Apple's MacBook Air: Discussion

[J_UNTITLED]

Has anyone been seduced by this shiny-and-anorexic-ultraportable and gave into buying one? If so, what are your thoughts on it? As far as ultraportables go, does it measure or hold up? As far as notebooks go in general, does it fair well or could you see it being used as a main computer for someone? Is it really all just glamour and no substance or this is really a key design that will be widely-implemented in the not-too-distant future?

[DV92Camaro]

No disc drive of any sort. This leads me into not purchasing the product.

Looks really nice though.

[BLU for Blue]

Apple is advancing TOO fast. Love their products, bought a macbook last spring and i was told in 2 years it would be so out dated I would have to either buy a new one or go back to Microsoft.

[J_UNTITLED]

... Does anyone here actually have one and want to share what they think about it?

[krazeyeyez]

Originally Posted by BLU for Blue

Apple is advancing TOO fast. Love their products, bought a macbook last spring and i was told in 2 years it would be so out dated I would have to either buy a new one or go back to Microsoft.

thats a fair trade off since a MS computer would self destruct long before 2 years.

[Footloose301]

Originally Posted by DV92Camaro

No disc drive of any sort. This leads me into not purchasing the product.

Looks really nice though.

Theres no need for a disc drive of any sort.

[Josh]

I absolutely love the thing, but its not useful to me. At trade shows, the press packs are usually CDs, and that means without an optical drive, I could never look at them while on the road. Additionally, I usually have more than one device connected via USB, so I would need an extral hub. So, MacBook Air + external drive + external USB hub = way too much to carry around when the thing is all about portability.

I'll stick with my MacBook!

[J_UNTITLED]

Originally Posted by Josh

I absolutely love the thing, but its not useful to me. At trade shows, the press packs are usually CDs, and that means without an optical drive, I could never look at them while on the road. Additionally, I usually have more than one device connected via USB, so I would need an extral hub. So, MacBook Air + external drive + external USB hub = way too much to carry around when the thing is all about portability.

I'll stick with my MacBook!

Thanks for weighing in, Josh. Any others?

[trey]

I got my macbook air thursday morning and went to denver this weekend - the first time I've traveled with a laptop. At my friends house, I had no problem ripping her CDs or using her optical drive wirelessly.

If someone doesn't have any processing power to take care of, this machine is definitely capable of being your only machine (mind you if it's your only machine you probably wanna get the external drive).

This is definitely the way that computers (at least a portion/the sub-notebook market) are going in the future. For your average person this is the perfect computer, and they will most definitely refine it, and possibly introduce a macbook air Pro, that would be more of a powerhouse. This is Apple's first recent release towards subnotebooks, and trust that they will definitely be introducing more.

I can't wait for a multi-touch tablet!!

[cking2729]

I'm a lifelong Apple fan and love almost everything they churn out of Cupertino, but the MacBook Air is too impractical...at least for me. I went to the Apple store to play with one late last week, and it's truly a beauty. It's even thinner and lighter than they make it look.

For me, the processor and hard drive performance is very, very underwhelming. This laptop simply isn't going to cut it for the media professional Apple generally appeals to with its MacBook Pros.

It's light, it's thin, it's beautiful...but it definitely comes at a cost. Say I'm going on a trip. In order to get the same functionality I would out of my inch thicker MacBook Pro, I'd need a $99 SuperDrive add-on, a new $20-$40 mini-DVI to DVI cable, a $30 USB ethernet adapter in case where I'm going doesn't have WiFi, and an ~$20 USB hub for my other peripherals and since my current flash drive doesn't fit into the 1 flip down USB port.

When it's all said and done, we are knocking on the door of an additional $200 on top of an already steep $1800. Apple gave this one a valiant effort, but I think we'll look back and see this one is a bit ahead of its time. This laptop is largely built for a connection-less world -- and we certainly aren't there yet. For now, I think I'm better off waiting for the new MacBook Pro.......which I am

[BStecke]

It's a cool idea. I just bought a regular MacBook and absolutely love it. I would miss the built in optical drive. Personally I just have no reason to have a laptop that thin. It really doesn't change how it serves its purpose. I rip a lot of CD's, so the lack of an optical drive is kind of a deal breaker (I don't always have another computer at my disposal). As far as the cool factor goes, it's up there.

[J_UNTITLED]

Originally Posted by trey

I got my macbook air thursday morning and went to denver this weekend - the first time I've traveled with a laptop. At my friends house, I had no problem ripping her CDs or using her optical drive wirelessly.

If someone doesn't have any processing power to take care of, this machine is definitely capable of being your only machine (mind you if it's your only machine you probably wanna get the external drive).

This is definitely the way that computers (at least a portion/the sub-notebook market) are going in the future. For your average person this is the perfect computer, and they will most definitely refine it, and possibly introduce a macbook air Pro, that would be more of a powerhouse. This is Apple's first recent release towards subnotebooks, and trust that they will definitely be introducing more.

I can't wait for a multi-touch tablet!!

So, in your opinion, this notebook could compare with any other bigger or more powerful one in terms of overall regular uses (i.e. web surfing, e-mail/word processing etc.)?

[dk3dknight]

My opinion doesn't matter, but with no disc drive built in there is no point,
if the point of this machine is portable yet you need to lug around extra
equipment to make up for its missing items, plus power cords for those
missing items, plus cords to plug everything together, usb hubs etc.. since
it only has a small amount of usb ports.

This was a bad idea re churned to make a terrible product.

Next there will make a keyboard with only one button.

I admit I started my computer days on apple computers, moving my
way from earlier unknown models to the g4, and then g3 in some cases...

My first computer was a apple with a black and white monitor.

[BStecke]

Originally Posted by dk3dknight

My opinion doesn't matter, but with no disc drive built in there is no point,
if the point of this machine is portable yet you need to lug around extra
equipment to make up for its missing items

You don't need the optical drive as long as you have access to a computer with an optical drive.

[J_UNTITLED]

Originally Posted by dk3dknight

My opinion doesn't matter, but with no disc drive built in there is no point,
if the point of this machine is portable yet you need to lug around extra
equipment to make up for its missing items, plus power cords for those
missing items, plus cords to plug everything together, usb hubs etc.. since
it only has a small amount of usb ports.

This was a bad idea re churned to make a terrible product.

Next there will make a keyboard with only one button.

I admit I started my computer days on apple computers, moving my
way from earlier unknown models to the g4, and then g3 in some cases...

My first computer was a apple with a black and white monitor.

Your opinion does matter as I appreciate any.

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by BStecke

You don't need the optical drive as long as you have access to a computer with an optical drive.

On a plane, in a hotel, ???... no optical drive or other computer to connect to and use it's drive - SOL.

The Air is not the first wafer laptop - and it won't be the last.

The Air is more of a conversation piece.
Also, remember, the thinner an item is, the easier it will bend/flex.
PCboards really don't like to bend. Neither do LCDs(yet).

Don't get me wrong, it is pretty!

[Cobalt]

Bad idea at a high cost. Pretty much the sum of it.

No optical drive - on a laptop?? Leave to apple to come up with that one No offense to the fans. No replaceable battery? Anyone realize just how long laptop batteries last? maybe a year if your lucky! So, your left with an $1800 dollar paper weight in about a year, maybe a year and a half.

They have some great design ideas. This is not one of them. Take your money and go buy a better, full featured laptop - Dell - Sony etc etc. At least you get a BD drive when you buy either one of those for the same price or less.

[cking2729]

Originally Posted by BStecke

You don't need the optical drive as long as you have access to a computer with an optical drive.

If you travel as frequently as I do, or rip as many CDs and DVDs as I do, the optical drive missing is a huge blow. It's just case of what each individual demands out of their computer. If it were about $500-$600 cheaper, I could totally call it feasible. But the added functionality you get by spending ~$200 more on a MacBook Pro is well worth it.

[dk3dknight]

Originally Posted by BStecke

You don't need the optical drive as long as you have access to a computer with an optical drive.

WHAT!!

So those who travel just lug there PC around as well aye
Well then I guess I stand corrected, just lug your PC around and the
air is fully mobile system. Yes sir-e.

You see where im getting at this, my view of a laptop is that its role
is to be used as a mobile computer, not need a computer to use it.

I can't even imagine how you would install software, I know streaming
installations that the ticket, bit dropped ohh installation failed.

I understand if you like the Air, and then thats fine whatever makes
you happy, just some of us are going to be disagreeing with you on Apple's
decision.

[J_UNTITLED]

... Anyone else?