Mossberg: Apple's new MacBook Air offers iPad-like experience

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  • Reply 61 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post


    PS. If you ever cut off a finger...don't put it in your pocket and run to the Emergency Room...drop it in a glass of milk and then run to the Emergency Room! Good luck!



    I've heard you're supposed to do that if you get a tooth knocked out, but severed digits as well?? And, some hapless dude would get the shock of his life when he sees the glass of milk sitting on the counter while you're filling out your paperwork, and thinks "Ah, a glass of milk?that's exactly what I need!", and guzzles it down without asking.
  • Reply 62 of 147
    cvrcvr Posts: 5member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mzaslove View Post


    Now, when all the MBP's go solid state like the MBA's, I'll want to see what they offer, but for the moment, for what I do, the 13" MBA is perfection.



    I'm not knocking the MBA, because they look like very nice machines, but this doesn't make much sense. It is also very easy to go solid state on a MBP. The harddisk is easily replaceable, and for less than 400$ you can buy a very decent 128G SSD. Much less for a 64G one.
  • Reply 63 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post


    PS. If you ever cut off a finger...don't put it in your pocket and run to the Emergency Room...drop it in a glass of milk and then run to the Emergency Room! Good luck!



    Wouldn't packed in crushed ice be better?
  • Reply 64 of 147
    icyfogicyfog Posts: 338member
    Processor speed doesn't seem to be an issue with Mossberg either.
  • Reply 65 of 147
    The woman in the Exxon commercial, of the Mossberg video review, reminded me of Apple's Jony Ive lol.
  • Reply 66 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tods View Post


    The worst part of this non-review is Mossberg's repetition of Apple's hype that the new MBA is inspired by the iPad. That is nothing more than marketing hyperbole -- the new MacBook Air is not fundamentally different than the original one that predated the iPad. But they all repeat this line that it's inspired by the iPad. It's like everyone suddenly "remembered" that we've been fighting Eastasia all this time!



    I like the laptops, both the 11.6 and 13 inch models, BUT THEY ARE JUST LAPTOPS!!!! They are no more inspired by the iPad than a standard Macbook/Pro with an SSD. Now if this also ran iOS (convertible tablet style) then they could make such a claim. Right now, it is just a small (albiet nice) laptop with an SSD drive.
  • Reply 67 of 147
    i would assume everyone has a laptop and many would also have an ipad, why on earth would someone buy one of these then?
  • Reply 68 of 147
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cooleye View Post


    i would assume everyone has a laptop and many would also have an ipad, why on earth would someone buy one of these then?



    Some possible answers off the top of my head?
    A1: Because your assumption about everyone having a laptop is wrong.

    A2: Because people want replacements for their mobile computing gear.

    A3: Because the new MBAs may be more ideal than either or both of those machines for certain customers.
  • Reply 69 of 147
    Even though Apple has apparently drawn knowledge gained from the design and consumer use of the iPad, AppleInsider continues to compare the 11.6" MacBook air with this product. I find it slightly frustrating, because although both are ultra portable, clearly they are very different. As far as I know, the only similarities rest in solid state storage, size, and weight. I find the iPad to have limited functionality that serves its own purpose, and to lack the zen-like user experience of a product such as the MacBook Air 11.6". Having said that, I see that the iPad is a popular product naturally, and can also see that it is a machine of creative genius.
  • Reply 70 of 147
    .....



    I found a lot of "hype" in Apple's "marketing" of the new MBA. But I didn't see or hear anything in the presentation to suggest that they were "dishonest"—that's a very strong accusation! In order for your claim to have any legitimacy, you have to point out statements they deliberately made, knowing they were false.
  • Reply 71 of 147
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Tods got booted just for spamming software in the signature and blog self-promotion. If you see a possibly spammy link, please report it, and if you must quote, remove the link. I've removed quotes featuring links from Tods.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rdjlexky View Post


    Not really. For the average person, the 13" would probably suffice as a full-time laptop if you purchased the accessory CD drive. SSD's storage capacities are quickly approaching that of the standard MacBooks. I personally don't want that much stored on my laptop's hard drive, as those tend to die anyway.



    The need for the optical drive is waning, even if the desire is still there. The OS is on a stick, which is probably the biggest piece of software most people buy. Most of my software, be it free, open source, shareware or paid, is downloaded, and Apple's Mac software service will only continue this. For the occasional software that's only on disc, if you have another computer at home, you can install software over a remote drive and save the $80 or so, whatever the price for that drive is these days. If you need to have the optical drive to play movies anywhere, then the MacBook or small MBP is a better choice. Frankly, on my most recent trip, I just played Netflix instant for the odd video, even though I did bring a couple DVDs along.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    It’s funny (read: sad), that people complain that Apple doesn’t offer enough variety in their lineup, but when Apple does upgrade and add to their lineup then they complain that it’s not the right kind of variety because it doesn’t suit their needs and therefor couldn’t possibly suit anyone’s needs.



    I'm sure they're mostly different people. While you can't please everyone, but this is being impossible to please. I'm increasingly baffled by the notion that the entire product line has to appeal to a given person or group. That's simply not how market segmentation and product differentiation works. They increasingly sound like armchair business people that only understand their own world and don't seem to try to put themselves in the shoes of different kinds of people.
  • Reply 72 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    The need for the optical drive is waning, even if the desire is still there. The OS is on a stick, which is probably the biggest piece of software most people buy. Most of my software, be it free, open source, shareware or paid, is downloaded, and Apple's Mac software service will only continue this. For the occasional software that's only on disc, if you have another computer at home, you can install software over a remote drive and save the $80 or so, whatever the price for that drive is these days. If you need to have the optical drive to play movies anywhere, then the MacBook or small MBP is a better choice. Frankly, on my most recent trip, I just played Netflix instant for the odd video, even though I did bring a couple DVDs along.



    Yup. I think you're right. I recently got FileMaker Pro 11 on DVD, but on their site, there's the option of a direct download. Similarly, I was happy to discover that the StarCraft 2 DVD does not need to be in the drive in order to play once the game is installed. About a year ago, I downloaded a 5 GB home design software package?it took a while, but it was nice not having yet another disc and associated paper/box stuff to deal with. I find myself using my DVD drive less and less as time goes on.



    Because I'm "one of those" tree-huggers, I must say, I'm quite happy about this trend away from physical media?saves on manufacturing, packaging, literature, and associated "collateral damage".
  • Reply 73 of 147
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    The need for the optical drive is waning, even if the desire is still there. The OS is on a stick, which is probably the biggest piece of software most people buy. Most of my software, be it free, open source, shareware or paid, is downloaded, and Apple's Mac software service will only continue this.



    It seems clear that Apple will not support Blu-ray and will be removing the ODDs from their notebooks. The question is when will they make this leap with their notebooks.



    After that, I wonder what will change with when a ?full=sized? notebook gets the ODD removed. Besides saving 5.25? of port-side space we get a large portion of the internal space freed up. About 25% of the 13? MB/MBP.



    I assume that Apple will continue this wedge shaped design, but thicker, for the future MB/MBPs. They could put ports on each side at the back and make the battery larger whilst reducing overall volume and weight.



    Would these have a space for one of their unique SSD designs, a typical 2.5? HDD/SDD or (hopefully) both? For the latter, they could make the space for a maximum 9.5mm drive for storage and allow for their thin SSD for the boot drive. I see no downsides to this option.
  • Reply 74 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lamewing View Post


    I like the laptops, both the 11.6 and 13 inch models, BUT THEY ARE JUST LAPTOPS!!!! They are no more inspired by the iPad than a standard Macbook/Pro with an SSD. Now if this also ran iOS (convertible tablet style) then they could make such a claim. Right now, it is just a small (albiet nice) laptop with an SSD drive.



    I think Steve meant mostly in terms of manufacturing and design technique (i.e. Flash drive on a card rather than a a drive enclosure, slim design, battery dominance, cramming lots of hi-techness in a very small physical space) as opposed to operation/user experience. Obviously there are differences between OS X and iOS. The functional similarity between the iPad and the MBA is the "instant-on" capability.



    He did say, after all (I'm paraphrasing here): "We took what we learned about how to make the iPad and applied it to the new MBAs". I see no fundamental problem with that claim.
  • Reply 75 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    It seems clear that Apple will not support Blu-ray and will be removing the ODDs from their notebooks. The question is when will they make this leap with their notebooks.



    After that, I wonder what will change with when a ?full=sized? notebook gets the ODD removed. Besides saving 5.25? of port-side space we get a large portion of the internal space freed up. About 25% of the 13? MB/MBP.



    I assume that Apple will continue this wedge shaped design, but thicker, for the future MB/MBPs. They could put ports on each side at the back and make the battery larger whilst reducing overall volume and weight.



    Would these have a space for one of their unique SSD designs, a typical 2.5? HDD/SDD or (hopefully) both? For the latter, they could make the space for a maximum 9.5mm drive for storage and allow for their thin SSD for the boot drive. I see no downsides to this option.



    I think you're right about the wedge shape for the MBPs. My guess is that they'll probably also be a bit thinner, though thicker than the MBAs. In the space left over from the removal of the ODD, they'll probably do some combination of two more memory slots (the current MBPs top out at 8 GB, right?) , more battery volume, and more graphics juice (1 GB in the 17"?). A couple more USB ports wouldn't hurt!
  • Reply 76 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Instant On refers to something different. It refers to the standby mode. You can leave your MBA sitting closed for as long as 30 days and it will start up pretty much instantly.



    YES. Everyone including technology journalists, bloggers, etc. please get Instant On correct. It is not "Boot" nor "Wake From Sleep".



    "And when you put MacBook Air to sleep for more than an hour, it enters what’s called STANDBY MODE. So you can come back to MacBook Air a day, a week — even up to an entire month later — and it wakes in an instant."



    http://www.apple.com/macbookair/design.html
  • Reply 77 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nvidia2008 View Post


    YES. Everyone including technology journalists, bloggers, etc. please get Instant On correct. It is not "Boot" nor "Wake From Sleep".



    "And when you put MacBook Air to sleep for more than an hour, it enters what?s called STANDBY MODE. So you can come back to MacBook Air a day, a week ? even up to an entire month later ? and it wakes in an instant."



    http://www.apple.com/macbookair/design.html



    Hmmm... I never had a problem with this. I never assumed that "instant-on" meant "boot up". I always assumed that "instant-on" meant that once you opened it, the screen would come on and it would be usable within a couple of seconds, as opposed to my current MacBook, where I have to wait for the HD to spin up and everything. Maybe I'm just smarter than everyone else. <KIDDING!!!>
  • Reply 78 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    It seems clear that Apple will not support Blu-ray and will be removing the ODDs from their notebooks. The question is when will they make this leap with their notebooks.



    After that, I wonder what will change with when a ?full=sized? notebook gets the ODD removed. Besides saving 5.25? of port-side space we get a large portion of the internal space freed up. About 25% of the 13? MB/MBP.



    I assume that Apple will continue this wedge shaped design, but thicker, for the future MB/MBPs. They could put ports on each side at the back and make the battery larger whilst reducing overall volume and weight.



    Would these have a space for one of their unique SSD designs, a typical 2.5? HDD/SDD or (hopefully) both? For the latter, they could make the space for a maximum 9.5mm drive for storage and allow for their thin SSD for the boot drive. I see no downsides to this option.



    I'd say the next revision of MacBook Pro will almost certainly have the optical drive removed, but the HDD remain with SSD as cheaper options. The next revision of MBP will have "the wedge" design and shave off some weight.



    With the current MacBook Air design, Apple has set a new benchmark in form factor that the next MacBook Pros must meet because customer expectations are now so very high.



    Heck, I don't want a new MacBook Pro unless it's something like the MacBook Air.



    The next revision to MacBook Pro 13", 15" and 17" will be huge. They might do just a specification bump if they're struggling with production, but my guess is that they will maintain the current MBP models for at least 3-6 months until they can roll out the new ass-kicking MBP line.



    Full conversion across the line to SSD-on-a-stick probably only early 2012 or holiday season 2011.
  • Reply 79 of 147
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Futuristic View Post


    Hmmm... I never had a problem with this. I never assumed that "instant-on" meant "boot up". I always assumed that "instant-on" meant that once you opened it, the screen would come on and it would be usable within a couple of seconds, as opposed to my current MacBook, where I have to wait for the HD to spin up and everything. Maybe I'm just smarter than everyone else. <KIDDING!!!>



    But errr... you're incorrect. You're referring to Sleep as well, which is not Instant On as Apple defines it. Instant On is waking up from Deep Sleep/Hibernate, not Sleep. (Though for most intents and purposes people will just take it as opening the lid no matter what and it's instant on, whether it's been asleep for 10 minutes or 10 days). But technically --->



    If your MBA is asleep for less than one hour, then when opening it, yes it is very quick to wake up from Sleep.



    Regular MacBook/Pros go to sleep and then remain asleep but still powered on for as long as the battery lasts.



    Regular MacBook/Pros have Deep Sleep/Hibernate which occurs when the laptop is sleeping and then runs out of battery, it goes to Deep Sleep/Hibernate to preserve contents of memory and essentially shuts down the computer. When starting on again, it takes about a minute for the laptop to read contents of memory from the hard disk and restore the state of the OS back to the point when it first went into normal Sleep.



    However, the true beauty and meaning of Instant On is when your MBA is asleep for MORE than one hour, it goes into Deep Sleep/Hibernate - whereby contents of memory are stored to disk, which does not happen in regular Sleep. It is in this Deep Sleep/Hibernate mode that the MBA can go for 30 days, and from this mode, that it awakes, Instant On.
  • Reply 80 of 147
    I know I'm starting to sound like an ass, but I'm surprised people are missing the point of Instant On. It's a pretty amazing achievement. Before, you couldn't really put your laptop in a bag asleep (due to heat issues, there's still electric current running... I know some people do anyways). And, you can't leave it on sleep because that drains the battery and after 1 to 8 hours, will totally kill the battery.



    Instant On is actually a really smart Deep Sleep mode. It's *never* been done this way on a Mac portable. And it means you open your laptop, close it, chuck it in a bag, whatever, without having to even worry about shutting down. Open, use, in the middle of something, close, two days later, open continue. Battery life absolutely preserved. Even the new MBA regular sleep mode must consume an enormously smaller amount of battery life than normal laptops' sleep mode.
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