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MacBookAir posts

iiView A2 borrows Apple's panache for a Win 7 netbook

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 19th 2009 at 6:14PM

Manufacturers the world over have given this one some serious thought, and they've decided that you want something that feels like a MacBook Air, looks (vaguely) like a MacBook Air, and doesn't run OS X. Available come October 22, the iiView A2 features an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 320GB HDD, a 12.1-inch display, and 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless. Shipping for $399 with Windows 7, this guy will look right at home next to your award-winning collection of Air KIRFs -- and won't break the bank in the process. Hit that read link for more info.

[Via ChipChick]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXIII: MacBook Air loses two inches, adds a Windows key

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 26th 2009 at 10:05AM

If we've learned one thing 'round here, it's that the KIRFsters love taking on Apple. And you know, at first glance this KIRFacious take on the MacBook Air doesn't seem half bad. Of course, check it out in profile and it looks a lot more like your average netbook than it does Cupertino's ultraportable -- but at least the shanzai manufacturer in question as thrown in a few things that were neglected in the original, including: two USB ports, a removable battery, and a PCIe slot for a 3G module. That said, they also went with an 11.1-inch display (as opposed to the Air's 13-incher), which could be a good thing or not, depending on your POV. Of course, with a 1.6GH Atom processor and 1GB RAM, this thing isn't exactly a workhorse, though it's safe to assume that the price point will fall far below that of the "real deal." But don't take our word for it -- check out a couple more views of the thing after the break.

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXIII: MacBook Air loses two inches, adds a Windows key

Apple WWDC 2009: the good, the bad, and the ugly

by Nilay Patel posted Jun 8th 2009 at 8:57PM

Sure, Apple didn't really shock anyone with the announcement of the iPhone 3G S this morning at WWDC, but there was no shortage of news at the Moscone Center -- we also got new MacBooks, final Snow Leopard details, and a release date for iPhone OS 3.0. On the other hand, it wasn't all good news either: AT&T's iPhone upgrade pricing and service levels leave a lot to be desired, and Apple's unfortunate penchant for sealed-in batteries has finally hit the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Apple's posted its stream of the keynote if you want to relive things in real-time, but here's a quick rewind in case you missed anything:

The good

Current iPhone owners will get iPhone OS 3.0 for free, although some features like video recording and voice control are limited to the iPhone 3G S. It's not perfect, but we don't really complain about free.
Snow Leopard upgrades will cost just $29, instead of the usual $129.
The original 8GB iPhone 3G is now only $99 for new AT&T subscribers. That's definitely going to make some waves in the smartphone market.
We'd have loved to see some external design improvements and maybe some more surprising features that weren't rumored, but overall the iPhone 3G S is definitely in the "good" column -- it's a solid set of improvements to an already very good platform.
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro (including the new 13-inch Pro) specs have increased while prices have come down, and glory be, FireWire is back on everything but the Air.

The bad

As usual, iPod touch owners are going to get dinged $9.95 for the iPhone OS 3.0 upgrade. Hey Apple -- maybe switch these guys over to subscription accounting as well?
Let's face it, "iPhone 3G S" is a pretty clunky name.
Sure, it's nice that the MacBook Pros now have an SD card slot, but losing ExpressCard hurts. And why not a multicard reader? Pro DSLRs still use CF.

The ugly

Sure, new customers and qualified upgraders are getting some sweet pricing on iPhone hardware, but AT&T's basically flipping existing customers the bird -- they'll have to pay anywhere from $399 to a whopping $699 to get an iPhone 3G S. You'd think they'd have looked at how many people went from a first-gen iPhone to a 3G and realized those same people would want a 3G S, but apparently not.
On top of that insult, AT&T isn't supporting all of iPhone OS 3.0's features out the gate: MMS is coming "later this summer," and tethering has been promised but there's no timeline and no pricing information. Thanks, AT&T.
Sure, it's grand that the 15-inch MacBook Pro's battery now lasts for up to seven hours on a charge and won't lose capacity for five years, but a non-swappable battery on a workhorse professional machine just doesn't cut it for us.

So all in all we'd say that the good outweighs the bad, although AT&T really disappointed here. Of course, that's just scratching the surface -- check out the rest of our coverage after the break and let us know what you think!

Continue reading Apple WWDC 2009: the good, the bad, and the ugly

HyperMac external battery powers MacBooks for 32 hours

by Nilay Patel posted May 4th 2009 at 12:59PM

Yep, Sanho's Hypermac is a big clunky external battery pack. Sure, we're intrigued by the idea of running a MacBook Pro for 32 hours straight, but we'd really rather hunt around for a power outlet than drop $500 on the 222Wh unit required to make that happen. On the other hand, we could definitely see splurging for the $150 car charger or the $200 60Wh model, but we're crazy like that. Shipping later this month, we're told.

Dell Adamo torn to shreds for science and bragging rights

by Paul Miller posted Apr 11th 2009 at 2:34PM

The fine folks at iFixit and TechRepublic have teamed up to show us the innards of Dell's new thin-and-sort-of-light ultraportable Adamo. They also set the laptop up against Apple's MacBook Air to compare build quality and specifics. For instance, the Adamo packs a 11.1 volt 40 Watt hour battery, compared to the Air's 7.2 volt 37 Watt hour battery, and comprises a greater percentage of the weight of the computer than its Air counterpart -- who knew? Overall the Adamo seems to pack a good amount more technology into a slightly heavier package, and takes a small win over the MacBook for nixing the screws on the bottom, not to mention the huge win over its Windows counterparts for skipping out on the Intel and Windows stickers.

VIA's 1080p-lovin' VX855 chipset emerges in MacBook Air knockoff

by Darren Murph posted Mar 17th 2009 at 7:14PM

We've already seen one legitimate laptop maker botch up its specification sheet within the past 24 hours, so we certainly wouldn't put it past a KIRF-maker to pull a similar trick. At least on paper, Top Crown Technology Limited's simply-titled 3G Notebook includes a 1.3GHz VIA Nano CPU, the newfangled VX885 Media System Processor, a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display (1,024 x 576), Chrome9 graphics, a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD, 3-in-1 multicard reader, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3.5G WWAN and a pair of built-in speakers. The only problem is the backwards Apple logo and the absolute assurance that this thing will be just marginally less craptastic than the "world's cheapest laptop." For shame.

[Via NetbookNews]

Keepin' it real fake, part CXC: TESO starts aping MacBook Air, quits early

by Darren Murph posted Mar 13th 2009 at 4:36AM

Astoundingly enough, we haven't actually seen a barrage of MacBook Air clones. Which is pretty remarkable given that, you know, it's a Cupertino-designed product. With such a huge opportunity staring it in the face, China's own TESO decided to see what it could whip up, and what it whipped sits pictured above. Iconic glossy white Apple coat? Check. Impossible to miss MBA styling? Check. One single lonely USB port? Check. Too bad it threw in some low rate keyboard and a mismatched battery cover on the underside -- we were almost totally digging this. Sike.

[Via PMPToday]

How would you change Apple's Rev. B MacBook Air?

by Darren Murph posted Feb 28th 2009 at 1:24AM

Generally speaking, we wouldn't bother asking you how you'd change the second iteration of something, but Apple's MacBook Air is a different beast. Given how Apple maintained a lot of those severe limitations the second go round (see: single USB port, non-removable battery, etc.), we're extra curious to see how you want the next round of MBA to go. Is it finally time for Apple to downsize into the world of netbooks? Or do you just want a more "pro" oriented MacBook Air? Is 13-inches really the ideal display size here? Would it kill the suits in Cupertino to throw an integrated SDHC card reader on the side? Time to take off the gloves and let it rip!

MacBook Air hinge defect not covered by Apple's warranty?

by Paul Miller posted Feb 26th 2009 at 3:03PM

Our rocky history with the MacBook Air Rev. A has been well documented, and while Apple would very much like us to forget all about it and plop down another $1,800 for the much-improved Rev. B, not everybody has that sort of birthday money to throw around. Reports of cracked hinges on the laptop are nothing new, but we always assumed Apple would eventually 'fess up to the problem and comp those repairs. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case, and we just got another report of a hapless MacBook Air owner who has a broken hinge that Apple says will cost $800 to repair, despite the fact the laptop is under warranty. Our own MacBook Air Rev. A had the exact same problem -- the hinge becomes loose over time, then suddenly catches and cracks from normal use, it's not from undue stress -- and Apple did the repair for free, but only after we escalated the issue to a manager, who let us know how very nice of them that was. From reading various reports, that seems the exception to Apple's repair policy, which lists this sort of damage as "accidental," and we're wondering how widespread this issue may be. If you or a loved one has been affected, hit up the poll below and pour out your heart in comments. If you're unscathed or MBA-free, feel free to show very little compassion to your fellow man. Wiggle hinge and broken hinge video is after the break.

[Thanks, Alex, and sorry for your loss! Photo courtesy of LanDung2008]

Read - Apple Discussions forum thread

Read - MacRumors forum thread

Read - Crashzone's link roundup

Continue reading MacBook Air hinge defect not covered by Apple's warranty?

Apple working on a 15-inch MacBook Air?

by Nilay Patel posted Jan 18th 2009 at 5:11PM

Sketchy rumor Sunday, people -- Chinese site Apple.pro is saying there's a 15-inch MacBook Air in the works. That would certainly be an interesting compromise between portability and screen real estate, especially since the Air's new NVIDIA-based internals are actually somewhat capable, but we wouldn't bank on big brother making an appearance just yet -- although Apple.pro was right on the money with leaked unibody MacBook pictures, it's also been way off in the past. Anyone else mildly intrigued by the idea of a thin'n'light with big screen? Comments await.

[Via AppleInsider]

MSI X-Slim 320 vs MacBook Air... fight!

by Paul Miller posted Jan 8th 2009 at 1:26PM

You knew the comparisons were inevitable, but have you braced yourself for how incredibly similar these two laptops are? MSI's new X-Slim 320 13.3-inch ultraportable is a teensy bit wider and a teensy bit thicker than the MacBook Air, but most of the dimensions, layouts and curves are uncannily alike. As for build quality, MSI obviously suffers a bit for its netbook heritage. The plastics aren't stellar, and the keyboard, while delightfully full size, is a tad squishy, but there's still no denying that this is a pretty wild deal for this very particular form factor -- plus that built-in 3G, VGA and Ethernet are just rubbing it in Apple's face.

Gallery: MSI X-Slim 320 vs MacBook Air... fight!

Dell confirms shocking truth: Adamo to rival MacBook Air

by Paul Miller posted Dec 23rd 2008 at 6:21PM

In a confusing timeline of events that only Charlton Heston could love, Dell confirmed today that it already has touted its soon-to-be-unveiled "Adamo" as a rival to the MacBook Air in a blogvertisement that posed itself as a rumor that Adamo would do just that:

"Rumor has it that Dell is coming out with a computer called Adamo that will rival the MacBook Air. At press time, the company was keeping the product tightly under wraps, but PC users rejoice - word on the street is that something cool is coming your way."

The adblog appeared on a "luxury internet magazine," and was noticed by The New York Times Bits Blog, who bounced the copy off Dell, which confirmed it as an ad: "We did this to wake up the personal computing category and create some buzz." This further confirms (or perhaps pre-confirms) what we've heard about Adamo, but we're looking forward to the actual unveiling of this laptop and forming our own real, factual opinions on the thing.

Dell Adamo ultrathin laptop rumors surface

by Joshua Topolsky posted Dec 18th 2008 at 4:56PM

According to the New York Times, Dell may have a little surprise on the way. Based on some wild trademark searches, a tiny bit of digging on the "internet" using a "search engine," and the lack of eye contact from the company's VP in charge of consumer sales (Michael Tatelman), there's a MacBook Air rival beneath all this subterfuge. It seems that the brand name "Adamo" is registered to the computer-maker with a site to match, and somehow the fashion blog (!?) Uptownlife.net came up with this gem: "Rumor has it that Dell is coming out with a computer called Adamo that will rival the MacBook Air." How they came up with that is anyone's guess, but apparently the look on Tatelman's face when asked about it was enough to convince at least one journalist that this is a done deal. Us? Well we're going to wait and see, but we're happy to work with Commander Adamo as soon as we see him.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Unibody MacBooks get first firmware updates

by Jacob Schulman posted Dec 10th 2008 at 5:41PM

New unibody MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air users might want to fire up Software Update -- Apple's got some updated firmware for you. As usual, notes on what problems the new code might fix are pretty light, but let's hope they address the plethora of problems plaguing Apple's latest laptops. Give it a shot, and be sure to let us know how it goes in the comments.

[Thanks, Chris]

MacBook Air Rev. B mini-review

by Paul Miller posted Dec 1st 2008 at 6:31PM

We've spent a bit of quality time with the new MacBook Air, and while there's little on the surface to denote a change, Apple did quite a bit under the hood to turn this into a serious laptop -- of sorts. Full disclosure: we (meaning a certain Paul Miller, specifically) have been using a Rev. A MacBook Air for the better part of a year as a primary machine, to very much frustration, so we had some pretty big bones to pick with whatever revision Apple might toss into our laps. Luckily, our fears were unfounded; read on for all the gory, romantic details.

[Images courtesy of Sam]