Apple MacBook Air

I actually like it. Thing is, I wouldn't buy it, mainly because I already bought a MBP recently... but say I was buying a new laptop again? I would have got it if and only if:

• I traveled a lot with my laptop. Like every day.
• I had a home PC for games, encoding and photoshop.
• I didn't need wired ethernet.
• I didn't mind paying extra for the thinness/portability.

Conclusion: target market is for those busy city types needing an ultra portable lappy.

 

I like:

• Trackpad
• LED for the LCD
• The shape. I am one of those quirks who even liked those clam-shell (G3's?) laptops.
• Battery Life

I don't like:

• No ethernet.
• 1 USB
• No optical drive.
• Price.
• Can't swap out the battery.

I see this being a great device for those truly wanting or needing, (lol @ needing) the lightest laptop available and OSX. Thats it. I don't believe I have really complained about a laptop over 1,500 bucks that much but this product takes the cake because of its compromises. Plus the complete niche of who is actually going to need this laptop. So on to the nitpicking!

No ethernet!? Whats the point here? Take up my one USB slot with that USB to Ethernet adaptor? LAME. Having a little larger flap to reveal 2 USB would have been fine. Only one just makes me sketchy. An optical drive would have sold me with this guy. External drives are annoying especially when you have to place it somewhere (my lap is not that big! nor is the tray on the back seat of an airplane). I know this because I tried out a Toshiba tablet, was not long until I was sick of the external drive. That is my opinion of course.

Thats thinnovation for you, external devices for video components, ethernet, usb hub. And a external device (the external superdrive) that only works with this laptop too. No wonder the price is so low on it. This could change I think, but that is what I read on the external superdrive.

I do not really believe right now that with this product that "less is more" when compared to competing laptops or even the current apple line. This is much like the new Dell Crystal monitor. There is to little to this laptop to be worth a damn at the price.

Laptops are supposed to be portable and it is, but its not innovation, or even fits with the theme "something in the air". The theme here is compromise. Here is how we make the thinnest laptop, buy stripping it, and calling compromises like remote drive a feature instead of an annoyance. Yeah remote drive. What wondrous technology. I shared my optical drive on my network at home today in windows, right-click -> share and DONE. *sigh* People are going to start touting system restore as a lame time machine copy -_-;

I have yet to own a new laptop since 2002. I use it for what this macbook air is designed for. Internet, office, video. I also watch DVD's though and take it with me everywhere. Why do I only use it for those purposes? Why thats all I can, it is to old to do much else, and I don't edit video or audio. So I know the airbook fits my needs (and most people everywhere). I am tired of people saying it is useless because of it's specifications for the proc/ram. I would gladly have one and pay the higher price if it were not for some of it's compromises. Seeing as I only use a laptop for those features, I would only want to upgrade to a much thinner/lighter notebook over what I have now.

My last complaint is that I think an ultra-portable/thin tablet laptop would have been better. And then announcing the new track pad, and led backlit display featured in the new laptop for the rest of their mobile computers. I mean why not?

Now wheres the thread on the presentation? Haha, I have been watching these year after year. Where I live the public schools use Apple for their computers/servers for everything, since the beginnng. Using apple computers (compared to having windows at home) for 1st through 12th grade gives you a whole different view on apple sometimes.

 

I think it looks like a great machine for someone that already has a decent desktop computer or perhaps as a second laptop. I think it's priced well and, to be quite honest, it's probably the sexiest laptop Apple, or anyone else to be honest, has ever made.

Except for my 12" PowerBook G4 of course.

I can't wait to get to play around with these things at work. Although imaging them all could be a nightmare over USB or wirelessly.

 

With these things there always seems to be something big that stops me from getting it.

In this case it's the sealed battery, the price and lack of connectivity. I have never used a mac before but i'd gladly try it if this thing was better value or offered something more.

And the eee pc, god yes I want one, but I am not going to until we get given 1024 pixels width on the screen, which is a right bitch because they didn't announce that at CES.

 

Am I the only one who actually bought it?

I think it'll be fine as I already have a powerful [enough] desktop and want something for a bit of surfing/office/music to replace my aged Tibook (400mhz original! circa 2001) which is portable, as in, I don't want to lug some brick to uni & back every day!

The battery is a non-issue as 5 hours is enough for me and the replacement program is good, the optical just never gets used currently and wifi is the way forward... Why be tethered?

Bonuses I'd have liked are more aggressive pricing (but the HE discount helps) and an extra USB slot, and something nobody else has mentioned, a security slot! At the very least I've got some time to try it.

 

So... How much did you pay for it?

 

I know it's missing a security slot but I know of retail solutions that utilise the USB slot in a similar way. Might be worth looking in to since it's pretty easy to slip into an envelope and walk off with

 

Ok I can't hold it. ROFLCOPTER. People are supposed to sacrifice the last USB-port to a freaking cable lock as the design was too slim to house a proper security slot? Or would an extra hole have like totally ruin the looks?

 

Yep it is quite funny really, especially if they broke it stealing it. Then they'd be f00ked....

 

Actually the cable I'm thinking of allows full usage of the port itself as well as locking down the computer.

 

Link please

 

Like I said mate, it's more a loss-prevention device for retail though... But I think you'd be able to get something similar, I don't see why not. The company I'm thinking of are called Se-Kure but I dunno if they'd have or even sell anything for home use.

 

A lecturer at uni summed it up for me.

 

shame about not being able to remove the battery though eh

 

Not sure why you'd want an SD card slot (I'm all about CF, and the fact that there's no one standard is the reason I'm not sure why manus put in either), but generally agreed. I could care less about the optical drive as I never use them, but the lack of ethernet is a dealbreaker.

 

cos its smaller