Why do some people appear to HATE the MBA?

[shadowfax]

Ha, this is 100% true.

No, it's not. The MBA haters waiting on the MBP update will do one of 2 things:

1. Be satisfied and shut up.
2. Be unimpressed with the MBP update and hate on the MBA *and* the new MBP. No matter how much stuff is in the MBP update, there will be some people in this category...

 

[shadowfax]

....bunch of drivel...The ultra portable market is a dead end and its amazing that Apple was stupid enough to get into it when tablet PC's have so much potential for a non-stylus input method.

Only works with a mac so its doomed to fail? That was the only ipod complaint I know of, and it turned out to be true since the ipod wasnt doing so hot until it came to windows. People didnt hate the ipod, people thought Apple was braindead since so many people wanted one but nobody was going to buy a $1500 computer to use an mp3 player.

You assert that the ultra-portable market is a dead end? Is that anything other than your opinion? Back it up. You assert that there is potential in the Tablet PC market, but I have been horribly unimpressed by the Tablet PC market, and therefore I think that it is actually a dead end. But it's all pretensious presumption anyway, so why do I care?

I would imagine that Apple is not in the Tablet PC market yet because they would have to write their own Applications to do all the things that you want in a Tablet PC, in an intuitive way. Or it will just suck. If Apple thought that they had a Tablet PC in a form that was ready to be sold to consumers in a way that would maximize their profit, they would release it. Duh. Econ 101 or something, right?

Your argument boils down to that you *think* the ultraportable market is nonexistent/tiny/dead, and that the tablet PC market has more potential. But you didn't begin to substantiate either one of those claims. So it's just your opinion, and I think it's a rather silly one.

As for responses to the iPod, you ought to remember more than that. The biggest one was "WOW OMG THAT IS SO EXPENSIVE NO1 WILL BUYORZ ITZ!!!" But there were others, like "NOT ENUFF ST0RAGE!one!!!one!" and "WHO RLLY CAREZ ABOUT BEING ABL TO CRRY A BUNCH OF SONGZ IN UR POCKETZ!!!" and other whiney things like that.

AAPL I FING HATE UR FING GUTZ GO SIT ON A MONKY!

Sorry, I'm not projecting them onto you or anything, I am just in a hater-hating frenzy

 

[sushi]

The ultra portable market is a dead end and its amazing that Apple was stupid enough to get into it when tablet PC's have so much potential for a non-stylus input method.

Gee, you would never know that here in Japan.

Ultra-portable and light weight laptops are very popular. There are models released here that never make it to the states.

Most businessmen here carry some sort of A4 size bag/briefcase. The MBA will fit nicely into one of them since it is so thin. My guess is that it will sell well here.

 

[tstarks33]

You assert that the ultra-portable market is a dead end? Is that anything other than your opinion? Back it up. You assert that there is potential in the Tablet PC market, but I have been horribly unimpressed by the Tablet PC market, and therefore I think that it is actually a dead end. But it's all pretensious presumption anyway, so why do I care?

I would imagine that Apple is not in the Tablet PC market yet because they would have to write their own Applications to do all the things that you want in a Tablet PC, in an intuitive way. Or it will just suck. If Apple thought that they had a Tablet PC in a form that was ready to be sold to consumers in a way that would maximize their profit, they would release it. Duh. Econ 101 or something, right?

Your argument boils down to that you *think* the ultraportable market is nonexistent/tiny/dead, and that the tablet PC market has more potential. But you didn't begin to substantiate either one of those claims. So it's just your opinion, and I think it's a rather silly one.

As for responses to the iPod, you ought to remember more than that. The biggest one was "WOW OMG THAT IS SO EXPENSIVE NO1 WILL BUYORZ ITZ!!!" But there were others, like "NOT ENUFF ST0RAGE!one!!!one!" and "WHO RLLY CAREZ ABOUT BEING ABL TO CRRY A BUNCH OF SONGZ IN UR POCKETZ!!!" and other whiney things like that.

AAPL I FING HATE UR FING GUTZ GO SIT ON A MONKY!

Sorry, I'm not projecting them onto you or anything, I am just in a hater-hating frenzy

Can you provide links to substantiate your assertion that people were saying "AAPL I FING HATE UR FING GUTZ SO SIT ON A MONKY!" and the rest?

Thanks.

 

[jonswan]

Hate? Don't be daft

To the OP, the 'hate' you talk about is 99% disappointment. Clearly there are a lot of annoyed people out there wondering what Apple are doing as the MBA is clearly a niche laptop and most definitely way ahead of its time. Most people - like me - I am guessing here - wanted MBP updates with a reintroduction of the 12 inch version. A thinner, lighter 12 inch version of the MBP is what I wanted, but instead we got the MBA, which looks amazing but is thoroughly impractical as an 'only' computer right now. It's shortcomings have been listed ad nauseum. However, I wouldn't put it past Apple to give us that fabled 12 inch MBP ..

To the poster above, Japan is indeed a country full of men with 10-12 inch laptops, but unfortunately the 13.3 inch air still has a huge footprint therefore I don't believe it will be a great success here on account of its size - it just won't go in the bags they carry.

 

[dsnort]

I'm was willing to trade a 13" LCD for a 12" or 11" LCD and a full size keyboard for a smaller one if it means having a smaller footprint, not just thiner. 12" and 11" LCD are 1280x800 as well now, so you don't lose any resolution, it is just smaller.

Footprint matters more than anything.

This whole footprint complaint is what perplexes me the most. When I switched my laptop from a 15" Dell to a 13" MacBook, the footprint was the least noticeable difference to me. Riding in my briefcase,( along with my document, folders, and sales manuals), the extra width of the Dell stuck out in front of and behind me, it didn't hinder me in any way. The loss of thickness I noticed, and appreciated. Weight was a toss up, they both weighed about the same.

To be honest I'd rather go for one of them thin Sony laptops. For the first time I prefer their design over Apple's

I was eyeing them today at Best Buy. Pretty slick looking!

Unfortunately for me, the switch to Mac was never about the hardware.

 

[Detlev_73]

I am in love

I don't care what the Air haters have to say, the Air is just plain sexy. I was just about to purchase a black Macbook tonight, but I decided that I had to have the Air, after oogling at one for about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, none were in stock. I will wait a few weeks and then get it when they have reached stocked levels, and my tax return is direct deposited. For what I do, web-surfing, Word, Excel, and iLife stuff. The Air is perfect. I don't run Photoshop, and the like, so the Air is a great fit. Steve, you've done it again, buddy.

 

[quantumbits]

Well, I finally saw one in person today. Meh. The excitement lasted all of 10 seconds before my mind converged on one word: gimmick. Does that qualify me as a "hater?"

 

[MazingerZ]

Well, I finally saw one in person today. Meh. The excitement lasted all of 10 seconds before my mind converged on one word: gimmick. Does that qualify me as a "hater?"

Nope..you just have different needs than some of us who think this is a great laptop to lug around on trips.

 

[shadowfax]

To the poster above, Japan is indeed a country full of men with 10-12 inch laptops, but unfortunately the 13.3 inch air still has a huge footprint therefore I don't believe it will be a great success here on account of its size - it just won't go in the bags they carry.

Really? Is this really true, because this is tripping me out. Where are these people that are running around with, basically, handbags? Seems to me that professionals carry briefcases, the kind you could fit a legal pad (8.5" x 14") or a small portfolio in. As luck would have it, this is pretty close to the footprint of the MBA (8.9" x 12.8"). That seemed to be the whole point why Steve Jobs busted it out of that big "interdepartmental mail" envelope-- because it fits in one like a stack of paper.

That's what's so awesome to me. This is a businessperson's laptop. It's just the right size that you can slide it into a really thin neoprene sleeve and toss it into your average briefcase or satchel, without making it much heavier than it already is. It's an afterthought. I can say that after having had a TiBook for 5 years, a MacBook for 1, and a MacBook Pro for about 6 months, that the TiBook and MBP are very much *not* afterthoughts for carrying with me, and have trouble fitting in anything but backpacks and really big satchels. The MacBook was a lot better, but still thick enough that it took up a significant amount of space (52.63 cu. inches for MBA vs. 123.12 cu. inches for MB, making the MB 134% larger by volume) and heavy enough to make a difference.

I wouldn't say the MB was all that bad, but the Macbook Air has the same footprint as the MB, which is fine for fitting into bags/briefcases, but only takes up 43% of the space in the bag, and weighs 40% less.

But, I have never been to Japan. I am just talking about the bags/briefcases that I have seen my professors carry around campus, and the briefcases that my coworkers and fellow students typically carry, and the stuff I see in the airport. The only numbers I have and I will stand by are my calculations .

Well, I finally saw one in person today. Meh. The excitement lasted all of 10 seconds before my mind converged on one word: gimmick. Does that qualify me as a "hater?"

What's the gimmick, though? What trick are they trying to pull over our eyes? Is it just that it's not all that thin or light or small as they say, or something else? What were you expecting?

 

[kuwisdelu]

Can you provide links to substantiate your assertion that people were saying "AAPL I FING HATE UR FING GUTZ SO SIT ON A MONKY!" and the rest?

Thanks.

Not the one you asked, but actually yes:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

And I'm curious about the footprint thing, too. I know there are a few valid reasons for wanting a small footprint, such as more comfort room on an airline tray, but as far as portability goes...honestly, who carries a laptop bag or briefcase that won't carry something 13.3"? If I stuck a thick but 12" MBP in my briefcase right now, I wouldn't notice any difference when I'm carrying it around from the MacBook that currently resides in it. But a skinny MacBook Air? I can fit in textbook or another spiral notebook with the extra room and weight-loss.

 

[pondie84]

Wasn't the iPod called a gimmick to start with too? I mean, it wasn't really a completely new thing, it was expensive and a fashion item etc. Even today they're not really a necessity, people just want them. I just don't understand people's strong negative reactions.

After all that's what this thread is about... it's not saying we should love the Air. It's just wondering why people react so strongly about it. To me that's the most baffling thing. I find it amazing that people can get so angry about a notebook.

 

[stainlessliquid]

I hear people talking about weight all the time. You can buy UP's that weigh practically half as much as the MBA. Nothing new to see here, next argument.

Japan likes small stuff, thats true, but in Japan you can get a wide variety of Vaio's and other computers that are both smaller and lighter than the MBA. Why would they give a flying crap about the Air? This is like the iphone in Japan. They dont care, they have better options already, why should they take a step backwards? If the MBA sucks the most anywhere, its going to be in Japan since theres more competition there.

There are people out there who will complain about everything. I can pull some quotes out of my ass and say everyone hated the ipod because it didnt squirt milk out of its usb cord. But by far the ipod was highly sought after, and people complained that it was only on mac. You cant compare the macbook air to the ipod, people wanted and were prepared to pay for an ipod but couldnt because they didnt have a mac, practically nobody is willing to pay for an MBA. The iPod was the first small and elegant mp3 player and was exactly what people were waiting for in an mp3 player, the MBA is neither what people have been waiting for or the first of anything.

I'll say it again, people are mad at the MBA because they didnt get what they wanted. People get mad when they are disappointed, and the MBA is a massive disappointment to a lot of people who were hoping for something they could use or something new and innovative. There are people who actually like the MBA and think its "perfect" but those people are an extremely small amount compared to the disappointed people.

You assert that the ultra-portable market is a dead end? Is that anything other than your opinion? Back it up. You assert that there is potential in the Tablet PC market, but I have been horribly unimpressed by the Tablet PC market, and therefore I think that it is actually a dead end. But it's all pretensious presumption anyway, so why do I care?

If the ultra portable market is such a success then maybe you can provide me with some evidence that the UP notebooks sell well? I have yet to see a single person with an UP notebook and I have yet to see a single person recommend a UP notebook or consider buying one. They sell EXTREMELY bad compared to regular notebooks.

The tablet PC market sucks right now because they have nothing good to offer. Thats why I said potential. A small multitouch tablet pc would be fantastic, one that doesnt need to use a stylus and allows you to type right on the screen with a virtual keyboard using your fingers. Its current form is cumbersome and pointless, it is waiting for a device to come along and launch it into a success. Apple needs to get their head out of their ass and remember why things like the ipod were so successful.

Apple should be aiming at markets with potential and doing something innovative that the market needs. Look at the EEE PC, that thing is an extraordinary success because they did something NEW. The MBA is not new, it is exactly the same as every other failed UP, they tried nothing innovative and followed exactly what every other failure has done.

... and thats where you lost me. Well done my friend. I am sure the post was very insightful.

Regards,

C

You need to know the difference between words with and without quotes then. "Crapbook air" is what everyone is calling it, since so many people think its crap.

 

[Nilonym]

Apple should be aiming at markets with potential and doing something innovative that the market needs. Look at the EEE PC, that thing is an extraordinary success because they did something NEW. The MBA is not new, it is exactly the same as every other failed UP, they tried nothing innovative and followed exactly what every other failure has done.

You need to know the difference between words with and without quotes then. "Crapbook air" is what everyone is calling it, since so many people think its crap.

Um, yeah... Anyway, wow, my new MBA is damn sexy, and I'm a happy camper. Thanks, Apple, for making something I can be excited about, instead of resting on your butt and regurgitating old designs!

By the way, I think "MacBook Flair" is a much more sophisticated dig than "CrapBook Air". Plus, it has one more letter, which I guess some people might highly value.

 

[ozziegn]

Well, I finally saw one in person today. Meh. The excitement lasted all of 10 seconds before my mind converged on one word: gimmick. Does that qualify me as a "hater?"

yup, you are officially a MBA hater. be prepared to be flamed seven different ways to Sunday.

 

[SteveSparks]

If you want something smaller, get an HP Scientific Calculator.

The 10C, I think was the best ever made. Wish they still sold it.

 

[ShoopaMac]

yeh but we all have them already it's like one more iPod usb cable geez

maybe some mac user groups of the bricks and mortar variety have a trading table! dock adapters, remotes and etc.

for many this will be their first mac/apple product~

 

[meagain]

No, it's not. The MBA haters waiting on the MBP update will do one of 2 things:

1. Be satisfied and shut up.
2. Be unimpressed with the MBP update and hate on the MBA *and* the new MBP. No matter how much stuff is in the MBP update, there will be some people in this category...

I didn't read the whole thread as I already formulated my answer.
The above quote is exactly what I was going to say. I believe it to be true. Sadly.

 

[ShoopaMac]

Not a hater,
Love macs, obviously,
But I must say,

I don't mind the 13 in screen, I mind the thick rails around the screen.
I don't mind the thin, I mind the un-reliable 1.8" 4200rpm HDD to achieve it.
I don't mind the less ports, I so! mind the non-TRADITIONAL battery, I so! mind.

I think Jobs is loosing it or is he so evil-marketing scheme-so hard to resist... It's probably the latter.

It's an unfair situation, I love their design, somewhat competitive engineering is okay, but hate their IDEAs--NOTION to dominate weak hearts like mind to desire beautifuls-shallow surface... Why can't I meet beautiful inside AND out? why?

I wouldn't have minded a much more stable 32gb NAND for base model just for OS and few essential softwares. I can access or setup servers... wishful thinking...

 

[semiconstructiv]

ok..... what i've been reading in this thread is non-sense seriously. a ultra-portable pro? are you kidding? is it really that necessary I mean come on. why would you want a 12inch laptop to have that kind of features it's not like you will be editing in final cut pro or designing on a screen that small. it seems pointless. it's purpose is to be writing documents and browsing the net basic functions and 1.8 ghz dual core is more than enough. and don't give me a bs excuse for needing over 2.2 ghz there is no point. and if you need more then get a better computer geez. mbp or a mb is fine. but, "oh no 4-5 pounds is too much" get over it. it's life deal with it.

btw, if the weight really does bother you i'd recommend you going to a gym.

 

[shadowfax]

I hear people talking about weight all the time. You can buy UP's that weigh practically half as much as the MBA. Nothing new to see here, next argument.

Not running OS X, not with a big LED-Backlit display, or a full-size keyboard, and not with a dual-core C2Duo.

There are people out there who will complain about everything. I can pull some quotes out of my ass and say everyone hated the ipod because it didnt squirt milk out of its usb cord. But by far the ipod was highly sought after, and people complained that it was only on mac. You cant compare the macbook air to the ipod, people wanted and were prepared to pay for an ipod but couldnt because they didnt have a mac, practically nobody is willing to pay for an MBA. The iPod was the first small and elegant mp3 player and was exactly what people were waiting for in an mp3 player, the MBA is neither what people have been waiting for or the first of anything.

I'll say it again, people are mad at the MBA because they didnt get what they wanted. People get mad when they are disappointed, and the MBA is a massive disappointment to a lot of people who were hoping for something they could use or something new and innovative. There are people who actually like the MBA and think its "perfect" but those people are an extremely small amount compared to the disappointed people.

man, the sections I bolded... classics.

MacBook Air orders have been very strong

Link.

If the ultra portable market is such a success then maybe you can provide me with some evidence that the UP notebooks sell well? I have yet to see a single person with an UP notebook and I have yet to see a single person recommend a UP notebook or consider buying one. They sell EXTREMELY bad compared to regular notebooks.

The tablet PC market sucks right now because they have nothing good to offer. Thats why I said potential. A small multitouch tablet pc would be fantastic, one that doesnt need to use a stylus and allows you to type right on the screen with a virtual keyboard using your fingers. Its current form is cumbersome and pointless, it is waiting for a device to come along and launch it into a success. Apple needs to get their head out of their ass and remember why things like the ipod were so successful.

So... the UP market is slouching... and the Tablet PC market is slouching... but, the UP market is a dead end, and the Tablet PC market has potential. I disagree, I think that's ridiculous. I would posit this instead: They both have a TON of potential. I would say that the trouble with the UP market is that it's full of a bunch of machines that trade power for smallness in a big way, or laptops that are clunky and crowded in their shrinkage, that tried to do too much. I think there is a big opportunity for a laptop that has the thinness, the lightness, but packs a significant punch, all the while being tolerable to use on a day-to-day basis, and pleasant to look at--something people would envy, like an iPod for the UP. I think the MBA is a move in the right direction. It's a laptop that I think is nice, but not quite for me yet. But I am extremely excited about where it will go in the next year. I think the MBA is going to grow the UP market by making people want a UP, the way I do now, they way I hated smartphones till the iPhone came out.

The Tablet PC market also desperately needs something new. I think it would have been awesome if Apple had done a tablet. Evidence has long pointed to the idea that they have been working on it. The iPhone was spun off of Tablet development several years ago. They are probably working on it still. It's just not ready to release yet. That doesn't mean never, and it doesn't mean that it's a mistake to make the MBA. What gives? your argument hinges on the idea that the MBA and the Apple Tablet are mutually exclusive products, but they aren't.

Apple should be aiming at markets with potential and doing something innovative that the market needs. Look at the EEE PC, that thing is an extraordinary success because they did something NEW. The MBA is not new, it is exactly the same as every other failed UP, they tried nothing innovative and followed exactly what every other failure has done.

rotflol!

yup, you are officially a MBA hater. be prepared to be flamed seven different ways to Sunday.

well, that seems to be a 2 way street. But I would go for more like "49 ways from Sunday" instead.

The 10C, I think was the best ever made. Wish they still sold it.

I'm actually a TI-ho. I love my TI-89 to death, but it's the devil I know. It's also the reason I have such a poor grip on calculus in my brain, too, because it makes it so easy to plug in rather advanced symbolic functions and derive/integrate them...

ok..... what i've been reading in this thread is non-sense seriously. a ultra-portable pro? are you kidding? is it really that necessary I mean come on. why would you want a 12inch laptop to have that kind of features it's not like you will be editing in final cut pro or designing on a screen that small. it seems pointless. it's purpose is to be writing documents and browsing the net basic functions and 1.8 ghz dual core is more than enough. and don't give me a bs excuse for needing over 2.2 ghz there is no point. and if you need more then get a better computer geez. mbp or a mb is fine. but, "oh no 4-5 pounds is too much" get over it. it's life deal with it.

btw, if the weight really does bother you i'd recommend you going to a gym.

rotflol!

FWIW, when I said the MBA was a pro machine, I qualified that:

The Air is a Pro machine. It's just Pro in the sense of "I slide this into my briefcase, where it adds about as much weight as a small portfolio, and go," rather than "I render movie scenes on the way too work with my laptop."

More careful reading on your part before you accuse me of speaking nonsense is in order. Unless you are talking about someone else.

 

[jotamurray]

People keep talking about mac -good or bad- and its come down to free publicity. It's like the iphone: the guarantee void if unlocked publicity has not stopped people from buying it but every week sales are increasing.
I would never buy the MBA only cause I prefer carrying everything on me at all times, but I think its great for ultraportable users.

 

[j26]

I find these threads entertaining.

The basis of this and dozens of other threads seems to be "If you don't like the MBA shut up, you're poor/tight/envious/stupid/grouchy/impotent/etc and your opinions don't count"

Just a little newsflash - this is a discussion forum. Yes, discussion. That means people are free to post their opinions, positive or negative.

If people have wants/needs that weren't satisfied, they are free to say this.


btw I like the MBA, but not enough to buy one. Am I a hater?

 

[pesc]

ok..... what i've been reading in this thread is non-sense seriously. a ultra-portable pro? are you kidding? is it really that necessary I mean come on. why would you want a 12inch laptop to have that kind of features it's not like you will be editing in final cut pro or designing on a screen that small. it seems pointless.

We are not kidding and Apple did make a 12" PB three years ago. That's what I use as my main machine. I have three desks (on three locations) setup with screens larger than a 17" MBP. That's what I connect to when doing real work, such as editing video. The 12" screen is for my daily two hour train rides or longer travel.

Are YOU kidding? Do YOU use the screen and keyboard of the laptop during daily work at your desk?

 

[pesc]

This whole footprint complaint is what perplexes me the most...

It's central in my MBA hatred

When I switched from a Dell latitude L400 to a 12" PB G4 three years ago the PB was heavier (my dell didn't have an optical drive), thicker, and had a larger footprint. I was concerned about this, but the PB did give me so much more power so I'm very happy with it. I use it as my main machine and it is always in my backpack.

I don't own a car but travel a lot on trains and sometimes on long flights.

What perplexes me is that laptops are going larger and larger over the years. I wouldn't even think of buying a 13" MB because it is so big, so you could guess how I think about the other Apple laptop line. (A 17" inch laptop? *Boggle*)

So when Apple re-enters the portable laptop market we get a MBA with the same footprint as the MB?!?!? Ridiculous!

I rarely carry any papers or books in my backpack. All documents I use are in the computer.

Being thin does very little for me. Footprint matters more.

I'm not living in the USA. Is that the rub?

http://mbp12.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9