MacBook Air reviews in from Apple's starting lineup

We're still on waiting for the official 20,000 word review from John Mayer before we make our final decision, but tech journo heavyweights from USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Newsweek (with Pogue of the New York Times notably absent) have had their MacBook Airs for about a week now, and true to form are espousing some opinion on the slab of metal. Turns out there are few surprises, and you could probably draw the same conclusions from reading the spec sheets and drooling over the press shots like the rest of us losers. Battery life could be the biggest trouble point, with a couple guys rating it around 3.5 hours with heavy use, and even less when watching a movie on iTunes -- Apple's five hour prediction seems a bit optimistic. Nobody's thrilled about the stuff Apple cut out to get the size down, but it's hard for these guys to poo poo Apple's decisions outright (Levy's comparison to circumcision is downright uncomfortable, to say the least) since there's an undeniable sexiness to holding and using the Air. One nice perk of the underwhelming power is that the laptop doesn't run as hot as Apple's other portables, making it a winner in the "laptop" department. Oh, and 3G? Edward Baig says he asked Jobs about the much-rumored feature, and the idea was apparently tossed around, but eventually dropped due to the desire to give consumers a choice and to keep things slim. 160GB HDD? Again with the slimness. So if you need the sexiest and slimmest thing going, there's no question the MacBook Air fits the bill, but it certainly looks like Apple excluded a lot of potential customers with the compromises made.

Read - Edward Baig "Given the compromises, I don't expect anyone to use Air as their only computer."
Read - Steven Levy "The things that Apple left on were the ingredients for a quality computer."
Read - Walt Mossberg "If you rely on spare batteries, expect the usual array of ports, or like to play DVDs on planes, this isn't the computer to buy."

[Aviv @ Jan 24th 2008 12:56AM]

I can understand somewhat the reasoning behind this release. But, overall, I can think of a few things that could've turned MacWorld '08 into a true successor to the iPhone Hayday in '07.

The Macbook Air just seemed to miss the mark for so many people. It's like the Apple TV only much for hyped. Granted, every company makes mistakes, and their is no way to get everything perfect all the time...

Looking back, Apple should've released the Apple TV with the "new software" first and they should've hyped it like they've hyped the Macbook Air. Additionally, they should've hyped Leopard like they hyped the iPhone.

But, all companies make mistakes... Apple is no exception. Although, I am a stockholder, so, they should really step it up right about now.

[athousandleaves @ Jan 24th 2008 4:24AM]

I dunno about John Mayer but I comb my MacBook Hair every morning when I get up.

[Geir E @ Jan 24th 2008 4:50AM]

"The Macbook Air just seemed to miss the mark for so many people. It's like the Apple TV only much for hyped. Granted, every company makes mistakes, and their is no way to get everything perfect all the time..."

You know, with the MacBook as the affordable and portable, and the MacBook Pro as the workhorse, the MacBook Air is more a luxery model for those looking for a portabel second computer.

If I had a iMac in my home office I would love a macbook air to lug around in the house, for example.

[riggs @ Jan 24th 2008 8:29AM]

macbook air affordable? to who, celebrities?

[spyder91 @ Jan 24th 2008 10:36AM]

They should step it up because you're a stock holder?

[Zeus @ Jan 24th 2008 12:59AM]

Sony did it 3-4 years ago and I didn't buy one then for the same reason I won't buy a M.B.A. now. In order to make it fit in the form factor you just have to leave some stuff out, like... anything useful.

Sony looked better anyways. Sleek, black, glowing green 'core' that looked like some sci-fi thing. MBA looks like some oversize makeup compact.

[Zeus.:God @ Jan 24th 2008 1:18AM]

HEY!

Don't steal my name!

I Copy Righted it, bitch!

Nah... You can have it.

[ThePengwin @ Jan 24th 2008 12:59AM]

Isnt this really just apples idea of a UMPC?

Also:
"MacBook Air fits the bill"

Not my bill...

[Jeff Lewis @ Jan 24th 2008 4:33AM]

No.

This is nothing like a UMPC.

[riggs @ Jan 24th 2008 8:31AM]

yeah UMPC actually takes function over form dude, nothing like it. at all.

[Justin @ Jan 24th 2008 1:03AM]

I agree. Apple cut too many corners. there should be more than 3 ports on there, 2 which are probably not going to be used a lot. And there's no dvd. Couldn't they have just thrown a tiny slot loading one somewhere?!

[BobTurbo @ Jan 24th 2008 1:05AM]

How easily does it slide into the manilla envelope? That is my main concern.

[jitty @ Jan 24th 2008 1:06AM]

MacBook Air: Umm... It's thinner than the sony!

[webon @ Jan 24th 2008 3:35AM]

And its still bigger at 13 inches wide.

[AlexP @ Jan 24th 2008 1:15PM]

It's not bigger, it's wider.

Don't be all the fools that made bullshit claims about the new nano being bigger than the last gen one, it shrunk it total size and weight, but gained width.

[Brian McBride @ Jan 24th 2008 1:13AM]

Crap...

I bought an Air and then I put it in an envelope. Now I can't remember where I filed the damn thing. Sheesh.

[Ireland @ Jan 24th 2008 12:45PM]

This might help you find it; look for the envelope not the Air.

[BobTurbo @ Jan 24th 2008 1:16AM]

If you want to own two computers just to get by, never use a CD or DVD on the road, don't need internet access, and only need to use the computer for 3.5 hours before charging, but most importantly; need your computer to fit in an envelope, then this is for you!

[rav97 @ Jan 24th 2008 1:41AM]

"don't need internet access"
Well, let's be fair here. It has bluetooth, so you can tether it to your phone for internet access on the road... unless your phone happens to be an iPhone, in which case you're screwed!

[Ethyriel @ Jan 24th 2008 1:43AM]

Yeah, that's pretty much how ultraportables are. Though I could see a lot of people living with an ultraportable and a server, or even just a NAS. The big thing Apple is missing for that segment, I think, is a dock. Personally, I only use laptops as laptops, but if someone is using this as their primary or only computer they'll want to plop it in a dock rather than hooking up a monitor, USB hub, and a/c adapter manually. They could give us a firewire port through the dock, too, and maybe an ethernet controller.

I'm more in the market for a Fujitsu P8010 or Lenovo X300, but it will be interesting to see how much rigidity Apple was able to get with the MBA. I'm very worried about their build quality on this one, so I can't wait to see them hit the stores.

As always with Apple, wait for the second generation, and for the competition they drum up. At least wait a few months to see what kind of troubles everyone else has.

[Nipponese @ Jan 24th 2008 1:55AM]

I think internet access is the main thing for this machine. Also, with dotmac, gmail , and others supporting IMAP protocols, and increasing numbers of web based apps, you don't need as much disc space on-board as it used to be.

[BobTurbo @ Jan 24th 2008 1:57AM]

This is not how "ultraportables" are, just mba because they wanted it thin for some insane reason. I don't care about ports/obsolete optical media/etc, but internet access and battery life are important.

Using bluetooth phone as a modem sucks: drops out, uses phone battery, requires you to do multiple things just to connect to the internet every time.

[Zak @ Jan 24th 2008 12:20PM]

Why wouldn't you have internet access with an Air? Is 802.11n not good enough for you? Then buy the ethernet adapter for it and use a wired connection. I really don't see how you can say the Air doesn't have intenet access.

[tekdemon @ Jan 24th 2008 1:18AM]

Err...a circumcision analogy...
Well, I'm not a fan of circumcising myself, so guess no Macbook Air for me.

[tits @ Jan 24th 2008 5:49AM]

I can browse internet in a café on a 299$ eee... the wow factor is even better than the mba cause its REALLY cute and small! it also fit in my strap bag!

[tits @ Jan 24th 2008 5:49AM]

hey? why my post got there?

[MJ420 @ Jan 24th 2008 1:44AM]

Would love to see a [product] red version of the Air

[shaliron @ Jan 24th 2008 1:46AM]

Mossberg on the supposed 'fix all' Remote Disc:
"It also doesn't work for installing Windows on your Mac, for watching DVDs, or for playing or importing music. For those tasks, you need an external DVD drive."

So, really, you're forced to buy that extra DVD drive if you want to do such things as 'legally' rip your music (or be forced to buy from iTunes)

[Blake Bowen @ Jan 24th 2008 8:28AM]

So apple basically made a program that does exactly what a network mounted drive does?

[alphaxion @ Jan 24th 2008 2:27AM]

I wrote a couple of items on my site about this here lappy.

The first is a bit about the spec of the device:
http://www.alphaxion.com/news.php?readmore=54

The second is beasically debunking this "thinnest and lightest laptop in the world" rubbish that people keep on spinning:
http://www.alphaxion.com/news.php?readmore=57

I really can't believe that people haven't picked up on the 4.2k rpm hdd in this thing as standard, it's sooo slow, not to mention the issue of if you have a hardware lockup and you can't turn the laptop off using the power button, you're gonna be screwed as you have to wait several hours for this thing to run out of juice.

[AlphaLog @ Jan 24th 2008 3:11AM]

Okay, I'm a little confused as to how you debunked the "thinnest and lightest laptop" claim with your example. Maybe I'm misunderstanding something, but this is what I could gather off of your remarks and the spec sheet you supplied.

You said that only the thickest part of the laptop can be considered. Okay, that is fine. So the thickest section of the Air is 19.4 mm. However, you then go on to state that the R200 is only 9.9 mm thick. However, the spec sheet you provided shows the 9.9 mm being the thinnest section of the R200 while the thickest section is 19.8 mm thick. So the Air wins out in that respect, though just barely.

Now, onto the weight. I have been trying to determine whether the spec sheet for the R200 listed the weights with the battery included. Well, the weight given in the product description was a minimum of 1.22 kg and a maximum of 1.29 kg. The variation is due to product configurations and such. Therefore, if the battery was included in the weight one would think that weight difference would at minimum be the difference between the 2 batteries that are given as options. The 3800mAh battery is listed as weighing 0.265 kg. The 3900mAh battery is listed as weighing 0.354 kg. The difference between the two is 0.089 kg. That is greater than the difference of max and min weights of the R200, which is 0.070 kg. That would lead me to believe that the battery weight was not included in the total laptop weight. This wouldn't be too surprising seeing as how I have seen many times a laptop's weight being listed without including the battery weight.

Now, assuming the R200 is at its lightest (1.22 kg) and has the lightest battery (0.265 kg) that would bring the whole thing to 1.485 kg, which is above the 1.360 kg of the Air.

[behhh @ Jan 24th 2008 4:02AM]

Hardware lock-ups are extremely rare in the Mac world, by my experience. Last one I had was on a G5 years ago - conflict with internal modem if I remember correctly. I don't even remember if it was really a hardware lock-up or simply a persisting kernel panic caused by the hardware conflict. Apple fixed it with a firmware update. Regardless, I have -never- had a hardware lockup that caused a Mac (I don't even think I've seen this on a PC) to be so broken that holding in the power button for 6 sec. wouldn't shut off. Weak argument, IMO.

[bliki @ Jan 24th 2008 4:12AM]

@AlphaLog:

Yeah, AAPL beat toshiba by an ubelivable 0,4mm. and that "thinnovation" took them almost 3 years, not to mention that the tosh uses a normal LCD (compared to AAPLs' LED lit LCD), which is bulkier because of the backlight.
About the weight: You failed to observe that the heavier battery is obviously not a replacement, but an addition (the dimensions are completely different, and there is no way that it would into the slot of the original battery), so your assumptions loose their foundations.
I think that the weight is acctually 1.29kg, as that is already "a lot" for ultraportables with a 12" screen.

If at least AAPL would have managed to copy the other more useable features of the tosh, such as an easily replacable battery, or at least the basic connection option, not to mention the option of the allmighty dock.

But we probably have to wait another year, so that AAPL can sell the MBA - "Now with AMAZING connectivity - offering an EXTRA USB port and an ethernet jack" and perhaps another year for them to innovate a 12" screen...

[AceMcLoud @ Jan 24th 2008 4:48AM]

Telling people not to compare thinnest vs. thickest part of the laptop and then comparing the Toshiba's thinnest part with the MBA thickest makes you look ... stupid.
Posting here about your great comparison makes you look even more ... stupid.

[alphaxion @ Jan 24th 2008 6:06AM]

That's just it tho, we have one of the R200's in our office and it's not 2cm thick at its thickest.

I'll have to track it down and actually measure it to double check.. at most it appears to be about 1cm, it might actually be closer to 1.5cm in reality now I look back at my memories of the device, but I'll give a definate size once the director who has it is in so that I can slap a ruler next to it.

I did forget that they don't always list the weight with the battery, thanks for pointing that out.

I still think the 12" laptop that apple produced was their best portable to date tho.

[AlphaLog @ Jan 24th 2008 1:50PM]

@bliki

About the battery weight. You are right, I did not notice the difference in dimensions. But how does that work? Do both batteries fit into the laptop at one time? I ask because I seriously do not know.

I still think the weight on the spec sheet does not include the battery weight. However, the best way to know for sure is for alphaxion to see if he can find the one they have at his office and weigh it with the battery in place. But, you know, it's not really that important.

I agree that Air is not meant or everyone. I think it targets a specific set of consumers. I personally like it because I think it looks pretty nice and the areas that were cut out don't really bother me. So if I had extra money to burn I might consider picking one up. But it would be more for my fiance (since she is more the mac user and I'm a pc user) and then I would just tinker with it on the side. I wouldn't use it enough to justify it for myself.

[Brian @ Jan 24th 2008 2:30AM]

The "Air" is a joke. The only thing this oversized iPod classic excels at is being a portable digital picture frame.

[DG @ Jan 24th 2008 2:38AM]

I'm just no sure the MBA qualifies as a UMPC. Yes, it's small, but 13 inches isn't the 8-11 inches other bonafide UMPCs actually are. If this is a UMPC, it's less "UM" than its competitors, and it costs more. I don't see where the win is. Envelope jokes are funny and all, but I continue to not see the use of this machine.

[webon @ Jan 24th 2008 3:38AM]

Im sure its NOT

[Adam @ Jan 24th 2008 2:53AM]

I don't understand why everybody hates on this product so much more than any other product that comes out. People whine about how its not a UMPC and then whine about how it doesn't have the power of a full sized laptop. Well its got a bigger screen than a typical UMPC and a full size keyboard. Its also much thinner and lighter and much more portable than a typical notebook. In those respects, its better than both a UMPC and a normal lappy. Now I know one aspect above each doesn't make it truly better in both categories but its this crazy thing called a compromise. And its got some features not many if any other laptops do yet (multitouch, led backlit screen, backlit keyboard). sorry, this is just my rant in response to all the negativity over a product that isn't all that bad.



PS- Don't think you can get off calling me an Apple fanboy. I've never owned and probably never will own a mac. I got an ipod for christmas, and it broke. so if that qualifies as fanboy, flame away.

[Charles @ Jan 16th 2009 3:17AM]

I dont care about all the limitations and corners that were cut. I only saw the MBA as a portable extension to my desktop (which I would remote desktop into) or an alternate way to get my wife off my iMac checking her myspace comments. My main issue is the god damn price!! $1800 are you serious? There are just too many alternatives in their product line that are more powerful and have more features for either less than the MBA or a couple hundred bucks more.

Now given I'm a design freak, and I hold a higher regard for form over function than most people. But I also dont take it up the a**, and I see buying the MBA over a Macbook as purposely dropping the soap!

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

They should have included a copy of iWork with it.
It would make the package more attractive to students and traveling business people.
Besides, all the people complaining that it's not a port heavy Sony, you're still using a Windows.
What good is a umpc if it's crippled with Vista

[Nicolas @ Jan 24th 2008 4:03AM]

I have a funny benchmark of this thin macbook air

www.nulleando.com.ar .... check it, i know you will like it..

[Nicolas @ Jan 24th 2008 4:23AM]

in fact the complete url is:
http://www.nulleando.com.ar/index.php/2008/01/23/macbook-air-benchmark/

[Alex @ Jan 24th 2008 5:16AM]

Just wait for the new one to come out 6 months after this one, then all of those who jumped the gun are going to be kicking themselves

[Ant @ Jan 24th 2008 4:23AM]

The Air is just a great looking gadget if you got the money, simple as. Your not going to break any work rate records with it and for a little bit more size and weight you can get a lot more for your money. All the ‘you don’t need an optical drive’, ‘you don’t need more ports’ etc, etc, from Steve is, well, bullshit for ‘most’ people. But, saying all this, that is one might fine looking little computer and I can’t wait to have a look at it then draw the conclusion, I know I will, it’s just another computer.

I wish Apple would do a super-dooper clamshell palm computer with full keyboard (like the one they used to have on the Psion Series 5 but Appleized), multi touch, 204ppi 6inch diagonal screen, aluminium case and all the other stuff.

[Jeff Lewis @ Jan 24th 2008 4:45AM]

I went through the 'you don't need a DVD drive in the laptop' phase...

You CAN make it work - but then you end up carrying around a large capacity pocket drive with tons of disk images... and even then, you'll run into situations where you really, really need that burner. My UMPC doesn't have an integrated DVD drive (not surprisingly) and I finally broke down and got a nice external DVD drive for it.

[Jeff Lewis @ Jan 24th 2008 4:41AM]

It is nothing like a UMPC.

A UMPC must comply with certain requirements. It has to have a touchscreen of between 5" and 7" with a resolution of 800x480 or better that is capable of being used for writing. It can have a keyboard, but must have a mode where the primary input is the touchscreen (think very small tablet pc). It must have an x86 processor and be capable of running WinXP Tablet PC Edition or later. It must have WiFi. Bluetooth is recommended, but not required. It should be under 2lbs with battery and should run for at least 3 hrs on a single charge.

[Carl @ Jan 24th 2008 6:57AM]

So does the EeePC not count as a UMPC then?

[Javaflash @ Jan 24th 2008 8:27AM]

The prime market for ultra-portable are frequent travelers, those who have to work at any place any time. MacBook Air doesn't even have an ethernet... that's a stretch. This laptop is a luxury niche for those who insist on using everything inked full of certain pristine logos. It reminds me of Power Mac G4 Cube. It won't sell well this year.

Btw, the weight is the key to make the notebook thin, not the real thickness. Manufacture doesn't have to go to extreme to make trimmed. A standard 1 inch will do, as long as the weight is cut below 3 lbs.