Apple releases Mac OS X Lion for $30, new MacBook Airs

[Guest]

aj_the_kidd,

I think some Apple products are overpriced, but the Air?

I've never owned a single Apple product (not an ipod, not an iphone, not a macbook) and I hate iTunes. Yet, if I was a student or someone who needed a laptop for travel, the MacBook air provides the most powerful CPU/SSD combo, one of the slimmest aluminum body construction laptops for "only" $1,299. Plus it has the ability to be hooked up to 2x2560x1600 monitors and still retains 7 hours of battery life. There isn't a single PC laptop that can deliver all of that for $1,300.

Then again, a laptop to me is only about portability. Right now I have a 17 inch HP with Blu-ray drive which I use at home (but it weighs 7.7 lbs). Obviously if you want a laptop for games, to watch Blu-Ray movies, or do serious video encoding work, the MacBook air isn't going to work for you. But as a portable laptop, there isn't any better for its price.

 

[Guest]

In reply to the other guest who must work for Apple, I fix laptops for a living and Apple are the worst for maintainance. I think they are designed for the people that want it to look good and have an logo on it because most of thoes people are willing to spend that much when it goes wrong they'll just buy another. Some people have more money than sense.

 

[SNGX1275]

Simple maintenence on Apple laptops is pretty easy. Now granted I haven't worked on every one out there but I've worked on a 15" Powerbook G4 1.67 which shared the same design as the first MBPs, a mid 2009 unibody MBP 13", and a couple white macbooks. Swapping hard drives and adding RAM ranges from extremely easy to removing about 10 screws to take off the bottom panel (at which point you have access to everything). Battery replacement on the older ones only required a coin to turn the release, the unibody ones again, the 10 screws to access everything. Never had to replace a fan on them, it can't be much more difficult though. There are guides for replacing everything on ifixit.com and they are incredibly easy to follow. Perhaps you should look there for assistance if you think working on Apple laptops is difficult.

Anything else that goes wrong is going to require a whole "logic board" replacement, just like it would on a PC laptop.

The Airs are going to be harder to work on, but that is going to be true of anything that stuffs everything in such a small frame.

 

[Guest]

What's with all these Mac vs PC arguments.

Would I be wrong to say that the Mac now is in fact an X86-64 PC flashed with
EFI firmware?

The Mac is essentially just a PC, the only difference is that apple made
their OS X require a non BIOS environment to function, being EFI.
The EFI rom chip is the only difference. Otherwise it's the same CPU
and motherboard chipset.

I am a PC user myself and am looking at getting an ultra thin
notebook. Surprisingle the MacBook Air is the best value
ultrathin laptop out there. The samsung is nice but it costs
more for less!

So unless something equally priced and specked comes
from Asus, Samsung etc. I'll be getting this and dual booting
Windows 7. Irrespective of how much I deslike looking
like a emo sheep or arts student with a glowing apple on
the back of my notebook

 

[aj_the_kidd]

Guest said:
aj_the_kidd,

I think some Apple products are overpriced, but the Air?

I've never owned a single Apple product (not an ipod, not an iphone, not a macbook) and I hate iTunes. Yet, if I was a student or someone who needed a laptop for travel, the MacBook air provides the most powerful CPU/SSD combo, one of the slimmest aluminum body construction laptops for "only" $1,299. Plus it has the ability to be hooked up to 2x2560x1600 monitors and still retains 7 hours of battery life. There isn't a single PC laptop that can deliver all of that for $1,300.

Then again, a laptop to me is only about portability. Right now I have a 17 inch HP with Blu-ray drive which I use at home (but it weighs 7.7 lbs). Obviously if you want a laptop for games, to watch Blu-Ray movies, or do serious video encoding work, the MacBook air isn't going to work for you. But as a portable laptop, there isn't any better for its price.

I probably should have said most people buy apple products simply because its apple.

Look don't get me wrong, i think apple products are good including the Air, I just dont think its worth it. If your talking about students and travel, do you really need that much power? I do agree with portability when it comes to laptops i just think there are better options, granted not as powerful and not as light but still good enough to get the job done.

 

[Guest]

aj,

Here I found a review for you to backup my claims that it's the best laptop for $1,299 vs. its competitors, as I have already mentioned:

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptop/apple-macbook-air-13-2011.aspx?mode=benchmarks#LAPTOP%20File%20Transfer%20Test%20(in%20min)

Overall, for casual games like WOW and Portal 2, transferring of files, boot times, and battery life, it beats all of its competitors (except X1 which needed a slice battery).

But on top of that, you have the best quality construction, fully aluminum unibody, unlike the Series 9 from Samsung, and you have the highest resale value 12 months from now compared to these competing PC laptops. Guys, look I am rocking a Core i7 860 @ 3.9ghz, and a 2500k @ 4.5ghz on the desktop with an HD6950 shader unlocked (so I am a PC enthusiast), but the MacBook Air easily trounces its PC laptop competition in the light and powerful laptop segment.

Intel really needs to hurry up with their UltraBook marketing campaign. Asus X21 can't get here fast enough. They should have launched 2-3 months before MacAir and beat them to the punch. Too late.

 

[Guest]

In case that first link doesn't work:

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptop/apple-macbook-air-13-2011.aspx

 

[aj_the_kidd]

The point that i was trying to get across is that whilst the Apple Air is good, of which i don't dispute, if i had a choice i would choose a cheaper laptop that is heavier and less powerful. As good as the Air is i can get a pretty decent laptop for allot cheaper, thats all.