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It's true.

I'm captivated by her and want to have v. soon.

Jan 16, 08 - 04:19 pm Comment from: Jamie

I think its beautiful, but I'm not gonna get one.

Jan 16, 08 - 04:20 pm Comment from: Crabapple

Gobble Gobble went the turkeys now that realisation finally begins to sink in! except the gobble they spout is more like Gobble de gook as their ignorance shines through thier comments.... It's not just the looks Mr. Cheng, its is the software first and foremost!!!

Thus spake the Crabapple....

Jan 16, 08 - 04:21 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

Why trust someone who's actually seen one?

Pshhhhh...

Jan 16, 08 - 04:29 pm Comment from: TowerTone

The guy at Wired was pretty impressed, too.

Why is it that when these review a PC brick, they always find many wonderful things to say about it???

REview of standard but new version Dell PC laptop.

Dell LPT-TOP 11223344-ST-VX Review.

Its a wonderful shade of dull silver!!

It looks like everyother PC out there.!!!

It is over priced and under performing, so rush out and buy it. !!!

It runs Winblows Vista with all its bloat. !!!

It brings nothing new to the table!!!

We predict that it will sell like hot cakes ( in china.)..


Hmmm, I think I have seen this review before.

Jan 16, 08 - 04:34 pm Comment from: Crabapple

Just an after thought, can I use it for a shave?

considering the thinnest edge is almost razor sharp???

Ahem! taking other laptops thinnest edge as a comparison....

use the iPhone for a camera? No thanks, how about a real camera. How hard is it to plug your camera into the usb port?

Jan 16, 08 - 04:57 pm Comment from: DRM sucks

I personally would not want a MacBook Air - I would rather have more screen space. Since I carry my laptop in my bag, the difference of a couple of pounds is not really consequential to me (note: I carry it pretty much everywhere and pretty much all the time).

That said, I cannot understand the complaint about "no card reader". I think the USB is fine, considering that many (most?) people use that method anyway.

The one thing that is not getting enough attention is Remote Disk. That is a really cool workaround and I would not mind running that on my MacBook Pro. Maybe some day on the iPhone?

How many devices do people expect to plug into a laptop all the time anyway? This laptop is designed to be the ultimate in portability, so you don't want a bunch of devices plugged into it at one time.

If you're going to need a bunch of devices plugged in, get a USB hub – you won't be carrying those devices around with you anyway. Kinda goes against the idea of portability.

Jan 16, 08 - 05:08 pm Comment from: BiZarRo BaLlmEr

Too bad they don't get a base macbook under $1000. That psychological spending barrier we read about.
Unless you seek refurb's.

Jan 16, 08 - 05:15 pm Comment from: ericdano

Honestly, why do you need more than one USB port? I have a hub that I plug all my USB crap into, leaving the other 2 ports on my iMac empty. Same on my ancient Quicksilver PowerMac G4. I have one USB cable going to a hub where everything is all connected. The other USB port is not connected to anything. It is silly to insist upon multiple USB ports when you don't need them. PLUS, most things can daisy chain via USB, or come with their own little hubs built in (ie: external hard drives).

So, if I were to get an MBA (MacBook Air), I'd come home after traveling it, and connect two cables. One being the power charger, and the other being a single USB cable connected to my hidden hub.

PC reviewers just don't seem to get how most people use their stuff.

"Brethren" is already plural and means "siblings." You only have brethrens if you have womens, mens, and childrens.

Jan 16, 08 - 05:23 pm Comment from: Brau

‘Will captivate millions’

It a TRAP! Run for your lives!!!

Nice looking, but the lack of a removable battery is definitely a deal breaker for me.

Jan 16, 08 - 06:00 pm Comment from: jjjj

The author's name is CISCO?

Jan 16, 08 - 06:15 pm Comment from: Darkness

More complaints about removable batteries! You know, it's just possible this machine wasn't designed with you in mind. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

How long do you think it will be before some third party comes out with a smallish supplemental battery that attaches to the power port anyway?

I don't intend to buy it, but I have no complaints about the battery. Let Apple have the expense of recycling them and keeping them out of landfills--even though I'm sure they price the recycling costs into the new battery price.

One USB port is one too many and besides octopuses are so last century. 100% wireless all the way.

LOL! - Some people didn't look at the MBA spec sheet, it has 90% of the Macbook features in a smaller, lighter package. No firewire won't stop the MBA's target market. The MB, and MBA both have integrated graphics, so neither is actually that full fledged anyway. In car terms, the MB, MBA, and MBP would be similar to, the family car, the coupe, and the Ferrari.

Jan 16, 08 - 06:41 pm Comment from: hamdog

thanks, ken. i was waiting for that.

Jan 16, 08 - 06:53 pm Comment from: Mac-nugget

Scheduler.
The screen on your Macbook doesn't even come close to this. You also don't get a lit keyboard or "Gestures/Multi-Touch". So your POS comment seems a little disingenuous, almost like you want to convince your self that you purchased the right product.

To be fair, I would get the MacBook too, but this is no POS at all.

Jan 16, 08 - 06:54 pm Comment from: Tommyr

It's too expensive. Neat but too expensive. No surprise there. I'll keep my Macbook and eeepc instead.

Jan 16, 08 - 07:03 pm Comment from: MumboJumbo

@Darkness

I don't like it. I'm not buying it. And, I don't need any advice from you.

@Brau

Hilarious!

I think I'll have to see one of these in person. Every time I see a picture or even the video it feels like I get no sense of depth... like the thing is somehow defying the 3-Dness of this universe.

I know, that's the point. But somehow I feel like I won't really understand this product until it's in my hands.

That said, I tried doing the one-hand-hold-it while one-hand-uses-it thing with my PB G4 and almost broke my wrist.

SJ said they went through nearly 100 prototypes before choosing this one, and then hoped the engineers could make it work. After that much effort, who else beside me thinks this is the design type of the MB and MBP for the next 3 to 5 years?

Jan 16, 08 - 07:22 pm Comment from: drmacnut

Having only a single USB port does not bother me; but the lack of FireWire certainly does. How are we going to troubleshoot these things in Target mode?

I fix loads of Macs using Target mode and I am wondering what Apple has designed into this MBA that will allow a dead/dying machine to be poked and prodded. Does it have some sort of boot ROM that will take it into a troubleshooting mode?

It's cool. And I want one. But it seems a lot like a 2008 "Clamshell" to me (the "Clamshell" was the first iBook for those of you that may not remember). The first Clamshells had no FW ports, and only a single recessed USB. It took Apple coming out with a second iteration to finally put in what we all needed: FireWire. Those Clamshells still have value today if the HD is changed and RAM loaded up. They are great for kids. In fact, I just sold a nice graphite one last week.

So my point is: How are we as techs going to service this new Mac? And how long before a Rev.2 MacBook Air will come out to become "the perfection of the line"? Any thoughts?

Jan 16, 08 - 07:44 pm Comment from: Mr. Reeee

As others have mentioned, the lack of a FireWire port for troubleshooting and using it in FireWire Target Disk Mode is a big minus. With FireWire, this would be a great consulting machine.

And a glossy screen, too. Did anyone mention THAT abomination? EGAD!

Oh well, it ain't for me, I guess.

I can't wait to see one in the flesh, though.
I can't wait for multi-touch to make it to the MacBook Pro line.

MDN must have search for a long time to find an article that said "will captivate millions". All the articles I've read say it's impressive but it's a niche product.

Jan 16, 08 - 10:31 pm Comment from: PT

Backlit keys are a good idea but hardly reason to buy one. They seemed to forgotten the old adage: more cushion for the pushin'

Seriously, to me its more of a gimmick that anything earth shattering. So its thin....big deal. Guess superficial model types obsessed with minimalism might desire it. But I look at functionality and work arounds I'm going to have to use to get the things I want done, done.

It's almost as if they took a leaf from microsh*t's play book: ooh, big conference, we need something cool, hey wait nothing THAT cool is good to go. Ok, lets just show this and maybe the masses will buy that as innovation.

Sorry. It isn't that innovative. I think it might turn out to be a bit of a loser. Who actually needs this thing? Sure, I'll go cap in hand to the IT guy at work and say, can I have a new Macbook air. And he'll say, why? What's so special about it. And I'll go, well it's thin! And then he'll laugh and tell me to try again and wake up to myself.

I think smaller dimensionally say, as the demand is, for a sub 10" notebook would have been a better idea than this. Hate to say it but I think it's a white elephant for real users. Pure 'arm candy' for people who don't know better probably isn't going to cut it.

I think it'll stuggle for a while (like I posted elsewhere-> the wow lasts about 5 seconds and then reality bites, especially when you're forking out 1700 bucks for it) and then it and the macbook will merge later. Or maybe we can just view it as the prototype for the next model macbook?? Either way, its pretty average if that's the best Apple can do this year.

Jan 16, 08 - 11:12 pm Comment from: Wade

Possibly, like the new iMacs, you can get to built-in diagnostics by booting with 'D', and any shop will need the USB DVD for this. (Apple, please make that available for anyone!)

Jan 17, 08 - 12:14 am Comment from: Mac Daddy

I use an iMac on my desk, and the MacBook Air is a perfect complement to it. Just sync up the stuff I wanna take along with me into a light, sleek little laptop. Along with a 1 TB Time Capsule, I'd be in geek-boy heaven.

I'm probably gonna wait 'til Rev 1 tho, cuz that's just the way I am. Let the new hardware get shaken down for a while. But I really like this thing and I want one.

Jan 17, 08 - 12:19 am Comment from: DLMeyer

"the only way to use a WWAN card "
Huh?
Why would you feel the need to use a Wireless WAN card? The computer is called the MacBook Air for a reason. It does Wireless straight from the factory - N-class (and A, B, and G-class).
What ... you think this is an H-P with a card that will die three seconds after the warranty runs out?
$1,799 is a bargain??? As a computer it can barely compete with a $1,100 MacBook ... ignoring the lighter weight thing. OK, the lack of weight is THE Thing about the Air, and the effective "competition" does significantly cost more. But, seriously ... <i>"...a compelling price point..."<i>?
Dave

Jan 17, 08 - 12:50 am Comment from: 84 Mac Guy

What's this hang-up with people wanting more ports. I've had an iBook for 3 or 4 years and I've only plugged two things into it: the power cord and my digital camera. Everything else is done through wireless.

If people need more ports I suggest they bend over and stick a firewire up their keister.

"Too bad they don't get a base macbook under $1000. That psychological spending barrier we read about."

We dont have that problem, we can get MacBook by 999€

It isn't fair to compare the price to the MB. You need to compare the price to all of the other 3 lb. laptops with comparable performance. Viewed in that light the price is certainly competitive.

That having been said, the MB makes more sense for more people.

What a stupid MDN note! Only a very small number of cameras do WiFi. Also, 802.11g is horribly slow compared to USB2. And how does Apple expect me to connect my phone, iPod, printer, Logic dongle, headset etc.?? By limiting to a single USB port Apple isn't welcoming anyone to the future, they're just forcing them to use an external USB hub. Not practical at all !!

84 macguy said all I wanted said. Cool.

Expect more peripherals to have built in WiFi or Bluetooth in the future. Looks like a Apple created a new class for gadgets again. This makes me think how to suck video out from my Canon HV20 videocam for quick edit (and back to tape). Firewire to WiFi converter anyone?

Not according to these people.

It's underpowered, crippled by lack of ports, has a astronomical price. It really is the new G4 cube all over again..

Jan 17, 08 - 08:25 am Comment from: Chris ][

When Apple releases a product that pushes people's current expectations (as did the iMac with no floppy drive for example), this always happens... people cry "but it doesn't have ... but but but...". In a couple years you are all going to sound silly. Sure, this isn't for everyone _today_, but in five years do you think we're all still going to be using cables and card readers? Ha! Unlikely! I for one welcome the wireless future, and it can't get here quickly enough!

I won't buy this right now, because it doesn't suit my needs right now... but it's yet another vision of the future from Apple -- today.

Jan 17, 08 - 08:31 am Comment from: iSteve

This is the perfect new notebook for me. Right now I am traveling and using my 12" PowerBook wirelessly. I'm also a 40-something grad student that uses a scooter to get around town. So at home and when traveling lighter weight and a smaller profile are very important features to me --- worth the price of admission.

When at home I use my 20" iMac but for class and travel the new MBA is perfect.

This might be just what I need. I don't carry a laptop when I fly to EU because it would take me over the weight limit. I'm at 37kg without a laptop, while the weight limit is 25 + 5 kg (yes it helps to have big pockets for powerpacks and transformers).

Surprisingly the AirBook is starting to make sense, wireless Ethernet is fast enough for almost anything. I'm already using a MacPro in the other room as a mini-CD reader (which iMac can't handle) and the 7 x USB hub can bring all the AV+MIDI+controller, HD, etc. stuff in. I'm set, just need to find a slave computer with Firewire on some rare occasions.

Jan 17, 08 - 09:00 am Comment from: shen

"Cheng reports, "Without a doubt, the Apple MacBook Air is expected to sell like hotcakes. For one, the laptop debuts at $1,799, a compelling price point when compared to the $2,000 price tags on the Sony TZ150N, the Panasonic W4, and the Toshiba R500."


the handful of people with more than 3 brain cells have been posting this kind of information for a while now.

yes, we know the pro is faster and only a little more, but look at the MBAs competition....

the MBA is faster, less $, and looks thousands of times better. these are going to sell like little aluminum hot cakes. very thin aluminum hot cakes.

Jan 17, 08 - 10:54 am Comment from: shen

"SJ said they went through nearly 100 prototypes before choosing this one, and then hoped the engineers could make it work. After that much effort, who else beside me thinks this is the design type of the MB and MBP for the next 3 to 5 years?"

bingo.

the iPhone/touch will get a 3rd sibling, a bit larger 5 inch screen?) and the macbook/pro will change to designs similar to the air, slimming down but not as much and with slightly different features.

the 3 notebooks will be entry, pro, and portable, while the touch screens will be phone, entry/iPod, and a less portable tablet. when the number crunching power is easy enough on the battery but powerful enough to be a full fledged computer, the imac will have to become the dockstation that we saw rumors of. it will be the end of the desktop. we will have workstations, portables, and ultra-portables.

...i give it about 3 years till they round out the new product line.

"Nice looking, but the lack of a removable battery is definitely a deal breaker for me."

Right, because you always operate your computer with the battery removed.

Jan 17, 08 - 11:17 pm Comment from: Darkness

@MumboJumbo...

You post your opinion, you take your responses. If you don't like it, don't post.

Don't take this stuff so darned seriously.

Oh, and thanks for your response. I do appreciate it.

This will have a VERY limited user base.

With no swappable battery, ultra slow HDD, no integrated WWAN capability, and very limited connectivity options only the style/fashion centric users will find this computer acceptable.

Apple have created a great deal of, yes, Air!

We've just got the MacBook Air available to order at our place and it's looking rather sexy. (note the subtle plug It's probably just a matter of time before the other laptop manufacturers in the PC market start removing optical drives too, although security issues will possibly arise from purely wireless installations. But the thing that has us really excited about the MacBook Air is the shift towards solid state hard drives; providing you can shield them from unwarranted EM, they should be emerging soon across many more products. It's really more than just a thinner MacBook - it's a risky and admirable step where no laptop has gone before.

I think the key issue is weight, everyone travels, and why would we want to lug around extra pounds?,, the style and light weight will outweigh all other negatives...........