Typing on my MBA right now, I would say that there is no need for an additional USB port. I have been very consistent in this comment. Many people compare the MBA to other machines, and then claim it "lacks" this or that. However, the Air is a fabulous machine as it is (and for what it is) and I would change very little.
It is fine to be consistent but consistency does not make for a suitable machine for every one. For the majority of us the AIR lacks ports for how we would like to use the machine, it is as simple as that. The frustration is that things like USB ports are free with the chip set used in the machine.
Quote:
I use my MBA 3-5 hours every day and never have I felt the need for a second USB port. Never. Repeat: never. I slip photos and videos onto it, I import recorded audio for editing in Logic or Bias Peak. I back up to my iPod.
Apparently swapping cables like a mad man. The point is that many of use would like to make use of multiple USB devices at once or plug into a wired Ethernet port without using that one USB port.
Quote:
Just change plugs and presto; who wants wires running all over the place like spaghetti slopped on top of a portable computer?
Actually this guy would prefer not to have all those wires running around himself. Unfortunately reality sets in when one realizes that not everything is ready for the wireless world. Even things like IPhone need that USB connection right now.
Quote:
What's the big idea behind making the Air something it's not meant to be? Need another USB port? Buy a MacBook. (When discussing the older PowerBooks, I was very much in favor of more USB ports, but that is what a PB is about: power).
See the above statement really bothers me because we are not trying to make AIR into something different just something better. Things like Audio in and out and another USB or wired Ethernet port can be done without drastic changes to current hardware. For example Audio in and out could have been handled by the same jack as used on the iPhone.
Quote:
There are a few refinements I can think of for the Air, but I am pretty darned happy with mine.
Well speak up!
In any event refinements are all we are talking about here.
Quote:
When Apple first released the mouse, people thought they were nuts.
Let's keep the MacBook Air from becoming the MacBook Wired LIke Every Other Portable.
WE just are not to the point in the peripheral world where that is possible. Even Apple lags here requiring an USB port for the iPhone. It would be nice if what you would like is possible for every user out there but it isn't, the technology just isn't there or not implemented in a way that leverages the technology we do have. Maybe a couple of years down the road.
In any event do realize just because a port is there doesn't mean you have to use it personally. Frankly you are being just a bit greedy trying to dictate to the wants and needs of the rest of us.
Personally I don't see this rev of Air fulfilling the role of a desktop replacement, and frankly it may never do so.
*psst* It's not supposed to be a desktop replacement, but a supplementary travel computer. Really. This is, IMO, the source of a lot of the misunderstanding about the Air... folks trying to make it a MBP replacement. If you need a full desktop on the road, the MBP is your machine. If you just need a lightweight travel machine to supplement your desktop back at home, it's fantastic.
*psst* It's not supposed to be a desktop replacement, but a supplementary travel computer. Really. This is, IMO, the source of a lot of the misunderstanding about the Air... folks trying to make it a MBP replacement. If you need a full desktop on the road, the MBP is your machine. If you just need a lightweight travel machine to supplement your desktop back at home, it's fantastic.
but for travel Ethernet is still needed as there hotels that are Ethernet only and WORK sites / Places that don't use WIFI or it is too locked down for you do real work on. Also a card slot or more then 1 usb should be there so you can use a Cell phone data card + have a open usb port as well.
It is fine to be consistent but consistency does not make for a suitable machine for every one. For the majority of us the AIR lacks ports for how we would like to use the machine, it is as simple as that.
The Air, as has been stated many, many, many times, was not designed for the majority, nor as a desktop replacement. Such is life. If you need the ports, Apple has a machine for you. The MBA is a wonderful machine.
---
Just as a test, I have the following devices attached to my MBA using a small USB hub right now:
- an Olympus Mju 1020
- an iPod 5g
- a mouse
- a USB key dongle
Result: all of the devices work perfectly and are charging properly. If you need to do it, you can do it.
Except for the dongle, the hub is smaller than any of the devices and thus makes carrying it a trivial fuss at most, and that is on a Monday directly following Friday the 13th, on a full moon, when my path has been crossed by not one but one hundred black cats, and if I got fired from three jobs in two days. That is to say, carrying a hub is no problem at all if you are going to carry any of the other devices. Maybe next people will start asking Apple to include a 1020 megapixel camera, a 120GB HD and all of their access dongles in the machine to start with.
However, I have never needed nor wanted to use the above set-up on my MBA; I reserve such an arrangement for my MBP when I am at a good-sized table.
So, leave the single USB as is. Really, lots of people seem to be making lots of noise over a very minor issue that is not really an issue.
---
Swapping cables like mad... that's good one. When I am sitting in a crowded Starbucks at one of their tiny round tables, there isn't enough space to have my video camera, my still camera, my iPod, my flash disk, my mouse, my track pad and all the other peripherals out anyway, so the only choice I have is to swap. Usually, I can have one thing out, thus one connected.
And it isn't like I load one image, swap to the mouse, move the mage around, swap to the iPod to back up and then repeat the cycle for the 120 images I took yesterday.
but for travel Ethernet is still needed as there hotels that are Ethernet only and WORK sites / Places that don't use WIFI or it is too locked down for you do real work on.
Hence the USB/Enet dongle.
Quote:
Also a card slot or more then 1 usb should be there so you can use a Cell phone data card + have a open usb port as well.
but for travel Ethernet is still needed as there hotels that are Ethernet only and WORK sites / Places that don't use WIFI or it is too locked down for you do real work on. Also a card slot or more then 1 usb should be there so you can use a Cell phone data card + have a open usb port as well.
Airport Express works like a charm in those hotels, and even in some older restaurants where the manager is nice enough to connect it for you.
I think you are spot-on when you say that Apple DOES listen to its customers. There is no way it could be as successful as it is if it didn't. My suggestion that Apple fails to listen is what you get if you listen to half the bleating and complaining on this forum! In fact, I wrote this thread because i believe that Apple is presently evaluating feedback about the MBA.
Marvin,
Your initial response deserved much more respect than it got. You are, of course, correct, when you say the MBA needs another port. That isn't your view or my view, but the collective wisdom of everyone who has experienced the MBA. So, the trolls who say otherwise inform us only of their ignorance. Great marketing is not about personal opinions, but about understanding what the majority of users want. Period.
Piot,
What is so wrong about a journalist contributing to the design of a machine? Take Walt Mossberg. His knowledge and experience of different systems probably makes him a world authority on new technology, that's before you consider how his own travel habits, the need to work both at home and in the office, plus the need for a good screen and keyboard all suggest that he has a very good professional handle on what the optimal system needs to provide.
Bergermeister,
Your point about the MBA never being intended to be an only computer is an interesting one, but may be incorrect. The one thing that prevents the MBA from being a primary system as it stands is not the lack of a DVD drive, but its miniscule memory capacity. With Samsung announcing a 256 Gb SSD drive to be launched in Q4, suddenly the MBA is right up there with other regular laptops. In fact, larger SSDs serve only to highlight the MBA's real deficiency: the lack of ports. Everyone wants another USB 2.0 port and a Firewire port. That's all. With these plus the forthcoming Centrino 2 running on Core 2 Duo Penryn 1.86 Mhz chip the MacBook Air becomes close to being a MacBook Pro minus the DVD drive. Of course, people who do stuff like heavy duty video editing will still need more powerful systems, but hopefully you get my point.
The question I'm asking then is: how difficult would it be for Apple to add one more USB port, because I think this one modification would make a huge difference.
If Apple were to add just one more port to the MBA (I don't have a strong opinion either way whether they actually will nor not) I'd much rather see Firewire than one more USB port.
Yes, I know there aren't as many Firewire peripherals anymore. But the big thing I miss with no Firewire is no Target Disk Mode.
Target Disk Mode is incredibly useful, not just when you're first setting up your computer and copying data from an old one, but it's great for fast file transfers with other Macs, and it's a godsend if you're trying to fix a corrupted drive and you want to boot up from a different OS X image, or hook your laptop up to another already-running copy of OS X to run diagnostic and repair tools.
Then again, I'm not sure why Target Disk Mode is currently tied to Firewire. There are, after all, plenty of USB-based hard drives and thumb drives. A USB version of Target Disk Mode where the MBA boots up as if it were an external USB disk drive, plus the ability to boot from an external USB drive (perhaps you can already do this?), and I'd be much less concerned about having a Firewire port.
If Apple were to add just one more port to the MBA (I don't have a strong opinion either way whether they actually will nor not) I'd much rather see Firewire than one more USB port.
See? That's the thing. I have no use for firewire, and I could live with a laptop that has just one USB port, but I really miss the Ethernet (wi-fi is no replacement, and the dongle is useless because it blocks the USB port). Others really want the extra USB.
So to satisfy a large demographic, Apple would need to include two USB ports, a firewire port and an Ethernet port. That would be a major change for the Air, and would possibly force them to make it (gasp) thicker.
Great marketing is not about personal opinions, but about understanding what the majority of users want. Period.
Fortunately for us, Apple isn't a great marketing company, but a great product company.
“If I’d asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” - Henry Ford
Understanding what people want is useless for building a compelling next-generation product. The vast majority of people don't have the knowledge to *imagine* the next level, much less ask for it. They generally want "more of the same". This is not innovation. This is not how you make great products.
Understanding *why* people think they want those things is paramount, however... and something that seems to elude most people on here, including yourself. So please, take you assertions of ignorance in others, and stick them up your... Tailpipe.
Your point about the MBA never being intended to be an only computer is an interesting one, but may be incorrect. The one thing that prevents the MBA from being a primary system as it stands is not the lack of a DVD drive, but its miniscule memory capacity. With Samsung announcing a 256 Gb SSD drive to be launched in Q4, suddenly the MBA is right up there with other regular laptops. In fact, larger SSDs serve only to highlight the MBA's real deficiency: the lack of ports. Everyone wants another USB 2.0 port and a Firewire port. That's all. With these plus the forthcoming Centrino 2 running on Core 2 Duo Penryn 1.86 Mhz chip the MacBook Air becomes close to being a MacBook Pro minus the DVD drive. Of course, people who do stuff like heavy duty video editing will still need more powerful systems, but hopefully you get my point.
The question I'm asking then is: how difficult would it be for Apple to add one more USB port, because I think this one modification would make a huge difference.
I know a couple of people who have bought the Air as an only computer... for one it was her first computer purchase. It just seems that the initial target was as a second computer, but Apple had a real seller on their hands. It is currently ranked #1 at the Apple store, a post it has held for most of the past few weeks. It seems that quite a few people are willing to fork over money for it, despite it's being - according to some people- so severely crippled. #1 means a fairly good majority.
A second USB, as I noted above, is not necessary and would turn the Air into something it isn't; they would have to drop the Air moniker if they gave in to such a request. The future is wireless and the Air is the first step towards that future. Apple is often a step or two ahead of the pack and thus always risk being criticized for their new ideas simply because the idea is not already commonplace. Where's the power switch on an iPod? How many devices didn't have power switches when the iPod was released? How many computer had mice before the first Macs went on sale?
Yep, today I tested dongles, cameras, audio interfaces, a keyboard and a few other accessories and they all worked fine on my little hub and my Air. So, if a user really needs to have two or more USB devices hooked up to the AIr at the same time, it is completely possible with a hub. I, for one, will go without the spaghetti.
[QUOTE=Tailpipe;1255595]What is so wrong about a journalist contributing to the design of a machine? Take Walt Mossberg./QUOTE]
One single journalist with a clear vision might, just might, be able to design a popular and successful computer. However with the quality of tech writers these days I would rather leave it to Ives, Jobs and co.
Do you really want your next machine to be designed by the guys at CNet?
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Originally Posted by Tailpipe
...... That isn't your view or my view, but the collective wisdom of everyone who has experienced the MBA. So, the trolls who say otherwise inform us only of their ignorance.
Collective opinions do not necessarily equate to wisdom. Particularly when it comes to tech geek forums populated by people who believe that, if a product doesn't suit them .... or their friends..... that obviously means 'the majority of users'. This twisted logic usually results in the conclusion that Apple has no idea what they are doing... have made fatal design errors ... and have a turkey on their hands.
The majority of the tech press are geeks as well and pander to their audience. The majority of the computer buying public don't read sites like this. They don't buy an iPhone and complain that they cant SSH and FTP. The majority don't buy special sets of screwdrivers and wait for Apple to release the fabled 'xMac'.
Personally I think that Apple has a real handle on "understanding what the majority of users want." I will qualify that by saying that the MacBook Air is a special case. With growing sales of the Mac they are confident enough to have produced a machine that specifically targets a niche in the market. With some of the compromises in the Air that may even be a niche within a niche. The difference is that this is a growing segment of the market whereas the consumer desktop tower market .... is shrinking.
If you want to let posters like Wizard et al... and the tech press design Apple products then the Air would weigh 6 lb. The iPhone would be a Blackberry... with a clickwheel stuck on the back. And they should just merge the iMac and Mini and call it a PsyMac.
Rewind 10 years and remember what journalists said about the original iMac. There was consistent criticism over the lack of a floppy disk drive and ADB ports.
As far as power is concern, Apple doesn't have a lot of choices even if Intel will have plenty of models in small package format:
3 main power envelops: 10/17/25W.
6MB L2 Cache:
- SP9400 - 2.4GHz, 25W, $316
- SP9300 - 2.26GHz, 25W, $284
- SL9400 - 1.86GHz, 17W, $316
- SL9300 - 1.6GHz, 17W, $284
3MB L2 Cache:
- SU9400 - 1.4GHz, 10W, $289
- SU9300 - 1.2GHz, 10W, $262
Given that the current MB Air doesn't have a really great battry life, I can't see Apple using 25W parts in order to get MORE power (2.26/2.40GHz). On the other hand, the 10W parts are slower (1.40GHz max) and have less cache. So, I believe that the only choice is the 17W parts (1.60/1.86GHz), not really more powerful than the current ones. Of course, the faster FSB and integrated graphics will increase the performance, but not so much that it can compete with even the MacBook.
But that's not what this Mac is intended for. And one other thing it is not, is a desktop replacement.
Even at its launch, the MB Air was already more powerful than its "competition". Of course someone will use the SP parts in small and light models, but at what cost (in terms of heat and power consumption)? Some manufacturers are already offering quad-core notebooks using desktop (and even server) cpus/chipsets, does it means that those models are selling well (or at all) or that they target a large audience or that they are reliable?
Of course, Apple could get some custom cpus from Intel, but I don't see those going much faster than 2.00GHz in a 17-20W power envelop.
As far as design/ports are concerned, I think that people who bought the MBA are loving it and that the MB Air is a success (despite all the bad "press" especially from the forums). As far as what Apple will do next, I don't know (except from the Montevina update). Apple has an history of both listening to their customers AND doing "crazy" things.
*psst* It's not supposed to be a desktop replacement, but a supplementary travel computer.
It may not be a desktop replacement but I don't currently believe that the "supplementary travel computer" category even exists or is real. I just don't see a lot of people in a position of being able to justify having multiple machines available to them.
The fact is that many laptop models, while not strictly desktop replacements, are very useful as personal computers. It is in this regards that the AIR comes up short. Mind you I'm not talking about a huge overhaul of the machine, just minor corrections to better serve the common user.
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Really. This is, IMO, the source of a lot of the misunderstanding about the Air... folks trying to make it a MBP replacement. If you need a full desktop on the road, the MBP is your machine. If you just need a lightweight travel machine to supplement your desktop back at home, it's fantastic.
Even as a lightweight travel machine the AIR fails in my opinion. One big issue is the lack of that Ethernet port. The other is the lack of USB ports. Much of this likely depends on just what your travel needs are but if you do technical support or engineering work in the field the AIR can't handle it. The frustration here is that it would take little to get the AIR up to speed and likely can be done with out dramatic impact on the unit.
Journalist reviews of the MacBook Air have been so consistent in their criticism of its lack of ports that it may just be that Apple breaks the habit of a lifetime and upgrades the hardware. The next version could conceivably include an additional USB port, but without significantly changing the overall hardware design.
This would enable both the DVD drive and an Ethernet connection to be used at the same time or alternatively a USB 3G data card and a USB printer cable. No Firewire. No built-in Ethernet. But a very simple addition of an additional USB port.
Whether it happens or not, you can bet you're bottom dollar that Apple is thinking about it. If you agree with this simple change please say so hereunder. If you don't, then perhaps you might like to suggest a better way of improving the MBA without any significant hardware re-design.
but for travel Ethernet is still needed as there hotels that are Ethernet only and WORK sites / Places that don't use WIFI or it is too locked down for you do real work on. Also a card slot or more then 1 usb should be there so you can use a Cell phone data card + have a open usb port as well.
Or you may be in a situation where you need Ethernet that is not running over USB and at the same time need high speed USB access. People can harp all they want about not personally needing Ethernet, that may very well be fine for them, but it does not reduce the real need people have for Ethernet.
The Air, as has been stated many, many, many times, was not designed for the majority, nor as a desktop replacement. Such is life. If you need the ports, Apple has a machine for you. The MBA is a wonderful machine.
I don't really care who it was designed for, what I care about is making it into a machine that I can make use of. It is a stretch to call something wonderful that so many people have exceptions to.
Quote:
---
Just as a test, I have the following devices attached to my MBA using a small USB hub right now:
- an Olympus Mju 1020
- an iPod 5g
- a mouse
- a USB key dongle
Result: all of the devices work perfectly and are charging properly. If you need to do it, you can do it.
Let me make this as simple as I can for you as you don't seem to get it hubs are not acceptable. Period end of discussion! If you don't understand why then you have no business even being in this thread.
Quote:
Except for the dongle, the hub is smaller than any of the devices and thus makes carrying it a trivial fuss at most, and that is on a Monday directly following Friday the 13th, on a full moon, when my path has been crossed by not one but one hundred black cats, and if I got fired from three jobs in two days. That is to say, carrying a hub is no problem at all if you are going to carry any of the other devices. Maybe next people will start asking Apple to include a 1020 megapixel camera, a 120GB HD and all of their access dongles in the machine to start with.
You really don't get it.
Quote:
However, I have never needed nor wanted to use the above set-up on my MBA; I reserve such an arrangement for my MBP when I am at a good-sized table.
So, leave the single USB as is. Really, lots of people seem to be making lots of noise over a very minor issue that is not really an issue.
Obviously not an issue for the simple minded that use their hardware in very generic ways. But if you expect to leverage your equipment to the fullest extent you will not be happy with the current arrangement on AIR.
Quote:
---
Swapping cables like mad... that's good one. When I am sitting in a crowded Starbucks at one of their tiny round tables, there isn't enough space to have my video camera, my still camera, my iPod, my flash disk, my mouse, my track pad and all the other peripherals out anyway, so the only choice I have is to swap. Usually, I can have one thing out, thus one connected.
I don't think I've ever gone into a Starbucks. That may say more about our individual sense of value than anything.
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And it isn't like I load one image, swap to the mouse, move the mage around, swap to the iPod to back up and then repeat the cycle for the 120 images I took yesterday.
I wrote this thread because i believe that Apple is presently evaluating feedback about the MBA.
I believe that Apple takes all reasonable comment into account when reving a machine. The issue of course is the competing wants and desires. That and I do believe Apple has a vision for each platform that they like to more or less adhere to. In any event the vision for AIR seems to be in flux or not well defined.
Quote:
Great marketing is not about personal opinions, but about understanding what the majority of users want. Period.
In the case of Apple I think the situation is a bit different as they seem to be more oriented to designing stuff they would want as technologist and then figuring out how to sell such to the masses. This of course leads to great ideas that at times just miss the boat. The original Mini was a good example as it lacked ports but was soon rectified.
What bothers me more than AIR shortcomings is that Apple consistently under delivers when it comes to fresh products only to respond to consumer objections later in the development cycle. Frankly it leaves them open to other players if such players ever got their acts together.
Quote:
Bergermeister,
Your point about the MBA never being intended to be an only computer is an interesting one, but may be incorrect. The one thing that prevents the MBA from being a primary system as it stands is not the lack of a DVD drive, but its miniscule memory capacity. With Samsung announcing a 256 Gb SSD drive to be launched in Q4, suddenly the MBA is right up there with other regular laptops. In fact, larger SSDs serve only to highlight the MBA's real deficiency: the lack of ports. Everyone wants another USB 2.0 port and a Firewire port. That's all. With these plus the forthcoming Centrino 2 running on Core 2 Duo Penryn 1.86 Mhz chip the MacBook Air becomes close to being a MacBook Pro minus the DVD drive. Of course, people who do stuff like heavy duty video editing will still need more powerful systems, but hopefully you get my point.
I'm not sure what Apple intended with respect to AIR usage, but it is pretty clear that many are buying AIR to be their main computer. That is all well and god if the machine does what you want it to do. I'm still of the opinion that many people will outgrow the machine when used as such. Not because of its internal memory limitations but rather the limitations it has with respect to alternative storage. Which circles around back to the issue of ports.
The Mini might be perfectly fine if you have access to a file server available over WiFi, but that will never be the cheap way to make up for the AIRs short comings.
Quote:
The question I'm asking then is: how difficult would it be for Apple to add one more USB port, because I think this one modification would make a huge difference.
This is the thing it shouldn't be difficult at all. The support is already there in the chip set. The only need is for a place for the physical connector.
Comments
Typing on my MBA right now, I would say that there is no need for an additional USB port. I have been very consistent in this comment. Many people compare the MBA to other machines, and then claim it "lacks" this or that. However, the Air is a fabulous machine as it is (and for what it is) and I would change very little.
It is fine to be consistent but consistency does not make for a suitable machine for every one. For the majority of us the AIR lacks ports for how we would like to use the machine, it is as simple as that. The frustration is that things like USB ports are free with the chip set used in the machine.
I use my MBA 3-5 hours every day and never have I felt the need for a second USB port. Never. Repeat: never. I slip photos and videos onto it, I import recorded audio for editing in Logic or Bias Peak. I back up to my iPod.
Apparently swapping cables like a mad man. The point is that many of use would like to make use of multiple USB devices at once or plug into a wired Ethernet port without using that one USB port.
Just change plugs and presto; who wants wires running all over the place like spaghetti slopped on top of a portable computer?
Actually this guy would prefer not to have all those wires running around himself. Unfortunately reality sets in when one realizes that not everything is ready for the wireless world. Even things like IPhone need that USB connection right now.
What's the big idea behind making the Air something it's not meant to be? Need another USB port? Buy a MacBook. (When discussing the older PowerBooks, I was very much in favor of more USB ports, but that is what a PB is about: power).
See the above statement really bothers me because we are not trying to make AIR into something different just something better. Things like Audio in and out and another USB or wired Ethernet port can be done without drastic changes to current hardware. For example Audio in and out could have been handled by the same jack as used on the iPhone.
There are a few refinements I can think of for the Air, but I am pretty darned happy with mine.
Well speak up!
In any event refinements are all we are talking about here.
When Apple first released the mouse, people thought they were nuts.
Let's keep the MacBook Air from becoming the MacBook Wired LIke Every Other Portable.
WE just are not to the point in the peripheral world where that is possible. Even Apple lags here requiring an USB port for the iPhone. It would be nice if what you would like is possible for every user out there but it isn't, the technology just isn't there or not implemented in a way that leverages the technology we do have. Maybe a couple of years down the road.
In any event do realize just because a port is there doesn't mean you have to use it personally. Frankly you are being just a bit greedy trying to dictate to the wants and needs of the rest of us.
Dave
Personally I don't see this rev of Air fulfilling the role of a desktop replacement, and frankly it may never do so.
*psst* It's not supposed to be a desktop replacement, but a supplementary travel computer. Really. This is, IMO, the source of a lot of the misunderstanding about the Air... folks trying to make it a MBP replacement. If you need a full desktop on the road, the MBP is your machine. If you just need a lightweight travel machine to supplement your desktop back at home, it's fantastic.
*psst* It's not supposed to be a desktop replacement, but a supplementary travel computer. Really. This is, IMO, the source of a lot of the misunderstanding about the Air... folks trying to make it a MBP replacement. If you need a full desktop on the road, the MBP is your machine. If you just need a lightweight travel machine to supplement your desktop back at home, it's fantastic.
but for travel Ethernet is still needed as there hotels that are Ethernet only and WORK sites / Places that don't use WIFI or it is too locked down for you do real work on. Also a card slot or more then 1 usb should be there so you can use a Cell phone data card + have a open usb port as well.
It is fine to be consistent but consistency does not make for a suitable machine for every one. For the majority of us the AIR lacks ports for how we would like to use the machine, it is as simple as that.
The Air, as has been stated many, many, many times, was not designed for the majority, nor as a desktop replacement. Such is life. If you need the ports, Apple has a machine for you. The MBA is a wonderful machine.
---
Just as a test, I have the following devices attached to my MBA using a small USB hub right now:
- an Olympus Mju 1020
- an iPod 5g
- a mouse
- a USB key dongle
Result: all of the devices work perfectly and are charging properly. If you need to do it, you can do it.
Except for the dongle, the hub is smaller than any of the devices and thus makes carrying it a trivial fuss at most, and that is on a Monday directly following Friday the 13th, on a full moon, when my path has been crossed by not one but one hundred black cats, and if I got fired from three jobs in two days. That is to say, carrying a hub is no problem at all if you are going to carry any of the other devices. Maybe next people will start asking Apple to include a 1020 megapixel camera, a 120GB HD and all of their access dongles in the machine to start with.
However, I have never needed nor wanted to use the above set-up on my MBA; I reserve such an arrangement for my MBP when I am at a good-sized table.
So, leave the single USB as is. Really, lots of people seem to be making lots of noise over a very minor issue that is not really an issue.
---
Swapping cables like mad... that's good one. When I am sitting in a crowded Starbucks at one of their tiny round tables, there isn't enough space to have my video camera, my still camera, my iPod, my flash disk, my mouse, my track pad and all the other peripherals out anyway, so the only choice I have is to swap. Usually, I can have one thing out, thus one connected.
And it isn't like I load one image, swap to the mouse, move the mage around, swap to the iPod to back up and then repeat the cycle for the 120 images I took yesterday.
but for travel Ethernet is still needed as there hotels that are Ethernet only and WORK sites / Places that don't use WIFI or it is too locked down for you do real work on.
Hence the USB/Enet dongle.
Also a card slot or more then 1 usb should be there so you can use a Cell phone data card + have a open usb port as well.
*shakes head* You want an MBP, plain and simple.
but for travel Ethernet is still needed as there hotels that are Ethernet only and WORK sites / Places that don't use WIFI or it is too locked down for you do real work on. Also a card slot or more then 1 usb should be there so you can use a Cell phone data card + have a open usb port as well.
Airport Express works like a charm in those hotels, and even in some older restaurants where the manager is nice enough to connect it for you.
Thanks for a great post, Dave.
I think you are spot-on when you say that Apple DOES listen to its customers. There is no way it could be as successful as it is if it didn't. My suggestion that Apple fails to listen is what you get if you listen to half the bleating and complaining on this forum! In fact, I wrote this thread because i believe that Apple is presently evaluating feedback about the MBA.
Marvin,
Your initial response deserved much more respect than it got. You are, of course, correct, when you say the MBA needs another port. That isn't your view or my view, but the collective wisdom of everyone who has experienced the MBA. So, the trolls who say otherwise inform us only of their ignorance. Great marketing is not about personal opinions, but about understanding what the majority of users want. Period.
Piot,
What is so wrong about a journalist contributing to the design of a machine? Take Walt Mossberg. His knowledge and experience of different systems probably makes him a world authority on new technology, that's before you consider how his own travel habits, the need to work both at home and in the office, plus the need for a good screen and keyboard all suggest that he has a very good professional handle on what the optimal system needs to provide.
Bergermeister,
Your point about the MBA never being intended to be an only computer is an interesting one, but may be incorrect. The one thing that prevents the MBA from being a primary system as it stands is not the lack of a DVD drive, but its miniscule memory capacity. With Samsung announcing a 256 Gb SSD drive to be launched in Q4, suddenly the MBA is right up there with other regular laptops. In fact, larger SSDs serve only to highlight the MBA's real deficiency: the lack of ports. Everyone wants another USB 2.0 port and a Firewire port. That's all. With these plus the forthcoming Centrino 2 running on Core 2 Duo Penryn 1.86 Mhz chip the MacBook Air becomes close to being a MacBook Pro minus the DVD drive. Of course, people who do stuff like heavy duty video editing will still need more powerful systems, but hopefully you get my point.
The question I'm asking then is: how difficult would it be for Apple to add one more USB port, because I think this one modification would make a huge difference.
Yes, I know there aren't as many Firewire peripherals anymore. But the big thing I miss with no Firewire is no Target Disk Mode.
Target Disk Mode is incredibly useful, not just when you're first setting up your computer and copying data from an old one, but it's great for fast file transfers with other Macs, and it's a godsend if you're trying to fix a corrupted drive and you want to boot up from a different OS X image, or hook your laptop up to another already-running copy of OS X to run diagnostic and repair tools.
Then again, I'm not sure why Target Disk Mode is currently tied to Firewire. There are, after all, plenty of USB-based hard drives and thumb drives. A USB version of Target Disk Mode where the MBA boots up as if it were an external USB disk drive, plus the ability to boot from an external USB drive (perhaps you can already do this?), and I'd be much less concerned about having a Firewire port.
If Apple were to add just one more port to the MBA (I don't have a strong opinion either way whether they actually will nor not) I'd much rather see Firewire than one more USB port.
See? That's the thing. I have no use for firewire, and I could live with a laptop that has just one USB port, but I really miss the Ethernet (wi-fi is no replacement, and the dongle is useless because it blocks the USB port). Others really want the extra USB.
So to satisfy a large demographic, Apple would need to include two USB ports, a firewire port and an Ethernet port. That would be a major change for the Air, and would possibly force them to make it (gasp) thicker.
Great marketing is not about personal opinions, but about understanding what the majority of users want. Period.
Fortunately for us, Apple isn't a great marketing company, but a great product company.
“If I’d asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” - Henry Ford
Understanding what people want is useless for building a compelling next-generation product. The vast majority of people don't have the knowledge to *imagine* the next level, much less ask for it. They generally want "more of the same". This is not innovation. This is not how you make great products.
Understanding *why* people think they want those things is paramount, however... and something that seems to elude most people on here, including yourself. So please, take you assertions of ignorance in others, and stick them up your... Tailpipe.
Wizard 69,
Bergermeister,
Your point about the MBA never being intended to be an only computer is an interesting one, but may be incorrect. The one thing that prevents the MBA from being a primary system as it stands is not the lack of a DVD drive, but its miniscule memory capacity. With Samsung announcing a 256 Gb SSD drive to be launched in Q4, suddenly the MBA is right up there with other regular laptops. In fact, larger SSDs serve only to highlight the MBA's real deficiency: the lack of ports. Everyone wants another USB 2.0 port and a Firewire port. That's all. With these plus the forthcoming Centrino 2 running on Core 2 Duo Penryn 1.86 Mhz chip the MacBook Air becomes close to being a MacBook Pro minus the DVD drive. Of course, people who do stuff like heavy duty video editing will still need more powerful systems, but hopefully you get my point.
The question I'm asking then is: how difficult would it be for Apple to add one more USB port, because I think this one modification would make a huge difference.
I know a couple of people who have bought the Air as an only computer... for one it was her first computer purchase. It just seems that the initial target was as a second computer, but Apple had a real seller on their hands. It is currently ranked #1 at the Apple store, a post it has held for most of the past few weeks. It seems that quite a few people are willing to fork over money for it, despite it's being - according to some people- so severely crippled. #1 means a fairly good majority.
A second USB, as I noted above, is not necessary and would turn the Air into something it isn't; they would have to drop the Air moniker if they gave in to such a request. The future is wireless and the Air is the first step towards that future. Apple is often a step or two ahead of the pack and thus always risk being criticized for their new ideas simply because the idea is not already commonplace. Where's the power switch on an iPod? How many devices didn't have power switches when the iPod was released? How many computer had mice before the first Macs went on sale?
Yep, today I tested dongles, cameras, audio interfaces, a keyboard and a few other accessories and they all worked fine on my little hub and my Air. So, if a user really needs to have two or more USB devices hooked up to the AIr at the same time, it is completely possible with a hub. I, for one, will go without the spaghetti.
One single journalist with a clear vision might, just might, be able to design a popular and successful computer. However with the quality of tech writers these days I would rather leave it to Ives, Jobs and co.
Do you really want your next machine to be designed by the guys at CNet?
...... That isn't your view or my view, but the collective wisdom of everyone who has experienced the MBA. So, the trolls who say otherwise inform us only of their ignorance.
Collective opinions do not necessarily equate to wisdom. Particularly when it comes to tech geek forums populated by people who believe that, if a product doesn't suit them .... or their friends..... that obviously means 'the majority of users'. This twisted logic usually results in the conclusion that Apple has no idea what they are doing... have made fatal design errors ... and have a turkey on their hands.
The majority of the tech press are geeks as well and pander to their audience. The majority of the computer buying public don't read sites like this. They don't buy an iPhone and complain that they cant SSH and FTP. The majority don't buy special sets of screwdrivers and wait for Apple to release the fabled 'xMac'.
Personally I think that Apple has a real handle on "understanding what the majority of users want." I will qualify that by saying that the MacBook Air is a special case. With growing sales of the Mac they are confident enough to have produced a machine that specifically targets a niche in the market. With some of the compromises in the Air that may even be a niche within a niche. The difference is that this is a growing segment of the market whereas the consumer desktop tower market .... is shrinking.
If you want to let posters like Wizard et al... and the tech press design Apple products then the Air would weigh 6 lb. The iPhone would be a Blackberry... with a clickwheel stuck on the back. And they should just merge the iMac and Mini and call it a PsyMac.
Rewind 10 years and remember what journalists said about the original iMac. There was consistent criticism over the lack of a floppy disk drive and ADB ports.
Sometimes, less is more (corny as it sounds).
3 main power envelops: 10/17/25W.
6MB L2 Cache:
- SP9400 - 2.4GHz, 25W, $316
- SP9300 - 2.26GHz, 25W, $284
- SL9400 - 1.86GHz, 17W, $316
- SL9300 - 1.6GHz, 17W, $284
3MB L2 Cache:
- SU9400 - 1.4GHz, 10W, $289
- SU9300 - 1.2GHz, 10W, $262
Given that the current MB Air doesn't have a really great battry life, I can't see Apple using 25W parts in order to get MORE power (2.26/2.40GHz). On the other hand, the 10W parts are slower (1.40GHz max) and have less cache. So, I believe that the only choice is the 17W parts (1.60/1.86GHz), not really more powerful than the current ones. Of course, the faster FSB and integrated graphics will increase the performance, but not so much that it can compete with even the MacBook.
But that's not what this Mac is intended for. And one other thing it is not, is a desktop replacement.
Even at its launch, the MB Air was already more powerful than its "competition". Of course someone will use the SP parts in small and light models, but at what cost (in terms of heat and power consumption)? Some manufacturers are already offering quad-core notebooks using desktop (and even server) cpus/chipsets, does it means that those models are selling well (or at all) or that they target a large audience or that they are reliable?
Of course, Apple could get some custom cpus from Intel, but I don't see those going much faster than 2.00GHz in a 17-20W power envelop.
As far as design/ports are concerned, I think that people who bought the MBA are loving it and that the MB Air is a success (despite all the bad "press" especially from the forums). As far as what Apple will do next, I don't know (except from the Montevina update). Apple has an history of both listening to their customers AND doing "crazy" things.
*psst* It's not supposed to be a desktop replacement, but a supplementary travel computer.
It may not be a desktop replacement but I don't currently believe that the "supplementary travel computer" category even exists or is real. I just don't see a lot of people in a position of being able to justify having multiple machines available to them.
The fact is that many laptop models, while not strictly desktop replacements, are very useful as personal computers. It is in this regards that the AIR comes up short. Mind you I'm not talking about a huge overhaul of the machine, just minor corrections to better serve the common user.
Really. This is, IMO, the source of a lot of the misunderstanding about the Air... folks trying to make it a MBP replacement. If you need a full desktop on the road, the MBP is your machine. If you just need a lightweight travel machine to supplement your desktop back at home, it's fantastic.
Even as a lightweight travel machine the AIR fails in my opinion. One big issue is the lack of that Ethernet port. The other is the lack of USB ports. Much of this likely depends on just what your travel needs are but if you do technical support or engineering work in the field the AIR can't handle it. The frustration here is that it would take little to get the AIR up to speed and likely can be done with out dramatic impact on the unit.
Dave
This a piece of random speculation.
Journalist reviews of the MacBook Air have been so consistent in their criticism of its lack of ports that it may just be that Apple breaks the habit of a lifetime and upgrades the hardware. The next version could conceivably include an additional USB port, but without significantly changing the overall hardware design.
This would enable both the DVD drive and an Ethernet connection to be used at the same time or alternatively a USB 3G data card and a USB printer cable. No Firewire. No built-in Ethernet. But a very simple addition of an additional USB port.
Whether it happens or not, you can bet you're bottom dollar that Apple is thinking about it. If you agree with this simple change please say so hereunder. If you don't, then perhaps you might like to suggest a better way of improving the MBA without any significant hardware re-design.
did i tdhockeyfan424 start this like before
but for travel Ethernet is still needed as there hotels that are Ethernet only and WORK sites / Places that don't use WIFI or it is too locked down for you do real work on. Also a card slot or more then 1 usb should be there so you can use a Cell phone data card + have a open usb port as well.
Or you may be in a situation where you need Ethernet that is not running over USB and at the same time need high speed USB access. People can harp all they want about not personally needing Ethernet, that may very well be fine for them, but it does not reduce the real need people have for Ethernet.
Dave
The Air, as has been stated many, many, many times, was not designed for the majority, nor as a desktop replacement. Such is life. If you need the ports, Apple has a machine for you. The MBA is a wonderful machine.
I don't really care who it was designed for, what I care about is making it into a machine that I can make use of. It is a stretch to call something wonderful that so many people have exceptions to.
---
Just as a test, I have the following devices attached to my MBA using a small USB hub right now:
- an Olympus Mju 1020
- an iPod 5g
- a mouse
- a USB key dongle
Result: all of the devices work perfectly and are charging properly. If you need to do it, you can do it.
Let me make this as simple as I can for you as you don't seem to get it hubs are not acceptable. Period end of discussion! If you don't understand why then you have no business even being in this thread.
Except for the dongle, the hub is smaller than any of the devices and thus makes carrying it a trivial fuss at most, and that is on a Monday directly following Friday the 13th, on a full moon, when my path has been crossed by not one but one hundred black cats, and if I got fired from three jobs in two days. That is to say, carrying a hub is no problem at all if you are going to carry any of the other devices. Maybe next people will start asking Apple to include a 1020 megapixel camera, a 120GB HD and all of their access dongles in the machine to start with.
You really don't get it.
However, I have never needed nor wanted to use the above set-up on my MBA; I reserve such an arrangement for my MBP when I am at a good-sized table.
So, leave the single USB as is. Really, lots of people seem to be making lots of noise over a very minor issue that is not really an issue.
Obviously not an issue for the simple minded that use their hardware in very generic ways. But if you expect to leverage your equipment to the fullest extent you will not be happy with the current arrangement on AIR.
---
Swapping cables like mad... that's good one. When I am sitting in a crowded Starbucks at one of their tiny round tables, there isn't enough space to have my video camera, my still camera, my iPod, my flash disk, my mouse, my track pad and all the other peripherals out anyway, so the only choice I have is to swap. Usually, I can have one thing out, thus one connected.
I don't think I've ever gone into a Starbucks. That may say more about our individual sense of value than anything.
And it isn't like I load one image, swap to the mouse, move the mage around, swap to the iPod to back up and then repeat the cycle for the 120 images I took yesterday.
I don't really care who it was designed for
You see that's your problem because you DO care. You seem to care an awful lot that this machine wasn't designed for you!
what I care about is making it into a machine that I can make use of.
ie making it into something it's not.
Simple question. Why?
I wrote this thread because i believe that Apple is presently evaluating feedback about the MBA.
I believe that Apple takes all reasonable comment into account when reving a machine. The issue of course is the competing wants and desires. That and I do believe Apple has a vision for each platform that they like to more or less adhere to. In any event the vision for AIR seems to be in flux or not well defined.
Great marketing is not about personal opinions, but about understanding what the majority of users want. Period.
In the case of Apple I think the situation is a bit different as they seem to be more oriented to designing stuff they would want as technologist and then figuring out how to sell such to the masses. This of course leads to great ideas that at times just miss the boat. The original Mini was a good example as it lacked ports but was soon rectified.
What bothers me more than AIR shortcomings is that Apple consistently under delivers when it comes to fresh products only to respond to consumer objections later in the development cycle. Frankly it leaves them open to other players if such players ever got their acts together.
Bergermeister,
Your point about the MBA never being intended to be an only computer is an interesting one, but may be incorrect. The one thing that prevents the MBA from being a primary system as it stands is not the lack of a DVD drive, but its miniscule memory capacity. With Samsung announcing a 256 Gb SSD drive to be launched in Q4, suddenly the MBA is right up there with other regular laptops. In fact, larger SSDs serve only to highlight the MBA's real deficiency: the lack of ports. Everyone wants another USB 2.0 port and a Firewire port. That's all. With these plus the forthcoming Centrino 2 running on Core 2 Duo Penryn 1.86 Mhz chip the MacBook Air becomes close to being a MacBook Pro minus the DVD drive. Of course, people who do stuff like heavy duty video editing will still need more powerful systems, but hopefully you get my point.
I'm not sure what Apple intended with respect to AIR usage, but it is pretty clear that many are buying AIR to be their main computer. That is all well and god if the machine does what you want it to do. I'm still of the opinion that many people will outgrow the machine when used as such. Not because of its internal memory limitations but rather the limitations it has with respect to alternative storage. Which circles around back to the issue of ports.
The Mini might be perfectly fine if you have access to a file server available over WiFi, but that will never be the cheap way to make up for the AIRs short comings.
The question I'm asking then is: how difficult would it be for Apple to add one more USB port, because I think this one modification would make a huge difference.
This is the thing it shouldn't be difficult at all. The support is already there in the chip set. The only need is for a place for the physical connector.
Dave