MacBook Air: plenty more details
By Ryan Block 
posted Jan 15th 2008 4:34PM
posted Jan 15th 2008 4:34PM
- The micro-DVI out is single-link only, meaning it can drive a 24-inch monitor, not a 30-inch. There's no DisplayLink converter / adapter yet.
- Remote Disk comes on the install DVD -- ironically, Apple expects you to carry around a DVD to install so you can access someone else's DVD drive. Righty-o.
- It uses MagSafe, but the new connector is angled 90-degrees to stay out of the way. You can use a regular MacBook / Pro adapter, assuming you don't mind the side being propped up a little (or hanging off the edge of a table). You can also use the MBA's 45w adapter on other machines -- the plug should still fit, but the adapter may not have enough juice to charge AND power a running machine.
- The MacBook Air superdrive needs special hardware in the MBA to work -- Apple wouldn't tell us if any other devices will be able to use the thing, but we imagine the ~500mA USB outputs won't be enough.
- The 64GB SSD option is +$1000 -- but you probably already knew that if you hit Apple's site.
- The speaker is mono only (not stereo), so your audio output will suffer a bit. The audio comes out of the keyboard holes in the right side, and it sounds a little funny.
- The port array folds down, it's not a door over ports that don't move. It feels extremely sturdy.
- Duh, the only audio input will have to be via USB or the built-in mic.
- The machine comes packaged with micro-DVI to DVI and micro-DVI to VGA adapters, but you have to snag the S-Video and composite adapters separately.
If you are complaining for no optical drive, no firewire, no ethernet, etc. Then, just get the macbook pro. as easy as that.
what about frontrow? apple remote?
Nopes. No Apple Remote. But it doesn come with a display polishing cloth, though.
Is an option. The whole point of this laptop is to cut down on clutter.
The point of the laptop is to cut down on the clutter, yet they want you to walk around with an external optical drive? Think man!
"we didn't make any compromises" - I dunno, that thing looks very compromisey (tm) to me :p.
I really wouldn't call that remote a clutter because it's highly potentional business laptop perfectly suitable for making presentations.
As a prosumer I see the lack of optical audio output..
Who uses disk drives anyway?
In a way, I think many of our expectations weren't met. How sweet would this have been if it were a tablet? If that screen swiveled down to the base, I would most certainly find it in my heart to forgive the battery, the memory/storage, and even the price.
Apple: In your face, Sony! We took out the optical drive and destroyed your record. MacBook Air, thinnest laptop FTW!
Sony:....wha? Anyway, wanna watch a DVD? Awww, snap.
Sounds like you are sacrificing a lot for 'all that sexy.'
I am pretty sure this is the Palm Foleo with an Apple logo.
Except you can get online without an iPhone.
Except by the fact Palm Foleo was a instant turn on PC, but with no real PC capabilities, because all you could do was browser and check e-mail. It`s was a Palm OS in a mini-notebook and that was why it didn`t succeeded.
Okay....so I have software (games) that need the CD installed in order to work....um how do I do it with MBA?
(Oh, buy the superdrive thingy and drag it along on trips....but doesn´t that defeat the whole purpose of MBA?)
What games do you own (and that this machine will run) require a cd?
make an ISO of the cd and put it on the HDD. Macs will mount CD images.
You mean they make game for Mac?
ummm....load the games at home, then do your traveling!
I'm concerned about this (from Apple's tech specs page):
Analog audio output/headphone out (minijack)
Does this really mean analog out through the minijack? Brutal. Engadget, any confirmation from the floor using headphones?
Dude all audio is analog
Um, any 2.5mm/3.5mm/.25" jack is going to be "analog". Always has, always will.
Digital is optical/hdmi/etc.
My Sony X505 is still the world's thinnest 10 inch laptop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djxLKQQEf34
Your Sony might be the world's thinnest laptop with a 10" screen, but the MacBook Air has a 13.3" screen and is even thinner. The X505 is .38" to .8" thick, the MBA is .16" to .76" thick.
The thing is, Sony created the X505 in 2003. The X505 is smaller and lighter than Macbook Air. They have very similar thickness but more credit goes to Sony. It is a lot harder to create a smaller and thinner device (Sony X505) than a bigger one (Macbook Air.)
@Drew:
Apple probably doesn't count those big rubber feet. They don't even show them in most of the official website pics.
MONO!?
I mean, It's an ultraportable laptop, so I'm sure sound quality isn't necessarily in this thing's demographic's list of needs...but it's 2008, I think stereo sound just goes without saying now. What a joke!
Mono sound... Egh!
It has stereo sound. Just not stereo SPEAKERS. See the difference?
battery life?
5 hours browsing the internet
Is that predicted by Apple or tested? Because no iPod I have owned have ever lasted me over 10 hours... even though back then it was stated as 16hours if I recall!
Pandantic?I had to look that one up...
Pronunciation:
\pi-ˈdan-tik\
Function:
adjective
1 : of, relating to, or being a pedant 2 : narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned
Whoa. wait. "ostentatiously learned"?
Here, courtesy of dictionary.com:
2. overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, esp. in teaching.
That's the common interpretation of the word
Haha, Mono speakers? Come on, are you serious Apple? Wow, one disappointment after another.
So the only question I have left is, "Will It Blend?"
Mono speakers are generally what's standard on ultra-portables. I wouldn't diss them for it - point of the mono speakers is for system sounds, not music. You want music, you get headphones or a multi-media machine that's more suited for it.
I heard someone else say this earlier and I'm gonna say this again - the MBA is really just a MacBook Foleo. It's a companion Mac to your full-size iMac or Mac Pro for work on the go - and I guess we'll see how a Foleo does Apple.
Sure, but what does the MacBook Air have to do with ultra-portables.
Even if the screen size is too big for an ultra-portable the weight is definitely there - 4 lbs or less. In fact, the only reason why it doesn't meet the screen limitation is because until now there were no or virtually no sub-4lb notebooks that had a screensize of over 12".
Mono? Way to be cutting edge Steve. Nice...
*sigh*
Mono speaker - not mono sound. Plug in headphones, and it's stereo. That must be like f'n magic to some of you boneheads.
@Zak
its funny how ppl {coughs*brainwashedmacheads*coughs} readily lower their expectations
I'm honestly starting to think a lot of you people are posting crap just to join in with the new "it's cool to hate Apple" group. Who the hell uses a set of laptop speakers for anything other than system sounds? Who doesn't plug in better speakers if they use it at home or a set of tiny headphones when they are out? Who the hell cares if the speaker is mono, it still puts out stereo and I really am starting to think people are just saying stuff without thinking.
everything will be ok when i plug in my bose qc-3's
I'd rather buy eee PCs for my whole family.
I'm wondering what the fall back plan is for customers that need to re-install OSX, or future OSX (10.6) installations on a MBA. "Lol, go buy $99 accessory" is not an option for Apple.
You'll install it off of Remote Disk, duh :p
That drive sharing thingy, although I'm not too sure if it works with a cable.
Remote disk supports installing system software. BTW point two isn't that ironic: the software on the DVD is the "server" side software, the "client" software comes loaded on the MBA.
I guess my comment needs a bit of clarification. What if your install of X gets hosed and needs to be re-installed? Meaning, does the client side of the disk sharing operate independently of X so you can do a fresh install of X on the hdisk?
Thats a good question !!
I guess in that case you have to boot using the usb drive.
Is that on board graphics any good for HD you think, as it is I have a 2005 powerbook with ATi 9700 and that struggles... would like to be able to watch HD movies in bed with teh headphones on :)
Will you be able to put a larger hard drive in this thing your self? Or is the soldered on the board as well?
Open the port bay doors, HAL!
Those extra's are going to cost, make no mistake about that.
So if I wanted to reinstall the OS I need to pay $100 for a DVD drive.
Well I think you should (hopefully) be able to boot off any usb-dvd drive.
OOO Look, I can get 16GB less storage space for $1000.00 more. what a bargain...
no fire wire either?
Whoever said this is just a folio is right, but a damn expensive one. My idea of a folio is a smaller, cheaper device that will allow me to continue doing work on the road until i get home again, not to pay twice as much as an existing product for less processing speed and the same footprint!
Well hey at least there were all kinds of other cool things they released too....wait, I live in Canada. Can we just move the border 60 minutes north so i can at least rent movies?
You know what's really ironic? Apple is wasting all this money on R&D of this POS yet they failed in impressing us.... especially the price.
All Apple has to do is make the Macbook Pro enclosure much smaller and lighter and they'll be all set.
r u kiddin' me? a MONO speaker? geez do they even make those anymore...wow just wow...
Dude, all the speakers in the world are mono.
When you have two of those, you get stereo. When you have 6, you have 5.1 sound, etc. Get it?
yeah but when was the last time u bought a laptop with a single speaker...even those little ipod speaker accesories cramp two speaker in them for crying out loud
People are complaining about the price, but it really doesn't look that bad to me compared to it's competition. The two biggest competitors in the lightweight, 13" notebook category are the Dell m1330 and the Sony SZ, both of which are priced at this level and above. Granted they are more powerful and have optical drives, but then they are considerably thicker too and don't have the Apple "sleek-and-sexy" premium attached. I'm not an Apple fan and wouldn't buy one, but I don't think the price is ridiculous or surprising.
The Dell XPS m1330, with a 1.6ghz C2D, is $999 according to Dell's website. If you want to make it more comparable, by adding the LED backlight and an extra gig of RAM, it's $1249 ($150 for the LED, $100 for 2gb of RAM instead of 1gb). And bear in mind that also includes a CD/DVD writer and a 120gb HDD.
The Dell is $1380 configured similarly and that's forgetting that the Air's processor is significantly better than the 1.6ghz chip for the dell (800mhz FSB vs 667mhz FSB and 4MB cache vs 2MB cache). Also, you pay a premium for the Air being so thin and light. That said, I'd much rather have an m1330 and especially a Vaio SZ. But I'm not an Apple fanboi.
True, but then again the HD in the dell is a 5400RPM drive where the MBA has a 4200 RPM drive... Also, the Dell at that price features Dual Channel Memmory where the MBA features single channel... overall, that should at the very least compensate for the FSB and Processor Cache.
How long will it take for someone to bring out the same multi-touch for my macbook? It does two fingered so it should work...shouldn't it?
.... that'll be a $50 software upgrade from Apple.
I was wondering the same thing myself... I hope they do. I'd like to have pinch zooming and such. :D
In a few months...hopefully
http://www.gottabemobile.com/NTrigAnnouncingMultitouchDemo.aspx
"ironically, Apple expects you to carry around a DVD to install so you can access someone else's DVD drive. Righty-o."
er... there's nothing ironic about that.
The premium is definitely for it being thin and light, and also for it being an Apple. I just think it's a bigger premium than a lot of people realize. I was fudging the price comparison a little bit, but you're right about the FSB/cache issue; but then again, if you're trying to get configurations as close as possible, you need to add $99 to the MBA, for the disc drive.
Either way, it's more than I want to spend.
to me it seems like you loose 30% of the weight of a macbook and about 50% of the features .. you do gain 3 features .. mbp like case/keyboard, led display and multi touch. i wonder why they did not go with a 160gb hd .. i guess these are slightly thicker. but what bugs me the most are the mono speakers and the omission of firewire (especially since the thing only has one usb connector to start with) .. ethernet over firewire seems much more feasible and natural (i was pondering to use that with screenrecycler before i heard that firewire was missing).
The MBA is fail for so many reasons:
1. Only one USB
2. Mono Speaker
3. Non User Replaceable Battery
4. 4800 RPM Drive
5. Slow 1.8 ghz Processor
I was all hyped at first, but now I am truly disappointed. I expected more from Apple. Maybe next year...
Don't forget:
$1,800.
This is just daft...
1) The claim it to be the thinnest notebook ever. Supposedly this is good because it makes things light and easy to carry. But then to use it you need to lug an external drive and more cables then you can shake a stick at.
2) No replaceable battery? What is up with that?? It is auite common to carry a spare battery, just in case you won't be near a power outlet for a long time...
3) remote disk??? Why is this being treated like anything special? Ever heard of drive sharing under Windows or Samba for that matter? What else is new?
4) The external drive needs special hardware to run it, WTF???
My XPS 1330 costs half the amount a fully decked out MacBook Air does. It's only slightly more bulky, runs a 2,2 GHz CPU, 4 GB of Ram, a hard disk twice as big, wireless n, ... Ah yes, it also runs OSX.
It is still a mystery to me why people remain willing to pay through their noses for a product that is just as run of the mill as the next grey box machine.
Oh yeah... and to use remote disk you need to install software on the machine running that disk. I see a million exploits just waiting to be exploited.
As if I would ever allow anyone carrying a MB Air to install crap on my machine so they could use my drives...
You're missing the point. Most people don't need to hook up to monitors except known locations like home and work. The same goes for using optical discs. Who doesn't have all their music ripped by now? When's the last time you installed software on the road? But, it still is an option, you just don't have to carry that extra weight ALL the time, you can just grab it if you suspect you need it. More likely, most people will leave the drive at home and install the software at work, or vice versa. Or get two drives, or install the software both places you're likely to need it.
But then, this isn't a workstation or a gaming rig, how often are you really going to install software on the thing?
The one thing I kind of don't like (besides the glossy screen and internal battery) is the need for a USB ethernet adapter. It's small, though, and really not a big deal. It would be nice if there were a second port, and it basically cuts gigabit throughput in half. Couldn't they just come up with a proprietary ethernet jack that would fit their design, and then provide an adapter for mobility and different lengths of cables for known locations?
you're mad that you'd have to carry around an external dvd drive (since you use it so much and all), but then mad that you can't carry around an extra battery (cause u like carrying those around). wtf?
as for the installing os x if your install gets hosed. my money is on the software being on a separate partition on the drive just like it is on most pc's these days. and thank god for that--who can keep those darned dvds around without getting scratched? i know i either lose them or scratch em in a big box.
@ Grundler.
Yes, I complain about the cables, because they are always a pain in the ass to carry around. You'll lose them, have the wrong one with you, ...
The fact that I wish to carry a second battery doesn't change that. It just shows apple is a bit inconsistent in it's design. They claim ultra portability in a mobile design but ohoh, if the battery dies the mighty apple road warrior is left with a wall socket as the only way out.
And what is this crap about no LAN port??? Explain that to me? As if a port like that would make the computer infinitely more heavy. But I guess the great and all knowing Jobs decided us mere mortals should not use wired internet anymore, he being clairvoyant and all...
And about the external drive... Is it so uncommon to watch a nice little DVD on your machine if you're traveling? There goes the "you don't need drives anyway" argument. But ah yes... Macheads will much rather prefer to squint at a low res version of the DVD's they own, yet still had to pay for again to get on their iPod or iPhone.
It is a nice notebook but with many big flaws. It just oozes Apples "we now better whats best for the sheep than they do themselves" arrogance.
There is NOTHING special about any of it's hardware (it's got bloody intel integrated video for gods sake) and they left out everything that could add production cost... It's just them maximizing their 200+ % profit margins.
"Duh, the only audio input will have to be via USB or the built-in mic."
Hang on, the MacBook Air has bluetooth, so I'm presuming I can still use a bluetooth headset.
I can't believe people are bitching about the Mono speaker. I mean sheesh, who listens to lame-ass laptop speakers anyway. All laptop speakers pretty much sound like crap.
If I want fidelity, I'm putting on headphones or plugging in externals.
At home I just fire up AirTunes and pump it through my Airport Extreme to my AV receiver and it sounds fantastic.
I'm not in the market for a sub portable, but damn, of all the crap to complain about.
See the new DisplayLink Mac demo at booth 4238 in the West Hall at MacWorld. www.displaylink.com for details.
The demo is 4 monitors connected to a Mac Mini via a single USB cable.
See the new DisplayLink Mac demo at booth 4238 in the West Hall at MacWorld. www.displaylink.com for details.
The demo is 4 monitors connected to a Mac Mini via a single USB cable.
At MacWorld DisplayLink is showing Mac support for up to 4 monitors connected over USB. Booth 4238 West Hall. www.displaylink.com for info.
Note on the first bulletpoint - DisplayLink did announce Mac support today. Software will be available in March to support displays up to 1280 x 1024. (Disclosure: I do PR for DisplayLink)
heh, Ryan forgot that it had bluetooth and no-one uses mic-in ports nowadays!
I'll give it three days before "Air" directs straight to this thing on Wikipedia.
By the way, Sharp beat Apple to the market with the "Actius MM20". Only very slightly thicker but with a removable battery and hard drive, PC card and built-in ports. But, of course, being a Sharp none of you Apple-obsessed fanboys even noticed. Once again, nothing exists until Apple "introduce" it. That's right: yet another case of iSheep getting pulled in, hook, line and sinker. It's all about the pinstripes.........
Oh, and all the Sony comparisons are frauds. None of them yet has put the Air beside the thinnest Vaio (how convenient). X505 anyone?
http://www.trustedreviews.com/notebooks/review/2004/06/03/Sony-VAIO-VGN-X505VP-Ultra-Slim-Notebook/p1
PS Toshiba Portege R200 is thinner........
And these are the specs for the said Sharp...
1-GHz Transmeta Efficeon 8600, 256MB SDRAM, 20GB hard drive, 16MB ATI Mobility Radeon graphics card, LAN Express 802.11g, external DVD/CD-RW combo drive ($99), two USB 2.0 ports, 10.4-inch LCD, 1.99-pound system weight (2.49-pound travel weight), Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, cradle docking station
Yep it's a MBA beater all right...!
X505 dimensions:
11-21 mm = 0.43-0.83 inches..
Don't forget those laptops were out in 2003... iBook G4 anyone?
http://lowendmac.com/ibooks/g4-12.html
@Tim D,
Listen to yourself. You are comparing the specs of a laptop released years ago with one released today. How convenient for the Apple fanboys. Compare todays Air with another new laptop in two or three years and the former will look decidedly dated, I can assure you.
And you miss the point. All the talk is about the Air's unbelievable thin form factor NOT it's specs. BUT IT'S NOT NEW. We've seen it before several times before. Mitsu's Pedion was thinner TEN years ago.
How much smaller have components got since Mitsu, Sony, Tosh and Sharp released their superthins? Apple have given us 1.3mm less than a four year old Sony (how many blog postings did the X505 get?).
More Apple historical revisionism.
@Tim D,
None said the X505 was thinner. The point is no-one will put an Air next to one, only a much thicker TX. Again, how convenient: "lets arbitrarily choose a thicker laptop to show how much better the Air is". Again, the x505 was just 1.3mm thicker four years ago. What progress Apple have brought.
Yeah, but does it run linux?
HAHA...Joking...The MBA is horrible. So what if it's thin? It sacrifices battery swapping, stereo sound, an optical drive, USB Ports (only has 1...come on, that's a joke...and that will be used to connect an ethernet port if you need it), an ethernet port, has a different power plug...etc.
This is a ridiculous move on Apple's part. I'm ashamed of them. But then again, Apple has always been about style over function, so why am I not surprised...
The MBA is perfect for me, if I didn't already have a macbook. I use a mac pro and the laptop is for travel and presentations only, when I hate lugging things around. The USB ethernet dongle fills that need. I do use a second battery regularly on long flights, though.
But I won't buy one until my macbook dies. I love my macbook, fingerprint smears and all, and this just isn't worth an upgrade for that kind of money to save a couple of pounds. Still, in a couple of years ...
I'm also happy with the touch and appletv upgrades. I have 1 1/2 TB of movies (I rip from netflix) and HD tv (via eyetv) on my mac pro, so I won't likely be renting much if at all, but I really appreciate the new search interface.
MBA Rules! It's thin, man! People pay money for thin. Many of us don't care, but there are some wealthy people who pay for thin, thin, thin. It's like liposuction for electronics.
There was a big buzz about a Thin MB. Here it is. It has compromises. But no one can knock the engineering. And I imagine it will be moderately successful. It's more choice. That's good. I wish Apple wasn't quite so greedy, money wise and all. But Apple kit rox
(You guys and your Dells and your Zunes. You are the coolest out there. Hey, I've got my ZUNE! Can I squirt you with it? Welcome to the social. Did you sell your Dell DJs and Ditty's on eBay?)
Bot
Mac FanBot
This is bollocks! (I never use that word, but today I feel like using it.)
You "MAC" people make me sick. Everyone knows that Windows has 99% of the machines and problly 2000% of the software. And "MAC's" are so expensive. Dang!
And the rest of you. You Windows users. What in the heck are you doing encouraging these fanboys. Get off this message board and go to Windows Supersite or something. Geeze. Your going to encourage them. No offense to Engadget. I know they can't resist pretty electronics. Neither can I. EXCEPT for "MAC'S" and that INCLUDES Iphones even though that's not a "MAC". "MAC" needs to stop making computers and go out quietly. Unless they want to switch to WIndows "PC'S". But they'd still be to expensive.
EvilBot
Proud Windows User
All my Windows PC'S have been rewired so they DON'T HAVE MACS. That's how dedicated I am. Of course, I can't access my network or the Internet.
(P.S. Some of this message may be satirical in nature. Maybe really bad satire.)
I spoke with one of the Apple engineers at Macworld, who told me that the MacBook Air does have an active cooling system--there is a fan in the computer.
since you guys are still at macworld can you find out what is the graphics chip in these suckers?
Yeah I am really surprised by all the bitching, without really understanding the demographic. Want more ports, power, and versatility? Get a MBP. Too expensive, don't have a second desktop mac? Get a MB.
The mono audio is a non-issue. I didn't buy my PowerBook for its audio capabilities, and was never impressed by its awesomely craptastic STEREO speakers. If you're into paying a $600 premium for thin and sexy, but less power, storage, and options than a MB, you can and should get some decent headphones.
The optical drive is a big waste of space for me. Given that buyers have another mac and don't need a MBP or MB, there is little use for the drive on the road. Games? Disk image. Music? DRM free Amazon or free DRM free on Bittorrent. Movies? Who carries those around? And you can rip them or BT them. Software? If you have to have it before you get home, again, BT FTW. For the once-a-year I need the optical drive in the airport, I have to say I'd rather sacrifice it for the sexy.
HD Space. Here, I am admittedly disappointed. The 64 GB SSD is understandable (being new technology), if not at a slightly bloated price, but why is Apple using 80 GB iPod drives? I think they must be clearing the warehouse after they jumped to 120 GB iPods and are planning an upgrade at the April Apple event. With hard drives reaching 1TB and beyond, and HD rentals just announced, I think utilizing an 80 GB harddrive announced some 16 months ago is pathetic.
That said, the whole 'back to my mac' thing might be able to ameliorate the underwhelming available storage, if you have a decent wireless connection. Again, if you are buying this and not a different Apple laptop, YOU HAVE ANOTHER MAC.
..which brings me to ports. I am a big fan of the clean exterior of the MBA with 3 hidden ports that take care of all your needs. I have the PowerBook with all the ports I never knew I didn't want. Mic in? I use USB. S-Video, RJ-11, and firewire ports? Never used 'em. (As much as I wish Firewire 800 was the norm instead of USB, but I honestly haven't used it except for at home with my backup HD) When at home and docked, I hook up power, speakers, a USB hub with everything connected, and a display. For an ultraportable 2nd computer, most don't need this. All the unneccesary crap is cut out for the average user, but for the rare user who WANTS to connect their S-video and dial-up to this machine, they CAN for a little extra. I've seen complaints of losing a second USB port, but honestly, if you're carrying more than 2 USBs, what's $10 4 way splitter?
I still think its a little overpriced for what it is, and would buy a MB for less before I'd buy it, but then again I only have 1 mac and this might be an early-adopter price. For the right demographic (which may not exactly describe most of the cynical Engadget readers), I think its a great product that has whittled down to the bare essentials what is needed in a secondary, high-end ultraportable laptop computer.
not much of an advancement. i'm a huge apple fan, have been for a long time (I own 4 of them). However i'm pretty disappointed with this one. Why is apple throwing firewire away for usb 2? First they strip it from the ipods and now the laptops. And to add my 2 cents about the speakers... i haul my laptop all around my house and office with me because its portable and has speakers (plural) built in. I play music and watch movies while doing a variety of things (my favorite is cooking) and I would definately appreciate TWO speakers as opposed to the assumption that i should be wearing headphones.
Come on apple! THINK DIFFERENT FOR GOD'S SAKE!
I predict the next operating system (10.6) will be optinally distributed as a payable download. It´s the future.
Apple expects you to carry around a DVD to install so you can access someone else's DVD drive. Righty-o.
Need a joke so badly? Guess you can put the installer on a usb stick or somewhere online, don’t you think?