Macbook Air Death Date

[roland.g]

Is this like a Tarantino thread or something. Where's Robert Rodriguez?

Hey I personally don't want to sacrifice screen space, but I do want to jettison weight. MBA does both. Light, thin, productive, yet functional. Do I need to carry a DVD drive, ethernet dongle, usb hub, etc. No. Just the MBA and the power cord. I wish I was getting one, maybe rev. B, probably refurb whether rev. A or rev. B, so for me it will be some time. But since I have a gorgeous 2.8Ghz 24" iMac, that MBA makes a great second machine. The MacBook makes less sense since it is heavier and I don't like the white. A BlackBook with 2GB RAM is $150 less than an MBA. So it's a fairly easy call. And I like the backlit keyboard.

 

[(õ)]

I've been hearing a lot of PC users oggling over the air. It may not do quite so well among MAC users, but it just might be a turning point for some PC users.

 

[sushi]

I've been hearing a lot of PC users oggling over the air. It may not do quite so well among MAC users, but it just might be a turning point for some PC users.

Here in Japan, there is a whole mess of ultra-portable laptops and other small computers that seem to be very popular.

My bet, is that the MBA will fit in very nicely with this crowd.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

Here in Japan, there is a whole mess of ultra-portable laptops and other small computers that seem to be very popular.

My bet, is that the MBA will fit in very nicely with this crowd.

Really? Last thing I heard was that Apple wasn't doing very well in Japan because they are totally outclassed in all of their product lines. I might just be wrong but seeing as you say there's a whole mess of ultra-portable laptops, it just seems to indicate that it will be difficult for Apple to compete in this niche market.

 

[ScoobyMcDoo]

So I look around at the company I work for and the ones who use the little "ultra portables" are the execs - because they spends half their life on the road.
Now the ones I see them use today look like little toys with tiny little screens. So, if the MBA ends up being really appealing to these folks, they would be the ones with the ability to push the IT folks to support the OSX platform. Once the platform is supported, then it will be easier for the rest of us to request macs for our desktop platform.

So, if this works, the MBA could be a brilliant move to increase Apple's overall market share in the corporate world.

 

[starman0147]

I reckon the Macbook Air will be ditched when the Macbook gets a new casing, neglecting the need for the MBA. This wont be for another year or so at least until it gets Montevina or maybe even longer till Nehalem. So I expect the Macbook Air to be around for at least a year. However as a funcutal ultra portable goes I would much rather have the cheap Asus EEE alterative paired with a iMac or MBP.

 

[Macsleuth]

Was going to get it

I wanted to get this when I saw it, but it just wasn't enough. Maybe after a speed bump and drive size increase, it will be something I can use.
Told my PC friend about it, his eyes lit up and said, I want one!.
Going to show him the site today.
Wicked cool laptop though.
I don't see them discontinuing it this year though.
As chips and drives get smaller, I can see this being a great product for people who don't want to lug a laptop around....
Gary

 

[dsnort]

I reckon the Macbook Air will be ditched when the Macbook gets a new casing, neglecting the need for the MBA.

IMO, the MBA will get better specs and a lower price, and the MB will go away. I think the MBA is the new form factor for Apples MB class laptops.

 

[sushi]

Really? Last thing I heard was that Apple wasn't doing very well in Japan because they are totally outclassed in all of their product lines. I might just be wrong but seeing as you say there's a whole mess of ultra-portable laptops, it just seems to indicate that it will be difficult for Apple to compete in this niche market.

Apple is doing better in Japan now, I believe.

The problem with the abundance of ultra-portables, is that while there are many options, they do not appear to be flying off the shelves as you would expect. Part of that is due to market saturation in a country where the average number of cell phones that people have is well over 1, and most of those cell phones have so many features that many do not own a computer.

Enter the MBA. It's cool. It's fairly lightweight. It has a nice sized screen with a full sized keyboard and can run Windows in addition to the Mac OS. Did I say it's cool?

My guess is that it will be very popular over here since there seems to be a pent up buying demand for an Apple ultra-portable laptop. I think that thin will work great for those who have to carry it on the train. Better than thick with a smaller footprint IMHO.

Then again, I may be way off in left field on this.

 

[gazfocus]

I think the Macbook Air will be successful in it's market area. Before now, Apple users wanting an ultra portable have been pushed to have a Windows PC, but not anymore.

I do think the price is a bit unrealistic but I think Apple has done this to be in between the highest end (black) Macbook and the lowest end MBP.

 

[mrsk]

To be honest, I don't think the Air is a bad laptop at all. However, I still believe a lot of the frustration around here is due to the MacBook Pro not being updated, while Apple introduces a "worthless" (for the MBP crowd) toy that "no one" will ever buy.

Yes, I'm basing this on my own musings. As stated in other threads, I'm eagerly waiting for an MBP update to make the switch from my crappy Windows PCs (desktop and laptop) to one solid desktop replacement (in my case the MBP plus maybe a nice display for when I need to work at home). I've been told to wait, so that's what I did. Some part of me still wishes I just went ahead and bought it the instant I wanted to. The other part is really curious about what the next update will bring.

So yeah, the MBA release was a massive source of frustration for me. I can imagine that there's more people like me who don't specifically dislike the MBA for what it is but rather dislike the MBA because I feel that it's to blame for the lack of MBP upgrade.

Anyway, I'm quite over it already. I know that a simple CPU /GPU upgrade to the MBP wouldn't be worth the time in a keynote. Even upgrading to multitouch wouldn't be.
Then again, while the Air is a really cool design, I don't think that it will be the next iPod. Optical media are too integrated into our everyday life. I still listen to CDs every now and then. I still buy my DVDs in disc form so I can watch them on my TV (though my past bad luck with crashing and corrupted hard drives and the "data loss paranoia" that came with that might play a part too ).
But the fact that the MBA is a new line of its own makes me doubt that MacBooks or MBPs might become thinner and /or lighter in the future. Others claim that the MB will never get the backlit keys or the aluminium casing, I'd say that the MB and MBP will never be thinner and lighter, to create a demand for the MBA. Unless, of course, Apple decides to let the MBA die, which I can't see happening anytime soon.


Edit:

I do think the price is a bit unrealistic but I think Apple has done this to be in between the highest end (black) Macbook and the lowest end MBP.

The price for it isn't that unrealistic IMHO. It seems to be right where it should be, considering the market it's aimed at. Yes, it's too expensive /pricey for my needs, because I'd like to spend my cash on raw performance rather than portability. However, given the thinness and the weight of the MBA (which, after all, is not an ultra-portable but a real laptop) I'd like to think that the price isn't too expensive after all.

 

[Virgil-TB2]

you go away .. this is my thread... if it bothers you don't read it.

It's not your thread, it's a thread you started on a public community forum.



There are lots of other places (like Digg), for that.

 

[TheVandit]

The iPod didn't revolutionize how we interact with our music, iTunes + iTMS + syncing did. They're not going to sell tens of millions of Airs, but if they sell enough to recoup their R&D costs and lure in a few more switchers, it'll be a success. Some of that miniturization R&D will be applicable to other projects as well Not a lot of people buy the top of the line Mercedes sports car either, but it exists.

That Mercedes point is very key in so many ways...maybe more than you thought

Mercedes were first to create ABS...they were first to put airbags into production cars...to create front and rear crumple zones.

Mercedes are a company that are very forward thinking and so is Apple. Apple is showcasing things on macbook Air that we will all take for granted in future notebooks. So get over it. Sure i want one bad...im not going to buy one because yes it wouldn't suit my needs...it doesn't mean its a crap product. Plenty of people will buy one.

If i could walk into an Apple store and be able to pick anything i wanted...id pick Macbook Air.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Too much bickering gives me a headache. Thread closed for a siesta.