Macbook Air

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:15 am

noisetonepause wrote:
b0unce wrote:kool, a 17yr old hard drive. how much data can it hold ? 128mb ?
who gives a shit if that needs a fan or not, hardly worth comparing
120 mb.

I also have a 20mb drive somewhere. and it IS worth comparing, because that drive is a 44 pin 2.5" IDE drive which is technically exactly like the one in the iBook I'm writing this on. It would even fit in it. So nerr.

hateful lies!

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:30 am

b0unce wrote:
noisetonepause wrote:
b0unce wrote:kool, a 17yr old hard drive. how much data can it hold ? 128mb ?
who gives a shit if that needs a fan or not, hardly worth comparing
120 mb.

I also have a 20mb drive somewhere. and it IS worth comparing, because that drive is a 44 pin 2.5" IDE drive which is technically exactly like the one in the iBook I'm writing this on. It would even fit in it. So nerr.
hateful lies!

Yes!

Except it's not.

AndyJapan · Post by **AndyJapan** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:53 am

msodrew wrote:The Macbook Air is not suitable for a mobile audio workstation.

- Slower Processor
- Crawling HDD (4200rpm ipod sized 1.8" one) unless you pay 1 grand to upgrade to solid state
- Standard/Maximum 2GB ram
- No firewire
- No expresscard
- Ultra expensive to get it up to decent specs ($3k)

This is suited for rich college kids, the traveling screenwriter, the traveling businessman, or someone who just wants the pure steeze of having the lightest, thinnest, most jizz-worthy laptop to look at on the block.

May I add the following:

Glossy display (Why?)
Battery pack cannot be replaced by user (WTF!!)
No integrated optical drive
No Ethernet port

This notebook might be small, lightweight and stylish, but the specs are less than impressive and it's way too expensive for what it offers.

Big disappointment. I am still waiting for a 'Mac Midi' which has better specs than the Mac Mini and comes without display (no iMac design - I hate glossy displays...).

msodrew · Post by **msodrew** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:57 am

AndyJapan wrote:
May I add the following:

Glossy display (Why?)
Battery pack cannot be replaced by user (WTF!!)
No integrated optical drive
No Ethernet port

This notebook might be small, lightweight and stylish, but the specs are less than impressive and it's way too expensive for what it offers.
Big disappointment. I am still waiting for a 'Mac Midi' which has better specs than the Mac Mini and comes without display (no iMac design - I hate glossy displays...).

A lot of the things you mentioned as faults are actually OK or for good reason:

- Glossy display: most consumers like this... blacks are deeper and truer. This is not a graphic design machine.
- Battery pack is replaceable for the same price of the macbook pro & installation is free
- No Optical: When the fuck do you seriously use an optical drive? You still burning CD's or do you have an mp3 player like everyone else? The ABSENCE of an optical drive is what made this laptop so thin, so light, and have such high battery life.
- No ethernet port: yeah, this actually is a fault

AndyJapan · Post by **AndyJapan** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:20 am

msodrew wrote:
A lot of the things you mentioned as faults are actually OK or for good reason:

- Glossy display: most consumers like this... blacks are deeper and truer. This is not a graphic design machine.

AJ: Seems to be matter of personal taste. I hate glossy displays and would never buy a notebook with such a display.

- Battery pack is replaceable for the same price of the macbook pro & installation is free

AJ: I find it inconvenient that I cannot plug in a replacement battery pack. Moreover, if the battery dies after some years, one would have to ship it to Apple to get it replaced.

- No Optical: When the fuck do you seriously use an optical drive? You still burning CD's or do you have an mp3 player like everyone else? The ABSENCE of an optical drive is what made this laptop so thin, so light, and have such high battery life.

AJ: You are right, but Panasonic and Toshiba also build thin notebooks with integrated optical drive. No as thin as the MBAir though.

- No ethernet port: yeah, this actually is a fault

metafactor · Post by **metafactor** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:15 am

Sadly, I think Apple really blew it this time for the sake of appearance. Seems to lack many important features. I'll keep using my normal Macbook until they release something impressive.

msodrew · Post by **msodrew** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:17 am

metafactor wrote:Sadly, I think Apple really blew it this time for the sake of appearance. Seems to lack many important features. I'll keep using my normal Macbook until they release something impressive.

Why is it that everyone like "durrr.... this isn't as good as my macbook/macbook pro"

Any of you guys heard of what an ultraportable is meant for? Steve jobs isn't going to shit out something with the form factor of a Macbook Air with comparable everything to something engineered to be much larger.

Those last measly fractions of an inch shaved off the side are costly... that's why Sony and other companies don't offer anything else with this form factor.

David Brent · Post by **David Brent** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:27 am

Great looking machine. If I had a bunch of money to spend Id get one...but without a Firewire port and the slower processor it doesnt seem like a strong audio machine to me.

metafactor · Post by **metafactor** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:14 am

msodrew wrote:
metafactor wrote:Sadly, I think Apple really blew it this time for the sake of appearance. Seems to lack many important features. I'll keep using my normal Macbook until they release something impressive.
Why is it that everyone like "durrr.... this isn't as good as my macbook/macbook pro"

Any of you guys heard of what an ultraportable is meant for? Steve jobs isn't going to shit out something with the form factor of a Macbook Air with comparable everything to something engineered to be much larger.

Those last measly fractions of an inch shaved off the side are costly... that's why Sony and other companies don't offer anything else with this form factor.

I'm just saying that I think the effort should have been directed toward a 13 inch or smaller new MBP with all of the features, if that is even possible, that's all. The Air looks nice, but that's all that seems to be going for it. Oooohhhh...it's finally thin!!!!.....good thing, because that other form factor was really hindering my productivity..

. Seriously, was it worth all of the hype floating around many apple circles?

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:41 am

aqua_tek wrote:its pretty, but that's about as far as it goes for me.

I'd rather buy myself a new MacBook Pro when my current one starts getting old

I think it is important to appreciate that this laptop is not a POWER laptop, like a Macbook Pro.

Its a novelty thing that your laptop can fit in an envelope.

It even has IDE hard drive in it - step back in some technologies.

On the plus side it gives a macbook a back lit keyboard which is a big plus IMO

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:52 am

msodrew wrote: - No Optical: When the fuck do you seriously use an optical drive? You still burning CD's or do you have an mp3 player like everyone else?

This is a valid point, i only use mine for burning promo CD's to give out at gigs.

OT: Has anyone seen the Optibay?

Replace your superdrive with a caddy for a SATA drive and have 2 hard drives in your macbook / macbook pro??

As soon as these are easily available in the UK and the 500GB 2.5 drives are out (WD5000BEVT) im going to install one of these and raid my drives together to give me a 1TB hard drive LOL

you can get a case to install your superdrive in and use it as external LOL

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:56 am

msodrew wrote:
metafactor wrote:Sadly, I think Apple really blew it this time for the sake of appearance. Seems to lack many important features. I'll keep using my normal Macbook until they release something impressive.
Why is it that everyone like "durrr.... this isn't as good as my macbook/macbook pro"

Any of you guys heard of what an ultraportable is meant for? Steve jobs isn't going to shit out something with the form factor of a Macbook Air with comparable everything to something engineered to be much larger.

Those last measly fractions of an inch shaved off the side are costly... that's why Sony and other companies don't offer anything else with this form factor.

Take this argument into another context :

WHY HASNT MY MACBOOK PRO GOT 8CORES LIKE THE MAC PRO?????

Same reason.

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:00 am

metafactor wrote:
msodrew wrote:
metafactor wrote:Sadly, I think Apple really blew it this time for the sake of appearance. Seems to lack many important features. I'll keep using my normal Macbook until they release something impressive.
Why is it that everyone like "durrr.... this isn't as good as my macbook/macbook pro"

Any of you guys heard of what an ultraportable is meant for? Steve jobs isn't going to shit out something with the form factor of a Macbook Air with comparable everything to something engineered to be much larger.

Those last measly fractions of an inch shaved off the side are costly... that's why Sony and other companies don't offer anything else with this form factor.
I'm just saying that I think the effort should have been directed toward a 13 inch or smaller new MBP with all of the features, if that is even possible, that's all. The Air looks nice, but that's all that seems to be going for it. Oooohhhh...it's finally thin!!!!.....good thing, because that other form factor was really hindering my productivity.. . Seriously, was it worth all of the hype floating around many apple circles?

I think it would be good for apple to produce a MBP that is the same size as the 12" Powerbook,

However - the macbook AIR is about bringing a new customer base to Apple.

liek its already mentioned - the business man, play writer, the internet browser.

This will only help to convert more people from the sorry windows world into the happy MAC way of life.

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:02 am

wilxon wrote: OT: Has anyone seen the Optibay?

Replace your superdrive with a caddy for a SATA drive and have 2 hard drives in your macbook / macbook pro??

Yeah I think about it definitely. I think it's $150 for the bare internal enclosure, and I'm not afraid to do it myself, but i already have some decent solutions to that anyway that are cheaper etc. eSATA, with an external 3.5" is a bit faster than a 2.5" drive etc.
Still if I get the money together this summer i might.

The new macbook sucks. Only thing interesting about it is the flash memory drive, and I'm not sure if it's faster than a regular drive, but it's cool to see 64GB in a flash drive for sure!

adventurepants_ · Post by **adventurepants_** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:05 am

this at least is aiming towards apple's largest growing demographic.

metrosexual shemales updating their facebook at the airport over wireless. and "it fits in my manbag like its not there dude!"