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Which MacBook Air Design Do You Prefer? (Purely based on aesthetics)

  • New MBP Inspired Design

  • Wedge Design


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theorist9

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May 28, 2015
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The new design because it is better for thermals and battery size. The old design is all Ive smoke and mirrors. Appearing thinner but with loss of internal volume.
The volume of the old design was actually 25% larger. We know that because they said at the keynote that the volume of the new design is 20% less.
 

theorist9

macrumors 68040
May 28, 2015
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I think the old design was more elegant. But: The new design has 20% less volume, and we don't know whether they could have kept the old design and thinned it out by 20%. It may be the case that, to shrink the volume by 20%, they needed to go with the boxier design to fit everything in and get the thermals they wanted.

Thus if they could have kept the old design and just thinned it out by 20%, they should have done that (maybe with some updates to the design to keep it modern, but still keeping that iconic wedge). OTOH, if the boxy design was needed to achieve the 20% reduction in volume, then I think they made the right decision.
 
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jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
6,264
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
Sony already had that wedge design, is just Steve went full in thinnest and we all know the second gen MBA was the real deal
Even without the wedge design going for an 12-13mm in thickness the other would followed, is not about the shape of it, its all about the overall package what Steve came up with
The thickest point of the MBA is still thinner than the thinnest point of the Sony ...memories memories :)
Want to see something magical?
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AltecX

macrumors 6502a
Oct 28, 2016
550
1,391
Philly
Just read something that I said before, we are claiming something quite unusual, blaming a designer instead of Engineer for Bad Keyboards, Thermals etc.
Thats not unusual at all. If the design doesn't account for physics, it's a poor design. Also, if that design is putting an undo strain on what the engineers are currently capable of. The two must work hand in hand, if one is purely in a dictating position the other WILL suffer.
 

navaira

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May 28, 2015
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Ohhh. I remember the senior manager of my team back then bringing a Macbook Air in. My eyes nearly fell out from popping out so hard. It looked impossible. I had the white Macbook at that point and this thing looked like future. It would take until the 2015 rMB for me to feel this way again. (Until I found out about the keyboard… funnily enough I still have the 12" 2016 8/512, it still looks incredible minus the bezels, and also it's literally worthless because of the battery capacity. I can't sell it. So it's my "in case of" Macbook – I can only imagine what it would be like with M1, a battery that doesn't die after two years, and a real keyboard inside. TAPERED.)

The new ones had a chance to look cool with the iMac colours. Instead they look like step back in time towards something… blocky. Which is not to say that I wouldn't like Magsafe on my M1.
 

jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
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Ohhh. I remember the senior manager of my team back then bringing a Macbook Air in. My eyes nearly fell out from popping out so hard. It looked impossible. I had the white Macbook at that point and this thing looked like future. It would take until the 2015 rMB for me to feel this way again. (Until I found out about the keyboard… funnily enough I still have the 12" 2016 8/512, it still looks incredible minus the bezels, and also it's literally worthless because of the battery capacity. I can't sell it. So it's my "in case of" Macbook – I can only imagine what it would be like with M1, a battery that doesn't die after two years, and a real keyboard inside. TAPERED.)

The new ones had a chance to look cool with the iMac colours. Instead they look like step back in time towards something… blocky. Which is not to say that I wouldn't like Magsafe on my M1.
A friend also bought one and I was completely taken back how it all worked. As per the MBA's new design, it's ugly and too boxy. Color selection is fine tbh.
 

redheeler

macrumors G3
Oct 17, 2014
8,626
9,277
Colorado, USA
The OG Air, with the pop-out ports.
ports.jpg


I'm only half kidding.
I liked this design, with thinner bezels and a few of the innovations from newer models it’d be perfect.
 
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theMarble

macrumors 65816
Sep 27, 2020
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I personally like the second-gen 11" models (2010-2015), it was a good size for the Air, they got increasingly more powerful alongside the 13" model and had a good array of ports including MagSafe in a proper spot (not on a angle on the bottom like the first Air) and Thunderbolt 1/2.

The only part I don't like is the horrible 16:9 aspect ratio, on 11" it feels cramped and with how big the bezels were they could of (if the technology existed?) put in a much better 16:10 panel.
 

dogface1956

macrumors regular
Mar 10, 2022
153
239
Ive is responsible for certain decisions. Let's breakdown your examples:
  • The original iPhone. It was originally stated to be all aluminum by Ive. When the HW Team (specifically the Radios team) said that won't work due to attenuation by the aluminum. Do you know what was Ive's team response? Let's add a small "slit" or opening to let them go through. This issue went all the way up to Jobs who settled it by allowing the black bar we see on the bottom. Again, a compromise was reached, if Ive would have had his way, the original iPhone's signal would have been abysmal.
  • 1984 Mac, Ive was not there. That was Jobs and his team which is not the same HW Team today.
  • I'll add one you might not know off, iPhone OS 7. That OS version was completely redesigned by Apple and the man who spearheaded the change from skeuomorphism to what we have today was Ive. Ive's vision here was paramount.
Several products in Apple's lineup have been influenced by both function over form and form over function. However, there were several reports of Ive trying to force and Jobs did the balancing. Hence Ive ended up leaving Apple. The wedge shape MBAs, even the design of the 13" MBP all came from Ive's tenure. Some mistakes were made and some great innovations came from those. But it all boils down to balance.
For me the best form over function example is the round mouse, that was all Ivy because he thought it looked cool, but it sucked in use. To me that is the perfect example of Ivyism.
 

AbhiAchShan

macrumors member
Nov 7, 2021
87
60
Thats not unusual at all. If the design doesn't account for physics, it's a poor design. Also, if that design is putting an undo strain on what the engineers are currently capable of. The two must work hand in hand, if one is purely in a dictating position the other WILL suffer.
No My Friend, firstly the Engineering Team, provides an outline of components and spacing, thermal limits and gaps, etc. Then finally, The Design Team at Apple designs and enclosure that encloses these requirements
 

theMarble

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Sep 27, 2020
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No My Friend, firstly the Engineering Team, provides an outline of components and spacing, thermal limits and gaps, etc. Then finally, The Design Team at Apple designs and enclosure that encloses these requirements
Well, sometimes it felt like Design was before Engineering eg: Power Mac G4 MDD. The case was re-designed but the rest was a faster QS, so the thermals were abysmal. The Puck Mouse and Magic Mouse are more examples, the design is beautiful but they suck to use and need additional pieces of plastic attached to feel better in terms of ergonomics.
 

AbhiAchShan

macrumors member
Nov 7, 2021
87
60
Well, sometimes it felt like Design was before Engineering eg: Power Mac G4 MDD. The case was re-designed but the rest was a faster QS, so the thermals were abysmal. The Puck Mouse and Magic Mouse are more examples, the design is beautiful but they suck to use and need additional pieces of plastic attached to feel better in terms of ergonomics.
Were they, cause I never had one? Also heard that it's performance was good in its class at that time
Well the design team, can't be blamed, cause they quite often change design if thermals don't work, also check this:
 
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theMarble

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Were they, cause I never had one? Also heard that it's performance was good in its class at that time
Well the design team, can't be blamed, cause they quite often change design if thermals don't work, also check this:
Performance on the MDD was way ahead of it's immediate predecessor, the QuickSilver, these were the big changes;

QS: 1GHz CPU, 1.5GB RAM, 133MHz Bus
MDD: 1.42GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 167MHz Bus

While it was faster, heat was a challenge since the case didn't properly account for the thermal envelope of the faster G4 (All GHz G4 models had cooling issues but MDD was especially bad). There was nowhere near enough airflow so it used obnoxiously loud fans, so it gained the nickname "Windtunnel". There were 4 holes for intake and lots of tiny exhaust holes.

It would be like shoving an 8-core i9 into a case meant for a 4-core i7. (Does this sound familiar? Intel 16")
 

Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,711
4,491
Here
I really liked the wedge design and I think really came to represent the MacBook Air (like the 'chin' on the iMac) and I feel like Apple simply flattening the MacBook Pro design was very "meh." I would have liked to have seen a modernized MacBook Air the blended the two designs.
 
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Apple Knowledge Navigator

macrumors 68040
Mar 28, 2010
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I actually really like both for different reasons; the main ones being that the new design puts function first (where "less is more"), but the wedge design was uniquely Apple and instantly recognisable.
 
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imdog

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 20, 2017
353
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Disneyland
Most the people saying they prefer the aesthetics of the new design are saying they prefer the function over form or the better thermals, battery, etc. So I am pretty certain most people actually prefer the wedge design.
 
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JMacHack

Suspended
Mar 16, 2017
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2,424
Performance on the MDD was way ahead of it's immediate predecessor, the QuickSilver, these were the big changes;

QS: 1GHz CPU, 1.5GB RAM, 133MHz Bus
MDD: 1.42GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 167MHz Bus

While it was faster, heat was a challenge since the case didn't properly account for the thermal envelope of the faster G4 (All GHz G4 models had cooling issues but MDD was especially bad). There was nowhere near enough airflow so it used obnoxiously loud fans, so it gained the nickname "Windtunnel". There were 4 holes for intake and lots of tiny exhaust holes.

It would be like shoving an 8-core i9 into a case meant for a 4-core i7. (Does this sound familiar? Intel 16")
I’m half certain the noise came from the psu. I had one of these.
 

hugo_necst

macrumors newbie
Jun 12, 2022
18
16
As a pilot, the old MBA always looked to me as if it were floating on a cushion of air, the "wedge" as some of you call it evocative of an airfoil. Anything you call "air" ought to look aerodynamic which it does. Sorry, but new one does not. No lift and too much drag.
 
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