Why the hell is the MBA 2010 excluded from Powernap?

[FX4568]

I don't get it, the system requirements was SSD.
Not any iseries crap or graphic processor crap.
Is apple seriously abandoning a laptop that is barely a year and 8 months old?
This just ruined my mood.

ML is exactly the same thing as lion.

 

[revolutionx]

so that you will buy a new MBA

 

[204353]

It's not just an SSD that's required, Apple's built-in flash memory chips are needed for this feature.

That's why only the 2011/12 MacBook Airs and the MacBook Pro with Retina display can support it, as these are the first models to have the custom storage.

EDIT: And I'd hardly call one missing feature from Mountain Lion 'abandoning' your MacBook Air. And no, Mountain Lion is not the same as Lion. It's Lion optimised and added to, much like Snow Leopard was to Leopard.

 

[FX4568]

It's not just an SSD that's required, Apple's built-in flash memory chips are needed for this feature.

That's why only the 2011/12 MacBook Airs and the MacBook Pro with Retina display can support it, as these are the first models to have the custom storage.

I thought the 2010 Macbook airs are built-in flash memory chips.

 

[motorazr]

.. Im not doing research, just guessing, so please don't kill me if I'm wrong.. (lots of hostile threads lately..) . . .


..anyway, I'm guessing it has to do with a lower-power wifi card? Or something regarding the whole system being more efficient when the lid is closed, and cooling is off? The i7s run cooler than the older core 2 duos, but I don't know about the 2010 air... but I could see a problem with it just getting too hot, too fast, and not working as intended (like when you use insomnia.app).

anyone else is free to take stabbs

 

[hwojtek]

It is the need for the Ivy Bridge chipset which makes the whole thing possible. 2010 Airs just doesn't have the hardware needed.

 

[Simplicated]

It is the need for the Ivy Bridge chipset which makes the whole thing possible. 2010 Airs just doesn't have the hardware needed.

2011 MBA has a Sandy Bridge.

 

[daneoni]

The Nvidia Chipset + Lack of Core i-series chips would be my guess.

 

[hwojtek]

Sandy, my fault. My late 2011 Air does have Power Nap enabled. I am however curious... How do I know it works?

 

[jamin00]

Do I have Power Nap?

Late 2011 with SSD or does it have to be installed by apple as I put in a Crucial myself.

Where is it if I do?

 

[swordfish5736]

it sounds like apple is taking advantage of intel's smart connect technology which from what i can tell was first introduced with the sandy bridge processors.

 

[Krazy Bill]

Yes, Ivy bridge needed but...

Is this feature disabled if using a 3rd party SSD instead of Apple's (like their silly-assed TRIM blackout)?

 

[iOrbit]

It's not just an SSD that's required, Apple's built-in flash memory chips are needed for this feature.

That's why only the 2011/12 MacBook Airs and the MacBook Pro with Retina display can support it, as these are the first models to have the custom storage.

EDIT: And I'd hardly call one missing feature from Mountain Lion 'abandoning' your MacBook Air. And no, Mountain Lion is not the same as Lion. It's Lion optimised and added to, much like Snow Leopard was to Leopard.

2 major features

PowerNap

AirPlay Mirroring

 

[01mggt]

Don't feel bad, I have a macbook pro retina and the SMC update to allow powernap isn't even released yet.

 

[Cougarcat]

Yes, Ivy bridge needed but...

Is this feature disabled if using a 3rd party SSD instead of Apple's (like their silly-assed TRIM blackout)?

Yes, but the reason is not "silly-assed". From The Ars review:

Power Nap requires "built-in" SSD storage because solid-state drives meant to replace traditional spinning hard drives have very different power requirements. So even if your (non-Retina) MacBook Pro came from Apple with an SSD, Power Nap remains unsupported.

 

[El Burro]

Planned obsolescence. They want you to upgrade every 2-3 years. It's truly, "Think Different."

 

[iGuybrush]

Planned obsolescence. They want you to upgrade every 2-3 years. It's truly, "Think Different."

I think it's not a planned obsolescence related matter, but a bad selling practice. Power Nap was introduced, like Airplay, as a major feature of Mountain Lion. However these software features have much to do with an implementation of some capabilities provided by the Ivy Bridge series of Intel chipsets.

What many users could reproach Apple –to some extent– is not a planned obsolescence strategy but an unethical selling practice, where Airplay and Powernap weren't sufficiently explained so users couldn't entirely know what to expect.

 

[204353]

2 major features

PowerNap

AirPlay Mirroring

OK, two, but they're both missing due to genuine hardware limitations (lack of built-in flash and lack of Intel Quick Sync).

I'd still consider Mountain Lion to be a worthwhile upgrade without these features, though!

 

[FX4568]

My question is, why should anyone upgrade to ML if I rarely use airplay mirroring and power nap is disabled? I lack absolutely nothing.
Can someone give me features in ML that didn't exist in Lion?

 

[sweetbrat]

My question is, why should anyone upgrade to ML if I rarely use airplay mirroring and power nap is disabled? I lack absolutely nothing.
Can someone give me features in ML that didn't exist in Lion?

A quick look at the Apple website can do that for you...
http://www.apple.com/osx/whats-new/

 

[Alameda]

Sandy, my fault. My late 2011 Air does have Power Nap enabled. I am however curious... How do I know it works?

Try "Find My Mac" while it's sleeping?

 

[Chris Morgan]

I have a 2010 13 inch and just upgraded and I have power nap. There was an update shortly after dp4 came out that was firmware update 1.4 that said it was for the newer airs but i downloaded and installed it anyway and it gave me power nap and it is still present after downloading and clean installing the MAS version.

 

[Desmond-London]

Doesn't work for everyone, but here you go...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1411893/

 

[steve-p]

Yes, but the reason is not "silly-assed". From The Ars review:

The reason is "silly-assed". That Ars review comment doesn't shed much light on anything. There are different profiles in Energy Saver preferences for battery power and mains power. If it was only about power consumption, Apple had the option of supporting Power Nap on mains power only, rather than exclude it altogether.

 

[Cougarcat]

The reason is "silly-assed". That Ars review comment doesn't shed much light on anything. There are different profiles in Energy Saver preferences for battery power and mains power. If it was only about power consumption, Apple had the option of supporting Power Nap on mains power only, rather than exclude it altogether.

So it would have only worked when you are plugged in? That doesn't seem like a very Apple-like solution, and would only lead to consumer confusion. Apple would rather leave a feature out completely rather than have it semi-operational.