Why do some people appear to HATE the MBA?

[Sweetbike40]

So in summary, you can't afford one?

Why a comment like this? I guess there are just a bunch of 12 year olds on here. Maybe children with wealthy parents. That poster made some good points and it has nothing to do with if someone can afford it or not!!!!!!!!! I can't STAND that come back!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MazingerZ]

Why a comment like this? I guess there are just a bunch of 12 year olds on here. Maybe children with wealthy parents. That poster made some good points and it has nothing to do with if someone can afford it or not!!!!!!!!! I can't STAND that come back!!!!!!!!!!

Lighten up Francis!

 

[SteveSparks]

I had a discussion with my co-workers....we all agreed.... you and your co-workers don't get a vote.... end of story

Best Comment of the Day

 

[kuwisdelu]

For me it is because the smaller footprint connotates lighter and more portable.

Perhaps I also associate higher quality parts because you have to get them working in a smaller form factor.

I've got a 10.6" Fujistsu Lifebook with a keyboard almost as large as the MBA one. My large hands fit it okay.

While I am a strong proponent of a smaller footprint, I did buy the MBA. And it looks huge to me.

But I can see it being the computer I sit in front of all day - it should run circles around my Lifebook.

Hmm. I don't think I could work with a smaller screen than my 13" MacBook. Since I have to carry my notebooks and sometimes a textbook or two to my classes anyway, I need to carry a bag that's big enough for those, so anything smaller won't really make a difference, but something as thin as the MBA could allow me to fit an extra notebook or textbook, and/or make my shoulder-load a little easier on the mile walk to campus.

 

[Macintosh Man]

Why MBA Are Hated

It's very simple. MBA are hated because they are an OVER priced, stripped down version of the MacBook. End of story.

As to MacBooks being heavy? What is that, some kind of corny joke? If some of you here really feel that way, I suggest you hurry up and join your nearest Bally's Total Fitness or 24 hr Fitness gyms. End of story.

 

[NAG]

So again, you hate it because you can't buy one. Nice logic. Going to hate good food because you can't afford to eat it all the time too?

 

[TatsuTerror]

For everyone that is bagging on the MBA because you don't think it's an ultraportable -- think different. Apple has redefined the meaning of ultraportable as a lightweight, powerful (compared to many others), and sexy machine with an amazing backlit keyboard, track pad, and 13" screen. The price is fair, look at others in its class - wait, there are none! Nobody's packed this much punch into something so light before.

Why do you need an 11" or 12" over a 13" with a wide bezel? In my opinion, it's the weight that matters.

 

[TatsuTerror]

It's very simple. MBA are hated because they are an OVER priced, stripped down version of the MacBook. End of story.

As to MacBooks being heavy? What is that, some kind of corny joke? If some of you here really feel that way, I suggest you hurry up and join your nearest Bally's Total Fitness or 24 hr Fitness gyms. End of story.

And I suggest that you go to an Apple store and check out both first hand, the difference is astounding. Specs on paper don't translate directly to the real world, the 2lbs makes a huge difference.

 

[kuwisdelu]

It's very simple. MBA are hated because they are an OVER priced, stripped down version of the MacBook. End of story.

As to MacBooks being heavy? What is that, some kind of corny joke? If some of you here really feel that way, I suggest you hurry up and join your nearest Bally's Total Fitness or 24 hr Fitness gyms. End of story.

I can see why you would think that. It's a perfectly valid point.

But I just don't see why it's a reason to hate a computer. Now if a MacBook Air personally insulted your wife, or something....

It's not overpriced compared to other ultraportables. It's an expensive market. Some will say it doesn't have enough "features" or it's "too big" to be considered a "true" ultraportable. That's just silly. It's more powerful than lots of the ultraportables out there, and it makes different compromises. Compromises some people think are the right ones and some people think are the wrong ones. The people who like the trade-offs it makes buy it--as many people have--and the people who don't like it don't buy it.

Oh wait, the people who don't like it insult it endlessly for fitting someone else's needs instead of their own. I forgot.

Oh, and I'm not saying any of that because I'm rich or anything. There's no way I could afford one now. I thought it was overpriced, too, at first, but then I realized how much technology went into making it that small and how expensive other ultraportables are and came to my senses. It's not overpriced. It's priced the same as, if not better than, other ultraportables on the market right now.

And I don't think the MacBook is "heavy." I put it in my bag every day along with several notebooks, calculators, and once in a while even a textbook, and walk a few miles back and forth from classes. By the end of the day I have a thick red line on my shoulder. I'm not complaining, but 2lbs. lighter would make a big difference, and may get rid of that bright red line on my shoulder. My girlfriend weighed her bookbag the other day, and it was almost 20 lbs. We're not weak, it's just that anything that makes that less would be a godsend. She and I can't afford MacBook Air's right now, and it would be silly to buy something new with (high-end) MacBooks (that cost as much as an MBA) that are less than a year old. But if we were in need of a replacement, you bet we'd invest in a couple MacBook Air's

 

[cenetti]

It's very simple. MBA are hated because they are an OVER priced, stripped down version of the MacBook. End of story.

As to MacBooks being heavy? What is that, some kind of corny joke? If some of you here really feel that way, I suggest you hurry up and join your nearest Bally's Total Fitness or 24 hr Fitness gyms. End of story.

EXACTLY!!!!

oh look its 2lb lighter....not as hard on my 10" girly arms....ooooohhhhhhh

 

[duffyanneal]

So again, you hate it because you can't buy one. Nice logic. Going to hate good food because you can't afford to eat it all the time too?

It has been scientifically proven that the RDF acts as a powerful attractant for Bizarros.

 

[chutzpah]

So again, you hate it because you can't buy one. Nice logic. Going to hate good food because you can't afford to eat it all the time too?

. . . or you could spend hundreds of dollars less for a computer that's a quarter inch thicker, much faster, has an optical drive, and is a measly two pounds more than your precious air.

It's not a matter of spending money, it's a matter of spending money well.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

I'd pay my entire tuition for a smaller footprint

What about a smaller carbon footprint?

 

[duffyanneal]

It's not a matter of spending money, it's a matter of spending money well.

Using that logic (which isn't totally flawed) the world would be an incredibly boring, but fiscally prudent, place. I would miss sports cars, flat screen TVs, vacations, airplanes, priority shipping, toll roads, amusement parks, satellite radio, restaurants, bottled water, air conditioning, power windows, contact lenses, etc . Get the point.

 

[TatsuTerror]

. . . or you could spend hundreds of dollars less for a computer that's a quarter inch thicker, much faster, has an optical drive, and is a measly two pounds more than your precious air.

It's not a matter of spending money, it's a matter of spending money well.

Have you touched a MBA? I doubt it.

Many are saying "I though the same as you...until I picked one up." It's completely true -- you have to hold it to understand it.

 

[TechHistorian]

I already said the EEE is an extraordinary success. But dont classify it as a UP. It is a new breed of laptop, like half UMPC and half UPPC. And you managed to prove my previous point. EEE is doing so extremely well because it did something new and fixed what was wrong with the UP market, it gave people what they wanted. A UP is not meant to replace your main computer, so why price it like one? The EEE did everything right, it made a compact ultra small notebook and priced it so low that the mainstream could afford it as a compliment to their main computer. The MBA did absolutely nothing at all like the EEE, it managed to do the complete opposite.

I, however, view the EEE as little more than a toy. A neat toy, and priced well for its power, but a toy nonetheless. It competes more with the iPod Touch or even the iPhone than with the MBA and other ultraportables. As somebody who writes and researches for a living (I'm an academic historian), the EEE's small screen and keyboard are abysmal for prolonged use. I can't imagine taking the EEE on a research trip and accomplishing any appreciable work with it. I could easily write a paper/thesis/book with the MBA, though. I could easily revise my presentations for conferences while flying to the conferences. Yes, I could do the same with an EEE -- but not as easily due to the smaller form factor. That's where the MBA shines -- its screen and keyboard are better suited for lengthy use for real-world applications (Word, PowerPoint, Pages, Keynote, et al.) than a machine with a smaller footprint is.

Personally, I'm torn about the MBA. I'm in the market for a new laptop since my wife has more or less appropriated my C2D MBP. Since I more or less took over her iMac in response, the MBA would be the perfect combination of light weight and large screen coupled with a more powerful main computer. OTOH, I'd love to get a MBP and bequeath the C2D iMac to my kids (they're currently using my wife's previous G4 17" iMac). The selfish git in me wants the MBA. The parent in me wants the MBP.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

EXACTLY!!!!

oh look its 2lb lighter....not as hard on my 10" girly arms....ooooohhhhhhh

What an unintelligent comment. Obviously you've never held a Macbook Air in one hand, and a Macbook in the other... it's night and day. You've obviously never traveled for weeks on end, or had to carry your laptop around the streets of New York and San Francisco. It must be my 10" girly arms

Using that logic (which isn't totally flawed) the world would be an incredibly boring, but fiscally prudent, place. I would miss sports cars, flat screen TVs, vacations, airplanes, priority shipping, toll roads, amusement parks, satellite radio, restaurants, bottled water, air conditioning, power windows, contact lenses, etc . Get the point.

I agree with you 100%. It's just money you can't take it with you. Life's a bitch and then you die... and the wheels on the bus go round and round.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

The selfish git in me wants the MBA. The parent in me wants the MBP.

I've owned every iteration of Macbook Pro as well as a host of Powerbooks and I can say that between the Macbook Pro and Macbook Air... there really isn't a contest for me. The Macbook Pro is a great laptop- don't get me wrong- however, I really don't think you're gaining enough for what you're loosing. I can't tell you how many times I left my Macbook Pro at home because it simply wasn't practical to take it with my. With regards to the Macbook Air, I don't see myself leaving the house very often without it.

Just my 25 cents...

 

[TechHistorian]

I've owned every iteration of Macbook Pro as well as a host of Powerbooks and I can say that between the Macbook Pro and Macbook Air... there really isn't a contest for me. The Macbook Pro is a great laptop- don't get me wrong- however, I really don't think you're gaining enough for what you're loosing. I can't tell you how many times I left my Macbook Pro at home because it simply wasn't practical to take it with my. With regards to the Macbook Air, I don't see myself leaving the house very often without it.

Just my 25 cents...

And I appreciate the input ... The appeal of the MBP is that I get a whole computer, a true desktop replacement, and can thus give the kids the iMac without worries. The appeal of the MBA is its portability. I really can envision taking it everywhere. Sharing the iMac with my kids has limited appeal -- and I worry that the MBA just isn't going to cut it as a primary machine. Either way, I need to make a decision soon. Shuttling a USB drive back and forth from my Dell-equipped office to my home and iMac is getting old fast.

 

[shadowfax]

And I appreciate the input ... The appeal of the MBP is that I get a whole computer, a true desktop replacement, and can thus give the kids the iMac without worries. The appeal of the MBA is its portability. I really can envision taking it everywhere. Sharing the iMac with my kids has limited appeal -- and I worry that the MBA just isn't going to cut it as a primary machine. Either way, I need to make a decision soon. Shuttling a USB drive back and forth from my Dell-equipped office to my home and iMac is getting old fast.

What do you do with your computer, though, man? I was thinking about that, and I love having my MBP. All that horsepower is great for, you know, playing 3-D games. That's really the only thing I do that truly warrants the full power of the MBP. I dabble with photoshop, but photoshop really isn't that slow on anything with 2GB of RAM when you are dealing with relatively small images (which I usually am). Parallels would definitely be difficult to get running well on the MBA also, I am sure, not to mention being another huge space-hog on a small drive.

Parallels is really one of those "Do I really need this?" pieces of software, especially with Office 2008 out. I sure don't care too much about it. I would say that, in my personal experience day-to-day with my MacBook Pro, given an iMac that I could share with my wife (or in your case, the kids) for the sole purpose of playing computer games when the bug strikes me (getting much rarer) and leeching the optical drive for the random installation from DVD, I think I would find that the only thing the MBA really fell short on as a main computer is storage space. I also use Aperture to manage my photo library. It's a little sluggish on the MBP, but I think that's the seek time loading images from the drive, something that's unavoidable. I never got the impression that the Aperture application was actually as slow as all that, just that loading full images was a function, mostly, of hard drive speed.

That covers it for me. I will be checking out the MBA in person, but I think it's definitely a laptop I could use as a main computer. Hopefully they will get a 2GHz model with 4GB of RAM at the next product revision. That would set me for several years, especially with an aftermarket SSD upgrade when they get affordable and bigger.

 

[BrokenE]

Frustrated Apple fans

My .000001 cent worth...

As others have posted, the folks who hate it were expecting something "they" wanted..... and of course did not get. But I what I would like to add to the topic is that I think these disappointed folks are true, die hard apple fans.

To that point, I think that apple does have a gap (or two) in their product line up. I personally would like to see a 15"MB. I don't need the speed and other high-end stuff, but i do want a decent size screen (13" is too small for my taste). Several have posted they want a 13" MBP... Hey, I get it, they want a small feature packed, little speed demon. And I do also get the Air, and I think it is great for the niche market that it is meant for, though it is definitely not for me. But why hate the product just because it's not to your specs, taste ir what ever? It makes no sense.

 

[pesc]

So you're saying the 12" screen is alright for a short train ride, but you switch to something bigger as soon as you get the chance!

---

As a "Road Warrior", ( gads I hate that phrase), I'm at a new desk almost every night and every day. I've found the 13.3" footprint to be a good compromise between portability and usability.

Exactly!
It depends on what you are doing. For reading documents, mail and surfing, the 12" screen is fine. I have also edited photos and videos on long trips and it is OK. But for software development or photo/video work I prefer a large screen.

As for the keyboard, the sizes are identical on the 12" PB and 15" (17"?) PB.

The point is that the laptop is not limited to the built-in screen. And if you are spending a full working day at a desk you better get a large decent screen and external keyboard/mouse. The ergonomics is so much better. Even if you've got a 15" MBP. Still I see people buying large laptops and use the built-in screen on their desks for whole days. Ludicrous!

Of course, if you do most work at various hotel rooms, you need to use the built-in screen and may want a larger one.

 

[shadowfax]

Exactly!
It depends on what you are doing. For reading documents, mail and surfing, the 12" screen is fine. I have also edited photos and videos on long trips and it is OK. But for software development or photo/video work I prefer a large screen.

As for the keyboard, the sizes are identical on the 12" PB and 15" (17"?) PB.

The point is that the laptop is not limited to the built-in screen. And if you are spending a full working day at a desk you better get a large decent screen and external keyboard/mouse. The ergonomics is so much better. Even if you've got a 15" MBP. Still I see people buying large laptops and use the built-in screen on their desks for whole days. Ludicrous!

Of course, if you do most work at various hotel rooms, you need to use the built-in screen and may want a larger one.

I would be fine with a 12" screen too, provided it was widescreen and at least 1280 x 800. That reminded me that one thing that I have gotten "spoiled" to in my MBP is the 1440 x 900 screen. I don't really give a rat's behind how big the screen is (within some reason), as long as it's a usable dot pitch (like the iPhone's dot pitch, 160ppi or whatever it is--no denser than that), and a biggish resolution. 1024x768, the resolution of the old 12" Powerbook, was gut-wrenchingly bad, in my opinion. You couldn't fit near enough on the screen. I can't tell you how, but 1280 x 800 is significantly better, even though the real estate increase is not exactly dramatic.

I wish Apple would apply the "high-res" edition that they have for the MBP17" (the 1920 x 1200 screen version) to the rest of their line. As in, you pay some extra, and you get a 1600 x 1050 screen in the MBP15", or a 1440 x 900 screen in the MB/MBA.

Like you say, it's also possible to fit a full-size keyboard into a 12" laptop, but there would be NO bezel (like the PB12") if you had a standard 4:3 aspect ratio, and there would be only a small one if it were widescreen. The problem, though, with a 12" widescreen is that you are going to end up being stuck with a shrunken trackpad, and I would guess that a trackpad smaller than the one that was on the PB12" would be a real pain to use. I am looking forward to trying out the big trackpad on the MBA.

I am not totally sure that you could get a full keyboard and a good-sized trackpad into a 12" widescreen laptop format. Probably it's possible, but I don't know. I think if they did it, it would indeed be gorgeous, and if it had a high enough resolution I would be gushing over it as well.

I just like the MBA because I am an optimist. There are things that I wish it had, and criticisms I can think of, but it's just so beautiful and cool to me, and, of course, the crux of this, it's enough for me (or rather, it will be with rev. 2--considering my optimism).

 

[uber gorilla]

Why I Hate the MBA

There, got your attention!

Nah, I don't hate the MBA. I'm obsessed with it. I do, on the other hand, despise Apple for not getting their white-asses into gear and sending me my pre-ordered (hello? that means I should be privileged above all those purchase-at-a-store people). C'mon Mr Jobs, give me the royal treatment I deserve.

Just had to vent. Thanks for reading.

 

[iAmLegend]

I honestly can't believe some people paid 3 grand for this machine. And we wonder why Apple keeps over-pricing their products...I would too if I had so many fools willing to over-pay. Steve Jobs is a genius.