Apple releases new MacBook Airs with Thunderbolt, backlit keyboards

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  • Reply 21 of 118
    chabigchabig Posts: 641member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JDW View Post


    A superb MacBook Air line, horribly marred only by their lack of a modern, FaceTime HD camera. It makes no sense whatsoever. Apple's cost to add such a camera is insignificant.



    And you know this...how?
  • Reply 22 of 118
    chabigchabig Posts: 641member
    The 13" with 4GB/256GB used to be $1799. Now it's $1599.
  • Reply 23 of 118
    brainlessbrainless Posts: 272member
    Where is the 15'' model (with mate hi-res display) ?
  • Reply 24 of 118
    applegreenapplegreen Posts: 421member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JDW View Post


    A superb MacBook Air line, horribly marred only by their lack of a modern, FaceTime HD camera. It makes no sense whatsoever. Apple's cost to add such a camera is insignificant.



    Apple wants you to buy the new display to get Facetime HD
  • Reply 25 of 118
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lamewing View Post


    It seems they didn't imporve the Macbook Air battery life. At this point, that is the only thing keeping me from buying one. I guess the Macbook Pro is still in my future.



    They doubled the performance, added Thunderbolt and backlighting while maintaining the 7 hour battery life and you think it hasn't improved? It would have had to improve in order to maintain the same life while performing twice as fast.
  • Reply 26 of 118
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    I wonder if it is a cost or reliability issue.
  • Reply 27 of 118
    wovelwovel Posts: 956member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post


    Amusing pricing for us UK customers - $999 = £620, but using Apple's magic currency converter it comes out at £849 ($1369).



    Oh Apple, you are such tinkers.



    We always see these complaints. They always ignore VAT and the fact that it simply costs more money to do business in the UK. Apple does not want to have one price online and a higher price in their retail store. You really should not blame Apple for the Tax and Economic situation in the UK.
  • Reply 28 of 118
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ecs View Post


    I thought the battery in the 13-inch models was similar in both the MBA and MBP, at least the marketing wording names both as "7 hour lasting" (and I can tell you that my late 2010 13-inch MBA lasts for nearly 7 hours on battery)



    Precisely. My late 2010 13-inch MBA lasts at least 7 hours at school. The read-out actually starts at about 10 hours with brightness at its lowest visible setting and MS Word + light browser lookups every now and then. My MBA compared favorably to my MBP (late 2009). Oh, and then there's the snappiness of the SSD and that lightweight, sexy body! Now with a backlit keyboard and other new features it's even more attractive.



    Highly recommend the MBA unless you really need more processing power.
  • Reply 29 of 118
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    So 2GB RAM as standard, 4GB as max. Also, not doubling of storage, thought the 11" now has 256GB option.
  • Reply 30 of 118
    chris vchris v Posts: 460member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Brainless View Post


    Where is the 15'' model (with mate hi-res display) ?



    Our ultra-portable line just got less portable!



    Seriously, though -- my wife's been using a 12" PowerBook for the last year or so. I think I'm saving up for Christmas. This is plenty of computer for someone who just needs email, web, Word & Excel.
  • Reply 31 of 118
    bryanlbryanl Posts: 67member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by screamingfist View Post


    apple knows whats best for you. you don't need more than 4.



    I actually would like 12GB or 16GB. 8GB isn't really enough for me anymore.



  • Reply 32 of 118
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post


    Amusing pricing for us UK customers - $999 = £620, but using Apple's magic currency converter it comes out at £849 ($1369).



    Oh Apple, you are such tinkers.



    Amusing that your government charges 10% import duties and 20% VAT. Every time I go to London, I'm shocked at how high pricing is for all electronics (and food, and well, pretty much everything else).
  • Reply 33 of 118
    svnippsvnipp Posts: 430member
    I'm guessing that the next refresh will have the memory and SSD upgrades that lots of people were predicting/hoping for this time around. This does look like a pretty awesome update though. I've been tinkering around with the idea of getting one of the new iMacs, but now I'm wondering if I just get the wife a newer Air and swipe her new MBP.



    My biggest concern is running a couple of upcoming titles on the MBP like Skyrim and The Old Republic. Yeah, I'm kind of a gamer though I'm not hard core by any stretch. I'm guessing that those would run very playable on the new MBPs.
  • Reply 34 of 118
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    I wonder if it is a cost or reliability issue.



    Cost. 480GB at OWc costs $859 for their cheapest model, and $1249 for their fastest model. That half of what it was several months ago, but still pretty high. Apple would have to charge more, as all computer manufacturers do.
  • Reply 35 of 118
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Brainless View Post


    Where is the 15'' model (with mate hi-res display) ?



    There was never a 15" Air. These are ultra portable models.
  • Reply 36 of 118
    inklinginkling Posts: 768member
    Quote:

    "The 1.6 GHz 11-inch MacBook Air is available in two models, one with 2GB of memory and 64GB of flash storage for a suggested retail price of $999 (US), and one with 4GB of memory and 128GB of flash storage for $1,199 (US)."



    Sears does this same thing. Have a "good" model that's just cheap enough to get people into the store. Once there, they begin to realize that :"good" really isn't that good and opt for the more pricey "better" or "best" models.



    The bad news is that battery life has been reduced, probably due to the new chips. That's a serious problem. I get four hours on my aging white MacBook and expect the OWC flash drive I just got to raise that to six hours. I'll get fast boots and app startups along with an equivalent battery life for just over $100 rather than $1000+. Thank you OWC!
  • Reply 37 of 118
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bryanl View Post


    I actually would like 12GB or 16GB. 8GB isn't really enough for me anymore.







    These aren't Photoshop machines. They're actually most popular with business people on the go.
  • Reply 38 of 118
    aiolosaiolos Posts: 228member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JDW View Post


    A superb MacBook Air line, horribly marred only by their lack of a modern, FaceTime HD camera. It makes no sense whatsoever. Apple's cost to add such a camera is insignificant.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bryanl View Post


    I was hoping they would upgrade the memory capacity to 8GB. Seems a bit disappointing among all the other good news.



    Again it's Apple not releasing everything you want so you have to upgrade later.



    I seriously can't understand the lack of a FaceTime HD camera though. The 8GB RAM is annoying but I understand it.



    Edit: For some reason this didn't post under just now??? Whatever, ignore and read post below.
  • Reply 39 of 118
    aiolosaiolos Posts: 228member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by success View Post


    No HD camera and no 8GB RAM option is a shame but I'll still be getting this this week and giving my white MacBook to someone.



    Question is should I wait 3 months to see if new MacBook Pros will come out because I already have an iPad2.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JDW View Post


    A superb MacBook Air line, horribly marred only by their lack of a modern, FaceTime HD camera. It makes no sense whatsoever. Apple's cost to add such a camera is insignificant.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleGreen View Post


    Apple wants you to buy the new display to get Facetime HD



    Actually, good news!



    I chatted with an Apple Rep who says it DOES have a FaceTime HD camera.



    It's on the product page, but only under the Thunderbolt I/O paragraph. Guess they forgot to update the page. I expect it'll be changed in a couple days.
  • Reply 40 of 118
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    There was never a 15" Air. These are ultra portable models.



    He's just whining about something that will never exist. Pay him no heed.
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