Yes, you're right, it is targeted at the business market. Now, just exactly what share of the business market does Apple have???? I'm guessing it is miniscule, far less than the consumer market.
It doesn't matter what proportion of the business market Apple has now. What is important is that there are business travelers who use Macs and when they go on business trips they want a smaller and lighter Mac to take with them instead of the MacBook or MBP.
Optical drives are history. There is no need for them. Even reinstalling the OS can be done if you make a 10 GB partition on the internal hard drive and use that instead of a DVD.
On this kind of a product there is no need for ethernet or FireWire either. All you need is USB and a video out. Carry it, work on presentations and reports, connect to projector, give pitch, pack up and go. 3 pounds - a helluva feature when giving 10 presentations in 10 days in 10 states. Recharge at night in the hotel room. No need for a second battery - if you are so far away from a power source that you need a second battery, then you need 50 batteries.
$1700 for a $300 I can get a mac book pro with a real video card alot more ports, faster cpu, more ram 4gb max, bigger HD, gig-e port and dvdwr build in.
I can't believe you managed to fit a rant about the goddam video card into a MacBook Air discussion. DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT ANYTHING EXCEPT VIDEO CARDS?
I was say that the mac book pro at $300 more is a better buy.
The Macbook Pro is about as portable as you can get for a full featured thin and light, but it's not an ultraportable. Different classes for different users.
I've read a lot of responses to the MBA, here and at other sites. I'm amazed at the amount and vigor of negative feelings towards this machine.
The only real weakness or area for concern is the battery. Not only because its nice to swap if needed, but more so that they are so prone to problems. This isn't slamming Apple, it's a well known industry wide problem. Laptop batteries basically suck. Having one that can't be removed and replaced easily is a little worrisome to me.
I also wonder how much heat this thing is going to produce and how well it dissipates it.
I was say that the mac book pro at $300 more is a better buy.
Yes it is if you don't need the ultimate in lightweight portable computer.
My first laptop will be a Macbook but the DREAM setup would be
Macbook Pro for heavy lifting (audio/video etc)
Macbook Air for traveling.
you all can say what you want but a 2lb difference in laptops is huge. As much as I feared the removal of ethernet and firewire it dawned on me how little I hookup my work laptop to ethernet.
I could definitely live with a MBA but it might have to augment a beefier notebook or hell it even generates the question "do I really need a lot of power for a portable?"
This is certainly not a Cube but it "is" going to be interesting to see who buys in.
Frankly post MWSF discussions are always funny because you can clearly see who has issues looking beyond their own particular need.
Subnotebooks could be defined by weight or size. Apple will do well with those who desire reduction of the former.
I was say that the mac book pro at $300 more is a better buy.
Are you going to buy one? Do you already own one? Do you own any Apple computers at all? I doubt it, since none of them meet your standards for video cards.
I can just see it now - Apple puts a pair of SLI 8800s in the MacBook Pro by welding two huge PCIe slots to the lid of the computer and plugging the mammoth cards into those slots.
It would probably still be missing something. Like an AMD processor, right?
folks, not every consumer cares about what we care about.
instead of the cube, i see a comparison to the original iMac.
iMac
1) no floppy
Macbook Air
1) no optical drive
2) built in memory and battery
this is a new breed of consumers who wants an iPod Mac.
it's all about the wireless generation...damn lucky kids...
we want upgradability, the missing ports like firewire or ethernet, etc...but i think a big market is out there for people who don't care about that stuff...
it's as sexy to apple's product line now as the cube was sexy at the time (and still is)
i think this will be a major money maker for apple...
Ummm... Because it's the 3rd Apple laptop? It was positioned between the MacBook, and the MacBook Pro in the Keynote? What.. Now you can not compare the MacBook's features to the MacBook Pro's features to help decide which one is for you. "For crying out loud!!!!!!!!! Wake up!"
I totally agree with you. Your points are valid for any reasonable-minded consumer.
It is a MacBook. It has to be compared to available MacBook models, because it is an absolute piece of junk value-wise, to those MacBooks.
3000 bucks for this thing with a 64GB SSHD and Applecare/taxes/etc?
Hey buddy, can you copy the 700MB conference CD to my 4GB USB key for me? I left my optical drive at home. Thanks!
That's if someone isn't nice enough to load the software to let you borrow their drive to just copy it across or you can't just pull it off the conference website which is pretty common these days.
You are certainly joking here. Allowing access to your own hardware (optical drive here) by some random guy has nothing to do with being nice enough or not. You just don't do it. And people in a conference are busy enough to offer you no more than indifference if you ask them to copy the CD content on a USB key.
When wireless services will be more widespread in scientific conferences (I mean not only provide the hotspots but also the content, instead of distributing CD's as it is the case now), then yes, such a notebook will be very convenient.
True. But I'm guessing that the MBA and the external optical drive are still quite a bit lighter in my bag than a MB or MBP.
The MBA + Superdrive combo weights 1.68 kg. The Macbook 2.27 kg. We talk about 600 g (~1.3 pounds) of a difference. Personally I care not.
If there is anything to catch my attention on the MBA is its very streamlined design and the curvy finishing, reminiscent of the Wallstreet/Lombard era. This I find attractive.
ok, the machine is sexy, i lied. the thing that i wish it had though was the black lining like the imacs have. i dont like the bulky look surrounding the screen without the lining.
i'm not gonna get this until they drop a firewire or ethernet port in it. leaving those out were just stupid
exactly! The MBA goals another market niche than the other 2 laptops. Not my niche BTW. If I were a rich businessman, I'll get it, but as a poor artist, it is not for me. I need a heavy duty machine
.. the MBA is a 'Secretary Administratored Device' ..
Her boss gets, instead of a case filled with dead trees, his 'filled' MBA.. her boss can not catch a virus while watching porn, or damage any drive by sticking miniDVDs into slotins, her boss can do work (which he couldn't using his iPhone), her boss can use any wireless services (anyone seen that StarBucks iPhone app?) .. it does fit in any attaché case, even if her boss is a she ..
As long as Apple/China is able to manufactur that thingie without any crackles & knits .. nice status symbol..
PS: We'll pretty soon see gold-plated, nacre, diamond-dust etc. modded once..
But if Apple releases a product that prompts major gadget lust in the executive suite, is IT going to tell them no?
No. And when they complain their IT infrastructure isn't as Apple friendly as it could be is IT going to tell them no when they say make it friendlier? No.
Quote:
Apple have a winner on their hands. It's not going to sell like the iMac or the MacBook, but it's going to sell.
Yah, and it will sell to the highest segment of the business market first which can influence IT decisions more directly than us worker bees.
Between the iPhone and the Air, Apple can claim no interest in the business segment while waging a guerrila war against MS lockin on the enterprise to more open standards like IMAP and CalDAV through the executive suite.
What they need next, IMHO, is a keynote player on the PC platform and the iPhone.
Comments
I like a matte screen, that's just me.
Yes, you're right, it is targeted at the business market. Now, just exactly what share of the business market does Apple have???? I'm guessing it is miniscule, far less than the consumer market.
It doesn't matter what proportion of the business market Apple has now. What is important is that there are business travelers who use Macs and when they go on business trips they want a smaller and lighter Mac to take with them instead of the MacBook or MBP.
Optical drives are history. There is no need for them. Even reinstalling the OS can be done if you make a 10 GB partition on the internal hard drive and use that instead of a DVD.
On this kind of a product there is no need for ethernet or FireWire either. All you need is USB and a video out. Carry it, work on presentations and reports, connect to projector, give pitch, pack up and go. 3 pounds - a helluva feature when giving 10 presentations in 10 days in 10 states. Recharge at night in the hotel room. No need for a second battery - if you are so far away from a power source that you need a second battery, then you need 50 batteries.
it's over priced when.
$1700 for a $300 I can get a mac book pro with a real video card alot more ports, faster cpu, more ram 4gb max, bigger HD, gig-e port and dvdwr build in.
I can't believe you managed to fit a rant about the goddam video card into a MacBook Air discussion. DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT ANYTHING EXCEPT VIDEO CARDS?
I was say that the mac book pro at $300 more is a better buy.
The Macbook Pro is about as portable as you can get for a full featured thin and light, but it's not an ultraportable. Different classes for different users.
The only real weakness or area for concern is the battery. Not only because its nice to swap if needed, but more so that they are so prone to problems. This isn't slamming Apple, it's a well known industry wide problem. Laptop batteries basically suck. Having one that can't be removed and replaced easily is a little worrisome to me.
I also wonder how much heat this thing is going to produce and how well it dissipates it.
I was say that the mac book pro at $300 more is a better buy.
Yes it is if you don't need the ultimate in lightweight portable computer.
My first laptop will be a Macbook but the DREAM setup would be
Macbook Pro for heavy lifting (audio/video etc)
Macbook Air for traveling.
you all can say what you want but a 2lb difference in laptops is huge. As much as I feared the removal of ethernet and firewire it dawned on me how little I hookup my work laptop to ethernet.
I could definitely live with a MBA but it might have to augment a beefier notebook or hell it even generates the question "do I really need a lot of power for a portable?"
This is certainly not a Cube but it "is" going to be interesting to see who buys in.
Frankly post MWSF discussions are always funny because you can clearly see who has issues looking beyond their own particular need.
Subnotebooks could be defined by weight or size. Apple will do well with those who desire reduction of the former.
My first laptop will be a Macbook but the DREAM setup would be
Macbook Pro for heavy lifting (audio/video etc)
Macbook Air for traveling.
.
My dream set up would be:
iMac for heavy lifting
MBA fro traveling.
I'm going to get the iMac when they go to penryn. The MBA..... maybe in a few years.
My MBP is serving me well.
I was say that the mac book pro at $300 more is a better buy.
Are you going to buy one? Do you already own one? Do you own any Apple computers at all? I doubt it, since none of them meet your standards for video cards.
I can just see it now - Apple puts a pair of SLI 8800s in the MacBook Pro by welding two huge PCIe slots to the lid of the computer and plugging the mammoth cards into those slots.
It would probably still be missing something. Like an AMD processor, right?
instead of the cube, i see a comparison to the original iMac.
iMac
1) no floppy
Macbook Air
1) no optical drive
2) built in memory and battery
this is a new breed of consumers who wants an iPod Mac.
it's all about the wireless generation...damn lucky kids...
we want upgradability, the missing ports like firewire or ethernet, etc...but i think a big market is out there for people who don't care about that stuff...
it's as sexy to apple's product line now as the cube was sexy at the time (and still is)
i think this will be a major money maker for apple...
Ummm... Because it's the 3rd Apple laptop? It was positioned between the MacBook, and the MacBook Pro in the Keynote? What.. Now you can not compare the MacBook's features to the MacBook Pro's features to help decide which one is for you. "For crying out loud!!!!!!!!! Wake up!"
I totally agree with you. Your points are valid for any reasonable-minded consumer.
It is a MacBook. It has to be compared to available MacBook models, because it is an absolute piece of junk value-wise, to those MacBooks.
3000 bucks for this thing with a 64GB SSHD and Applecare/taxes/etc?
Limited peripheral connectivity?
Lousy deal.
Please flop, thankyoubye, Air.
http://www.four77.com/air.html
Hey buddy, can you copy the 700MB conference CD to my 4GB USB key for me? I left my optical drive at home. Thanks!
That's if someone isn't nice enough to load the software to let you borrow their drive to just copy it across or you can't just pull it off the conference website which is pretty common these days.
You are certainly joking here. Allowing access to your own hardware (optical drive here) by some random guy has nothing to do with being nice enough or not. You just don't do it. And people in a conference are busy enough to offer you no more than indifference if you ask them to copy the CD content on a USB key.
When wireless services will be more widespread in scientific conferences (I mean not only provide the hotspots but also the content, instead of distributing CD's as it is the case now), then yes, such a notebook will be very convenient.
True. But I'm guessing that the MBA and the external optical drive are still quite a bit lighter in my bag than a MB or MBP.
The MBA + Superdrive combo weights 1.68 kg. The Macbook 2.27 kg. We talk about 600 g (~1.3 pounds) of a difference. Personally I care not.
If there is anything to catch my attention on the MBA is its very streamlined design and the curvy finishing, reminiscent of the Wallstreet/Lombard era. This I find attractive.
Allowing access to your own hardware (optical drive here) by some random guy has nothing to do with being nice enough or not. You just don't do it.
The MBA is a great thing. This future-model of going wireless in such an extend is a big problem.
1. NOT HEALTHY.
2. NOT SECURE.
3. 5 hrs running wireless work is great ...but with the soldered batt. i fail to see someone using it trully unplugged/ i mean mag safe POWER cord /.
the thing is : people are indifferent to a LOT of what is going on SO :
1 they bought billions of cellphones and practically testing it on their children / the first to live with'em all the way/.
2. they are ignorant and totally not interested in security and detail issues, they just fell like yelling from time to time.
3. if you activate a time capsule .... even worse.
I could buy one though it's an astonishing device...but i must say .. i'll wait.
i'm not gonna get this until they drop a firewire or ethernet port in it. leaving those out were just stupid
It's also underpowered for the price.
I was expecting MacBook Nano: really tiny, solid-state, go anywhere, 'underpowered' and cheaper.
Instead we got MacBook (Billionaires' Edition), which is a shame, in a way, but I was never going to buy one anyway, so what the hey.
I don't think it's going to sell very well, but that's what I thought about the iPhone.
Her boss gets, instead of a case filled with dead trees, his 'filled' MBA.. her boss can not catch a virus while watching porn, or damage any drive by sticking miniDVDs into slotins, her boss can do work (which he couldn't using his iPhone), her boss can use any wireless services (anyone seen that StarBucks iPhone app?) .. it does fit in any attaché case, even if her boss is a she ..
As long as Apple/China is able to manufactur that thingie without any crackles & knits .. nice status symbol..
PS: We'll pretty soon see gold-plated, nacre, diamond-dust etc. modded once..
But if Apple releases a product that prompts major gadget lust in the executive suite, is IT going to tell them no?
No. And when they complain their IT infrastructure isn't as Apple friendly as it could be is IT going to tell them no when they say make it friendlier? No.
Apple have a winner on their hands. It's not going to sell like the iMac or the MacBook, but it's going to sell.
Yah, and it will sell to the highest segment of the business market first which can influence IT decisions more directly than us worker bees.
Between the iPhone and the Air, Apple can claim no interest in the business segment while waging a guerrila war against MS lockin on the enterprise to more open standards like IMAP and CalDAV through the executive suite.
What they need next, IMHO, is a keynote player on the PC platform and the iPhone.