http://www.apple.com/macbookair/

Check out the demo video. I especially enjoyed seeing how you can use wireless to integrate optical drives.

are you bigtoe?

I was also thinking "Is aishel married to bigtoe?"

(I know better....it was just funny since bigtoe usually posts the coolest apple products)

(I know better too, but I also thought of bigtoe when I saw this thread.)

Yeah, but the fact it doesn't HAVE an optical drive is not cool. Not everyone has a 2+ computer household or the desire to go through the hassle. I know thin is in, but I can't help wondering if this is the laptop equivalent of Ana Carolina Reston...

It\'s impossible to have an optical drive and a superthin subnotebook.

You can also get an external DVD drive.

Also, this particular notebook isn't exactly a mass product. It's aimed at people who will have 2 computers--this is intended as their "on the go" machine. It's very much about mobile computing (also look at the lack of Ethernet). Only 1 USB port, no FireWire. It's about eliminating anything that interferes with keeping the machine small and light. It also fills the gap left by the loss of the 12" PowerBook and takes it up a notch (the MacBook is bigger and bulkier than the old PB).

if I had to tote a laptop around all the time, this is definitely something I'd want (I currently use a 17" MacBook Pro, which is fantastic as a desktop replacement, is suitably portable for around the house and can be taken on vacation--but is NOT suitable for lugging around all day).

I understand that; I guess I just don't feel that being thin is worth giving up basic features. I used to shlep my macbook to and from work (and it was a 20 min walk); I really don't feel the difference in weight makes a significant enough difference to warrant switching to an ultra-thin, feature-deficient laptop.

Notice that all of the other subnotebooks have optical drives. (Not that I think it's a dealbreaker, but just pointing out). My personal favorite, the Lenovo X60, is not on this list.

I'm not particularly impressed with the MB air specs. The hard drive runs at 4200 rpm, which is pathetically slow, unless you shell out $1300 extra for the SSD. The lack of a swappable battery means there's no way to buy a spare battery to double up for a long trip. For me, 2GB of memory is a dealbreaker - all of the other models allow you to upgrade beyond that. The stupidity of adding only one USB port astounds me, especially considering there is no ethernet jack or audio line in and everything has to go through that port. You might as well include the ethernet dongle (and perhaps a usb hub!) in the weight of the MB air, since you'll need to always have it handy - there are still plenty of places where a wired connection will trump wireless. There's no expansion - no expresscard or anything - so if, for example, you want wireless broadband that's going to have to go through the USB card too. There's only integrated graphics (common on notebooks, but the comparable Vaio actually has a discreet nvidia board).

It's a slim machine, but some of the tradeoffs they made just aren't worth it. I'm a huge fan of tiny laptops - my next machine will likely be a Lenovo X60 or one of the tiny Sony Vaios - and I understand that you have to accept a smaller keyboard and screen, a bit less power, and a higher price for the convenience. But the MB air's lack of ports makes me think it will just be a pain to use.

Too cool!

Why did they get rid of it? The black MacBook doesn't cut it, and anyway it's ridiculous to spend the extra money on that.

It's a Macbook Pro now.

MacBook Pro is titanium?
I know many of the features are the same, but it doesn't have the same 'professional' look.

Powerbook G4 v. Macbook Pro


The later G4's were made of aluminum (we had one). Supposedly complaints were being made about the poor Wi-Fi capabilities of the titanium models. I think the Macbook Pro's are really beautiful machines, and the backlit keyboard is drool-worthy.

Yep, MBP is a replacement for the PB--just that it only comes in 15" and 17" models.

grend, I agree that the MB Air is, in some ways, underspecced. However, all the things you criticise were deliberate decisions made to keep it thin and light--for example, that 80GB drive is the same one they're using in the iPod, and a removable battery would mean having to build in a compartment and a door. Wanting such a thin, bevelled edge also means no room for ports. (I would say that this is one case where they've made an unnecessary sacrifice purely in the name of design.)

I personally don't need or want one. But for someone who absolutely must have the lightest laptop possible, this might be great. And, of course, this is just one step in the evolution of ultraportables. The hard drive issue will ultimately be solved as SSDs come down in price, for a start.

:snort: dh couldn't care less about which computer we have, as long as it works (of course it's a plus the first time I walked into his house and saw his mother on a mac..). I thnk the Air is stupid. As I posted in another thread, dh and I agree..you sneeze on the Air and it shatters. It's not built for performance or even with sense (as Ny-lon mentions the lack of 2nd usb and no firewire etc. etc.).
I think all they wanted to do was introduce a new gizmo at Macworld and some tech had this brilliant idea of stripping a perfectly good mobile computer down to its skivvies, then coating it in flashy metal. Yuck. (and yes, I miss my dearly departed PB..)

:bangshead:
Ouch.

Thanks.

I agree with you, but just to note, firewire is going the way of the dinosaurs and isn't really something to miss. It is, however, lacking in a LOT of other fundamentals. (And I don't find the beveled edges attractive.)

You guys are all just too darned practical.

They like to think of themselves as 'modern'.

How could you not have a non-replaceable battery? That's ridiculous. Batteries that are used often only last 3 years and you can't buy an extra one for long trips and the like.

It's a really cool notebook but that's just crazy.

Have you guys seen the leaked specs for the new X300? All I can say is, wow! That's the machine I'd buy.

Oooh, cynics...