Frankly I'm not sure if there is any other point to this article. It strikes me a passive form of flaming, fanboi-isms and utter crap. Far to much effort was expended in sugar coating the failings of the device.
Lets put it this way if something like disk performance sucked just say so. Let everybody know that it has been a very long time since disks this bad have been stuffed in to a computer.
Same thing for the GPU, if its performance is well below what is expected for the price class say so! The device being thin simply isn't an excuse for anything in this price range.
There is little point in an article that is not objective and straight forward.
I see a lot of people swearing up hill and down that they will get an AIR and be happy with it. Honestly I have to ask how can one be happy about laying out that much money and getting so little in return? Especially considering they haven't even experienced one first hand.
In many ways this reminds me of the G5 debut, a fine example of Apple smoke and mirrors marketing. The PPC processor in the G5 was a crappy example of processor engineering right from the start but Apple was pretty successful in averting everybody's eyes with charts of Alt-Vec performance. Like that really meant anything to the general user. The G5 was instantly behind the Intel processor of the day and and certainly any follow ons, so everybody with an Intel machine at the time was wondering if all Apple customers where that gullible. I see AIR as making the case that yep they are. It will be interesting to see how far AIR goes.
Dave
Not everyone wants what you want. Some people want portability, some want high performance, some wants cheap laptop. Clearly this notebook is not for you. But please stop bashing MBA just because its not what you want. Maybe other people want this laptop as badly as you want which ever laptop you like the best for different reasons.
The machine has its problems but what I'm really angry about is the chearleading response from the media. A little perspective would help.
Dave
i dont think the media is cheerleading MBA. I know at least 3 or 4 article about how MBA will not be successful. But most of the time, These articles are written because the writers are getting paid to write what they think. So you cant be mad for someone stating their opinion
For all the bashers: the Air is selling to it intended market. These are people who are very different from you and have different needs than you do. You also will likely not hear from them... they're too busy enjoying their new toys.
and does not appear on the US Apple Store list (it only goes to 7)
The Air received heavy product placement in Japan the day of its release (it was released at around 3:00am and was on the national news casts at 7:00) and it seems to be paying off. There are plenty of people here (and elsewhere) for whom the Air will be a very satisfactory machine.
However, it does seem that there is greater demand for the Air outside of the US than inside; Apple might be trying to improve its standing internationally.
Sure, hopefully one day Apple will release something a bit smaller (an iPod Touch mega?) but that is again an entirely different product.
A quick check of Apple stores shows the Air as the top seller in these countries:
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK
Looks like maybe the world was waiting for the AIr.
Nice data. I am not at all surprised.
There is, unfortunately, more than a little bit of "mine-is-bigger-than-yours," "faster-is-better," and "design-is-for-girlie-men" sophomoric quality to gadget discussions in the US. (See, e.g., engadget.com - which, I admit is always a hilarious read, but rarely enlightened, enlightening, or global - which is Exhibit A for this phenomenon).
I have seen some of that here too, but never as many as those on the topic of MBA. Childish.
I think that's expecting a bit much. High speed NAND doesn't drop that quickly in price
It could. The HD Handycam market should be a good enabler for speed, 32GB is the iPod sweetspot and let's face it, everyone really wants an SSD in their notebook.
For my sins, I'm using a Toshiba R500, which is 762grams, which is 1.72 pounds. It has a CD drive built-in but a smaller screen. At 3 pounds the MacBook Air seems mighty heavy.
Even so, I would buy one in a flash, if I was able to easily access "Mobile Broadband", without needing a USB modem hanging off it. If it had an express card or PC card slot or if Steve had been a bit brighter and included a built-in facilty (just plug in a SIM card), then it would be truely mobile.
Even so, I would buy one in a flash.... if Steve had been a bit brighter and included a built-in facilty (just plug in a SIM card), then it would be truely mobile.
For my sins, I'm using a Toshiba R500, which is 762grams, which is 1.72 pounds. It has a CD drive built-in but a smaller screen. At 3 pounds the MacBook Air seems mighty heavy.
Even so, I would buy one in a flash, if I was able to easily access "Mobile Broadband", without needing a USB modem hanging off it. If it had an express card or PC card slot or if Steve had been a bit brighter and included a built-in facilty (just plug in a SIM card), then it would be truely mobile.
Smells like a troll.
Smaller screen = less weight.
Smaller keyboard = less weight.
Slower CPU
Less RAM
It is also more expensive than the Air and doesn't come with similar apps (iLife).
The only thing I could possibly like is the larger HD, but again I never use more than 50 GB on my laptop so 80 is fine for me.
Optical drive = wasted space and weight (I never use the optical on my laptop). If they got rid of this they would have a serious machine.
"The Air is no slouch, but it isn't a hot, loud, battery hog either. I couldn't get it to make any significant heat or noise until I baked the unit until it was unpleasantly hot to the touch. Even then, the fan was rather quiet despite evacuating hot air pretty rapidly from the openings along the back edge."
Maybe I'm taking this too literal, but did you really stick it in the oven and bake it?!?
This is all the same on every forum. "How dare Apple bring out a new laptop that's not a MacBook Pro for half the price and half the weight, that doesn't have a much smaller, yet somehow still legible display, and doesn't have a much smaller, yet somehow still useable keyboard, and tries to look good at the same time? Anything that looks good is ipso facto nothing but a toy! I'm never going to buy one, no-one else should ever buy one, if you do buy one I'm going to make your life a living Hell telling you what an idiot you are! Physics, Schmysics! I want what I want and if I can't have it, nobody can have anything! I JUST WON'T HAVE IT!
Edit: I've tried to submit this twice and the server's too busy. I wish I didn't think it was mostly to say what I just caricatured, but I know better!
"The Air is no slouch, but it isn't a hot, loud, battery hog either. I couldn't get it to make any significant heat or noise until I baked the unit until it was unpleasantly hot to the touch. Even then, the fan was rather quiet despite evacuating hot air pretty rapidly from the openings along the back edge."
Maybe I'm taking this too literal, but did you really stick it in the oven and bake it?!?
I always thought the ultra portable market strived for a laptop that could go the full working day without a charge. Like that was the holy grail. The way i hear many of the people here they only use their ultra portable for 2 hours a day or something..........
I have read all of the above and found it fascinating. Thanks for the article and everyone's input. None of the criticisms bother me. It is human nature that people find it very difficult to imagine that their circumstance and experience are not widely shared.
By way of example, I know quite a few people who can consider the MBA and buy it without ever having to even look at the price. Nice to be them huh? Most people find the price to be critical... but not all.
If it is not for you, does it matter that others reach a different conclusion?
A few of you need to learn the definition of a troll- it is someone who posts things which are just ignorant statements to rile people up- not someone who simply states a realistic opinion that may go against Apple.
As for the MBA discussion it is very simple- the MBA is a thinner, lighter version of the MB. There is a relatively small performance drop, and some features taken away but the main difference is the size. It all comes down to whether or not the size is worth 700 dollars over the basic Macbook.
I think the main problem with the MBA is it is stuck between ultra portable and your standard laptop. Its too big for the people who want the very small 7 or 9 or 11 inch screens or whatnot but for the people who don't need that kind of size reduction the MB is just fine at 700 dollars less with the performance bump/features left in.
Before anyone gets all defensive, I have nothing against the MacBook Air. That's just it, however. I read all 5 pages of this "review" and didn't learn anything. It didn't answer any of the 200+ questions posted in discussion of the lead-in article, "What's wrong with the MacBook Air," nor did it supply any facts about the system that I hadn't found elsewhere (such as Steve's keynote). The article explains the design trade-offs in subjective terms. It reads like pure marketing material. That's not what I call "in-depth review."
People asked some really simple-to-answer questions about the MBA in the lead-in discussion, if you have your hands on one, and we got no more recognition than helping to...
Quote:
"underscore the fact that the Air has captured the attention of customers both with its new form factor and with its controversial design tradeoffs engineered to deliver its thin profile and light weight."
What a wasted opportunity to share some experience from actually using the device. According to the lead-in article:
Quote:
we managed to snag the one of the few available HDD-based units from one of the company's San Francisco outlets and have set to work on an in-depth review of its ins and outs.
Based on the content, I have to wonder whether the author has done more than touch a display model at Macworld like all the other reviewers so far. I'm considering getting a MBA but I want to know more before making the purchase. Reading this article wasted my time. Please try again and listen to your readers, this time.
Here are the questions asked only on Saturday, Feb 2, which were largely ignored by the article.
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes
"Given the new restrictions upon carrying extra batteries on airplanes,..." is an irrelevant comment.
The new restrictions do NOT affect people who want to carry an extra laptop battery.
Quote:
Originally Posted by awesomelife
A comparison chart of the application speeds between MB, MBA and MBP would be nice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
1) Is the screen really glass?
2) How much do the separate components weigh? Specifically the battery and case.
Quote:
Originally Posted by arhnow
1. How long does the battery last?
2. How easy is it to transfer files/programs from one computer to the "air"?
3. Under normal room temperatures (say an airplane) is the "airs" cpu slowed down after extended use?
Quote:
Originally Posted by dasein
What I'm very concerned with is the physical durability of the laptop. It's so thin at the opening end I'd be concerned with wear and tear after a few months. How fragile is this thing?
Quote:
Originally Posted by kenstee
Am I the only one lamenting the lack of on-board CD/DVD capability? To me that is a must. And no, I'm not interested in carrying the portable accessory CD/DVD.
- Ability to start up from a disk in case of a crash or hard disk problems
- Ability to easily install apps
- Watch DVDs on those long flights
My question is about wireless reception. Apple hasn't exactly been known for it's stellar wireless reception - expecially on MBPs. How is it on the Air? It's even more critical given that it is the only link from the Air to the outside world.
Why or why couldn't they have made a MBP 12" instead of or in addition to the Air?
Quote:
Originally Posted by iextreme
Hey,
These are my questions:
1.) Apple states up to 5h battery time with wireless. Can you confirm that?
2.) What's the average battery time if you turn off the wireless and mainly use Office and perhaps iTunes for music playback?
3.) How do you consider the MBA's performance in iMovie '08?
I currently run the app on my PB G4 and it's not bad, but not optimal, and I plan to use it a lot more in the coming months.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eyce9000
My question
-if you plug in an unpowered USB hub will it have enough power to run the DVD drive as well as one or two other peripherals?
Except for the lack of a second USB port (usually need 1 for a USB hub and one for a KVM switch) i think it has the perfect amount of ports. I have had a powerbook for the last 3 years and only ever use USB and only use my superdrive to burn the occasional Ubuntu disk or watch a DVD, but honestly most of my videos are on USB hds anyhow.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
I guess the external drive or another machine is a must have for someone with your concerns. I thought there was a way for the MBA to boot into a mode that would allow Disk Utility to run without any disk. Like a small, hidden partition with the appropriate apps installed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by andyapple
The Air has the same screen size and resolution as the MacBook, but is LED back-lit like the 15" MacBook Pro. So how would you say the quality of the display stacks up in comparison?
ThanX
Quote:
Originally Posted by pesc
I'm a MBA hater because I use a 12" G4 PB as my main machine. I travel a lot and commute 2 hours per day on a train between a desk at work and another desk at home. Both desks have a real keyboard, mouse and a large screen that I connect to.
Since Apple discontinued the 12" model there was no laptop that Apple offered that I was interested in - they were all too large.
I really want an MBP 12". The reason I hate the MBA is because its presence makes me believe Apple wont ever produce a good 12" PB replacement.
The good part about the MBA is the weight. And it looks good.
It has less hard disk space than I can have in my 12" PB
2G memory is a little bit too small. One of the reasons an intel machine is interesting to me is the ability to run a virtual machine with Linux or Solaris.
Meanwhile I'll upgrade my 12" PB with a larger disk. If it should die tomorrow I would buy a used 12" PB (and I have the money to buy the MBA SSD, but it isn't interesting for me).
Glossy
I don't care about the missing FW, ethernet, optical drive, "non-replaceable" battery, low CPU speed or cost.
The single USB port worries me. So my question to MBA reviewers is: How much power can the MBA USB port deliver? Is there a non-powered USB hub to buy that can power a (small) external USB hard drive while charging an iPod?
I'll look again on the next revision of MBA (in a year?). Maybe then the drive and RAM has doubled.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
That is another question We should ask. Does the MBA's Ethernet max out at the maximum actual throughput of USB2.0? In other words, Is it a theoretical 480Mbps, essentialy 1/2 the throughput of 1000BASE-T?
Cook. New bookmark.
Just prior to the announcement of the MBA one Chinese manufacturer announced that it will be no longer making 1.8" drives. After all, SSD dominates the PMP market so it wasn't a surprise. I'm sure we'll see some increased capacities but I think the use of the HDD in the MBA is just a stop-gate until the prices of SSD comes down.
Welcome to AI, tshort & brianb.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nagromme
I'd love to see game tests--NOT the usual fps benchmarks at high detail levels (which would tell me nothing--we know this only has X3100). I'd like to know...
...what fps can the game achieve at lowest detail settings?
...what are the highest detail settings that can achieve a reasonably consistent 30fps?
This would be nice to know (under Mac OS, preferably) for UT2004, WoW, EA's Cider games, and other titles that may not be the latest thing, but are still for sale and still great fun. I'd also like this info for idTech 4 games (Doom 3, Quake 4, Prey, and soon Quake Wars). I'd gladly drop detail levels to the lowest and still appreciate being able to game on an ultraportable.
I don't expect the very latest generation of games (UT3, Gears of War) to run tolerably on X3100. But I've seen good results from other engines (at low detail) on recent X3100 MacBooks.
Also, I'd like to see results before and after 10.5.2, in the hopes that the mediocre X3100 drivers are improved.
And curse it though you may, Apple does provide the add-on USB-Ethernet thing. I thought that was a terribly good idea.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizard69
Yet you don't see the conflict in logic here. I mean if an USB to Ethernet adapter is such a good thing then maybe a AIR supplied Ethernet port would be even better? I'd be the first to admit though that such an adapter would not be that bad of a solution if AIR simply had been supplied with more USB ports.
Just because a USB to Ethernet adapter is a good thing, that does NOT necessarily mean that built-in Ethernet is even better. It simply means Apple recognizes that SOME people may need Ethernet. The fact that they left it out of the laptop means they felt that MOST people would not. Whether you fall into the first group or the second, they got you covered.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizard69
For one thing I doubt very much that the expansion of the device to include more I/O would have had a significant impact on its weight. It is not like a lot of extra chips are required.
That's not the point at all. It's about the non-zero amount of space inside the case. Those chips take up space (space which might be occupied by, for instance, battery) and this is some of the tightest engineering you've ever seen.
Personally, I'm delighted as hell that they decided to maximize screen size and minimize weight. I think that's the right way to go. A lot of once-standard functions got tossed, but when you're going for 3 pounds, you do have to be ruthless. If I were going to complain about the thing, I think I'd say that I wished Apple hadn't been so married to the "3 pounds" target. Those sloped edges, I'd have preferred them to square off and fill with battery. But like I say, I recognize that they set their parameters and pursued them ruthlessly. And in the end, they have an absolutely amazing piece of engineering. Will I abandon my MBP 17"? Probably not. I use Maya, and the tradeoffs for the MBA simply aren't aimed at me. But I'll smile with wonder everytime I see someone with an MBA, all the same.
Not every new product at Apple is aimed at me. And THANK GOD FOR THAT. I couldn't afford it otherwise
I am seeing people explain away the airs failings by saying that it has a certain market.
This is obvious.
But noone can justify why this product is so pricey - ultra protables are $400 - $750 for pretty similar functionality to the air. I admit that other apple computers are priced aggresivley.
But this Is apple cashing in on peoples idiocity when it comes to products like this, and things that look kind of nice.
Plus I'm not a troll, because I know that this will sell well, which is not what i am arguing about. I am saying that if consumers had sense they will realize that this product isn't that great.
A long standing reader on this forum, but now I must speak.
I am of the opinion that this was not indeed 'an in-depth review'. Look, I love Apple products, and was looking forward to reading a well written article, but this 'review' is such a let down.
As has been commented, there are so many questions left without answers.
I get the impression that the reviewer received a nice free MBA for this article. I also wonder if the reviewer was the person spotted on the aircraft with the screen at an unusable angle?
As a brit, I have still not managed to have a look at a MBA in person. I may get one, who knows. I'm still relying on good reviews to tell me what its like to live with on a day to day basis.
Comments
Frankly I'm not sure if there is any other point to this article. It strikes me a passive form of flaming, fanboi-isms and utter crap. Far to much effort was expended in sugar coating the failings of the device.
Lets put it this way if something like disk performance sucked just say so. Let everybody know that it has been a very long time since disks this bad have been stuffed in to a computer.
Same thing for the GPU, if its performance is well below what is expected for the price class say so! The device being thin simply isn't an excuse for anything in this price range.
There is little point in an article that is not objective and straight forward.
I see a lot of people swearing up hill and down that they will get an AIR and be happy with it. Honestly I have to ask how can one be happy about laying out that much money and getting so little in return? Especially considering they haven't even experienced one first hand.
In many ways this reminds me of the G5 debut, a fine example of Apple smoke and mirrors marketing. The PPC processor in the G5 was a crappy example of processor engineering right from the start but Apple was pretty successful in averting everybody's eyes with charts of Alt-Vec performance. Like that really meant anything to the general user. The G5 was instantly behind the Intel processor of the day and and certainly any follow ons, so everybody with an Intel machine at the time was wondering if all Apple customers where that gullible. I see AIR as making the case that yep they are. It will be interesting to see how far AIR goes.
Dave
Not everyone wants what you want. Some people want portability, some want high performance, some wants cheap laptop. Clearly this notebook is not for you. But please stop bashing MBA just because its not what you want. Maybe other people want this laptop as badly as you want which ever laptop you like the best for different reasons.
The machine has its problems but what I'm really angry about is the chearleading response from the media. A little perspective would help.
Dave
i dont think the media is cheerleading MBA. I know at least 3 or 4 article about how MBA will not be successful. But most of the time, These articles are written because the writers are getting paid to write what they think. So you cant be mad for someone stating their opinion
The Air is ranked
#1 at Apple Japan
#3 at Amazon Japan
#10 at Amazon US
and does not appear on the US Apple Store list (it only goes to 7)
The Air received heavy product placement in Japan the day of its release (it was released at around 3:00am and was on the national news casts at 7:00) and it seems to be paying off. There are plenty of people here (and elsewhere) for whom the Air will be a very satisfactory machine.
However, it does seem that there is greater demand for the Air outside of the US than inside; Apple might be trying to improve its standing internationally.
Sure, hopefully one day Apple will release something a bit smaller (an iPod Touch mega?) but that is again an entirely different product.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK
Looks like maybe the world was waiting for the AIr.
A quick check of Apple stores shows the Air as the top seller in these countries:
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK
Looks like maybe the world was waiting for the AIr.
Nice data. I am not at all surprised.
There is, unfortunately, more than a little bit of "mine-is-bigger-than-yours," "faster-is-better," and "design-is-for-girlie-men" sophomoric quality to gadget discussions in the US. (See, e.g., engadget.com - which, I admit is always a hilarious read, but rarely enlightened, enlightening, or global - which is Exhibit A for this phenomenon).
I have seen some of that here too, but never as many as those on the topic of MBA. Childish.
I think that's expecting a bit much. High speed NAND doesn't drop that quickly in price
It could. The HD Handycam market should be a good enabler for speed, 32GB is the iPod sweetspot and let's face it, everyone really wants an SSD in their notebook.
McD
For my sins, I'm using a Toshiba R500, which is 762grams, which is 1.72 pounds. It has a CD drive built-in but a smaller screen. At 3 pounds the MacBook Air seems mighty heavy.
Even so, I would buy one in a flash, if I was able to easily access "Mobile Broadband", without needing a USB modem hanging off it. If it had an express card or PC card slot or if Steve had been a bit brighter and included a built-in facilty (just plug in a SIM card), then it would be truely mobile.
Even so, I would buy one in a flash.... if Steve had been a bit brighter and included a built-in facilty (just plug in a SIM card), then it would be truely mobile.
No, you tru(e)ly would not.
What surprises me, is that it isn't so light.
For my sins, I'm using a Toshiba R500, which is 762grams, which is 1.72 pounds. It has a CD drive built-in but a smaller screen. At 3 pounds the MacBook Air seems mighty heavy.
Even so, I would buy one in a flash, if I was able to easily access "Mobile Broadband", without needing a USB modem hanging off it. If it had an express card or PC card slot or if Steve had been a bit brighter and included a built-in facilty (just plug in a SIM card), then it would be truely mobile.
Smells like a troll.
Smaller screen = less weight.
Smaller keyboard = less weight.
Slower CPU
Less RAM
It is also more expensive than the Air and doesn't come with similar apps (iLife).
The only thing I could possibly like is the larger HD, but again I never use more than 50 GB on my laptop so 80 is fine for me.
Optical drive = wasted space and weight (I never use the optical on my laptop). If they got rid of this they would have a serious machine.
Lastly, it just doesn't look as good as an Air.
Maybe I'm taking this too literal, but did you really stick it in the oven and bake it?!?
Edit: I've tried to submit this twice and the server's too busy. I wish I didn't think it was mostly to say what I just caricatured, but I know better!
"The Air is no slouch, but it isn't a hot, loud, battery hog either. I couldn't get it to make any significant heat or noise until I baked the unit until it was unpleasantly hot to the touch. Even then, the fan was rather quiet despite evacuating hot air pretty rapidly from the openings along the back edge."
Maybe I'm taking this too literal, but did you really stick it in the oven and bake it?!?
I always thought the ultra portable market strived for a laptop that could go the full working day without a charge. Like that was the holy grail. The way i hear many of the people here they only use their ultra portable for 2 hours a day or something..........
Don't need what it hasn't got.
Very happy with what it has.
No problem with the price.
I have read all of the above and found it fascinating. Thanks for the article and everyone's input. None of the criticisms bother me. It is human nature that people find it very difficult to imagine that their circumstance and experience are not widely shared.
By way of example, I know quite a few people who can consider the MBA and buy it without ever having to even look at the price. Nice to be them huh? Most people find the price to be critical... but not all.
If it is not for you, does it matter that others reach a different conclusion?
As for the MBA discussion it is very simple- the MBA is a thinner, lighter version of the MB. There is a relatively small performance drop, and some features taken away but the main difference is the size. It all comes down to whether or not the size is worth 700 dollars over the basic Macbook.
I think the main problem with the MBA is it is stuck between ultra portable and your standard laptop. Its too big for the people who want the very small 7 or 9 or 11 inch screens or whatnot but for the people who don't need that kind of size reduction the MB is just fine at 700 dollars less with the performance bump/features left in.
People asked some really simple-to-answer questions about the MBA in the lead-in discussion, if you have your hands on one, and we got no more recognition than helping to...
"underscore the fact that the Air has captured the attention of customers both with its new form factor and with its controversial design tradeoffs engineered to deliver its thin profile and light weight."
What a wasted opportunity to share some experience from actually using the device. According to the lead-in article:
we managed to snag the one of the few available HDD-based units from one of the company's San Francisco outlets and have set to work on an in-depth review of its ins and outs.
Based on the content, I have to wonder whether the author has done more than touch a display model at Macworld like all the other reviewers so far. I'm considering getting a MBA but I want to know more before making the purchase. Reading this article wasted my time. Please try again and listen to your readers, this time.
"Given the new restrictions upon carrying extra batteries on airplanes,..." is an irrelevant comment.
The new restrictions do NOT affect people who want to carry an extra laptop battery.
A comparison chart of the application speeds between MB, MBA and MBP would be nice.
1) Is the screen really glass?
2) How much do the separate components weigh? Specifically the battery and case.
1. How long does the battery last?
2. How easy is it to transfer files/programs from one computer to the "air"?
3. Under normal room temperatures (say an airplane) is the "airs" cpu slowed down after extended use?
What I'm very concerned with is the physical durability of the laptop. It's so thin at the opening end I'd be concerned with wear and tear after a few months. How fragile is this thing?
Am I the only one lamenting the lack of on-board CD/DVD capability? To me that is a must. And no, I'm not interested in carrying the portable accessory CD/DVD.
- Ability to start up from a disk in case of a crash or hard disk problems
- Ability to easily install apps
- Watch DVDs on those long flights
My question is about wireless reception. Apple hasn't exactly been known for it's stellar wireless reception - expecially on MBPs. How is it on the Air? It's even more critical given that it is the only link from the Air to the outside world.
Why or why couldn't they have made a MBP 12" instead of or in addition to the Air?
Hey,
These are my questions:
1.) Apple states up to 5h battery time with wireless. Can you confirm that?
2.) What's the average battery time if you turn off the wireless and mainly use Office and perhaps iTunes for music playback?
3.) How do you consider the MBA's performance in iMovie '08?
I currently run the app on my PB G4 and it's not bad, but not optimal, and I plan to use it a lot more in the coming months.
My question
-if you plug in an unpowered USB hub will it have enough power to run the DVD drive as well as one or two other peripherals?
Except for the lack of a second USB port (usually need 1 for a USB hub and one for a KVM switch) i think it has the perfect amount of ports. I have had a powerbook for the last 3 years and only ever use USB and only use my superdrive to burn the occasional Ubuntu disk or watch a DVD, but honestly most of my videos are on USB hds anyhow.
I guess the external drive or another machine is a must have for someone with your concerns. I thought there was a way for the MBA to boot into a mode that would allow Disk Utility to run without any disk. Like a small, hidden partition with the appropriate apps installed.
The Air has the same screen size and resolution as the MacBook, but is LED back-lit like the 15" MacBook Pro. So how would you say the quality of the display stacks up in comparison?
ThanX
I'm a MBA hater because I use a 12" G4 PB as my main machine. I travel a lot and commute 2 hours per day on a train between a desk at work and another desk at home. Both desks have a real keyboard, mouse and a large screen that I connect to.
Since Apple discontinued the 12" model there was no laptop that Apple offered that I was interested in - they were all too large.
I really want an MBP 12". The reason I hate the MBA is because its presence makes me believe Apple wont ever produce a good 12" PB replacement.
The good part about the MBA is the weight. And it looks good.
But it has a larger footprint!
http://mbp12.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9
It has less hard disk space than I can have in my 12" PB
2G memory is a little bit too small. One of the reasons an intel machine is interesting to me is the ability to run a virtual machine with Linux or Solaris.
Meanwhile I'll upgrade my 12" PB with a larger disk. If it should die tomorrow I would buy a used 12" PB (and I have the money to buy the MBA SSD, but it isn't interesting for me).
Glossy
I don't care about the missing FW, ethernet, optical drive, "non-replaceable" battery, low CPU speed or cost.
The single USB port worries me. So my question to MBA reviewers is: How much power can the MBA USB port deliver? Is there a non-powered USB hub to buy that can power a (small) external USB hard drive while charging an iPod?
I'll look again on the next revision of MBA (in a year?). Maybe then the drive and RAM has doubled.
That is another question We should ask. Does the MBA's Ethernet max out at the maximum actual throughput of USB2.0? In other words, Is it a theoretical 480Mbps, essentialy 1/2 the throughput of 1000BASE-T?
Cook. New bookmark.
Just prior to the announcement of the MBA one Chinese manufacturer announced that it will be no longer making 1.8" drives. After all, SSD dominates the PMP market so it wasn't a surprise. I'm sure we'll see some increased capacities but I think the use of the HDD in the MBA is just a stop-gate until the prices of SSD comes down.
Welcome to AI, tshort & brianb.
I'd love to see game tests--NOT the usual fps benchmarks at high detail levels (which would tell me nothing--we know this only has X3100). I'd like to know...
...what fps can the game achieve at lowest detail settings?
...what are the highest detail settings that can achieve a reasonably consistent 30fps?
This would be nice to know (under Mac OS, preferably) for UT2004, WoW, EA's Cider games, and other titles that may not be the latest thing, but are still for sale and still great fun. I'd also like this info for idTech 4 games (Doom 3, Quake 4, Prey, and soon Quake Wars). I'd gladly drop detail levels to the lowest and still appreciate being able to game on an ultraportable.
I don't expect the very latest generation of games (UT3, Gears of War) to run tolerably on X3100. But I've seen good results from other engines (at low detail) on recent X3100 MacBooks.
Also, I'd like to see results before and after 10.5.2, in the hopes that the mediocre X3100 drivers are improved.
And curse it though you may, Apple does provide the add-on USB-Ethernet thing. I thought that was a terribly good idea.
Yet you don't see the conflict in logic here. I mean if an USB to Ethernet adapter is such a good thing then maybe a AIR supplied Ethernet port would be even better? I'd be the first to admit though that such an adapter would not be that bad of a solution if AIR simply had been supplied with more USB ports.
Just because a USB to Ethernet adapter is a good thing, that does NOT necessarily mean that built-in Ethernet is even better. It simply means Apple recognizes that SOME people may need Ethernet. The fact that they left it out of the laptop means they felt that MOST people would not. Whether you fall into the first group or the second, they got you covered.
For one thing I doubt very much that the expansion of the device to include more I/O would have had a significant impact on its weight. It is not like a lot of extra chips are required.
That's not the point at all. It's about the non-zero amount of space inside the case. Those chips take up space (space which might be occupied by, for instance, battery) and this is some of the tightest engineering you've ever seen.
Personally, I'm delighted as hell that they decided to maximize screen size and minimize weight. I think that's the right way to go. A lot of once-standard functions got tossed, but when you're going for 3 pounds, you do have to be ruthless. If I were going to complain about the thing, I think I'd say that I wished Apple hadn't been so married to the "3 pounds" target. Those sloped edges, I'd have preferred them to square off and fill with battery. But like I say, I recognize that they set their parameters and pursued them ruthlessly. And in the end, they have an absolutely amazing piece of engineering. Will I abandon my MBP 17"? Probably not. I use Maya, and the tradeoffs for the MBA simply aren't aimed at me. But I'll smile with wonder everytime I see someone with an MBA, all the same.
Not every new product at Apple is aimed at me. And THANK GOD FOR THAT. I couldn't afford it otherwise
This is obvious.
But noone can justify why this product is so pricey - ultra protables are $400 - $750 for pretty similar functionality to the air. I admit that other apple computers are priced aggresivley.
But this Is apple cashing in on peoples idiocity when it comes to products like this, and things that look kind of nice.
Plus I'm not a troll, because I know that this will sell well, which is not what i am arguing about. I am saying that if consumers had sense they will realize that this product isn't that great.
A long standing reader on this forum, but now I must speak.
I am of the opinion that this was not indeed 'an in-depth review'. Look, I love Apple products, and was looking forward to reading a well written article, but this 'review' is such a let down.
As has been commented, there are so many questions left without answers.
I get the impression that the reviewer received a nice free MBA for this article. I also wonder if the reviewer was the person spotted on the aircraft with the screen at an unusable angle?
As a brit, I have still not managed to have a look at a MBA in person. I may get one, who knows. I'm still relying on good reviews to tell me what its like to live with on a day to day basis.