I play StarCraft 2 on my aluminum unibody MacBook w/ 256MB vram. To run smoothly, I have to crank down a number of the display settings: i.e. no particle effects, no depth of field, reduced physics, etc. The MBA has 256 MB DDR3 VRAM (same as my machine), so the performance would probably be the same as mine. I think to play StarCraft 2 the way the Blizzard gods intended—with all the settings maxed out—you'd need a super fast 1 GB video card, which takes any MacBooks out of the running. We're talking 27" iMac or Mac Pro.
I don't quite understand why anybody would be considering or even comment on a MacBook Air if their primary use was playing video games.
However, having said that the new MacBook Air is purported to be (2X) faster than its predecessor. Which will more than suffice most of its notebook audience.
well, now you have one what you expected? NO. it is ridiculous. they didn't even put core i3. core 2 duo old processor with only SSD? then it costs more than $999. wait. who uses 64GB space for nowadays? do you think that you really take advantage of SSD for what? speed. I think that it is compromised for weight, and fitting the price line. I think it's failed. plus, Apple didn't reinvent netbook. actually, Intel invented netbook. and there is certain definition for netbook. whoever disagrees or not, macbook air is in the category of netbook anyway. don't refuse. this is ridiculous. I bet that macbook air won't be selling as many as other macbook macbook pro do. if I wouldn't correct, then I won't ever use mac again. period. today announcement was lame excepting mac os x 10.7 Lion.
by the way, why do we need mac app store when you already have app store embed into itunes store. something is wrong.
I don't know what to think of the direction Apple might be moving with their app-store. I am not interested in new pre-cooked Happy Apple Family methods of sharing the, a bit too artistically shot, footage of my exiting sporty lifestyle with friends.
But I can see my self buying such a mac-book air, in a year or so, with 10.7, first processor-speed-bump and 4 Gig ram.
Didn't get the I-pad as it is not a productivity tool (you CAN be productive, but in that it doesn't match up to a laptop). The new Air looks like the mobile tool for me.
Like instand on, like the new interface stuff in 10.7, but,
Steve ... I do need to install all my open-source tools, and the software I want!!!! Don't take that away from me, or you will loose me after 20-odd years!!!!
How old are you? Put your pom-poms down for a second, stop playing dress-up. You'll become aware that some adults aren't as excited as you are about Apple product announcement today.
Obviously more mature than you.
So some adults aren't excited about today's announcements. But for some that just need to overtly dis and bitch each and every thing that Apple introduces, without seeing, touching or heck even before they are on the shelves is asinine. As is your comment.
If there is one thing (minor) I would have liked is for Apple to use a more robust glass screen like the regular MBP's. MBA's being targeted for the highly-mobile consumer, it just makes it so much easier to clean as the displays do get dusty quickly from being carried around.
I had a couple of "wow" moments during the presentation but I am back on Earth now. I was really hoping for a matte/antiglare screen on one of these models so that it can be used outdoors.
The "SSD" on these things is actually integrated into the motherboard.
No, it isn't. You need to watch the keynote.
Quote:
So that means in 6-9 months when the new fabs, for the die shrink on flash chips, are in full production, and you get twice the SSD storage for the same price you are paying today, you can't upgrade this machine. It is another case of Apple being more concerned about making something thinner without regard to the practical disadvantages that result.
They look great but I can't see buying one with such limited upgrade options for storage down the road.
-kpluck
Might be true, if you were right. You're not.
The flash mass storage is on a small plug-in card; four flash chips plus two support chips, with little gold fingers plugging in to the motherboard equivalent.
Yeah, I'm not saying they aren't better than the old ones. It's just that they are only ever so slightly better than the old ones.
I also find it kind of amusing how Apple can have a lack-lustre event like this and yet everyone is still admiring them as if they were gods, when in fact what they have delivered is rather mild and not that interesting.
Presumably there will be blog posts about it tomorrow or next week when everyone runs out of wonderful gushy things to say about the new Air.
I'm not sure what would have made this more than "lack-lustre", according to you. Care to shed some light on what would have made you happy or impressed?
I think what hurt the original MBAs was the price. It was just too high to justify buying a machine spec'd lower than a MacBook. Well, Apple has fixed that problem. Now, at the given price point, you have a choice to go ultra-light and thin, or bigger and more capacity.
As I said a few days ago, I think these new MBAs would be perfectly suited for writers, beat reporters and English majors.
Wait... did I misunderstand, or does it now top out at 1.86 GHz? What happened to the existing 2.13? They made it *slower*?!
Power requirements; not to mention that overall system performance, especially with the 1.8GHz version may not be all that much slower than the current top MBA. In some cases, the new graphics support may even be faster.
Keep tuned in ...
Quote:
I was really hoping for a ULV i5 or i7, but that was probably too much to hope, given the Intel / NVIDIA fiasco.
Power demand. Think about it. Run time on a charge is critical for this machine.
Not to mention, the ULV i5 and i7 probably weren't available early enough to make the cut for the MBA development. Even assuming they have low enough current draw.
Maybe Steve's RDF hasn't reached me yet, but I'm not very impressed.
The only upgrade here is the form factor, if you care a lot about having a wedge-shaped computer. However the rest isn't that impressive considering the price.
If you're going to make an underpowered notebook, why Core 2 Duo? Even with a 45nm process, that's an ancient processor eating up probably 40-50w. If a C2D is enough for you, why not get a higher performing original MacBook unibody for a hell of a lot less, and upgrade its RAM. Don't like optical? Me neither, which is why I removed mine and installed a second hard drive. My old optical drive sits in its own case and hasn't been used since I tested it. That allows me to have 1Gig HD space, cheaply. It's like we're stuck in 2006.
If I wanted an ultra-portable, I'd get a Netbook and hackintosh it. They cost anywhere from half to less than a quarter as much, and support QE and even HD depending on the model. Easy to upgrade things like RAM, swappable battery packs, and lightweight. You might poo poo the Atom, but the N550 is a dual core processor that roughly has the same power of a 1.2Ghz C2D, and only uses 8.5W!
Not that I would have ever expected it, but I was secretly hoping Apple understood the popularity of Netbooks was in affordability. I mean, they priced the iPad right, why not a $500 Mac Netbook with a N550? Ah, but that would 'cannibalize' iPad and MacBook sales. Why grow the Mac user base when we can squeeze it?
At least I have alternatives to a $1000+ C2D with non-upgradable memory and a tiny drive which likely performs poorly compared to laptops made over FOUR YEARS AGO!
I had a couple of "wow" moments during the presentation but I am back on Earth now. I was really hoping for a matte/antiglare screen on one of these models so that it can be used outdoors.
Every matte/antiglare screen goes virtually blank in bright sunlight.
If anything, the backlit MacBooks glossy screens are the only ones that I have seen that work well outside. True, it is susceptible to reflection, but if turning up the brightness and adjusting the screen angle doesn't suffice, place your laptop so the light in front of you is darker than the light behind you, otherwise best move into the shade.
Comments
I play StarCraft 2 on my aluminum unibody MacBook w/ 256MB vram. To run smoothly, I have to crank down a number of the display settings: i.e. no particle effects, no depth of field, reduced physics, etc. The MBA has 256 MB DDR3 VRAM (same as my machine), so the performance would probably be the same as mine. I think to play StarCraft 2 the way the Blizzard gods intended—with all the settings maxed out—you'd need a super fast 1 GB video card, which takes any MacBooks out of the running. We're talking 27" iMac or Mac Pro.
I don't quite understand why anybody would be considering or even comment on a MacBook Air if their primary use was playing video games.
However, having said that the new MacBook Air is purported to be (2X) faster than its predecessor. Which will more than suffice most of its notebook audience.
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/performance.html
by the way, why do we need mac app store when you already have app store embed into itunes store. something is wrong.
Anyone see MSNBC posted a link to an article saying Apple Finally announces Verizon Iphone?
It goes to a dead link. I think they anticipated it, but it didnt happen and they forgot to remove the link.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3033118/...h_and_gadgets/
They're idiots. What part of "Back to the Mac" don't they understand? No iDevice was ever going to be released at this event. Ever.
I think it's failed.
You're obviously right, given that no one has one yet.
Intel invented netbook.
No, not really.
First Concept.
Earliest Mentionable Fit To The Category. (HEY, LOOK WHO MADE IT)
Another Early Concept.
Zero mention of Intel.
and there is certain definition for netbook
The MacBook Air is not being marketed within this definition.
I bet that macbook air won't be selling as many as other macbook macbook pro do.
FRICKING DUH. It's a niche product.
by the way, why do we need mac app store when you already have app store embed into itunes store. something is wrong.
Absolutely zero of those applications work on your Mac. Please stop making a fool of yourself. Are you five?
APPLE MADE A NETBOOK!!!!!
(Underpowered, little memory, low battery life.....)
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Just looking at the 11.6" model:
A 1.4GHz or 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo processor. Up to 4GB memory, up to 128GB storage, 5 hrs operating time with WiFi on.
Compared to a typical Wintel notebook with an Atom CPU...
Whatever you're smoking, you need to stop before it's too late.
But I can see my self buying such a mac-book air, in a year or so, with 10.7, first processor-speed-bump and 4 Gig ram.
Didn't get the I-pad as it is not a productivity tool (you CAN be productive, but in that it doesn't match up to a laptop). The new Air looks like the mobile tool for me.
Like instand on, like the new interface stuff in 10.7, but,
Steve ... I do need to install all my open-source tools, and the software I want!!!! Don't take that away from me, or you will loose me after 20-odd years!!!!
APPLE MADE A NETBOOK!!!!!
QUOTE=huntson;1736933]lacking a touch screen for one....
You say that like it's a bad thing.
It's not.
Do you shake the laptop once to turn ON and shake it twice to turn OFF?
Why are the simple things so mysterious?
Found it:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/
How old are you? Put your pom-poms down for a second, stop playing dress-up. You'll become aware that some adults aren't as excited as you are about Apple product announcement today.
Obviously more mature than you.
So some adults aren't excited about today's announcements. But for some that just need to overtly dis and bitch each and every thing that Apple introduces, without seeing, touching or heck even before they are on the shelves is asinine. As is your comment.
If there is one thing (minor) I would have liked is for Apple to use a more robust glass screen like the regular MBP's. MBA's being targeted for the highly-mobile consumer, it just makes it so much easier to clean as the displays do get dusty quickly from being carried around.
I had a couple of "wow" moments during the presentation but I am back on Earth now. I was really hoping for a matte/antiglare screen on one of these models so that it can be used outdoors.
The "SSD" on these things is actually integrated into the motherboard.
No, it isn't. You need to watch the keynote.
So that means in 6-9 months when the new fabs, for the die shrink on flash chips, are in full production, and you get twice the SSD storage for the same price you are paying today, you can't upgrade this machine. It is another case of Apple being more concerned about making something thinner without regard to the practical disadvantages that result.
They look great but I can't see buying one with such limited upgrade options for storage down the road.
-kpluck
Might be true, if you were right. You're not.
The flash mass storage is on a small plug-in card; four flash chips plus two support chips, with little gold fingers plugging in to the motherboard equivalent.
Can someone tell me where the Power Button is on this MBAir? I mean, how do you turn this thing ON when you get it or OFF for that matter?
Do you shake the laptop once to turn ON and shake it twice to turn OFF?
Why are the simple things so mysterious?
Did you look at the keyboard? It's where the eject button once was.
Yeah, I'm not saying they aren't better than the old ones. It's just that they are only ever so slightly better than the old ones.
I also find it kind of amusing how Apple can have a lack-lustre event like this and yet everyone is still admiring them as if they were gods, when in fact what they have delivered is rather mild and not that interesting.
Presumably there will be blog posts about it tomorrow or next week when everyone runs out of wonderful gushy things to say about the new Air.
I'm not sure what would have made this more than "lack-lustre", according to you. Care to shed some light on what would have made you happy or impressed?
I think what hurt the original MBAs was the price. It was just too high to justify buying a machine spec'd lower than a MacBook. Well, Apple has fixed that problem. Now, at the given price point, you have a choice to go ultra-light and thin, or bigger and more capacity.
As I said a few days ago, I think these new MBAs would be perfectly suited for writers, beat reporters and English majors.
I think this is another win for Apple.
Can someone tell me where the Power Button is on this MBAir? I mean, how do you turn this thing ON when you get it or OFF for that matter?
Do you shake the laptop once to turn ON and shake it twice to turn OFF?
Why are the simple things so mysterious?
Lift the lid. It's instant on.
Close the lid. It's instant off.
Because it is the same for simple people.
Wait... did I misunderstand, or does it now top out at 1.86 GHz? What happened to the existing 2.13? They made it *slower*?!
Power requirements; not to mention that overall system performance, especially with the 1.8GHz version may not be all that much slower than the current top MBA. In some cases, the new graphics support may even be faster.
Keep tuned in ...
I was really hoping for a ULV i5 or i7, but that was probably too much to hope, given the Intel / NVIDIA fiasco.
Power demand. Think about it. Run time on a charge is critical for this machine.
Not to mention, the ULV i5 and i7 probably weren't available early enough to make the cut for the MBA development. Even assuming they have low enough current draw.
2GB, where are you getting that? That was the other problem with the current Air.
4GB is optional. (As are 128 or 256GB storage, depending on model.)
As mentioned in the keynote, and on the MBA specs page.
Doesn't anyone read any more?
I don't quite understand why anybody would be considering or even comment on a MacBook Air if their primary use was playing video games.
HAHAHA! Good point! That's what I should have said.
OK so no optical drive. How do you/I install new programs? I missed the presentation so I guess I have to wait.
Rick
Three ways (at least):
- Direct download
- WiFi (from another machine on local net that's sharing its optical drive)
- From CD/DVD in optional external optical drive ($79).
The only upgrade here is the form factor, if you care a lot about having a wedge-shaped computer. However the rest isn't that impressive considering the price.
If you're going to make an underpowered notebook, why Core 2 Duo? Even with a 45nm process, that's an ancient processor eating up probably 40-50w. If a C2D is enough for you, why not get a higher performing original MacBook unibody for a hell of a lot less, and upgrade its RAM. Don't like optical? Me neither, which is why I removed mine and installed a second hard drive. My old optical drive sits in its own case and hasn't been used since I tested it. That allows me to have 1Gig HD space, cheaply. It's like we're stuck in 2006.
If I wanted an ultra-portable, I'd get a Netbook and hackintosh it. They cost anywhere from half to less than a quarter as much, and support QE and even HD depending on the model. Easy to upgrade things like RAM, swappable battery packs, and lightweight. You might poo poo the Atom, but the N550 is a dual core processor that roughly has the same power of a 1.2Ghz C2D, and only uses 8.5W!
Not that I would have ever expected it, but I was secretly hoping Apple understood the popularity of Netbooks was in affordability. I mean, they priced the iPad right, why not a $500 Mac Netbook with a N550? Ah, but that would 'cannibalize' iPad and MacBook sales. Why grow the Mac user base when we can squeeze it?
At least I have alternatives to a $1000+ C2D with non-upgradable memory and a tiny drive which likely performs poorly compared to laptops made over FOUR YEARS AGO!
I had a couple of "wow" moments during the presentation but I am back on Earth now. I was really hoping for a matte/antiglare screen on one of these models so that it can be used outdoors.
Every matte/antiglare screen goes virtually blank in bright sunlight.
If anything, the backlit MacBooks glossy screens are the only ones that I have seen that work well outside. True, it is susceptible to reflection, but if turning up the brightness and adjusting the screen angle doesn't suffice, place your laptop so the light in front of you is darker than the light behind you, otherwise best move into the shade.