Apple Macbook Air
Posted on 01/25/2008 7:40:54 PM PST by Swordmaker
Pros: Beautiful looks, great screen, innovative touchpad, light
Cons: Expensive, no expansion, sealed battery
Buying advice: Apple has cut a lot of corners to meet its goal of the thinnest laptop. If you don't mind paying a high price (as usual bulked up further in the UK) and living without no CD drive and only one USB slot, then go right ahead.
With various rumour sites predicting a subnotebook Macintosh for weeks - and months in some cases - it didn't come as a surprise when Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the company's new super-svelte laptop at his Macworld keynote last week.
That didn't stop the oohs and aahs the MacBook Air got from spectators on the Macworld show floor.
You can't argue that the MacBook Air is a superthin laptop or with Apple's claims that it is the thinnest laptop on the planet. It measures just 0.16 in. at one side and 0.76 in. at the other, but the pictures floating around the Web don't do justice to how thin and light Apple has made this machine. Even Apple's current line of superthin USB and Bluetooth keyboards look fat by comparison, and lifting a MacBook Air with one hand makes you realise that it weighs about as much as a small stack of paper plates.
Apple also included a mercury- and arsenic-free LED backlit display. The display packs a lot of brightness and clarity that really has to be seen to believed - it may be one of the best laptop displays ever created. Its immediate full brightness is a nice feature, though the real value comes in the power savings when compared with traditional laptop displays.
The display's environmentally friendly design addresses criticism that Apple has received from Greenpeace International and other environmental groups over the past year. Indeed, no Apple-made circuit boards in the MacBook Air contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or rely on brominated surfaces. The result: a laptop that's thin, light, bright and green.
In his speech, Jobs argued that Apple avoided some of the common concerns that go with ultraportable notebooks. The MacBook Air has a full-size keyboard that supports ambient light sensors and backlighting, the same 13.3-in. screen size used in the MacBook line, and low power to reduce heat and conserve juice.
But it does rely on slower processor options than the current generation of Apple laptops. In fact, it sports chips similar in speed to the original MacBook Pro configuration introduced two years ago.
But MacBook Air buyers aren't likely looking for speed alone, and it still packs more power than many other subnotebooks by using processors custom-designed for Apple by Intel Corp. Those chips - 1.6 GHz in stock configuration, 1.83 GHz on the top end - are fine for the most common tasks that users wanting an ultraportable Mac are likely to need.
What's included, what's not
A slower processor is not the only trade-off needed for the MacBook Air's ultralight design. Apple also ditched the optical drive. In that respect, the MacBook Air follows in the tradition of the earlier Apple subnotebooks - the Duo line from the early 1990s and the PowerBook 2400 from later in that decade. Neither contained an internal drive other than the hard drive. At the time, that meant a missing floppy drive.
The MacBook Air provides two options for accessing CDs and DVDs: an external USB SuperDrive that can read and write discs of all common formats, and a new technology called Remote Disk that allows the laptop to remotely access the optical drive of a Mac or PC using a wireless connection. One obvious concern: What happens if you need to boot from an alternate drive - for instance, when troubleshooting a hard drive or performing a clean install of Mac OS X? Apple's solution was to engineer the new laptop to support network booting using Remote Disk.
This solution - elegant in its simplicity for users - seems to be a natural outgrowth of the NetBoot technology that has allowed Macs to boot from a disk image hosted on a server for close to a decade. The use of the technology in the consumer space is impressive. NetInstall and related network-boot deployment technologies should also be supported with the MacBook Air, a big change from earlier Macs that required wired Ethernet for any form of network booting.
Although Remote Disk is an effective alternate boot solution, it does require access to another computer and network. This could be problematic when on the road, and it could limit the effectiveness of the MacBook Air as a user's lone computer. The optional USB SuperDrive (also engineered to be ultraportable and powered completely via USB) does provide an alternative. But Apple should consider providing the drive as a standard part of the MacBook Air package rather than requiring users to buy it separately.
Also gone but not forgotten are several ports common to today's Macs. The MacBook Air includes only a mag-safe power-adapter port (extra adapters cost £65), a single USB port, a micro Digital Video Interface (DVI) port for using external displays and a headphone jack. (Their design is innovative, particularly the flip-down panel for the USB and DVI ports and the headphones.)
FireWire? Gone. Ethernet? Ditto.
Given the common use of FireWire in Macs over the past several years - and the use of the FireWire port for Target Disk Mode, which allows a Mac's internal hard drive to be mounted as an external drive on another Mac and used by the Mac OS X Migration Assistant to transfer settings and files to a new Mac - it's particularly surprising that Apple elected to remove this port. But more ports mean a bigger logic board, so in this case, form won out over function.
The MacBook Air does sport an updated version of the Migration Assistant that can transfer files and settings via a wireless network, though performance may fall short of what is offered via FireWire when using Macs with slower wireless cards or an older wireless network.
Another missing port is Ethernet. Out of the box, the MacBook Air is a Wi-Fi-only machine. While this may be fine where Wi-Fi is common, it does present issues in environments where wireless networking is frowned upon. Often, physical network ports can be used to isolate specific network segments and limit or provide easy access to resources. Yes, this can theoretically be done with Wi-Fi, but doing so requires a more complex network design. As with the optical drive, a USB adapter is available as an add-on product if Ethernet is needed. That adapter is £19 (US$29).
Another difference that could rankle the faithful is that the MacBook Air's battery is built into the computer. This space-saving design prevents users from carrying multiple batteries and simply swapping in a fresh one when needed.
It also puts users in the same position as iPod and iPhone owners: As the battery ages and begins to lose its ability to hold a charge, there's no simple way to replace it. Given that users typically hold onto their computer investments for several years, this could pose a concern. Apple will make replacement batteries available for £139 in the UK - a substantial increase over the $129 US price, which is not far off the cost of a replacement battery for recent Mac portables.
Apple estimates that the battery will power a MacBook Air for five hours. Although such estimates are often optimistic, if true, that should help offset the inability to swap batteries on the road.
Innovations galore
One of the least obvious innovations in the new laptop - and the one virtually everyone will use - is the track pad, which integrates many of the multi-touch technologies found in the iPhone. You can use three-fingered motions (called swipes) to flick backwards and forwards through Web browser pages, photos in iPhoto and in other ways throughout the system.
The track pad also supports "spreading" and "pinching" motions to zoom in and out on items such as photos or Web pages, and it even works with the Cover Flow view in the Finder. Likewise, a new rotate feature makes rotating photos and similar content easy. The number of tasks and finger combinations can be confusing, so the MacBook Air's track-pad preferences offer video tutorials directly in System Preferences; you can activate only the multi-touch techniques you need.
Yet another innovation in the MacBook Air is the use of 1.8-in. hard drives (2.5 in. is common in laptops) and the option for a solid-state drive (SSD). Apple is no stranger to this hardware, which has been used in iPods for more than five years now. SSDs are a major change for laptops, offering better performance on less power than traditional hard drives.
Both are inspired choices for reducing bulk, though there is a trade-off: The MacBook Air offers the least amount of storage of any current Mac. The 1.8-in. drive holds 80GB of data and spins at a relatively leisurely 4,200 rpm; the SSD, while faster, is smaller, too. It holds just 64GB of data - and adds a whopping £829 ($999) to the price of the laptop.
Whether that poses a serious problem will vary from person to person. If you're buying, choose wisely - and check your bank account first!
So should you buy one?
There can be no real question that the MacBook Air is a truly innovative product. One close-up look at its incredibly bright, clear screen; its stunningly light and thin design; the inclusion of multi-touch functions; and the combination of wireless technologies show that the MacBook Air continues Apple's tradition of next-generation innovation and design. But does that mean that it's the perfect portable Mac for everyone?
Probably not.
Several factors may limit its overall effect on the market. First, the subnotebook market is small. Many users aren't willing to sacrifice features for portability. They want speed. Or a big screen. Or every variety of port available. Although Apple's latest laptop strikes a better balance than most of its competitors, it isn't for everyone.
Anyone looking for a portable Mac as his main machine will find the MacBook Air somewhat limited. Yes, you can get the optional USB SuperDrive for £65, but there's still no FireWire or an audio-in port - each of which can be issues for someone wanting to do professional or consumer video or audio work. The limited hard drive capacity could also be an issue.
Enterprise environments will likely hesitate because of the lack of built-in Ethernet. Although the USB add-on solves that problem, the port limitations and reliance on other hardware will likely be turn-offs to large-scale enterprises, particularly given the £1199 (or $1,799) starting price. For not much more than that, you can get a 15-in. MacBook Pro or even two entry-level MacBooks.
The MacBook Air imposes limits on expandability. It's doubtful that users will be able to upgrade the hard drive, and the built-in 2GB of RAM is soldered to the motherboard. While 2GB is fine for most users now, down the road, that may not be true.
Those caveats aside, for users who want a second Mac for the road, the MacBook Air could put you on cloud nine. If you already own another computer to balance out the MacBook Air's limitations at home or work, you may not even notice them. Even if you don't rely on another Mac, an external hard drive - either connected directly or shared via an AirPort Extreme or the new Time Capsule - may be all you need, though it's still a wise idea to get the USB SuperDrive.
For users who want a Mac that goes anywhere and weighs next to nothing, the MacBook Air is an incredible solution. Any road warrior will love both its size and weight, as well as the battery life. While there may not be a huge number of Mac users ready to pay for such portability, there is no doubt a market for the MacBook Air - especially when you consider that it is aggressively priced compared with the competition. And like all Intel Macs, it allows you to run both Mac OS X and Windows.
The MacBook Air won't be out for another couple of weeks, but anyone who spends a few minutes with the machine will be amazed on many levels. It may not be the portable Mac for everyone, but no one can say that it isn't an incredible achievement. And for those for whom it makes sense, it is also an incredibly sophisticated next-generation computer.
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
Can a women be too beautiful? Can a champion horse be to graceful?
Not that I’m rough on laptops, and I certainly don’t let the grandkids use my new one (they get the old ones to play on), but I take my computer a lot of places...which is, I’m sure, the major draw of the Air. However, how flimsy is it? I mean, if a large dog or an inattentive spouse forgot it was sitting on the passenger seat and sat on it, would it break? Would it survive a fall onto the deck? (Hey, does Letterman still do that thing where he tosses stuff off a building?)
But the real reason I’m glad I made my Pro choice....the dvd player! No more schlepping a DVD player AND my laptop thru security at 5-6 airports! Only one item to pull out of the carry-on! So, I get the criticism about not having any kind of drive on it. I’m trying to get away from peripherals, not have to buy new ones!
Who watches DVDs on a laptop?
The hard drive is a much more efficient user of power. Rip the DVDs to the hard drive, and you can still watch your movies - only you can carry more.
Ah, but master, I'm still learning. I make myself do something new every weekend, and this weekend is for DVD burning. But first, I must finish watching Jericho...on the laptop, in the office, where I can smoke and watch movies. It's the only smoking room in the house.
The no dvd thing tells me it's not supposed to be the only computer. For movies, I suspect they expect you to download them from iTunes. I also think that the one USB port states pretty plainly that if you need more than one, you get a hub. It may not be in Europe, but in the US, ethernet is dying, and wifi is in.
It's an all-aluminum enclosure, probably pretty tough.
True, simply swapping is out of the question. You can't put a big-enough quickly-swappable battery in something that small. But it only takes a minute to replace it using a screwdriver.
I handled one at Macworld... they even let me try to bend it. It seems as strong as my Macbook Pro.
“-and living without no CD drive-”
(Shakes head and walks out of the dealership)
living without no CD drive and only one USB slotThis is just some nitpicking, but really, "living without no"? Anyway...
Apple also included a mercury- and arsenic-free LED backlit display. The display packs a lot of brightness and clarity that really has to be seen to believed - it may be one of the best laptop displays ever created. Its immediate full brightness is a nice feature, though the real value comes in the power savings when compared with traditional laptop displays... The MacBook Air has a full-size keyboard that supports ambient light sensors and backlighting, the same 13.3-in. screen size used in the MacBook line, and low power to reduce heat and conserve juice.Let's see, what do we use for more hours of the day, an optical burner, or the keyboard and display? Hmm, let me think. :') Sounds like Apple did this right.
Firewire didn’t appear on one of the latest iPods, if memory serves. Sounds like Firewire is goin’ bye-bye.
1394a and 1394b (Firewireâ„¢)
http://focus.ti.com/analog/docs/gencontent.tsp?familyId=361&genContentId=32541
In 1995, Texas Instruments pioneered the introduction of 1394 in the consumer electronics market with the first 1394 silicon in a digital camcorder.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FireWire
IEEE 1394 has been adopted as the High Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) standard connection interface for A/V (audio/visual) component communication and control[1]. FireWire is also available in wireless, fiber optic, and coaxial versions using the isochronous protocols. Wireless FireWire is being integrated into the WiMedia Alliance’s WiMedia Ultra-Wideband (UWB) standard. Almost all modern digital camcorders have included this connection since 1995.
What is a Firewire to USB Adapter?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-firewire-to-usb-adapter.htm
Firewire (IEEE 1394) and USB (Universal Serial Bus) are two separate high-speed bus technologies that allow multiple devices to be connected to a computer. The two technologies are not integrated, and it is not possible to connect a USB device to a Firewire port either directly or through the use of a Firewire to USB adapter.
* sigh *
Silly writer. Apples are not for everyone.
Like ALL Apple products, this new portable was never intended to be "perfect for everyone". Apple designs products for those who want something OUTSIDE the norm. Those who want to push the envelope and take risks.
Most people to do not want to take risks, like foregoing a built-in optical drive, or Firewire. Or especially wired Ethernet. Yet risks are what advance the market!
Tech writers predicted the Fall of Western Civilization when the original Mac used a 3-1/2" floppy instead of a 5-1/4". And again when Apple removed the floppy drive. This is no different. Steve is asking people to take risks again, for the sake of advancing the market. Why are writers surprised???
If Apple were designing a product that was "perfect for everyone", they'd have the same old boring mush that the other manufacturers put out.
Perfect machine for my wife who will use it at home or her office or classroom. She’s been begging for something smaller and lighter than her 15” Powerbook. And I can borrow it when I go on the road to give presentations. I’m tired of lugging my 17” Powerbook around airports.
They look kind of fragile to me. I need a sturdy laptop that can take getting bumped around a bit.
My wife and I often do, especially when the kids and their friends are using the good TV with the surround sound. My home is the local Teen Central, so having an alternate way to watch movies is appreciated.
Depends on the type and the shape. It can be made quite strong and light.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.