The New Macbook Air

[dekka007]

Well its so thin and so sexy but so expensive. US$3100 ...

See Macbook Air

Right which one of you lot wants to buy my macbook pro 15.4" going cheap! PM me and we can make a deal

Edited January 16, 2008 by dekka007

[sensei]

I have seen the pictures Great piece of hardware!

I am looking for the optical drive. Doest it have one?

[dekka007]

not internal optical. No one makes a drive that thin yet. However Apple have external superdrive available as option for it which i am sure will look ultra cool as well ($99) or any third party usb one would work.

Think I'll combine it with a new 320gb external 2.5" drive and the tiny usb2 enclosure from www.macsales.com and the 64gb internal SSD. Perfect.

The Macbook Air combined with the 500gb / 1 TB 802n extreme base station would be a awesome combination for thinness and storage when u get back home.

Jeez gonna be expensive next month or so:

Shopping list:

Macbook Air

Time Capsule

Apple Tv .......

Edited January 16, 2008 by dekka007

[britmaveric]

Not worth the price.... for a light weight notebook.

[dekka007]

Right which one of you lot wants to buy my macbook pro 2.4 ghz 15.4" going cheap! PM me and we can make a deal

For info. Looking for around 55,000 baht... BARGAIN

[kash]

and using external harddrives, yeah - thats really something you want when working with large images files - NOT!

[dekka007]

and using external harddrives, yeah - thats really something you want when working with large images files - NOT!

USb2 Firewire 400 800 work fine for me on what i do with large files.

[paveet]

apple has tried to turn the fact that there isnt an optical drive into you no longer need an optical drive in this wireless world. I have used a laptop without a built in optical drive for the past 3 years, and I can only tell you how irritating it can be at times.

[canuckamuck]

From CNN:

"The machine doesn't come with a built-in optical drive for reading CDs and DVDs, a feature Jobs says consumers won't miss because they can download movies and music over the Internet and access the optical drives on other PCs and Macs to install new software"

I guess Steve Jobs doesn't travel much

I guess his thinking is: all you need is a fully equipped computer nearby and this thing is great.

[LivinLOS]

In that case it stacks up nicely against the 300 USD eeePC !!!

LOL

[marcus]

a feature Jobs says consumers won't miss because they can download movies and music over the Internet

I guess Steve Jobs doesn't travel much

For sure he didn't try Thai internet Just wondering how you can install an operating system without a drive, if you don't have some external drive...

[motoyen]

Is anyone able to watch the keynote? I can't seem to stream it and I know by now Apple's site isn't getting hammered.

http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/f278...ernal=fj2l3s9dm

[slackula]

The MB Air is certainly nice looking, personally I was hoping for a price cut on the MBPs since the Mrs started bugging me for one. Time capsule looks pretty cool though.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

If Apple made cars, they'd come without wheels - "the user will not miss that because he/she can always take the bus to destination, or buy a seperate crane truck to get the vehicle to destination, too." Of course Apple would sell fancy-looking crane trucks, too.

Oh, and such car without wheels would cost at least twice as much as an equally spec'ed vehicle from the competition, but hey - it's an APPLE for Steve's sake.

To the generous offer of a second-hand laptop for 55.000 Baht: Thanks, but i'd rather buy two brand-new ones for that money. Because i don't care what brand sticker is on the outside

Best regards....

Thanh

[sensei]

Mac Air Logo

[tjo o tjim]

Some surprising compromises with the MBA... I can live without an optical drive generally, but not having a removable battery or an ethernet port are really odd design decisions to me. I understand that lots of things work just fine wirelessly now, but... my iPhone can't connect to half the routers using WPA, so it becomes hard to have good security and wireless for everything.

Guess they want you to spring for the TimeCapsule as well...

[tjo o tjim]

Just wondering how you can install an operating system without a drive, if you don't have some external drive...

The device is meant to accompany another "main" computer, either with the same user or in the house. It can use any Mac or PC's DVD drive over the network, if you install a little app to share it.

It isn't the right device for everybody, but if your main concerns in a portable notebook are weight and size, and you aren't willing to compromise on screen, keyboard size, and processor speed, this is what you end up with. It will be an extremely niche device as it stands now, but it will sell a good enough number to cover development costs. If SSD's come down in price, it might actually be a nice computer. Not sure how excited I would be with a 4200 RPM hard drive though.

[A_Traveller]

Reminds me of the Sony X505, which was thinner, lighter, with a better native screen resolution. Never imported here though, seen a few greys though.

Regards

[nikster]

The X505 wasn't thinner, it was lighter though, as are a few other ultra portables from Toshiba etc. However, these all cost around $3000, and without the SSD drive. There's a MacBook Air for $1700 with a regular hard disk (80GB) instead of the SSD as well. It's a special, super-thin HD so that's why it's only 80GB.

The MacBook Air lacks Ethernet and a DVD drive, but you can get both as external options. The MBA's good looks have convinced me that I could therefore live with that. Ethernet is crucial for me, but only on the rare occasion that it's the only connectivity option - have used it 1x last year in a Hotel that had ethernet but not WiFi. The DVD drive I don't use very often either, and mostly to watch movies. Firewire will be missed but, well, that sleek design makes up for it

The main reason I would not trade my MacBook Pro is that I desperately need the screen real estate, and I need the hard drive space (250GB). I could probably do with less HD space. And if I had an external display, maybe even with the screen real estate (*). I would want to see that SSD totally outperform the hard disk though - and that depends largely on the model. There are now real fast ones out there, e.g. 100MB/s sustained transfer and close to 0 seek time. But there are others that are much slower than hard disks. So I'd definitely wait for benchmarks before jumping the gun.

Other issues: Battery not user-replacable. Not a big deal since Apple service centers will exchange the battery for free inside the warranty period and for $129 - the cost of the new battery - thereafter.

If the battery life is really 5 hours I might just go for it. If, on the other hand, it's more like 2.5 hours in real life, I would skip it.

And please don't compare it with the Eee PC, the only thing they have in common is a comparable weight.

And about other subnotebooks being lighter: Apple could have made this lighter if they had compromised on the materials. Witness the flexible display lid on the thinnest Sonys. Making the whole thing out of machined Aluminium was most certainly a tradeoff between rigidity and weight - a tradeoff I am pretty happy with.

One more thing that wasn't mentioned, yet is a major reason I lust after this laptop: The trackpad is oversized and supports multi touch, just like the iPhone. You don't have to click several buttons to rotate an image - you just do it. Same for zoom. These functions are so intuitive, simple, and efficient on the iPhone that I have really missed them on my MacBook Pro - working with images seemed so slow and kind of old-fashioned all of a sudden. The MacBook Air resolves this

One thing is for sure - this is by far the sexiest laptop out there. It looks like from another planet.

[nikster]

Hi.

If Apple made cars, they'd come without wheels - "the user will not miss that because he/she can always take the bus to destination, or buy a seperate crane truck to get the vehicle to destination, too." Of course Apple would sell fancy-looking crane trucks, too.

Oh, and such car without wheels would cost at least twice as much as an equally spec'ed vehicle from the competition, but hey - it's an APPLE for Steve's sake.

To the generous offer of a second-hand laptop for 55.000 Baht: Thanks, but i'd rather buy two brand-new ones for that money. Because i don't care what brand sticker is on the outside

Sticking with car analogies, what you are saying is that "thanks but you can keep your Porsche 911, i'd rather buy two new Kias".

Well - good for you, then. Kias drive from point A to point B and are cheap to boot - very sensible decision

The compromises on the MBA are radical but not over the top. There are add-ons for Ethernet and DVD burner. That they left out Ethernet is a bit of a surprise but I guess they figured when the boss gets one of these he'll have somebody pick up a $50 wireless router as well.

[canuckamuck]

I guess the direction we are heading right now is a wafer thin screen, keyboard, and a second bag of attachments. They are no longer laptops, but interfaces with required peripherals.

I think this is temporary until we get better flash memory drives and replace disks with some form of flash medium that is nearly disposably priced. This apple is just a link in the process, and will be remebered as a cute anomoly.

As for me I need to make disks when I travel and I can't depend on someone else having compatable equipment. I am still strong enough to heft a laptop that contains an optical drive, but I'm not getting any younger.

[nikster]

Guess they want you to spring for the TimeCapsule as well...

The underlying, yet unspoken theme of the MacBook Air concept is: This is for rich people. If you are looking to save money, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a bargain, look elsewhere. But if you are willing to spend, this is it.

[canuckamuck]

Guess they want you to spring for the TimeCapsule as well...

The underlying, yet unspoken theme of the MacBook Air concept is: This is for rich people. If you are looking to save money, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a bargain, look elsewhere. But if you are willing to spend, this is it.

Isn't that the Apple motto?

[nikster]

I guess the direction we are heading right now is a wafer thin screen, keyboard, and a second bag of attachments. They are no longer laptops, but interfaces with required peripherals.

Yeah... I'd only go for one of these if I am reasonably sure that most of the time I don't need said bag of attachments. It would be kind of pointless to have this uber-sleek uber-light laptop if you have to carry an extra bag full of stuff just to make it work.

I still think these will sell like hotcakes. Once you remove the people that

- Really need ethernet or built-in CD players (and can't be bothered with the USB versions)

- Really need a bigger screen

- Really need more HD space

- Don't have the cash to buy this thing

That still leaves a huge number of people, and for those, the MacBook Air is the best thing they can get. It's a niche product but for a pretty large niche.

[nikster]

Guess they want you to spring for the TimeCapsule as well...

The underlying, yet unspoken theme of the MacBook Air concept is: This is for rich people. If you are looking to save money, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a bargain, look elsewhere. But if you are willing to spend, this is it.

Isn't that the Apple motto?

Considering that Apple now has almost a 50% market share amongst U.S. college students: No.

The MacBook and iMacs are pretty reasonably priced, as is the MacBook Pro and the Mac Pro in their market segments. They don't do low end, but they are pretty competitive in mid-level machines.

Edited January 17, 2008 by nikster

[ZZZ]

I wonder how "sexy" this exact product would have been if it was released by Twinhead or Asus

[nikster]

I wonder how "sexy" this exact product would have been if it was released by Twinhead or Asus

Mu. It would look like the Dell M1330. It would have an ethernet port, it would be thicker, it would be plastered in colorful stickers. That's how sexy.

Looked at my friend's $3000 Sony last week, a 13.3" machine. It looks slick but it's quite thick. Then I turned it around, and the underside ws a mess of vents, doors, stickers and meaningless serial numbers, just like any other laptop. The sides are ugly as well. Turn an Apple machine around and you will see that they carefully designed the underside as well. They've been doing that forever, and it kind of illustrates a very different approach to design.

It would be awesome if some company stepped up and outdid Apple's designs. Only they don't, they haven't, and it doesn't look like they will anytime soon. I think they just don't care enough.

Sorry to spam this thread but as you might have guessed, I am rather excited about the MB Air

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

If Apple made cars, they'd come without wheels - "the user will not miss that because he/she can always take the bus to destination, or buy a seperate crane truck to get the vehicle to destination, too." Of course Apple would sell fancy-looking crane trucks, too.

Oh, and such car without wheels would cost at least twice as much as an equally spec'ed vehicle from the competition, but hey - it's an APPLE for Steve's sake.

To the generous offer of a second-hand laptop for 55.000 Baht: Thanks, but i'd rather buy two brand-new ones for that money. Because i don't care what brand sticker is on the outside

Sticking with car analogies, what you are saying is that "thanks but you can keep your Porsche 911, i'd rather buy two new Kias".

Well - good for you, then. Kias drive from point A to point B and are cheap to boot - very sensible decision

The compromises on the MBA are radical but not over the top. There are add-ons for Ethernet and DVD burner. That they left out Ethernet is a bit of a surprise but I guess they figured when the boss gets one of these he'll have somebody pick up a $50 wireless router as well.

Hello.

Yeah, lets stick to those car analogies - what the ethernet port is missing as well????? Cool, a car without wheels AND without engine! But alas - bus and crane truck are readily available, aren't they?

And you can certainly keep that PORSCHE WITH A DAIHATSU-MIRA-ENGINE - i'd rather drive my two Kias with Kia engines (which is why i keep on ranting on the subject "identical specs" - why does a Apple machine with a certain CPU type HAVE TO cost as much as TWO machines with that same hardware but NOT from Apple???) Using a Toyota chassis and engine and putting a Ferrari-body on it does NOT make it "A Ferrari".

So they look nice? Cool, a really expensive piece of living room decoration. Because that's all it's good for.

Best regards....

Thanh

[Daren]

I agree with nikster, the amount of attention to detail and design that goes into Mac hardware far surpasses any PC I've ever seen. And the MBA is no exception, in fact, it's probably the most attractive machine they've ever built!

Doesn't any one else find it odd, that in a world so obsessed with beauty, fashion and keeping up with the Jones', there are not more fashionable computers? I mean, there are toasters that look better than any PC notebook on the market today. And the attempts that have been made to produce something stylish, Acer's Ferrari series for example, are still the same boring rectangles with a new paint job. Or, in the case of the Ferrari 4000, they tack on the term "carbon-fiber" and for what?? To improve performance or durability or to sucker some moron into buying one?

Ever since the internet really exploded and computers were found in more and more homes, I wondered: Why are they so dam_n ugly???

[dekka007]

have used it 1x last year in a Hotel that had ethernet but not WiFi

I always carry the small apple airport express for such occassions, I travel a lot and simply just plug the hotel ethernet connection into that then wireless.

I love the airport express for travelling and music wirelessly to different rooms in the apartment. Although they are not that cheap...