apples gone...mental???

hey guys,

i wondering about your opinions on the new mac air, i personally have just bought a 15" macpro and love it might i add but i think apple has lost the plot!!!!

"Mac air the future for laptops" all i can say is it better not be the future!!!! i really dont see the need for a lappy to be that thin? weight loss is great, performance loss + high cost = bad, thats my opinion anyway.

and a computer WITHOUT a disk drive? uh huh in our everyday lives we use disks all the time we dont need to carry a small box just so we can play them? whats the point in the laptop being so small if u have to carry around the bits that apple didnt chuck inside it?

And that stupid stupid add, my mac pro fits inside a manila envelope and i didnt throw it inside fat camp and remove half of the organs to get there either!!!!!

ULTIMATELY I HATE THIS COMPUTER I THINK IT IS MERLY IMPOSING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAT AND THIN, WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE ARE JUDGED BY OUR SHAPE, DO OUR LAPTOPS JUDGE EACH OTHER TO? OR IS IT NOW A CASE OF YOUR LAPTOP IS .98 INCHES THICK MINES ONLY .76 INCHES? I MEAN COME ON!!!!

Please share your opinions i think i have

 

First. You have a Macbook Pro. Not a Mac Pro. the Mac Pro is a workstation.

Second, there are several threads about this already. Good riddance to internal optical drives though.

 

performance loss + high cost = typical ultraportable. You may not like it, but there's a lot's of people who need/want very light computer. The thin part just make it more attractive ans stylish.

The Macbook Air so you think one can't possibly expect to see a disk drive in there! X61 doesn't have one either and I don't see you complaining. Ultraportable laptops are just different machine from workstations and it's designed for people with different needs. Just because you're a performance junkie doesn't mean every else it!

 

I love the new macbook air, if the solid state hard drive was a bit cheaper and i hadn't recently bought a mbp i would be all over the macbook air...AHHHHH so sexy
oh and i almost never use my disk drive, and if i ever do its only at home

 

my opinion on this topic . . . . . . . . . .

my opinion on the MacBook Air, looks like a great innovative machine for who it was designed for. I think Apple has looked quite a few years into the future with this machine. It isn't for me, but I think it will do well.

 

Well, Toshiba has one weights only 1.7 pounds with dvd-rom built-in. I do not quite use my superdrive a lot , because most of my document are stored on the flash drive.

 

I personally think that the MBA is "paving the way" for the future, once again. Apple dropped the floppy disk drive back in the iMac, and started incorporating USB ports and everyone went ballistic...nowadays, no one uses floppy disks.

It might seem a little ridiculous now, but yeah, wireless has a lot more to expand to. Wireless syncing, better and more WiFi, wireless installations (like the MBA currently does), etc.

And about your note about the lack of an internal optical drive...I actually don't mind. Its extra weight, and seriously, I don't use any form of optical media much nowadays. My software is usually free and downloaded from the developer's site...I don't watch movies on my computer (may start once iTunes gets movie rental in Canada)...my music is purchased on iTunes or occasionally on a CD that I just quickly import in. I don't need an optical drive around me all the time, to be honest.

 

Yeah, but the lack of the floppy drive in teh old iMac was different. That failed. You still needed floppies then. I know people that were pissed and had to go buy an external drive so they could use their iMac. Can't really transfer files from another workstation to your mac if you don't have a floppy... their workstations had no zip drives and were in a closed network.

But I think now we are ready to dump optical/physical media. Now if they would just have an option to remove the webcam so some of my bosses could buy them.

 

The footprint is too big for an ultraportable. It has a slightly bigger footprint than the macbook. And the screen bezel is a about an inch thick. I can handle everything else...

 

I can't wait to get the MacBook Air (SSD Model). I just love it, I have the top of the line iMac at home and need a small and very lightweight notebook to take with me daily and just lie on the couch with. I realized that in the last few months of owning my iMac I have used the optical drive a few times and that was for installing Leopard and burning a few back up discs because I am yet to have a backup hard drive. (Time Capsule just ordered). If I had an external hard drive I would never burn back up CD's of my files.
I have never once taken my older notebook out of the house needing to use the optical drive. What do I need the optical drive for while at the coffee shop? It's not a gaming notebook so I don't the optical on the Air.
This Mac is not for the OP but he should understand that other people have great needs for this machine.

 

I think the MBA will find a niche market. Perhaps users who have a desktop MAC at home and need a computer while on-the-go. Really, you don't need an optical drive if you have that home base Mac.

Because a lot of folks can't afford two computers, it's going to be important for Apple to get their new iMac-looking docking station to market pretty soon. We MIGHT see that at WWDC 2008. Apple needs some hot products this year and they need to expand the appeal/feasibility of the MBA to a larger audience.

 

Exactly. In my 7+ months with my MacBook, I think I've inserted an optical disc only about 6 times.

 

The MBA is not much different from other thin & lights, it's just made by Apple.

According to Wired, it's not even the thinnest laptop ever, and, while light, it's not the lightest on the market.

 

i wasnt complaining about it being light if u look and read wc2810 you will see i say its a positive the only positive in my opinion

 

Not sure about you, but I use my optical drive almost every day. Without it, my productivity would drop in an instant. It’s that important, and I hope Apple continues to keep it on some of their notebooks.

 

Question... do you use the same disc or discs daily? If so, why are you using the optical drive? Making and mounting an image makes much more sense in that case. But really, not many people use optical drives now.

 

Uh, you were really expecting an ultraportable to be better? Ultraportables are meant to be accessories for standard computers, so a disk drive isn't necessary, since you can just use Remote Disk to use another computers drive. They just have to be small, and portable.

I would never by an Air, but thats not because I think the Air itself is overpriced for a notebook, and useless, it's because I don't like ANY ultraportable, because I like using REAL computers.

I doubt Apple would remove the drive from their standard Macbooks and Macbook Pros, since those are meant to stand as a computer on their own.


I also think you're a little insecure about your weight

 

I think the air is a great idea, but unfortunately it doesn't quite full-fill my current needs, a mb does that better... although the air is the future. No moving parts, all wireless, can't wait for the day when I can migrate to this system.... maybe v2?
a

 

If you like it, buy it. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

That's the only message all companies listen to.

 

Got a reference to that article there? The only reference I've heard remotely like that about it's thinness from wired was on the blog section where comments are open to post... and somebody said that.

So I hope you're not taking some random person's uninformed commentary as 100% fact.

 

bahahahaha, im fifteen and at 6 foot 4 and 141 pounds (64 kilos) im underweight so haha arquis.Or did u mean my computer has a weight problem? at 6 pounds i dont think so....... maybe it is you who is a little insecure for suggesting it?

im glad there are people out there who agree with me, yes its ultra-portable but isnt a normal macbook portable as well, unless your at the age of three and cant life more than 4 pounds then what's the point?

Macbook come cheaper, more powerful and the battery lasts longer (dont start about laptop batteries not lasting long, dont tell me im missing the point of the air). Ultimately i think it is an over priced fad, a mere fashion statement if you will. As above, today in our society thin and sleek is good, just as models starve themselves to look good apple has starved their latest creation and well the end product looks awesome im the first to say it but performance, practicality and price are all wrong

 

Maybe you're too young to understand, but there's a market out there for ultraportable laptops. I am physically capable of walking around with a 40 pound backpack on. I'm sure the majority of the population is as well. That doesn't mean that everyone wants to walk around with a 40 pound backpack on. Same thing goes for laptops. Just because you're capable of carrying around a 6 pound laptop, doesn't mean some people wouldn't prefer a 3 pound one.

Performance and price wise, the MBA is situated perfectly to its competitors. Everyone has a few quips about it, but just because you find no use for it doesn't mean others won't.

 

I couldn't find exactly the same article I read, but here's one:
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9850943-7.html

Of course, that laptop sucked, so maybe Apple meant that the MBA is the thinnest good laptop ever.

I'm not trying to say anything bad about the MBA, just that Apple's comments aren't perfectly accurate.

 

im not to young to understand, i may be fifteen but im not an idiot, i understand that there are people out there that will throw away 3k on one of these, i started this thread asking for peoples OPINIONS of the macbook air, im entitled to believe that it is crap aren't i?

i just cant justify the mac air, the battery last all of two minutes so u have to carry a charger around, for anyone using this computer alot (like me for instance i would have to have the air charging around 3 times a day) the battery would soon wear out.

i no that lighter laptops are a godsend i use mine everyday for around 5 hours or more and if it shed 4 pounds id thank the man who did it but if it performed badly then id throw it back at him. ultimately the weight difference isnt all that huge, the air is a fashion statement! for those who want a laptop that dosent give the bang for the buck but makes everyone look at it then the air is for you

 

Well, that's because you're not the market its targeting. You're young (like me, also high school student ) and (most likely) not very rich. The MBA is aimed at professionals who need a lightweight and stylish notebook, and don't mind paying for it. That's the MBA's target audience, not you or me .

 

I find it hard to believe that the MacBook Air is the way of the future. Apple might be banking on it, but I'm looking more towards Kohjinsha and Asus for that.

 

Thanks for the link. Interesting bit in that article.


Liam; Lug my toughbook around for a while. Even has a built-in handle to do so. You'll see why a light laptop is nice.

Here's the thing. I work in a machine shop, and have to throw around 200+lbs of cast iron into machines by myself. I'm capable of carrying around the heaviest of laptops, but when you carry it for so long your arm fatigues. Walking a half mile with my 15lb Toughbook killed my arm.

So to put it short;
If I go back to work in Detroit again and need to take a laptop with me, I'll lug my toughbook there because it can be used as a weapon to swing at attackers, and will stop a small caliber bullet.

If I'm a business professional that needs to take as much as possible in as small of a package to present something, I'll buy a Macbook Air.

 

The Macbook Air is not the way of the future. I'll list the reasons.

- No Ethernet port (Sam said that this is aimed toward professionals. My mom travels on business a lot. She has had cases where she needs to use an Ethernet port, or even a modem sometimes 0_0).
- No optical drive (based upon opinion I guess).
- A big footprint (I don't care how thin a laptop is. Usually the restriction for people is the footprint. If you want to put it in a small case, you can't because of a footprint. If the M9750 was shrunk down to a 14" screen but was 2" I wouldn't care, because usually I am restricted in terms of footprints.
- 1 USB Port (There are a LOT of times when I use 2 USB ports at once, even my mother does on business. She uses 1 USB port for the Verizon satellite internet *she got it a month ago*, and she uses the other port for a mouse sometimes.)

This is not a good laptop if you want to travel a lot. The most you are saying by getting this is that you are a rich person who will pay top dollar for an ultraportable that would work well in the future, but not by todays standards.

I don't hate Apple. The MBP is an awesome laptop. The MBA is just stupid though. Get the soon to be released Toshibia Protege R700 instead, which is much more suited for business.

So, if you are a business professional that wants to present something on the laptop, or just want it for traveling, the MBA is not for you. A lot of business people still need CD's if they want to load a presentation or something, because not everyone uses USB media (yea its hard to believe). You also have no Ethernet so you're SOL if the place doesn't have wireless.

There are better alternatives.

 

Thats not the reason at all, i have just shelled out 3k on my macbook pro and another $400 on a case and sleeve for it so no definitely dont have problems with spending money on a computer.

 

But you think the MBA isn't worth it. That's the reason. The market this is aimed at...are for professionals who don't mind shelling out money for the stylish notebook.

But isn't as thin, doesn't have some of its features . Sure, the MacBook is economically more feasible, but the MBA has some extras that some people just absolutely love and will pay for. This is what I mean when I say the MBA isn't aimed at "us", its aimed at professionals that want the sort of things the MBA offers.

By the way, did you pay for that $3000 MBP yourself? At fifteen, that's a lot of cash to be using...and if not, that's a lot of cash to spend on a notebook at just fifteen...

 

@Sam - If you read the comments you should agree that a professional needs some of the things that other ultraportables provide that the MBA does not.

I don't think it is aimed for professionals at all. I think it is aimed for snotty college kids + adults (who will probably sit in starbucks with it) to show off that they have the latest and "greatest" from apple.

Edit: I also do a lot of photoshop work for my school (making posters for plays, and whatnot). Most teachers there use CD's, so I probably use my CD at school and at home every day.

 

Of course the MBA isn't the perfect notebook for professionals...its missing some things that are very important. Maybe I'm misinterpreted here...the MBA isn't aimed at professionals in general, its aimed at Mac-using professionals who want a stylish, lightweight, secondary Mac to carry around.

Have you considered maybe suggesting to your teachers to switch over to flash drives? They're cheap, small, durable and have lots of storage space compared to CDs...my school basically runs on flash drives now .

 

@Sam - That's better . This could be the laptop for the future, but I want a laptop for today's every day life, not next years.

It does look good, but I feel that some people will be disappointed because of the way apple markets their products. I will bet that a small percentage of buyers will be disappointed because they do not have an Ethernet port for when they are staying at a hotel.

I'm sure it will sell well. I just think that apple could have followed other designs such as the R700 from Toshiba which is a better ultraportable in my opinion.

 

i had the money to buy a good laptop i wanted a pro, my school use the plain macbooks and i hate them, i wanted a 15" screen anyway, i work long hours for my money, and have done for a while, this was a little splurge i made

i feel the MBA is aimed at people who are basically snobs, like stone said they are aimed at people who want attention, want to follow the trend and believe that this super slim notebook makes them look good. these people dont need/care about performance they care about style, being different and being modern. these people want the latest thing, they are the people who go out buying designer labels, because they feel it makes them look good, and it might make them feel good to. that is my reasoning for saying the MBA is merely a fashion statement

 

Well, the MBA is not an exception. All "ultraportables" are weak compared to larger models such as 13.3-inches or 15.4-inches. The MBA is in fact, pretty powerful for an "ultraportable".

 

Actually Apple doesn't advertise the MBA as "the thinnest laptop ever", it's " The Worlds Thinnest Notebook". Apple's advertising is about what's currently out there, not what's ever been out there.

Also Apple doesn't say the Air is the lightest. Steve Jobs said they chose 3.0 lbs as the target to go after.

 

i agree with stones reply to sam, this product IS aimed at future there are things that are brilliant, but they have to remember this isn't the future were in the present, why buy a computer because itl work in the future? by the time were using the technology (in places such as hotels where, wifi isn't available, and NO ONE tell me the hilton or similar hotels have it i know!) the computer will be old. we need ethernet cable ports on our computers for the time being, i mean whats the life expectancy of a laptop? 2, 3 years?

 

sam i like the way you didnt dispute my comment about it being for people wanting style, yes it may be a good "ultra portable" but that dosent excuse it from being sub standard to a macbook pro? again its a computer for those who dont really want optimum performance for their $

 

I think cashmonee's reply to the announcement back when it was announced sums it up best: this notebook is ahead of its time. I agree, it has a lot of innovations, but its just not suited for the current world of technology. I'm not defending the MBA, I'm just noting that some of your complaints are not limited to the MBA, but the "ultraportable" market in general .

 

Ah, I see what you mean now . I agree, the MacBook Pro is a much better option as a notebook unless you really want the MBA. There's no doubt about that. The MBA isn't aimed at challenging the MacBook or MBP, but rather be a "complimentary" notebook for travelling around when you have another, more powerful Mac at home/office. Its aimed at a very specific audience.

As for optimum performance for its price, that's not the MBP either. That's most likely going to be a Dell. Dell offers better price : performance ratio than Macs, but I still think Macs are worth it as they offer little features that I personally enjoy.

 

i must agree i am biased towards proper computers, but i see apples path into this sector a stupid move, i really do find these machines attractive, but isnt a macbook pro, or a macbook for that matter? if a professional needs his/her computer to look anorexic to perform well in a conference then i dont see that they fill the job criteria.

ultimately i believe apple are playing with people, do a quick google search on MBA you will find many sites saying this is the future, i believe apple are going to sell huge volumes of these computers because people want the new and futuristic computer, that ten years from now will still be in use. ironic thing is yes the technology is there but is the world ready for it? are apple ahead to much?

 

They call computers like that Ultra-Portables.

Using smaller, lower voltage hardware to fit into smaller computers.

Unfortunately, using smaller hardware, as well as low voltage stuff will hinder performance for a number of reasons.

• Technology hasn't caught up yet. It takes a while to make smaller versions of current hardware.
• Less cooling ability
• Smaller and/or low voltage hardware is more expensive. If they wanted to match the Macbook Pro speeds, it'd cost another $1000-1500 easily.

It's the nature of it. Ultra-portables have a market, and obviously you're not it.

Historically, Apple has been ahead of the tech curve, and want to have new ideas out first. Anything that Apple does, other companies will copy. Because of Apple, SSD's will be known about. Look at how many people never heard of an SSD before last week. Within a year, they'll be far cheaper because of how many more people willing to try one.

 

sam i must agree with you, i looked at many "PC's" (why have windows systems adopted that abbreviation?) and by far the MBP was down in performance but i chose apple for many reasons (first time apple user and now converted) the main being the ****up microsoft made with vista (as in the WHOLE thing) plus the added benefit of not getting viruses.

i do see your point the MBA is a computer you HAVE to have another computer to really use it with, really its an accessory something to present presentations from and look good with

lot of $ though once u have bought it and another comp

 

And once you've realised that, you've also realised that the MacBook Air is just an overpriced, overweight, and oversized Asus Eee, with less ports.

 

lysander are you a mac user? im guessing not?

all apple is expensive, but the money you pay is definitely money saved on getting the thing repaired once it gets viruses

i dont regret paying the extra $ for mac EVERYTHING is thought out, it really does just work, thats one add apple can say is true

 

Seriously, how can you say that and that the MBA has no merits?

Just as you're arguing how stupid the MBA is, I can match you word for word for your MBP. In the end, for the guy who buys a laptop with his own money, who cares what he buys? If he wants to "waste" $18,000 on a Falcon Northwest machine, it's his right to do so.

 

Sorry dude, but your mom is not the only business professional on this green earth as YOU seem to think she is. I have my own business in insurance and our firm travels all the time for training and all we use our notebooks for when on a trip is for conferencing and PPT presentations via projector. The MBA is the perfect notebook for our business needs. Does that mean I feel it's for every business professional? No, but you shouldn't act like it's for no one just your mom doesn't need it.

 

Liam you are kinda showing that you are too young to understand by not understanding Sam's point. He said you weren't exactly "Rich", it's not meant to say you couldn't afford a $3k lappy, it's to say that a person is considered "Rich" when they can just drop $3k on ANYTHING just for status and even if it's money down the drain rather than spend it on something more suitable for their needs.

 

Firstly i can mock the MBA because it is MORE money than my MBP and has lower stats than my computer, AND THIS THREAD IS IN APPLE FOR A REASON WE ARE'NT TALKING ABOUT MY COMPUTER BEING EXPENSIVE COMPARED TO WINDOWS BASED COMPUTERS, I DONT NO IF YOU HAVE EVER GIVEN A MACINTOSH THE TIME OF DAY TO ACTUALLY LOOK AND ANALYZE IT FOR WHAT IT IS BUT ITS A BLOODY GOOD PIECE OF KIT

people buy apple because it is thought out, i can justify hating the mac air because, yes ALL of these ultra portables are lower performing but this thing costs huge $ and you will still need to splash out another $1500 to $4000 for a computer you can actually use. so yes i can justify my judgement of the MBA it is expensive and as said above it is for those who want to look stylish

 

I just prefer to have hard media instead. Making an image every time I load a disc doesn't work for me. I rather just simply stick the CD in without any hassle.