MacBook Air doesn't have a user-replaceable battery

We sort of understood it with iPods, and we grudgingly accepted it with the iPhone, but the MacBook Air has a sealed, non-user-replaceable battery, and that means we're suddenly a lot less in love. We're digging for details on how much it'll cost to swap out -- and what Apple expects road warriors to do when their slick new ultraportable dies on the go, stick with us.

[steve @ Jan 25th 2008 8:52AM]

Everyone talks about flexibility. What this wont do. This laptop is not for everyone. Its for someone who has to carry one from place to place. I rarely use my big hunkin toshiba without plugging in. I only have used the dvd drive 3 times in 3 years. Yes there is a sacrifice but its friggin small. I saw the envelope commercial with the wife last night and paused and said I want that. She said what is it. She could not believe the size. Yea there is sacrifice but its friggin so small.

[radams @ Jan 27th 2008 10:58PM]

It doesn't matter, people who buy these regularly drop $1000 like a bad habit or at their favorite Apple store.

[radams @ Jan 27th 2008 10:58PM]

If you need the $1800 for something else, don't buy unless you like being a part of the future in Technology. If you do, don't let anyone take away your dream of owning one.

[bish @ Jan 31st 2008 12:56AM]

@temmink:
"As it stands this seems like hardware without a defined customer except for people who have to have the thinnest possible things on the planet."

- isnt it obvious? its designed for people who saw the family guy sketch about using laptops to 'write my novel' in starbucks, and thought 'that would be cooool'.

i expect many unpublished 'masterpieces' shall be composed on a MBA near you soon, in public.

[michael @ Feb 4th 2008 1:11AM]

i don't know how do you guys want a laptop that thin and want to inclue a battery!..it wasn't made just to let you do the argent stuff a business man might need to do on a computer he's not gonna stay play games and then he's gonna complain about a battery

[Chebwa @ Jan 15th 2008 2:42PM]

A laptop with a battery that can't be removed.

...

Seriously, Apple?

One step forward, two steps back.

[jamma @ Jan 15th 2008 2:49PM]

Don't worry, Apple will release a new version for the same price in a few months, for the same price, but early adopters will be screwed over...for a change,

-A pissé iPod Touch user-

[varun @ Jan 15th 2008 3:03PM]

Don't worry guys - this makes the laptop so much more compliant with TSA regulations on batteries in the air!

[Adam @ Jan 15th 2008 3:03PM]

It wouldn't be as bad if the MBA wasn't so expensive, but when we're spending $1800+ on a laptop, we want some flexibility after purchase. Flexibility that doesn't cost an additional few hundred dollars for something most laptops come standard.

The only 'features' of the MBA is it's thinness, but it also seems like it's greatest liability. Form follows function, Apple, and you really missed that point.

[Chebwa @ Jan 15th 2008 3:07PM]

"Form follows function, Apple, and you really missed that point."

That sums the MacBook Air up perfectly. Well said.

[AGG @ Jan 15th 2008 3:18PM]

You didn't think they'd be able to shrink it down to that level and include a traditional brick-type battery inside?

How man people carry two batteries around with them? I've never. If you REALLY need two batteries you should buy another Apple laptop (or something else).

[Chebwa @ Jan 15th 2008 3:22PM]

"How man people carry two batteries around with them?"

That's not the only issue (although it IS an issue. This is about sending your laptop out for several days at a time, only to pay out the ass for Steve and company to replace something you should be able to replace yourself.

Every other laptop out there, thin and thick ones alike, allow you to do this.

[Adam @ Jan 15th 2008 3:26PM]

AGG, that's the point. We should buy a different laptop. This one doesn't have much purpose. On one hand, it's features are comparable to the Asus Eee, which is perfectly fine. But the Eee is $500, while this starts at $1800.

Pound for pound and feature for feature, the MPA is way more expensive than anything else out there. It comes with less and costs more. And when you're spending $1800 on a computer, who would want something that lacks significant features?

I'm also especially frustrated that the MBP wasn't updated.

[Gaz @ Jan 15th 2008 3:36PM]

Its that sexy emo going apple mad agin :D

[josh @ Jan 15th 2008 3:44PM]

And in other news, the 2009 lineup for Apple is projected to have the new MacBook Vapor. At only 0.1" thin, the MacBook Vapor sports all of the features of the MacBook Air, only minus the hard drive, CPU, and display. The MacBook Vapor will ship in early 2009 and retail for only $2,399!

[Hardy @ Jan 15th 2008 4:00PM]

Aside from the lack of a user replaceable battery, I wonder what percentage of the "average" mac user base will understand when they buy one of these that it has no optical drive and all the downfalls that comes with. So they can't burn cds, can't import music, they can't install programs except ones they some how managed to find on the intrawebs (I some how doubt the ditsy blonde with the cute apple laptop knows anything about network installs), they can't sit on a plane/in a car and watch a dvd, etc etc etc... you know, all that 'easy' stuff that macs are good at =)

I was really looking forward to this, but my thinkpad lives to serve another day!

[theletterj @ Jan 15th 2008 4:03PM]

...We cower as you point fingers telling us to "Think Different" Well, you and the smarmy pundits in your pocket, those who bathe in the moisture of your soiled and bloodstained underwear, can take that noise and shove it. We will be snowed no more.

[ark_v2 @ Jan 15th 2008 4:50PM]

You know, the more I read about it the more I ask myself WTF?!
Not even the battery has an advantage. I starting to love my m1330 more than ever.

[AGG @ Jan 15th 2008 5:02PM]

Re: Chewba / Adam

Yes, no doubt Apple will charge (or indeed over-charge) people for replacing the battery and, yes, this thing has limitations (like only 1 speaker!) but, just see it for what it is ... it's not a MBP replacement, it's not a cheap sub-notebook it's a very thin and light Apple fashion notebook which runs OSX. I wouldn't buy it for the same reasons you point out, that doesn't mean a lot of other people won't. In fact I'd get the eeepc too. But if I had the money ...

[xiata @ Jan 15th 2008 7:23PM]

@Adam
Whoa now. Perhaps we should compare hardware before making ludicrous claims.

ASUS Eee Pc (4G):
Intel Celeron-M 900mHz
512mb DDR2
4gb SDD
802.11g
800x480 (7" display)
Linux
3.5hrs battery life

Apple MacBook Air:
Intel Core2 Duo 1.6ghz
1gb or 2gb DDR2 (speculation- apple's site does not mention the amount)
80gb hdd or 64gb sdd
802.11n
1200x800 (13.3" display)
OS X
5hrs battery life

These are two different classes of machines - they have nothing in common. It is absurd to make the comparison as you clearly do not understand their intended audiences.

[Fitz @ Jan 15th 2008 11:45PM]

That would be why AAPL stock tanked at a loss of almost 10% including after-hours trading today

Wall St not a fan Apple. Form follows function, not the other way around!!!

[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.


- about the stock - AAPL went down just like the rest of the tech market - we are in a downturn - thats why your house is on the auction block

[Temmink @ Jan 16th 2008 5:32AM]

I'm sure these will work just fine if you use them with iTunes for all your media instead of optical discs and Apple software which if you just extrapolate current trends I am sure will be digitally distributed soon enough.

As it stands this seems like hardware without a defined customer except for people who have to have the thinnest possible things on the planet.

[Miker @ Jan 16th 2008 8:32AM]

OK Xiata lets check out like for like...

Here's what I could get on a sexy Dell M1330 instead of a sexy Apple Air for the same money...

I'd get 2.4GHz processor instead of 1.8GHz
4Gig Ram instead of 2Gig
1680x1050 screen instead of 1280x800
250GB 5400RPM hard drive rather than 80GB 4200RPM
An 8600 256MB dedicated memory graphics card instead of an Intel X3100 with shared 144MB memory
A DVD +/- RW drive
A USER CHANGABLE BATTERY

Plus multi card reader, more USB ports etc. etc.

Sorry Apple, Dell's getting my money - no competition!

[Miker @ Jan 16th 2008 8:37AM]

Oh, and this is supposed to be a business laptop and it DOESN'T HAVE AN ETHERNET PORT!!!! WTF???!!! Most businesses don't have a wireless network.

[Shadow @ Jan 16th 2008 7:53PM]

And after the Vapor was released, and received bad reviews, Apple went ahead and created the Ethernal! All of the features of the Vapor, but no RAM, graphics card, or battery. BUT IT'S ONLY A MILLIMETER THIN SO BUY IT!!! (After all you probably haven't read a book in the last year, according to Jobs, so you won't know. ONLY $9999999999999999999999999 TRILLION DOLLARS! BUY!

(P.S. If you can't replace the battery I bet they programmed it to fail after about fifty hours of use, so you get to pay like $120 dollars to replace it)

[Andrew @ Jan 17th 2008 2:24AM]

@Miker

Yeah... i just went to dells website you cant get the m1330 with a 2.4 ghz core2 much less a 8600 and thats not even starting on the fact that with the 2.2ghz and 4 gigs of ram 250gig hd its just about over 1800, aka the starting price of the air

And its running vista... One of the worst operating systems I've used..

[Brian @ Jan 23rd 2008 12:34PM]

Erm, this article =/= trufax, actually.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/01/18/sources_macbook_air_battery_replacements_take_only_minutes.html

[bethel03 @ Jan 15th 2008 2:43PM]

Best post of the day!

[riggs @ Jan 15th 2008 2:43PM]

and now it starts to sink in...

[m @ Jan 16th 2008 4:58AM]

tell me about it. my new worry is, what if this nifty new "feature" makes it into the next macbook pro update, which must still be coming soon? followed by the regular macbook, of course. not a fair trade for multitouch, in my book.

[Ladderless @ Jan 15th 2008 2:43PM]

OUCH!

Why Why Why?

[John @ Jan 15th 2008 2:43PM]

And no ethernet port, so no network for you without an 802.11n draft router. Woo?

[Elliott @ Jan 15th 2008 2:45PM]

It has to be compatible with 802.11G at least as well.

Other than that, WOW Apple...you suck.

[Robert @ Jan 15th 2008 2:46PM]

Nah, it works with 802.11a/b/g networks

[IsLNdbOi @ Jan 15th 2008 2:47PM]

No express card or PCMCIA slot either so you have to use the single USB port on the thing if you want a HSDPA or EVDO high speed wireless adapter from your mobile service provider.

[taoprophet420 @ Jan 15th 2008 2:52PM]

It has a usb ethernet adapter for $29.99. I still dont see all the fuss about not having the port built in, must people at homes have wireless networks. I do see the battery as a killer for me buying.

[christapher @ Jan 15th 2008 2:54PM]

damn it, the thing doesn't make french fries?!?!?! WTF APPLEZ! u suxorz11!!!!!!!

[Wii60 @ Jan 15th 2008 2:55PM]

At first glance I was impressed with how thin this device is. After seeing what all is NOT on there though, apple's engineer's seem to have cut some corners. No ethernet? Really apple? I can understand the one usb port and I like the call to use micro-dvi, but no ethernet OR PCMCIA? No thanks.

[Sam @ Jan 15th 2008 3:09PM]

yeah we do have wireless at home, but a lot of us want that gigabit connection too..especially with the no optical drive deal

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

I still don't understand how some of you can justify the lack of an ethernet port by saying "You can always buy the $30 USB adapter". It is just like someone chopping of your d*ck and then saying "You can always buy the $30 strap-on".

[Kalen @ Jan 15th 2008 2:51PM]

Well, that just broke the deal for me. I could take 1 USB port and no Optical drive, but no user replaceable battery is going to far. Better luck at next Macworld Apple.

[Ben @ Jan 15th 2008 5:51PM]

wow what a surprise! (note the sarcasm) gee reading this makes me love this thing so much less

[Michael @ Jan 15th 2008 2:44PM]

I don't think this is going to be as hot as Apple thinks it is.

[Wii60 @ Jan 15th 2008 3:11PM]

I don't see any fans on there.... It is dual core after all, who knows? We could see it getting hot.

[Michael @ Jan 15th 2008 3:15PM]

I wasn't referring to the thermal properties of the device.

[Wii60 @ Jan 15th 2008 3:18PM]

I know.

[Michael @ Jan 15th 2008 3:20PM]

Touché

[ark_v2 @ Jan 17th 2008 11:04PM]

I'm pretty sure it'll fry your eggs as the MBP too.

[anto @ Jan 15th 2008 3:22PM]

Wow Engadget, a Mac product on your site without red text scribbled all over it, man, I'm surprised!