Macbook Air vs Macbook
Hey all.
The Air is sweet and sexy for sure. Hey, it's apple. And yeah, I'm drooling....
BUT...
I am a web designer and photographer who travels alot. I want a small laptop to bring with me. But I want it to be able to handle flash animation, web design and photoshop among other things. It doesn't have to be Macbook Pro level...but I wonder if the new Air will suit my needs.
It is sexy alright, and almost absurdly thin and portable...which is great.
But only 80 gig HD? Even less on the pricey solid state drive(64gigs). I am worried that my photos alone would fill up the hard drive.
As sweet as this machine is, is it nothing more than a glorified email web surfing machine? Or can it handle the work I mentioned above?
Thanks. :-)
The Air is sweet and sexy for sure. Hey, it's apple. And yeah, I'm drooling....
BUT...
I am a web designer and photographer who travels alot. I want a small laptop to bring with me. But I want it to be able to handle flash animation, web design and photoshop among other things. It doesn't have to be Macbook Pro level...but I wonder if the new Air will suit my needs.
It is sexy alright, and almost absurdly thin and portable...which is great.
But only 80 gig HD? Even less on the pricey solid state drive(64gigs). I am worried that my photos alone would fill up the hard drive.
As sweet as this machine is, is it nothing more than a glorified email web surfing machine? Or can it handle the work I mentioned above?
Thanks. :-)
Comments
Good Luck!
I'm thinking the HD size would limit me. I know I can buy an external HD etc. But then that begins to defeat the purpose of portability. Plus the Air is alot more expensive than the macbook. And the macbook is still very portable. Maybe not Airbook thin...but it's not huge...and I won't need all the extra accessories.
I will check them out in person tho.
Overall I think it's a bold and imaginative move, it's exactly what I need and was hoping for - and if it doesn't suit your requirement it has both a big and little brother than might do it for you.
It is a bold move. And eventually where all laptops will go once technology allows.
I can see this being a huge laptop for people on the go that need to stay connected to the internet, but don't need much else.
Right now I just need more from a laptop, and as much as I'd love to nab me one, I have to be realistic to my requirements. The macbook just has what I need for an on the road laptop at the moment. :-)
The Macbook could easily serve as someone's primary machine. Its included optical drive, upgradable hard drive and removable battery all suggest to me a machine for people who need a fully featured computer for most of their work.
The Airbook strikes me as being a companion portable machine to someone's full-powered desktop. Speaking for myself, I do most of my real computing on my 24" iMac at home. I would want Airbook for when I leave the house. With iDisk via .Mac and also Back-To-My-Mac, I see Airbook fulfilling the role I have been begging Apple to fill: a very portable (I won't say ultra-portable) laptop that can serve as a conduit back to my main machine at home.
MacBook Air (13.3" screen)> - $1799
Height: 0.16-0.76 inch
Width: 12.8 inches
Depth: 8.94 inches
Weight: 3.0 pounds
MacBook (13.3" screen) - $1099
Height: 1.08 inches (2.75 cm)
Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.92 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 5.0 pounds (2.27 kg)
At their thickest points, the MacBook Air is only 0.32" "taller", other than that, they're just as wide and just as deep. For $700 more (and less capable).
The MacBook Air is no more portable than the MacBook. They're basically the same size.
They're basically the same size.
Not in Steve's RDF.
Just to highlight how bizarre this product is?
MacBook Air (13.3" screen)> - $1799
Height: 0.16-0.76 inch
Width: 12.8 inches
Depth: 8.94 inches
Weight: 3.0 pounds
MacBook (13.3" screen) - $1099
Height: 1.08 inches (2.75 cm)
Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.92 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 5.0 pounds (2.27 kg)
At their thickest points, the MacBook Air is only 0.32" "taller", other than that, they're just as wide and just as deep. For $700 more (and less capable).
The MacBook Air is no more portable than the MacBook. They're basically the same size.
great point, but the question now is... what is Apple going to do with the macbook line so that it doesn't kill Air?
The MacBook Air is no more portable than the MacBook. They're basically the same size.
Exactly. It'll make a light and stylish first portable if you're on the go a lot. Otherwise, get a MacBook, save a bundle and have a better computer.
Macbook air is a bold new design but I would wait to get that maybe a 2 years from now. Even as a second computer it does not appeal to me at that price.
Just to highlight how bizarre this product is?
MacBook Air (13.3" screen)> - $1799
Height: 0.16-0.76 inch
Width: 12.8 inches
Depth: 8.94 inches
Weight: 3.0 pounds
MacBook (13.3" screen) - $1099
Height: 1.08 inches (2.75 cm)
Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.92 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 5.0 pounds (2.27 kg)
At their thickest points, the MacBook Air is only 0.32" "taller", other than that, they're just as wide and just as deep. For $700 more (and less capable).
The MacBook Air is no more portable than the MacBook. They're basically the same size.
I think a lot of the criticism comes from folks that were never in the sub-notebook market to begin with. I've been shopping Sony's TZ Vaios... they start at $2,100. The base model is running at 1.06ghz, not 1.6ghz, 11inch screens, not 13.3, and 1gig of ram, not 2. And they start at $300 more - if you've been shopping a sub-notebook it's a good deal.
Now, why buy a sub-notebook when a slightly larger MacBook would give you better performance? Well, because it's much lighter, sexier, and girls will approach you in airport lobby's and at the coffee shop.
That said, this is clearly not the notebook for everyone.
Just to highlight how bizarre this product is…
MacBook Air (13.3" screen)> - $1799
Height: 0.16-0.76 inch
Width: 12.8 inches
Depth: 8.94 inches
Weight: 3.0 pounds
MacBook (13.3" screen) - $1099
Height: 1.08 inches (2.75 cm)
Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.92 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 5.0 pounds (2.27 kg)
At their thickest points, the MacBook Air is only 0.32" "taller", other than that, they're just as wide and just as deep. For $700 more (and less capable).
The MacBook Air is no more portable than the MacBook. They're basically the same size.
There basically the same size? Once they hit the Apple store I will go in and take exact measurements of the height every half inch, then do the real math. But I can tell you that the MacAir takes up atleast 25% less volume than a macbook, probably closer to 35%, and is atleast 35% lighter. Also the base macbook with 2gb is $1,249, so the price difference is $550
Also the volume it loses due to the thinness vs having a smaller width/depth footprint is the most beneficial to the person who wants to put it into a backpack or briefcase or envelope.
- It's 700$ cheaper
- It's got a slightly smaller footprint
- It's got 2 USB ports
- It's got a firewire port
- It has replaceable and upgradeable RAM
- It has a replaceable and upgradeable harddrive
- It has a bigger harddrive
- It has an optical drive
- It doesn't need a second computer to do everything you need.
- It has sound input
- It has digital optical sound in and output
- It has a replaceable battery
- It has a Kensington lock connector
- It has a faster processor
- It has gigabit ethernet
- It can target disk mode
- It plays DVDs
- It doesn't require an USB Hub
- It's got stereo speakers
- It's got FrontRow and an Apple remote
The MBA has the following advantages:
- It weighs 2 pounds less (some of which will be made up by the fact that you'll have to bring several external devices with you)
- It's got a backlit keyboard
- It's got multitouch gesture support
- It's got Bluetooth 2.1
- It's got a LED backlit display
- It's slightly thinner.
- There's an option for an SSD drive. (which brings it right into MBP territory in terms of price).
Of these advantages, many are likely going to be incorporated into the next generation MacBook too. Namely LED backlight, Bluetooth 2.1, multitouch gesturing and maybe even an optional SSD drive and backlit keyboard.
So what it runs down to is that the MBA is 2 pounds lighter, and slightly slimmer at the expense of no less than 19 features the MacBook has in plus. And it costs 700$ more.
After having used MacBooks for maybe 20 years, maybe you need a back surgery. But the money you will have saved by buying the cheaper macbook instead of the lighter MBA will pay the bill. And you can watch DVDs while in hospital.
PS: If weight and size are truly a concern to you, then there are considerably lighter and smaller offerings available from companies like Aver, Lenovo and Fujitsu. Many of them even with more features.
Am currently using a 12" PowerBook and apart from thickness the MacBook Air is whoppingly bigger! Almost 1 1/2 inches wider and even a bit deeper.
So what's the big deal about the MacBook Air?
And look at that massive bezel around the screen and the totally huge rim around the keyboard! What's up with those? Couldn't they have made the Air a bit smaller too, not just thinner? There's clearly room for improvement (pun intended) without having to compromise screen or keyboard size.
I'm a bit disappointed. It's light, yes, but it's too big IMHO. Shave off that bezel and rim around the keyboard and save a few extra inches and we're talking!
Until then it's just an overpriced 13" MacBook 'thin'.
Just to highlight how bizarre this product is?
So you think all ultraportables are bizarre products, right?
The MacBook Air is no more portable than the MacBook. They're basically the same size.
What? Have you had a serious brain malfunction?
Basically the same footprint? Yes. Basically the same size? Hell no.
And since when does weight not factor into how portable something is?
...there'll be a 160GB option soon'ish as they're already in the iPod Classic.
The 160 GB 1.8" drive used in the iPod classic is a double-platter device and is therefore too thick for the MacBook Air (unless they come out with a thicker MacBook Air, which I highly doubt. If they had any intention of putting that 160 GB HDD in it, they would have done that from the beginning).
Basically the same footprint? Yes. Basically the same size? Hell no.
And since when does weight not factor into how portable something is?
Well, he's got a point. Unlike what Apple thinks, for laptops, footprint is just as important, if not more so, than thickness and weight.
Thinness is primarily important for things that you put into tight spaces, such as your pockets. That's why a thinner mobile phone or ipod is always better than a thicker one, even if the thicker one has a smaller footprint than the slimmer one.
For laptops, this is not true, at least not to a certain degree. Most backpacks are probably up to 7-10" thick and even a briefcase is in most cases is at least 3-5". So whether a laptop that goes into these bags is 1" or 2" or even 3" will not change the size of the bag. It may make a difference on how much additional paper you can put in, but the bulk of width and height remain the same with the MacBook or the MacBook Air. What IS going to make a difference is if you have something that has a smaller footprint. Because then you CAN change the size of your bag, or backpack. And that's where the often cited women come into play. Women crave small things because they can fit them into smaller bags, and because small things are cute. The MBA is not small, it's not cute either, it's elegant, maybe sleek, but it's not small. And that's why it won't appeal (and doesn't, from what I've heard from women so far) to women as much as the 12" iBook or PowerBooks did. So yes, in a way, because it's the footprint that dictates the size of your bag, footprint kind of equals size and then the MBA is no better than the MacBook.