What's so special about the Macbook Air?

[jclardy]

On my MBP I have used the DVD drive maybe 5 or 6 times this year. With the MBA you either buy an external drive and use it at home, or use drive sharing and put the disc in another computer.

The main thing that was holding me back from the MBA was the 13" screen size (And the price as well). Some may like that size but if I am buying a computer mainly for portability I want it to have smaller dimensions than that.

 

[darngooddesign]

well THANK YOU for enlightening us.

"ultraportable" with the same dimensions as a macbook. Got it.

Except for thickness and weight.

Also bear in mind that when the Air came out the MacBook had an inferior screen and the keyboard was not back lit. Both of which I consider very important.

I have always wanted to try macbook air, but I feel like I would be clumsy and break the thing!
Recently I have been browsing the web to purchase one ebay/craiglist and am finding them for 400-600 2008 models. Would anyone care to share if this would be a good deal?

I currently am on a mid 07 macbook 2.16ghz model.

First of all, provided its not the first gen model, 80/64GB drive, 400 is a great deal.

Secondly, if you are happily using an old MacBook then the faster Air would be fine.

 

[talmy]

If I didn't have to run CAD software using Parallels on my MacBook a MacBook Air would be ideal for me. Low weight, (think of it as 2/3 the weight of a MacBook Pro) small size, and good battery life make it perfect to carry around, travel with, take notes, and do presentations. It just needs to supplement a good desktop like an iMac at home base.

An iPad might suffice, but I'd miss having a keyboard.

 

[theappleguy]

Seriously, why would anyone want to buy a MBA over a MB or MBP? If you have the money to spend on a Mac, why not get the one with a disc drive and stuff? I don't get it.....

Why would I want to carry around an optical drive I never use? I bought a MBP to replace my Air because I need 4GB RAM and a larger HD, but if the updated Air has both of these, I would willingly sell my MBP. My only hope is that Apple sticks with a semi glossy screen or offers a matte option - the super gloss on my MBP is driving me crazy.

 

[redkamel]

Seriously, why would anyone want to buy a MBA over a MB or MBP? If you have the money to spend on a Mac, why not get the one with a disc drive and stuff? I don't get it.....

I had a powerbook, then an imac, then got an Air to go with the imac when I emergently needed a laptop and my acer netbook broke.

Hands down, if I never did photo editing, I would get a MBA over a MBP.

All my stuff (except my photography and movies) fits on the SSD drive. Movies can be kept on a server or HD at home and swapped out. Wouldn't buy a MBA if I needed to do photo work.

It boots faster, runs "cleaner", is super light and nice to work on, and I haven't burned a disc on either computer in 2 years except the odd music CD. Although my MBAs specs suck compared to my imacs, my MBA has never, ever slowed down when doing any of the work I do on it: email, paper writing, research (multiple windows etc), stats calculations, light gaming (I like indie games: cheaper, simpler, more fun). Its like my dream laptop. Never needed more than one USB port either; I print wirelessly, and use the trackpad. My iphone, mouse, or card reader go in when needed.

So why would I buy more computer then I need? It does the job and fits. Everything else is secondary. I tend to not buy specs, I buy usage.

 

[synp]

I had a powerbook, then an imac, then got an Air to go with the imac when I emergently needed a laptop and my acer netbook broke.

Hands down, if I never did photo editing, I would get a MBA over a MBP.

OK, I've got to ask about this "photo editing" thing. Photo editing is neither a CPU nor memory hog these days. Photoshop has worked well ever since Macs were running on 800 MHz G4s, and PCs were running on 1 GHz Pentiums.

I'll give you video editing. Video editing demands all the power you can get.

I'm still using a 1st generation MBP with 1.8 GHz Core Duo (not C2D) and 1 GB or RAM. It runs things like OpenOffice, GIMP, Bibble 5 and Photoshop with no trouble, and it's inferior in every way to the current Air, let alone Wednesday's air. I have even run VMWare on it with Windows XP, but that XP was really too slow to get any work done.

So why would photo editing turn you away from the Air?

 

[aberrero]

OK, I've got to ask about this "photo editing" thing. Photo editing is neither a CPU nor memory hog these days. Photoshop has worked well ever since Macs were running on 800 MHz G4s, and PCs were running on 1 GHz Pentiums.

I'll give you video editing. Video editing demands all the power you can get.

I'm still using a 1st generation MBP with 1.8 GHz Core Duo (not C2D) and 1 GB or RAM. It runs things like OpenOffice, GIMP, Bibble 5 and Photoshop with no trouble, and it's inferior in every way to the current Air, let alone Wednesday's air. I have even run VMWare on it with Windows XP, but that XP was really too slow to get any work done.

So why would photo editing turn you away from the Air?

If you have an SLR, you need all the processing power you can get. My desktop is vastly superior to the CPUs in the MacBook Pro, and I can still use a lot more power. Moreover, 8GB of memory is not unreasonable, and 4GB should be minimum. If the MBA has only 2GB it really is pretty much impossible to do anything with it.

 

[iZac]

Some people might also argue that owning such a thin computer makes you look "really really cool."

Does that count?

Then as Mac Pro owners, does that make us the antithesis of cool?

 

[bwiley]

What gets used most, given broadest choice

In my house (3ppl), we've got 2MBA 2.1 w/SSD, one MPB 17", on MBP 15", an iMAC, 2 iPADs & 3 iPhones.

Given the broadest choice of using whatever I want whenever I feel my need dictates, I've come to realize that my life is most efficiently/productively supported by the combination of MBA and iPhone. The MBA is what I grab 99% of the time while working, the iPHone is always there.

Doing without the CD/DVD drive and all those extra ports forced me to learn to do without so many other little things I used to lug around in my laptop bag and - you know what - I found my life was more organized and efficient once I did. Like throwing away all that junk in the garage that you think you absolutely can't live without, then coming home one day and saying, "Man, this is so much better, why didn't I do this a long time ago."

You also just can't compare having the MBP vs. having the MBA sitting around on the coffee table or bedside stand and picking it up with one hand like a little magazine. It's just not the same tactile experience. When you feel good you are more productive. The MBA has changed - simplified - the way I travel and work in so many positive ways. I've owned almost 20 laptops since 1989 and never absolutely enjoyed or used anything more than the MBA.

The iPads are wonderful toys. My daughter loves it and my wife has used hers to spark a cooking renaissance in our kitchen, but for hours a day of actual work the iPad is just not ergonomically efficient over extended periods. I type about as fast as I talk, but not without a real keyboard and I challenge anyone to work for any significant period of time with an iPad and detachable keyboard balanced on their lap. Aggravating. Even for leisure reading, I've come to realize that I do most of that at the beach or by my pool and am afraid of water damage.

With 256G or more SSD hard drive space and 4G or more RAM on the next MBA - I figure I can ditch everything and build my digital life 100% around MBA and iPhone. That appears within reach soon - can't wait!

 

[CaoCao]

Then as Mac Pro owners, does that make us the antithesis of cool?

No, it makes you a Power User and owner of the sexiest workstation

 

[Bluehinder]

Oh you have so much to learn.

The MacBook Air is an ultra portable in a computer form.

Yes the Mabook Pro is portable but not as thin and sleek as the MacBook Air.

It has it's uses at being very portable. People buy the iPad to travel with but some people also want a thin device but with an actual OS X and a physical keyboard to type and work on the go.

The iPad has it's uses but for heavy work thats where the ultra portable MacBook Air comes in.

It's more for those business people who travel a lot and want a lighter laptop.

The MacBook Air has it's own market place in the world of laptops. You shouldn't compare it to the MacBook Pros.

It's spec was once on the MaBooks many years back. And from what I remember the OS runs quite fine.

I'll let the other people, who will reply to this thread, to continue this rant of getting you to understand

Epic fail post.

 

[Apple OC]

unless we hear earth shattering news on the MBA tomorrow.

there will still be nothing special.

 

[S.B.G]

couldn't you get an ipad

Of course; and I'm still debating the decision. I read a lot on the forums about folks who don't find it easy or comfortable to type a lot on the iPad with an onscreen keyboard. Most writers seem to prefer a physical keyboard for lots of typing.

If the MBA comes in at a great price with more RAM, I'll probably get it. Then next year when the iPad 2 comes out, I'll probably get that too.

 

[cleric]

Then as Mac Pro owners, does that make us the antithesis of cool?

Depends if you have Cinema Displays or Real Monitors.

 

[darngooddesign]

unless we hear earth shattering news on the MBA tomorrow.

there will still be nothing special.

If I understand you correctly, unless something special is announced there will be nothing special announced. I'm glad you cleared that up for us.

 

[PhelpsiPhan]

I think its the slimmness that makes it so special

 

[definitive]

it has the apple logo on it, and can run osx legally.

have a look at this:

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=8198552921644570897&parentCategoryId=16154

 

[gngan]

it has the apple logo on it, and can run osx legally.

have a look at this:

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=8198552921644570897&parentCategoryId=16154

Where is the apple logo? I don't see it any where.

 

[sparkie7]

It is Special b/c it is Slick, Sexy, Super light and Sliver thin

 

[Carouser]

So why would I buy more computer then I need? It does the job and fits. Everything else is secondary. I tend to not buy specs, I buy usage.

+1

Say you need something to run office software for your livelihood (e.g. professional writer) and you travel. You need file-management, easy media storage and manipulation of pictures and/or sound files. While the iPad is awesome, and can do or get around these things, as the primary device for my job I'd go with the MBA. Why would I lug around twice the weight on airplanes, buses, and over my shoulder based on the super-convincing argument that a MBP has 'a disc drive and stuff'?