People would keep saying "it's for the ultra-traveler" but the ultra traveler needs a replaceable battery so the system can be powered on their schedule, not the laptop's.
It's really pretty similar to the Cube. A form over function solution that is lusted after aesthetically, but makes compromises and is priced for the professional market yet has tangible feature sets of a consumer product.
Sometimes successful companies DO get a little self-indulgent and need a reality check. But no risk means no rewards, so it's worth a shot. If they can adapt the MBA, then all the better. But pretty soon you just have a MacBook.
Sales of the MBA are naturally going to flatten. Especially with the imminent arrival of new MB's and MBP's.
However, I do think Apple needs to revisit the MBA in it's next revision. One certainty is that the price needs to drop.
If they keep with 2GB RAM then that will drop (hopefully they will move to 4GB, The SSD has dropped again, as one would expect. I'd wager that the CPU is cheaper since it's not a standard size chip. Since the CPU speeds are going to be the same as the current MBA they may want to lower the price since people cant look past GHz. I think that the 120GB 1.8" is a little cheaper than the 80GB when the MBA was originally launched. And there are some R&D that may have been paid for at this point that could lower the price. Finally, flattening sales could drop the price to spark more sales. I'm personally thinking it'll be the same price of the high-end MB or $100 more: $1,499 to $1,599.
I'm personally thinking it'll be the same price of the high-end MB or $100 more: $1,499 to $1,599.
That's going to be fine balancing act for Apple to price, especially if a redesigned MacBook goes aluminum and thinner.
I mean why not go MB with all it's ports/optical drive, and cheaper price. Yes, the MBA is thinner and lighter, but it's for a very niche audience. But this just goes back to the original reasoning why the MBA was needed at all.
That's going to be fine balancing act for Apple to price, especially if a redesigned MacBook goes aluminum and thinner.
I mean why not go MB with all it's ports/optical drive, and cheaper price. Yes, the MBA is thinner and lighter, but it's for a very niche audience. But this just goes back to the original reasoning why the MBA was needed at all.
The MB is still goign to be Apple's most popular Mac. It's going to have all the extra port, no backlit keyboard, be considerably thicker, weightier, and have cheaper display.
For those that think Apple is charging too much for a 1.6GHz processor, check out Sony's TZ series. They start at $100 more than the MBA and only come with a 1.2GHz CPU, a max HDD size of 120GB and half the RAM.
I never could figure out the market for the Air. Why pay so much money for a laptop of limited functionality just because it is skinny? Why does Apple care about having bragging rights for the world's thinnest computer? How often do you need to put a laptop in an envelope?
They're just showing off the sleekness, The envelope thing is just a gimmick, not its intended storage. That said, I saw a video where Scott Bourne showed his Air in a leather pouch that was shaped a lot like an envelope.
I never could figure out the market for the Air. Why pay so much money for a laptop of limited functionality just because it is skinny? Why does Apple care about having bragging rights for the world's thinnest computer? How often do you need to put a laptop in an envelope?
If you can't understand the market for the ultra-lights because the cost to functionality is too high, can you see the market for ultra-portables and UMPCs? They offer even lower performing processors for higher relative cost.
I did not want to waste my time reading all of the above replies.
The issue is this. Whenever pundits say that an Apple product is to be updated, the sales for that item plummet. There has been talk for about 8 weeks about expected updates across the laptop line. I, and most likely many others, have been waiting for the new models to be released, possibly on october 14th. The only people that I know that recently bought Apple laptops were students who needed it then (with the Ipod), and newbies who did not know better. Three was a similar discussion about the fall in iPhone sales and market in the month before the 3G was released. by the way, the MAJOR change in the MBP is likely between 14 and 24 months away if Intel does not have to slow down development due to some possible recent issue with onboard videos.
I do however agree that Apple purposefully under powers the laptops in regards to hard drives, memory, and video. They have almost always used slower CD/DVD drives, sometimes due to the use of thinner drives.
The price differential between Apple and others has been shrinking steadily since i got my first mat in 1986. The reliability of the older models was exceptional, except for the old white iBooks, which I went through 4 of. I am writing this on an 8 year old dual G4 800, which I bought used. Then I will go back to my 8 year old Titanium g4 1GHz, which I will replace next month. I am also ripping a movie on a Mac Mini and own use 3 G4 and 2 Intel IMacs at my office. My recent Vista laptop lasted 4 months before it died from over heating - those problems are mostly Intel related.
For those that think Apple is charging too much for a 1.6GHz processor, check out Sony's TZ series. They start at $100 more than the MBA and only come with a 1.2GHz CPU, a max HDD size of 120GB and half the RAM.
Comments
However, I do think Apple needs to revisit the MBA in it's next revision. One certainty is that the price needs to drop.
It's really pretty similar to the Cube. A form over function solution that is lusted after aesthetically, but makes compromises and is priced for the professional market yet has tangible feature sets of a consumer product.
Sometimes successful companies DO get a little self-indulgent and need a reality check. But no risk means no rewards, so it's worth a shot. If they can adapt the MBA, then all the better. But pretty soon you just have a MacBook.
Sales of the MBA are naturally going to flatten. Especially with the imminent arrival of new MB's and MBP's.
However, I do think Apple needs to revisit the MBA in it's next revision. One certainty is that the price needs to drop.
If they keep with 2GB RAM then that will drop (hopefully they will move to 4GB, The SSD has dropped again, as one would expect. I'd wager that the CPU is cheaper since it's not a standard size chip. Since the CPU speeds are going to be the same as the current MBA they may want to lower the price since people cant look past GHz. I think that the 120GB 1.8" is a little cheaper than the 80GB when the MBA was originally launched. And there are some R&D that may have been paid for at this point that could lower the price. Finally, flattening sales could drop the price to spark more sales. I'm personally thinking it'll be the same price of the high-end MB or $100 more: $1,499 to $1,599.
I'm personally thinking it'll be the same price of the high-end MB or $100 more: $1,499 to $1,599.
That's going to be fine balancing act for Apple to price, especially if a redesigned MacBook goes aluminum and thinner.
I mean why not go MB with all it's ports/optical drive, and cheaper price. Yes, the MBA is thinner and lighter, but it's for a very niche audience. But this just goes back to the original reasoning why the MBA was needed at all.
That's going to be fine balancing act for Apple to price, especially if a redesigned MacBook goes aluminum and thinner.
I mean why not go MB with all it's ports/optical drive, and cheaper price. Yes, the MBA is thinner and lighter, but it's for a very niche audience. But this just goes back to the original reasoning why the MBA was needed at all.
The MB is still goign to be Apple's most popular Mac. It's going to have all the extra port, no backlit keyboard, be considerably thicker, weightier, and have cheaper display.
For those that think Apple is charging too much for a 1.6GHz processor, check out Sony's TZ series. They start at $100 more than the MBA and only come with a 1.2GHz CPU, a max HDD size of 120GB and half the RAM.
I never could figure out the market for the Air. Why pay so much money for a laptop of limited functionality just because it is skinny? Why does Apple care about having bragging rights for the world's thinnest computer? How often do you need to put a laptop in an envelope?
They're just showing off the sleekness, The envelope thing is just a gimmick, not its intended storage. That said, I saw a video where Scott Bourne showed his Air in a leather pouch that was shaped a lot like an envelope.
I never could figure out the market for the Air. Why pay so much money for a laptop of limited functionality just because it is skinny? Why does Apple care about having bragging rights for the world's thinnest computer? How often do you need to put a laptop in an envelope?
If you can't understand the market for the ultra-lights because the cost to functionality is too high, can you see the market for ultra-portables and UMPCs? They offer even lower performing processors for higher relative cost.
The issue is this. Whenever pundits say that an Apple product is to be updated, the sales for that item plummet. There has been talk for about 8 weeks about expected updates across the laptop line. I, and most likely many others, have been waiting for the new models to be released, possibly on october 14th. The only people that I know that recently bought Apple laptops were students who needed it then (with the Ipod), and newbies who did not know better. Three was a similar discussion about the fall in iPhone sales and market in the month before the 3G was released. by the way, the MAJOR change in the MBP is likely between 14 and 24 months away if Intel does not have to slow down development due to some possible recent issue with onboard videos.
I do however agree that Apple purposefully under powers the laptops in regards to hard drives, memory, and video. They have almost always used slower CD/DVD drives, sometimes due to the use of thinner drives.
The price differential between Apple and others has been shrinking steadily since i got my first mat in 1986. The reliability of the older models was exceptional, except for the old white iBooks, which I went through 4 of. I am writing this on an 8 year old dual G4 800, which I bought used. Then I will go back to my 8 year old Titanium g4 1GHz, which I will replace next month. I am also ripping a movie on a Mac Mini and own use 3 G4 and 2 Intel IMacs at my office. My recent Vista laptop lasted 4 months before it died from over heating - those problems are mostly Intel related.
For those that think Apple is charging too much for a 1.6GHz processor, check out Sony's TZ series. They start at $100 more than the MBA and only come with a 1.2GHz CPU, a max HDD size of 120GB and half the RAM.
I think netbooks will gut the sales of that machine and those like it.
Time will tell.