I used powerbook 1.5ghz and i barely used 100% of my cpu power. I used my macbook 1.83 core duo, i rarely get to 50% of cpu usage. I used my laptop for web browsing, emails, microsoft office and IM.
So people who say MBA is slow should think about what kind of use they are planning. Unless you are opening a lot of programs (meaning more programs that i mention above, video editing, or adobe programs, which means you probably want a MBP) you wont need that much power. I am currently using powerbook (3 years old) and im happy with it. Its not the fastest, but it gets the job done without delaying my work.
For 1.83 core duo (intel chip thats one year and a half old is still more than enough. MBA 1.8 is faster than 1.83 core duo.
(all of this assuming you have 2gb ram) which is what the MBA has.
I will defend MBA cpu speed. It is fast enough for web browsing, emails, microsoft office and IM.
It is true that most people don't need much power, and the people that do probably shouldn't be looking at the Air to begin with. I was never considering the Air, personally, but that's because I need at least a 15" screen, more than 3GB RAM, and apparently more than the 2.33 CPU I currently have in my MBPro. Of course, I'm constantly running Adobe applications, Maya, Rhino, AutoCAD, and 3D Studio Max thorugh Boot Camp among other apps. It's true that the Air seems to be geared more toward the Business, Office/e.mail/internet user than users that require incredible performance. People definitely need to realize this when judging the Air, and not expect it to be a Macbook Pro.
That article was so hard to read. He was talking about a movie, his dad, critics. I got about three paragraphs in and still didn't find any content. You get paid by the word or something?
It was pretty poorly written, but what do you expect from Apple Insider? It's pretty typical of this website. If I read another article that has the phrase "the Cupertino, California based company" in it 12 times, I'm going to throw my computer against the wall.
No, it's obviously not a smaller MBP ... the problem is that it's priced like one.
Hmm, so how much are you expecting it to be? As cheap as the MB? Apple dont want to kill their other product range.
Anyway MBA is ultraportable and totally not a hardware stripped down MBP. If Apple just make it a 12" people will just stop complaining or comparing it to the MB.
Apple ultraportable is 13" whereas the market is 11-12". So I guessed people dont see the MBA as a ultraportable although it is meant to be a ultraportable.
That PM??? slot that everybody keeps talking about. The one that some of the cellphone modems use. I obviously do not use one or I would know what's called.
Are you kidding. A fingerprint reader is a must have. No notebook computer should be without one. It's probably the most important feature of purchasing a notebook computer. Keyboard, screen, processors are just add ons. Being able to log-on with the swipe of a finger is way cool. I could spend the whole day doing that.
As fine a machine design (for lightness and space saving) as I think the MBAir is, it probably won't sell well at all. Maybe to a small amount of loyal Mac fans and a few business types. Most Americans are pretty much steeped into featuritis. They balance how much it costs to the number of features. The longer the feature list, the more they want it. It is the perception that they are really getting more for their money. That's how things sell. I knew guys that drove around with the features stickers on their cars for days. That's feature pride.
The MBAir is being dumped on by critics that don't even own one. They look and say that it's missing this and it's missing that (optical drive, ports, replaceable battery). Anyone who pays more and gets less is considered a chump, a fool, a patsy. I think Mac owners have always been considered that way. Why pay a $1800 for a Mac laptop? Acer has one with just as many features for $800. I've only purchased Macs for 20 some years. I must be a damn fool. I think my MacBook Pro C2D 2.33 is the finest Mac I've ever owned.
This isn't the world of art, where a couple of stick figures on a canvas warrants a $20,000 price tag. The intangibles of design and usefulness are in the eye of the beholder and really can't be quantified. I like using Macs because they just seem to suit me for some reason.
So I honestly think the MacBookAir will become the Mac Cube of 2008. Unfortunate, but that's how I see it no matter how much I want to to be a runaway hit.
Minimalism doesn't mean going without needed features, it means reducing the feature set to only those things which are needed. I agree with the tone of the article that most users don't need a lot of the stuff put into laptops, including the optical drive. But my main problem, if I were a prospective Air buyer, is that there is apparently only one USB port. My Powerbok G4 had three, my Macbook Pro has 2. Since Apple can't make a decent mouse, and the only people who seem to be able to is Logitech, that one port will be constantly occupied by the receiver for the mouse. Often I need the second port for a USB key. I think the minimum requirement for USB ports is two, and I don't think adding one more would've been a huge engineering challenge for Apple. I also don't think that it's THAT uncommon for people to require more than one USB port. Having to connect a hub negates the whole concept of ultra portability. That said, I'm not the customer the Air is intended for, since I need a larger screen, more power, and more RAM.
And connecting a mouse doesn't impact portability?
That PM??? slot that everybody keeps talking about. The one that some of the cellphone modems use. I obviously do not use one or I would know what's called.
Older laptops have PCMCIA (aka PC Card) type slots. Cards come in type I, II or III, each with the same length and width, but varying height. Later editions of the spec are also known as CardBus.
Newer laptops have ExpressCard slots. These are not backwards compatible with PCMCIA and come in two different sizes: 34 and 54.
1. How durable is this machine? Can it stand up to being put in a rucksack and transported around, banged on desks like a Macbook?
2. Without a security connection how are we meant to safeguard the system? Any hint from Apple that they overlooked this and will rectify in a future release?
From the exterior, it appears that it has the same characteristic as the macbook pro. They have aluminum casing which is very durable. It is a sturdy laptop. As far as i know, as long as you dont jump on it, it is very durable
From the exterior, it appears that it has the same characteristic as the macbook pro. They have aluminum casing which is very durable. It is a sturdy laptop. As far as i know, as long as you dont jump on it, it is very durable
I have tried one of those at the Apple store in NJ today.
It is a very durable, sturdy and incredibly light laptop. It feels just as durable as the Macbook Pro.
Two issues:
1. The Apple key is 4 keys away from the left, instead of 3, as on my desktop keyboard . What is the "fn" function key for? Very confusing.
2. The screen is horrible!!! I just cannot stand these glossy screens. For me that is the one show-stopper. I need a matte screen.
Otherwise the laptop was very snappy. Performance was great except that it easily choked on 1080p quicktime videos. The weight is very light, the thin body makes you forget that it is longer than the 12" Powerbook by a good inch (depth is about the same)
Therefore, it is our conclusion that the Powerbook 12" remains the best travel laptop. We still use it professionally for that purpose. If it was just as fast or as thin as the Powerbook Air, though....
I can't wait for the next quarter's results to see how the MBA has fared. My prediction is that it will be a blockbuster. Of course, I could be wrong about that, but that's my hunch.
What, though, would be "blockbuster" results?
The iPhone took second place for smart phones behind RIM, in its first half year of production.
If I remember correctly, it is the number one device for mobile browsing.
It "ONLY" sold 4 million in its first 6 months.
Many people have said Apple won't sell their goal of 10 million units by the end of the year.
Apple came into a huge market and made a big, bold statement and sold FOUR MILLION units. Yet, to many, that number is low or waaaaaaaaaaay low. To others, it is a fantastic number.
So, what I'm trying to say, is that no matter how many MBA's are sold, there will be those who say the sales are "blockbuster" (as I consider the iPhone sales to be), or, right on target, or, somewhat low, or, a complete disaster.
So, your prediction of blockbuster sales will be totally subjective to many, even when Apple continues to climb in revenues and profits and market share, and they will believe that just because the MBA didn't sell as many as THEY thought it should, it will be a "bust", not a "blockbuster".
Actually, I'm with you and predict that the MBA will reach Apple's goals (and then some) for sales, increasing their portion of notebook sales.
I have tried one of those at the Apple store in NJ today.
It is a very durable, sturdy and incredibly light laptop. It feels just as durable as the Macbook Pro.
Two issues:
1. The Apple key is 4 keys away from the left, instead of 3, as on my desktop keyboard . What is the "fn" function key for? Very confusing.
2. The screen is horrible!!! I just cannot stand these glossy screens. For me that is the one show-stopper. I need a matte screen.
Otherwise the laptop was very snappy. Performance was great except that it easily choked on 1080p quicktime videos. The weight is very light, the thin body makes you forget that it is longer than the 12" Powerbook by a good inch (depth is about the same)
Therefore, it is our conclusion that the Powerbook 12" remains the best travel laptop. We still use it professionally for that purpose. If it was just as fast or as thin as the Powerbook Air, though....
It's easy to choke on 1080p without a dedicated VGC, but there is no reason to even have that on a 13" screen.
The glossy/matte debate is completely personal.
The fn key has spanned decades of notebooks. When depressed this modifer key will input differently when combined with other keys. On most notebooks it will things like screen brightness, volume and video output; on Apple notebooks it allows you to access the PF (function) keys, by default.
It's easy to choke on 1080p without a dedicated VGC, but there is no reason to even have that on a 13" screen.
The glossy/matte debate is completely personal.
The fn key has spanned decades of notebooks. When depressed this modifer key will input differently when combined with other keys. On most notebooks it will things like screen brightness, volume and video output; on Apple notebooks it allows you to access the PF (function) keys, by default.
I somewhat agree with the comments, which I indeed intended to be my personal reaction to seeing this notebook for the first time. The reality is that it is a 3.0 Lb laptop and the low weight will allow you to overcome a LOT of other drawbacks. It's very, very tempting, in spite of everything else you might think (I might think) is wrong with it.
One more thing: I am used to work with Pro desktop systems and my demand is very high as far as performance. I could easily see myself getting one of those (once there is matte screen option, of course!) for the road. The size/weight is just absolutely amazing. It's the Wow" that Vista never got (or will ever get).
One more thing: I am used to work with Pro desktop systems and my demand is very high as far as performance. I could easily see myself getting one of those (once there is matte screen option, of course!) for the road. The size/weight is just absolutely amazing. It's the Wow" that Vista never got (or will ever get).
I don't think we'll ever see a matte version.
As for performance, I think this may be faster in many tests than the 2,0GHz CD MBPs that first came out. They only had 2MB l2 Casche and 667MHz FSB. Of course, the first MBPs did come with 5400RPM HDDs so it will kill the MBA in read/write tests.
I dunno. It's the size of a very thin MBP. If it were the size of a local phone book I'd be very tempted. The features it has and leaves off just put it in a niche, so I don't see those as good or bad. But thin doesn't make it small. Just thin.
They still haven't done a direct CPU comparison or battery test.
Actually, the CPU tests have been published as well, but they're largely irrelevant to the question he asked - how SSD performance compared to HD performance.
I haven't seen battery tests, but I suspect people will be disappointed. Let's say the hard disk is 10% of the power usage and SSD is half of the HD. That means a 5% savings - which falls into the noise level. My guess may be low, but I don't think the difference will be more than 10%, at best.
Minimalism doesn't mean going without needed features, it means reducing the feature set to only those things which are needed. I agree with the tone of the article that most users don't need a lot of the stuff put into laptops, including the optical drive. But my main problem, if I were a prospective Air buyer, is that there is apparently only one USB port. My Powerbok G4 had three, my Macbook Pro has 2. Since Apple can't make a decent mouse, and the only people who seem to be able to is Logitech, that one port will be constantly occupied by the receiver for the mouse. Often I need the second port for a USB key. I think the minimum requirement for USB ports is two, and I don't think adding one more would've been a huge engineering challenge for Apple. I also don't think that it's THAT uncommon for people to require more than one USB port. Having to connect a hub negates the whole concept of ultra portability. That said, I'm not the customer the Air is intended for, since I need a larger screen, more power, and more RAM.
You're right - you're not the target audience.
Just why does the typical laptop user need more than 1 USB port? I have NEVER had more than one USB device plugged into my laptop and rarely even have one.
Actually, the CPU tests have been published as well, but they're largely irrelevant to the question he asked - how SSD performance compared to HD performance.
That article was so hard to read. He was talking about a movie, his dad, critics. I got about three paragraphs in and still didn't find any content. You get paid by the word or something?
There are courses which will help with your reading comprehension problems. I'd advise you to take one.
Comments
I used powerbook 1.5ghz and i barely used 100% of my cpu power. I used my macbook 1.83 core duo, i rarely get to 50% of cpu usage. I used my laptop for web browsing, emails, microsoft office and IM.
So people who say MBA is slow should think about what kind of use they are planning. Unless you are opening a lot of programs (meaning more programs that i mention above, video editing, or adobe programs, which means you probably want a MBP) you wont need that much power. I am currently using powerbook (3 years old) and im happy with it. Its not the fastest, but it gets the job done without delaying my work.
For 1.83 core duo (intel chip thats one year and a half old is still more than enough. MBA 1.8 is faster than 1.83 core duo.
(all of this assuming you have 2gb ram) which is what the MBA has.
I will defend MBA cpu speed. It is fast enough for web browsing, emails, microsoft office and IM.
It is true that most people don't need much power, and the people that do probably shouldn't be looking at the Air to begin with. I was never considering the Air, personally, but that's because I need at least a 15" screen, more than 3GB RAM, and apparently more than the 2.33 CPU I currently have in my MBPro. Of course, I'm constantly running Adobe applications, Maya, Rhino, AutoCAD, and 3D Studio Max thorugh Boot Camp among other apps. It's true that the Air seems to be geared more toward the Business, Office/e.mail/internet user than users that require incredible performance. People definitely need to realize this when judging the Air, and not expect it to be a Macbook Pro.
That article was so hard to read. He was talking about a movie, his dad, critics. I got about three paragraphs in and still didn't find any content. You get paid by the word or something?
It was pretty poorly written, but what do you expect from Apple Insider? It's pretty typical of this website. If I read another article that has the phrase "the Cupertino, California based company" in it 12 times, I'm going to throw my computer against the wall.
No, it's obviously not a smaller MBP ... the problem is that it's priced like one.
Hmm, so how much are you expecting it to be? As cheap as the MB? Apple dont want to kill their other product range.
Anyway MBA is ultraportable and totally not a hardware stripped down MBP. If Apple just make it a 12" people will just stop complaining or comparing it to the MB.
Apple ultraportable is 13" whereas the market is 11-12". So I guessed people dont see the MBA as a ultraportable although it is meant to be a ultraportable.
cellphone card slot? what do you mean?
That PM??? slot that everybody keeps talking about. The one that some of the cellphone modems use. I obviously do not use one or I would know what's called.
http://www.upek.com/solutions/mac/default.asp
As fine a machine design (for lightness and space saving) as I think the MBAir is, it probably won't sell well at all. Maybe to a small amount of loyal Mac fans and a few business types. Most Americans are pretty much steeped into featuritis. They balance how much it costs to the number of features. The longer the feature list, the more they want it. It is the perception that they are really getting more for their money. That's how things sell. I knew guys that drove around with the features stickers on their cars for days. That's feature pride.
The MBAir is being dumped on by critics that don't even own one. They look and say that it's missing this and it's missing that (optical drive, ports, replaceable battery). Anyone who pays more and gets less is considered a chump, a fool, a patsy. I think Mac owners have always been considered that way. Why pay a $1800 for a Mac laptop? Acer has one with just as many features for $800. I've only purchased Macs for 20 some years. I must be a damn fool. I think my MacBook Pro C2D 2.33 is the finest Mac I've ever owned.
This isn't the world of art, where a couple of stick figures on a canvas warrants a $20,000 price tag. The intangibles of design and usefulness are in the eye of the beholder and really can't be quantified. I like using Macs because they just seem to suit me for some reason.
So I honestly think the MacBookAir will become the Mac Cube of 2008. Unfortunate, but that's how I see it no matter how much I want to to be a runaway hit.
Minimalism doesn't mean going without needed features, it means reducing the feature set to only those things which are needed. I agree with the tone of the article that most users don't need a lot of the stuff put into laptops, including the optical drive. But my main problem, if I were a prospective Air buyer, is that there is apparently only one USB port. My Powerbok G4 had three, my Macbook Pro has 2. Since Apple can't make a decent mouse, and the only people who seem to be able to is Logitech, that one port will be constantly occupied by the receiver for the mouse. Often I need the second port for a USB key. I think the minimum requirement for USB ports is two, and I don't think adding one more would've been a huge engineering challenge for Apple. I also don't think that it's THAT uncommon for people to require more than one USB port. Having to connect a hub negates the whole concept of ultra portability. That said, I'm not the customer the Air is intended for, since I need a larger screen, more power, and more RAM.
And connecting a mouse doesn't impact portability?
That PM??? slot that everybody keeps talking about. The one that some of the cellphone modems use. I obviously do not use one or I would know what's called.
Older laptops have PCMCIA (aka PC Card) type slots. Cards come in type I, II or III, each with the same length and width, but varying height. Later editions of the spec are also known as CardBus.
Newer laptops have ExpressCard slots. These are not backwards compatible with PCMCIA and come in two different sizes: 34 and 54.
My questions:
1. How durable is this machine? Can it stand up to being put in a rucksack and transported around, banged on desks like a Macbook?
2. Without a security connection how are we meant to safeguard the system? Any hint from Apple that they overlooked this and will rectify in a future release?
From the exterior, it appears that it has the same characteristic as the macbook pro. They have aluminum casing which is very durable. It is a sturdy laptop. As far as i know, as long as you dont jump on it, it is very durable
From the exterior, it appears that it has the same characteristic as the macbook pro. They have aluminum casing which is very durable. It is a sturdy laptop. As far as i know, as long as you dont jump on it, it is very durable
I have tried one of those at the Apple store in NJ today.
It is a very durable, sturdy and incredibly light laptop. It feels just as durable as the Macbook Pro.
Two issues:
1. The Apple key is 4 keys away from the left, instead of 3, as on my desktop keyboard . What is the "fn" function key for? Very confusing.
2. The screen is horrible!!! I just cannot stand these glossy screens. For me that is the one show-stopper. I need a matte screen.
Otherwise the laptop was very snappy. Performance was great except that it easily choked on 1080p quicktime videos. The weight is very light, the thin body makes you forget that it is longer than the 12" Powerbook by a good inch (depth is about the same)
Therefore, it is our conclusion that the Powerbook 12" remains the best travel laptop. We still use it professionally for that purpose. If it was just as fast or as thin as the Powerbook Air, though....
I can't wait for the next quarter's results to see how the MBA has fared. My prediction is that it will be a blockbuster. Of course, I could be wrong about that, but that's my hunch.
What, though, would be "blockbuster" results?
The iPhone took second place for smart phones behind RIM, in its first half year of production.
If I remember correctly, it is the number one device for mobile browsing.
It "ONLY" sold 4 million in its first 6 months.
Many people have said Apple won't sell their goal of 10 million units by the end of the year.
Apple came into a huge market and made a big, bold statement and sold FOUR MILLION units. Yet, to many, that number is low or waaaaaaaaaaay low. To others, it is a fantastic number.
So, what I'm trying to say, is that no matter how many MBA's are sold, there will be those who say the sales are "blockbuster" (as I consider the iPhone sales to be), or, right on target, or, somewhat low, or, a complete disaster.
So, your prediction of blockbuster sales will be totally subjective to many, even when Apple continues to climb in revenues and profits and market share, and they will believe that just because the MBA didn't sell as many as THEY thought it should, it will be a "bust", not a "blockbuster".
Actually, I'm with you and predict that the MBA will reach Apple's goals (and then some) for sales, increasing their portion of notebook sales.
Just my 2 cents.
I have tried one of those at the Apple store in NJ today.
It is a very durable, sturdy and incredibly light laptop. It feels just as durable as the Macbook Pro.
Two issues:
1. The Apple key is 4 keys away from the left, instead of 3, as on my desktop keyboard . What is the "fn" function key for? Very confusing.
2. The screen is horrible!!! I just cannot stand these glossy screens. For me that is the one show-stopper. I need a matte screen.
Otherwise the laptop was very snappy. Performance was great except that it easily choked on 1080p quicktime videos. The weight is very light, the thin body makes you forget that it is longer than the 12" Powerbook by a good inch (depth is about the same)
Therefore, it is our conclusion that the Powerbook 12" remains the best travel laptop. We still use it professionally for that purpose. If it was just as fast or as thin as the Powerbook Air, though....
It's easy to choke on 1080p without a dedicated VGC, but there is no reason to even have that on a 13" screen.
The glossy/matte debate is completely personal.
The fn key has spanned decades of notebooks. When depressed this modifer key will input differently when combined with other keys. On most notebooks it will things like screen brightness, volume and video output; on Apple notebooks it allows you to access the PF (function) keys, by default.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fn_key
It's easy to choke on 1080p without a dedicated VGC, but there is no reason to even have that on a 13" screen.
The glossy/matte debate is completely personal.
The fn key has spanned decades of notebooks. When depressed this modifer key will input differently when combined with other keys. On most notebooks it will things like screen brightness, volume and video output; on Apple notebooks it allows you to access the PF (function) keys, by default.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fn_key
I somewhat agree with the comments, which I indeed intended to be my personal reaction to seeing this notebook for the first time. The reality is that it is a 3.0 Lb laptop and the low weight will allow you to overcome a LOT of other drawbacks. It's very, very tempting, in spite of everything else you might think (I might think) is wrong with it.
One more thing: I am used to work with Pro desktop systems and my demand is very high as far as performance. I could easily see myself getting one of those (once there is matte screen option, of course!) for the road. The size/weight is just absolutely amazing. It's the Wow" that Vista never got (or will ever get).
One more thing: I am used to work with Pro desktop systems and my demand is very high as far as performance. I could easily see myself getting one of those (once there is matte screen option, of course!) for the road. The size/weight is just absolutely amazing. It's the Wow" that Vista never got (or will ever get).
I don't think we'll ever see a matte version.
As for performance, I think this may be faster in many tests than the 2,0GHz CD MBPs that first came out. They only had 2MB l2 Casche and 667MHz FSB. Of course, the first MBPs did come with 5400RPM HDDs so it will kill the MBA in read/write tests.
They still haven't done a direct CPU comparison or battery test.
Actually, the CPU tests have been published as well, but they're largely irrelevant to the question he asked - how SSD performance compared to HD performance.
I haven't seen battery tests, but I suspect people will be disappointed. Let's say the hard disk is 10% of the power usage and SSD is half of the HD. That means a 5% savings - which falls into the noise level. My guess may be low, but I don't think the difference will be more than 10%, at best.
Minimalism doesn't mean going without needed features, it means reducing the feature set to only those things which are needed. I agree with the tone of the article that most users don't need a lot of the stuff put into laptops, including the optical drive. But my main problem, if I were a prospective Air buyer, is that there is apparently only one USB port. My Powerbok G4 had three, my Macbook Pro has 2. Since Apple can't make a decent mouse, and the only people who seem to be able to is Logitech, that one port will be constantly occupied by the receiver for the mouse. Often I need the second port for a USB key. I think the minimum requirement for USB ports is two, and I don't think adding one more would've been a huge engineering challenge for Apple. I also don't think that it's THAT uncommon for people to require more than one USB port. Having to connect a hub negates the whole concept of ultra portability. That said, I'm not the customer the Air is intended for, since I need a larger screen, more power, and more RAM.
You're right - you're not the target audience.
Just why does the typical laptop user need more than 1 USB port? I have NEVER had more than one USB device plugged into my laptop and rarely even have one.
Actually, the CPU tests have been published as well, but they're largely irrelevant to the question he asked - how SSD performance compared to HD performance.
Where?
That article was so hard to read. He was talking about a movie, his dad, critics. I got about three paragraphs in and still didn't find any content. You get paid by the word or something?
There are courses which will help with your reading comprehension problems. I'd advise you to take one.
Where?
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/24/f...machine-on-th/
http://digg.com/apple/First_MacBook_Air_Benchmarks
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/02/01/...dd-benchmarks/
http://www.x86watch.com/news/apple-m...r-hdd-237.html
And probably more. Google is your friend.