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Early Review of 11" Macbook Air
adeelarshad82 writes "Apple's latest entry into the ultraportable space is no netbook, even though it's the closest the company has come to making one. Its chassis is, amazingly, even thinner than the original MacBook Air, with a screen two sizes smaller. Moreover, the MacBook Air's 11.6-inch widescreen is not the only first for Apple; so is its 1,366-by-768 resolution. Although Apple found a way to squeeze in two USB ports and a speedy solid-state drive (SSD), the MacBook Air (11-inch) is not nearly as feature-packed or as fast as the rest of the MacBook family, primarily because its 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 Ultra-Low Voltage (ULV) processor is running on previous-generation Intel technology. Still, it will give the latest batch of Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) laptops a run for their money."
I like having a thin laptop, but I think this one might be a bit too thin. There comes a point where sturdiness plays a role. Even if it's as solid as a rock, I would constantly be worried about it being cracked due to it's crazy-thin profile.
I like the fact that it comes with a USB stick instead of the standard "recovery disc"...good call on that one, Apple.
Living With a Nerd
And why exactly is the new 11" Air *not* a netbook? Sounds like we are mincing words here...
Its a damn netbook, and not even a full year after Steve claimed at the iPad keynote that netbooks have no use...
I'm typing this on a Mac Mini (running FreeBSD), but still the MB Air seems like a lot of money to me for a netbook running OS X. Especially when you see how nice Ubuntu is (for n00b types, anyway) on a netbook that costs half as much or less...
Caveat Utilitor
Just because someone says it isn't a netbook doesn't make it true.
In case you're interested, Ars has a good piece on why Apple chose the Core 2 instead of an i-series chip. Basically it boils down to
a) Graphics performance. The integrated graphics on the i-series can't touch Nvidia's 320M, and Nvidia hasn't come out an equivalent for Arrandale yet.
b) Arrandale needs a separate memory controller, and there's no room for it on the MBA's tiny motherboard.
Good points, though I still want to see head-to-head performance numbers to see if the choice was a good one.
Dislike the Electoral College? Lobby your state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
How can you guys say this is a netbook? It's WAY too expensive.
No ethernet? No laptop.
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
But, I bet you read the article about the new version of the Linux kernel and didn't whine about that, right?
Just turn off the Apple section or stop clicking the links.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
If you think a link to a review is an ad, that suggests you simply don't like Apple and don't want to see them reviewed favorably in any form. What other reason could you possibly have? Otherwise, you would have just not replied to the story out of disinterest. In other words, though you accuse the site of bias, the only bias is from you.
I thought I checked that "Ads disabled" option checkbox at the top of /. page
I hate to break it to you, but we geeks really do have an appetite for blinky things that cost money. I can only imagine the amount of emotional turmoil this site is causing you.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
I heard rumours of this system and held off on a new laptop purchase until after the announcement in the hopes they'd release something at a reasonable price tag and with hardware I'd like.
And they didn't.
$999 for the 11" cheap version of a system with a CPU that is already outdated? No thanks.
Instead, I bought an ASUS U30Jc: Core I3, 4G of RAM, 13.3" screen, aluminum, replaceable battery, relatively light, albeit not as thin as the macbook, and all for $200 less. Throw in an SSD and we're still at $100 less.
I mean, 1.4GHz? The used laptop I sold for $200 last week had a 1.6GHz dual core.
Is that what constitutes a review today?
It reads like an ad for Toshiba. The battery life wasn't compared, they performed a test, declared it awful while acknowledging the test was completely unfair and they didn't do the same on the other devices compared. Statements like that in an article are intended to put a bad taste in someones mouth, while its dismissal is intended to imply they are being fair by not using it in the comparison.
Complete lack of professionalism.
I want you I need you But-there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you Now don't be sad 'Cause two out of three ain't bad
Am I going to buy one? Let me sleep on it, baby, baby Let me sleep on it... Let me sleep on it, I'll give ya my answer in the morning. Apple Clerk: "I gotta know right now!"
Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
Yet.
Steve Jobs:
"Hey, remember when I said that netbooks aren't good at anything and that they're just cheap laptops?
Well... I fixed the cheap part!"
http://twitter.com/object404
Not for long, the way things are going.
1) because it has a real laptop processor in it...netbooks are usually characterized by their anemic Atom processor.
2) because it is too thin and high quality to be a netbook
3) because it has a full sized keyboard and a large touch pad
Well, to be fair, when Netbooks first started coming out it was $200-$400 for a netbook versus $800-$1000 for a laptop.
The advantages the Netbooks offered were portability (size/weight), with a tradeoff for power/ease of use (battery/cpu/gpu/smaller screen and keyboard).
Additionally, the low price compared to a "real" laptop, meant there was less worry involved in them getting damaged, so you could (for instance) give one to a younger child and if they broke it, go buy another.
The specs and price of "Netbooks" have since crept up quite a bit, and the price of laptops has dropped to the point that there is currently less disparity between a small low end laptop and a large high end netbook, but things weren't always like this.
This space for rent. All reasonable inquiries will be entertained at proprietors discretion.
Because now you can shave with it.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Uhhh...why not have both? I've been selling my customers looking for a thin and light the new AMD Neo x2 based netbooks and they are nothing but happy. It has the smaller screen and better battery life while coming with 2Gb of RAM (easily upgradeable to 4Gb) and a nice Radeon 3200 GPU (sure beats the Intel GPU you usually get) and can be gotten at Newegg and the like for around $450. Sure it isn't gonna be as fast as the $500 one, but it also isn't gonna weigh a ton or cause you to need to carry around an extra bag. These things are just 3 lbs and play video nice and smooth on Windows 7 HP. My customers are quite happy with them and after setting up so many I've decided to get my oldest one for class, as it'll be just the perfect size for him to carry around in his book bag at the college while still giving him enough ooomph he can relax with a video or probably play his LOTRO with it.
As for TFA? Must be nice to be rich. The rest of us have kids and GFs (oh, this is /. those aren't supposed to exist, sorry honey. She just rolled her eyes and said "nerds") and bills and frankly I could buy both kids a Neo based netbook and have cash left over for the price of a single MBA, and that of course is without figuring in the Applecare, which is extra for the extended warranty, yes? I really gotta give old Steve credit, he took a company that had been turned into total shit by the Pepsi guy and in just a couple of years turned it into a company that prints money. Give credit where it is due, the man knows how to get his customers to shell out the $$$$.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
Machines like this don't need the latest and greatest CPU. There were very few things that I do on my original air that tax its CPU. That's because I'm not editing video, etc on it. You basically have grown-up machine that you can do actual work on and it's not much bigger than an iPad.
Do I see a need to have both an ipad and an air? Probably not. If you have an ipad already, then chances are you would be better served with a larger laptop.
As far as the ethernet port. On a machine like this, it's not that important. I have a USB ethernet dongle and I've used it 2-3 times.
As much as people want to kvetch and moan about this, I can see the 11" MBA decimating the basic Plastic Macbook sales. They are priced the same yet here you get slicker design, more portability, SSD, aluminum case. I don't think either serves as a main computer, so why not go for the extra portability.
As far as Jobs building a netbook (I hate that designation) after saying Apple wouldn't, what he actually said Netbooks are just cheap laptops, all they did better was be cheaper. Clearly this isn't Apple moving into sub $500 laptops (and it also not Atom powered with horrid graphics). This is not Apples Netbook.
I think they are viable options that will move a lot more MBA, but naturally the same people that complain about every Apple product will complain about these.
...a few words.
First, all who are saying that thickness is unimportant should try one. This thing is thin and small enough to slip into a bag all by itself and once in there it's light enough you hardly notice it at all anymore. What's not to like about that?
The keyboard is the same size as all Mac keyboards and feels very much the same, the trackpad the same width as in the other MacBooks but not quite as high. Works perfectly well though and I did not miss a mouse. The screen is a bit smaller of course, but has the same resolution as the 13" MB and MBP.
The machine felt surprisingly snappy, the SSD and rather fast GPU seem to compensate for the not so fast CPU just fine.
There's no TRIM support in the (Apple-branded) SSD according to System Profiler.
All in all it feels like a real laptop when you use it and almost like nothing when you carry it. I liked it very much and had my credit card nearly jumping out of my pocket.
Fuck everything, we're doing 1 big blade. (or maybe 2 when in the open setting - shhh don't complicate things)
+5 funny. Only thing is I bet most of the /. crowd is too young to know the song.
As opposed to your personal distortion field that insists it is iCrap because it is made by Apple. :)
Your Aspire One with no SSD, smaller screen, lower resolution, twice the thickness, 6 ounces more weight..
It does include a web cam (Now called face time camera). I can not find your reference to room for in any of the specs..
No, the Aspire is quite a bit slower. It runs at a higher clock speed, but a Core2 Duo is going to get more (much more!) work done per time unit.
You can't just look at the clock speed and say "the one running at a higher megahurtz is faster lol" because that only worked in the old days, or when comparing processors of nearly identical internal design.
>>>Your Aspire One with no SSD, smaller screen, lower resolution...
Oh here we go. You remind me of when I visited a car lot a few years ago. I told the salesman, "I told you all I wanted was a basic car for around $15,000. Why are you trying to sell me a $30,000 luxury model with a lot of ____ I don't need? Good bye." - Same applies to your Aspire v. 11" Macbook comparison. Some people don't want to spend almost $1000 on a machine. Some people are perfectly happy with $200 PC or $300 aspire.
Another thing: 768p screen? Really? Mine has 1024p and it's a few years old. I'm not sure I understand why Apple is going backwards? (Uh oh... here come the Applefanboys to mark me "troll") (Not even allowed to give an opinion anymore... like dealing with damn Bible-thumpers.)
.
>>>Feedback on this comment system?
It sucks. I hate this dynamic index.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
Not defending either machine, just straightening your facts.
The Acer is more extensible, with user-replaceable battery, savvy-user-replaceable hard drive and RAM (though the RAM is a total pain to get to, not just a door on the back, everything has to come out to get at it) and the possibility for a lot more storage as laptop hard drives get bigger. If it gets stolen, and your data on it is backed up and protected from malcontents, it's $300 and not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.
The Macbook is much thinner, a little lighter, significantly more powerful with it's 64-bit dual core processor, has reportedly better battery life (Apple's reporting has been pretty close to reality lately) and a full-sized keyboard and almost full-sized multi-touch trackpad (compared to the postage stamp Acer calls a trackpad,) slightly larger screen with quite a bit higher resolution, higher resolution webcam, much faster but more limited storage, can be configured with 4gb RAM (must be done at config time, part of the logic board) and for those that care, Apple's customer service and reliability are rated much higher (per the keynote video.)
Between the two? I'm probably going with the Macbook Air. I don't mind the premium for what I think will be better usability. I'm a larger gentleman with larger hands, and I haven't found a netbook keyboard and/or trackpad yet I want to use for more than a few minutes at a time... too small, slash key and period/comma keys are half size, etc. While the machines are similar in size, the MBAir has it beaten quite soundly in specs. It's really easy to say "haha, Jobs-o made a netbook after putting them down..." but he really didn't. This is no netbook. I had a netbook for two months, gave it to my mother, and I'll never own one again.
Of course it's iCrap because it is made by Apple! Otherwise it would be Krap, GCrap or MS Crap.
But... the future refused to change.
check out the dell m101z, for 500 bucks you have an 11,6 screen, a decent size hdd (which you can replace with an ssd if you want) and an AMD dual core CULV CPU
Granted, the cpu probably is slightly lower then the intel CULV in this new apple, but there is no way the apple is twice as good in terms of specs
Not meaning to argue, just ask a question... What kind of display is in the Dell? I don't believe Apple uses the low-end TN panels that are found in most netbooks.
A friend of mine was bragging about his new HP 27" display (not on a netbook obviously!) as "just as good as the Apple Cinema Displays, but cost hundreds less", but you get a few degrees off-center from his monitor and the color goes all wonky. Display quality does make a difference (FWIW I've got my Mac laptop plugged into a very good quality Dell monitor right now).
#DeleteChrome
Another thing: 768p screen? Really? Mine has 1024p and it's a few years old.
Who makes an 11" ultraportable with a 1080p screen ?
Heck, I'm not even sure I'd want such a thing. 1366x768 on 11" will be squinty enough as it is.
The rest of us have kids and GFs (oh, this is /. those aren't supposed to exist, sorry honey. She just rolled her eyes and said "nerds")
Does she always read over your shoulder when you are on /.? I would inform her that doing so makes her a "nerd" as well.
Hmm, well I absolutely love the 1920x1200 on my 15.4" HP workstation laptop, and thats 147.02ppi.
This new MacBook Air is only 135.09ppi. Not bad at all but it's still a bit less than I would be used to in a laptop.
If it was 1440x900 on 11.6" it would be 146.39ppi. That is actually what I would love to see.
Costs around $250 less than a Maxed 15" Mac Book Pro
(including Apple Care)
Food for thought.
Although that is mostly due the cost of the 512GB SSD in the MBP.
Like anyone can even know that
It may have a faster clock speed than the 11" MacBook Air but it does *not* have a faster processor. Your Aspire One has an Atom processor while the 11" Air has a Core 2 Duo processor, which does more, clock for clock. Looking at the GeekBench Results Browser, It looks like the 11" Air scores are at least double what your Aspire One's score would be.
Then back the kwality up with a warranty.
Apple delivers a standard one year warranty which you can pop to 3, Dell provides the same warranty but extends to 4 years AND I've never so much as talked to a Dell rep since I'm certified, I just RMA my own hardware without an issue. Can't do that for the Mac w/o a huge hassle. I won't mention that we replace more power supplies out of Macs than we do Dell desktops and its not uncommon for a crapped out PS to toast the entire Mac.
FWIW, the OP can buy an AMD Neo whatever now, pocket the other $500 bucks and buy a newer model when the original dies. Now he's still spent less than the MBA and he's got newer faster hardware. And honestly, he can probably scrap parts out of the old netbook if he desires. After three years your non-replaceable battery has shortened up it's lifespan to the point where it's easier to measure in minutes than hours and if our customers are any example, at least one hinge is busted and you've lost a key.
Logically you can't both resell your laptop and keep it for the long hall. Either it dies and you buy a new one, or you sell it and it's a case of diminishing returns, no one will want your four year old MBA badly enough to let you buy another one anyway.
Eventually you too will realize that all hardware sucks, all software sucks and all technology sucks. Or you'll still be a fanboi, either way I'm too old and tired to give a crap as long are you're too stupid to care.
I have a first generation MacBook Air. Although it's generally pretty good, if I try to watch video for any length of time (netflix or skype video) it always overheats, turns off one of the cores, and then becomes unusable for video (one core on its own can't keep up). If the new Airs are better at video I'd love to get one to replace mine!
I don't get what is so difficult. If you don't want a $999 11" machine, then don't buy it. Who cares? This machine isn't for you, any more than a Porsche 911 is for me. I don't spend too much time going in depth about cars I'll never own. So why spend time bitching about a computer you'll never own? For the specs, and in comparison to the Sony 11" machines (of which the Air is the closest to) the price is very much on par. it's not a 1.4" thick plastic laptop with a cheap Atom processor and slow hard drive.
SSDs _are_ flash drives.
They're considerably faster than the ones you plug into a USB port, but they're basically the same thing.
As for the desktop monitor you mentioned, just sounds like the usual IPS vs. TN. HP does have their own IPS monitors, in fact they actually are one of the very few companies that actually make the panels (And supply them to e.g. Dell).
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