Why do some people appear to HATE the MBA?

[Roba]

I don’t hate the MBA but I do think that Apple need to go back to the drawing board with this MBA. Right now I think that it is a bit of a con. I know thin and light can carry a premium but this notebook is just to over priced. Laptops like the Lenovo X61 represent in my opinion much better value for money.


This laptop only has 1 USB port no dvd drive no 3G internet, Ethernet, Firewire, very small sized HD and low RPM. It also has no Express card/PC Slot and no dock. It has a battery that the user cannot change on the go and it also has very inferior battery life for the ultra portable that it is meant to be. The MB I believe even gets better battery life.

This laptop is also using a standard C2D processor and not a ULV one that would help give it better battery life. Other companies offer the 1.8 ULV processor in their laptops. Why such the heavy premium for a 1.8 C2D processor a 1.8 ULV processor I think would be more ideal for this notebook. Why just offer 1.6 and 1.8 C2D if you are going to use a C2D processor you may as well offer better offerings than what they are doing as a 2.2ghz C2D processor offers no loss in battery life compared to a 1.8Ghz processor.


This laptop also has some design faults that need to be corrected it has been well reported that many 3G usb adapters cannot fit etc.

It does have some good things going for it has a full sized keyboard and it is thin and light has an LED screen AL chasis and the backlight keyboard and that is about it all has going for it.


With one usb port you may need to carry a powered usb hub if you travel depending on what hardware you which to use with your computer if you want to use your external super drive and your external HD you will need to carry a powered USB hub as a usb hub will not be powerful enough. This alone will put the weight to 5lbs +

Not only can these extras be plain annoying to having to get out on a regular basis they also look pretty unattractive to my eye also.


Apple could have done so much better in terms of sales I think if they brought out a true replacement to the 12 inch Power Book. It would not have been hard to do. Other companies like Sony and Toshiba etc can build 11-13 inch thin and light notebooks that offer full functionality.

 

[TechHistorian]

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 don't do 3-D games. I do, however, dabble with digital video, especially for lectures. And I don't feel like fighting with my kids for access to the iMac to work on a lecture. Then again, I probably burn a DVD for class about 4-5 times a year ....

That's the issue, really. Daily use, the MBA fits me perfectly. But every now and then, I really could use a more full-featured laptop ... and there's a good deal of appeal to having both in one package (hence the allure of the MBP).

I played around with an MBA in an Apple Store last Friday. I must admit I was blown away by the weight, the keyboard, and the screen. I would have preferred if it had been more Duo-like (with a docking station that contained a larger HD, a SuperDrive, and a better graphics card), but I can't really complain about the engineering choices Apple made.

 

[Catch]

I don’t hate the MBA...

Great post Most of that has been mentioned already, but a nice summary.

I am going crazy here waiting on my 1.8 SSD to arrive. Exciting times!

Regards,

C

 

[Macmanus]

The MBA is a nice design, but that's pretty all. Otherwise, it's an expensive toy for rich people or some nutty hardcore fans.

I don't see any reasonable argument in favor of the MBA, except the minus-optical drive concept. If you really need an ultra-portable - you're a student, a seller, someone who travels all the time - then I guess you can have a lot more for a lot less of money.

 

[janstett]

I "hate" (well not hate, but I'm disappointed in) the MacBook Air because it misses the point.

What we wanted was a new 12" Powerbook. What we got was something yes incredibly thin but with the footprint of a Macbook Pro that is missing some of its teeth.

 

[BongoBanger]

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.

Sorry, but this is just silly and factually incorrect.

 

[Sweetbike40]

The MBA is a nice design, but that's pretty all. Otherwise, it's an expensive toy for rich people or some nutty hardcore fans.

I don't see any reasonable argument in favor of the MBA, except the minus-optical drive concept. If you really need an ultra-portable - you're a student, a seller, someone who travels all the time - then I guess you can have a lot more for a lot less of money.

I also wonder how many young kids are putting themselves in debt because of it.

 

[loghyr]

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.

I don't disagree with that - the MBA form factor will fit in any case that I carry on trips.

As a longtime subnotebook user, I was just stating my original hesitance for getting one. The 10.6 wide Lifebook took me some time to get used to and it was also very sleek and stylish when I first got it.

If the MB had come out in a 12" form factor in January, even weighing about the same as a 13" MB, I would have bought it instead. But I can live without the optical drive, etc.

OSX is taking some time to get used to (I've had a mini for a couple of months to prep me), but I was sure enough I could adapt that I got the Air.

 

[butterfly0fdoom]

This laptop is also using a standard C2D processor and not a ULV one that would help give it better battery life. Other companies offer the 1.8 ULV processor in their laptops. Why such the heavy premium for a 1.8 C2D processor a 1.8 ULV processor I think would be more ideal for this notebook. Why just offer 1.6 and 1.8 C2D if you are going to use a C2D processor you may as well offer better offerings than what they are doing as a 2.2ghz C2D processor offers no loss in battery life compared to a 1.8Ghz processor.


This laptop also has some design faults that need to be corrected it has been well reported that many 3G usb adapters cannot fit etc.

The MacBook Air uses a Low Voltage Reduced Packaging Core 2 Duo chip, not a standard Core 2 Duo chip. The LV RP chip wasn't even slated to be released until the second half of this year when the Montevina chipset is released. Apple got Intel to speed up development of the chip, and thus only 1.6 and 1.8 versions were produced and only 1.6 and 1.8 versions are being offered. There is no 1.8 ULV processor. ULVs max out at 1.2, IIRC.

As for the USB design faults, it's already been stated that USB extension cords are somewhat safer for the computer than directly plugging the devices in. Apple bundling in a USB extension cable would have been nice, I guess.

 

[ctt1wbw]

Sorry, but this is just silly and factually incorrect.

According to what, the wiki? Or that pool of office workers?

 

[Tiquina]

Not the one you asked, but actually yes:

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

That is too funny - good for you to dig it up!

 

[quixotic]

I don't hate it, but I do think it's more of a status symbol than a work horse.

IMHO, it's kind of like choosing between an equally priced 12 oz can and 16 oz bottle of soda. Some really don't want that extra 4oz and could care less about a resealable top.

People who need a system that can handle resource hungry applications, or want a do-it-all machine probably see little value in the MBA. For the rest (and there are plenty of them), the MBP is just additional weight and size.

 

[BongoBanger]

According to what, the wiki? Or that pool of office workers?

In response to this:

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.

I was thinking more if in comparison to other products which are comparable in weight and actually have more power and features? Like the Lenovo Thinkpad X61?

Admittedly it's half a pound heavier but it's in the same ultraportable class.

 

[kuwisdelu]

I "hate" (well not hate, but I'm disappointed in) the MacBook Air because it misses the point.

What we wanted was a new 12" Powerbook. What we got was something yes incredibly thin but with the footprint of a Macbook Pro that is missing some of its teeth.

That would be a perfectly valid statement if you qualified that "we." I know there are tons of people on this site who were waiting for a 12" MBP and don't care about the Air, but there are also lots of people who were happily surprised with the Air and don't care about the MBP.

I've never said there's anything wrong with being disappointed Apple went a different way than the 12" MBP, but to argue that it was some big consensus among laptop users is as silly as saying it's a consensus that the Air rocks our socks off.

 

[kuwisdelu]

In response to this:



I was thinking more if in comparison to other products which are comparable in weight and actually have more power and features? Like the Lenovo Thinkpad X61?

Admittedly it's half a pound heavier but it's in the same ultraportable class.

Not just almost pound heavier, but also almost half an inch thicker than my regular MacBook, and twice the thickness of the MBA even at the MBA's thickest. So it would actually take up *more* space in my bag than my regular MacBook. Perfect if you need a smaller footprint and a little more power/storage/connectivity, but thinness is a lot more practical for me, even with the sacrifices, which aren't things I would use anyway. Not that I'm in the market for a new laptop right now, but if I were....

 

[BongoBanger]

Not just almost pound heavier, but also almost half an inch thicker than my regular MacBook, and twice the thickness of the MBA even at the MBA's thickest. So it would actually take up *more* space in my bag than my regular MacBook. Perfect if you need a smaller footprint and a little more power/storage/connectivity, but thinness is a lot more practical for me, even with the sacrifices, which aren't things I would use anyway. Not that I'm in the market for a new laptop right now, but if I were....

Good point. Horses for courses I guess.

 

[ctt1wbw]

In response to this:



I was thinking more if in comparison to other products which are comparable in weight and actually have more power and features? Like the Lenovo Thinkpad X61?

Admittedly it's half a pound heavier but it's in the same ultraportable class.

I found this:

http://tech.msn.com/products/Top5UltraportableLaptops.aspx

The X61 doesn't have an optical drive integrated, either. And for the same price? Plus the screen is smaller and not widescreen, not led backlit, no backlit keyboard... I just sold a Thinkpad that had a 14.1" screen because it was small and cramped.

 

[AppleIntelRock]

I'm curious to know how many people who think the Macbook Air's footprint is too large- have actually USED it daily for almost a week? It is a HUGE stride over the late, great 12" Powerbook (my favorite Apple laptop until now by the way.) At any rate, can you guys name some scenarios where the footprint of the MBA isn't acceptable?

 

[NAG]

Yeah, my Macbook air is much more portable than my old 12 inch powerbook. Even though it is wider, it is much easier to carry around (not to mention I can actually do photo editing on this thing while my powerbook would choke on that...yes the 12 inch powerbooks were indeed closer to the ibooks than the other powerbooks).

 

[kuwisdelu]

I'm curious to know how many people who think the Macbook Air's footprint is too large- have actually USED it daily for almost a week? It is a HUGE stride over the late, great 12" Powerbook (my favorite Apple laptop until now by the way.) At any rate, can you guys name some scenarios where the footprint of the MBA isn't acceptable?

Most of the arguments seem to be centered around airplane/train trays, where the MBA-sized footprint is too big to be comfortable for one reason or another. If you commute as often as some of the small-footprint-lovers and really need that extra/comfortable tray space, I can see their reasoning. Lots of them also plug into a big external monitor at their desks. It's a perfectly logical line of reasoning if that's what you do; it's just that lots of them expect everyone to have the same needs, which many of us (myself included) don't.

 

[ctt1wbw]

Most of the arguments seem to be centered around airplane/train trays, where the MBA-sized footprint is too big to be comfortable for one reason or another. If you commute as often as some of the small-footprint-lovers and really need that extra/comfortable tray space, I can see their reasoning. Lots of them also plug into a big external monitor at their desks. It's a perfectly logical line of reasoning if that's what you do; it's just that lots of them expect everyone to have the same needs, which many of us (myself included) don't.

And then feel the need to criticize everyone else for wanting it, even *gasp* thinking it's an awesome laptop.

 

[shadowfax]

Yeah, my Macbook air is much more portable than my old 12 inch powerbook. Even though it is wider, it is much easier to carry around (not to mention I can actually do photo editing on this thing while my powerbook would choke on that...yes the 12 inch powerbooks were indeed closer to the ibooks than the other powerbooks).

Yeah, I think people tend to forget how bad it was. It was cool, that's for sure, and tolerable, but even with its GPU it was rather performance-anemic.

 

[tuneman07]

I wonder what percentage of people looked at the Macbook and honestly said "This is nice, but man, if you could shave a quarter inch off of it, and drop 2 pounds, it would be great!" Drop some features and add 700 bucks and you have the reason people don't want it. Also if you have been waiting for something cool or something you would be interested in from MWSF I can see why people are peeved. The MBA just doesn't make any sense.

 

[ctt1wbw]

Well, maybe to you, but believe it or not, it makes sense to many others. And that 3 pound laptop is great, especially if you need a cane to walk, and have to carry a book bag around college, like this cock does.

 

[shiseiryu1]

Missing Piece

The main thing that disappoints me is the fact that it doesn't seem that the MacbookAir was designed with the "iMac Docking Station" in mind. I think they should have waited a bit longer and released an "ultraportable" notebook that can turn into a full-sized iMac with the docking station. Looking at the ports on the Macbook pro if they ever do release a docking station its going to be used with their next-gen ultrathin laptop...not this one.

btw: why haven't they come out with a docking station yet anyhow? If macbooks are so popular you'd think they would have made this a priority.