MacBook Air.... MacBook Crap

[tlarkin]

but come on, students with no optical drive? Its not like students have multitple computers, they have one. Macbooks and Macbook pros are still more viable in my mind for students.

[Jay Carr]

Yes, students without optical drives. I've used mine thrice in the year I've had my MBP (Reinstall Tiger, then Leopard and finally iWork '08). Most students I know these days buy most of their junk online, or they put a world processor on it and call it a day. The only thing that the optical drive is used for is games, and as we've discussed, Mac's just aren't for games. Most students would rather have a Wii these days...or a 360.

Honestly, I think most students, when they think about it, will see that they don't need anything more than the MBA for taking notes and for most of the stuff they do at home (email, internet, facebook, music). And yeah, that's not the entire student body, but a larger percentage of students will want this product than most demographics.

[tlarkin]

I have to disagree with the student thing. Here is why.

Dude, I just got this new album, want to toss it on your itunes, oh wait.....

CD sales still out sell online music, by a decent margin.

Cost MBP 2k, MBA 3k so thats is 1k difference

Do you know how many beers you can buy for $1k? If a 12pk of PBR on average costs $6, that is about $.50 per a can, so that is 2,000 beers you can buy. Lets say you drink on average 20 beers/night, that is 100 nights of beer.

Also not all software is that easy to install over the network. I don't think Apple target was students. I mean if you look at the majority of mac laptops in education they are mostly macbooks. At the university level, maybe macbook pros. I seriously doubt that the MBA will be a hot student item.

[NovaScotian]

We're down to second guessing the market appeal of a NEW computer. Apple thought they could sell it and we don't know to whom. That remains to be seen. Judging who will buy what is damned near black magic, but Apple has as good a track record as any other computer maker.

[Photek]

Quote: We're down to second guessing the market appeal of a NEW computer.

Soooo... My prediction is that the MBA will perform as well as Apple TV did last year.....

its needs a much higher spec and a much lower price.. if Apple want to achieve a decent number of sales.....

[tlarkin]

However, the people that want it will buy it. I just recently started buying guns and going to the shooting range, I don't need them but I really like it. There are a lot of expenses that I just pay owning, maintaining and shooting a gun because to me its fun to go to the range and unload several magazines.

The same thing will apply to the MBA. The people that want it and are willing to pay for it, will just up and buy it. People like Carlos who will spend 700 dollars on an iphone when it comes out, because he needs and wants it. It will make sales, but I don't think it will out sell their other laptop lines.

It is a stepping stone, and once technology gets better I think everything will be diskless, but that is not anytime in the exact near future. We have places in the US (and the rest of the world) that only have dial up as an option still to this day and age. Other cities, like Seoul in S. Korea is completely covered with WiFi. No matter where you are, the city is covered. The MBA will do well in the Asian markets because they are smaller in land mass and have better infrastructure when it comes to WiFi compared to the USA.

[Craig R. Arko]

Quote: Originally Posted by tlarkin It is a stepping stone, and once technology gets better I think everything will be diskless, but that is not anytime in the exact near future. We have places in the US (and the rest of the world) that only have dial up as an option still to this day and age. Other cities, like Seoul in S. Korea is completely covered with WiFi. No matter where you are, the city is covered. The MBA will do well in the Asian markets because they are smaller in land mass and have better infrastructure when it comes to WiFi compared to the USA.

I hope to be testing that theory soon. I believe it is correct.

[iampete]

Quote: Originally Posted by NovaScotian I suspect, in addition to comments already made, that the battery extends as it does . . . limit on overall dimension. Cheaper.

This definitely supports where my thoughts were heading: MBA rev. n is also unlikely to have a user-accessible battery unless the 5 hr life is significantly reduced.

If the MBA were to include a user-accessible battery and keep a 5 hr life, its mass/dimensions would start to approach those of a small MB and the prime selling point would be lost.

[anthlover]

Well here is a new Sub for $1750 to $2250 ekk 8 Inch Screen for Reference, at least it does Tablet.

http://www.dailytech.com/Fujitsu+Int...ticle10396.htm

[Jay Carr]

Quote: Originally Posted by tlarkin I have to disagree with the student thing. Here is why. Dude, I just got this new album, want to toss it on your itunes, oh wait..... CD sales still out sell online music, by a decent margin.

Let me get this straight. You think that students would rather buy beer and CD's than have a nice computer to take notes in class with? Granted, there is a certain demographic that feels that way...

I think the conversation would go more like, "Dude! (sic), I just got this new album, let's toss it on iTunes! Oh, wait...watch this! No man, just stick it in your PC and watch" After a few moments they are succesfully using a second computer to get the music onto the MBA. Other student-- "Nice!"

Really, the conversation could go either way. And I did not say that every college student will want one. I'm just saying that I think students could really take advantage of this technology, and I think students stand out as one of the demographics that would really like one of these.

[styrafome]

Quote: Originally Posted by Zalister Yes, students without optical drives. I've used mine thrice in the year I've had my MBP (Reinstall Tiger, then Leopard and finally iWork '08). Most students I know these days buy most of their junk online, or they put a world processor on it and call it a day.

I helped a friend install her college's Mac software when she switched from a PC to a MacBook. We did this when we were on the other side of the continent from her school. Because most of the school software is stored on a server using their site license. Log in, download, and install. The optical drive never entered into it.

[lcutter]

Ok, there are lots of valid point here, but for a few of the criticisms, lets point out a few things.
-Slow processor: 1.6 and 1.8 Ghz Core 2 duo is not lightning fast, but the C2D is WAY faster than many of the companion dual cores offered by AMD and other slower Intel processors in PCs (and we still are competing with PCs right?)
-Price: It is pricy, but remember the original clamshell iBooks? No one for $1000 or less. If I remember, they were around $1200 to $1600 for just a "regular" laptop. And since it's small and new, it's pricier. Everything newer and smaller costs more. SSD's will come down.
-Features: Well, something had to be sacrificed. It's really going to come down to personal preference what people think should have been dropped. Ask 100 different people, you'll get 100 different lists of what should stay and what can be sacrificed.

[sgxenja]

I was really hoping for something smaller, more like my 12" Powerbook, but with a faster processor, lighter and more compact. The airbook is really thin, but it's still big. I do a lot of international travel, and have been leaving my computer home on some trips recently, and have been just using my iphone, which is great for getting email, but small for viewing movies, and I miss being able to create, edit, or work with documents. This may not be the place for this post, but as the iphone will video out to a tv, couldn't Apple make a bigger separate display, maybe 8 or 9 inches, to hook up to the iphone? It could use the expanded horizontal keyboard on the iphone, and then display web pages, documents, photos, etc. on the big screen. You could watch movies at a decent size, and have scaled down versions of programs like pages, so you could do some work, and then email the documents off, or sync them to your computer. If it needed more memory, or extra storage, than that could be incorporated into the bigger screen. Maybe this is not so possible, and I'm curious as to what could be. Other than being lighter, really thin, and looking cool, the Airbook's footprint isn't that much different than a Macbook, and it isn't as powerful. It's still a big thing to lug around, and for now I'm going to stick with my 12" Powerbook.

[MACARBEZ]

THE iPhone = I buy a new car but I am only allowed to use petrol (gas for my American friends ) from ESSO and I have to pay them (Esso) a monthly fee for 18 months for the privilege.

THE MacAir = I have to borrow someones computer to do loads of stuff that they can do already and I have to pay a high price for this, or by an add on portable combo drive

The MacAir is a very nice looking computer (too some, granted) and is ultra portable. If it is loaded with what the owner needs and thus satisfies their needs, this is good and they are happy. But........ Mmmmmm, that non user changeable battery . . . . . problem, more expense

If any of you would care to give me, as a present a Mac Air I would bite your hand off for it. If I can buy one hardly used and in mint condition for 100 pounds sterling (50 odd US dollars) I would sell my grandmother's teeth to get the money.

Just to use it for writing, net surfing, listening to music and playing time wasting games while out and about.

The MacAir is cute and useful but nothing more.
The iPhone is a great phone but only if it is unlocked.

Thankfully it is illegal in France to lock you into a mobile phone company, I think / hope it will also be found to be illegal in all of Europe and even the US

People need to complain to get stuff changed.

Sorry if this is thought of as off topic.

[tlarkin]

Quote: Originally Posted by Zalister Let me get this straight. You think that students would rather buy beer and CD's than have a nice computer to take notes in class with? Granted, there is a certain demographic that feels that way... I think the conversation would go more like, "Dude! (sic), I just got this new album, let's toss it on iTunes! Oh, wait...watch this! No man, just stick it in your PC and watch" After a few moments they are succesfully using a second computer to get the music onto the MBA. Other student-- "Nice!" Really, the conversation could go either way. And I did not say that every college student will want one. I'm just saying that I think students could really take advantage of this technology, and I think students stand out as one of the demographics that would really like one of these.

That is if they have access to multiple computers. I think the same way most college kids thing about their funds. They want to go out and do stuff and have fun because its the only time in their life they are going to be in that social setting.

Its too expensive and lacks features for students to want. What about all those students that have FW drives for their data? How they going to hook it up?

The MBA is a niche, and Apple doesn't need to get into the educational market they are already there with a strong presence. Also, installing software over WiFi can be a night mare, trust me i know this personally. I have a managed switch on its own VLAN that I can push out installs to. If I try installing say, a 200MB package over wireless to my 5500+ macbooks, it kills the network. This is because of many factors and one of them being the drivers for the airport card suck. Apple needs to improve their wireless solutions. I will say that I have noticed that Leopard is an improvement with some of the issues we have had.

[cwtnospam]

Quote: Originally Posted by tlarkin Its too expensive and lacks features for students to want. What about all those students that have FW drives for their data? How they going to hook it up?

You're thinking like a techie, not a student. Students on large campuses will be happy to give up Firewire for a computer that weighs 2 or 3 pounds less and takes up less space in their backpack. Firewire is a feature. It only becomes a benefit if you've got an external drive that uses it, and many students will prefer the wireless drive Apple announced along with the MBA.

Of course, many won't care for the MBA, which is why Apple has added the MBA to the lineup without removing the MB or the MBP!

[tlarkin]

Quote: Originally Posted by cwtnospam You're thinking like a techie, not a student. Students on large campuses will be happy to give up Firewire for a computer that weighs 2 or 3 pounds less and takes up less space in their backpack. Firewire is a feature. It only becomes a benefit if you've got an external drive that uses it, and many students will prefer the wireless drive Apple announced along with the MBA. Of course, many won't care for the MBA, which is why Apple has added the MBA to the lineup without removing the MB or the MBP!

I am just speaking from my experience working in education. given the option for a cheaper more powerful more featured laptop the student will almost always take the macbook or macbook pro over the air.

My friend is going back to grad school and he actually moved back into a dorm (some grad school only dorm thing) but its more like student apartments. Anyway, its small, so he got rid of everything and he uses is Macbook for all his entertainment now. It is his jukebox, his DVD player (he runs video out to his TV), his stereo, and his filing cabinet. Getting rid of all his extra electronics and getting just a Macbook saves him room, and he sold all his extra stuff on craig's list for a few extra bucks.

I am not saying it doesn't have its place, but in education I am skeptical.

[chabig]

Quote: Originally Posted by tlarkin Given the option for a cheaper more powerful more featured laptop the student will almost always take the macbook or macbook pro over the air.

That may be true, but it doesn't speak against the Air. The MacBooks and MacBook Pros were great machines two weeks ago, and they still are!

By the way, I wouldn't worry about people with firewire drives. USB drives are easy to come by, in case you haven't checked recently.

[cwtnospam]

I'm sure that your friends setup works well for him. Not all students have the same hike to and from classes though, and undergrads aren't usually as specialized in their studies, so they tend to take classes all over a campus where a grad student might spend his whole day in one building. Some of those undergrads are bound to care more about size and weight. For those that don't, your friends setup will be more appealing.

Anyway, time will tell.

[Jay Carr]

Quote: Originally Posted by cwtnospam I'm sure that your friends setup works well for him. Not all students have the same hike to and from classes though, and undergrads aren't usually as specialized in their studies, so they tend to take classes all over a campus where a grad student might spend his whole day in one building. Some of those undergrads are bound to care more about size and weight. For those that don't, your friends setup will be more appealing.

Since I did, in fact, work for a year selling Apple computers to college students in a on campus Mac Store, who for some reason feels an overwhelming desire to use italics to make a point, I feel like confirming what cwtnospam says. Especially how his example illustrates that different users need different things.

Look people, the point I have been trying to make is that there is a large percentage of Mac using college students who are going to want this thing. They'll like it because it's light, cool and easy to cart around. Yes, this is just one salesman's opinion, but I feel like I've talked to enough prospective Mac buyers to have a pretty informed opinion on the subject.

In summary, no, not every student is going to want one, not even a majority. But there will be a goodly percentage that do. I think the MBA will work very well in a college environment. Given the chance, I'd get one myself.