The "I've had to move on from the MBA" thread

[Korbin]

Hi everyone

looks like a few people have had to make the choice to either move away from the MBA or Apple in general, thought I might start a thread where those who have can update the why's and post air thoughts.

I have been lusting after a MBA for years, and was ready to pay the money as soon as a new one came out, however, I am going back to uni in 2 weeks and decided to go with the 13 inch MBP, stock standard.

What changed my mind?

10 hour battery life
RAM
Price

I was even keen to get a second hand MBA but with the MBP being the same price or often cheaper new it was just to hard to justify the old technology for the price of new technology.

If a new one is released in the next 2 weeks I'll certainly have a good think, but so far the MBP is a very good little performer.

 

[hildegueden]

Same here, I've had to move on from the MBA. I couldn't wait (it was a matter of urgency), so I bought the MBP 13". It is possible to return the MBP if the new MBA comes in 2 weeks?.. anyway, if so, I don't think is going to be as cheap as the MBP 13"

 

[entatlrg]

I moved on a while back. Although my wife uses my Air occasionally she still uses her 15" MBP the most.

For me I went to the new Sony Z, hated it and then went to a 2010 MBP and I LOVE it.

Won't likely go back to the MBA either. What's the point really, with the 13" MBP only being 1.5 lbs more it offers a LOT more, usb, sd, 10 hour battery, no heat or fans blaring, upgradable ram, hd etc.

Based on this post alone, it's evidence the MBA might get EOL'd I think. I say that because the 13" MBP will only likely get lighter and faster ... the old MBA - it's stuck in the mud as they say.

 

[lucifiel]

It really is a shame because the MBA concept was really quite fantastic...

Ah well, it's been let go and we won't see much happen for it.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Don't let the door hit you on the way out...

Just kidding. I am tempted to go with the cheapest MBP by around August if the MBA doesn't get updated. I would have expected at least a small update to the MPA by now. I understand 4 GB and 256 GB of SD ram will make it much more expensive but I don't understand why Apple is selling the current one at the current price after over a year.

 

[Wild-Bill]

I've dropped a few 'nastygrams' to Apple, complaining that 1) the MBA hasn't been updated since October 08 and 2) they are still charging the same price for that outdated config.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookair.html

Been doing the same for the Mac Pro, which is also on Apple's "Pay No Mind" list.

 

[macbook123]

For me I went to the new Sony Z, hated it and then went to a 2010 MBP and I LOVE it.

Just curious, did you hate anything about it besides Windows?

 

[darrellishere]

I've just listed mine on Gumtree. After extensive testing to see if it still fitted my needs It just dose not cut the mustard anymore. And the screen is not a pleasure to look at.

Even with a Runcore ssd the cons out-way the benefits.
2 1/2 hour battery (Compounded by my iPads 2 day battery)!
Poor quality screen (Lines), crippled cpu, limited ram, too fragile and easily damaged.

 

[wildjohn999]

Last week of August is my MBA drop date. A while back I bought a copy of AppleCare for my MBA's warranty that expires in September.

However, if there are no updates by end of August I am not going to waste the AppleCare on the MBA, instead I'll trade it in for a MBP 13 256 or 512 SSD version.

BTW, I am not asking for much on the MBA just 4GB of RAM and I'll be happy.

 

[Spacekatgal]

I bought my MBP 13 two days ago. I need it for school. I love the MBA. I had both the Rev A and the Rev C. But the time has come to move on.

Bri

 

[MacModMachine]

Hi everyone

looks like a few people have had to make the choice to either move away from the MBA or Apple in general, thought I might start a thread where those who have can update the why's and post air thoughts.

I have been lusting after a MBA for years, and was ready to pay the money as soon as a new one came out, however, I am going back to uni in 2 weeks and decided to go with the 13 inch MBP, stock standard.

What changed my mind?

10 hour battery life
RAM
Price

I was even keen to get a second hand MBA but with the MBP being the same price or often cheaper new it was just to hard to justify the old technology for the price of new technology.

If a new one is released in the next 2 weeks I'll certainly have a good think, but so far the MBP is a very good little performer.

i made this exact decision....i loved it

Refurb MBA

1.86Ghz
120GB HDD
5 hour battery
2GB RAM
9400M

1349 CAD

Refurb MBP 13"

2.66Ghz
320GB HDD
10 Hour Battery (more like 6 haha)
4 GB RAM
320M

1349 CAD

it was a clear decision for me.....

 

[entatlrg]

Just curious, did you hate anything about it besides Windows?

Screen, Trackpad, heat from left vent, fan noise, 'cheap' plastic feeling. Man, did I dislike my Sony Z ...

 

[OldCorpse]

I've been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for a new MBA. But now I realize that it makes no sense to wait anymore.

I write for a living. And I travel extensively, often without access to electricity (camping). Here are the 3 things I need:

1)It has to have good battery life - 2 days is nice, 10 days is better.

2)It has to have a great keyboard. I don't like to carry a bunch of stuff like external keyboards.

3)It has to be light to make it easy to carry for extended amount of time.

Once upon a time, I was hoping for the MBA, because it got (2) and (3) right. But it was disqualified, because the battery life is just abysmal. Then the iPad appeared. It seems good with (1) and (3), but it fails at (2), plus I need a specific software to do my word processing, which won't work on the iPad, I don't think (FinalDraft). Finally, I thought, maybe the 13" MB or MBP. That gives me great (2), but mediocre (1) and worse (3).

So now what? Maybe Apple just doesn't have a product that meets all three requirements above (1), (2), (3).

My next move will be to investigate some windows netbooks, since FinalDraft runs on windows too.

Or maybe I'll re-consider the 13" MBP.

Here's my dream machine (yeah, dream on):

a)Battery life (word processing) - 3 days minimum, 10 days ideal.

b)Great keyboard

c) 0.75lb - very light! and still has a 13" screen

Oh well, not in this lifetime

Back to a windows netbook, or - ugh - the 13" MB(P).

 

[thinkdesign]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11) Sprint PPC6850SP)

OldCorpse: For battery life of a day or more, it seems obvious that since Apple doesn't let us carry a 2nd battery... an external backup of some sort would be in order.

Have you looked at the one from Electrovaya? They used to claim years ago, a battery technology that lasted longer than any others. I haven't stayed informed about that... maybe by now, others caught up? I wonder what the current Hours/Weight ratios, and hours/cost ratios are, for various brands of backup battery?

The other possibility that comes to mind is the VoltaicSystems.com "generator" model solar shoulder bag, which has an integrated storage battery. ('Generator' is their top model, the only one said to be able to charge a laptop. Works w/ Macs, if not quite all pc-laptops; see their list) This product's been around what, 2 or 3 years? Late last year I called them and asked if any version 2.0 might be coming soon? The fellow taking the call said he was the company's president, and he said that in Spring 2010 there would be a new model. He said that probably the solar cells would stay the same, while the storage battery's capacity will increase. But, last I checked, the new model wasn't out, yet. Works if you can have it in a sunny spot much of the day. (I'd get the version they call "black" which minimises the contrast and high visibility of the signature pattern of the solar cells; looks more like a normal bag that way.)

Perhaps, something to consider?

____


I'd be curious to hear what YOUR solution turns out to be, for such long battery life.

How to spend a quiet writing weekend in a rented cabin that's off the grid? That - is the question.

 

[gwsat]

Like so many others, I have admired the MBA ever since it was introduced. I will still buy one when, or if, it is updated in a way that would give it the power to handle my needs. Unfortunately, the current MBA's hardwired 2Gb of RAM eliminate it from consideration. I run multiple Windows and OS X apps from the OS X desktop with VMware Fusion. That requires a lot of RAM, far more that the 2Gb available in the current MBA would provide and probably more than even 4Gb could handle comfortably. Thus, it's looking more and more likely that the MBA is not for me.

Fortunately, Applecare coverage on my MBP doesn't run out until next March so that gives me the luxury of continuing to sit on the sidelines and watch developments for a good while to come.

 

[Scottsdale]

I've been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for a new MBA. But now I realize that it makes no sense to wait anymore.

I write for a living. And I travel extensively, often without access to electricity (camping). Here are the 3 things I need:

1)It has to have good battery life - 2 days is nice, 10 days is better.

2)It has to have a great keyboard. I don't like to carry a bunch of stuff like external keyboards.

3)It has to be light to make it easy to carry for extended amount of time.

Once upon a time, I was hoping for the MBA, because it got (2) and (3) right. But it was disqualified, because the battery life is just abysmal. Then the iPad appeared. It seems good with (1) and (3), but it fails at (2), plus I need a specific software to do my word processing, which won't work on the iPad, I don't think (FinalDraft). Finally, I thought, maybe the 13" MB or MBP. That gives me great (2), but mediocre (1) and worse (3).

So now what? Maybe Apple just doesn't have a product that meets all three requirements above (1), (2), (3).

My next move will be to investigate some windows netbooks, since FinalDraft runs on windows too.

Or maybe I'll re-consider the 13" MBP.

Here's my dream machine (yeah, dream on):

a)Battery life (word processing) - 3 days minimum, 10 days ideal.

b)Great keyboard

c) 0.75lb - very light! and still has a 13" screen

Oh well, not in this lifetime

Back to a windows netbook, or - ugh - the 13" MB(P).

For writing, the MBA is about the second best notebook ever behind the ultraportable Lenovo's. I think the MBA's keyboard is amazing, and the lightweight perfection along with beautiful display leads to shear joy when using. I don't feel the MBA needs anything else for a writer... for someone who wants to run Windows in a VM the MBA needs more RAM... but that doesn't affect most writers.

 

[OldCorpse]

Those are all good suggestions, thinkdesign, but weight is a consideration. I wonder how heavy the solar backpack is.

And Scottsdale, the MBA would be great, but that battery life is useless - what do you do with it when you go into the woods, camping for 2 weeks with no access to electricity?

 

[thinkdesign]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11) Sprint PPC6850SP)

OldCorpse: To be clear... the VoltaicSystems "Generator" is a shoulder bag... (their backpack versions... and everyone else's backpacks w/ solar cells, can charge phones, but are not rated as having enough power for a laptop). I saw this product when the Museum of Modern Art Store had it; it was the weight of an average shoulder bag. And a nice unique detail on VS's stuff is the green/red charging indias the company pres. explained to me -- you're not connected while using the computer. The solar storage cell charges by day, while you are computing by the computer's battery. When you go to sleep you connect them, and the energy goes from the bag's storage battery to the computer... for the next day of computer use.

Just the thing for the postmodern treehouse dweller! But you may need to turn the panels from east to west, midday, to get enough hours of sun on them.

Any multi-day energy supply solution will have some weight to it. It's just a matter of finding the best technology so you have as little bulk and weight as possible. Perhaps a netbook does consume less power... alternative energy solutions generally do have 2 components, the alt. source plus reducing the amount needed in the first place.

How do you get TO the campsites? Maybe charge off that vehicle?

Other options... The water-power possibilities may be way more hassle and weight compared w/ the solar options... and the 2 wind-powered chargers I've seen look so small, can they really work? For any of this stuff, I'd buy, and test it immediately within the refund period, in case it doesn't work enough.

When I stayed in Yellowstone's campsites as a kid decades ago, only the toilet buildings had electric light, and there was a (women only) bridge game set up in the women's bath at night! Point being... I haven't gone campsite-camping for ages, but, if there's electric power at even one location in the camp, I'd imagine these days with cell phones being so common, everyone needing charging would find a way to pile onto that one outlet? Even if by one of those little socket-adapters that screws into an incandescent bulb socket.

---

Where do you go camping?

You must be really good at never missing an opportunity to charge There's a place I want to go camping one day, that I notice on the cell coverage maps, is only served by Verizon. A reason why, even if Apple starts offering 3/4G modems in their laptops... I won't buy it if it's offered only for ATT. For phone/etc. coverage in the boonies, Verizon's where it's at.

 

[halledise]

Those are all good suggestions, thinkdesign, but weight is a consideration. I wonder how heavy the solar backpack is.

And Scottsdale, the MBA would be great, but that battery life is useless - what do you do with it when you go into the woods, camping for 2 weeks with no access to electricity?

option 1. take a Mac notebook or a Windows laptop with around 10-12 spare batteries to get you thru the 2 weeks

option 2. take a notebook and pencil.

option 3. take nothing but a good book to read in your downtime.

option 4. take nothing and communicate instead with nature and your mates who are accompanying you.

ps. I can go most of a normal day on a single charge on the Air.
my day includes, phone time, consultation time, writing time (Air) and some driving/travelling

 

[Gaijin de Moscu]

I'm almost ready to move away from my beloved MBA. It's just over 2 years old, and I've become quite dependent on it. As said before, it's an ideal writing laptop.

I tried the MBP's today in the Apple store; they feel bulky and heavy in comparison. I hated them. But, as I mentioned in the separate thread, my MBA is quite dead, and I'm not going to invest into another because the current value equation doesn't work.

 

[iBookG4user]

I had to move on from the MacBook Air because of monetary reasons. During my time of ownership of the MacBook Air I also had my early 2008 MacBook Pro. In the end I chose power over portability, I actually don't mind the extra weight and appreciate that it has a matte screen. Although the MacBook Air was a very nice and handy little computer when I owned it.

 

[gwsat]

option 1. take a Mac notebook or a Windows laptop with around 10-12 spare batteries to get you thru the 2 weeks

option 2. take a notebook and pencil.

option 3. take nothing but a good book to read in your downtime.

option 4. take nothing and communicate instead with nature and your mates who are accompanying you.

option 5. Stay home, in air conditioned comfort, and leave your MBA plugged into an electrical outlet.

 

[thinkdesign]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11) Sprint PPC6850SP)

Yikes. Another typo. From hitting a word-limit while correcting?

Correct line: "Another nice thing about VoltaicSystems's products is-- the red/green LED charging status indicators, slickly integrated into the handle.

---

Rambling further... I surfed the web to look at all these solar shoulder bags and backpacks, a year ago. All had their own storage batteries, and didn't trickle charge the phone to keep it's battery up, but rather they gathered solar energy by day, and then you transfer it to the phone by night.

Voltaic Systems ws the only one claiming power enough for a laptop... the competitors just offered fashion variations on ones suitable to charge a phone.

Mindful that "your actual milage may vary".... since the Air has a smaller 37-40 watt battery than a MacBookPro, that should help insure the VS "Generator" bag can handle fully charge it. Maybe charge the phone, too. A thought: as soon as Apple upgrades the iPad a little... or some aftermarket software/hardware/cloudware company extends the iPad's suitability for writing.... perhaps then your problem is solved. By then, maybe VoltaicSystems's upgraded Generator bag is on the market, and the adequate whole package comes together for you...

... a month before the new super early-2011 upgrade of the Air that we're positing!

Timing's everything. Too bad it's impossible to "time" Apple's Air upgrades, or for example, how much extra battery life might be in the early 2011 model.

Given your stated requirements... I'd say, stretch the iPad 3G to meet your needs.

 

[OldCorpse]

Well, I can't really power off my car, because I go to places where I park and then stay for awhile. The car is not moving, so I can't vampire it for charging or I'd never get out. And the sites I go to are either primitive camping sites (basically they don't even have water, let alone electricity), or completely off the grid - for example, twice a year I camp in Anza Borrego State Park, which is gigantic (the biggest by area), and you get to camp anywhere you like (no restrictions).

I bring along a DSLR, and I like to sometimes offload the photographs, but I don't need a laptop for that - these days you can get 64GB cards, and I have 3 of those, which is fine for weeks. I take a bunch of batteries for the various electronics, but leave 'em in the car. When I'm hiking far away from the car, I only have a backpack, and then it's an advantage to have it as light as possible, so I don't want to lug extra huge batteries and stuff - it gets old after a few hours and miles. Meanwhile it's nice to sit down and break out the laptop for some writing in complete isolation with nobody around for miles and miles and miles. Yes, paper and pen are neat, but when you have a structured software like screen-writing, it's not easy to reproduce on paper, plus you get spoiled... I'd get a cramp writing long hand... and then editing on paper(!).

 

[halledise]

option 5. Stay home, in air conditioned comfort, and leave your MBA plugged into an electrical outlet.

ha ha. hadn't thought of that option