Your thoughts on new MBA?

[bloodycape]

I have not problems with apple going back to using ATI gpus(some of their IGPs are real nice to use from what I am told), but AMD cpus are kind of another story right now(things are getting better again it looks like).

But, that very much makes sense the whole IGP vs discrete thing, sucks that intel is doing it and hope that stops. Then again with faster express card slots coming out in the future, external gpu docks that are starting to gain some traction, would see some real improvements.

 

[Moodikar]

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MBA screen:
There us no glass and black bezel but the screen is still glossy...like the old MacBook air. A matte screen has no glass but is also not smooth. The glass is simply addition to the gloss on a screen. The glass makes it more reflective and thus even more shiny on a glossy screen.

Core2 duo:
I can live with the options. Sure Sandy bridge may replace it eventually but glad I don't have to wait till then.

Relief:
I take a breath now that we have a new MBA. I'm sure most of us were worried that January might be when it'll come if not EOL. I was thinking that they wouldn't try again after not being the original bestseller.

When:
Available today means start posting your arrivals!!!!

Next:
Think the MacBook will be the next to change into the newer flash storage style. Optical drives will continue for next year in mb and mbp. Perhaps more wireless external drives or flash memory drives. Then of coarse usb3, FireWire, maybe esata, Lightpeak, or 3G will also be seen in 2011. If they perfect touch, I bet the keyboard on a MacBook/air/pro becomes a led screen and you now have duo screens with the screen on the floor no longer buttons. Ah the future!!

Very happy with today though!!

 

[C64]

Switching the AMD isn't that simple.

1. Apple probably has a pretty good deal with Intel for them being exclusive. Maybe they even have an exclusivity contract for many more years.

2. They can't just switch everything to AMD all at once. Switching to another CPU brand means rebuilding some of the hardware. Everything is miniaturized, so maybe the whole setup needs to change. This takes a lot of R&D time and money. And if they use AMD CPUs for just a few products Intel won't be that happy.

3. And even if Apple could switch to AMD without any problems, they still need to support all their current products for the next x-years. That means a contract with Intel for supplying replacement CPUs.

 

[JonTok]

Backlit or not?

Hang on - Endgadget ubergeek says no backlit keyboard, yet on Apple's site it definitely says glossy backlit display - so which is it?

http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html

If it has backlit keyboard, I'll get one. If it doesn't, I won't.

Jonny Ive wannabe? He's not designed a thing in his life. He just manhandles stuff and has a desperation to be cool and nonchalant that falls off the table in to pastiche. He is dreadful.

 

[C64]

Hang on - Endgadget ubergeek says no backlit keyboard, yet on Apple's site it definitely says glossy backlit display - so which is it?

http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html

If it has backlit keyboard, I'll get one. If it doesn't, I won't.

Jonny Ive wannabe? He's not designed a thing in his life. He just manhandles stuff and has a desperation to be cool and nonchalant that falls off the table in to pastiche. He is dreadful.

backlit display != backlit keyboard

Keyboard has no backlight.

 

[Moodikar]

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Say here's what I don't get.
I understand the current legal issues with the intel i3/i5/i7 processors with intel's gpu and nvidia's gpu, but we already have both in the 15/17 inch MacBook pros?

Why wouldn't we be able to have them for
the 11&13inch models without issues?

Was having them both in the 15 and 17inch a release prior to the legal and thus excluded? Not sure I understand why we can't in the 13 inch models and we are fine in the higher ones...

 

[jamesryanbell]

Apple blew it bigtime for me. I'll never upgrade to the new Air. I have a current Air with SSD and the backlit KB is a must-have.

Why in the world diod they pull that? Sorry Steve. you aren't perfect. What are you thinking? Lame....lame...lame.

The new one is a superior computer though. Make sure you realize that. The Backlit keyboard is a frivolous thing. Give or take.

 

[JonTok]

Frivolous? Perhaps to you but my working environment is rather dark and therefore I definitely need a backlit keyboard. So, basically not frivolous at all.

 

[potatis]

Well, it's smaller, sharper at the end. Now all we need is an iHandle to attach it to, and then voila - the iAxe.

 

[C64]

Death by MacBook Air.

 

[southnc]

Frivolous? Perhaps to you but my working environment is rather dark and therefore I definitely need a backlit keyboard. So, basically not frivolous at all.

Is there not some gadget that mounts on the top of the display and shines down on the keyboard that can be purchased separately?

I agree that a keyboard light of some kind would be useful to many.

 

[JonTok]

The new one is a superior computer though. Make sure you realize that. The Backlit keyboard is a frivolous thing. Give or take.

And thanks for stating the obvious - anyone with half a brain cell knows it's a superior machine, but it comes with an achilles heel - no backlit keyboard = a tonne of frustration for me at least. I'm not buying. But Apple does this as a kind of in-built obsolescence - users will buy the second gen when it comes out with a backlit keyboard. And 60 million iPad owners will buy the next gen iPad when it gets a camera that should've been in there from the beginning. This kind of stuff makes me want to hate Apple for their greediness.

 

[Greg M]

Love the high res screen but 2gb ram is absurd!!! There's no excuse for that. Apple just doesn't make sense sometimes.

 

[Scottsdale]

Originally Posted by JonTok
The guy in the video could not be worse; whiny voice, dopey sunglasses, mishandling the product. Duh. Endgadget; please find someone else.

He's a Jony Ive wannabe

I agree. I couldn't believe how he was handling those things. You know what the bottom line is, he doesn't pay for his own Macs. You can just tell this is someone who doesn't give a dang about the condition or what happens, because it's not his hard earned dollars paying for them.

And I agree about the glasses too. What a silly combo look he's going for.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

Not a bad machine. A decent if not great combination of compromises which is always the case. After all there is no perfect laptop / smartphone or anything for that matter. I've ordered a 13" to compliment my 15" mid 2010 i7 MBP. The deciding factor for me was size and weight since I travel in planes a lot. So it will do nicely for that and when I need a full blown laptop I have the MBP.

 

[unagimiyagi]

2 gb ram is standard on many netbooks now. It's a criminal that it's that way for on a $1000 machine. Even by Apple's standards.

But the specs here are really about trying to make choices impossible for the consumer to avoid cannibalization by Apple's own other products.

 

[chrono1081]

Intel is so good with its marketing that it makes people think the only way to improve their computer is with a faster CPU. In reality, it's the GPU, NAND Flash over SSD, software like instant on, and etc that make the computer faster for the average user.

+453845030459083

Sadly a lot of people fall for the marketing or say ridiculous things like "A fast CPU is still a fast CPU" (heard that one a few times) but they fail to realize everything in a computer has to work together for the machine to be fast.

I was happy finding it was a c2d so that I new where were getting a better GPU. Then again I've worked in the IT field for 15ish years, I'm majoring and soon to be going for a masters in computer science, have been a hobbyist game developer since I was in high school so I know the CPU isn't the only deciding factor in speed

I myself was excited for the announcement and bought one. It will be the perfect compliment to my mac pro tower. My macbook pro in my sig is on long term loan to a friend I'm working on a videogame with so I don't get to use it. i wanted it for coding, Unity3D (mostly scripting), and travel. Its a perfect machine for that.

 

[JCT]

chrono- which one did you order?

I use my current Rev A as a counterpart to my iMac at work. Great combo.

Trying to figure out which one to get, will probably go conservative and get the 13.3, but the 11.6 is enticing. Sigh.

 

[matelot]

Noob question

so the new MBA's "Flash storage" is different from the earlier SSD ?

 

[coldmack]

I am mucking frustrated they refuse to give us a firewire port. I don't care for anything else but firewire, because that how I connect my Pro video camera for editing with FCE, and my external hard drive. I am never ever going to buy an Apple product again if they keep mucking with us. wow.

And then there is the gpu upgrade which is garbage. I don't care what you say I plain don't like it at all. You know they could have easily given us the better GT310 in the 13in Air(or all 13in MB models for that matter) or better yet the ATI 5320. LG had 10.6in models back in 2008 with a nvidia 8600 gt gpu, and you are telling me the 13in MB line can not utilize the GT310? Heck, widnows machine that are poorly built are using the GT330, the same gpu in the 15in MBP. Come on apple don't forget about who made you.

 

[JCT]

I am mucking frustrated they refuse to give us a firewire port. I don't care for anything else but firewire, because that how I connect my Pro video camera for editing with FCE, and my external hard drive. I am never ever going to buy an Apple product again if they keep mucking with us. wow.

And then there is the gpu upgrade which is garbage. I don't care what you say I plain don't like it at all. You know they could have easily given us the better GT310 in the 13in Air(or all 13in MB models for that matter) or better yet the ATI 5320. LG had 10.6in models back in 2008 with a nvidia 8600 gt gpu, and you are telling me the 13in MB line can not utilize the GT310? Heck, widnows machine that are poorly built are using the GT330, the same gpu in the 15in MBP. Come on apple don't forget about who made you.

Are you kidding? FCE on an MBA? Why? You know, you've gone to the effort to use the right video tools, don't you think you should match them to the right computer tool? Like a MBP??

 

[Madgenius]

I have to say the lack of Backlit Keyboard even on the 13" is disappointing. It's a primary reason why I buy Mac laptops. I could care less on the CPU thats proven to be a non factor with today's modern chips. I've had the Rev A and 2.13 Rev C macbook Air. I would have bought the 11.6" today, then I noticed it had no Backlit Keyboard.

 

[voicegy]

Yes, I'm Happy

After months of speculation, I never gave up hope and never thought the MBA would ever be EOL'ed. My dreams have come true. Come end of the month, this bad boy is mine:

13"
256GB
2.13GHz
4GB RAM

This, and the latest version of Parallels and Windows 7. Perfect.

 

[coldmack]

Are you kidding? FCE on an MBA? Why? You know, you've gone to the effort to use the right video tools, don't you think you should match them to the right computer tool? Like a MBP??

Because, I do video editing that isn't that heavy, but I do heavy editing. I rarely, and I mean rarely use an optical drive. Everything I do is saved to an SD card, and hell even my car has a built in SD card slot standard.

 

[Yr Blues]

The 11" is very attractive as a portable…and will probably be the one I'll get. Although I'd love for it to have a back-lit keyboard and black bezel—otherwise, it's a great portable like my old 12" PowerBook…the best laptop ever made.