To those with 2010 Macbook Airs - Will you automatically buy the Sandy Bridge update?

[2IS]

I have the option right now. It's called HotSpot on my iPhone.

No need for an expensive add-on that locks me into a single carrier. If I want to switch carriers, then I simply use the tethering option of my new phone.

Carrier lock-in is not just a US thing. Looking at 3G options on Dells, I have to choose a specific carrier and pay extra for the priviledge. Carriers give away the 3G USB modems and most phones support tethering out of the box.

Not to mention Apple would not make it BTO.



And the post you were responding to also didn't really list anything that required Sandy Bridge. Making it entirely moot and addressed by own post if you had bothered to read it entirely.

You can twist the argument any way you want to, it doesn't really matter. I quoted the post in its entirety and responded to it as such. Get over yourself.

 

[Hellhammer]

No need for an expensive add-on that locks me into a single carrier. If I want to switch carriers, then I simply use the tethering option of my new phone.

So, you are ready to switch your phone in order to get a certain carrier but you wouldn't be ready to do the same with your laptop?

Carrier lock-in is not just a US thing. Looking at 3G options on Dells, I have to choose a specific carrier and pay extra for the priviledge. Carriers give away the 3G USB modems and most phones support tethering out of the box.

What Dell has to do with it carrier lock-ins? I can buy a laptop with built-in 3G and use it with any carrier I like, without any hacking. Carrier lock-ins are clearly a US thing, we don't have them here in Europe.

Not to mention Apple would not make it BTO.

Just your guess. They make WiFi and 3G iPads too.

 

[KohPhiPhi]

No I wont. I dont need to. My current MBA Ultimate runs everything I throw at it like a champ. I cant think of any reason as of why I'd need the update.

 

[Psilocybin]

dont want it and dont need it

 

[KnightWRX]

So, you are ready to switch your phone in order to get a certain carrier but you wouldn't be ready to do the same with your laptop?

Lemme see... 200$ phone vs 1500$ laptop...

Of course I wouldn't do the same. There's a 1300$ difference in price, that means the game just changed.

What Dell has to do with it carrier lock-ins? I can buy a laptop with built-in 3G and use it with any carrier I like, without any hacking. Carrier lock-ins are clearly a US thing, we don't have them here in Europe.

So Dell ships both CDMA+GSM in one laptop ? Dell doesn't carrier lock their offerings ? Because in Canada, you get to choose a carrier when you choose a 3G option and you get to pay extra for the privilege. No thank you, carriers just give me what is required or I already have it in my phone.

A 3G built-in is over-rated. Not to mention Canadians carrier will charge you an extra 10$ per device that share your data plan, but don't charge for tethering devices.

(ie, a laptop and a phone each with their built-in 3G costs you data plan + 10$, a laptop tethered to the phone costs you data plan only).

I really don't see what advantage the built-in option provides, seeing how I always have my phone in my pocket.

Just your guess. They make WiFi and 3G iPads too.

And the iPads force you to choose your carrier right then and there.

 

[BlackMax]

No. My lifecycle for notebooks is 4 years, so I won't be purchasing another MBA for some time and my current MBA does everything I need it to do.

 

[gdeputy]

+1! I bought my 13 inch MBA Ultimate last October and planned to keep it as my primary computer for at least three years. I can't imagine that an incremental upgrade to Sandy Bridge would convince me to change my mind. To paraphrase an old truism, as long as my MBA ain't broke, I'm not going to fix it.

While I agree that there is no need to replace it, as mine is plenty fast for what I use it for, Sandy Bridge doesn't qualify as an Incremental upgrade. It's basically the biggest change since jumping to multi-core processors.


Anyways, to answer, no I won't upgrade.

 

[Hellhammer]

So Dell ships both CDMA+GSM in one laptop ? Dell doesn't carrier lock their offerings ? Because in Canada, you get to choose a carrier when you choose a 3G option and you get to pay extra for the privilege. No thank you, carriers just give me what is required or I already have it in my phone.

A 3G built-in is over-rated. Not to mention Canadians carrier will charge you an extra 10$ per device that share your data plan, but don't charge for tethering devices.

(ie, a laptop and a phone each with their built-in 3G costs you data plan + 10$, a laptop tethered to the phone costs you data plan only).

We don't have CDMA in here. If I opt for 3G, I don't have to choose a specific carrier. I only get to choose do I want 3G or not. If I do, then I buy the plan from carrier of my choice. I could have carrier A in my phone and carrier B in my laptop, even carrier C in iPad if I wanted to. For me, it would cost 2€ per month to get a second SIM card that I could put into the laptop.

I really don't see what advantage the built-in option provides, seeing how I always have my phone in my pocket.

The same could be said about iPad. You could use your phone to tether but there is market for iPads equipped with 3G, even though it has the nasty limitations and stuff. Since there are people who prefer the 3G iPad, I'm sure there would be people who would prefer MBA with built-in 3G.

 

[iRun26.2]

Proof? You do realize HD 3000 has been in use for quite sometime now on many PC laptops right? Go to your nearest best buy and play with the laptops, launch some apps. They'll run fine.

Pardon my ignorance. I was referring to the IGP of the new ULV SB processor we might see on the next generation 11.6" MBA running OSX. I expect to write code for MATLAB and XCODE and a variety of other (more common) software.

I like how 'snappy' the graphics are with my current MBA: Quick plots in MATLAB, no lag in the IPhone simulator graphics, and quick scrolling (with no lag) in Safari (or any program for that matter).

If I say to myself, "Wow, this is noticeably slower!" in any of my (non-game) graphic's application I will be dissapointed. I will wait to read reviews before ordering (even if a BLK is now included).

 

[bmat]

not for the processor alone. Handles everything I need it for as a travel/work computer.

If it has a better screen, better battery life, something else ... If thunderbolt becomes really used in accessories, then maybe to have access to that.

 

[ufkdo]

I am currently happy & satisfied with my Air and don't think of any upgrade until late 2012.

 

[KnightWRX]

The same could be said about iPad. You could use your phone to tether but there is market for iPads equipped with 3G, even though it has the nasty limitations and stuff. Since there are people who prefer the 3G iPad, I'm sure there would be people who would prefer MBA with built-in 3G.

While you can tether iPad to iPhone 4 using Hotspot (only through Wifi though I believe), you can't using USB/Bluetooth. Macs have a distinct advantage on that side, and thus is makes more sense to ship 3G equipped iPads since they are more limited in their connectivity options because of this.

 

[Acronyc]

The next refresh would have to be a lot better to make me consider upgrading. My 11” does everything I need it to do (my needs aren’t very CPU demanding), and has become my main computer over the past few months. There hasn’t been a time that I’ve been disappointed with this little computer, and the only time I pull out my more powerful Windows laptop is if I want to play a game that the MBA can’t run well, which isn’t that often. I think it’d take sandy bridge, more storage, an SD slot, thunderbolt, a backlit keyboard, and no degradation in GPU performance in the 11” for me to think about upgrading. I don’t think we’ll get all that, so I’ll be fine sticking with the 2010 version for a while yet.