I know of no such instance in this universe where something half as small as something is in fact larger than that something.

Congrats Giz, you've just found a way to destroy the space/time continuum by creating something that doesn't exist and yet is tangible.

lowededwookie

Ah, what the heck. Apple, you might as well buy Sony outright. That way you could bring the licensing rights to CD, SACD, Blu-Ray, and Playstation under a management team that will know how to get consumers interested in them. Everyone knows that the company-formerly-known-as-Sony needs a major injection of passion to get innovating its hardware again.

my favorite car is a motorcycle

elpedro

In fact I would say optical drives in notebooks *became* more important around 2002. This is when notebooks were gaining market share, affordable notebook CPUs could handle dvd playback, and notebook batteries could power at least one full DVD movie.

Now many notebook batteries can playback two dvd movies, plus the optical drive can copy both cds and dvds.

brundlefly76

niico100

banmojo

come on its a laptop I bet you people have 17inch high specced vaios and are using them to surf the web and write word documents , come on stop making up for you lack of penis size, I would say 80 percent of people would be quite happy with a Macbook air its just the 20 percent who shout the loudest trying to put people off and try and make people appear stupid because they want a good looking easy to use machine that they can bash out there office docs, surf the web and watch a few ripped off dvd.

Airbook

aidan_cage

cherubsta

Every time you talk about value without qualifying your statement, you negate it. I agree that you are paying for design and paying to make a statement with the MBA, but these things are important to people. How important they are to any individual is up to them though. To me the MBA represents reasonable value (although not great value), as these factors are a significant part of my buying decision.

I don't care if people like or dislike the MBA: I didn't design it. What I'd like is for people round here understand that the value of things can be judged differently by different people. Processor speeds and HDD capacities are easy to compare but I'd like to think there is more to life than this.

scuba_steve

Cos, deep in the heart of the Cupertino Campus - the MacBook Air, doubtless suspended in it's bubble of free and available wifi makes a lot of sense.

But out on the road, in the country or even in different country - wifi coverage ain't so available or ain't so free.

It's more like MacBook Lung and the bad news - the Air can get a bit thin in places.

Otherwise they're going to continue to make the mistakes they've made witht iPhone (no 3G) and the Air (no 3G).

Welcome to the new Cube.

grobelaar

However, I don't see 3g as a deal breaker at all.

firstly, which 3g? rev 1? rev 2 or the new rev 3 7.2 Mb each way ones?

Most of which are usb, which it can work with.

I had a 2nd laptop once.

and it was a Sony strangely enough.

C1 picture book.

Very small screen ok keyboard.

I used it on planes all the time.

I never complained about how thick it was.

It was nice to be able to put it between my legs when the tray came down, and then use it again, without having to get up and and down.

The air is fine for those people who for 99% of their time use excel, word and email. plus a bit of web browsing.

ianw

Okay. Listen up. I have never said that the MBA is for no one. I have no doubt that Apple is going to have a tough time filling orders for awhile. There are people who want and can use the computer to its fullest -- I understand.

All I am saying is that the MBA is poor value, and targeting a small market. For the majority of users, a notebook that is 1" thick is as thin as they ever need. The features and performance that Apple had to cut out to make the MBA fractions of an inch thinner is astounding, and makes little sense to me and many others.

In fact, Apple stock took a dive the day of the MBA announcement. [www.trustedreviews.com]

So obviously I am not the only one who thinks the computer is not going to be a huge success for Apple. For the majority of users, the 1" thick Macbook is plenty thin to travel with, has many more features, and a lot more performance, all for less money.

I am not suggesting you use a spreadsheet and buy the computer that is the best value. I am suggesting that everyone buys the computer that best fits their needs/budget. What Padriac was insisting on is that the MBA is good value, and that it is a good choice for design professionals. I strongly disagree, and laid out plenty of cold, hard facts to further bolster my point.

With the MBA you are paying for design, you are paying to make a statement, and you are paying to be the first. You are not paying for a marvelous technological wonder. The MBA is nothing more than an exercise in engineering, and its target audience is extremely limited. There should be no argument of this.

Oh. And scuba_steve, just because you say something is not an analogy, does not mean that is really isn't.

/thread

regnez

I'll try to explain the point without using analogies, as you are intent on stretching them to their illogical conclusion in the hope that this makes the underlying point redundant.

When people buy products, they don't just buy them by comparing a spec list with other similar products, then putting everything into a spreadsheet and buying the absolute best value. There are many areas where the worth of something is not completely defined by a list of measurable values. For example (note - examples, not analogies): works of art (you don't pay per square inch), cars (they don't all look the same, but with different speeds/efficiencies to choose from) and trainers (sneakers to the Americans here - I didn't buy mine based on the coefficient of friction of the sole). Hope this clears things up.

Oh, and a car with one seat, no boot and a bike engine sounds like great fun. And if it went round corners (you may have to ask your non-American friends what a corner is) like it was on rails, then I could forgive it being underpowered... They beat me to it!

scuba_steve

You have a point there - else who would be buying $19K VERTU phones when you can get awesome phones with <$2K ?

Somewhere in 1990 I too had bought a ROCK laptop weighing 3.2KG, with 64 greyscales, running DOS 6.0 (windbags was not included).

Wish I kept it for museum purposes...

Bachus_snowman

Don't knock thing simply based on price and or because its not for you... You see if you had a woman in your life you would have seen her recently pay that much for a handbag that does not have 3g or a screen.

Don't complain... grow up and get a job so you can buy expensive useless stuff without thinking about it for one second.

docrock

[ablogtoread.com]

I am amazed at the blind zealous followers of Apple. You can liked something, but readings some of the comments clearly indicates that many among us simply aren't thinking for themselves.

-ablogtoread.com

ablogtoread.com

Yarii

hanswurst0815

in my humble opinion, i think that the person you just described wouldnt be so into technology that they would be willing to drop 1800, when they could spend between 500 to 1000 bucks for a nice little laptop that will suit them just fine for web browsing e-mail and word.

jrghoull

ripfire

ripfire

Look, man. You are a complete idiot. No one here thinks that the MBA is good value, and no one thinks that it would be a good choice for a main computer. Not even Apple is trying to pass it off as that.

And secondly, I never said that work cannot get done on older, slower computers. We have already established that I use an iMac G5 10+ hours a day, so obviously work can be done without top-of-the line specs.

What I am trying to get through your thick skull is that if you are paying a minimum of $1800 for a computer, and $3100 for one that is actually going to be usable, then saying that "it is better than a Powerbook G4" or "it can do this better than an iBook" is not going to cut it. You are paying $3100 for a computer today, and for that kind of money, the MBA has horrible specs.

And this one is for everyone here comparing MBPs to SUVs or trucks or whatever oversized, excessive item you have made part of your analogy: STFU

These comparisons are beyond idiotic. The MBP is ONE INCH THICK. And it weighs less than six pounds. The difference is not an SUV to a sports car. It would be more like if Mazda took out the trunk and passenger seat of a Miata so they could make it 20% smaller than what it was. And at the same time, replaced the engine with that of a motorcycle.

GOOD! Now we have an even smaller sports car! I will really be able to zip around in this thing, and laugh at all those old Miatas. Boy are those cars huge and bulky. I don't know how people ever had fun in a car that size.

Sure will be unfortunate if I ever want to have a person in the car with me, though. Or carry anything but myself. Damn. Where am I going to put my new MBA? I guess I will just set it in my lap. I sure am cool for having such a small sports car, though. Damn this thing is slow for how much I paid.

Maybe I should have gotten an Enzo instead.

regnez

Mac Guy: We're going to copy everything Sony did in 2004.

Zing.

The Brain

"Look my desk lamp weighs less than an apple."

Thin is a cool curiosity but of no practical benefit. It fits in an envelope - I DONT WANT TO PUT MY LAPTOP IN AN ENVELOPE STEVE! I dont want to put it in a 1/2" thick bag either?

No the great advantage the TX/TZ series has over the Air, aside from better battery life, lighter weight, built in optical drive, AV boot mode, higher dot pitch, card readers/ethernet/USBs/PCMCIA/modem etc - is that its *width* and *depth* are far smaller. You can easily fit this baby into a small [man] bag - the Air is just too big.

Apple you need to decide - big screen & keyboard OR ultra portable, you physically cant be both. Leaving the Air in a bizarre no mans land.

Also during Jobs' keynote he put up a hugely misleading diagram comparing the TZ to the Air. It showed relative thickness but also implied they are the same depth/width - they arent; and thats the crucial point. Sony should demand legal clarification here. Also witness the large ugly bezel. The TZ looks much nicer; carbon fibre vs clam shell alu - stronger, lighter; only one winner. The TZ is stunning - look at the website!

The Air has some nice touches over the TZ (dual DVI / VGA video out (pay attention Sony), backlit keyboard, gestures have potential), we could also lose the DVD drive on the TZ to make it even more compact; but these machines are about portability; on this front the TZ wins easily.

I own a TZ - the keyboard & screen are great - Im touch typing now with no problems. It fits on an aeroplane tray very nicely. The 11" 16:9 (think movies) screen & keyboard arent a compromise; they make it ultraportable - the far larger dimensions of the Air kill it as a subnotebook.

Like the iPhone; nice first try Apple - at last you are beginning to understand portability & battery life matter. Lets watch for version 2.

Sony remains subnotebook King for now....

niico100

As for the TZ, my TX is a sex machine. It's my only laptop and does everything I want except gaming and hard number crunching. I have a desktop for those things, it's not cost effective in *any* laptop.

iisan7

Sony is right they understand hardcore users better than Apple; but they miss that Apple, like Nintendo, is creating new classes of customers.

As for the TZ, my TX is a sex machine. It's my only laptop and does everything I want except gaming and hard number crunching. I have a desktop for those things, it's not cost effective in *any* laptop.

iisan7

lune

PoMo

detorn

I say this, cause I can't imagine anyone else choosing this over the Viao unless they're really tied to OSX.

Biggrz

Padriac

Although I think the general direction the MBA design is heading is good, I think Sonys quote summed it up best for me:

"Thinness is not the holy grail". Making something that thin and sexy cost it too much usability.

Out2gtcha

Come to think of it, I bet they could price it at $800 with that set up.

TVarmy

The $99 SuperDrive is well worth its price and it quite slim to bring with you in a bag if you absolutely need it (I will purchase one), but I know that I will not bring it with me to regular meetings. I'll only bring it when I travel outside the state or when I'm on a plane. I love my Mac Book Pro, but I would love a smaller laptop (which is why I am buying the new Mac Book Air), for traveling, and specifically when I decide to get out of my home office and go next to the pool and work.

The Air has its users. If you are looking for something to be your main computer. It's really not for you, but with a Super Drive it can easily be. But again, if you want to run photoshop, dreamweaver, etc, etc, etc...on this machine daily - get another machine.

vinodlovestobuythings

People who want something thin, light, mobile that they can do email, web browsing, word processing, download music with. They're probably not interested in playing games, or plugging in 128 usb devices.

People who have a dedicated/main desktop computer. They want a laptop for around the house to check their email, go on the web, etc. They want something thin and light that they can take to the coffee shop and get some work done on.

Not everyone cares about Firewire ports to plug into their cable box and rip the HD broadcast of their favorite shows. Not everyone needs to plug in 128 unique usb devices. Most people aren't buying CDs. They go online and get it somewhere.

If you don't want it, don't buy it. But please, stop bitching about it. Now I understand the people who were crying about the 100000+1 iPhone articles. This. Is. The. Last. Article. About. The. MacBook. Air. That. I. Will. Ever. Read.

centerblack

Uhh... no way an MBA student can afford that. MacBooks for them.

dagamer34

That said, I would love to have one :P

elined

I don't understand all the hate coming from supposedly technical folk at all. Honestly who uses CD's much anymore? From the complaints here you'd think we were back in 2001 instead of an era where CD sales are declining rapidly and you can download a lot of software for installation without ever needing a physical disc. When I think of what I actually do with my Macbook Pro, Apple has stripped away the features I don't really use and left behind a very good core of functionality that I could easily live with.

There are lots of people this is going to be a very usable laptop for.

kgelner

LLamaStar

That's really what the Air is, it's an engineering exercise, not an actual product.

gfair

majortom1981

That pretty much flushes it down the Gel-bath Filled porcelain receptacle as far as I'm concerned.

ps61318

second, I think the MBA is dead sexy, and it will be fine for the basic tasks that you are talking about. "Regular" tasks like email, web, basic leopard visual goodies, haven't increased much in required processing power over the last 2 years or so, maybe 3. But processing power on laptops has gone way up in that time period. So you are right, we keep buying these more powerful computers when they go underutilized most of the time because the stuff we are doing usually isn't that taxing.

That being said, the 4200rpm hard drive in the base model is a fucking joke...by all accounts, it is slow...and it is slow in a way that is very noticeable to the user. It will cause slow boot times, slow program openings, slow loading of your itunes library...it will be useable, but it will be annoying...I know the extra second or two that i wait for firefox to open will piss me off. especially if i just spent $1700 on a new laptop.

For me at least, this makes the SSD kind of necessary in this situation, because it will greatly improve the appearance of speed in normal usage. but now a $3000 laptop has gotten much harder to justify.

But a real question for everyone:
does anyone know how much space OSX, iLife and iWork take up on the hard drive? 64 gigs isn't much, and i would like this and like 20 gigs of mp3s and photos as well to work with...I'm thinking probably 15 gigs...so that leaves probably 25 gigs of usable space left...

MrBlahBlah

they then bash it to no end to make them feel better in a futile attempt to crush their desire

MrBlahBlah

It doesn't matter what computer you were referring to because your logic is completely broken:" bigger is always better, smaller is never desirable, having more stuff is never a waste". You obviously live in a world of 20" laptops and SUVs and I suppose are compensating for something. Yeah a Ford Expedition can hold more people than a Nissan Z, but if I don't have a wife and 3 kids what the hell do I care about having all room?

Lets say you have Apple's complete laptop line-up at your disposal: all of them sitting right there. Your tasks for the day are to go to class and take some notes, then check your email and surf the web a bit over lunch, then you are going to do some research paper writing. After that you clock in to do some HTML/CSS text editing which will probably involve a bit of Photoshop here and there.

Now remember: you can grab any Apple Laptop for this task. Now explain to me me why anybody would *need* to grab the heavier, bulkier MBP over a Macbook or Macbook Air to do these things? The MBP gets you NOTHING. You'll still be able to do all the same things in practically the same time with ANY of the laptops, so why on earth would you decide you need to lug around the heavier one? So you can have the ports and optical drive you weren't using anyway? It doesn't make any sense.

You know for a fact that anything you're doing on that iMac G5 is being accomplished just as well on a MBA, and 98% of the things will be accomplished just as well as the iMac C2D. Why are you grasping at usage straws to justify a MBP? A feature is not a feature if you never use it. If I paid extra for all the ports on my current Powerbook than I'm a fool because I've never used them. However, I wasn't paying for the ports... I paid to have the smallest laptop Apple made and that's why I have a 12" Powerbook. I'm sure the concept of specifically wanting the smaller model just confuses you.

Padriac

Crash900s

" I believe the point of the computer really not having an optical drive is because you could do it all wirelessly"

Well, yes and no. The core target of the product are people who already have one or more computers (presumably at least one desktop) on which they'll do bulk of their work while at home. The MBA is what you would take on the road. Installing software, ripping CDs, etc., are all activities that usually take place at home, and if you're the type to have a desktop and a laptop, then you're probably savvy enough to use -- come on, you have to admit it -- the very easy to use remote disc function of the MBA.

Now, it was you who brought your mother into this. While I would agree that your mother probably is not the core target, I'm arguing that she could be perfectly happy with the MBA, even if it is to be her sole computer, so long as she buys an external superdrive. Contrary to what you suggest, however, she won't have to carry it around everywhere because, again, ripping CDs and installing software, etc., are activities that for the most part take place at home. She'll just keep the superdrive in her desk drawer, hooking it up to the MBA only when she needs to.

And your mother being much older than you and being a woman 'n' all (j/k, not being sexist or anything), I'm sure is certainly in the group of people who would appreciate the MBA being 1.5 pounds lighter than a MB, even if it meant that she can't rip CDs on the road.

Am I saying that the MBA is perfect for your mom? No. I don't know her. But if I were to gift my own mother with a laptop (she doesn't have her own computer, neither a desktop nor a laptop), and if I were financially a little better off than my current, sorry-ass grad-student situation, then I would choose the MBA (along with the external superdrive) over any other laptop out there, including Windows laptops. Obviously, YMMV, but who here is saying otherwise?

Dearhaw

The Air is an interesting product. I don't think they'll sell as many of them as the other models, but I do think they've struck at a niche market that was largely ignored. (Monitor and keyboard size are more important to the casual web surfer or traveler.)

The Airport has a 500GB drive in it you can access wirelessly. Wireless printers are easy to set up. Who needs a 3G card in there if it's got Bluetooth? Now it works with any cell service you already have in your pocket. If it used induction to recharge the battery, it would need no wires at all.

This is the future.

[disclaimer: I think Apple as a company sucks. The other adult in the house has Macs. The only Mac I use is an Ubuntu/Mini web server. I wouldn't buy the Air because I have no need of it, especially if it has no Linux port. ]

shawn_dude

uberfu

Apple [nor Jobs] ever said it is the world's First_ Many products come to market years before they catch on with the general consumer_ I fthe iPhone had dropped in '04 - at the same price - with similar features but less tech to drive those features - people would have gotten bored real quick and the iPhone would have died_ Just like with the Newton_

I applaud Sony for their efforts as the Pioneer that pushed the industry in this direction - but beyond that - they dropped the ball and Apple saw it laying on the ground - ppicked it up and ran with it_

And now Sony is trying to grab attention after the fact ? This is not news - this Sony feeling left out_

But I do like the idea of a carbon-fibre based casing for a laptop - talk about light weight and heat dissipation_

uberfu

We didn't. We use Linux now. :-P

shawn_dude

According to the specs on the Apple website, it has the 3100 which does have hardware supported vertex shaders. So it CAN do all the fancy eye candy needed to run Vista, unlike the 900/950 POS'. However, it won't play games terribly well. As a side effect, it will also make OSX look better, although the GMA 950 was capable of rendering most of the effect reasonably well.

shawn_dude

this is for the crowd that buys a Vertu phone(lol monochrome screens and 2 line lcd's)

if it had a fatter batt and 3g then it might have had a chance

Deva

Brian Lam

Maybe somone can find a picture through the Internet Wayback machine...

Tchad

In the meantime I will be purchasing the Asus Eee pc 4G as my portable as these seem like the only real innovations happening in the mobile pc space.

Apple you have 6 months to win me back..

folknology

sebas0069

The thing I dont like about apple is, they want a showdown with a laptop, but they dont give the non-apple a chance. If they compare the thickness to the TZ, then campare the battery life to the TZ, and compare the slim battery version not the chuncky version, because thats a huge difference, compare the screen res, ports, drives. You can also get a TZ with 312gb HD.

zakeen

Anyone that can't handle an extra pound and spending $300 less for a much more capable Dell M series or other better featured machine needs a reality check.

asten77

GumbyJump

Argyle

scolbert

Conor M

tino

mulderisout

AirSix

guitarmunkey05

sgursel

puffnstuff

- corpor@te -

LVMHCorporate

Most of the people in this forum talk about tech specs and why the MacBook air is not "up to the task" in may regards for them. You are looking at the MacBook air when, judging from what I read, most just need a MacBook Pro in order to do all the number crunching stuff they do (for work). MacBook air is NOT meant for that purpose, and it will never be a sobstitute for a fully fledged computer. Live with that.

Moreover: the computer is new, it features a specially designed CPU, a multi-gesture trackpad, a super-thin case. All of this is NEW and is geared toward early adopter (with deep pockets) or people who really need it. Not for the person who has a budget (like me) or who wants rather to compromise on inches than on performance (like me again).

So for who is the MacBook air?
The manager who wants to be stylish and doesn't do much more than "office aps" or small photo editing and yet wants to do it with a proper screen and a proper keyboard (bigger than the one of a smartphone).
For the business man who is constantly on the go and needs to be able to do small work from everywhere, and needs to do presentations on the go.
For the early adopter who wants something portable.
All these people, let's face it, can afford it and probably will buy one. It's not like a couple of hundred dollars are much of a difference (like they are for me) in their decision.
Personally I am also favourable with regards to the absence of an optical drive. I use Ethernet (wireless) or USB keys when I need to move files. The only thing I need a drive for is to install apps that are delievered on DVDs. The aforementioned persons probably have some IT guys who does it all for them, so that absence is not being felt at all.

Many business people also will look at it from an image point of view. Imagine you have to do a presentation to a customer and want to show your company is "top notch" in technology. Bring a MacBook air and before you even finished the presentation people will be amazed. That is a perfectly justifiable investment for many businesses, even small ones.
Not every business needs a lot of number crunching. Some need style and portability. They will spend the same amount of money as the rest but, instead of great CPUs and GPUs they will have a light, ultraportable device.

That is my take, of course I might be completely wrong...

I think the MacBook air is new, therefore expensive, but still a product with a great potential market and a greater future. But I would NEVER ON EARTH buy one, because it doesn't fit my needs, and would be a useless waste of money (for me).

pinolo

dhechler

Don't get me wrong, some of the compromises with this laptop bring a lump to my throat when I think about how much it's consting me, but then when I look at the damn thing, it brings a lump to my trousers... And that's what makes the decisions round here.

scuba_steve

Macbook Air... 2 seater convertible roadster. Significant other in the seat and an overnight bag in the trunk.

Priceless.

RainyDayInterns

And as in my case, "potential owners" smart enough not to buy it.

dcartist

I have a 11" Sony TX series and the keyboard is fine to me, i type up reports all the time...if i wanted a bigger keyboard i would have gone for a 12/13" lappy.

And NO, no matter how you put it, there is no excuse for all that the macbook air lacks...even in 2008. Its designed for simplicity and basic needs...without the rest its just an entry superlight laptop.

o0adam0o

100% agreed. People who buy the Air are only doing so because they have something to prove. It offers absolutely no practical benefit over the dozens upon dozens of laptops out there that do numerous things better.

Usually, when something is released that is practically useless in comparison to its competition, it is at least priced competitively. Sadly, this isn't the fact with the Air. The best part about this product on the other hand is that it will at least allow you to spot sheep from a reasonable distance. The people who buy this should seriously have their heads examined as they have clearly fallen prey to the most ludicrous of all marketing techniques - offering a supremely inferior product at an inflated price, and expecting people to buy it 'just because we know they will'. It's pathetic, but as long as there are idiots buying these products, apple will keep making them. Kudos to apple for taking full advantage of the idiotic consumers out there, I applaud you for having the balls to basically admit that the average trendy consumer is just an idiot with too much money, and taking advantage of it.

ki.designs

razorx

Markii

"Apple customers are getting played, and they are smiling while it happens."

I love Apple products and own way too many of them, but I understand exactly what I'm buying. It's not a complex thing... You look at the pros and cons and then you look at the price sticker. To me, good design, image, branding and exclusivity are just as important as specs, weights and measurements. Just because you don't like the way Apple markets itself doesn't mean everyone else is too stupid to realise what you've known all along. It's just that it doesn't bother them.

You should give people some credit even if, ultimately, they decide to buy something that you don't think is worth the money.

scuba_steve

The Air is no different, just as the iPhone before it was no different. Many, including myself, expected it to flop because it was not reviewed very well as a business tool as say, a blackberry or other smart phone. And up until the iPhone purchasers of 600 dollar phones were usually professionals needing a smart phone, not a toy. We all know how that turned out. Form over function, status vs. practicality. Unfortunately, the Air will sell.

Those people that can compare the features of the Air to other portables and see it's lack of value are not the target audience. Those who want to have the 'coolest', 'most thin?'portable and have too much scratch to spare are. I believe it's no coincidence that the name they chose rhymes with 'Heir'. It sounds prestigious, and it fits their sales tactics. A lot of people do use Apple computers for real work though and were the Air to REPLACE the MB line completely I could see a lot of disillusioned Apple customers, and an 11% drop in the stock value would be the tip of the iceberg. Won't happen though, the Air is most definitely a new product line and Apples stocks will rise again as it's found that Apple is selling LESS hardware for MORE money(1700?!) along side it's current MB line.

razorx

So, why are people making all these same points about the MBA when Apple have products that do all the things they wish the MBA did.

Do people think that saying "why would anyone want the MBA when the MB does it all better?" is a valid argument? All you're saying is that for YOU, the MB is better... which, I believe, is why Apple didn't replace it with the MBA.

Contrary to what most people here seem to believe, being a niche product isn't a bad thing. You pick your niche, and you exploit it. You don't have to sell a billion MBAs for it to be a success... You just have to sell all the units you make.

scuba_steve

alukard

pwl

Also conidering what Iriver i prepping to push these quarters of 2008. I say Apple has lost it, theyve become to acustomed to their leads and craving for the lead in all they do.

I know alot of people who bought mac products over the last decade, but today only know a couple who hasnt had a hell of a ride not making their apple products die on them. (inlcuding a couple of people whove handed in their macbooks like 5-8 times in just 2 years).

I say apple up the game and start innovating their build quality and service instead of trying to Woooo the world with their sleek el cheepo crappo tech.

PS: also may i remind you that to me it remains a mystery that apple at all can sell ipods in scandinavia, most of all because you cant download movies or shows from itunes (only music and soundbooks, wauv how cool???).

baandoptager

1) it's thin
2) it looks pretty sweet

Granted, there's been about 47 times that I wished I could slide my laptop under my door or hide it in a stack of magazines, but I'm not going to spend that much on it while sacrificing so much.

This is a product targeting the hardest of the hard mac fanboys. The people with a tonne of money to spend, but with hipster fashion sense that outweighs their own common sense. While it looks great, I would blush every time I told somebody how much I paid for it, especially after it turned off after 3 hours (there's no way it's lasting 5) while the dude next to me on the plane is watching his dvd's on one of the hundreds of cheaper and better laptops out there.

I'll be on patrol for people who actually buy these things. Be forewarned, if I see you on the street with one of these, be ready to be mocked, you are clearly the dumbest of the dumb and really have no clue what to do with your money and will buy any idiotic product that has an apple on it.

ki.designs

Case in point, I asked one of these users to check his disk usage to make sure he could fit in 80 gig. He had only used 15 gig on his powerbook.

He could use just get a macbook, but he travels a lot and was excited about size of the air.

Using the Air today, actual usability of the machine is great. The screen is bright and the keyboard is the best I have seen from apple for a long time.

I will admit that having only one USB is silly but have none of you heard of a bluetooth mouse?

Personally, when I am away I don't carry a lot of usb stuff, and at home I have a hub and would rather only plug usb in and have all my devices work off the hub.

junkie4junk

Also...had a thinkpad once with just one usb and it was absolute anguish....never again.

BTW, how are you supposed to use a large 120G + 2.5 External drive with only 1 usb ? Every case I have seen has that split cable using 2 usb's to power it.

Apple did replace my expanding MBP battery today (hmm...not supposed to happen on new 17"ers) without question...so I can't gripe too much...

asiated

NeoPoliticus

The irony is that geeks are the last ones to let go of obsolete ideas: like removable storage in a laptop.

(Of course I remember the neolithic-geeks who said they would never give up the control DOS gave them.)

NeoPoliticus

You bet. Intel really puts tons of money into the research and development of their integrated graphics. Their new chips really outperform their old ones. No, wait. The new ones still suck.

And for the record, I was comparing the MBA to the 15" MBP, not the 17" version.

You are grasping for straws where there are none. The MBA is terrible value compared to the MBP; too many compromises were made to get the MBA so thin.

Your denial seems like buyers remorse. Maybe it is not too late to cancel your order and invest in a MBP instead.

Business prodigy? Oh stop, you are making me blush. I am actually a graphic designer for a local newspaper, and I work on an iMac G5 (or C2D, depending on what I am doing) 10+ hours a day.

Take a deep breath, man. I am sure you and your MBA are going to be a very happy couple. Just think of all the extra stuff you are going to be able to fit in your bag, now that your notebook will only take up 3/4 of an inch instead of a full, obese inch.

regnez

Yea, it is beautiful, but not practical. 10 years from now, hopefully, laptops this size will have 1TB solid state hard drives and NVIDIA/ATI SLI/crossfire technology as standard features.

nosauten

By your logic every single Apple laptop ever made is inferior to the 17" Macbook pro and anybody who has ever bought a laptop because it was "smaller" is a complete idiot who can't do any real task on their computer.

Yeah, you're obviously a business prodigy. You should start a company. I guarantee you I can get more done with a MBA than you can with whatever 20", 50 lbs. monstrosity you must be using.

Padriac

tobenna

gizm0

Thin.. Keep the same Specs and Price it has know..

Thin but still enough space to have a Optical drive and the other stuff everyone is complaining?
but base prince is $2,000?

I mean? what was the big deal if was just a itty bitty more thinck enough to operate a Optican drive..& a replacement battery?

But o wellz.. it wasn't met for us : ) (well for some of us )

DJJS

The AIR has its aesthetic beauty, and well done Stevie!

Bachus_snowman

Bowler Hat

"Or, are you going to tell me she's savvy enough to be a road warrior with the MBA, but too weak to carry around an external drive?"

Savy enough? the whole point of the MBA is for people that don't need too much (apparently) but when did not needing too much become not needing to put new music in your ipod? Although the MBPro is heavier, it gives you an easier way to rip you music and put it in your ipod than the MBA, which would require you to either hook up an extra peripheral or do it wirelessly somehow through another computer.

See? not as easy as the MBPro.

dambo29

First off, that graphics comparison is bullshit. No kidding the Core Duo mini is going to outperform the G4 mini in tests that mix GPU and CPU tasks. As for purely GPU things, like gaming, see here: [www.barefeats.com]

I realize that no one is going to use the Air or Mini for gaming, but it is still a good benchmark for GPUs, no matter how underpowered. Notice how the G4 mini, with a miserable Radeon 9200 (IIRC, that is what is used), manages to keep out and even outpace the Intel integrated garbage? And with the MBP and MBA, we are talking the difference between an nVidia 8600 dedicated chip and Intel integrated. It is not even going to be close, case closed.

And you really need to quit comparing the MBA to older, lesser computers. The numbers look like this: MBA (base) $1799 -- MBP (base) $1999

So, for $200 more, you get a computer with integrated: Super Drive, USB ports, firewire ports, ethernet port, and line out jacks. You get a REAL hard drive; a fast one, that you can actually store things on. You get dedicated graphics. You get a higher resolution screen. You get a faster processor. You get a removable battery, upgradeable ram, and an upgradable hard drive.

Now, to turn your own ridiculous argument against you, people last year were using their MBPs in Starbucks, right? Before the Air even existed? They were not too fat or too large to use in public, right? They did not weight too much to lug around, did they? In fact, last year Apple was pretty damn proud of how thin and light that computer was. So now that the Air is out, are all those poor MBP owners not going to be able to lug around their 5lb, 1" thick computers?

NO. Turns out, Macbook Pros are still just as portable and usable on the go as they were a year ago.

Look. I am not saying that the Air is a bad computer; I am saying that it is not targeted towards design professionals. It is not targeted towards power users at all, in fact.

The Air costs $1800, and what you are paying for is how thin the computer is, nothing more. It is not good value, and it is horrible value compared to the MBP. Yes, it can outperform an iBook or Powerbook from three years ago -- good. It costs a shitload more, so it better.

The Air is a computer for those with money to burn, and who prefer style and portability in its purest form, with stupid good-looks and wireless everything, respectively. It is not a computer for those interested in getting things done, and it never will be.

regnez

elmerdudd

Padriac

tlon19

The Air doesn't do firewire. It isn't suitable for video since firewire DV is the staple of mac video editing.

iMac, yes. Air, no.

Skeptic

At $1300.00 plus it will not be among my toys, I will wait until it drops to $300.00 and if it does not I will not miss it. There are other solutions out there maybe not quite as sexy however they are almost and offer more performance at a better price, less costly to maintain with a better warranty

Technology improves and develops so quickly why bother with a limited performance item that will be out dated in a year for this kind of money when there are other solutions offering more for less.

Steve is a great marketer and salesman and I respect him for that, I even like his style most of the time however I do not wish to support him financially.

I remember years ago being in Taiwan and seeing these nice well made Polo shirts for $3.50 US and I said Geeze this is ok and bought 5 of them. The girl selling me the shirts said in the US they are paying $30.00 for these and in disbelief I said no way. She said yes, they manufacture them here and ship to the US and the people love them, they line up to buy them. Sure enough I visited Honolulu and there at the Polo store they were selling for that plus.

Apple has been enjoying the same type of mark ups and profit margins that Polo and others enjoy and some people are willing to pay. Out source the manufacture of the product, build them inexpensively and sell them high to a niche' market, great formula.

LauPan

As for dedicated vs. integrated graphics: ars did tests with the G4 minis (dedicated) and the then new intel minis (integrated). And this was the *old* intel integrated chip:

[arstechnica.com]

Padriac

The way I look at it is when someone has 1800 dollars to spend on a laptop they will either make their purchase based on features or based on style and, those who purchase based on style I'm sure have plenty of money to not have to worry about it being their main machine.

Will Apple sell these like hotcakes? In a whole...I don't think so. But I'm sure just as the iPhone there will be a ton of sheep lined up to buy one the day it comes out.

TheBigBentley

tumnasgt

I owned an original Sony V505 that predates the one you show here - it had an external optical drive and I'm pretty sure I lost 3 of them before I opted for a bigger machine. i got it because it was small and I was on the road constantly - i loved the size but not the trade offs. That was 10 years ago and things have changed a lot - and even though I've got USB memory fobs a plenty, I still seem to burn and read discs regularly - but maybe that's just my old skool ways..

nice looking piece of kit though, you gotta admit - first time you see one, you'll want to have it !

r

bigsnit

fredges

It's like Apple doesn't even KNOW what "3G" means.

ianken

One day we are all going to laugh about the idea of music and software being delivered on CDs and DVDs. I'm not a "GREEN" guy or a tree hugger, but I can't even imagine how many CDs full of old software and discarded "greatest hits" CDs sit in our landfills. What a waste...

donlphi

bigfatduck

Blackpope808

Ultraorange

Blackpope808

It's not for everyone or even most. It's a style statement first and a computer second. So what? Nobody's going to argue this thing on the merits of capability. It's eye candy and it will create its own niche, like some exotic sports car.

I wouldn't buy it ... MB Pro all the way. But if someone wants to give it to me (hint, hint), you'd better believe I'd take it out for more than a spin. I'm no fan gal of Apple, read my posts. But this is a thing of beauty. Admit it.

lianna_g