Apple MacBook Air Review @ DH

Zardon

There are a lot of things I don't understand myself, but to make such an ignorant statement after all the information posted here (and I would hope by now that the regulars would at least listen to what I say) today just proves that some people have totally blinkered views on many things. Its a common trait on forums such as these anyway as is to be expected.

Pretty simple to understand, when people travel or move around a lot they want maximum portability. There are various ways to get this portability, the macbook air goes for extreme thinness which means its really easy to carry between your arm and torso.

Not sure the point you are making or in relation to what exactly..... to a specific audience the OS isnt important (as it can be modded back and forward) however in the real world, most people don't want to buy a machine and start modding it to run another OS. Obviously the crowd on DriverHeaven will do that (OSx to vista/xp and vice versa) but to dismiss an operating system and installation as "nothing specific" is really a broad statement which isn't actually realistic.

Again the expensive thing I find rather misleading. You can buy a Macbook air here for £1199 and if you buy the USB2 self powered superdrive its another £65. This is several hundreds less than many other ultraportables. I know people argue the fact that the drive isn't "in" the unit is a downside, but I personally find it an "upside", I dont need the drive when im moving, but like the option when im at home or in a building to use it if needed. Very rarely I would use it however so I can discard it totally for maximum portability if I so need. Seems a nice option to me.

5 hours isn't enough? seems pretty good to me. Most other ultra portables Ive tested last 2.5-3 max. If you use applications like coolbook you can actually undervolt the laptop and I managed to wrangle 6 hours out of it......

Really? Obviously you haven't read my posts in this thread or the review correctly, because I have used this unit for presentations, internet work and even designing, uploading and maintaining aspects of this site on the move.

Sandok

... If I'd never used a MBA, your remark might be valid but unfortunately, it isn't. I read the thread, read the review, I'm totally in disagreement and apart from a few sites, most websites agree that the MBA is more form over function.

A quarter of an inch is that important? I mean, I can fit my laptop quite easily in between my arms and torso too... Personally, what's more important is the fact that a laptop must be relatively small in overall surface and I can't think of many 12-13" laptops that fail that...


You didn't read my post very well? I said, given that Mac offers another laptop in the 13" segment with various specs, the OS is not the sole determing factor for a MBA is it? If you wanted a thing light laptop, the typical MB falls into that catagory as well? Thus, my comment.

I have loved my laptops without their DVD drives (saves on tons of weight) but to say the MBA is not expensive is just blind in my opinion.

Let's compare some small laptops shall we (Swiss prices)?

MacBook 1449 CHF to 1999 CHF depending on components
MacBook Air 2499 CHF to 3496 CHF depending on components
Dell XPS M1310 1349 CHF to 1649 CHF depending on components

And etc (Dell Vostro, Acer laptops, Alienware if you want, etc... Plenty of choice)

Now a GRAND of difference in CHF is a lot when a MacBook doesn't offer much less (on the technical side) than the MacBook Air don't you think? That IS expensive.

My typical day at college is longer than 5 hours so no, not really. My dad's business laptop (a Dell Latitude 430 without any DVD drive and such) lasts almost 9 hours with all the bells and whistles like WiFi on so I take it some people need more.

I did read, I read that part, I never said the MBA can't do computing for crying out loud. If you would read my post, you'd realize that my major gripe about the MBA is not a Dell, not a Acer, not any of those other laptops but Apple's MacBook which, for a thousand francs less, offers identical performance and slightly more battery life for about half an inch of thickness and half a kilo extra.

BlueMak

I can't believe I am going to write this.

If I needed something powerful and was going to be on the move all the time, I fail to see how any other notebook is as good as the Air.
Regarding DVD/CDROM drive, I hardly ever use it in my desktop PC! Install the rare case of a game that is not downloaded (steam, stardock, matrixgames, gamersgate etc), and install Windows...and that's about it. For temp files I use a USB stick of 8GB and if I needed more, I could buy a larger one.
The half or one kilo less of the Air is a very important issue as is the half an inch or whatever of smaller dimensions. At least to me.
Case in point, I needed to buy a notebook for my trip/move to the UK this September (17th ) and I will need it a lot, carry it perhaps every day with me during my last year at the university and elsewhere. I was very lucky that my mother decided to buy it for me (shocked more like!) so while I couldn't afford something like the Air unless I put some money too, I could buy a powerful enough system, perhaps even more powerful than the Air. I didn't. I ordered a netbook (which has yet to arrive...) solely for the reduced size and weight, even if it is much less powerful, because when you are in the move all the time, every 100gr matter! The half a kilo or a kilo or more of weight saved can either make it that much easier for you at the end of the day when you are excausted, or easier to carry other things.
The netbook does not have a cdrom drive either. I even bought an external USB powered drive for that. Reason is I rarely use it and when I do I am at "home" anyway. Plus it is less than 400gr (the dvdrw usb powered drive) in the rare case I need to get it with me.

If I could easily afford the Air, I would buy it, though I would probably just install Vista (if it is possible).

The only big thing about the Air that I don't like is the battery that is not user replaceable and I don't exactly trust Apple for cheap spare parts.

So, if mobility and smaller weight is important to you and you want power, I can't see why to NOT buy the Air.

Plus, I have to admit, I love the keyboard.

Zardon

I have absolutely no interest in "other" websites or other reviewers. I review a product based on my own findings, experience and knowledge.

If I believed half of the reviewers or critics on the net, I would still be using windows 98. Windows vista is apparently Satan in code form .... which always makes me chuckle.

A quarter of an inch in superportable terms is MASSIVE. By definition this is the whole point of the sector. Your personal view is just that, your personal view. For you to come into this thread and basically say something is "crap" just sums up your level of argument.

The standard Macbook is considerably larger than the Air. I have three mac portables in the house right now and I know which one I always reach for when im on the move. That says it all.

Why Swiss prices? its hardly a basis for the world economy, it might be relevant to you, however in the UK something like the Sony Vaio TZ is more expensive than the Macbook air, and the cpu is slower. There are many more in this sector. As for Dell or Alienware, they dont make anything in the same category as the Macbook air (and alienware are massively expensive re our reviews).

Of course some people need more, thats probably why Dell have made a laptop with 19 hour battery life (since when is bells and whistles "Wifi"? I always take battery readings with Wifi active). your points however are not for the superportable sector which this machine is firmly rooted in. This is a failing many reviewers and people like yourself are making, they are comparing this machine to basically anything, in any given field.


You miss the point totally and there is not need to get excited (a half an inch and a half a kilo! thats huge for this marketplace!!). I read your post and your points are inaccurate and incorrect. I have addressed them in this thread several times and have highlighted why the macbook air is such a brilliant all round machine for the category it is in.

You have derailed the thread a little with your ranting, so I would kindly ask you to move on elsewhere now.

Zardon

Yes that is a good point, its a flaw with the machine and I hope when apple release the followup that this is addressed.

And in relation to another question you asked, yes you can install Vista. Apple even include "bootcamp" which lets you do just this. Dual OS is possible. I would like to have covered this in the review but I didn't have the time.

We are publishing a rather good article shortly on Mac OSx and Vista which should prove interesting

BlueMak

Very nice

Falstaff

I guess if your not solidly behind the Mac air any opinion is subordinate LOL
whatever....
they have sold out of the 22 inch desktops and the little Air remains forlorn on the pedestal.
Perhaps people think its just a toy,
perhaps more clever marketing will renew interest
perhaps..
ah never mind.

Zardon

No.

like everything we review there is a specific market for that particular product. It is a little like comparing a 280 GTX with a 4850. Its a different marketplace.

If people don't like the macbook air, thats perfectly fine, but I would rather a sensible view was aired rather than something is "crap" or that its just a quarter of an inch thinner than something else.

dj_stick

if the macbook air supports booting for a USB drive like a mac pro/imac does, you'll be able to install Vista onto a flash drive/external drive and boot from, in addition to partitioning the system drive (the normal bootcamp option), just in case you need the extra storage space

BlueMak

I could easily take this as a sneaky blow against me. I will not reply as I would like so that we don't go off topic. Simple reply, you are mistaken.

I am not a fan of Apple products, never have been even from the 80s when I was an Atari ST and later Amiga, guy. Regarding the Air, it's quite simple as far as I am concerned. If you are looking for a powerful and as light as possible notebook, there is nothing better right now than the Apple and if you belong to the group of people that require this, it is not even expensive considering what it offers.

BlueMak

That would be very good. I am not sure how good solution in terms of speed would a flash drive be, but either partitioning the system drive or an externa HDD sound good enough to me.