Sources: MacBook Air battery replacements take only minutes - Page 6

Yes there are. Some come with one battery to advertise a low weight but let you upgrade to a larger one for extra-duration.

Unfortunately, I work for myself these days. And frankly, I am not a good enough employee to warrant Business class flights all the time.

Who works with a computer on an international flight for 12 hours? I know there are insane people, but didn't know they are sitting on first class tickets on long-distance air flights. Who many people could be in this weird group that it is important that Apple take great care to accomodate -- maybe 5 people worldwide? -- Why are these people so important?

People complain about design limitations -- well build your own computer then, stupid! Or buy another one ... .

The most stupid comment I saw here must be the one who suggested that the MBA should not be one's primary and only Mac. -So, is the MBA not pricey enough and do you enjoy the hassle of syncing and backing up different computers? Weird ..... ! (I did not read all postings so I am sure I missed some even more stupid comments.)

The only interesting thing is this topic is just how easy / costly it will be to eventually change the battery when the time arrives and supposing this happens before one has gone on to another newer computer.

I bid you welcome, but not the best start I've seen from a new poster on AI.

I wouldn't say I'm working for 12 hours, but I certainly like to use my computer for the duration of a flight. I can't sleep on flights often; something about sitting up. I do not like the low res analog video that the setback displays have so i will watch many movies, TV Shows, or even read webpages and forums I've saved just before flying. The longer I can use my computer the shorter the flight feels.

I use a MacBook and have 2 spare batteries, so with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and the brightness down to the lowest, or second to lowest, setting I get about 9 hours from the 3 batteries. The hibernation mode makes it easy to remove a battery and put another in without having to restart.

I'm not sure why that would be a stupid comment. The specs clearly make this less than ideal to be one's only computer, unless you back you to a Time Capsule at home or some other large HDD. Leopard's Time Machines does make backing up transparent to the user, that is even easier than easy. Many people, even people who don't like the MBA, realize that it wouldn't be ones only machine, and the reviews even point that out.

I have no clue what you getting to in your last comment. It would be an inconvenient for any part of a computer to be sent in for repairs if it was your primary computer. It's not for everyone, that is fine. Apple doesn't make a computer for everyone or they'd make a MacBook at half the price. I think this is meant to attend to the Japanese market, which is very different than the Western world. If the reaction from the Japanese I saw playing with the Air is any indication I think it will be a hit.

So playing videos is irrelevant? Are you that dull to ignore that possibility?


Are you unaware of Apple's .Mac syncing service?

Well, then I was fortunate that it wasn't my first post.

As to the second comment it would depend on whether you really need the power of a 8-core PowerMac or not.

I think I was mostly correct in my assessments (as general statements -- you may be close to the group most people would refer to as maybe not "insane" but let's call it "superusers", which I am sure you feel better about ).

I work professionally on a PowerBook and have not once during the last years three years at least have had a reason to carry a spare battery with me and I think that is typical of most people who actually work on their PowerBooks.

I guess it would be more convenient to use an iPod touch in an airplane for watching videos ... . I know about .mac, but this only makes syncing less of a hassle -- a difference in degree!

1) New poster and 1st time poster are not the same. You were 4 posts in when I replied to you. You are a new poster to me until you reach 50.

2) I am insane.

3)My mother says I'm super, but I wouldn't call myself a super-user, but a constant user, which is why a MBA is fine for my needs. I would define a super-user as one who needs a lot of processing power. i do have a new Mac Pro that is always crunching something, so perhaps I am.

4) Most people don't carry extra batteries, but most people don't fly as much as me and most people are as attached to their computers as me either.

Ok, you are not insane then (actually I never accused you of being insane)! I was just irritated by your (and some others), to me, stupid comments and I still think they are. I was disappointed in the low level of the posts here, and your stood out in that regard.

It is easier to carry. The touch is a nice device, but I don't think it's a comfortable size to pass the time for long periods of time like that.

He thinks watching movies on a small display while holding it in front of you is more convenient than a 13" notebook sitting on a seatback tray. That really says it all. Certainly an iPod Touch more convenient to carry than a notebook, but not more convenient for watching video while sitting in a seat.

I prefer to listen to music while flying and not working or watching videos. Do whatever you enjoy! What I replied to originally was the idea (I had not even looked at who started that subject) that one should be able to do serious work for 12 hours on an international flight, which I do find bordering on being insane, but I could imagine a few super-workers worldwide that may manage to do this. A friend of mine much prefers to watch videos on his Ipod touch when flying, but it may be for battery-related reasons (I would think it would be more easy than to have a big laptop on all the time though).

You seem young. While not many would spend the entire 12 hours of a transatlantic flight working many due spend a considerable amount of that time working. If they don't do it then they'll have to do it some other time. Many people work on projects with deadlines, they aren't hourly employees that can put down their apron and forget about their job at the end of a shift.

Actually I thought you would be at most 20 years old, but I am starting to worrying. I think I pass on posts here now.

Mmm:

1) fly out a day early. going from west coast to london and working the whole way is a good recipe for being useless the next day anyway.
2) fly an airline that commonly sticks power in coach. US Air, JetBlue, Southwest, American (double check aircraft).
3) fly an airplane that often has power: 777, 747 400, 767 300, A330, A340.

American 777s are a really good bet. It's worth a few bucks more to get if you can.

Here's a non-comprehensive list:

http://www.rentcomputers.com/sosair.html

Note that even if you call the airline, sometimes they are wrong or the aircraft has to be swapped, etc. But getting work done on a plane is spotty anyway even if you are a seasoned road warrior. There's always that hell flight that's flying through bad weather or sitting center seat between two Jabba the Huts (large, flatulent and ill tempered) or whatever.

I ususally fly BA and I'm too cheap to upgrade unless my points pay for it. It's a much better experience but it just doesn't warrant the cost. I will be looking into AA now that they be offering internet service for a very reasonable $10 for less than 3 hour and $15 for more than 3 hour flight.

Uh... Steve Jobs alluded to the fact that you would have another computer at home when he was going over the "remote disk" feature.


The iPod touch comes with a stand you could set it on... actually, that would be perfect for one of those airplane trays.

It's still a tiny screen.

And the viewing angle is low. I'm not sure it would be viewable at that angle on a seatback tray about feet below your eyes and one foot in front.

Perhaps, but when it is 6-12 inches in front of you I think it'd be big enough.

The trend is for customers to buy smaller and smaller entertainment devices; I see several people every day now in the passenger seats of cars watching TV on their tiny cell phones.

The Touch is more than enough for watching video. I make videos as part of my job and preview them on a Touch because I can carry it anywhere (just like our customers), including places I can't carry a laptop. It also gets fantastic battery life and, if need be, I can get a rather simple and inexpensive spare battery for it.

I own a MacBook Air 13" and the battery life just wasn't good enough for me. I got only a few hours per charge and that is if I was lucky. My eventual solution was to get an external laptop battery from Novuscell Batteries. So far, no regrets because I'm now getting an extra 12+ hours of battery runtime per charge on my Air.