMware Fusion or Parallels. I have become accustomed to running Windows apps from the OS X desktop with Fusion and don't want to give up that capability. Perhaps I have become too set in my ways for my own good but there it is.

On to another issue. As an iPad owner I echo what has already been said by several other posters, it is not, I say again, not the functional equivalent of even the obsolescent MBA. The iPad is all right for Web browsing, as long as you stay away from sites that require Flash, but it's no good for real work. Trying to use its virtual keyboard is torturously slow and tedious compared to having a real, full sized keyboard. Thus, it is the next thing to useless for document preparation.

If Apple discontinues the MBA, a 50-50 proposition in my estimation, I will be looking hard at the 13 inch MBP. Although it is heavier than the MBA, it will accept 8Gb of RAM and as big an SSD as your pocketbook can accommodate. Even if Apple does market an upgraded MBA, if the upgrade is as timid and half-hearted as its other laptop upgrades have been in recent years, I still won't buy one. I am coming around to accepting the proposition that Steve Job's and Apple's policy is one of benign neglect of its laptop lineup, while it concentrates on its red hot iOS devices.

Very well said.

I'll be first in line to dump my Sony Z if Apple can pull off something close. I love OSX too, Win7 surprised me a bit a how far its come, it's not so bad and for me having the spec's I want in an ultra portable was ultimately more important than the OS.

I do love my Sony Z, it fits my needs perfectly. I'm a mobile person, take my notebook everywhere 7 days a to stay on top of work / emails and for entertainment. My iPad frustrated the hell out of me, no Apple notebooks meet my (moderate) needs right now. Hard to believe for a company who has created a clear demand for all their notebooks and has 45 Billion cash to play with.

My wish is that is new 13" MacBook is such an incredible notebook so that I can make it my main, maybe my only machine. Fingers crossed :)
 

Maven1975

macrumors 65816
Aug 24, 2008
1,014
275
It better be a damn good update!

You can get a Sony Z12 with a free xbox 360 for $1499. If Apple thinks they can charge a mint for a light computer with SSD, its over.

I have a feeling the specs will not touch the Z. It will be more form over function.

I truly hope i'm wrong.
 

entatlrg

macrumors 68040
Mar 2, 2009
3,385
6
Waterloo & Georgian Bay, Canada
I'm hoping for the best and prepared for the worst.

Sony had that special on and I just had to bite, I'm SO GLAD I did. 3lbs, good screen, good keyboard, 512 ssd, 8gb ram and blu ray for $2,900 was an excellent price as is the entry level model at $1220 or $1499 with the free xbox.

Apple is no longer in this market, it is over and has been for a while now.

To get back in it they'll have to pull a rabbit from a hat ... we'll see.
 

gwsat

macrumors 68000
Apr 12, 2008
1,920
0
Tulsa
I'm hoping for the best and prepared for the worst.

Sony had that special on and I just had to bite, I'm SO GLAD I did. 3lbs, good screen, good keyboard, 512 ssd, 8gb ram and blu ray for $2,900 was an excellent price as is the entry level model at $1220 or $1499 with the free xbox.

Apple is no longer in this market, it is over and has been for a while now.

To get back in it they'll have to pull a rabbit from a hat ... we'll see.
I feel exactly the same way. Like you, I am convinced that the only way for Apple to once again become competitive in the ultra lightweight market is to dramatically upgrade the MBA or, equally dramatically, redesign the MBP to make it lighter. Unfortunately, Apple's track record in recent years leaves me feeling pretty pessimistic about that.
 

Scottsdale

Suspended
Original poster
Sep 19, 2008
4,473
283
U.S.A.
I'm hoping for the best and prepared for the worst.

Sony had that special on and I just had to bite, I'm SO GLAD I did. 3lbs, good screen, good keyboard, 512 ssd, 8gb ram and blu ray for $2,900 was an excellent price as is the entry level model at $1220 or $1499 with the free xbox.

Apple is no longer in this market, it is over and has been for a while now.

To get back in it they'll have to pull a rabbit from a hat ... we'll see.

I feel the same. I am hopeful for an amazing MBA that destroys the competition as the v 2,1 MBA destroyed the competition when it was introduced two years ago on October 14th, 2008. However, I am prepared for something much different also.

When introduced, the v 2,1 MBA was the only ultraportable that had a real Core 2 Duo CPU instead of Atom, it was the first to have 2 GB DDR3 RAM, it was the first to have an LED backlit GPU, it was the first to have an SSD STANDARD, and it had a ton of other great features like OS X, illuminated keyboard, unibody aluminum case, multitouch large trackpad, magsafe charger, and was a shear joy and a complete change over the original MBA.

I really want an MBA that dominates the way the v 2,1 dominated. Now, the competition have caught up. There are 3 lb. Vaios that destroy the MBA. There are thinner ultraportables. There are ultraportables with more SSD drive space. There are ultraportables with faster CPUs. There are ultraportables with more RAM. There are incredible competitors.

I don't believe Apple could dominate with an MBA now as it did in October 2008, but I hope I am wrong. I want to believe.

I am prepared for something very different. I find the 13" display a great luxury, and I will be disappointed to use an 11.6" display. I feel like Apple could disappoint us here. Instead, I don't understand why they don't just reduce the footprint by eliminating the worthless gigantic bezel and eliminate the wasted space around keyboard. I feel they should even go with a 14" 15" display that fits in nearly the same case with just a bezel eliminated.

I want a Core i7, but I fear we could have an Atom CPU or even CULV CPU. I want 8 GB RAM, but I fear we could have only 4 GB of RAM or worse. I want a 256 GB SSD, but I fear we could still be stuck at 128 GB.

I am not planning for disappointment, but I am completely prepared for disappointment. With the way Apple has ignored the Macs all year, due to too much focus on iOS products, anything can happen. I am eager to see the new MBA, and while I have great hopes I also have great fears.

I do believe we will really get an update, but I am clueless as to whether my hopes and guesses, and thoughts of where the MBA needs to go, is actually accurate or dreaming. I just hope we see some real innovation no matter which direction Apple takes it in terms of CPU/GPU.
 
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