MacBook Air

[Dark Atheist]

with no network and no optical drive ?

 

[Grandmaster]

Wireless.

 

[Dark Atheist]

what if you have things you need on a cd/dvd ? you have to buy that 99$ drive which adds to the cost, and at $1800 - which is about £900 (but you know it will be £1200+ over here) i wont be getting one, i was thinking of getting a mac to replace my ageing 1.8 p4 but if that's the stupid prices they come out with might just get another laptop

 

[X-Istence]

Hmm, I love all the complaints, yet no-one has said "Well, the MacBook Air does not do it for me, I can go with a MacBook, or MacBook Pro, they contain everything I need."

Once again people seem to be missing the mark with the optical drive. It does not come with one, as Steve Jobs mentioned most of our music, movies, and other media comes from other sources that are not disk based anymore. This sounds like the iPod Shuffle all over again, everyone was complaining about it now having a screen, yet millions of people went out and bought one anyway, since it did what they needed it to do, play music during their morning workout. No screen required. Same here, the amount of times I use my optical drive in my MacBook Pro is almost null.

Most if not almost all software available for the Mac can be found as a download at most developers sites, easier to keep up-to-date and easier for users to find and purchase. I don't have a single piece of software, save for Mac OS X Leopard and iWork that I have not purchased online, or downloaded for free (open source) online. I think the CD-Rom/DVD-Rom sharing solution they came up with is a genius idea. I have long wished to not have to have a CD/DVD reader in all of the computers, and sharing it over the network makes so much sense.

Now, they did screw up other things. No network port, is a major downside, I don't care what people say about Wireless it won't ever be as fast as a standard cat5/6 cable. Being wireless only saved them space, but I doubt it gained them anything.

Non-user replaceable battery. I am not fully decided on this yet. Free replacements while under Apple Care. I would still prefer a user replaceable battery, but the same thing could have been said about the iPod's/iPhones and yet those are selling like hot cakes. I can see the same thing happening with the MacBook Air. I personally don't agree with it, since I want to be able to replace the battery if I am having problems with it, or if I want to carry a second battery to have a longer in flight experience (that is what I do now), but we shall see.

Speed improvements, I don't see those as important, especially in an Ultra-Portable. The reason it has such a long battery life is because they cut down on the CPU speed, and the power wasted there. How often do I really need the full speed of my Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz? Only when I am encoding movies, playing games or other such things. An ultra-portable machine is not meant for such tasks, and as such the CPU speed being less is not that big of a deal. The Asus eeePC has a Intel Celeron running at 900 Mhz, it is selling so fast it has Microsoft ****ting their pants that soon the market will be flooded by a tiny laptop that runs *gasp* Linux on it.

The people that are complaining are not the target market for the MacBook Air. The people that are complaining should look at either the MacBook or the MacBook Pro.

Having said that, I think Apple has missed the mark when it comes to Ultra-Portables, and the target where it really should have put this machine.

Apple should have used a slower processor, and re-written parts of Mac OS X to be less of a pig. the Asus eeePC runs Mac OS X, so it can be done. They should have gone with an SSD drive standard, not at 64 GB, but even lower than that. If I am using an Ultra-Portable, I have another machine at home. I can sync my documents between the two, and I am definitely not planning on carrying around all of my music, I have an iPod for that.

If they lowered the specs, they could have priced the machine below the MacBook, which would have caused more people to go out and buy it. Really, the reason i'd want an Ultra-Portable is to have it, and throw it in my backpack, use it for school, and then use my standard desktop when I get home. An ultra-portable has to go out of my way, to let me have the longest battery life possible so that I don't have to lug around anything but a tiny device.

Personally, I will most probably be purchasing a Asus eeePC (I was waiting for Apple's announcement, had they priced an ultra-portable at around $500 - $700 I would have bought Apple's), or a new Lenovo ThinkPad 12". I love my MacBook Pro, but I want something smaller and easier to carry around.

Apple missed the most crucial target market, the MacBook Air has some major deficiencies, but all in all I know it will sell well, it is Apple we are talking about here, they could sell toilet paper as if it was gold.

 

[X-Istence]

Gizmodo did a comparison of other ultra-portables by other companies: http://gizmodo.com/345574/is-macbook-air-worth-the-money-five-slim-laptops-face-off

 

[lancer]

wow that asus Eeee looks great... i think i'm going to get one.

 

[Sazar]

Hmm, I love all the complaints, yet no-one has said "Well, the MacBook Air does not do it for me, I can go with a MacBook, or MacBook Pro, they contain everything I need."

Once again people seem to be missing the mark with the optical drive. It does not come with one, as Steve Jobs mentioned most of our music, movies, and other media comes from other sources that are not disk based anymore. This sounds like the iPod Shuffle all over again, everyone was complaining about it now having a screen, yet millions of people went out and bought one anyway, since it did what they needed it to do, play music during their morning workout. No screen required. Same here, the amount of times I use my optical drive in my MacBook Pro is almost null.

I don't use my optical drive much but, if there is an issue with the Operating system, I certainly have my backup available.

This can be addressed using a memory key perhaps but, correct me if I am wrong but Mac OSX is not available on a key Networking will also likely work, if there is a work-around.

Given that there are more and more issues and vulnerabilities coming forth on Apples platform (wow, having a slightly larger market DOES make you a bigger target, what a weird thing), I think having an optical drive or a breakout option for having one is a must.

The single USB port will perhaps help if there is an external drive offered. As I said, not a big deal as there are work-arounds.

not almost all software available for the Mac can be found as a download at most developers sites, easier to keep up-to-date and easier for users to find and purchase. I don't have a single piece of software, save for Mac OS X Leopard and iWork that I have not purchased online, or downloaded for free (open source) online. I think the CD-Rom/DVD-Rom sharing solution they came up with is a genius idea. I have long wished to not have to have a CD/DVD reader in all of the computers, and sharing it over the network makes so much sense.

Yes, genius idea. Been available on other platforms, including Apple's since, well, the early/mid 90's. :smoker: And pretty much all ultra-portables come without an integrated optical drive.

Btw, will be a little harder to use Bootcamp w/o an optical drive.

Now, they did screw up other things. No network port, is a major downside, I don't care what people say about Wireless it won't ever be as fast as a standard cat5/6 cable. Being wireless only saved them space, but I doubt it gained them anything.

Agreed.

Non-user replaceable battery. I am not fully decided on this yet. Free replacements while under Apple Care. I would still prefer a user replaceable battery, but the same thing could have been said about the iPod's/iPhones and yet those are selling like hot cakes. I can see the same thing happening with the MacBook Air. I personally don't agree with it, since I want to be able to replace the battery if I am having problems with it, or if I want to carry a second battery to have a longer in flight experience (that is what I do now), but we shall see.

Marketing will gloss over things only so much. Having to pay for you to be able to get a new battery on a portable player is quite different than doing the same for a notebook which costs significantly more and holds more important information on it.

Why the hell should I be without MY notebook with MY personal and confidential information on it while I am getting a battery replacement that I am paying additional for? I think this is a glaring ommission, especially for something touted for its portability.

Speed improvements, I don't see those as important, especially in an Ultra-Portable. The reason it has such a long battery life is because they cut down on the CPU speed, and the power wasted there. How often do I really need the full speed of my Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz? Only when I am encoding movies, playing games or other such things. An ultra-portable machine is not meant for such tasks, and as such the CPU speed being less is not that big of a deal. The Asus eeePC has a Intel Celeron running at 900 Mhz, it is selling so fast it has Microsoft ****ting their pants that soon the market will be flooded by a tiny laptop that runs *gasp* Linux on it.

Agreed. Also, the EEE is a lovely device and it runs Windows XP and Vista quite well as well

The people that are complaining are not the target market for the MacBook Air. The people that are complaining should look at either the MacBook or the MacBook Pro.

I disagree.

The complaints are valid simply because of the nature of the marketing. Jobs is not marketing this to people in the niche who would find a need for the Air. He is marketing it as a replacement and a NEW and MAGICAL device. You and I are technically savvy enough to know this is not the case and I guess along with a few others on these boards, we would actually be satisfied with this product.

Having said that, I think Apple has missed the mark when it comes to Ultra-Portables, and the target where it really should have put this machine.

Apple should have used a slower processor, and re-written parts of Mac OS X to be less of a pig. the Asus eeePC runs Mac OS X, so it can be done. They should have gone with an SSD drive standard, not at 64 GB, but even lower than that. If I am using an Ultra-Portable, I have another machine at home. I can sync my documents between the two, and I am definitely not planning on carrying around all of my music, I have an iPod for that.

If they lowered the specs, they could have priced the machine below the MacBook, which would have caused more people to go out and buy it. Really, the reason i'd want an Ultra-Portable is to have it, and throw it in my backpack, use it for school, and then use my standard desktop when I get home. An ultra-portable has to go out of my way, to let me have the longest battery life possible so that I don't have to lug around anything but a tiny device.

Not practical for pricing reasons and also by having a faster product, it gives bullet points for wins in performance. There is actually nothing wrong in a faster product, especially since Intel has managed to shrink the entire package to something more feasible without a large price premium.

I am hoping for the Latitude XT honestly

Having an ultra-portable touch-screen device is just lovely

 

[Sazar]

http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/01/15/dell.carbon.fiber.notebook/

That has a slot loading optical drive on the side, apparently. And it is as thin as the Air.

 

[Geffy]

Apparently the battery can be swapped out in a matter of minutes providing you have a replacement.

If Apple were really pushing the MacBook Air as a supplementary machine to a MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Mini or Mac Pro then they should really have included something in SyncServices for syncing your files and such from the primary machine to the Air.

 

[Grandmaster]

http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/01/15/dell.carbon.fiber.notebook/

That has a slot loading optical drive on the side, apparently. And it is as thin as the Air.

Interesting...

 

[X-Istence]

I don't use my optical drive much but, if there is an issue with the Operating system, I certainly have my backup available.

Time Machine offers an out here.

This can be addressed using a memory key perhaps but, correct me if I am wrong but Mac OSX is not available on a key Networking will also likely work, if there is a work-around.

Ah, but there you are wrong. You can make an image of the DVD, and then stick it on a firewire or USB drive and boot from that. All machines (G3 and up) can boot from FireWire and install Mac OS X from a FireWire external drive (that is how the genius bar does it), and all Intel Macs can boot from USB thumb drives.

Given that there are more and more issues and vulnerabilities coming forth on Apples platform (wow, having a slightly larger market DOES make you a bigger target, what a weird thing), I think having an optical drive or a breakout option for having one is a must.

More and more? Many of the vulnerabilities are located in Quicktime, which unfortunately was the one application that Apple ported from the old Mac OS 9. Others that you may have heard about are in open source products Apple ships with the OS, so those vulnerabilities exist in other OS's as well. I know the state of security for Mac OS X very well, thanks very much.

As for bigger market share? I believe http://daringfireball.net/2008/01/for_profit_malware covers it very well.

The single USB port will perhaps help if there is an external drive offered. As I said, not a big deal as there are work-arounds.

Have you been living underneath a rock? You can purchase an external USB drive, or use the software that it comes with to connect to a remote machine and use their DVD/CD burner.

SDHC cards are becoming bigger and bigger, and are tiny as well. My friend recently got a 4 GB one for $20 from newegg, with a USB adapter. That is the same space I used to have with my iPod Mini!

Yes, genius idea. Been available on other platforms, including Apple's since, well, the early/mid 90's. :smoker:

Indeed, just pointing out that with faster internet available these days, having software available on CD-rom's is practically non-existent. The last time I bought software I paid for the license fee, got a key in the mail (electronic) and plugged it into the app. Simple.

And pretty much all ultra-portables come without an integrated optical drive.

And because timmy jumps off the bridge you have to as well?

Btw, will be a little harder to use Bootcamp w/o an optical drive.

And I care how? Why would I run Windows on an MacBook Air, when as you have pointed out, there are other solutions available that run Windows [XP|Vista]?

Agreed.

I'd hope so.

Marketing will gloss over things only so much. Having to pay for you to be able to get a new battery on a portable player is quite different than doing the same for a notebook which costs significantly more and holds more important information on it.

Why the hell should I be without MY notebook with MY personal and confidential information on it while I am getting a battery replacement that I am paying additional for? I think this is a glaring ommission, especially for something touted for its portability.

I mentioned that the non-user replaceable battery was a bad idea. What are you trying to argue?

Agreed. Also, the EEE is a lovely device and it runs Windows XP and Vista quite well as well

The device is known as the EeePC. not EEE. Vista on that? That sounds like a bad idea all around.

I disagree.

The complaints are valid simply because of the nature of the marketing. Jobs is not marketing this to people in the niche who would find a need for the Air. He is marketing it as a replacement and a NEW and MAGICAL device. You and I are technically savvy enough to know this is not the case and I guess along with a few others on these boards, we would actually be satisfied with this product.

Replacement for what? All the other product lines still exist. He is touting it as a new Ultra-Portable which is thinner than the competition. Nothing wrong with that. He did not say this is a replacement for the MacBook and we are going to be phasing it out, or we are getting rid of the MacBook Pro. It is simply an addition. Just like the iPod Touch won't displace the iPod Classic anytime soon. It is yet another product people have a choice of buying.

Not practical for pricing reasons and also by having a faster product, it gives bullet points for wins in performance. There is actually nothing wrong in a faster product, especially since Intel has managed to shrink the entire package to something more feasible without a large price premium.

I am hoping for the Latitude XT honestly

Having an ultra-portable touch-screen device is just lovely

I stand by my original points. Faster is nice and all, but I would rather have a slower less expensive computer that still ran the same software AND was as portable and light. As do many others that I work with and have worked with in the past.

 

[X-Istence]

I am typng this message on an EeePC, this keyboard is a bitch to type on with my big fingers. I still want one. Sub-20 second boot times. This thing really is ultra-portable. It is going to take some time to get used to the keyboard.

 

[X-Istence]

Another trip down memory land for those of you complaining: http://fishbowl.pastiche.org/2008/01/22/heavier_than_air

 

[Sazar]

Wow X, you sure got all aggressive and defensive at the same time

Time Machine offers an out here.

Depends on the nature of the issue don't you think?

Ah, but there you are wrong. You can make an image of the DVD, and then stick it on a firewire or USB drive and boot from that. All machines (G3 and up) can boot from FireWire and install Mac OS X from a FireWire external drive (that is how the genius bar does it), and all Intel Macs can boot from USB thumb drives.

What about, you know, those who DON'T go through all the trouble of making their images? I thought the whole idea of Apple Mac's was it just works?

And by the way, what you are suggesting is exactly what I said I would probably end up doing anyways.

More and more? Many of the vulnerabilities are located in Quicktime, which unfortunately was the one application that Apple ported from the old Mac OS 9. Others that you may have heard about are in open source products Apple ships with the OS, so those vulnerabilities exist in other OS's as well. I know the state of security for Mac OS X very well, thanks very much.

The fact that there are more issues with security on the Apple platform and that the primary issue with targeting is a bigger base is expected. How those vulnerabilities come about and other details is not my concern.

As for bigger market share? I believe http://daringfireball.net/2008/01/for_profit_malware covers it very well.

That is an op-ed. Since when have we decided to rely on opinion pieces for fact?

Have you been living underneath a rock? You can purchase an external USB drive, or use the software that it comes with to connect to a remote machine and use their DVD/CD burner.

Let's just assume that I am one of the poor sods out there who perhaps doesn't have a secondary system? Read my last line where I say that this product works well for the niche market but not for the majority of people out there who are used to alternative ways of doing things.

As perceptions and expectations change, so will the use of the product.

Indeed, just pointing out that with faster internet available these days, having software available on CD-rom's is practically non-existent. The last time I bought software I paid for the license fee, got a key in the mail (electronic) and plugged it into the app. Simple.

Hooray for gig's of data on a flash hard-drive. Again, you miss the part about my suggesting that this is NOT a product for everyone, at least not just yet.

Besides, the "genius" part was a slight at Steve Jobs for calling this bit "genius".

And because timmy jumps off the bridge you have to as well?

What the hell side of the bed did you wake up on? Just coz all the other Apple fanboi's I've met happen to be *******s with superiority complexes doesn't mean you have to take a page out of the proverbial book.

And I care how? Why would I run Windows on an MacBook Air, when as you have pointed out, there are other solutions available that run Windows [XP|Vista]?

I'll steal a little tid-bit out of Zoolander. "Earth to X-istence, I am NOT you"

I mentioned that the non-user replaceable battery was a bad idea. What are you trying to argue?

Nothing. I am re-iterating the fact it is a bad idea. And doing so because you appear to be simplifying the issue.

The device is known as the EeePC. not EEE. Vista on that? That sounds like a bad idea all around.

Actually, it is the Eee Pc, hence why I called it the EEE. Same difference for me, but since you're obviously a perfectionist maybe I'll stick to small letters next time to make you happy.

http://eeepc.asus.com/global/

Replacement for what? All the other product lines still exist. He is touting it as a new Ultra-Portable which is thinner than the competition. Nothing wrong with that. He did not say this is a replacement for the MacBook and we are going to be phasing it out, or we are getting rid of the MacBook Pro. It is simply an addition. Just like the iPod Touch won't displace the iPod Classic anytime soon. It is yet another product people have a choice of buying.

Let's see what the ads say.

 

[~bk]

I am typng this message on an EeePC, this keyboard is a bitch to type on with my big fingers. I still want one. Sub-20 second boot times. This thing really is ultra-portable. It is going to take some time to get used to the keyboard.

Yeah, same here. The keys were too little. =/