blehmann
@charter.com
| reply to Authority
Re: Why the MacBook Air is "misunderstood"
I have been over on the dark side with my portable computer life for quite some time, two fujitsu subnotebooks (P2 and P5 models) and a thin and light sony sz I hated before I got it (this is another story). I have been waiting for the Air for a long time and I guess I expected more from Apple. It is a beautiful piece of industrial engineering but it uses slower processors and weighs more than the fujitsu, sony, and toshiba subnotebooks. I expected Apple to come in with a product that clearly outclassed the competition in more than its operating system and it did not do so. The 13.3" screen is better than the 11.1" screens on the competition but the keyboards are comparable.
OK, so I am rambling (and yet I won't edit...). If I have use it or use it money, I might by the Mac Air because I have been waiting for it for a long time (I always work on the go and I travel all the time). If I don't, I hope apple gets the sequel right. |
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Authority
Obama Biden '12
join:2000-03-29
Beverly Hills, CA
 ·AT&T Yahoo
 ·Packet8
·magicjack.com
| reply to sporkme
said by sporkme  :What would make it a "must have" if it gets (and yeah, I can feel an extra 3 lbs. on my shoulder after walking a few blocks): -much, much larger flash drive with a 1.8" HD to "back up" the flash or give you additional temporary storage -optical drive (read-only is fine); supposedly there are some new models that are even slimmer than the current laptop drives -ethernet They already have what you want... it's caleld a MacBook and available in black or white. Everything you're asking for misses the point on what it is. It's supposed to be a "think client" with with to access network resources, and for that, it's fantastic. Judgeit by any other criteria and it fails miserably.
--
"When Apple Care fails, when all hope is lost, there's one last thing to try... take your issue straight to the top: sjobs@apple.com" |
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Thaler
Premium
join:2004-02-02
Encino, CA
| reply to BellBoy
said by BellBoy :said by Thaler :I think I'd shoot myself if I gunked up a $2-3k laptop full of bathroom unknown materials. I think you'd have bigger problems than buying a laptop if you can't control your "functions" while seated.  Problems can go hand in hand. I think I'd have a hard time controlling my "functions" if I had my MBA fail due to bathroom problem inevitibilities.  |
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BellBoy
Obama racist? Then Bush is Hitler.
Premium
join:2001-02-20
Los Angeles, CA
clubs:
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| reply to Thaler
said by Thaler :I think I'd shoot myself if I gunked up a $2-3k laptop full of bathroom unknown materials. I think you'd have bigger problems than buying a laptop if you can't control your "functions" while seated. |
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Thaler
Premium
join:2004-02-02
Encino, CA
| reply to jmirabella
said by jmirabella :BEST BATHROOM LAPTOP OF ALL TIME.. I do not regret spending 2k on this at all... I think I'd shoot myself if I gunked up a $2-3k laptop full of bathroom unknown materials.
...besides, that's what $300 PC lappies are good for. Sure it's 3 pounds heavier, but you won't feel terrible when you torture-test that laptop into unusability in the odd places/tasks around the house. |
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bbarrera
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-23
Sacramento, CA
clubs:
·SureWest Internet
| reply to jmirabella
said by jmirabella :BEST BATHROOM LAPTOP OF ALL TIME.. LOL, reminds me of the Seinfeld "The Bookstore" episode where George takes a book into the bathroom. |
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jmirabella
Joe Mirabella
Premium,VIP
join:2003-10-20
Lanham, MD
clubs:
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·VoicePulse
| reply to Authority
this comment is directed to both sides of the misunderstood argument..
after playing with this thing for a few hours.. I believe it is the..
BEST BATHROOM LAPTOP OF ALL TIME..
I do not regret spending 2k on this at all...
--
Joe Mirabella
VOD Systems Engineer
RCN Corporation |
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sporkme
drop the crantini and move it, sister
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-01
Morristown, NJ
 ·Optimum Online
| reply to Authority
If I didn't have a newish notebook, I'd hold out for whatever this thing becomes in about a year and a half. What would make it a "must have" if it gets no heavier (and yeah, I can feel an extra 3 lbs. on my shoulder after walking a few blocks):
-much, much larger flash drive with a 1.8" HD to "back up" the flash or give you additional temporary storage
-optical drive (read-only is fine); supposedly there are some new models that are even slimmer than the current laptop drives
-ethernet
-FW + more USB - capturing short clips from a video camera to flash seems like it would be handy and light on the batteries
-either built-in evdo or some kind of recessed card slot for a 3G modem of some sort - "cool" is having a 3 lb. laptop that can get high speed internet just about anywhere.
-proper cooling, hopefully intel will have some cooler and faster processors by then
-one extra bizarre apple "first"
I'd go near $3K for that (must have a ton of flash though). |
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Authority
Obama Biden '12
join:2000-03-29
Beverly Hills, CA
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1 edit | reply to NOCMan
said by NOCMan :I have not misunderstood it. It's a toy. I think you have. The people who would buy this don't want to "open it up" or know/care what a PATA hard drive is. They do on the other hand think an extra $500 is a small price to pay for something that looks cool and saves them a few ounces in their travel bag.
You've really proven my point, people who don't "get" what it's for will hate it.
--
"When Apple Care fails, when all hope is lost, there's one last thing to try... take your issue straight to the top: sjobs@apple.com" |
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bbarrera
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-23
Sacramento, CA
clubs:
·SureWest Internet
3 edits | reply to Maranello
I read that review before going to the mall and expected the MBA to be slow compared to my MBP. But after launching a few apps it seemed fine. Just re-read the Macworld review and noticed this:
quote:
"But for general uses, I rarely noticed that the system was slower than my MacBook."
Source: Macworld review of MBA
»www.macworld.com/article/131864/···air.html
There is no doubt the compromises made on the MBA will limit the appeal and market.
For the stuff I do on a daily basis every notebook is 'a toy' which is why I'm selling my MBP and buying a Mac Pro. And the MBA will be the perfect traveling computer for my needs as I'm not attempting to make it a desktop replacement. |
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Post Op
Premium
join:2001-11-06
Far Out
| reply to Authority
I think the MacBook Air is cool. I think it costs a lot of money. I think they'll sell a shitload of 'em. It's not for me. I think it's the start of things to come. I think it will get faster and cheaper and be able to do more in the very near future. Then they'll sell an even bigger shitload of 'em. It's getting Apple a whole lotta free press (advertising). Those Apple guys seem to be pretty smart about that.
--
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy. |
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Maranello
ChannelFlip
Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-08
Butler, PA
·Armstrong Zoom In..
| reply to Mauricio9
said by Mauricio9 :said by Maranello : but you can't deny that a good many are going to buy this just because they think it's cool. And that is a problem because...? It isn't. It's just every time someone has referred to it as a toy a great chorus of voices rises from the valley and simultaneously shouts "you don't get it".
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Mauricio9
Premium
join:2001-12-04
Vancouver, BC
1 edit | reply to Maranello
said by Maranello : but you can't deny that a good many are going to buy this just because they think it's cool. And that is a problem because...?
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My photo galleries
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Maranello
ChannelFlip
Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-08
Butler, PA
·Armstrong Zoom In..
| reply to bbarrera
said by bbarrera : I found it quite snappy compared to my Mac mini with 4200rpm drive. . Snappy, but quite a bit slower....
»www.macworld.com/article/131864/···ml?t=201
said by Authority :said by NOCMan :I have not misunderstood it. It's a toy. I think you have. The people who would buy this don't want to "open it up" or know/care what a PATA hard drive is. They do on he other hand thing an extra $500 is a small price to pay for something that looks cool and saves them a few ounces in their travel bag.
You've really proven my point, people who don't "get" what it's for will hate it.
I agree that some people will actually find the Air useful and that it does have a place, but you can't deny that a good many are going to buy this just because they think it's cool. |
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wmcbrine
Touched by His Noodly Appendage
join:2002-12-30
Laurel, MD
| reply to yanks
said by yanks :the XPS M1330 is better looking than the MacBook (yes there is a PC that is nicer looking than a Mac!) Not. Even. Close.
The problem with most PC design is that the designers have no taste. (In at least some cases, clearly, neither do the users.) The only recent ones I've seen that look halfway decent are the Sonys... that blatantly rip off the Apple look. Good original design? I'm just not seeing it.
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09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 |
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joetaxpayer
I'M Here Till Thursday
join:2001-09-07
Sudbury, MA
·Comcast
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1 edit | reply to neuronbob
said by neuronbob :Now wait a minute. People in this very forum have been asking for YEARS for an ultralight laptop without an optical drive. Now we have one and people are complaining? I don't get it. I spoke positively about a non-hard drive iPod. Many people here though it a crazy approach. Now, I bought the iPod touch, and it's a marvel. Next Apple notebook with go flash only, mark my words. Unless you said this already, in which case you are right. BTW, I saw this laptop at my local Apple store. It's just beautiful.
JOE |
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bbarrera
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-23
Sacramento, CA
clubs:
·SureWest Internet
| reply to RadioDoc
said by RadioDoc :Considering some of the blind defense of this thing in here, by comparison I may be. Compared to other topics I'm surprised by the almost complete lack of blind defense of the MBA, therefore I'm a bit bewildered by this comment you've repeated in several posts.
Yesterday my 8 year old had a Build a Bear birthday party at the mall. I briefly snuck out and went upstairs to the Apple store. I spent about a few minutes with the MBA and a few minutes watching others. Half the folks wanted more ports and weren't interested, and the other half planned on buying (myself included). I found it quite snappy compared to my Mac mini with 4200rpm drive. The size and weight are perfect in my opinion. I've traveled for business since 1988 and only briefly carried an extra battery before realizing I didn't need it. As mentioned earlier I only use a single USB and DVI cable to connect my MBP to a Dell 24" LCD so the limited ports aren't an issue for me. For several years now I travel with a pocket sized wireless router for use in hotels with Ethernet in the room, so the lack of an Ethernet port is not an issue for me. However it would be nice to have GigE port for use in the office when dealing with large files (>8GB because I have an 8GB usb flash drive). Firewire is not usually an issue as I hook up our Camcorder to an iMac, but if I did want to use FW it should be possible using my miniStack v3 (USB to MBA, then FW400, FW800 and eSATA devices are available to MBA).
I'll definitely buy a MBA at some point. My short-term plan is to sell the MBP and buy a Mac Pro for use as a serious engineering workstation and server. |
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Thaler
Premium
join:2004-02-02
Encino, CA
| reply to Dogfather
said by Dogfather :I doubt anyone is going to buy the Air based solely on 'sex appeal', especially when the MacBook is $700 less. You obviously don't know anyone in the Beverly Hills / Hollywood area. I've met my share of people that buy on "t3h cutting edge" of fashion, then later find out just WTF they purchased.
Of course, to that crowd, buying an "oops" laptop like the MBA, then picking up a Macbook, isn't so big a deal. |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to bbarrera
said by bbarrera :I'll be sure and consult with you and RadioDoc on my next computer because you guys are like totally the computer gods with more common sense than anyone I know. Considering some of the blind defense of this thing in here, by comparison I may be.
Look, I posted what a lot of "experts" have said, some of which are long-time Apple cheerleaders, and are less than thrilled with the Air. Some are downright depressed about it. Things like wireless connectivity problems & Bluetooth issues go straight to the usability of this thing since it does not have 'normal' ports as backup. You can buy whatever you want, but I certainly would not want to be stuck at a client site with one of these, no matter how sexy, light or thin it is.
--
Toolmaster of La Grange. |
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gabeman
join:2001-05-03
Philadelphia, PA
clubs:
·Hotwire Communicat..
| reply to Authority
If you're the type of person who's on a plane twice a week, lives out of hotels, and want to surf the web from your hotel room, this is the perfect laptop for you.
If you're a graphic designer, gamer, or general "Upgrade teh video card" type person, this is not for you.
I don't understand why people are hating on the MBA for things its not supposed to be. If you need a powerful, full size laptop, buy a MBP, end of story.
--
Rest in Peace Hunter S Thompson."There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die." |
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