What is the Macbook Air.......

.......supposed to be?

I will profess to being a bit of a PC fanboy and a definate linux/windows man. But after seeing the release of the Air it has attracted my attention to Apple products a little more. However after doing only a brief bit of research I am under the impression that not alot of people actually know who the AIR was aimed at. I mean it has no CD drive, so watching movies on it or ripping music to it is persona non grata. Sounds like the whole music production guys would pretty much have no use for it then. How about network admins? okay i can see how a light, slim, powerful computer would be good for administrating networks but hand on......i'm a net admin and to be honest with you the use of an ethernet card is a god send, but alas the AIR doesnt have one so that goes the whole net admin/engineers market quashed. So then the end users left is Joe average who wants a laptop that is ultra portable. Those kind of people that want a laptop and don't want to have to spend lots of monies. Oh dear that's most of the air's market completely gone due to its not so cheapness.

Im no macbook or apple hater but i just cannot get to grips with exactly WHAT apple wanted from this units release.

 

It's for mailing in manila envelopes, didn't you see the ad?
If you know you are going on a road trip, you put it in a manila envelope and mail it to yourself. That way you don't have to worry about carrying it around. Although I guess that kind of defeats it's main purpose, which is to be seen with it.

 

actually it'll scratch the surface since the one they use in the ad has a metal clip on the folding.

 

its for people who already have a laptop who want a second, more portable one.

 

It's for people who have few grand to blow on a under-powered notebook yet light weight. The rest of us can buy an EEE.

 

I went to see it yesterday and ended up taking the MBPRO instead. Its a cool gadget. The touchpad works a lot like Iphone, the screen is small yet sharp, and it wasnt as "slow" as my 600m. Its very light weight. At 1800 or so with discounts its pricey for what it is.It does CD DVD for 99 bucks with an external which is also small. If I HAD to take a laptop everywhere everyday I'd buy it. If not, Id stay with MBPRO.

 

There is no doubt that it's sleek and innovative. It just seems to give up a lot of things that most people have become accustomed to having on their laptops. Kind of like a cool concept car, everyone wants one, but you rarely see them in the everyday commute.

 

I'd agrue against it being innovative. Removing hardware and options is NOT innovative, it's taking a step back, and using the easy way out to reduce weight and size. It's aimed at vain people who would blow $3000 on a laptop even though the specs are crap, it's missing important hardware, and isn't even a true ultraportable OR laptop, just because "it looks pretty."

But hey, it's still selling for some reason that is beyond me. People buy it because they can afford it, I think. Basically, it makes them look important and cool. Either that or they have no sense in them, since a Macbook has the same footprint size, isn't underpowered, and has way more ports and go figure: an exchangable battery and upgradable RAM. If the battery in the Air could be easily removed and switched I'd say it's good if you're constantly travelling and away from outlets, but they go ahead and kill a dream for that group of people as well

 

It's an iTunes store terminal.

 

QFT.

[ 10 chars ]

 

Ya my biggest grip is the external disk drive... I guarantee that at some point in your travels with the MPA you will need your disk drive... I personally think that packing around a disk drive defeats the purpose of the ultra mobile. I wouldn't mind the external if i left the MPA on my desk; but again, that that defeats the MPAs purpose. While I can live without Ethernet, I also guarantee that you will run into trouble when you find yourself in a hotel without wireless with an urgent need to sent an email or something. Maybe they will make a USB adapter for Ethernet.

 

Ultimate living space wi-fi accessory?

It's a joke Apple have been trying to sell it as a business ultraportable. The ultimate business warriors notebook? Pity they haven't quite gotten the WWAN thing yet but no all business users have ready access to Wi-fi.

It's a marketing exercise nothing more. How can we differentiate our sub-notebook from everyone else? I know let's make it ultra thin. I mean it's not as if modern small laptops weren't pretty thin already.

What do get for all that thinness? Well a hugely expensive and compromised laptop. It's particularly disappointing from Apple. It's not too long ago I can recall Apple making a big deal of the integrated nature of their products. No extra dongles or cables etc. Now to make it effective you have to fill your bag with external dvd, usb hub etc.

Despite it's very thin nature it's still actually got quite a large footprint so you'll still need the same size laptop bag.

No wonder it's sales haven't lived up to Apples expectations.

 

Well, the MBA could perfectly fit someone like me. I spend around 150-180 days a year travelling and use my laptop for work and some surfing back at the hotel. I don't use/need cd/dvd drive for that, neither a huge HDD or graphic capabilities. Money is not a big problem cause it's not outrageously expensive and a lot of MBA's users will have their laptops paid by their companies. However, I'm not seduced by the MBA yet for two reasons: I'm scared it's not tough enough for so many traveling. I prefer to wait for the next upgrade and spare myself the classic Apple's 1st generations problems. To be honest, what I'm really waiting for is for a smaller MBP, even if heavier than the MBA, but that I feel powerful and tough enough for the bad life I'm gonna give it. (My Macbook knows what I'm talking about...)

DrPoi

 

I actually picked one of these machines up, and let me tell you it's built like a tank. It feels much more solid than the mb/mbp because it's like one solid piece. You have to see one in person to know what i'm talking about. I have no problem throwing this thing into my bag...it feels extremely well built.

 

It's primarily a fashion device. It's not a notebook computer made smaller, it's a notebook computer with features and hardware removed, so that it is smaller, and thus a fashion device. It is certainly not what I'd call an ultra portable notebook when compared to the Sony TZ.

I'd sooner the Sony VAIO TZ series. I think that's how downsizing is supposed to be done. Making the same thing smaller, rather than chopping things off a big thing.

 

I have to disagree a bit, I travel a lot, and when the Air came out I was the first to insult it.

I have a U6 from Asus, nice tiny laptop, and I got to thinking about all the things I do with my Asus, and I came to realization for most traveling people it is all you need.

The air does all the things I need to do with my laptop, and all the stuff I miss from my macbook pro is here.

I only think the missing DVD rom is keeping me from buying it.

Here are what MOST traveling sales people use their computer for (I have a lot of people that I travel with that would agree)

1. Power Point
2. Word/ Excel
3. IE
4. Email Software

and finally watching a movie, which is the only concern I can see from this.

I went from a macbook pro, that was about 6.4 lbs to an Asus which is about 4.3 lbs with the battery, and it might not sound like a lot but when you are traveling as much as I am you will really see a HUGE reduction in weight.

If you travel a lot and have to walk trade shows, and being able to pull out your laptop and instantly turn on the computer (from sleep) to show someone something, you will understand.

Hibernate and sleep on a PC are not the same.

I am a HUGE fan of this system, but the only think is that I am in love with my current Asus, and it looks different, lets face it everyone has a MAC, and now its all about cool looking PC's . (JK)

GL to all

 

i rather enjoy my ability to game a little when i travel, carrying 3 more pounds to get a real computer is pretty nice...

 

Oh like Sony chopping off the full sized keyboard making it virtually unusable or chopping off the screen so you are forced to increase the font size to read documents as well as having only one document on the screen at a time. Or chopping off the processor and calling it a ULV which is a fancy word for slowwwww.

 

I like this response. You should post more often.

 

There is a specific demographic(s) that Apple is targeting. People will buy it either because it's cool and they're loaded, or because it fits perfectly their needs.

The MBA is not intended for the "average" user. Like several people have already said: there is a market for ultra-ultra portable second notebooks.

 

Yeah, the MBA is targeted at an extremely specific market...at its current price and spec-point, I do not expect to see it all over the place anytime soon .

 

It's too expensive to be a "toy" for most and that's where its allure lies for the majority of people. Apple has hedged its bet in a small niche market where the MBA will actually be bought for its usability rather than its cool-factor.

Also, I would never underestimate the amount of stupidly rich (or alternatively stupid rich) people willing to drop a quick 3 grand on a cool toy. Segway is still in business, isn't it?

 

I do have to physically try one yet, you're right. I forgot the other reason I'm still skeptical about the MBA: only one USB and no ethernet. I don't know in the US, but in Asia, even the best hotels still offer mostly wired internet access, which means I'd have either to condem the USB port for an ethernet adaptor and use the trackpad (I hate trackpads), or carry an USB hub everywhere. For those that have a MBA, wouldn't have been possible to place a secondary USB on the other side of the computer like with the Apple keyboards?

DrPoi

 

I was under the impression it had 2 usb ports and an audio out jack?

Personally, I think the Macbook Air is just Apples' way of just showing the world what to expect from the future with their products. Sort of how like the iPod Video has evolved to something that has better battery life/larger storage and smaller physical size for example.

Hopefully in the future we will be able to see that the Macbook Air will have more upgrades, such as ethernet port on the back maybe? and larger harddrive/memory/faster CPU as standard.

 

The smaller form factor is probably the major reason why you might find the Asus notebook so much easier to transport.
I went from a MacBook Pro->iBook G4 14.1 last revision model which was 5.9lbs to a Dell XPS M1330 which weighs about 4.2lbs and the smaller footprint of the Dell XPS M1330 to me was welcome. The MBP for me was the less portable and that was because of the size and not weight as the iBook was heavier.
Btw, the MacBook Pro weighs 5.4lbs so there is a 1lb difference between both of those notebooks you mentioned.


I came to find out about the MBA existence a little bit late. I was overseas at a hotel one day i checked the Apple website and saw that they had released a 13.3 notebook and i ran to grab my bank card then i started to read the specs...1 USB port...no drive drive...no removable battery...only 2GB of ram...integrated graphics so i just could not justify it to myself. I probably could live without the dedicated graphics but it seems to me that unless i downgrade to a MB or upgrade the size to a MBP which i don't wish to do again or unless Apple revise this MBA or the MB or bring out a 12-13 MBP that I will always use a PC based laptop.

There are some things which I like that the MBA has that the MB does not have-
LED screen
The chasis
Backlight KB
The MB appears to be more budget end but the middle model is certainly not budget end in price especially when you upgrade one or two things.

 

No, its one USB 2.0 port, one audio out and a Mini-DVI port for external display. That bugs me a lot...one USB port only.

I agree...the MBA is just a little ahead of its time. When the original iMac dropped the floppy disk, everyone went ballistic...but now its all USB, and probably in the future its all about wireless.

But I mean, if you think about it, with Remote Disc, Apple's wireless optical drive-sharing application, its pretty cool and pretty useful. That would mean for some corporations where not all the computers need to always have an optical drive but you also do need files when the time comes, the Remote Disc thing is exactly what it needs, as you can have one computer with an optical drive serve five computers without it.

Yeah, you can do that by just transferring files by a USB drive or something, but you get what I mean. Its more convenient.

 

Obviously everyones requirements for a notebook are different and for some the MBA meets them. I still think for the majority it's a bit too much of a compromise.

I was chatting to an Apple store manager last week whilst purchasing an MBP. He said that the MBA wasn't selling all that well itself but had actually boosted the sale of the everyday MacBook. True the MBA is thin but then you'd hardly call the MacBook fat and when potential customers see the spec and price difference I suspect many are opting for the MacBook.

 

This could explain why the Macbook stock is almost inexistent. Also that Apple could be about to announce an upgrade... I heard it through the gra_pevine...

DrPoi

 

That's the key. The corvette in the Chevy dealer showroom is parked next to the car that is practical and you can actually afford. Same principle here. I went in to the Apple store to look at the MBA and came out with a Macbook.

I really do want the MBA but it can't be my main machine. The Macbook fills my main machine needs quite nicely. I abandoned the traditional desktop years ago and went to using a mac mini and a dell latitude with my hp "mini-tower" gathering dust in the basement. The HP tower is destined for ebay now and the dell laptop will get Ubuntu to extend its useful life and it will get handed on to one of the kids.

Now I'm down to just the Macbook. One of these days when my funds are right, I will very likely pick up the MBA as my "road machine".

 

hehe... guess I was right when on launch day I said the MBA is probably just a clever tool to boost Macbook sales....

 

lol yeah, I'm sure that Apple had a surge of MB sales after. Everyones sitting there waiting for a 12" MBP or something... and they get the MBA. Everyone went : :confused2:
And then bought a MB...

But the MBA is a paperweight. However, due to it's light weight, it even fails at that.

 

I really do not understand all this empathy towards the Air. Have all those critics seen it in person? I currently have a Vaio SZ680 (you know, with the carbon fiber and such...) and had the chance to play with the MBA. In terms of portability and quality of construction the Air blows my SZ out of the water. It is almost as thin as my LED screen!! (it is not even funny), and it feels way more rugged.

Given that I believe the premium SZ is (was?) the best 13.3' in the market, this must say something for this marvel.

It is extremely portable: it disappeared inside my back bag like a thin envelope would. It is highly functional: it has a full-size keyboard (and what a keyboard...), a screen of adequate size for long-hour use, and adequate specs (other than the hard drive) for the vast majority of users. Show me another machine that does that.

I always give second thoughts on whether I should drop my SZ in my back bag. Do I really need it for the day? I would never have to bother with the MBA. This "feature" is more important to me than a second usb port (that I have no use of) or a DVD drive (I would gladly pay a few more dollars to get an external one for the rare cases that I need to install a program that I cannot download).

We saw the same sort of criticism with the introduction of the iphone: poor specs, no 3G bla bla bla. Yet, the iphone with the humble Edge connectivity blows every other super-duper smartphone out of the water in terms of internet use. This should say something about the habit to measure the usefulness of such devices in terms of a few parameters.

The MBA is not for everyone. It is by far the most portable laptop with 13.3' screen and a full keyboard. Its compromises are wisely chosen in my opinion.

Just my 2 cents

 

You mean a battery that isn't removable is a wise compromise on a notebook that is advertised as something for someone always on the go?

 

Yeah, including the battery. It is obvious that the use of nonremovable batteries in Apple's portable devices has a lot to do with how thin they are. I never carry a second battery with me. How many do? Do a thought experiment: how many students you think carry a second battery instead of a cable? How often do you see people switching batteries during a flight?

As I said before, the MBA is not for everyone. However, no machine is. Even if it is not for you, you should at least appreciate companies that keep pushing the envelop (instead of just copying... ), that keep challenging rusty old ideas in a mature and thoughtful way.

It is funny how the MBA criticism resembles what forum warriors said about the iphone. Yet, all those critics benefit today by buying cell phones from other companies that simply copy the ideas behind Apple's "under-speced", but truly revolutionary new platform.

 

buy a usb hub.

 

Many people who travel a lot for extended periods of time carry around an extra battery and need an express slot. And I do not think the MBA qualifies as pushing the envelope. I think it's quite easy to thin something down when you strip it of its insides.

 

The MBA is not for me as my primary machine, but if only I had an extra $1.8K lying around I would snap it up in a second.

Let's look at what appears to be an emerging philosophy at Apple:

1 - Mac Mini - smaller desktop - smallest of any manufacturer to date
2 - iMac - where'd the computer go? it got swallowed up inside the monitor! - small when you consider you had to have the monitor anyway
3 - ipod - the shuffle is tiny and even the classic is small and light
4 - iphone - among the smallest of smartphones yet sports among the largest of screens
5 - Apple keyboard - thin and light and sports a usb hub
6 - Mac OSX - less to configure means less to mess around and worry with
7 - macbook air - thinnest laptop (not lightest but close)

This smaller, simpler and lighter is better philosophy comes into clearer focus with every product or product generation Apple introduces. Of the portable items in the list above, none has a removable battery. It's not a deal breaker unless battery life is a pain.

All of these products made some compromises to get where they are and in most cases I like the compromises just as they are. I bought a spare Dell battery but never actually used it. I lugged it along on some business trips but never wound up needing it. And yes, I did see some people swapping batteries on long flights, I just chose to occupy myself differently once my juice ran low.

The only thing that keeps the MBA from being my primary machine is the lack of an internal optical drive. The reason is that I've been there and done that. I have an old Dell with an external proprietary usb optical drive and it's a real pain to lug both along or fiddle with a cable to watch a movie or install software. That Dell has only 2 usb ports and you lose one of them if you want to use the optical drive. On the MBA you would lose your only usb port. What if you wanted wired ethernet AND optical drive access simultaneously in your hotel room? And no, I don't think the guy in the next seat in business class is gonna let me install remote drive software and join my adhoc wifi network so I can get some work done. Now if the Apple MBA external drive was also a usb hub...

 

And many people do not carry batteries or use express slots. Do not forget that as far as communication/emailing and mobile internet goes, many use their smartphones nowdays. And when you finally get to your hotel room you can always pull a usb hub out of your suitcase .

That is true. I believe, however, that the Air has enough "computer" inside it to cover the needs of most users .

 

You use a small hub. For this rare circumstance....

And why, if I may ask, would you not install everything before you go onboard, and choose instead to carry the installation dvd with you?

I wonder what all the critics would say if we could travel a few decades back, when the first laptop was introduced...

 

We'll agree to disagree then. I guess I just prefer real computers instead of bling. Also, just because it may possibly lead to make other laptops thinner, doesn't make it any less a piece of crap right now.

 

I don't think they "could have" while keeping the same form factor...otherwise they surely would have, I'm guessing. But you see, for the people who buy the MacBook Air, they don't need more USB ports. I've never had to use the ethernet port on any laptop I've owned because most of us have wireless now, and most people who buy the MBA will already have a desktop at home that does have ethernet in case they do need it - of course though that doesn't solve the hotel problem. And to me, adding a mouse to the laptop eliminates the whole purpose of being portable! It's just an extra thing to carry, and I'm happy that the MBA has a gigantic touchpad, bigger than the touchpads you see on most 17" notebooks, even!

I haven't even tried my USB port on the Air because I haven't yet needed to, and I haven't tried the video out either. I've had to use the headphones and the power plug so far.

But I do clearly understand why so many people have a need for such ports, and therefore why the MBA is a bad choice for a significant portion of people.

For what it is, I think the MBA is priced competitively, although there's no doubt in my mind apple is making a ton of money selling this thing.

For me, the MBA is a very light computer that's easy to carry around in the backback while at the same time offering a great sized keyboard to type notes on and check my e-mail, waste time on NBR, etc. (haha).

 

Queshy, you should really update your sig

 

Yes it's a niche product intended to act as a halo model for the Apple notebook range.

I'm sure there are enough MBA customers out there to keep Apple happy but I bet they are even more delighted with the sales of MacBooks.

MacBook with Penryn looks great value now.

If only they'd drop the silly combo drive and give everyone a dvd burner.