Poll: Did you pre-order a MacBook Air?
By Darren Murph 
posted Jan 15th 2008 4:30PM
posted Jan 15th 2008 4:30PM
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The McAir is eye-candy and pure Apple easy.
I read a lot of jealous banter about cost, etc. but I'll take this hot babe for my lap dance. Care to join?
The Air is designed perfectly for it's intentions. If you want more clunk, this laptop is not for you.
I currently own a Macbook and have never used the optical drive for anything other than installing apps. If I want music or any other files on my Macbook, I'll transfer them over my network from my desktop computer. If I want to transfer files with someone else, I'll use an affordable, portable, 16GB flash drive.
By designing something that is completely wireless, and without internal moving parts (the top of the line model) Apple is pushing technology and it's user base to approach mobility in a slightly different way. Apple is living up to their motto "Think Different".
I can get a 2.4 160 Gb in production refurbished 17" macbook pro for $2300 why would i spend $3000 for half a computer, wait heres one Dell insperion 4000 (pardon my spelling) i put one gig in it which brought it to 1.5 GB has 1.6 processor speed and a 40 GB HD which i could upgrade to 200 Gb, no dvd drive, no nothing and you know what, it has a full sized keyboard too and it only cost what $400. I am not a dell fan at all but jeez apple that is just too much for too little
I have no need for ultra-portability. I never take my current laptop anywhere as it is. However, a PC using coworker of mine pre-ordered the one with the solid state drive. He has actually been shopping for an ultra-portable for awhile now and says it is by far the best deal out there! It is all in what you want.
GREAT!!! I see that I am on the correct site for complaining about the Mac Airbook!!! Well, I am hear to voice a complaint or two no one else mentioned!!!! Anyone notice that a 3.5 inch floppy bay is absent here? And no 56K modem available? I am tired of having to keep up with technology!!! It's enough to want me slap my Footloose VHS into the VCR, slip the Kenny Loggins cassette in my Walkman, and tune away the world.
Ok..now lets all come together...and join the 21st century. Wireless is the way the world is going. And thank goodness for an innovative company like Apple who likes to push the envelope. If the lack of an RJ45 port is an inconvenience for anyone in their own home, or they still actually burn anything to disk...no..this isn't for you. But if you realize that this is the 21st century, and via any of the wireless options Apple provides, can do anything you might do with the ports the Air provides you...then this laptop should certainly be considered.
Simply put, if you want an ultra portable laptop...and it has to be a MAC OS...then this is your option. Yes..you can get small PC's running vista...and some are less..some are more...but its Vista...
The MacBook Air is simply the next step to the Apple Lifestyle. Wireless everything: Music, Peripherals, you name it. The MacBook Air is a statement from Apple that simply says: we control the future concept of media, be it music or video etc... More than anything, the MacBook Air defines Apple's future goals and the business model which has made them so successful in past years.
And I am not sure when Apple became some type of dominant, monolithic uber company looking to take over the world. At one time...Apple WAS the underdog. And to be honest, if you look at the market saturation for Apple, they aren't even close to dominating the market with their laptops or desktop machines.
What multiple independent studies HAVE shown, is that your average MAC/Apple user,is generally more educated, and more affluent then the average PC user. And if these posts are any suggestions, it seems that the MBA will only appeal to those that are also more inclinded to think out the box and move with the times.
looks great, but no removable battery for swapping out for long periods, no Firewire for back up, expensive and last Apple releases have taught me that better things come to those who wait.
JUST WAIT A LITTLE
Not a chance. It's simply not in my market, nor do I need it.
I agree. It guess it didn't surprise me design-wise, but I was expecting something slim by virtue of it being inexpensive, not priced at a premium due the effort involved in making something so powerful that slim. IMO, I would say shoving a full-blown Apple into that form factor actually hampers it a bit.
Steve, sometimes less is too much more.
dito
totally agree with you, it makes me love my macbook even more tbh
same here. I mean, it's pretty and all, but I have neither the money to shell out, nor the need for another computer.
Plus, I wouldn't want to accidentally slide it into an envelope when mailing my bills.
Simple answer... I need more than 2 USB ports... and S-Video... and a RJ45... Seriously what's the point of having a itty bitty laptop and having to carry a
BIG USB hub and a
BIG RJ45 adapter and a
BIG external DVD drive and a
BIG S-Video dongle.
along with the standard power adapters, earphones, ethernet cables, and external hdds.
You would have less to carry around if you just purchased a slightly thicker competitor with a CD drive and ports! OMG! What a concept.
On the flip side I'm sure it will suit plenty on people's purposes just fine... Just not mine or 80% of computer users.
The reality is that an ultraportable should well as thin. A memo that apple obviously missed out on. One USB port is a catastrophic failiure on apples part to supply effective connectivity especially considering that using the optical drive will leave you portless. Likewise with the lack of RJ-45 leaves those who want the flexibility of tapping into non-wireless networks sadly left out, and all users are stuck with a network crippled by wireless and USB transfer rates.
Slimness is one thing but practicality is an entirely different story.
@ Keaton
I think you're kind of missing the point of the "Air" in Macbook air. You're not supposed to carry any of those for this device. For mice, printers, and other peripherals there's bluetooth. For software, you can download and install it online, or use the remote drive if necessary. For media, you're intended to use iTunes or some other digital service. Now, obviously that doesn't appeal to a lot of people. However, it's not a design flaw, it's simply a matter of this not being a machine that is meant for those people.
@ Matt
Man you're too deep in the reality distortion field. I mean the thing looks great and all, but seriously, flaws are flaws, not 'features'.
I just can't get past the battery thing.
You people are all missing the point of the MacBook Air. It is not meant as a replacement for MacBook or MacBook Pro. It's just a new, thin, less-featured version. Of course it's not going to have all the features of a full sized laptop. (Were you foolishly expecting different?) Ah Yes...If Apple does not achieve my impossibly high expectations, then their design is flawed.
Grow up
Ditto.
Maybe if I had tons of money I might shell some out for a product that I'd probably never use. Alas, I like cheaper products that are actually USEFUL.
@John
"It is not meant as a replacement for MacBook or MacBook Pro. It's just a new, thin, less-featured version."
But... Why would you buy this if you already had another laptop? If you already had one... that is just a bit thicker/heavier... but did more things... and cost less.... Do you get my point?
You could however use that argument with the majority of Apple products, so they really are selling their design chops here above all else.
But one thing is for sure, I have a motion m1400 slate-tablet, and it doesn't have a cd drive but I get by fine *cough*daemon-tools*cough*....
And why no Apple tablet yet!??! That's one area that this thing would be (for me at least) totally justifiable...
Doesn't anyone remember the svelte sony vaio X505?? That was at least half as thick as the Macbook Air. You can't really compare the Air with the Sony TZ cuz that vaio is too fully featured w/ an integrated dvd-burner.
job's keynote speech is more and more repetitive every year... smaller... thinner.. smaller... thinner.. poof! it's gone!
I'm not going to be in the market for a new laptop for about two years. I figure that the hardware will be a lot more powerful and stable by then. Or, at the very least, I'll be able to get an SSD drive for less than $1000!
@Pado
The reality is that an ultraportable should well as thin. A memo that apple obviously missed out on. One USB port is a catastrophic failiure on apples part to supply effective connectivity
Having used an IBM Thinkpad X24, X30, X40, and now an X60 as my super light portable to take anywhere.
WTF are you smoking? The last thing I want to do is carry around a laptop, and a ton of cables & dodads to plug into it. I need something light, small, and portable to present from, do some email, andanything else on the road and the last thing I'm going to do is plug a bunch of crap in that hangs off to do that. Huge mess on an airplane, and it's annoying enough on an international flight to have to drape that power cord over the place after the five hours of battery are gone.
I'm disappointed they didn't Duo it. What it would need is a docking mechanism of some kind that would let you plug in a few things if you really need it. Though to be honest my Mac Pro hardly has anything plugged in it anymore. Everything is already on the network and accessable without the need for any cables to my computing system.
Man forget this crap. I'm sticking with my Clevo D901C. At least this laptop is a power user's laptop and it has 6 speakers including a subwoofer. This mac laptop is nothing but a status symbol.
This is Apple's way of capitalizing on america's spending problem.
I'm not getting it because I think for me it would be a waste of money. First of all, I just bought a brand new Macbook in November. It has everything I need (mic input, 2 USBs, Ethernet Cable, Headphone Jack). This one is stripped down to bare minimums. Not to mention that it doesn't have an internal Optical Drive. The biggest thing for me is that the price is $500 more than my Macbook will it's specs being inferior.
John and matt are both right but what i dont think will sell is the fact that it is $1800. I mean the concept is great for those who dont need all of the extras but for the nothing that it includes and all of the dongles that you would have to carry as Keaton said it just doesnt seem worth it. I mean maybe at $1200 or no more than $1500 but $1800 is a bit pricey for less features and i'm not a cheap person.
I've got to get a new notebook for college in a few months. I'm getting another mac to replace my MB but the MBA lacks the muscle I want. I'll stick with the MBP. Its not all that much thicker.
Good choice! Now if you tell everyone you know engadget wont have to take thier crusaude through your neighborhood
you have to be really stupid( or fanboy) to get this
you could get 2 laptops with twice the power and capabilities than this
but if this thing was just a multi touch screen i get it any day
it would be like a computer on paper
I refuse to burn my hard-earned monies on electronics that are more status symbol than useful.
Ditto, Apple is getting a little too uncomfortable putting out products that are inferior to other products on the market but still sell because they are "sexy".
I call boycott on this so nooone buy it - especially you fanboys, I know its hard but just imagine how many other Apple products you can spend your mom's money on.
I agree with artaxiad that it's more status symbol than useful. But how is this inferior? Apple designed this laptop for the status symbol market, not for the avg consumers. This is designed for the Starbucks crowd, people who will be working on the laptop while sipping coffee, so they don't need ports. This is not designed for Engadget readers, who are usually tinkerers who like to push the devices they have to the limits.
Tho, imho, the design is ahead of the times because wireless devices is not as ubiquitous as Apple might think. It might be fine when making a doc while sipping coffee. But when you go into an office with no wi-fi and you need to e-mail your doc/script, you're out of luck
+5
It's hard to find something that Apple makes that IS for the Engadget crowd.
Except for maybe the Mac Pro. I was honestly surprised at how at-cost it is.
You do realize Apple products are status symbols because people like you are calling them "status symbols"? I own many Apple products, never considering them to be status symbols. They are all very useful products.
The reason why Apple products are status symbols is because people like you call them status symbols. I own many Apple products, not considering a single one a status symbol. They are great products.
The reason why Apple devices are considered status symbols is because people like you call them status symbols. I own many Apple products, not considering any of them status symbols. They are simply useful products.
The reason why Apple devices are considered status symbols is because people like you call them status symbols. I own many Apple products, not considering any of them status symbols. They are simply useful products.
The most obvious of my many complains: Its too damn expensive.
Apple: There is something in the Air?
Audience: WHAT?!
Apple: Expensive Sh*t!!!
Awww Harden the F*ck up America. Many of us all round the world pay far more than you do for all manner of high tech goods.
When the mighty USD assumes it's inherent value, so too will you be paying far more than you currently do.
it looks awesome, but it needs a bigger hard disk (160 gigs would be good). if it gets one, i will consider buying one of these next time i upgrade my laptop.
No removable battery for swapping out for long periods of mobility, and it looks good, but not great. The bezel around the screen could have been smaller, and the black keyboard buttons make it look a little cheap, and Vaio-ish. Plus, the pink elephant in the room, it's expensive, and if the last few Apple product releases have taught me anything, it's that better things come to those who wait...
my VAIO has nice silver keys! Definitely does NOT look cheap
Nice but not worth fighting the wife for.
TOOO FUNNY!, and sooooo true.
"You bought what! Well what hell do you need that for, you have a MBP. I don't give a crap that it is more portable. Then what the hell did you buy it for, because your MBP just stays on your desk most of the time anyways. What! It was $1800. Well then you need to sell your MBP. What do you mean it's not as powerful, so you have to keep your MBP."
You obviously have my wife's long lost twin.
;-)
And it may need your MBP to work too.
My wife wants one more than I do.
Still got a few years left on my MBP...will wait to see if I want to go subnotebook (already on a subnote for work and travel alot)
I wanted to have something to buy after macworld, but the price is so very wrong, and all the negatives pointed out above, bad move overall for apple, too bad the movement was going so well, this will definitely slow down the apple train
Why the hell would I want something that I would have to buy dongles for. Fuck this stupid cum-gargling shit.
hahaha, tell us how you REALLY feel, Colin.
It all just seems like a step backward for the sake of slimness. Innovation doesn't begin by taking away features...does it?
iMacs without floppy drives: MacBook Air without RJ45
You apparently didn't hear the famous saying: perfection is reached not when there's nothing left to add, but when there's nothing left to remove. Actually, I suspect, most of computer manufacturers didn't. That's why we have craploads of "innovative", virtually indistinguishable laptops, available at the electornics superstore down the street.
@ecne
You would apparently rather quote some trite statement than acknowledge the real problems that the MacBook Air has. There is NO REASON why the MacBook Air should only have 1 USB port, and NO REASON why it shouldn't have Ethernet. I can see taking away the optical drive (saves lots of space), but not ports that are a basic part of any modern notebook.
Computers are not closed-off little islands. Expandability and connectivity matter, and, no, no amount of Apple PR is going to eliminate the fact that this piece of crap notebook has only one USB port. 1998 called, they want their notebooks back.
Easy now. I live in an apartment, and being a 21st century young male, I can afford wireless routers... which means I don't need an RJ45 jack. If I really need one, on the road, I'll bring the USB adapter.
Thank you Colin, for that profound bit of rhetoric. You have thoroughly persuaded me not to buy this product.
I think Apple is ahead of the times here. The world is not wireless, although we are well on our way to becoming one. Businesses still run hard wired networks, not all printers have bluetooth, etc, etc. Not everyone carries around adapters or AirPort Expresses for these 'ancient' technologies. I expected more of Steve Jobs to see that the world is not ready for this yet, but it's also a case to be made that he's as much of a genius as ever and sees the potential here wants to get his foot in the door while the UMPC is still young, so when the price and technology is right Apple will already be dominating the industry.
To the rest of you though, who cannot see this product for what it really is, it is a UMPC. It might have been listed above the MB in the product line, but it is really lower. And since it is a UMPC, it is stuck in limbo with the rest of today's Ultra Mobiles. Until companies can somehow lower the price to match the smaller size and power, UMPC will be extravagance buys for those who want them as status icons. How can someone justify paying $1800 for a computer when you can buy a $1000 one that might be a little bigger and heavier, but has a better array of storage, processing speed, and other features? This is not Apple's flaw, this is the flaw of the UMPC. But since Apple has stepped in now, like the rest of their products, change will occur. Take a stroll through Best Buy and look at the other offerings in the Ultra Mobile category. I did the other day and was toying around with a Sony one that also cost $1800 and had a 7 inch screen, miniature keyboard, and a 1.2 GHz processor. The MacBookAir is a fantastic UMPC, not laptop. I'll bet my iPhone that a few months from now Apple will be able to come around touting sales figures that show that the MacBookAir out sold every other UMPC combined, by far.
This will be another gorgeous, innovative Apple product that will probably be admired by the masses and bought by the few. And for some of us, its a matter of resisting of buying it just because of how gosh darn sexy it is
Colin, its not innovation, its "thinnovation"... lol
"It might have been listed above the MB in the product line, but it is really lower."
Wow. Try wrapping your head around THAT gem. Does anyone thing it's really a status icon? I know I won't envy anyone I see toting one around. Oh, and keep kissing Jobbie's backside, Louis. That's a good look for you.
I would just love to know how hot this thing gets. That's my main concern right now
Not a chance. Was very appealing like most apple products up until they "cleverly" state the price at the end for an almighty sum.
For £1199 it's a bit steep, sub £1000 i would of bought one maybe.
Josh
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?
Minijacks are always analog. You might be getting concerned that it's monaural, which it probably isn't!
@peepeepants
Apple minijacks have potentially (depending on model) had an optical "add-on" to the minijack since the Powerbook G4 (or even earlier). Essentially, the minijack works like an analog stereo jack, but, with the correct cable, can also output digitally via the axial optical link.
And where do I get the correct cable?
macbooks and MBPs both have in/out jacks that do dual duty. Analog and SPDIF. I believe you just need an optical cable to utilize SPDIF. Wikpedia sez: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPDIF
I would just love to know how hot this thing gets. That's my main concern right now :S!
Just because it's made by apple doesn't make it any good, and I'm not paying 1800 for a laptop without a replaceable battery
I'll still have a MB for my first apple
Id get one if I had a million dollars. But I dont, so $1800 underpowered laptops be damned.
It's a thin bit o' sexy, but I work on my machine all day, every day, and I need more power, more upgradability and more connectivity than it can provide.
On the other hand, I'm sure my wife will be pining away for one soon. :)
No money, and my MacBook does the job perfectly.
Did you pre-order a MacBook Air?
You bet! I'd pay anything for all that sexy 1 (25.0%)
Not yet, but I'm close to nailing that Submit button 1 (25.0%)
Not a chance! (see my reasons / rant below) 1 (25.0%)
Oh dear, Engadget.
Im sensing theres some hidden logic there
Not a chance, this is a vanity purchase not a laptop purchase.
- No replaceable battery
- Price $$
- No DVD drive (external only)
- Only one USB slot?
- Any other add-ons would likely require me to sell organs
What happens if the RAM fails?
correction: you need to add three more $ followed by ! and ?
I agree with you there. I do not understand why Apple thinks this is a good idea. You are removing many of the basic from this laptop for the sake of thinness. Why? Does anyone really need a laptop THAT thin. And if so, what the heck are they going to use it for? I doubt highly that you can do anything worth-while on that thing. You can browse the web, do some word processing, some photo editing and what else? Add on top of it the fact that you can't even upgrade it cheaply or easily (a usual with Macs) and where does that leave you? Hell, you can't even watch a movie on it without additional hardware. I try not to be too hard on Apple, but this is one of their worse ideas yet. I hope the masses don't blindly follow through with this and actually buy this POS.
If Apple is confident enough that the permanent components (HD, etc) will last long enough to warrant purchasing the computer in the first place, they should throw in AppleCare...
As an owner of Toshiba R100 which also uses 1.8" drives, I can tell you for sure that there are reliability issues with those drives. They really can't handle the heavy use that laptop demands. They are flimsy and small and SLOW. They are holding back my 4 year old Pentium M 900MHz laptop, think about how much slowdown it'll cause on a C2D. Over 4 years I had to replace mine twice. Hence a 3 year warranty is a MUST if you're considering buying this (with the HDD at least).
Not a chance. This thing embodies everything that I hate about apple. Form over features - and what's all this green nonsense? I guess they have to make it more biodegradable for when everyone throws them away once the battery dies - or just realizes what they wasted their money on.
This year's keynote was full of fluff, but lacking in substance.
Like a cheap porn
it has nothing to do with how much money you have...its about receiving the tag "SUCKER"
if you browse gadget blogs and still go pay $1800 for a 4200rpm 1.6 chip...you're sucker...
I'd rather buy something w/ an extra half an inch of thickness but actually useful for something more than just looking at the pretty plastic. There was a time when Apple was about making functional good looking products, now it's all about good looking - they figured that as long as they make things pretty people will buy. Which is a good strategy few years back, but now when other companies are starting to pay attention to aesthetics, it's not gonna last. Every year there are more and more good looking products, and many are actually not copies of apple but rather sexy in their own way (see iRiver), and are also more functional than equivalent apple offerings. Between that and screwing people over with payed firmware updates apple isn't looking so hot anymore.
I am not impressed whatsoever with the MBA. I understand the need to make all the components internalized and non-user replaceable, and that's just to make it that much smaller. But I don't need anything that small esp if it is not a tablet.
And to add further reason, my current tablet has an external DVD writer. I will NOT purchase anything again that does not have an optical drive built it.
I have a feeling you will look back and laugh at this thinking one day...
Chris,
Perhaps, but it won't be in the near future. Maybe when there is enough of an infrastructure for OTA transfers to beat a physical drive in every category; speed, reliability, ease of use, and availabilty.
Until that day, I'll carry that extra 1.8 lbs in my laptop (cause that's soooo heavy) ;), and be happy with it.
Porker lappy - what is with those borders around screen and keyboard, and the weight???
One USB port and no network - you got to be kiddin.
I care more about the size (width and length) that the thinness. And just 2 pounds does the magic for me nowadays.
Its pretty amazing looking but its not the replacement for the Macbook pro that I was hoping for. I would have liked to have seen the 160GB hard drive that they use in the iPod classic as well as a slightly more powerful video card. Other then that, I would sell my MBP and order it right away
If I wanted something ultraportable for that price, I would just get an OQO.
oh wow
just did a google search for that
very nice... kind of puts apple's attempt to shame
Even the Shift would be a betta bet