Told you Apple is ripping you off.

And I quote about the Macbook Air battery:<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>the battery is accessible and easily removed with type #00 Phillips screwdriver: users simply tug on the internal battery cable to unplug to easily unseat the battery. Reiterating that it is more complicated than swapping a battery -- or even installing RAM -- in Apple's current generation notebooks, the report says that the process is "easy enough to allow most users to do a battery replacement on their own."<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Hmmm... let's see, it's attached with a non soldered cable.<br><br>Why again does Apple make it unnecessarily hard to replace the battery? Why again does Apple tell you that they have to replace the battery? The air could easily be as thin and good looking as it is and have an easily accessible battery.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

Well, the Apple ripping you off part in general...<br><br>Any given time I'm looking at some BTO in the Apple Store, I could at least get all the RAM I wanted for a whole lot cheaper elsewhere, than having Apple put it in the BTO. Same goes with HDs, but I guess these won't come as news for most of you. But, some people value the ease and lack of hassle enough to pay Apple for it instead of the DIY approach.<br><br>

And because your subject line contains the word "you" instead of "us", and the fact that not a single Air has been sold, we are to assume you're just a PC shill pretending to use Apple products, is that right?<br><br>The Air isn't powered by AAA batteries you F'n Jerk!®<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>But, some people value the ease and lack of hassle enough to pay Apple for it instead of the DIY approach.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Hey I don't mind Apple offering the service because there are plenty of people who'd like just that. What I mind is Apple building it's devices so that they're hard to open without either having a special tool to do so, or scratching the hell out of it. There's really no reason they couldn't build them with the battery more accessible.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

The subject line says "you" because I'm not buying one, nor would I ever pay a company to replace a battery. I'm not a PC shill any more than I'm an Apple shill, but apparently people must really enjoy being Apple shills. Battery replacement is a very valid criticism and complaint about the product.<br><br>You don't mind even the slightest that the iPod, iPhone and now the Air could all have been designed so the batteries were very easily replaced instead of the pain in the ass it is now to replace them? There is zero reason for this other than trying to make extra money. <br><br>And it might as well be powered by AAA batteries, if the battery life is a scant 3 hours as I've read in several reviews. :P<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

A special tool?<br><br>You said in your post that removing the battery would require a #00 Phillips Head screwdriver. Is that tool so special?<br><br>And let me tell ya-- one would have to be a complete idiot to be careless enough to "scratch the hell" out of a machine that costs so much. A notebook battery has to be replaced, what, once every year and a half (well, for me anyway)? If the time came for me to replace the battery in my MBP and I needed to employ a screwdriver, I'd treat the whole procedure like open-heart surgery. No way, no how would I scratch my beloved laptop!<br><br>

If you're really worried, you can just holepunch some masking tape and stick the holes over the screw heads before attempting to unscrew the back - that way, if the screwdriver slips, it slips onto masking tape.<br><br>- padmavyuha<br><br>[color:purple]A lopsided man runs best along the little side-hills of success<br>- Frank Moore Colby</font color=purple>

Removing the battery once the case is open, and actually opening the case itself are two entirely different steps.<br><br>I also didn't specify airbook, I also included the iPod and iPhone in the list as well. <br><br>Now, if you can open any of those items using a phillips screwdriver without seriously scratching the ever loving crap out of any of them I'll send you a beer.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

Oh, I wouldn't be worried!<br><br>I'd be careful to the point of being utterly ridiculous! <br><br>

Humph. <br><br>So that's what it takes to have a beer with SgtBaxter? Well I'd have a beer with you regardless!<br><br>Now I see your point though. I've had three iPods and one iPhone. Never had to open any of 'em, so I didn't realize that it was such a pain in the ass.<br><br>Knock on wood. I don't want to open any of 'em!<br><br>

There's really no reason they couldn't build them with the battery more accessible.<br><br>This is a 1.0 product! The inside is made up of components that didn't even exist until Apple introduced them. The entire computer (the mobo) is the size of your palm. The battery never existed until now and you're not going to find them on the shelves of Radio Shack!<br><br>This notebook is not aimed at DIY-selfers. It's target audience is the mobile affluent who already own a desktop and a primary workhorse laptop and are looking for a transatlantic solution that will fit in the sleeve of their briefcase. These are the very same people who buy a new car every other year and can afford to replace the MBA when the battery is dead.<br><br>For you to posit that Apple is ripping them off is just hater talk. Is it so hard to imagine that Apple will improve on the MBA and until such time as that wafer-thin battery becomes a third-party solution that they keep the product a "no user-serviceable" one?<br><br>Oh and by the way, wasn't it Apple that offered the first truly accessible tower which sealed with a simple latch? How long before the PC world finally adopted something similar?<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

Battery replacement is a very valid criticism and complaint about the product.<br><br>No it isn't. Especially coming from someone who has not intention of buying one.<br><br>When I bought my first iPod I wasn't even thinking about how to open it up! My mind isn't wired like that. But hey, if the thing no longer charges properly and there is a solution available, I have enough grey matter to figure it out. But I'm not going to refuse to buy one just because it doesn't have an accessible battery compartment.<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>No it isn't. Especially coming from someone who has not intention of buying one.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>hrm... it isn't? Then why is that one of the main complaints I see all over the 'net with reviewers?<br><br>i don't care the battery isn't swappable. That's not the point of the machine. But after several iPods that had dead batteries within two years the lack of ease of changing the battery in a $1700 piece of equipment is enough for me not to buy one - and yes, I just might have because it fits what I'm looking for perfectly otherwise.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

Hey look I don't care what you're about to do... but when you make an unfounded accusation that Apple is ripping people off, especially in a Mac forum you had better expect to catch some heat, hostility, and contempt. Especially when we all know you have less than zero first-hand experience with the product in the first place.<br><br>Look at your subject line! "Told you Apple is ripping you off..."<br><br>What does that infer? That you warned us before, that Apple is ripping us off? Or that you're are somehow immune because you don't own any Apple products? What?!<br><br>Who cares whether people "all over the net" are lambasting the Airbook and its battery. JFC! People all over the world are criticizing Apple for global warming, a recession, the downturn of the stock market, iPods, movie rentals, open standards, lock-in, monopoly and everything else under the sun.<br><br>So what? None of it detracts from my own personal Apple experience. I've finished Crysis! My neighbor hasn't even finished building a PC good enough to even play it and it's already been two months. By the time he does I will have finished the next great game. My iMac Extreme kicks neck! The fact that the only accessible feature or component is the RAM, doesn't keep me up nights.<br><br>and yes, I just might have because it fits what I'm looking for perfectly otherwise.<br><br>You and everyone else on the planet who has a spare 1700 dollars.<br><br>It's the future. Apple's business has been moving towards mobility and many of the products we find ourselves buying can be carried out of the house.<br><br>Apple sold a record 2.3 million Macs in the last quarter and they sold 2.3 million phones!<br><br>If that isn't a strong indication that nobody is overly concerned about accessibility to the phones sealed innards or inaccessible batteries then I don't know what is.<br><br>Wow!<br><br>Excuse me for my temper. I'm gonna go chill...<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Or that you're are somehow immune because you don't own any Apple products?<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>LoL.. Let's see, I've owned an Apple IIe, Apple IIc, Apple IIGS, Mac Centris, two iMacs, B&W G3, G5.. What's that again about not owning any Apple products? I've owned them for a quarter century!<br><br>But what I don't do anymore like many in this forum still do is to make excuses for a products deficiencies. All of the Apple products have had fantastic traits, and traits that were far less than desirable. I used to overlook those bad traits, but you know what? That's stupid. Apple products have flaws just like all the others.<br><br>In my book, a $1700 machine with a battery that is deemed not user replaceable is a rip off. I don't pull punches I call it like I see it. If people don't like that, tough! I said many times I think it's a sexy machine. I want one! But I won't buy one for the reasons I've stated. Yes, I know I CAN replace the battery, but I shouldn't have to go through the hassle of disassembling the machine to do so.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

You should try opening a Mini and replacing the HD. It isn't as difficult as it appears. <br><br><br>

but I shouldn't have to go through the hassle of disassembling the machine to do so<br><br>Yeah right. This coming from someone who builds PCs. LOL! Are you even listening to yourself?<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

Just an informative article.<br><br>&#63743; &#63743; &#63743; &#63743;

The only one in this conversation making is excuses is you sergeant baxter...<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>In my book, a $1700 machine with a battery that is deemed not user replaceable is a rip off.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Agreed!<br>And I don't care how 'thin & sexy' the machine looks.<br>IMHO, it's overpriced anyway...<br><br>[color:blue][/b]Hodie mihi. Cras tibi.</font color=blue>[/b]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Yeah right. This coming from someone who builds PCs. LOL! Are you even listening to yourself?<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Let's see, if I need to replace a component in my PC I simply pop the side off and replace the part. I don't even need a screwdriver because the case is tooless. <br><br>Exactly what does that have to do with replacing a battery in a notebook?<br><br>Yes, I am listening to myself. I must hold Apple to a higher standard than you do, apparently. What's wrong with wanting an easily replaceable battery? There's zero reason for it to not have one. Mike is in complete agreement with me!<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

MHO, it's overpriced anyway...<br><br>It matters not. Apple will sell enough to recoup its investment even if it isn't even close to perfection. <br><br>Now that Apple's engineers have finally delivered this pet project, not to mention they actually got Intel to rework their pride & joy chip to make it even smaller, proving Apple has muscle and integrity to reinvent what was once perceived as near-perfect, they can begin to focus on the next big thing. <br><br>Apple can afford to take risks, even in this economy, because they have R&D money to burn. Meanwhile, before the year is over we are going to see a parade of wannabe look-a-likes from Sony, Dell, Toshiba, and HP all claiming to have more features and are more affordable but we're not going to see thinner or lighter notebooks. No one can compromise with as much finesse and style as Apple. <br><br>Hell Apple probably did this just to prove you can have a full-sized, back-lit keyboard in a notebook-style computer instead of the toy-like keyboards in the PC world.<br><br>Replaceable... mmmh. Where else can we apply that same logic to products we buy that have no user serviceable parts installed?<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

Mike is in complete agreement with me!<br><br>Oh well then hell, I'll just STFU then and leave it at that. Shoot with mike in complete agreement with you I guess that makes my argument look really foolish, as now it's two to one.<br><br>You two are right and Apple should just recall them all and make a public apology to the consumers, the board, and its shareholders for shipping these things with batteries that are not replaceable.<br><br>I guess in some respects it's a good thing these batteries are rechargeable, huh? So at least those first few suckers who get stuck with them will be able to extend the life of these batteries.<br><br><br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

This is a totally inane thread and SgtBaxter is a F'n Jerk!<br><br>Apple made this thing as slim as can be and squished in a floppy battery into the slimmest case possible. Any addition to stiffen it as a real replaceable battery would have added thickness and weight.<br><br>So Apple thinks, how do we sell this?<br><br>1) non replaceable because because if we allow someone to replace this under warranty people are going to be screwing their computers up. It is a 67watt charged battery which would torch someone who isn't payng attention. 1.5 % would screw it up.<br><br>2) They know that by 9 months in when someone might actually want a fresh battery a 3rd party will have made one. Cool. Apple makes it with only 9 screws then 10 more and you replace it for an 89 buck 3rd party.<br><br>How exactly is Apple screwing anyone? They have to say it is nonuser replaceable because of that 1.5% which can't handle counting screws with a 00 driver. But if you have two brain cells you can replace it. If you are brain dead someone can do it for what looks to be a 12 minute swap at an Apple Computer store.<br><br>Your subject line means you are officially a F'n Jerk! Especially since I already bought one. This is the computer I have been waiting for. It has one flaw. It is too tall. If the fat as[i][/i]s in front of me in coach rocks all the way back this won't fit on the tray. I want the battery to be harder to extract. Not easier.<br><br>

The G4 Cube? <br>Anybody else remember that? It, too, sacrificed functionality and expandability for the sake of style. And it ended up being discontinued after about 12 months due to poor sales, whereupon it immediately became a collector's item.<br> I think the same fate is in store for the Air.<br>This thing is a 'dud'!<br><br>[color:blue][/b]Hodie mihi. Cras tibi.</font color=blue>[/b]

Ah, that one goes in my favorites and we bring it back up in six months. You compare it to the Cube. The cube didn't have a niche to fit in. The MBA has a niche. A very powerful one. A very lightweight computer one will take to the meeting, on the plane. I've been dying for one. No one was dying for the cube.<br><br>I am not certain since it will be a week before I have one in my hand but I think I can bet you that your post will be posted right up there with the "iPods are so dumb, there are plenty of MP3 players out there" posts.<br><br>I predict it will be very successful. So successful they they diverge two ways. They make it cheaper. Same sort of thing as the intro but 1,200 bucks but not until the first wave. They also come out with the fully loaded. Oh wait, they already did. Well fully loaded but the SSD disk becomes much cheaper as it will. Apple has thought ahead. Removing the optical is as crazy as when the removed the floppy. Insane. That high end MBA will be the killer computer next year when a computer with no moving parts and 120GB drive is not cost prohibitive. Meanwhile the low end one cleans up.<br><br>

I agree with you Sarge, but I think "ripping you off" might be a bit off-target. I mean, no one is going to be forced to buy one of these things. And the people who do buy it will know about the battery issue well ahead of the purchase and be willing to live with it. But I agree that any battery-powered product should be user friendly in regards to something as basic as changing the battery. That's actually my biggest complaint about the iPhone. And yes, there have been a billion iPhones sold and maybe as many of the Air eventually also, but like you said - how difficult could it really be to make the battery on these products (including the iPod) accessible to the user? I wonder how many cordless power tools Black & Decker would sell if you had to ship your drill off every time it needed a new battery, for example?<br><br>Anyway, my 2¢ worth. Flame on!<br><br>

I still have my Cube. Still think it's a work of art. I acknowedge its pitfalls and having owned one I can honestly say that I don't think this is a revisitation of Apple's Cube experience. <br><br>It will do anyting you want it to do provided you don't want to stash 30 gigs of music on it or crunch video.<br><br>But what kind of moron would buy it for that anyway? Seriously? And anyone that got one of these unfreakingbelievably sexy machines with the intention of doing so would deserve to be screwed by the experience.<br><br>People are gonna see this thing in airports and internet cafes. People are gonna talk. In the automotive industry, we see a phenomenon where a car is designed to bolster the marque-- and more often than not-- that car actually looses money itself but winds up being good for the company. Acura never made a lot of money on the NSX or the S2000, but they sold a lot of Civics and RSXs because of them. I think that this perfectly wonderful (for what it is) notebook is perfectly analogous to that. People are gonna see it and they are going to go to the website out of curiosity. They're going to buy MBs and MBPs if they don't buy MBAs.<br><br>

Well the drill is a bad analogy, simply the drill is designed to replace the battery from the get go.<br><br>Walt Mossberg said it the best in his review<br><br>1 - He does NOT nor does he knows anyone who carries an extra battery in the first place - nor do I for that matter. Plus there is always somewhere to plug the MBA in at an airport and even airliners today have power ports to plug in,, not to mention hotels and Inns also have somewhere to plug in.<br><br>2 - If you are the "niche" market that really NEEDs to carry an extra battery - Simply the MBA is NOT for you - do not buy the dang thing and stop the crying about it.<br><br>Bottom Line;<br>If the MBA had a replaceable battery, more standard ports and a DVD drive - It would not be thin nor would it weigh 3 pounds - buy a MB or a MBP for heavens sake.<br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>1 - He does NOT nor does he knows anyone who carries an extra battery in the first place - nor do I for that matter. Plus there is always somewhere to plug the MBA in at an airport and even airliners today have power ports to plug in,, not to mention hotels and Inns also have somewhere to plug in.<br><br>2 - If you are the "niche" market that really NEEDs to carry an extra battery - Simply the MBA is NOT for you - do not buy the dang thing and stop the crying about it.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Exactly, I know of no one with an extra laptop battery.<br><br>------> JD's Trivia game<br><br>------> MCF-MM Trivia game

I agree with you Sarge, but I think "ripping you off" might be a bit off-target.<br><br>A bit off-target? I thought it was extraordinarily clumsy.<br><br>Above all, it's the sniveling and condescension, coming especially from someone who proclaims that the inaccessible battery is the very reason why HE'S not going to buy one and then proffers this as the reason why no one else should buy one either. <br><br>I would think that RAM soldered to the mobo demonstrates a far greater limitation, or being underpowered for power users, but lets not forget we are talking about an ultraportable here and they have always been heavily compromised. If real-world tests indicate battery life is significantly less than the 5-hour life Apple said it achieved then that is a valid complaint and if that is a deal-breaker, won't Apple refund your money? If so, how is that a rip-off?<br><br>All indications are, the battery is user-replaceable within minutes, provided one can use a screwdriver, you ever have a need to replace it, and you can buy one in the aftermarket.<br><br>However, it sounds like one shouldn't take technical advice from baxter because he already admitted that he cannot use a phillips screwdriver without "seriously scratching the ever loving crap out of any of them" and because he mentioned iPods in the same post, I'm sure when using the word "them" he was being all-inclusive of Apple products lacking accessible batteries. It also sounds like he doesn't understand the "proper tool for the job" concept either. Who in their right mind would use a phillips screwdriver to pry the iPod casing apart? A kit was included with the battery replacement I bought from OWC.<br><br>I don't know what to think anymore, he usually comes across as being fairly grounded and though his barbs can be a bit abrasive he does have a terrific sense of humor and he's made me chuckle on more than one occasion. But this "rip-off" stuff is unfortunate if he let's it stand.<br><br>If this notebook fails in the marketplace, it won't be because the battery is not user-replaceable. It'll be because people like baxter go around saying Apple is ripping people off. Once that is thrown out there, they don't hear anything about batteries. All they hear is Apple is ripping people off. As a shareholder and self-proclaimed evangelist, I find it offensive and feel compelled to call him on it.<br><br>I think we can all agree that Apple has never introduced a 1.0 product that wasn't flawed.<br><br>Those roadwarriors who have a need and who can afford to live on the bleeding edge of technology will buy the MBA. Apple is depending on these early adopters to provide constructive criticism in order to make the proper corrections in their action plans. Besides, how much of a real-world testing could a product like this get, especially if it never left the skunkwork lab? Anyway, the early adopters are the one's we should be listening to!<br><br>In another month or so, we can expect Poly to offer his findings and from what we know of him we can expect a thoroughly honest review of the pluses and minuses. In the meantime, if some third-party company can develop an alternate source of portable power for the MBA, it will go along way towards extending the life of this product in the marketplace. It's this halo effect that third-parties thrive on.<br><br>In twenty-five years of using Apple products baxter has never owned a laptop, so why would any roadwarrior take advice from him about the MBA?<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

Over the years I have bought an extra battery a few times so I would have a spare when I run out of juice. It was a total waste of money. I don't think I ever once had the spare when I was running out. Batteries are heavy. The only thing the spare does is get old sitting on the shelf. <br><br><br><br><br>

[color:blue]Those roadwarriors who have a need and who can afford to live on the bleeding edge of technology will buy the MBA.</font color=blue><br><br>"Road warriors" cannot afford a machine, which is so single-purpose, not to say hampered! <br>As I wrote in response to reboots battery question, 3-4 hours won't do for anyone, who works on the road or takes flights longer than a few hours. Moreover, a road-warrior needs to be prepared for all eventualities, and that requires optical drive, several (perhaps old-fashioned) means of interfacing with the environment, and so on.<br><br>The air is a completely different animal. Wanna bet that 60+ % of buyers will be female? ;)<br>This thing is just custom made for the successful urbanite, it is an image and fashion statement as much as a tool.<br>In some interview, Jobs talks about how he and Ives decided on the shape and only then looked for the technical bits to fit inside.<br>Function follows form.<br><br>It will sell, no doubt, and the wow-effect will be substantial, which is, what I believe its main purpose in life is.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Moreover, a road-warrior needs to be prepared for all eventualities, and that requires optical drive, several (perhaps old-fashioned) means of interfacing with the environment, and so on.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Nonsense. A road warrior just needs a laptop sometimes. I have never needed an optical drive on the road. Very rarely do I connect by anything other than wireless. Yes I will be buying the ethernet adapter and the one for hooking to a projector but that's it. <br><br>I am not a girlieman and I did not buy it for a fashion statement. I bought it because it weighs three pounds and runs Safari, Powerpoint and Word.<br><br>People continue to outline who this laptop is for and get it wrong because they are not in the market for it.<br><br>

Function follows form.<br><br>Which is a rarity in the world of technology<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

Wanna bet that 60+ % of buyers will be female?<br><br>I don't know about that, but I do believe this is going to be a big hit on campus.<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

<br>I guess it comes down to the definition of "road warrior", which to me means business: visiting clients in their offices, dealing with suppliers abroad, etc etc. Up to about 7 year ago, I did just that, crisscrossing North America and doing the transatlantic bit every 2 months. I also was responsible for training our distributors' sales forces. In those functions, one never knew what one might encounter.<br><br>If one's tasks are more predictable, then clearly, one can drop features. I also agree that these days WLANs take the place of ethernet wires. Still, there are some gaps, which I find somewhat irksome, like FireWire, which after all, was an Apple invention so to say, and not being able, to use the Air as capture laptop while on vacation, seems a shame.<br><br>By the way, apart from various PowerBooks, I also owned a PowerBook Duo 270, which was the direct ancestor of your Air. ;)<br><br><br><br><br><br>

I had the Duo 2300c and have been waiting for Apple to replace it since. You still haven't told me why an optical drive is needed. Maybe you are thinking back to when you were doing it but a simple 8GB USB2 thumb drive does all the transferring required in a meeting or in an airport. Am I really dying for something on a DVD that someone else has? Not really but transfer it to the thumb drive if I can't do it wirelessly. Am I giving data to someone else? The thumb drives are so cheap here you go and keep it. (I hand them out with my lab logo on the side.)<br><br>The optical drive is going the way of the floppy. An anachronistic leftover which eats the battery even when there isn't anything in it. Good riddance. I bought the low end MBA but the high end one is the future subnotebook. One that has zero moving parts. Hold it up to your ear and there is no hum. Just have to wait for the FlashRam to get cheaper which won't be long.<br><br>

<br>Yes, I guess one needs to rethink some situations.<br><br>A small bootable external USB drive will travel along in the suitcase, and thumbdrives are faster than optical disks anyway.<br>That the battery is enclosed wouldn't bother me, but 3-4 hours battery time are barely adequate.<br>However, 3rd-party developers will probably soon address that "opportunity". <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

Nawwww....I don't think so.<br>The big hit was and still is the MacBook Pro. <br>And the MBA isn't going to make a dent on campus.<br><br>[color:blue][/b]Hodie mihi. Cras tibi.</font color=blue>[/b]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p><br>A bit off-target? I thought it was extraordinarily clumsy.<p><hr></blockquote><p>No, I simply wanted to see who would take the bait, and you were it ;)<br><br>And yeah, you're getting ripped off if you pay $128 for a battery. The same way you're getting ripped off paying Apple $99 for an ipod battery when you can get a higher capacity, higher quality one for $20. Apple's just made it more difficult for you to replace then they should have.<br><br>Seriously I find the battery situation in Apples products troubling. You say this is a 1.0 product. I say wait for the 2.0 product and let's see if the battery isn't soldered to the board when Apple realizes people aren't falling for their money making scheme. $1700 for a device that will be dead in 2 years from normal use isn't something to jump for joy about.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>As a shareholder and self-proclaimed evangelist, I find it offensive and feel compelled to call him on it.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>As a shareholder also, I feel it's my duty to call Apple on their BS. Especially when I see posts and blogs 1000 time harsher than this thread. I can think of ways to make this thing with an easily replaceable battery and be as thin and look no different. Why can't Apple?<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Who in their right mind would use a phillips screwdriver to pry the iPod casing apart? A kit was included with the battery replacement I bought from OWC.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>I think it's you who missed the point entirely. Why on earth should a company like Apple who likes to claim all kinds of "green" initiatives like recycling, etc... make a product that requires millions of these crappy plastic tools be made to replace a battery? The iPod, iPhone and yes.. the Macbook Air should all have cases that can open without the need for any tools.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p><br>Over the years I have bought an extra battery a few times so I would have a spare when I run out of juice. It was a total waste of money.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Ahhh, but this isn't about having a spare battery. That's not what the airbook is for. It's about Apple telling people they need to surrender their computer for a week and fork over $125 to replace a battery in two and a half years when the battery in this thing has oxidized and it only runs for 40 minutes on a charge.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>It's about Apple telling people they need to surrender their computer for a week and fork over $125 to replace a battery in two and a half years when the battery in this thing has oxidized and it only runs for 40 minutes on a charge.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br> Exactly!!<br>And that -for me- is unacceptable.<br><br>[color:blue][/b]Hodie mihi. Cras tibi.</font color=blue>[/b]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p> That's not what the airbook is for. It's about Apple telling people they need to surrender their computer for a week and fork over $125 to replace a battery in two and a half years when the battery in this thing has oxidized and it only runs for 40 minutes on a charge.<p><hr></blockquote><p>What Apple says today and what I do to replace that battery 18 months from now are going to be two completely different things. Apple has to say "Apple replacement only" because if they did not they would be liable for every moron who scratches and pries out the old battery with a Phillips screwdriver breaking their computer. (You described yourself, I didn't. )<br><br>There are no alternatives today because no one will be replacing their battery unless under warranty for at least a year. In one year's time the accessory market for the MBA will go nuts. I would expect a dozen places selling the replacement battery for 49 to 89 bucks. <br><br>And where do you get "surrender for a week?" Didn't you watch the movie? They took the battery out of the MBAir in all of about 90 seconds. I would expect Apple will do this in the store while you wait. Maybe I'll have to go have lunch at P. F. Chiang's and pick it up after dessert. I'll be dropping more for lunch than the battery cost but both are worth it.<br><br>Admit it: 1) This computer is not for you although you lust for it. 2) Your frothing at the mouth about this is getting embarrassing. 3) Your subject line to start this thread was bait only used because you are a needy person who wants attention. But since you have a thick skin I know you will not cyber-stalk me. <br><br><br>

You people are still trying to change each others minds about this?<br><br>------> JD's Trivia game<br><br>------> MCF-MM Trivia game

I have changed my mind. If I was swapping the battery out today I think I would get the Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps and the pan fried Peking Dumplings for an appetizer followed by the Salt and Pepper Prawns for my lunch. The only thing up in the air would be if I could convince my date to get the Sichuan from the Sea Calamari since I love the red chili garlic sauce and we could share.<br><br>But I could change my mind on all of that and switch to the Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon steamed with ginger. <br><br>

They're just ripping you off, the chicken is cat unless you can identify the pieces.<br><br>------> JD's Trivia game<br><br>------> MCF-MM Trivia game

That's the Meo Meow Gai Pan. Tastes like kitty ... litter. You need to try a different take out place. If you see the kitchen help in the alley, "here kitty kitty" you should move on.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>