I saw the 11" MBA in the Apple shop in Enschede today and I was blown away by it. It's a netbook, sure, but other netbooks pale in comparison. It's so thin and so light, with a good screen and a good, usable keyboard. I almost bought it on the spot, but luckily I could restrain myself. ?1000,- is a fair price for it IMO, though it's still a lot of money.
Another thing that struck me again was how enthousiastic the persons who visit the shop were. Clients explain to each other the ins and outs of the machines. So cool! Sometimes it's hard to distinguish the personell and the clients because also the people who work there just radiate 'Apple is fun.' I had a good time there in the Apple shop
According to MacDaillyNews Poll over 25% where most excited about the new MacBook Airs, second to Lion following the keynote.
Perhaps this interest is another testament evidenced by the success of the iPad. I.e., a lot of people don't need a full blown computer or use the likes of Photoshop/Illustrator/Final Cut Pro/Lightroom/Aperture/Logic, etc.
It is also interesting, that although iLife '11's three major apps did not get the heart rate up to the same level, the Suite is already #1 on Amazon's Best Selling Software List. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/software
We should keep in mind that there are a lot of folks out there that whether to do their job or acquire an education, word processing and all that entails, e.g., researching/corresponding, is their number one focus. And in that light, a MacBook Air with MS Office/iWorks/Safari, along with Mail/Address Book/iCalendar, is more than sufficient. This is particularly true, if it has to be in arms' length for much of their working day, and they have a few toys/games/hobbies and music to play with at the end of the day.
Certainly, something that should not be begrudged.
Ignore the ethernet talk, I admit that isn't needed. Point being; kill the trap-door, which they did.
With all due respect, Ireland, most of the flack you took on thread came from two things: your not unusual tone of imperious certainty and contempt for anyone who disagrees with you, and the fact that your design solution for the door involved a kind of bulbous protrusion along the port area-- not any particular horror that the door was a great good and Apple would be foolish to eliminate it.
So they eliminated the door, just as you wished, but via an entirely different design vocabulary. And just in general, constantly demanding that Apple accede to your obvious superior design sense and then crowing when your and their intentions occasionally align is just sort of off-putting.
I hope this doesn't sound too mean; I like your ideas and your enthusiasm. But you seem to be growing ever more dismissive and belligerent and convinced of your unerring rightness, and those just aren't good qualities, for anyone about anything. I seem to recall you used to have a little more sense of humor about it all?
That's not what the apple spec says - 11.6" stereo!
I'll be ordering a 11,6" 4Gb, 1.6GHz, 128Gb this week.
Something I'd like to know, is whether it would be possible to get an 256Gb SSD in 11.6".
Apple don't offer one as an option, but could you order a part for the 13" one, or swap one from the 13" one and transplant it to the 11.6" Air? It should be the right sort, would it fit physically?
Hmmm ... maybe I should email iFixIt about it, they've probably taken apart at least one of each by now.
Ignore the ethernet talk, I admit that isn't needed. Point being; kill the trap-door, which they did.
I don't see many posts saying the doors are awesome, it sounds like they had other issues with your design. Without seeing the pictures it's difficult to really discuss, but i will quote part of your OP:
Quote:
Point being they could have not used that stupid, stupid, stupid door and made a flat side wall to accommodate more ports, particularly an ethernet port. And the ports would also be able to be used by "all" peripherals. They could have done this side part is a sleek way, it could have actually looked good. Taper the whole side accept for the area around the ports, and make the transition between both shapes gradually contoured. Obviously this is a crude mockup, but then again the Air was designed by an amateur also - Ive's intern. Dongles, UBS hubs? As Jobs said about the stylus; "you have to get them, and put them away.. yuck!" I agree Steve, Yuck! Besides, the Air could then come with a 1 meter ethernet chord for very quick migration, no need for Firewire.
You say ignore the Ethernet port part, but is seems like it was very important to you at the time. You description of how the area around the ports would look sounds downright awful, no wonder people didn't like it. Apple went with a flat side wall with a tapered base below it, not a flat side wall transitioning into a tapered side wall. Basically all your mockups (based on the description) seem to have in common with the new MBA is that they found away to eliminate the door. I bet if we were to take a survey of what MBA owners hated the most, that door would rank pretty high. So suggesting Apple remove them is hardly a unique idea.
Needless to say, why are you bragging about your "prediction" and mocking all those who doubted you even though the ones that doubted you aren't even posting in this thread? I'm getting tired about hearing how "great" you are. Good job, Apple granted two things on your wishlist of many many things you want. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
I can live with everything except for the battery life.
So they should've stuck an Atom CPU there to increase the battery life. Sony's Vaio X series have them and get you up to 10h at the same 11" form factor at almost the price of the new MBAs.
Would you care if it had an Atom over the Core2Duo?
Since every computer design involves tradeoffs Apple of course cannot win among a certain, um, demographic. Whichever qualities they decide to emphasize, we can always talk about other manufacturers who emphasized something else, and pretend like that one quality is make or break and puts the Apple product in a bad light.
Thus, if Apple goes for battery life at the cost of CPU power, they look bad compared to the mighty but short lived competition. If they up the processor but take a battery hit, there's a battery life champion to sing the praises of. If they keep weight and size at a minimum there's a bigger and heavier machine that has some advantages. If they use better components and charge more there's a cheaper alternative, and on and on.
So they should've stuck an Atom CPU there to increase the battery life. Sony's Vaio X series have them and get you up to 10h at the same 11" form factor at almost the price of the new MBAs.
Would you care if it had an Atom over the Core2Duo?
Actually they require an extended battery to get 10 hours of battery life. Without the extended battery, they only get 3 hours. The battery life the MBA gets is even better than you suggest.
Note: A Sony Vaio X with an extended battery does not have the same form factor as the MBA:
I don't like that power button so close to the delete key. I hit the eject key by accident all the time; if that was a power button that would be very annoying.
You have to press and hold the power button for several seconds before it powers down. You cannot accidentally turn your machine off.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kkerst
I don't get it. Why would I buy an Air 11" but for the same price, I get a much better machine buying the MacBook 13"? Makes no sense to me.
Because for some people, they want something that is ultra portable. They don't need a large display, an optical drive, etc. For those people, a very light and compact 11.6'' will fit their needs better than a 13'' model.
I don't understand why anyone thinks 16:9 displays are a good idea on a small notebook. On a large display like an iMac, you can display documents side by side. But on a notebook, most documents are too small to read side by side. So 16:9 is only good for widescreen videos, and it doesn't give you enough vertical space to work on documents or view photographs with a portrait orientation.
I have to agree. Above 22" the 16:9 is tolerable but for something as small as the MBA, it's a curious choice. At least the iPad has a 4:3 aspect screen.
Actually they require an extended battery to get 10 hours of battery life. Without the extended battery, they only get 3 hours. The battery life the MBA gets is even better than you suggest.
Note: A Sony Vaio X with an extended battery does not have the same form factor as the MBA:
So basically, Sony's 3hrs on a single core Atom vs MBA's 5hrs on a Core 2 Duo. hmmm.... Boy, that battery extender makes it even more ugly.
~~~
I just did a spec for spec comparison Sony's X series and the 11" MBA:
I'm getting tired about hearing how "great" you are. Good job, Apple granted two things on your wishlist of many many things you want. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Tell that to my microwave: it's stopped clock says "SET TIME"
Blu-ray players are already cheap. Last holiday season they were under $100, now you can even one for under $27. I’d expect B&M retail stores will have plenty around $79 this holiday shopping season.
But they aren’t any good. Having a video take 5 minutes to load, be choppy and blocky, pause between chapters, or simply quit altogether doesn’t make for a good experience. But, hey, tey technically can play Blu-ray.
Bu those are large, clunky drives that are poor in every way. Apple would have to use a 9.5mm ultra-slim tray-loading Blu-ray player. But how makes those? Why would Apple invest in them?
I download a lot of torrents of UK shows (can’t get them in the US) and I’ll go for the SD AVIs over the HD MKVs if available. on my 13” MBP I just don’t get a visual advantage.
It’s clear that Blu-ray is great for an home theater setup, but it’s pointless for notebook users, which is Apple’s Mac bread-and-butter.
Honestly, Bruce, what benefit would a $700 option for a $999 MacBook would Blu-ray offer on a 1280x800 13.3” display?
AgreedI finally bought a fantastic blu-ray for 100 bucks that plays old dvd's too.
... I wonder ?? Is blu-ray just the player/disc or is blu ray a type of encoding that can be put on flash drives and the such ??
With so many billions of dollars splashed around in the movie/tv biz I wish we had a single HD system .
My friend next year mac tripper blacintosh and the rest will scream for 3D DRIVES IN THE MACS !!
I don't see many posts saying the doors are awesome, it sounds like they had other issues with your design. Without seeing the pictures it's difficult to really discuss.
You're just going to have to give me the benefit of the doubt. Door was bad design, I said get rid of it, but people were saying they liked it. Then Apple got rid of it. It's really that simple. I wanted the ports flat-walled, like they are now. Again, thank you Apple.
Comments
Another thing that struck me again was how enthousiastic the persons who visit the shop were. Clients explain to each other the ins and outs of the machines. So cool! Sometimes it's hard to distinguish the personell and the clients because also the people who work there just radiate 'Apple is fun.' I had a good time there in the Apple shop
Love to see this thread. People may have disagreed with certain aspects of your design, but not the removal of the trapdoor.
The issue with dragging up this thread is the Flickr account is no longer with us. Nevertheless, you'll get the point: http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=84681
Ignore the ethernet talk, I admit that isn't needed. Point being; kill the trap-door, which they did.
Perhaps this interest is another testament evidenced by the success of the iPad. I.e., a lot of people don't need a full blown computer or use the likes of Photoshop/Illustrator/Final Cut Pro/Lightroom/Aperture/Logic, etc.
It is also interesting, that although iLife '11's three major apps did not get the heart rate up to the same level, the Suite is already #1 on Amazon's Best Selling Software List. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/software
We should keep in mind that there are a lot of folks out there that whether to do their job or acquire an education, word processing and all that entails, e.g., researching/corresponding, is their number one focus. And in that light, a MacBook Air with MS Office/iWorks/Safari, along with Mail/Address Book/iCalendar, is more than sufficient. This is particularly true, if it has to be in arms' length for much of their working day, and they have a few toys/games/hobbies and music to play with at the end of the day.
Certainly, something that should not be begrudged.
13" MacBook Air: AUDIO: STERIO
The issue with dragging up this thread is the Flickr account is no longer with us. Nevertheless, you'll get the point: http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=84681
Ignore the ethernet talk, I admit that isn't needed. Point being; kill the trap-door, which they did.
With all due respect, Ireland, most of the flack you took on thread came from two things: your not unusual tone of imperious certainty and contempt for anyone who disagrees with you, and the fact that your design solution for the door involved a kind of bulbous protrusion along the port area-- not any particular horror that the door was a great good and Apple would be foolish to eliminate it.
So they eliminated the door, just as you wished, but via an entirely different design vocabulary. And just in general, constantly demanding that Apple accede to your obvious superior design sense and then crowing when your and their intentions occasionally align is just sort of off-putting.
I hope this doesn't sound too mean; I like your ideas and your enthusiasm. But you seem to be growing ever more dismissive and belligerent and convinced of your unerring rightness, and those just aren't good qualities, for anyone about anything. I seem to recall you used to have a little more sense of humor about it all?
11" MacBook Air: AUDIO: MONO
13" MacBook Air: AUDIO: STERIO
That's not what the apple spec says - 11.6" stereo!
I'll be ordering a 11,6" 4Gb, 1.6GHz, 128Gb this week.
Something I'd like to know, is whether it would be possible to get an 256Gb SSD in 11.6".
Apple don't offer one as an option, but could you order a part for the 13" one, or swap one from the 13" one and transplant it to the 11.6" Air? It should be the right sort, would it fit physically?
Hmmm ... maybe I should email iFixIt about it, they've probably taken apart at least one of each by now.
The issue with dragging up this thread is the Flickr account is no longer with us. Nevertheless, you'll get the point: http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=84681
Ignore the ethernet talk, I admit that isn't needed. Point being; kill the trap-door, which they did.
I don't see many posts saying the doors are awesome, it sounds like they had other issues with your design. Without seeing the pictures it's difficult to really discuss, but i will quote part of your OP:
Point being they could have not used that stupid, stupid, stupid door and made a flat side wall to accommodate more ports, particularly an ethernet port. And the ports would also be able to be used by "all" peripherals. They could have done this side part is a sleek way, it could have actually looked good. Taper the whole side accept for the area around the ports, and make the transition between both shapes gradually contoured. Obviously this is a crude mockup, but then again the Air was designed by an amateur also - Ive's intern. Dongles, UBS hubs? As Jobs said about the stylus; "you have to get them, and put them away.. yuck!" I agree Steve, Yuck! Besides, the Air could then come with a 1 meter ethernet chord for very quick migration, no need for Firewire.
You say ignore the Ethernet port part, but is seems like it was very important to you at the time. You description of how the area around the ports would look sounds downright awful, no wonder people didn't like it. Apple went with a flat side wall with a tapered base below it, not a flat side wall transitioning into a tapered side wall. Basically all your mockups (based on the description) seem to have in common with the new MBA is that they found away to eliminate the door. I bet if we were to take a survey of what MBA owners hated the most, that door would rank pretty high. So suggesting Apple remove them is hardly a unique idea.
Needless to say, why are you bragging about your "prediction" and mocking all those who doubted you even though the ones that doubted you aren't even posting in this thread? I'm getting tired about hearing how "great" you are. Good job, Apple granted two things on your wishlist of many many things you want. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
I can live with everything except for the battery life.
So they should've stuck an Atom CPU there to increase the battery life. Sony's Vaio X series have them and get you up to 10h at the same 11" form factor at almost the price of the new MBAs.
Would you care if it had an Atom over the Core2Duo?
Thus, if Apple goes for battery life at the cost of CPU power, they look bad compared to the mighty but short lived competition. If they up the processor but take a battery hit, there's a battery life champion to sing the praises of. If they keep weight and size at a minimum there's a bigger and heavier machine that has some advantages. If they use better components and charge more there's a cheaper alternative, and on and on.
So they should've stuck an Atom CPU there to increase the battery life. Sony's Vaio X series have them and get you up to 10h at the same 11" form factor at almost the price of the new MBAs.
Would you care if it had an Atom over the Core2Duo?
Actually they require an extended battery to get 10 hours of battery life. Without the extended battery, they only get 3 hours. The battery life the MBA gets is even better than you suggest.
Note: A Sony Vaio X with an extended battery does not have the same form factor as the MBA:
I don't like that power button so close to the delete key. I hit the eject key by accident all the time; if that was a power button that would be very annoying.
You have to press and hold the power button for several seconds before it powers down. You cannot accidentally turn your machine off.
I don't get it. Why would I buy an Air 11" but for the same price, I get a much better machine buying the MacBook 13"? Makes no sense to me.
Because for some people, they want something that is ultra portable. They don't need a large display, an optical drive, etc. For those people, a very light and compact 11.6'' will fit their needs better than a 13'' model.
I don't understand why anyone thinks 16:9 displays are a good idea on a small notebook. On a large display like an iMac, you can display documents side by side. But on a notebook, most documents are too small to read side by side. So 16:9 is only good for widescreen videos, and it doesn't give you enough vertical space to work on documents or view photographs with a portrait orientation.
I have to agree. Above 22" the 16:9 is tolerable but for something as small as the MBA, it's a curious choice. At least the iPad has a 4:3 aspect screen.
Actually they require an extended battery to get 10 hours of battery life. Without the extended battery, they only get 3 hours. The battery life the MBA gets is even better than you suggest.
Note: A Sony Vaio X with an extended battery does not have the same form factor as the MBA:
So basically, Sony's 3hrs on a single core Atom vs MBA's 5hrs on a Core 2 Duo. hmmm.... Boy, that battery extender makes it even more ugly.
~~~
I just did a spec for spec comparison Sony's X series and the 11" MBA:
Intel Atom Z550 @ 2.00 GHz (single core)
Intel GMA 500 graphics
2GB RAM
128GB SSD
3 Hour battery
$1499
Macbook Air 11.6"
1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo
Nvidia Geforce 320M
2GB RAM
128GB SSD
5 Hour battery
$1299
MBA is still cheaper with a much better GPU.
I wonder how it performs when you benchmark them.
I'm getting tired about hearing how "great" you are. Good job, Apple granted two things on your wishlist of many many things you want. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Tell that to my microwave: it's stopped clock says "SET TIME"
So basically, Sony's 3hrs on a single core Atom vs MBA's 5hrs on a Core 2 Duo. hmmm.... Boy, that battery extender makes it even more ugly.
And another half a pound. Together over $1500.
Tell that to my microwave: it's stopped clock says "SET TIME"
Don't you worry-- Set Time will come around eventually, and who will be laughing then? I mean besides me, maniacally to myself, in the rubble.
Blu-ray players are already cheap. Last holiday season they were under $100, now you can even one for under $27. I’d expect B&M retail stores will have plenty around $79 this holiday shopping season.
But they aren’t any good. Having a video take 5 minutes to load, be choppy and blocky, pause between chapters, or simply quit altogether doesn’t make for a good experience. But, hey, tey technically can play Blu-ray.
Bu those are large, clunky drives that are poor in every way. Apple would have to use a 9.5mm ultra-slim tray-loading Blu-ray player. But how makes those? Why would Apple invest in them?
I download a lot of torrents of UK shows (can’t get them in the US) and I’ll go for the SD AVIs over the HD MKVs if available. on my 13” MBP I just don’t get a visual advantage.
It’s clear that Blu-ray is great for an home theater setup, but it’s pointless for notebook users, which is Apple’s Mac bread-and-butter.
Honestly, Bruce, what benefit would a $700 option for a $999 MacBook would Blu-ray offer on a 1280x800 13.3” display?
AgreedI finally bought a fantastic blu-ray for 100 bucks that plays old dvd's too.
... I wonder ?? Is blu-ray just the player/disc or is blu ray a type of encoding that can be put on flash drives and the such ??
With so many billions of dollars splashed around in the movie/tv biz I wish we had a single HD system .
My friend next year mac tripper blacintosh and the rest will scream for 3D DRIVES IN THE MACS !!
The Air isn't intended for a lot of people then.
Get real. For a vast majority of human beings, 4GB is plenty for what they use computers for.
I don't see many posts saying the doors are awesome, it sounds like they had other issues with your design. Without seeing the pictures it's difficult to really discuss.
You're just going to have to give me the benefit of the doubt. Door was bad design, I said get rid of it, but people were saying they liked it. Then Apple got rid of it. It's really that simple. I wanted the ports flat-walled, like they are now. Again, thank you Apple.
You say ignore the Ethernet port part, but is seems like it was very important to you at the time.
It would still be handy to have it. The main point was the door, that's why I did the mockup, to get rid of it.