Buzz Out Loud Lounge: Macbook Air
Simple
by PortVista - 1/15/08 6:46 PM In reply to: Big Kick in the Nuts by AkyanRemoving features simplifies the decision making process: should I bring an extra battery on the trip? And maybe a DVD or two to watch?
Well ok maybe rip some DVD's to watch, oh wait that's illegal and there's not a lot of hard drive space. The correct answer is buy all your movies AGAIN as low res downloads off iTunes! And then go back and buy them again plus $1 to get the "HD" version.
Well, what about bringing some games on the trip? That would be fun if it weren't for the fact that most games require the DVD to be inserted.
The correct answer is forget all that, because you got a really cool touch pad that lets you rotate pictures and resize text on some websites that allow resizing text, that is if you have internet access on the plane. But what could be more fun than that?!?
Can I load Vista on it?
by PortVista - 1/15/08 1:32 PM In reply to: Macbook Air by AkyanIf I can wipe out Mac OS and put Vista on it, it would be useful to me.
Macbook Air
by wizkids32 - 1/15/08 2:42 PM In reply to: Macbook Air by AkyanToo Keep it that thin you all can't have a DVD at all if you put a DVD player/burner it won't be that thin at all that is what you have to sacrifice and I bet that they will have an external battery so that you can get more battery life out of it 5 hours is really short for a Laptop computer.
say, 'member the Apple patent with the bottom loading disc..
by shawnlin - 1/15/08 3:00 PM In reply to: Macbook Air by wizkids32say, 'member the Apple patent with the bottom loading disc (CD-DVD) - I'll bet they just couldn't fit it in...this time 
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/ultraportable-macbook-to-carry-optical-drive-in-its-belly-231436.php
Best,
Shalin
Lacking
by LNahid2000 - 1/15/08 3:30 PM In reply to: Macbook Air by AkyanNo Ethernet port, no user replaceable battery, one USB port, no optical drive, $1800. What were they thinking?
3 pounds is what they were thinking
by Nicholas Buenk - 1/15/08 5:22 PM In reply to: Lacking by LNahid2000For certain people, ie journalists, this is ideal.
There's always compromises in an ultraportable.
Re: 3 pounds is what they were thinking
by LNahid2000 - 1/15/08 5:47 PM In reply to: 3 pounds is what they were thinking by Nicholas BuenkBut there are other laptops out there that are 3lb, have a user replaceable battery, an ethernet port, more than one USB port, and a lower cost. With the Macbook Air, you are sacrificing those things only for aesthetics and thinness.
Well
by Nicholas Buenk - 1/15/08 8:14 PM In reply to: Re: 3 pounds is what they were thinking by LNahid2000These days you can quite easily do without optical or ethernet.
I see the battery as an issue though because they tend to fail often.
I sure can't live without ethernet
by LNahid2000 - 1/15/08 8:55 PM In reply to: Well by Nicholas BuenkI sure can't live without ethernet. I live in a building with a few hundred college students, who almost all have wireless access points running, so my wireless internet is very finicky. Plugging in a wire is the only way for me to have reliable internet since there is too much interference with all the wireless access points in this building.
yeah, photo journalists would probably love this...
by shawnlin - 1/15/08 6:37 PM In reply to: 3 pounds is what they were thinking by Nicholas Buenkalthough Nokia and Reuters are developing a full kit for reporters. It would be interesting to see how the two would compare...
Best,
Shalin
Ugg... This reminds me of the Cube
by fuzzywombat - 1/15/08 10:51 PM In reply to: Macbook Air by AkyanThere is limit to how much you let the outer design dictate feature set and I think MacBook Air went little overboard there. Thin is good thing but I think the designer shaved little too deep to the bone. Here are things I don't like about MacBook Air:
* No ethernet port. What were they thinking?
* Single USB port. Oh gee... That means carrying around a USB hub becomes prerequisite. It needs to have at the minimum two USB ports.
* No firewire port. This is first mac to not have a firewire port since firewire came to existence. This is not a huge deal but it's a downgrade nontheless.
* No audio input port. Griffin does make a little USB device for audio input but it's still a kludge. Did I mention it has only one USB port?
* No remote. Opps. Minor oversight but since low end MacBook has one why should MacBook Air be left out?
The deal breaker is the hard drive. First of all 80GB is just too small. That 80GB will get filled up in no time when you start downloading music and tv shows. Secondly the hard drive is the same 4200rpm mini hard drive that's in an iPod classic. It's one thing to use this slow hard drive in a portable media player but it's entirely another to use it for a laptop to run applications. I just can't see how Apple thought this was an acceptable compromise. And don't get me started on that $1000 SSD 64GB option.
This is why I think MacBook Air kinda reminds me of the Cube. The Cube looked really nice but I never understood why anyone would want that. The physical aesthetics of the machine took on the primary importance while too many unrealistic compromises were made because of it and the end result was something of an oddity that did not fit into either consumer nor professional market. Cube was a failure and I'm afraid MacBook Air may end in a same faith.
Old Processor
by RDO CA - 1/18/08 9:12 PM In reply to: Ugg... This reminds me of the Cube by fuzzywombatThey also used the old 65nm processor instead of Intels new 45nm core
which equates to less batt life and without the ability to replace the batt? pretty but no thanks--just way too many drawbacks and a high price for what you get.
It's a low voltage part
by Nicholas Buenk - 1/19/08 1:48 AM In reply to: Old Processor by RDO CA17 watts compared to 35 watts.
Don't forget about applecare
by z3ro1 - 1/16/08 7:53 AM In reply to: Macbook Air by AkyanAdd another $249 for applecare since you probably won't be able to repair it yourself.
Amazing.... BUT....
by gcsri0tgirl - 1/18/08 9:26 PM In reply to: Macbook Air by AkyanI think Apple is amazing and ever since I got my MacBook, I've been hooked on Apple. Absolute genius and this is definitely another revolutionary invention. I love the fact that it is 3lbs. Perfect for students, such as myself. I feel like I'm about to break my shoulder carrying around my laptop along with my books in my backpack.
However, I would be terrified to have it. You're paying about $1800 for a laptop that is extremely fragile, or at least thats what it looks like.
The features look amazing but I think my main concern, aside from the price - obviously speaking as a student - is just how fragile it really is. Other than that, I think it is amazing and PC needs to step it up and actually attempt to be Mac's competition again.
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