I’ve been waiting months and months for the new Macbook announcement after hearing countless rumors that it would be a serious ultraportable machine. However, even though the Macbook Air is a seriously cool design, I doubt I’ll be ordering one since it is neither small or powerful enough for my needs.
But damn, it sure is pretty. That ultrasleek body just looks incredible…one of the better notebook designs I’ve seen in recent years and even with a $1,799 price tag, that’s not unreasonable considering the size. However, there are some things I just can’t get over.
- Slow…and uses Intel graphics. My current Sony SZ650 is a 2.2GHz processor with a nVidia 8400 so the Air would be a serious downgrade for me
- I can deal with the slow if it was smaller. I used to own a tiny 10″ Sony that was slow as molasses but it was small enough to carry anywhere, which made it okay. Seriously, if Apple had a 12″ notebook with the same specs as a 15″ model, they’d have my money already.
- Battery is built-in!? I can deal with that for cheap things like iPods and iPhones but for something that costs that much, it damned well better have a replaceable battery. If the battery on my iPod dies, I’ll go buy another one but for something this expensive…
…that and sometimes five hours of battery life isn’t enough. I like to carry spares.
Some may not like the lack of an optical drive but for ultraportables, an optical drive is usually not an option. Plus, how often do you actually use it when we have flash thumbdrives that are commonly 8GB and up?
Anyways, again, I’m pleading with Apple…make a 12.1″ widescreen Macbook Pro, dammit.
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Man I’m totally with you, check out this post:
http://www.mackable.com/blog/top-10-flaws-of-the-macbook-air/
This thing sure looks cool, but man does it suck as an actual useful laptop.
One USB port. ONE! Plug in a mouse, and that’s it. Have fun trying to charge/sync your ipod/psp/ds lite/phone on the road over USB.
NO ethernet ports! So if you’re at a hotel with ethernet internet rather than wireless (about 99% of those I’ve been to in all my travels the past few years) you are screwed. Unless you buy a USB to Ethernet adapter. Then there goes that mouse. And everything else (USB really is useful as a charging port, rather than lugging around a bunch of power cables).
One speaker, one mouse button, built-in battery… what a load of crap.
My Fujitsu is not much heavier than this when I take the DVD Rom out, and it has everything I need. And more! I actually bought an optional 2nd battery that you can plug into where the DVD ROM normally goes, and get 6-8 hours of battery life out of it. Proper battery life, not the specs they claim on the site
I dont know. I see the macbook air as a portable computer as the name implies not a next gen machine. This is supposed to be super portable there are prices you have to pay for that. trusting apple they made compensations for it’s lack. If you want this as a primary machine you are gonna have problems, but if you just want it to go on trips and from class to your dorm room. this is the way to go
This is true but there are simply better, cheaper, faster options available. My Sony isn’t much heavier than the Air…a negliable difference in weight and size really…and yet it’s much faster and close to the same price. Sure, the Air isn’t supposed to be fast but when there are competitors that surpass it in price and speed, then it comes up short.
“Slow…and uses Intel graphics. My current Sony SZ650 is a 2.2GHz processor with a nVidia 8400 so the Air would be a serious downgrade for me”
It’s a notebook, not a gaming console
, most laptops come with a less powerful intel graphics card as they were not itended to handle some renderings that are required for games. For that task I would still go with a stationary computer, remember those new powerful cards are huge! My 8800 GTX alone is probably bigger than the entire laptop itself. Also there would be quite impossible to get it cool enough to even work while gaming.
Let’s face it it’s just a sized down workstation, to write papers, listen to some music maybe watch a movie or two. Nothing more.
Not saying it’s needed but if other companies can do it for the same amount of money, why can’t Apple?
Not to mention I have a 160GB HD, more USB ports, PC Card and…y’know…that other PC card slot.
yeah right, but as we all know Mac goes for more for a eye-catching than a breath-taking impression.
Yeah complaining about the graphics on a 13″ notebook is pretty pointless.
That’s a shame…a lot of folks were looking forward to this product. The whole internal battery must have pissed off a lot of people.
I couldn’t agree more!
Look, you can make the Macbook as thin as you want, but if it has the same footprint as the 13.3″, then don’t call it portable.
I’ll take a 1″ thick 12.1″ or smaller any day.
Now I’ll be pouring my $ into polishing up my 12.1″ Powerbook. Very sad.