Nagromme - MacBook Air

Congratulations, looks pretty close to what you wanted...<br><br><br><br>

if it had been 11" i would have found a way to get it earlier than next year. i have a desktop and really wanted something ultra portable (and the old 12" PB was close to ideal). i have a 13" blackbook so that's what i'll stick with for the next year. ah well.<br><br>i've thought more about the small HDs. i am currently only using a little over 40GB on my blackbook so i suppose the things don't seem so small after all.<br><br>

I have been looking at 1.5ghz 12" PowerBooks on eBay...they sell for about $750. I am waiting to see if the prices drop.<br><br>The Airbook reminds me of my PB2400....you had to use an external floppy and CD for it. It was great for carrying around during the days of the Wallstreet PowerBook.<br><br><br><br><br>_______<br>

my 12" powerbook would still be used except the screen died. so i plug it into an external display and one child uses it. sort of defeats the purpose of having the ideal portable of the day.<br><br>

I really like my 12" PB.<br>I think the thinness of the MacBook Air will make up for the larger 13.3" screen.<br>A year or two down the road maybe I'll get a refurbished MacBook Air (or not).<br>I am very interested in seeing the reviews of the 64GB flash drive.<br><br><br>

Well to me a portable is more about the weight NOT the screen size in fact I would think having a 13 inch screen that is only 3 lbs is a major plus - <br><br>

I like the compromise for the most part. Had a smaller outer margin been possible, I'd be happier.<br><br>I'm still wondering what that CPU is. Does the FSB speed tell us anything?<br><br>I'm eagerly awaiting take-apart photos. Can the HD be swapped (outside of warranty) without a soldering iron? I expect the battery can be. It's probably easier to change a battery in one of these than in an iPod, say. Then again, I've never bought a second battery for any of my past notebooks anyway.<br><br>Given that SSD is so costly (from any source), it's tempting to wait and see if a 160GB drive (like iPod Classic) shows up. The Classic 160 is thicker than than the 80, and I assume the 160 drive just couldn't fit in an Air. But maybe within a few months new components will arrive for BTO options.<br><br>nagr[color:red]o</font color=red>mme<br><br>I require stroyent!<br>http://TeamMacOSX.com | http://MacClan.net

[color:blue]"I'm still wondering what that CPU is. Does the FSB speed tell us anything?"</font color=blue><br><br>It looks like the new cpu is a Merom processor. <br>It can't be an ultra low voltage Merom because the ULV Meroms only have speeds up to 1.33GHz. <br>The odds are it is a low-voltage Merom.<br>The problem is Meroms are old technology. They still have the old 65nm fabrication.<br>But the absolutely amazing thing is this Merom chip is 60 percent smaller than other Merom chips. <br>It is the same size as the upcoming Montevina SFF (small form factor) chips.<br>The surprise? This processor must have been made by Intel exclusively for Apple!<br><br>Intel has announced that they will launch their Montevina mobile processors in May. <br>The Montevina chips will have the smaller 45nm die fabrication.<br>They will have speeds of 2.26GHz and 2.4GHz. <br>Montevina processors will be faster, cooler, and will provide longer battery life than the current MacBook Air processor.<br><br>Just in case you are wondering... If the new Merom chip is the same size as the upcoming Montevina SFF chip then what's the difference?<br>With the 45nm technology they will be able to put more transistors in the same amount of space. The result is more power in the same size chip.<br><br>[color:blue]"Can the HD be swapped without a soldering iron?"</font color=blue><br>I don't know. I too am waiting for a review.<br><br><br><br>

"... a portable is more about the weight..."<br><br>Thinking about this new MBA a little more, I have to agree. As a Mac which is almost "feather-light", it's definitely a winner in the portability category.<br><br>- alec -

Good to know--and it's clear from the keynote that you're right, Intel did this just for Apple. With May 4 months away, it's good that Intel could give Apple something now. But we have a glimpse into MacBook Air 2! (Which I won't wait for: when it comes out, we'll already have the next thing after THAT on the horizon--that's an inescapable fact of life.)<br><br>(No chance of this being an underclocked Montevina, released early before the "real" GHz chips have reached useful yields? And maybe as a result drawing even less power than the higher Montevinas will?)<br><br>nagr[color:red]o</font color=red>mme<br><br>I require stroyent!<br>TeamMacOSX.com | MacClan.net

[color:blue]"No chance of this being an underclocked Montevina"</font color=blue><br><br>Extremely good question. <br>The odds are very slim that it is a Montevina because Montevina isn't due out for another 5 months. <br>Montevina must still be in the last stages of development. <br>I doubt Intel would want to bring out even a sample of Montevina earlier.<br>I doubt Apple would want a chip that isn't tried and true.<br><br>One other thing makes me think it is a Merom... The MacBook Air has DDR2-667 SO-DIMM ram which is supported by Merom.<br>Montevina will support DDR3-800 memory.<br><br><br><br>

I can't think of a larger waste of money than the MacBook Air. No media drive, no net-boot ability, no battery changing (without losing your laptop for a week), tiny hard drive, no Firewire port, no ethernet port... and the list goes on.<br><br>And for all the lack of features, you get to pay nearly twice as much as a standard MacBook which has all those features and more - simply to save what amounts to very little in the way of weight and thickness.<br><br>OK, so you get multi-touch. Sorry, but that's just not enough. I have to wonder just what market Apple is truly targeting with this product. I'm sure it's a great machine for what it is, but I just don't get it.<br><br>The Graphic Mac for your Mac and graphics news, tips and more.

I have to agree.<br><br>Meh.<br><br>

The MacBook Air certainly has a "Wow!" factor for a lot of people.<br>Even anti-Apple news sites seem to think it's very innovative.<br>My Mac friends are showing an interest in it.<br>Nagromme, Poly, and FSM seem interested in it also.<br>Cost seems to be the biggest prohibitive factor.<br><br>My biggest problem is probably the no FW port.<br>But I wasn't planning on buying one anyway. Maybe in a year or two.<br><br>I like my 12" PowerBook. <br>I've heard a lot of people say that they too like their 12" PowerBooks and they are not going to give them up until Apple comes out with a notebook at least as small as or smaller than their PowerBook.<br>Voilà! - The MacBook Air<br><br>The question now becomes... are people going to buy it?<br><br><br>

And non-user-replaceable RAM!<br><br>- alec -

Don't get me wrong, it's certainly very cool that they got it into such a thin machine. But why? What purpose does it serve to be so small AND so under-powered and under-featured?<br><br>The Graphic Mac for your Mac and graphics news, tips and more.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want one, I just bought a Mac Pro.<br><br>The MacBook Air would be great to travel with, easy to carry around. Isn't that the main purpose of a notebook?<br>And it's cool. It would impress your friends.<br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>And it's cool. It would impress your friends.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Only if you're friend was impressed with blinking lights and overpriced worthless gadgets. My friends would laugh their asses off if you showed up with this thing knowing how much you payed and what you got for it. <br><br>The Graphic Mac for your Mac and graphics news, tips and more.

To me, the MacBook Air would be great for:<br>case workers who need portability but not the bulk - every social worker that I deal with has these huge clunky PC laptops that get heavy after awhile.<br><br>People who deal with apps that are non-graphic intense - stuff like PDF's, Word docs, etc. that aren't into the video editing. People like lawyers, doctors, nurses, writers, students, scientists, etc.<br><br>The idea is that it is an ultra-portable device, not a work horse machine. To say that "simply to save what amounts to very little in the way of weight and thickness." sounds like you haven't had to carry a laptop around for work. And no, I'm not talking about around the house or to work either.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>No media drive, no net-boot ability, no battery changing (without losing your laptop for a week), tiny hard drive, no Firewire port, no ethernet port<p><hr></blockquote><p>They do sell an external optical drive. Net-boot? How many times do you use that with your laptop? Yeah, user-replacement battery change is a drawback, but at least you can get it done, and they might be able to do it at the Apple Store in person. Tiny hard drive? Sure, but it's not designed for pro users who work with huge files. That's what the MBP is for. I agree with the firewire port..that would have been nice to have. No ethernet? So? It's wireless but you can still get the ethernet dongle.<br><br>And under-powered? Sure, it's underpowered if you are trying to edit HD movies or HUGE photographs or big PS files....but then again you would probably want to get the MBP, not a macbook. This is meant for people other than those types.<br><br>Price is a little steep. I won't be getting one yet. <br><br><br><br><br><br>my photos

i think carp would argue that the slim design helped to make it more featherweight. for folks who want portability then this thing is light. i actually like it, but i would much prefer a 12" or 11" model that had a little more bulk (if necessary). size is my thing as i like to be more stealth when i use it. but i also think i am not a large audience and that i don't represent much of the market while this new Air probably does fit a need. and, i'd take one over my Blackbook . . . i think. ehh, maybe not.<br><br><br>

i was hoping for something more along the lines of a cross between the Macbook pro and this 7" beauty: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC</a><br><br><br><br>

The keyboard is why I still use my Zaurus:<br><br><br><br>The later ones were more like a mini notebook:<br><br><br><br>_______<br>

Yeah, I would go for that!<br><br>(What I don't like about some cheap-o small machines is when the available screen space is limited by the small lid... and then they add huge margins of plastic to make the screen even smaller than it needs to be. But when price is the #1 thing you're after, I understand why some would accept that.)<br><br>nagr[color:red]o</font color=red>mme<br><br>I require stroyent!<br>TeamMacOSX.com | MacClan.net

There IS no larger waste of money than a MacBook Air.<br><br>For YOUR needs. And for the needs of most others too! I say this with confidence, expecting that this particular MacBook model is the best choice for fewer than 50% of people.<br><br>What you call "very little" saved in weight and thickness is not "very little" to someone with DIFFERENT goals than you.<br><br>What you call "so under-powered" is more power than many people use all day in a desktop--and plenty for me. It's under-powered for YOUR goals.<br><br>A MacBook Air costs hundreds more--and gives up features that SOME people need, while gaining ones that only SOME people will appreciate. All just to serve people who want thin-and-light above all else.<br><br>You seem to have strong emotions that people who want that should not have any options. But we do have an option now, running OS X no less, so your pain is our gain <br><br>nagr[color:red]o</font color=red>mme<br><br>I require stroyent!<br>TeamMacOSX.com | MacClan.net

I have to agree with John he's got it pretty close<br><br>Heres a good example of a MBA user - well if it was a PC.<br><br>At work all our offices are wifi - perfect for the MBA and when I say all I mean the job site trailers, the main corporate office and the main construction office and the sales centers.<br><br>At work I have a Dell laptop about 6 pounds not much in weight but try lugging that crap around at the airports yada yada - I swear for every 10 feet of walking the Dell gains 1 pound of weight - also don't forget the A/C adopter which also adds to the weight<br><br>1 - I have never used the dang FW port - even if it had one<br><br>2 - I only use 1 USB port thats because I like to use a mouse - keep in mind the wifi and all our printers are via ethernet DSL<br><br>3 - I only use the CD once a month - so this MBA accessory would come in handy<br><br>4 - I have no reason for a DVD at all.<br><br>5 - Our core specialized applications are "Web Based" the others are "OutLook" and MS Office and thats it<br><br>Bottom line if the MBA was a PC it would fall clearly as a laptop for me <br><br>

the slower processor doesn't make me bat an eyelash. i have a desktop for my heavy lifting; the Air would not be purchased to be my main computer. i doubt it becomes that for many.<br><br>

The Dell power supplies I've seen astonished me. Some of them probably weight more than a MacBook Air! I take my G4's nice small charger for granted.<br><br>nagr[color:red]o</font color=red>mme<br><br>I require stroyent!<br>TeamMacOSX.com | MacClan.net

The MBA is attractive for me too. I used to carry my Zaurus for email and web at work and then lug in my PB for presentations (the Zaurus could also do PowerPoint but not embedded QuickTime).<br><br> A MBA would fit my needs nicely while my main desktop would do the rest of the work.<br><br>_______<br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>I can't think of a larger waste of money than the MacBook Air.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Gizmo, twenty questions though you might get it right the first guess. Who said the following the day after introduction and what were they talking about:<br><br>[color:blue]THIS IS THE COOLEST THING I'VE SEEN IN YEARS... too bad at $400 it will get killed faster than the CUBE! <br><br>Really, this thing looks awesome. I want one... but for that money??? NOT. Damn Apple... didn't you learn your lesson with the CUBE? Cool doesn't sell at a premium price... this price tag sucks the "Cool" right out of it!</font color=blue><br><br>

Wow... dude, you've got a memory like an elephant. <br><br>

It's a curse.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

Interesting photos compared with a MBP 15:<br><br><br><br><br><br>_______<br>

"Wow... dude, you've got a memory like an elephant. "<br><br><br>you mean like a quadra-Pod (elephant) <br><br>David (OFI)

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>quadra-Pod<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Is that like a quad-drive iPod?<br><br>&#63743; &#63743; &#63743; &#63743;

I wonder if Apple made a mistake. It looks to me like they only supply the lid to the MBA...they forgot the bottom. <br><br><br>

AnandTech confirms that the MBA processor is indeed a Merom.<br><br>This statement from AnandTech looks a little scary...<br><br>"The bigger concern however has nothing to do with packaging technology or operating voltages, but overall thermals. The MacBook Pro runs very hot and while the 20W TDP of the MacBook Air is significantly lower than the 35W TDP of the Pro, it's high for such a small chassis. We won't know for sure how hot the Air will get until it's in our hands but the SSD route seems like an even better bet now that we know a little more about what we're dealing with. Cutting down heat in that thin chassis will be very important, and moving to solid state storage is the only real option you have there."<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

So you're saying I might be able to poach an egg on the back of this since I opted out of the SSD? Well, this one is just for beta testing ...<br>20 watts eaten by the CPU. I guess sparing 1/20th of a watt to add GPS would have been out of the question.<br><br>

OK, now that I read the story. I think these writers have no clue.<br>You take a MBP at 35 watts<br>an MBA at 20 watts.<br><br>Then they get concerned that the MBA is a smaller foot print so even though you drop from 35 to 20 watts the concern is dumping the heat in a small package?<br><br>Nuts. Look at the MBA. The entire body, small that it is will dump heat better than an MBP. I know they are talking about right on the motherboard where this thing is very cramped but they are still completely guessing. They should really say they have no clue. Because they don't. Once they have one in their hands they will know. 14 days and counting I hope.<br><br>

[color:blue]"14 days and counting I hope"</font color=blue><br><br>So you bought one, huh?<br>I knew you were thinking about it, I didn't know you ordered one.<br><br><br>

It's so small he will need that GPS to find it.<br><br><br><br>

I still have this head cold so I had to cheer myself up and ordered one. Going to a bunch of out of town meetings on Feb8 and it would suck if it was delivered on the 8th. Through my school which usually gets an early batch of new Apple stuff.<br><br><br><br><br>

Congratulations!<br>That's a beautiful computer. You've got good taste, Poly.<br>Will you carry an external optical drive also?<br><br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Will you carry an external optical drive also?<p><hr></blockquote><p> Nope. I hardly even remember I have an optical drive when I use a laptop. Never use them. My life is wireless.<br><br>

Awesome! Let us know what you think. I'm awaiting early-adopter reports before buying.<br><br>I wouldn't worry about the 1.8" HD generating huge amounts of heat. My ventless, fanless iPod's 1.8" HD doesn't get more than slightly warm--even when I BOOT OSX from it and work for hours--with it wrapped snug in a fabric case! So I think the heat from the drive will be trivial compared to the heat from the chips.<br><br>Apparently the Macworld floor models used HDs, not SSDs, and still performed fine. SSD would be better, but maybe a swap will be possible once we see the internals. If 128GB SSD comes down to $500 or so in a year, I'll be pleased.<br><br>nagr[color:red]o</font color=red>mme<br><br>I require stroyent!<br>TeamMacOSX.com | MacClan.net