All this banter about Pros and Cons.... Let's just wait and see what the "above average Joe" does. If he / she does not like the features verses the price point then the sales figures will show it and Apple will fix the shortcomings or kill it off a la the Cube.
My money is Apple will add those connectivity ports to open the MPA to a wider audience and very soon at that. I don't see a price drop.
I think the point of caring about sound is more relevant when you are at home alone on the couch or better yet sitting in a hotel bed in Tokyo trying to watch a movie or something streaming.
Good point. I, like all the naysayers, was looking it from the POV that I'd be using it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jules
Hey is it true that there is no built in microphone in the air, and no line/mic/any sound input?
I had heard the rumour, but wasn't sure
There is an internal mic, there just isn't a mini-stereo jack for an external mic.
I know it's got that "Wow" factor in the form of ultra-thinness, but overall I think the cons far outweigh the pros.
Extremely limited storage, lack of ports, no optical drive making you dependent on another computer (what if you're away from your "home" computer but you need to load something to the MBA? No computers around you have the wireless drive feature installed? man you're screwed), non-removable battery, etc etc.
But hey you DO get backlit keys, right? And for all these lacking features, Apple wants you to pay $500+ more than a more capable (and same footprint) MacBook? Me thinks not.
Seriously, as someone pointed out above, if you can't stand the extra 2lbs, $500 for a gym membership ain't that bad an idea. And crap, if you spend just $200 more, you can have a MBP, with all the bonuses of the MBA (casing, keys, etc), and none of the drawbacks (save for 1.2 pounds or so).
It's nothing more than a status symbol. Serious people are going to opt for the MBA, and price-conscious consumers are going to opt for the MacBook. People worried about their status are going to opt for the MBA.
That's the breakdown.
$1,800 ($2,000 after tax in many places) for a laptop with those specs is ridiculous! I don't care if it's made out of balsa wood and solar powered. What does it take to make Apple realize that they need to produce something affordable for the average consumer. This is their biggest blunder by far. A beautiful machine, mind you, but then so was the DeLorean.
I think the point of caring about sound is more relevant when you are at home alone on the couch or better yet sitting in a hotel bed in Tokyo trying to watch a movie or something streaming.
Good point. I, like all the naysayers, was looking it from the POV that I'd be using it.
I had not thought about this until the last few weeks when I have seen just how many TV shows and films are available streaming for free (e.g. moviesister.com/nabolister.com) or via downloads from itunes. Using headphones or plugging it is unattractive as you move from room to room or when you are on the road or just in your office with the door closed.
Again, I don't know that it is bad and I am not expecting an Altec Lansing experience. But I am curious what 1 speaker under a keyboard sounds like.
$1,800 ($2,000 after tax in many places) for a laptop with those specs is ridiculous! I don't care if it's made out of balsa wood and solar powered. What does it take to make Apple realize that they need to produce something affordable for the average consumer. This is their biggest blunder by far. A beautiful machine, mind you, but then so was the DeLorean.
Not that market for this laptop. That is the entry macbook (which is 999 with ed discount right?). What if it were carbon fiber and even lighter? Personally, I'd love balsa wood.
Not that market for this laptop. That is the entry macbook (which is 999 with ed discount right?). What if it were carbon fiber and even lighter? Personally, I'd love balsa wood.
Is carbon fiber a better choice for structural integrity with such thin pieces. Polycarbonate is very strong but the MB casing seems thicker than the aluminium on the MBP.
$1,800 ($2,000 after tax in many places) for a laptop with those specs is ridiculous! I don't care if it's made out of balsa wood and solar powered. What does it take to make Apple realize that they need to produce something affordable for the average consumer. This is their biggest blunder by far. A beautiful machine, mind you, but then so was the DeLorean.
In defense of Apple, they already have something affordable for the average consumer, the Macbook.
In defense of Apple, they already have something affordable for the average consumer, the Macbook.
Maybe he wants Apple to produce a Celeron based notebook for $400 that comes with excessive trialware that keeps popping up subsidized adverts to buy software.
Is carbon fiber a better choice for structural integrity with such thin pieces. Polycarbonate is very strong but the MB casing seems thicker than the aluminium on the MBP.
I wouldn't think so, it's very flexible in thin sheets, you'd have to build it up at least as thick as the plastic to get that kind of rigidity. Carbon fiber seems to need to be in a continuous curve to be strong.
Maybe he wants Apple to produce a Celeron based notebook for $400 that comes with excessive trialware that keeps popping up subsidized adverts to buy software.
The MBA has a target market and suits their needs just perfect. Im just curious as to how many units people expect Apple to shift for the MBA.
So far i've worked out that its a
a. expensive computer for a secondary computer, or an average joe
b. unparalleled design and form features as well as brilliant weight
c. designed primarily for the road warrior and traveller where weight is a premium
d. designed for hip people who take style over comprimise at any price (young high net income individuals)
e. seems to work in conjunction with a home network that is already set up and on average seem to have at least one high level functioning computer (I would the imac is the benchmark here).
I know there are alot of people that fit these requirements out there. But in terms of the actual market its probably really small. I would hazard a guess that most people are looking for a more powerful MB type laptop at a slightly higher price. Or a slightly thinner MB with a light high to performance.
I wouldn't think so, it's very flexible in thin sheets, you'd have to build it up at least as thick as the plastic to get that kind of rigidity. Carbon fiber seems to need to be in a continuous curve to be strong.
That is what I was thinking.
Quote:
Balsa is a hardwood?
It's the softest of the commercial hardwoods. The definition of soft and hard wood originally referred to conifers (cones) and angiosperms (flowering), respectively. Since Balsa is found in South America the definition was set well before the Europeans reach the Americas.
Is carbon fiber a better choice for structural integrity with such thin pieces. Polycarbonate is very strong but the MB casing seems thicker than the aluminium on the MBP.
Balsa is the my favorite hardwood.
I don't know, but guess the advantage with carbon fiber would be if they had adopted a more box like shape I think. Could be thicker, but light. Thickness would not matter so much. The carbon fiber in planes and race cars is often surprisingly thin given the weight and stress it is under.
I was actually wondering about magnesium vs. aluminum as well.
My ibook 12inch is pretty pristine (only minor scratches), but kind of heavy compared to the pbook inch. Thought it was 5.1 vs. 4.6 or something like that. Not huge, but about a 10% weight penalty.
It's the softest of the commercial hardwoods. The definition of soft and hard wood originally referred to conifers (cones) and angiosperms (flowering), respectively. Since Balsa is found in South America the definition was set well before the Europeans reach the Americas.
It's erudite comments like this that make me feel better to be on this website. Too bad we all seem to disagree so much.
With luck I will get a quick intro on carbon fiber and magnesium in the next 10 minutes as well, even if I won't see them in a laptop anytime soon.
Surely we know it will be slower than the rest of the Mac line, but what is interesting is how well a 1.6GHz MBA fairs against a 2.16GHz MBP that was being sold only 8 months ago.
I feel that most everyone here has a valid point, some expressing it more civilly than others.
A common theme that I am seeing here in some of the negative reviews is that this sub-notebook is being rated as though it were meant to be a catch-all people-pleaser capable of being a stand-alone device.
There are a lot of "what if's" involved in these port/drive arguements.
If the answer to even one of those "what if's" is yes, then one should do the logical thing and reconsider this as the device that meets one's needs.
Some of the more apt reviews praise its convenience in its purpose, and simply warn that it is most suited as a companion for travelers or for lighter users looking for simplicity, not for power-users.
Of course, this is more obvious, but some choose to pick and pick at "flaws" in design.
I get that price and ports and drives are all important.
There are other devices, like the MacBook, that meet the demands of all of the above. Even most Windows machines meet these demands. What the MacBook and the others don't meet is a form factor demand. Granted, it is not a huge difference in size and weight, but for some, it is.
I know that I am by no means a power user, currently. On the Black MacBook I borrow from my school, I may have the display set to about one third brightness, just so that I can see my typed words. I may only be using MS Word, and possibly iTunes, with headphones on, with WiFi off. And I still may only get about 3.5 hours out of it if I'm lucky.
Now, imagine if I applied these same circumstances to the MacBook Air. I am guessing I could probably get near, if not more than the 5 hours of battery life promised by Apple.
There is, of course, compromise: form factor > power draining features, as well as, price, to complicate the mix.
Anyone with a simple understanding of business can appreciate why the price is high for what is, admittedly, "less". Higher initial research and development cost paired with higher initial component cost begets higher price per manufactured unit cost, which ultimately means a higher retail cost for consumers.
For those who do not follow, the reason a MacBook with "more" is less expensive, is because its components are less expensive, and now that the initial development is over for that model, expense per unit goes down, which Apple then uses to use more updated components as their prices go down.
I think it is reasonable to assume that the MacBook Air will receive similar treatment, and will be appropriately updated when updated technology becomes less expensive.
Now, if anyone has learned anything from history, it is that today's flaws may be tomorrow's standards.
This device is a bit early for those who are not forward-thinkers. For those of who are, the constant bickering about ports and drives are irksome, to say the least.
Honestly, I don't think anyone has a problem with a view expressed well with supportive reasoning. A simple "It's not for me because I need [this] for [this certain reason]", or something similar, could even suffice. It is easier to respect an honest opinion than a blatant insult or exaggeration, and it attracts less negative response.
Individual opinion is great, but expressing it poorly without support, especially for more brazen statements, will only trigger anger and annoyance, in which case, the comments should just be omitted.
Other users, like anantksundaram, seem to hold my same sentiments in regards to this.
My opinion on the given topic was stated above with support, in a diplomatic manner.
I would hope that anyone with with even a high school education could do the same.
Comments
It's obvious that Air was designed for SSD, not HDD. Just wait until the price drops.
In the mean time, Jobs is happy to foist a b grade product on you.
He always does this with early adopters. And then tries to make them spend even more money later to upgrade.
My money is Apple will add those connectivity ports to open the MPA to a wider audience and very soon at that. I don't see a price drop.
I had heard the rumour, but wasn't sure
I think the point of caring about sound is more relevant when you are at home alone on the couch or better yet sitting in a hotel bed in Tokyo trying to watch a movie or something streaming.
Good point. I, like all the naysayers, was looking it from the POV that I'd be using it.
Hey is it true that there is no built in microphone in the air, and no line/mic/any sound input?
I had heard the rumour, but wasn't sure
There is an internal mic, there just isn't a mini-stereo jack for an external mic.
I know it's got that "Wow" factor in the form of ultra-thinness, but overall I think the cons far outweigh the pros.
Extremely limited storage, lack of ports, no optical drive making you dependent on another computer (what if you're away from your "home" computer but you need to load something to the MBA? No computers around you have the wireless drive feature installed? man you're screwed), non-removable battery, etc etc.
But hey you DO get backlit keys, right? And for all these lacking features, Apple wants you to pay $500+ more than a more capable (and same footprint) MacBook? Me thinks not.
Seriously, as someone pointed out above, if you can't stand the extra 2lbs, $500 for a gym membership ain't that bad an idea. And crap, if you spend just $200 more, you can have a MBP, with all the bonuses of the MBA (casing, keys, etc), and none of the drawbacks (save for 1.2 pounds or so).
It's nothing more than a status symbol. Serious people are going to opt for the MBA, and price-conscious consumers are going to opt for the MacBook. People worried about their status are going to opt for the MBA.
That's the breakdown.
$1,800 ($2,000 after tax in many places) for a laptop with those specs is ridiculous! I don't care if it's made out of balsa wood and solar powered. What does it take to make Apple realize that they need to produce something affordable for the average consumer. This is their biggest blunder by far. A beautiful machine, mind you, but then so was the DeLorean.
Originally Posted by NYCMacFan
I think the point of caring about sound is more relevant when you are at home alone on the couch or better yet sitting in a hotel bed in Tokyo trying to watch a movie or something streaming.
Good point. I, like all the naysayers, was looking it from the POV that I'd be using it.
I had not thought about this until the last few weeks when I have seen just how many TV shows and films are available streaming for free (e.g. moviesister.com/nabolister.com) or via downloads from itunes. Using headphones or plugging it is unattractive as you move from room to room or when you are on the road or just in your office with the door closed.
Again, I don't know that it is bad and I am not expecting an Altec Lansing experience. But I am curious what 1 speaker under a keyboard sounds like.
$1,800 ($2,000 after tax in many places) for a laptop with those specs is ridiculous! I don't care if it's made out of balsa wood and solar powered. What does it take to make Apple realize that they need to produce something affordable for the average consumer. This is their biggest blunder by far. A beautiful machine, mind you, but then so was the DeLorean.
Not that market for this laptop. That is the entry macbook (which is 999 with ed discount right?). What if it were carbon fiber and even lighter? Personally, I'd love balsa wood.
Not that market for this laptop. That is the entry macbook (which is 999 with ed discount right?). What if it were carbon fiber and even lighter? Personally, I'd love balsa wood.
Is carbon fiber a better choice for structural integrity with such thin pieces. Polycarbonate is very strong but the MB casing seems thicker than the aluminium on the MBP.
Balsa is the my favorite hardwood.
$1,800 ($2,000 after tax in many places) for a laptop with those specs is ridiculous! I don't care if it's made out of balsa wood and solar powered. What does it take to make Apple realize that they need to produce something affordable for the average consumer. This is their biggest blunder by far. A beautiful machine, mind you, but then so was the DeLorean.
In defense of Apple, they already have something affordable for the average consumer, the Macbook.
In defense of Apple, they already have something affordable for the average consumer, the Macbook.
Maybe he wants Apple to produce a Celeron based notebook for $400 that comes with excessive trialware that keeps popping up subsidized adverts to buy software.
Is carbon fiber a better choice for structural integrity with such thin pieces. Polycarbonate is very strong but the MB casing seems thicker than the aluminium on the MBP.
I wouldn't think so, it's very flexible in thin sheets, you'd have to build it up at least as thick as the plastic to get that kind of rigidity. Carbon fiber seems to need to be in a continuous curve to be strong.
Balsa is the my favorite hardwood.
Balsa is a hardwood?
Maybe he wants Apple to produce a Celeron based notebook for $400 that comes with excessive trialware that keeps popping up subsidized adverts to buy software.
I totally overlooked that possibility...
So far i've worked out that its a
a. expensive computer for a secondary computer, or an average joe
b. unparalleled design and form features as well as brilliant weight
c. designed primarily for the road warrior and traveller where weight is a premium
d. designed for hip people who take style over comprimise at any price (young high net income individuals)
e. seems to work in conjunction with a home network that is already set up and on average seem to have at least one high level functioning computer (I would the imac is the benchmark here).
I know there are alot of people that fit these requirements out there. But in terms of the actual market its probably really small. I would hazard a guess that most people are looking for a more powerful MB type laptop at a slightly higher price. Or a slightly thinner MB with a light high to performance.
I wouldn't think so, it's very flexible in thin sheets, you'd have to build it up at least as thick as the plastic to get that kind of rigidity. Carbon fiber seems to need to be in a continuous curve to be strong.
That is what I was thinking.
Balsa is a hardwood?
It's the softest of the commercial hardwoods. The definition of soft and hard wood originally referred to conifers (cones) and angiosperms (flowering), respectively. Since Balsa is found in South America the definition was set well before the Europeans reach the Americas.
Is carbon fiber a better choice for structural integrity with such thin pieces. Polycarbonate is very strong but the MB casing seems thicker than the aluminium on the MBP.
Balsa is the my favorite hardwood.
I don't know, but guess the advantage with carbon fiber would be if they had adopted a more box like shape I think. Could be thicker, but light. Thickness would not matter so much. The carbon fiber in planes and race cars is often surprisingly thin given the weight and stress it is under.
I was actually wondering about magnesium vs. aluminum as well.
My ibook 12inch is pretty pristine (only minor scratches), but kind of heavy compared to the pbook inch. Thought it was 5.1 vs. 4.6 or something like that. Not huge, but about a 10% weight penalty.
It's the softest of the commercial hardwoods. The definition of soft and hard wood originally referred to conifers (cones) and angiosperms (flowering), respectively. Since Balsa is found in South America the definition was set well before the Europeans reach the Americas.
It's erudite comments like this that make me feel better to be on this website. Too bad we all seem to disagree so much.
With luck I will get a quick intro on carbon fiber and magnesium in the next 10 minutes as well, even if I won't see them in a laptop anytime soon.
By the end of July. I'm neither crazy (First run Apple notebook? No thanks) nor rich (I'm gonna need to save up a little cash...)
And UMPCs that cost as much are made to be one's primary computer?
UMPCs that cost as much have more features than the Air. Some UMPCs with an SSD are the same price as the base price of the Air with a regular HD.
A common theme that I am seeing here in some of the negative reviews is that this sub-notebook is being rated as though it were meant to be a catch-all people-pleaser capable of being a stand-alone device.
There are a lot of "what if's" involved in these port/drive arguements.
If the answer to even one of those "what if's" is yes, then one should do the logical thing and reconsider this as the device that meets one's needs.
Some of the more apt reviews praise its convenience in its purpose, and simply warn that it is most suited as a companion for travelers or for lighter users looking for simplicity, not for power-users.
Of course, this is more obvious, but some choose to pick and pick at "flaws" in design.
I get that price and ports and drives are all important.
There are other devices, like the MacBook, that meet the demands of all of the above. Even most Windows machines meet these demands. What the MacBook and the others don't meet is a form factor demand. Granted, it is not a huge difference in size and weight, but for some, it is.
I know that I am by no means a power user, currently. On the Black MacBook I borrow from my school, I may have the display set to about one third brightness, just so that I can see my typed words. I may only be using MS Word, and possibly iTunes, with headphones on, with WiFi off. And I still may only get about 3.5 hours out of it if I'm lucky.
Now, imagine if I applied these same circumstances to the MacBook Air. I am guessing I could probably get near, if not more than the 5 hours of battery life promised by Apple.
There is, of course, compromise: form factor > power draining features, as well as, price, to complicate the mix.
Anyone with a simple understanding of business can appreciate why the price is high for what is, admittedly, "less". Higher initial research and development cost paired with higher initial component cost begets higher price per manufactured unit cost, which ultimately means a higher retail cost for consumers.
For those who do not follow, the reason a MacBook with "more" is less expensive, is because its components are less expensive, and now that the initial development is over for that model, expense per unit goes down, which Apple then uses to use more updated components as their prices go down.
I think it is reasonable to assume that the MacBook Air will receive similar treatment, and will be appropriately updated when updated technology becomes less expensive.
Now, if anyone has learned anything from history, it is that today's flaws may be tomorrow's standards.
This device is a bit early for those who are not forward-thinkers. For those of who are, the constant bickering about ports and drives are irksome, to say the least.
Honestly, I don't think anyone has a problem with a view expressed well with supportive reasoning. A simple "It's not for me because I need [this] for [this certain reason]", or something similar, could even suffice. It is easier to respect an honest opinion than a blatant insult or exaggeration, and it attracts less negative response.
Individual opinion is great, but expressing it poorly without support, especially for more brazen statements, will only trigger anger and annoyance, in which case, the comments should just be omitted.
Other users, like anantksundaram, seem to hold my same sentiments in regards to this.
My opinion on the given topic was stated above with support, in a diplomatic manner.
I would hope that anyone with with even a high school education could do the same.
If not, don't post until you can, please.