Spending 1/3rd of my life on the road, I'm the type of user that the MBA was designed for. Having used Apple laptops since the mid 1990's I'm well used to what these things cost, and frankly I'm OK with that. For me it's a tool, a very important tool that I use to get my work done, plus a little leftover for some fun at the end of the day. In comparison with my current Aluminum Pro model, I fully expect that the tradeoff for reduced size and weight will be reduced performance. I'm quite OK with that, because my work doesn't require a lot of CPU horsepower. I also don't care about how *fast* the HD is. That said, I can't use an MBA in my daily use until they can get me more than 80 GB of disk space, it's as simple as that. Nobody wants an MBA more than me, if for no other reason than the ease of whipping it out of my bag and running it through the security scanner with my coat and shoes. I would gladly have traded a few millimeters more of thickness for a larger capacity drive. Since the intro at MacWorld I've been trying to pare down my 120 GB of data into something that'll fit into an MBA but I only have so much time -I'll happily pay whatever to be able to just dump *everything* into a new, smaller laptop.
If the Apple Store pages are to be trusted, then the MBA is selling rather well world-wide. Its detractors are extremely vociferous, but lots of people seem to like it.
Spending 1/3rd of my life on the road, I'm the type of user that the MBA was designed for. Having used Apple laptops since the mid 1990's I'm well used to what these things cost, and frankly I'm OK with that. For me it's a tool, a very important tool that I use to get my work done, plus a little leftover for some fun at the end of the day. In comparison with my current Aluminum Pro model, I fully expect that the tradeoff for reduced size and weight will be reduced performance. I'm quite OK with that, because my work doesn't require a lot of CPU horsepower. I also don't care about how *fast* the HD is. That said, I can't use an MBA in my daily use until they can get me more than 80 GB of disk space, it's as simple as that. Nobody wants an MBA more than me, if for no other reason than the ease of whipping it out of my bag and running it through the security scanner with my coat and shoes. I would gladly have traded a few millimeters more of thickness for a larger capacity drive. Since the intro at MacWorld I've been trying to pare down my 120 GB of data into something that'll fit into an MBA but I only have so much time -I'll happily pay whatever to be able to just dump *everything* into a new, smaller laptop.
For now, I'm anxiously awaiting revision 2. Or 3.
Joe
I'd written the Air off until I saw and used it in person yesterday and now I agree with what you're saying. The Air is lovely to look at and lovely to use but the size and weight saving is so extreme you wonder why they couldn't have made it a tiny big thicker and given everyone the streamlined MBP 12 or 13" so many people have been wanting.
The fact the Air is so close to what a 12 or 13" MBP could be and yet there's nothing between it and the 15" MBP gives me the horrible feeling Apple are gonna stick with this situation and not bother upgrading the Air. We either get a hobbled machine that's thinner than a lot of people need it to be or a fully functional machine that's too damn big.
I'm sure Apple don't give a monkey's but I ain't buying either and I'm frustrated as hell.
I'd written the Air off until I saw and used it in person yesterday and now I agree with what you're saying. The Air is lovely to look at and lovely to use but the size and weight saving is so extreme you wonder why they couldn't have made it a tiny big thicker and given everyone the streamlined MBP 12 or 13" so many people have been wanting.
The fact the Air is so close to what a 12 or 13" MBP could be and yet there's nothing between it and the 15" MBP gives me the horrible feeling Apple are gonna stick with this situation and not bother upgrading the Air. We either get a hobbled machine that's thinner than a lot of people need it to be or a fully functional machine that's too damn big.
I'm sure Apple don't give a monkey's but I ain't buying either and I'm frustrated as hell.
What are you using right now that's better for you than one or the other, might I ask?
Title says it all I'm the proud owner of a new MacBook Pro! The AIR is just to limited to be a long term investment. Since all my PC's are long term investments the AIR wasn't even considered.
By the way I actually went to the store to purchase an iPhone, but for whatever reason walked out with a MacBook Pro. Well part of the reason was the need for a laptop but the other is for a iphone development platform.
I am considering the Air for home use. I come home at night and have dinner with my wife. We then sit down and watch TV shows selected from our 4 Tivos. While watching TV I generally surf incessantly on my 12" PB (rev A). The Air appeals to me as it is much lighter, has a bigger screen and has better performance than the PB. Along with the AIr I would also get a Time Capsule and a 24" iMac that would go upstairs in the office. I could access files easily with the Air on the iMac and the Time Capsule so the small Air hard drive wouldn't matter to me.
Anyway that is my current plan. The Air fits my needs perfectly. And maybe it won't roast my grapes like the PB does.
What are you using right now that's better for you than one or the other, might I ask?
Last gen TiBook on its last legs. It's not ideal but if I gotta have bulky and functional or tiny and crippled I'll stay functional until the Ti croaks or Apple bring out something closer to what I want. Like a lot of people in my position, I'm not prepared to give Apple more money for a gimmicky compromise.
The MBA is not designed for some users, but it is also not "crippled" as many so desire to put it. Many pro users (like myself) can make very good use of the MBA, and indeed probably already have (I know what I have done and it is more than I would have gotten done with my MBP). This name-calling is getting extremely tiresome. If it doesn't suit your needs, that's life; it does not make it a bad computer [I have said this several times before].
The money I spent on the "gimmicky" MBA was well worth it; it's just that much easier to use than my MBP; it has already paid for itself. The size and weight are perfect; any heavier and it would lose some of its freeness, if I may use that word to describe how it can be moved around, even with only one hand. Sure, it can't do a few things the MBP or even the MB can, but it doesn't need to.
Apple makes four portable computers: the MacBook, the MBA, the MBP and the MBP 17" (I view these as two birds). They each have their strengths and weaknesses. They each are good for some users and not for others. That is why they make several models.
If you don't mind the added bulk and must have the extras, go for a MacBook. It will out-perform your current machine and be lighter and be more portable. If you need more power still, go for the MBP. Nobody is stopping you.
Last gen TiBook on its last legs. It's not ideal but if I gotta have bulky and functional or tiny and crippled I'll stay functional until the Ti croaks or Apple bring out something closer to what I want. Like a lot of people in my position, I'm not prepared to give Apple more money for a gimmicky compromise.
Odd, the MBP's are hardly "bulky" (especially compared to all the other power notebooks out there), and the MBA is hardly "crippled." Both will crush your TiBook in terms of performance, and if you need more ports, you have the choice of the MB and the MBA (or some hubbish solution). What are you going to use it for that the MBA isn't powerful enough (and since it's faster than your TiBook by a bunch, how are you working at the moment)? Or what are you needing that has to have more ports? That will dictate what you buy.
Oddly, I'm not sure why you're so up-in-arms. Me, I have no use for the MB's -- stylistically, they look inferior to the MBA's & MBP's (to my eye). They are also a compromise in power to ports, etc. But that doesn't mean I don't see where they fit in for others. They are a great machine. Why everyone who can't afford the MBA, or obviously need more ports or power and therefore need something "bigger" get so riled up about the MBA is beyond me. Seems to be such a waste of time and energy. There are three great lines of notebooks (with a nod to Bergermeister's 17'ers) with three distinct buyers (some edge into one another a bit, but not much). Why rag on any of them? At the core of it, it always seems like a money issue to me though (no matter how many people claim it isn't).
Odd, the MBP's are hardly "bulky" (especially compared to all the other power notebooks out there), and the MBA is hardly "crippled." Both will crush your TiBook in terms of performance, and if you need more ports, you have the choice of the MB and the MBA (or some hubbish solution). What are you going to use it for that the MBA isn't powerful enough (and since it's faster than your TiBook by a bunch, how are you working at the moment)? Or what are you needing that has to have more ports? That will dictate what you buy.
Oddly, I'm not sure why you're so up-in-arms. Me, I have no use for the MB's -- stylistically, they look inferior to the MBA's & MBP's (to my eye). They are also a compromise in power to ports, etc. But that doesn't mean I don't see where they fit in for others. They are a great machine. Why everyone who can't afford the MBA, or obviously need more ports or power and therefore need something "bigger" get so riled up about the MBA is beyond me. Seems to be such a waste of time and energy. There are three great lines of notebooks (with a nod to Bergermeister's 17'ers) with three distinct buyers (some edge into one another a bit, but not much). Why rag on any of them? At the core of it, it always seems like a money issue to me though (no matter how many people claim it isn't).
You can throw shade on my reasons if you like but, believe me, it's really NOT a money issue. If I wanted an Air I'd buy one, but I don't. Nor am I sufficiently enticed to buy the current MBP when a significant update is just around the corner. Please remember, none of us HAS to buy these things except for work and, as I said, even though what I've got isn't ideal right now, I'm not prepared to chuck money at Apple for products that are a bit of what I want and need, but not everything.
I'm sure Apple will come out with something I'm happy with soon enough, and when they do, I'll buy it. I still think that for a lot of users the Air is a misfire and you can't change my mind about that by insinuating anything personal about me, my working needs or my finances, thanks. It's as simple as that.
The way I see it, many of (not all) the people who are complaining about the MBA are the kind of people who are used to jumping on the newest, coolest, shiniest Apple gadget as soon as it's released, and they like to be among the first to get such items; they're acting in a somewhat spoiled fashion because the MBA doesn't fit their needs and as much as they'd love to get it (to satisfy their 'new stuff' craving) they just can't justify it.
They need to recognise that the MBA (although arguably a halo product) wasn't released just to satisfy the needs of compulsive-purchasing Apple fans; it was designed to a particular brief. Like others have said: if you need more ports, or more processing power, buy the MB.
I'm sure Apple are taking comments on board and I'm sure they mulled over these compromises a thousand times before releasing it, and you might see something in the next revision that makes you change your mind about it. I don't, however, see the form factor changing.
In the meantime, constructive discussion of its shortfalls is only a good thing, but some of this whining is pretty unappealing.
I'll be looking to get one in the next revision, hopefully; I'm fully happy with my MBP at the moment (when I bought it the MBs hadn't been released) but I'm definitely looking to downsize and don't need all the ports the MBP offers, although I'll probably miss optical audio out and audio line in, i'll get over it; I'll be travelling to and from Europe on a regular basis from September (fortnightly to monthly) and the reduction in size will far outweigh the loss of those ports.
What I have conducted is simply a balancing exercise considering whether I need the functionality I will miss more than I will need the small size. I don't; I'd prefer the portability, so I'll buy one. You might not come to the same conclusion based on your needs.
In an ideal world maybe Apple would be able to custom-make a laptop enclosure as small as possible to fit a customer's given set of required computing capabilities; that is, however, not feasible for the foreseeable future and so there will always be some people who aren't catered for perfectly by their limited offerings. This is unfortunate, but you simply have to work out which model is best for you.
One of the unfortunate incidents of preferring the Mac OS is that you have to make do with what Apple offers you (OSx86 project aside); you can't make up your own hardware or find another manufacturer which suits you better. Again you simply have to make a balancing value judgement; is having the Mac OS worth the sacrifice of a machine that, hardware wise, better fulfils your needs? Or would you prefer a custom-fit PC running Windows?
Apple isn't a benevolent society, it's a for-profit company; it doesn't owe you the perfect computer. They sell their products at the prices they wish and they sink or swim depending on whether enough people buy them. They're definitely swimming at the moment.
You can throw shade on my reasons if you like but, believe me, it's really NOT a money issue. If I wanted an Air I'd buy one, but I don't. Nor am I sufficiently enticed to buy the current MBP when a significant update is just around the corner. Please remember, none of us HAS to buy these things except for work and, as I said, even though what I've got isn't ideal right now, I'm not prepared to chuck money at Apple for products that are a bit of what I want and need, but not everything.
I'm sure Apple will come out with something I'm happy with soon enough, and when they do, I'll buy it. I still think that for a lot of users the Air is a misfire and you can't change my mind about that by insinuating anything personal about me, my working needs or my finances, thanks. It's as simple as that.
Actually, this response of yours seems very reasoned, I was more commenting on the "monkey butts" line earlier, which seemed to put you more in the camp of people going ballistic over the MBA for some unexplainable reason. My comments on money were more for the majority of complainers who seemed to want the MBA but (when you look under the complaints) found it too expensive for their pocketbooks. Work is work, and I think there are enough choices to fit pretty much anyone's needs. Seems like you know what you want, and that the next go-round will probably fill it.
For some reason it seems to me that a lot of people feel "threatened" by the MBA..There's a lot of senseless hatred/bashing for this thing, despite the fact that every single person that owns one absolutely loves it.
Go figure, huh. lol..another case of the "have nots" wanting something so bad they have to pick apart it's shortcomings to make themselves feel better, it seems.
For some reason it seems to me that a lot of people feel "threatened" by the MBA..There's a lot of senseless hatred/bashing for this thing, despite the fact that every single person that owns one absolutely loves it.
Go figure, huh. lol..another case of the "have nots" wanting something so bad they have to pick apart it's shortcomings to make themselves feel better, it seems.
That and they cannot accept that although it doesn't meet their narrow sense of needs that it is still ranked at the top of the list of Mac sales at the Apple Store and has a shipping time of 5 to 7 days, suggesting that Apple still can't make enough to meet demand. People are buying the Air, and Apple's discussion boards have yet to show many people who have regretted their purchase. The most vociferous regret was actually posted here on AI and was the result of an impulse buy that did not follow an examination of the device's capabilities and thus was a moot argument.
My broken fan aside, the MBA is the best notebook computer I have ever owned, and I have have owned a PB 3400 (1997), an iBook (2001), PB 12" (2003), PB 15 (2004), MB (2006), MBP (2007), MBA (2008), and two or three slightly different machines as I had 2 replaced after there were upgrades. Yeah, I have been around the block a few times and have a little experience under my belt. The MBA rocks.
I don't think I would change anything spec-wise on the Air ? I think it's perfect for its target market.
The only problem I have with the MacBook Air is that I think that its price is way out ? at the moment it doesn't represent particularly good value for money compared to Apple's other notebook families. When you compare what you actually get with the MacBook Air as opposed to a MacBook or a MacBook Pro it's hard to justify the current price point.
I think that a lot of people are buying the MacBook Air for its coolness factor.
I suspect that a few months use will bring the realisation that a MacBook or MacBook Pro would have been a wiser choice for the majority of MacBook Air owners (but I also accept that there will be a small niche of users for whom portability is more important than anything else and they are willing to sacrifice everything else in order to achieve that).
All the MacBook Air's popularity proves is that there are a lot of people out there who are willing to pay way over the odds for something that's uber cool (basically, the luxury goods crowd). You could argue that Apple would be stupid not to take their money whilst they have the opportunity.
Don't let Windoze near any of my machines, so I couldn't tell you.
Office gives me enough headaches as it is... just had my wife's MacBook go crazy with an Excel crash that prevented a normal sleep and nearly burned the machine.
I don't think I would change anything spec-wise on the Air – I think it's perfect for its target market.
The only problem I have with the MacBook Air is that I think that its price is way out – at the moment it doesn't represent particularly good value for money compared to Apple's other notebook families. When you compare what you actually get with the MacBook Air as opposed to a MacBook or a MacBook Pro it's hard to justify the current price point.
I think that a lot of people are buying the MacBook Air for its coolness factor.
I suspect that a few months use will bring the realisation that a MacBook or MacBook Pro would have been a wiser choice for the majority of MacBook Air owners (but I also accept that there will be a small niche of users for whom portability is more important than anything else and they are willing to sacrifice everything else in order to achieve that).
All the MacBook Air's popularity proves is that there are a lot of people out there who are willing to pay way over the odds for something that's uber cool (basically, the luxury goods crowd). You could argue that Apple would be stupid not to take their money whilst they have the opportunity.
I think you've eloquently summed it up for me: the Air represents a very beautiful, very expensive way to use the internet and Microsoft Office.
Comments
For now, I'm anxiously awaiting revision 2. Or 3.
Joe
Spending 1/3rd of my life on the road, I'm the type of user that the MBA was designed for. Having used Apple laptops since the mid 1990's I'm well used to what these things cost, and frankly I'm OK with that. For me it's a tool, a very important tool that I use to get my work done, plus a little leftover for some fun at the end of the day. In comparison with my current Aluminum Pro model, I fully expect that the tradeoff for reduced size and weight will be reduced performance. I'm quite OK with that, because my work doesn't require a lot of CPU horsepower. I also don't care about how *fast* the HD is. That said, I can't use an MBA in my daily use until they can get me more than 80 GB of disk space, it's as simple as that. Nobody wants an MBA more than me, if for no other reason than the ease of whipping it out of my bag and running it through the security scanner with my coat and shoes. I would gladly have traded a few millimeters more of thickness for a larger capacity drive. Since the intro at MacWorld I've been trying to pare down my 120 GB of data into something that'll fit into an MBA but I only have so much time -I'll happily pay whatever to be able to just dump *everything* into a new, smaller laptop.
For now, I'm anxiously awaiting revision 2. Or 3.
Joe
I'd written the Air off until I saw and used it in person yesterday and now I agree with what you're saying. The Air is lovely to look at and lovely to use but the size and weight saving is so extreme you wonder why they couldn't have made it a tiny big thicker and given everyone the streamlined MBP 12 or 13" so many people have been wanting.
The fact the Air is so close to what a 12 or 13" MBP could be and yet there's nothing between it and the 15" MBP gives me the horrible feeling Apple are gonna stick with this situation and not bother upgrading the Air. We either get a hobbled machine that's thinner than a lot of people need it to be or a fully functional machine that's too damn big.
I'm sure Apple don't give a monkey's but I ain't buying either and I'm frustrated as hell.
I'd written the Air off until I saw and used it in person yesterday and now I agree with what you're saying. The Air is lovely to look at and lovely to use but the size and weight saving is so extreme you wonder why they couldn't have made it a tiny big thicker and given everyone the streamlined MBP 12 or 13" so many people have been wanting.
The fact the Air is so close to what a 12 or 13" MBP could be and yet there's nothing between it and the 15" MBP gives me the horrible feeling Apple are gonna stick with this situation and not bother upgrading the Air. We either get a hobbled machine that's thinner than a lot of people need it to be or a fully functional machine that's too damn big.
I'm sure Apple don't give a monkey's but I ain't buying either and I'm frustrated as hell.
What are you using right now that's better for you than one or the other, might I ask?
By the way I actually went to the store to purchase an iPhone, but for whatever reason walked out with a MacBook Pro. Well part of the reason was the need for a laptop but the other is for a iphone development platform.
Dave
Anyway that is my current plan. The Air fits my needs perfectly. And maybe it won't roast my grapes like the PB does.
What are you using right now that's better for you than one or the other, might I ask?
Last gen TiBook on its last legs. It's not ideal but if I gotta have bulky and functional or tiny and crippled I'll stay functional until the Ti croaks or Apple bring out something closer to what I want. Like a lot of people in my position, I'm not prepared to give Apple more money for a gimmicky compromise.
The money I spent on the "gimmicky" MBA was well worth it; it's just that much easier to use than my MBP; it has already paid for itself. The size and weight are perfect; any heavier and it would lose some of its freeness, if I may use that word to describe how it can be moved around, even with only one hand. Sure, it can't do a few things the MBP or even the MB can, but it doesn't need to.
Apple makes four portable computers: the MacBook, the MBA, the MBP and the MBP 17" (I view these as two birds). They each have their strengths and weaknesses. They each are good for some users and not for others. That is why they make several models.
If you don't mind the added bulk and must have the extras, go for a MacBook. It will out-perform your current machine and be lighter and be more portable. If you need more power still, go for the MBP. Nobody is stopping you.
The MBA is a fantastic machine just as it is.
Last gen TiBook on its last legs. It's not ideal but if I gotta have bulky and functional or tiny and crippled I'll stay functional until the Ti croaks or Apple bring out something closer to what I want. Like a lot of people in my position, I'm not prepared to give Apple more money for a gimmicky compromise.
Odd, the MBP's are hardly "bulky" (especially compared to all the other power notebooks out there), and the MBA is hardly "crippled." Both will crush your TiBook in terms of performance, and if you need more ports, you have the choice of the MB and the MBA (or some hubbish solution). What are you going to use it for that the MBA isn't powerful enough (and since it's faster than your TiBook by a bunch, how are you working at the moment)? Or what are you needing that has to have more ports? That will dictate what you buy.
Oddly, I'm not sure why you're so up-in-arms. Me, I have no use for the MB's -- stylistically, they look inferior to the MBA's & MBP's (to my eye). They are also a compromise in power to ports, etc. But that doesn't mean I don't see where they fit in for others. They are a great machine. Why everyone who can't afford the MBA, or obviously need more ports or power and therefore need something "bigger" get so riled up about the MBA is beyond me. Seems to be such a waste of time and energy. There are three great lines of notebooks (with a nod to Bergermeister's 17'ers) with three distinct buyers (some edge into one another a bit, but not much). Why rag on any of them? At the core of it, it always seems like a money issue to me though (no matter how many people claim it isn't).
i don't want one b/c i can use the extra speed of a mbp, but for a portable machine, its great.
Odd, the MBP's are hardly "bulky" (especially compared to all the other power notebooks out there), and the MBA is hardly "crippled." Both will crush your TiBook in terms of performance, and if you need more ports, you have the choice of the MB and the MBA (or some hubbish solution). What are you going to use it for that the MBA isn't powerful enough (and since it's faster than your TiBook by a bunch, how are you working at the moment)? Or what are you needing that has to have more ports? That will dictate what you buy.
Oddly, I'm not sure why you're so up-in-arms. Me, I have no use for the MB's -- stylistically, they look inferior to the MBA's & MBP's (to my eye). They are also a compromise in power to ports, etc. But that doesn't mean I don't see where they fit in for others. They are a great machine. Why everyone who can't afford the MBA, or obviously need more ports or power and therefore need something "bigger" get so riled up about the MBA is beyond me. Seems to be such a waste of time and energy. There are three great lines of notebooks (with a nod to Bergermeister's 17'ers) with three distinct buyers (some edge into one another a bit, but not much). Why rag on any of them? At the core of it, it always seems like a money issue to me though (no matter how many people claim it isn't).
You can throw shade on my reasons if you like but, believe me, it's really NOT a money issue. If I wanted an Air I'd buy one, but I don't. Nor am I sufficiently enticed to buy the current MBP when a significant update is just around the corner. Please remember, none of us HAS to buy these things except for work and, as I said, even though what I've got isn't ideal right now, I'm not prepared to chuck money at Apple for products that are a bit of what I want and need, but not everything.
I'm sure Apple will come out with something I'm happy with soon enough, and when they do, I'll buy it. I still think that for a lot of users the Air is a misfire and you can't change my mind about that by insinuating anything personal about me, my working needs or my finances, thanks. It's as simple as that.
They need to recognise that the MBA (although arguably a halo product) wasn't released just to satisfy the needs of compulsive-purchasing Apple fans; it was designed to a particular brief. Like others have said: if you need more ports, or more processing power, buy the MB.
I'm sure Apple are taking comments on board and I'm sure they mulled over these compromises a thousand times before releasing it, and you might see something in the next revision that makes you change your mind about it. I don't, however, see the form factor changing.
In the meantime, constructive discussion of its shortfalls is only a good thing, but some of this whining is pretty unappealing.
I'll be looking to get one in the next revision, hopefully; I'm fully happy with my MBP at the moment (when I bought it the MBs hadn't been released) but I'm definitely looking to downsize and don't need all the ports the MBP offers, although I'll probably miss optical audio out and audio line in, i'll get over it; I'll be travelling to and from Europe on a regular basis from September (fortnightly to monthly) and the reduction in size will far outweigh the loss of those ports.
What I have conducted is simply a balancing exercise considering whether I need the functionality I will miss more than I will need the small size. I don't; I'd prefer the portability, so I'll buy one. You might not come to the same conclusion based on your needs.
In an ideal world maybe Apple would be able to custom-make a laptop enclosure as small as possible to fit a customer's given set of required computing capabilities; that is, however, not feasible for the foreseeable future and so there will always be some people who aren't catered for perfectly by their limited offerings. This is unfortunate, but you simply have to work out which model is best for you.
One of the unfortunate incidents of preferring the Mac OS is that you have to make do with what Apple offers you (OSx86 project aside); you can't make up your own hardware or find another manufacturer which suits you better. Again you simply have to make a balancing value judgement; is having the Mac OS worth the sacrifice of a machine that, hardware wise, better fulfils your needs? Or would you prefer a custom-fit PC running Windows?
Apple isn't a benevolent society, it's a for-profit company; it doesn't owe you the perfect computer. They sell their products at the prices they wish and they sink or swim depending on whether enough people buy them. They're definitely swimming at the moment.
Ben
You can throw shade on my reasons if you like but, believe me, it's really NOT a money issue. If I wanted an Air I'd buy one, but I don't. Nor am I sufficiently enticed to buy the current MBP when a significant update is just around the corner. Please remember, none of us HAS to buy these things except for work and, as I said, even though what I've got isn't ideal right now, I'm not prepared to chuck money at Apple for products that are a bit of what I want and need, but not everything.
I'm sure Apple will come out with something I'm happy with soon enough, and when they do, I'll buy it. I still think that for a lot of users the Air is a misfire and you can't change my mind about that by insinuating anything personal about me, my working needs or my finances, thanks. It's as simple as that.
Actually, this response of yours seems very reasoned, I was more commenting on the "monkey butts" line earlier, which seemed to put you more in the camp of people going ballistic over the MBA for some unexplainable reason. My comments on money were more for the majority of complainers who seemed to want the MBA but (when you look under the complaints) found it too expensive for their pocketbooks. Work is work, and I think there are enough choices to fit pretty much anyone's needs. Seems like you know what you want, and that the next go-round will probably fill it.
Go figure, huh. lol..another case of the "have nots" wanting something so bad they have to pick apart it's shortcomings to make themselves feel better, it seems.
For some reason it seems to me that a lot of people feel "threatened" by the MBA..There's a lot of senseless hatred/bashing for this thing, despite the fact that every single person that owns one absolutely loves it.
Go figure, huh. lol..another case of the "have nots" wanting something so bad they have to pick apart it's shortcomings to make themselves feel better, it seems.
That and they cannot accept that although it doesn't meet their narrow sense of needs that it is still ranked at the top of the list of Mac sales at the Apple Store and has a shipping time of 5 to 7 days, suggesting that Apple still can't make enough to meet demand. People are buying the Air, and Apple's discussion boards have yet to show many people who have regretted their purchase. The most vociferous regret was actually posted here on AI and was the result of an impulse buy that did not follow an examination of the device's capabilities and thus was a moot argument.
My broken fan aside, the MBA is the best notebook computer I have ever owned, and I have have owned a PB 3400 (1997), an iBook (2001), PB 12" (2003), PB 15 (2004), MB (2006), MBP (2007), MBA (2008), and two or three slightly different machines as I had 2 replaced after there were upgrades. Yeah, I have been around the block a few times and have a little experience under my belt. The MBA rocks.
The only problem I have with the MacBook Air is that I think that its price is way out ? at the moment it doesn't represent particularly good value for money compared to Apple's other notebook families. When you compare what you actually get with the MacBook Air as opposed to a MacBook or a MacBook Pro it's hard to justify the current price point.
I think that a lot of people are buying the MacBook Air for its coolness factor.
I suspect that a few months use will bring the realisation that a MacBook or MacBook Pro would have been a wiser choice for the majority of MacBook Air owners (but I also accept that there will be a small niche of users for whom portability is more important than anything else and they are willing to sacrifice everything else in order to achieve that).
All the MacBook Air's popularity proves is that there are a lot of people out there who are willing to pay way over the odds for something that's uber cool (basically, the luxury goods crowd). You could argue that Apple would be stupid not to take their money whilst they have the opportunity.
Office gives me enough headaches as it is... just had my wife's MacBook go crazy with an Excel crash that prevented a normal sleep and nearly burned the machine.
I don't think I would change anything spec-wise on the Air – I think it's perfect for its target market.
The only problem I have with the MacBook Air is that I think that its price is way out – at the moment it doesn't represent particularly good value for money compared to Apple's other notebook families. When you compare what you actually get with the MacBook Air as opposed to a MacBook or a MacBook Pro it's hard to justify the current price point.
I think that a lot of people are buying the MacBook Air for its coolness factor.
I suspect that a few months use will bring the realisation that a MacBook or MacBook Pro would have been a wiser choice for the majority of MacBook Air owners (but I also accept that there will be a small niche of users for whom portability is more important than anything else and they are willing to sacrifice everything else in order to achieve that).
All the MacBook Air's popularity proves is that there are a lot of people out there who are willing to pay way over the odds for something that's uber cool (basically, the luxury goods crowd). You could argue that Apple would be stupid not to take their money whilst they have the opportunity.
I think you've eloquently summed it up for me: the Air represents a very beautiful, very expensive way to use the internet and Microsoft Office.