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 Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:01 pm Post subject: Apple Intros MacBook Air |
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Apple Intros MacBook Air
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Posted by: Glenn
Apple today unveiled MacBook Air, the world's thinnest notebook. It measures only 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, while its maximum height of 0.76-inches is less than the thinnest point on competing notebooks. MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a full-size and backlit keyboard, a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, and a spacious trackpad with multi-touch gesture support so users can pinch, rotate and swipe. MacBook Air is powered by a 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, and includes as standard features 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, and the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1. MacBook Air delivers up to five hours of battery life for wireless productivity and includes AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, which delivers up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g.
"We've built the world's thinnest notebook-without sacrificing a full-size keyboard or a full-size 13-inch display," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "When you first see MacBook Air, it's hard to believe it's a high-performance notebook with a full-size keyboard and display. But it is."
MacBook Air has a vibrant 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display that is energy efficient, and its spacious trackpad offers multi-touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe, making it more intuitive than ever to browse and rotate photos or zoom into web pages in Safari. MacBook Air features a full-size keyboard design in a sleek and durable aluminum enclosure. The backlit keyboard makes it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls, and a built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the display brightness for optimal visibility.
MacBook Air delivers up to five hours of battery life for wireless productivity and includes AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, which delivers up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g. Apple's Migration Assistant software now enables users to quickly transfer files, applications and preferences from your old Mac to MacBook Air right over your wireless network.
MacBook Air users can buy the companion MacBook Air SuperDrive, a compact external drive designed for MacBook Air, for just $99. The MacBook Air SuperDrive is powered by MacBook Air's USB port, eliminating the need to carry a separate power adapter. Many MacBook Air users will not find a need for an optical drive now that they can wirelessly rent movies from the iTunes Store, wirelessly backup files with Time Capsule and access the optical drives on remote PCs or Macs to wirelessly install software applications on MacBook Air.
MacBook Air is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz, and includes as standard 2GB of memory and an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive. An optional 64GB solid state drive contains no moving parts for added durability. Every MacBook Air includes a micro-DVI port so users can connect to Apple's gorgeous 20-inch or 23-inch Cinema Displays to extend their desktop or connect to projectors and other displays via DVI, VGA, Composite and S-video adapters. MacBook Air includes USB 2.0 for plugging in peripherals or charging an iPod or iPhone, a headphone jack and Apple's acclaimed MagSafe Power Adapter designed especially for mobile users.
Every MacBook Air comes with iLife '08, the most significant update ever to Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto and a completely reinvented iMovie, both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing. The new MacBook Air also comes with Leopard, the sixth major release of the world's most advanced operating system. Leopard introduces Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; and major enhancements to Mail and iChat. .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their home computer from a MacBook Air over the Internet while out on the road.
The new MacBook Air embodies Apple's continuing environmental progress with its aluminum enclosure, a material highly desired by recyclers; Apple�s first mercury-free LCD display with arsenic-free glass; and brominated flame retardant-free material for the majority of circuit boards as well as PVC-free internal cables. In addition, MacBook Air consumes the least amount of power of any Mac, and its retail box, made primarily from 100 percent post-consumer recycled material, is 56 percent smaller by volume than the previously smallest MacBook packaging.
The new MacBook Air for $1799 includes:
- 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with 1280x800 resolution;
- 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache;
- 800 MHz front-side bus;
- 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
- 80GB hard disk drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
- Micro-DVI port (includes Micro-DVI to VGA and Micro-DVI to DVI Adapters);
- built-in iSight video camera;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
- one USB 2.0 port;
- one headphone port;
- multi-touch TrackPad with support for advanced multi-touch gestures including tap, scroll, pinch, rotate and swipe; and
- 45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
http://www.123macmini.com/news/story/862.html
Last edited by admin on Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:13 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Weee
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm thinking about getting one. It does look awesome. |
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hackersmovie
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DMXell
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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Not. Worth. $1800.
Edit: The Macbook Air will probably flop like the G4 Cube. Both are cool, but very overpriced.
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Ben Tex
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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| I like the the black on silver look. They should bring that to the MacBook and ditch the two colors. |
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DCGuy
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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| DMXell wrote: | Not. Worth. $1800.
Edit: The Macbook Air will probably flop like the G4 Cube. Both are cool, but very overpriced. |
how soon did G4 Cube flopped?
Macbook Air would not floop if it was in the 1200 range
Which it will reach in about a year I guess. |
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DMXell
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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| DCGuy wrote: | | DMXell wrote: | Not. Worth. $1800.
Edit: The Macbook Air will probably flop like the G4 Cube. Both are cool, but very overpriced. |
how soon did G4 Cube flopped?
Macbook Air would not floop if it was in the 1200 range
Which it will reach in about a year I guess. |
You don't remember? It cost so much that barely anyone bought it. Apple ended up discontinuing it a year or so later due to the poor sales. In my opinion, the Macbook Air should be under $1000 for the standard model:
80 GB HD at 4200 RPM, 2 GB of RAM, 1 USB port, same screen res at the macbook, and the same video card. Same iSight. No Apple Remote, no Optical drive, slower CPU. This literally scream that it should be cheaper than the Macbook as it can't do nearly as much, and yet it's $700 more. That's why it'll flop. I would have gotten one if it were a lot cheaper, but since it's only $200 cheaper than the Macbook Pro, I'd rather get that.
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Last edited by DMXell on Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:46 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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DCGuy
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry, I dont.
I was not a mac user back then 
Macbook Air reminds me of the old Dell Latitude C400 |
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Pleiades
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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| DMXell wrote: | You don't remember? It cost so much that barely anyone bought it. Apple ended up discontinuing it a year or so later due to the poor sales. In my opinion, the Macbook Air should be under $1000 for the standard model:
80 GB HD at 4400 RPM, 2 GB of RAM, 1 USB port, same screen res at the macbook, and the same video card. Same iSight. No Apple Remote, no Optical drive, slower CPU. This literally scream that it should be cheaper than the Macbook as it can't do nearly as much, and yet it's $700 more. That's why it'll flop. I would have gotten one if it were a lot cheaper, but since it's only $200 cheaper than the Macbook Pro, I'd rather get that. |
Yes, it certainly does have low specifications. However, I think you're missing the point that certain features, like the extremely small size, LED backlight, etc., cost a lot of money to manufacture right now. In particular, having Intel make a custom processor just for this machine means that there's no real discounts for volume.
If you can deal with a larger MacBook Pro, then you're obviously not in the target market for the machine. This machine is targeted at people who need portability to the extreme, and able to sacrifice price and performance to achieve that portability.
IMHO, the Cube was a failure because it didn't offer any unique features or usability over an equally priced PowerMac G4 (or cheaper PMG4). It was still a desktop, it only was a bit quieter and took up a bit less space. You were most certainly paying for the design. The MacBook Air you're certainly paying a bit for the design, but it's offering ultra portability that no Mac currently has.
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hackersmovie
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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| ClunkClunk wrote: | | DMXell wrote: | You don't remember? It cost so much that barely anyone bought it. Apple ended up discontinuing it a year or so later due to the poor sales. In my opinion, the Macbook Air should be under $1000 for the standard model:
80 GB HD at 4400 RPM, 2 GB of RAM, 1 USB port, same screen res at the macbook, and the same video card. Same iSight. No Apple Remote, no Optical drive, slower CPU. This literally scream that it should be cheaper than the Macbook as it can't do nearly as much, and yet it's $700 more. That's why it'll flop. I would have gotten one if it were a lot cheaper, but since it's only $200 cheaper than the Macbook Pro, I'd rather get that. |
Yes, it certainly does have low specifications. However, I think you're missing the point that certain features, like the extremely small size, LED backlight, etc., cost a lot of money to manufacture right now. In particular, having Intel make a custom processor just for this machine means that there's no real discounts for volume.
If you can deal with a larger MacBook Pro, then you're obviously not in the target market for the machine. This machine is targeted at people who need portability to the extreme, and able to sacrifice price and performance to achieve that portability. |
Well put! Also keep in mind, it's got a new, slimmer battery, new type of DVI port w/ accessories, new wireless access to optical drives both Mac and PC, and Bluetooth 2.1 EDR which is on NO other Macs...
Ton's of innovation here, I will gladly pay. . . I'll be buying an iPhone and Time Capsule as well. . .
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DCGuy
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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We'll see how thing thing sells.
Personally, I stick to a simple rule - never buy anything that apple releases first. Wait for few updates, buy then.
Plus, portability is debatable.
You still gonna get a case for it, and at that point - does it really matter if you are carrying 1 lbs or 3? |
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DMXell
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| ClunkClunk wrote: | | DMXell wrote: | You don't remember? It cost so much that barely anyone bought it. Apple ended up discontinuing it a year or so later due to the poor sales. In my opinion, the Macbook Air should be under $1000 for the standard model:
80 GB HD at 4400 RPM, 2 GB of RAM, 1 USB port, same screen res at the macbook, and the same video card. Same iSight. No Apple Remote, no Optical drive, slower CPU. This literally scream that it should be cheaper than the Macbook as it can't do nearly as much, and yet it's $700 more. That's why it'll flop. I would have gotten one if it were a lot cheaper, but since it's only $200 cheaper than the Macbook Pro, I'd rather get that. |
Yes, it certainly does have low specifications. However, I think you're missing the point that certain features, like the extremely small size, LED backlight, etc., cost a lot of money to manufacture right now. In particular, having Intel make a custom processor just for this machine means that there's no real discounts for volume.
If you can deal with a larger MacBook Pro, then you're obviously not in the target market for the machine. This machine is targeted at people who need portability to the extreme, and able to sacrifice price and performance to achieve that portability.
IMHO, the Cube was a failure because it didn't offer any unique features or usability over an equally priced PowerMac G4 (or cheaper PMG4). It was still a desktop, it only was a bit quieter and took up a bit less space. You were most certainly paying for the design. The MacBook Air you're certainly paying a bit for the design, but it's offering ultra portability that no Mac currently has. |
I'm a student, I need portability, thus I am in the market. But if it provides less power than the cheaper Macbook, I'm going with the cheaper model as it's only slightly bigger but tons more powerful.
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DCGuy
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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Do students really have $1800 to spend on the computer these days?
Damn! |
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Pleiades
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| DMXell wrote: | | I'm a student, I need portability, thus I am in the market. But if it provides less power than the cheaper Macbook, I'm going with the cheaper model as it's only slightly bigger but tons more powerful. |
A few things strike me as you not being in Apple's target market.
• You're a student, and price matters to you.
• Performance matters to you.
While I don't disagree that Apple could sell a lot more of these if they had a lower cost version ($1400 would be awesome), I think they research their market carefully. They're going for the $200k/year professionals who deal with a lot of mobility, not much heavy media use, and cost is not a huge factor.
Where I really think they dropped the ball is not including an ExpressCard34 slot, as all the professionals I know use and need EDGE cards (or equivalent).
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scooper
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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| The lack of a user-replaceable battery is probably the deal breaker for me. I might have been able to swing the price, but that one really bothers me. |
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