Macbook air?

[jags2ooo]

I just want to ask something my friend want to buy a mac book air.

I was just wondering if the price of mac book air worth its quality?

Thanks

 

[Joe Average]

For what you get, meaning in terms of raw functionality, the answer would have to be no because there are plenty of laptops out these days with far more functionality and usefulness - including Macbooks (white and black) and even the base model Macbook Pro, and many others from other manufacturers.

The appeal of the Macbook Air is being unique, and not much else I'd say. You can get more powerful laptops in terms of processing power, with similar screens, with more RAM (and expandable - the Macbook Air is stuck at 2GB forever unless they come out with higher capacity versions, unlikely anytime soon), no optical drive (yes I'm aware of the ability to use a networked optical drive or buying the external from Apple, but it's still not the same as having one built in), and some other issues.

For the cost, he could do better. If he's looking for an actual Mac, tell him to look into a Macbook or Macbook Pro with some upgrades and get more for his money. Or go over to Dell and grab something that's comparable, or some other manufacturer.

 

[Serpico]

I just want to ask something my friend want to buy a mac book air.

I was just wondering if the price of mac book air worth its quality?

Thanks

Only if he absolutely needs the ultraportable form factor or has money to burn. I especially wouldn't recommend having it as your only machine, while I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend a Macbook or Macbook Pro for that.

The over quality of the Air is good, the LED backlit screen is great, the keyboard is excellent, and it prices out cheaper than competing ultraportables like the (slower) Lenovo x300 even after throwing in an SSD. That said, the utility of throwing in the extra cash simply to have a notebook built into two sheets of aluminum is questionable. Yes it is cool, but for a few hundred less you can get a Macbook with higher specs.

Regular notebooks are already pretty small so I don't see so much of a point given the extra being spent.

That said, as components get faster, smaller, and cheaper, I won't be surprised to see the Macbook Pro get to the Air's size or close to it in five to ten years. When I look at my Macbook Pro now, something with very beefy specs that is only 5 lbs and an inch thick when closed, it honestly feels like a pig to me now that I've played with the Air for a bit. I wouldn't get an Air because I need more power than it provides, but I sure am jealous.

 

[Talz]

I agree with the others, the MBAir simply isn't a practical/value purchase for many if any uses. On the other hand if someone simple wants a very light and thin PC the MBAir can fill a practical purpose while being something of a toy or luxury item. I don't find it compelling but if they came out with something similiar that could convert into a tablet mode I'd be drooling despite the fact that it wouldn't be much more practical in many opinions. This is one of those cases where beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You might suggest your friend wait and see what the next-gen MacBooks look like though unless they are 100% sure about the MBAir.

 

[jchen012]

For what you get in hardware/performance, the answer is no. The price you are paying is mainly for the form factor and the light weight.

 

[aznbumbaclot]

I own one and, I have absolutely no regrets. Portability has always been a large concern of mine and, my recent laptops have been Powerbook G4 > Fujitsu P1510D > Dell M1330 > Macbook Air. Out of the four, the Macbook air has proven to be great for the applications I need it for. It is obviously the slowest of the other Mac options out right now but, it's form factor won me over. Even the M1330 seems like a behemoth when I carry it now.

I've always had a desktop computer alternative at home so my laptops have all played secondary roles to them. (FolderShare FTW)

 

[Black Morty Rackham]

For what you get, meaning in terms of raw functionality, the answer would have to be no because there are plenty of laptops out these days with far more functionality and usefulness - including Macbooks (white and black) and even the base model Macbook Pro, and many others from other manufacturers.

Now that just plain doesn't make sense. The value of the Macbook Air is portability. Yes, there are computers with moar powar, but they're all significantly larger and heavier. For a full-featured (meaning full-sized input devices and a decent-sized monitor), it's pretty dang small, and that's what sells it -- not some fuzzy idea about "being unique" (what the hell does that even mean?).

Or go over to Dell and grab something that's comparable, or some other manufacturer.

And therein lies the problem with your argument: "comparable" hardware from other companies costs just as big a fortune as the MBAir.

Regular notebooks are already pretty small so I don't see so much of a point given the extra being spent.

I have a 12" iBook, and I ended up never really carrying it anywhere anyway. It's about as small as "regular" laptops come, and I still find it impractically big. Were I the sort of person who spent a lot of my day going to different meetings in different buildings and had to have a laptop with me, I'd want something lighter than the ordinary Macbook.

 

[TalonOP]

Lenovo's X300 packs more bang for the buck imo and is lighter than the macbook air (depending on configuration). It also has a DVD drive which the air sorely lacks.

 

[Black Morty Rackham]

Lenovo's X300 packs more bang for the buck imo and is lighter than the macbook air (depending on configuration). It also has a DVD drive which the air sorely lacks.

It does seem like a better computer, on the whole, but it's also significantly more expensive.

 

[Joe Average]

It does seem like a better computer, on the whole, but it's also significantly more expensive.

You get what you pay for, simple. I didn't say the MBA wasn't useful, I said:

For what you get, meaning in terms of raw functionality, the answer would have to be no because there are plenty of laptops out these days with far more functionality and usefulness - including Macbooks (white and black) and even the base model Macbook Pro, and many others from other manufacturers.

and there's nothing wrong or inaccurate in any of it.

Come on, for $1800 base price they can't even throw in the damned external USB DVD burner? What kind of bullshit is that in this day and age with that entire device probably costing what, $30 wholesale? If it weren't for the accessory market, Apple would be absolutely dying right now for many reasons. And I made it a point to specifically name the MB and the MBP as alternates: the MBA simply doesn't have THAT MUCH going for it in comparison to the upgradeable Macbooks, actually. An upgraded Macbook is more powerful and more useful as a standalone machine (no external drives necessary, yanno) than an MBA, period.

I get the MBA, I do, I get it. I understand why people like it and I'm just not one of them. My answer to the OP's basic question would be no, I don't think it's worth the price based on the "quality" but therein lies the rub: the definition of quality which is entirely up for discussion all by itself. Mac fanatics would look at it as cheap; PC owners would look at it and wonder "My god, how can they charge so much for so little?" and so on.

This is simply another instance of there being no one single best or correct answer to the question as each answer from each individual would be tainted by personal opinions and experience, just as mine are.

 

[aznbumbaclot]

You get what you pay for, simple. I didn't say the MBA wasn't useful, I said:



and there's nothing wrong or inaccurate in any of it.

Come on, for $1800 base price they can't even throw in the damned external USB DVD burner? What kind of bullshit is that in this day and age with that entire device probably costing what, $30 wholesale? If it weren't for the accessory market, Apple would be absolutely dying right now for many reasons. And I made it a point to specifically name the MB and the MBP as alternates: the MBA simply doesn't have THAT MUCH going for it in comparison to the upgradeable Macbooks, actually. An upgraded Macbook is more powerful and more useful as a standalone machine (no external drives necessary, yanno) than an MBA, period.

I get the MBA, I do, I get it. I understand why people like it and I'm just not one of them. My answer to the OP's basic question would be no, I don't think it's worth the price based on the "quality" but therein lies the rub: the definition of quality which is entirely up for discussion all by itself. Mac fanatics would look at it as cheap; PC owners would look at it and wonder "My god, how can they charge so much for so little?" and so on.

This is simply another instance of there being no one single best or correct answer to the question as each answer from each individual would be tainted by personal opinions and experience, just as mine are.

I'd have to agree with most of what you have said. The MBA is definitely targeted towards a specific market and, luckily I'm part of it Not everyone is aiming for the fastest out laptop out there. Specification-wise, my MBA is an upgrade from my first two laptops (Pbook 12" and P1510D) but, it is much slower than my M1330 (T7500, 4GB RAM, the works). However, I often found myself not needing all the power that it had to offer.

The only gripe I have with your post is your dig at the Superdrive not offered in the MBA's base price. I actually thought that it was a great choice because I never really used the drives in my previous laptops. I think most users aiming for portability would agree with me. The MBA comes packed with software that allows the user to use an optical drive from another computer (on Windows or Mac) and, I've only used it once to reinstall the OS.

For the OP, tell your friend that he should really assess what he needs from his new laptop. I primarily use my MBA as a travel notebook for classes, internet browsing, remote access to my desktop and to show presentations. I personally like OSX but, if he could install Windows on it with Bootcamp. I originally considered the regular MacBooks but, the two pound difference was huge to me. And the build quality of the Air is very good; it rarely gets hot to the touch and feels solid overall.

 

[Serpico]

Lenovo's X300 packs more bang for the buck imo and is lighter than the macbook air (depending on configuration). It also has a DVD drive which the air sorely lacks.

Lenovo's x300 costs $1500 more than the default Air while it has half the RAM and a slower 1.2ghz CPU. Even if you upgrade the Air from a 1.6ghz to a 1.8ghz CPU, SSD drive, external DVD, and ethernet dongle, it still costs hundreds less than that baseline x300 configuration with 1.2ghz CPU and 1GB RAM.

I'm not in the market for an ultraportable from anybody, but it is plain as day that the x300 is a really bad value in comparison.

Can I have what you're smoking?

 

[Black Morty Rackham]

You get what you pay for, simple. I didn't say the MBA wasn't useful, I said:
(snip)
and there's nothing wrong or inaccurate in any of it.

I'd argue that, for a laptop, portability is a part of "raw functionality" -- if you can't carry it with you, what's the point of having a laptop?

 

[Lack]

Lenovo's x300 costs $1500 more than the default Air while it has half the RAM and a slower 1.2ghz CPU. Even if you upgrade the Air from a 1.6ghz to a 1.8ghz CPU, SSD drive, external DVD, and ethernet dongle, it still costs hundreds less than that baseline x300 configuration with 1.2ghz CPU and 1GB RAM.

I'm not in the market for an ultraportable from anybody, but it is plain as day that the x300 is a really bad value in comparison.

Can I have what you're smoking?

Actually, the price of X300 has gone up recently on lenovo site. You can get it easily for around 2500$ from web resellers though.
That makes it almost a grand cheaper then a AirBook with SSD and Applecare.

 

[MrWizard6600]

Its sexy, nothing more.

 

[Mad_Pyro]

If someone gave me one, I'd take one. However, I wouldn't buy one. In my experience, having used a Sony VGN-T250, I'd consider a Sony TX-series over a Macbook Air. I would also consider a Toshiba R500 over a Macbook Air. Both are more usable computers in a similar form factor.