MacBook Air battery replacements: $129, free install!

We've got word back from Apple on MacBook Air battery replacement. The good news is a new MBA battery is the same as a new MacBook Pro battery: $129. And hey, installation is even free! The bad news hasn't changed though, you'll still likely have to hand over your machine to Apple until they can get the new battery installed. Who knows, maybe they'll roll out a program for end-user battery installation.

[lory @ Feb 24th 2008 10:26PM]

Verizon is about the only place you can get the authentic RIM product and matching door. Most other sites are out of stock and even when they are in stock they have the black battery door which looks like crap. http://www.batteryfast.co.uk
I tested this camera for a client. I didn’t have the light running for more than 15 minutes. The battery lasted approximately 6 hours before recharging. The LCD, however, had a few dead pixels - never saw this before. Tried returning for exchange and had to put up quite a fight. Anyone else seen this? http://www.batteryfast.com
:)

[palmpilot @ Mar 13th 2008 12:22AM]

Funny how no one seems to mention the risk of sending away your laptop for battery replacement, what about the potentially sensitive data on the hard drive?

Wonder if anyone heard of the sex photo scandal in Asia recently? The 'star' of the scandal took his Macbook in for repair 2 years ago and all his sex photos were stolen from his hard drive, hundreds of these photos and some video clips have made their way to the internet in the last month or so.

The target market of the MBA is obviously business executives (as only they can afford such expensive toy), so it is most likely that their hard drive would be full of VERY sensitive business documents. Imagine sending your MBA away and have all these documents exposed???

Also if people want ultra portable, the Toshiba R500 is far lighter at about 793g with the 64GB SSD drove and no internal DVDRW. With the internal DVDRW and 120GB HDD, it's only just on 1kg. The 12.1" screen form factor and lighter weight, with all the possible ports means the R500 would make a far more practical and usable sub-notebook. Like others have already said, the MBA's 13" screen is not really ultraportable size and it's not even that light.

[Jono345 @ Mar 16th 2008 9:42AM]

And what happens if your MBA dies ages away from your nearest Apple store?

At least with other models there is a chance a local repair shop can lend a hand.

To be honest I'm a bit of a Microsoft fanboy, just because of some apple users. While I can understand the need for a lightweight travel companion, dont you generally want to be able to DO something with it too? And what, no ethernet port? really? not all hotels have wireless internet access.

[Kris S. @ Jan 15th 2008 4:26PM]

Where's the ignore Apple content button?

[liin @ Jan 15th 2008 4:35PM]

Right beside the ignore CES button, which is right beside that ignore stupid-Apple-lawsuits-and-Apple-partners-going-sour-which-made-them-Apple-news-that-Apple-itself-would-like-to-get-rid-off button.

Or, Just don't click when you see anything Apple.

[SteveMB @ Jan 15th 2008 5:37PM]

Think I want to scroll through all that junk (Apple Air news) to get to some DECENT news? No, I don't.

[Fred @ Jan 15th 2008 6:01PM]

It's right over by the "ignore innovation just because it says Apple on it" button.

[nickfawwaz3 @ Jan 15th 2008 7:07PM]

Whatever you call it man

[Tony @ Jan 15th 2008 9:05PM]

@Fred

I didn't know taking away features was so innovative.
Enjoy your one USB port.

[PH @ Jan 16th 2008 12:37AM]

Wheres the "ignore snob" button?

[salut @ Jan 16th 2008 2:09AM]

##REALITY CHECK## The MacBook Air is what it is. If you want something ultra portable with good run time, this is the best you're gonna get at this present time. Sure, you can get a comptact Sony Vaio (which isn't so-compact compared to the Air) which lets you change batteries, but keep in mind you're gonna have to carry around AT LEAST 1 spare battery just to get the same run time as the Air. So all of a sudden your "compact" Sony Vaio isn't so compact anymore.

Do people who need heaps of trunk space buy a small car, then tow a trailer around everywhere? No. They buy a bigger car, and forget the trailer.

[ChrisG @ Jan 15th 2008 4:26PM]

idk i guess thats good...

[thef1re @ Jan 15th 2008 4:41PM]

no, i like to carry two batteries when i travel, that way i know my laptop can last and i dont have to keep looking for powerpoints!!!

OH NO ITS THE IPOD ALL AGAIN. But unlike ipods, these laptops dont come cheap so people wont just "upgrade" to the latest and greatest MacBook Air if their battery dies!

[ChrisG @ Jan 15th 2008 5:04PM]

and that's why i put the pause after the word good. I mean if you have that much money you'd be best off getting a MB Pro or MB, but if you just want to buy it for thinness your best off with a Vaio, which has replaceable ram, optical drive, and replaceable battery for around the same price.

[Clinton @ Jan 15th 2008 10:31PM]

@thef1re

Do you really think Apple is that ignorant?... all of apples high-end products that have enclosed batteries allow for battery upgrades via Apple Service.

[jez @ Jan 16th 2008 3:01AM]

Bummer, this device WAS ALMOST perfect. I expected this to be a sub-notebook like the asus to accompany my MBP since I don't like carrying my 2000 dollar laptop around.

Its too expensive, plus my laptop battery only last about 1 yr after that you have to change it. Lame APPLE. Nice design aesthetically, but lame for the massive omissions. Guess Im buying my used ibook g3 for my MBP companion.

[Andrew @ Jan 16th 2008 3:24AM]

nah - did you see the clip on the internals of the Mac Book Air?

The battery looks like its spread thinly over 75% of the inside of the laptop - I think they fit battery cells in every nook and cranny of that thing in order to get it down to that size - making it removable would be impossible.

I am really surprised that Steve didnt make a point of this considering how people love to complain about how batteries are non-removable.

[ark_v2 @ Jan 16th 2008 3:48PM]

No, it's not. Swapping batteries is essencial in an untraportable.
And for that price tag (for both the laptop and the battery) installing it for "free" is the least they could do.

[ChrisG @ Jan 16th 2008 6:07PM]

excuse me but in my original post I didn't even argue about Apple new rule for replacing the battery, so could you please get off my back. At no point in this discussion have I really complained. My only gripe is the lack of optical drive or replaceable ram. And why are you siding with Apple on this one, I mean would you honestly spend $2,000 on a non upgradeable laptop? If so go ahead its your money but in the end, you'd be screwing your self over if the Macbook Air is your only computer or laptop.

[JS @ Jan 15th 2008 4:26PM]

And I take it there's no way for the user to install an SSD drive themselves when the price falls to attainable levels?

[enzo @ Jan 15th 2008 5:52PM]

Yeah so far it doesn't look like apple has made this thing very hack/tinker-friendly. Yet I have unflinching faith in our hackers and tinkerers.

[Darren @ Jan 15th 2008 6:21PM]

Duh. The thing is a fraction of an inch thick, thinner than any other laptop. What do you expect?

[CJ @ Jan 17th 2008 11:48PM]

@brad77:

Since the ram is soldered to the processor. Since the battery is not user-replaceable. Since the hard drive is the same one that's in a PMP that barely manages to support the damn thing for more than a year.

[PS3guy @ Jan 15th 2008 4:47PM]

How long does the battery last?

[Simon @ Jan 15th 2008 4:27PM]

Thats a pretty good offer.

Now I don't feel so wretched about being an iPod touch early adopter and now being bent over and firmly fucked by apple with the new updates.

[jroc @ Jan 15th 2008 4:33PM]

Still this has to be the stupidest move apple has ever made. Yet the sheep will flock to this in mass on the first day anyways.

[Simon @ Jan 15th 2008 4:36PM]

Youre right, but i have to say its 'en masse' not in mass.

[Carbonize @ Jan 15th 2008 4:55PM]

Same with the iPhone. Not the best phone in the world and not even feature complete but hey look at all the respect I get for being one of the first to have one.

All sarcasm is copyright of Carbonize.

[John B @ Jan 15th 2008 4:57PM]

Oh, I don't know, Simon. If marketed properly with local churches, this might be a good way to get more people into church. "Buy your new MacBook Air *in mass* and we'll give it a Blessing and a prayer that you won't need to replace the battery too soon." :)

[Carbonize @ Jan 15th 2008 5:18PM]

All worship at the church of Apple.

Well Jobsy already seems to think he is god. Waiting for the Apple boat shoes that let you walk on water.

[PH @ Jan 16th 2008 12:37AM]

Apple isnt trying to sell you a laptop. Its trying to move the industry towards a wireless standard. Remember how much the first iPod sucked? NOW LOOK AT IT.

Apply this to the MBA.

Think about it.

[Carbonize @ Jan 16th 2008 5:08PM]

Funny. Could of sworn we already had an organisation that specified the wireless standard. Isn't that what 54a/b/g/n is all about? Setting a standard?

[Isaac @ Jan 15th 2008 4:27PM]

Can't afford an Air, so I don't much care.

[unkone @ Jan 15th 2008 7:33PM]

But at least I can stare,

[punk @ Jan 15th 2008 10:12PM]

have you played Lair?

[Efilnikufesin @ Jan 15th 2008 8:49PM]

C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!!!

[michas_pi @ Jan 16th 2008 6:59AM]

I see I missed the party. This is not fair.

[Haxxy @ Jan 17th 2008 8:15PM]

A party? Hm, where?

[CJ @ Jan 18th 2008 12:34AM]

Over there.

[Brian @ Jan 18th 2008 4:59AM]

But, I have to ask, why do I care?

[Bandora @ Jan 19th 2008 5:32PM]

Because the air is as thin as a hair, but necessary features are not THERE!!

[jeff @ Jan 15th 2008 4:29PM]

Still kind of sucks. The whole purpose of a portable is so that you can swap out batteries and stay mobile. This defeats the purpose. Apple didn't impress me today.

[boz @ Jan 15th 2008 4:35PM]

No, it certainly does not defeat the purpose. The purpose is to create an ultra portable, lightweight computer. There's no point in buying a 3lb computer if you're going to load down your bag with an extra 1.5lb battery. Get a grip.

[Chris @ Jan 15th 2008 4:54PM]

It's not really an ultra-portable though. It's not that small, and it's not that light. It's just thin. The whole point of an ultra-portable is to be small not thin.

[jeff @ Jan 15th 2008 5:14PM]

@boz

I thought I was a fanboy but dam you take the cake. The laptop is just thin with watered down specs. I think I'm getting an eee pc from asus. Thats a sub-notebook.

[JD @ Jan 15th 2008 6:15PM]

Boz, My eee is an ultra-portable. It's smaller than the Air in every way, except for thickness, and I have to say my initial fears about the keyboard size have been squashed. And I can even replace my own battery, and hack it to run whatever I want to- Linux, Windows XP, I hear Leopard will even run on the eee, albeit slowly. The air is just a slim laptop. And I think that another battery is crucial to this sort of thing, because if it is thin enough to bring lots of places, there may not always be power there. And I mean really, you shouldn't have to bring your computer into a store to replace the battery. Apple is really going crazy with this non-user replaceable battery thing. iPod? I don't like it, but I can see that. iPhone? No. But a laptop? They've really become full of themselves.

[Darren @ Jan 15th 2008 7:06PM]

Yeah right. And how many laptop batteries do you carry around with you?

Most people never buy a replacement battery, let alone carry around multiple batteries. And Apple already serves the road warrior/power user with the MB Pro.

[Brits3ever @ Jan 15th 2008 4:30PM]

proof that you idiot americans cant built laptops worth a shit.


Brits3ever

[unkymike @ Jan 15th 2008 4:33PM]

Proof that Brits need a better education. You can even use your own language.

[aj @ Jan 15th 2008 4:58PM]

Riiiight. Just point me to where I can buy an awesome laptop that will dock into my MGB as an mp3 player.