Poll: Is The MacBook Air Something You Would Buy?

I would buy it in a heartbeat if it were half the price. Really. Why? The low-end MacBook has an optical drive, more ports, a faster processor, and I believe it even has more disk space.
Sure, it’s a feat. I wish I had one. But why make it more expensive than the most expensive MacBook when the “only” things it has over the MacBook are more RAM from the start, more multi-touch and less weight?

I love the MBA. I hate the price.

    +5

Multi-touch is a seriously innovative feature. Should be interesting to see how soon it will be available in the entire notebook line!

Voted: No

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The salesman, the constant traveler (especially by air - no pun intended). If you are catching planes all the time, the size factor might start to over-ride some other considerations. Having to whip it out for the TSA checkpoints all the time and the ability to shove it in the seat pocket in front of you (though I’d be worried about damage personally) for takeoff and landing are big draws.

Beyond that, I feel that this product shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how people actually use notebook computers on Apple’s part.

People don’t actually want a mobile computer (which is what this is). What they want is a *portable* computer…that is, a computer that can be easily transported, setup and run as opposed to a computer that you use on the move.

    +0

I voted No mainly because it just doesn’t fit my needs. It sure looks like an amazing computer, but it’s not something I could justify purchasing. When my MBP has a 250GB drive, 4GB RAM, 2.2GHz C2D, and a dedicated video card, it’s hard to downgrade to something like the Air. Of course I’m not the target market either so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m not buying one.

    +2

I will buy a MacBook Air when it has the following features:

2.4 GHz processor
3G RAM
A docking station that looks like a 24″ iMac, that I slide the Air into when at the office. AND, when I’m away, still serves up my data on “back to my mac” to get around the disk limitation when I’m away.

Not asking for too much, am I?

    +0

Yes, I would buy the MacBook Air, and is planning to. I don’t need massive amounts of computing power when on the move (I do the bulk of my work on iMacs), and prefer something small and light.

I primarily use my laptop for presentations at clients’ offices, and for entertainment when traveling. And while the MacBook I currently carry around meets all my requirements of a laptop, it is a bit on the heavy side.

The limitations of the MacBook Air (lacking optical drive, limited connectivity) was an initial deterrent, but I rarely use those on my current MacBook anyway, so I doubt I’ll miss them in my day to day work.

    -1

I´d buy it if I had enough money to buy a (24 inch) iMac as well. So for the moment, I´m sticking with my macbook which I consider a very good compromise between possibilities and portability.

    +1

I would never buy Macbook Air, unless I was on the run.
It’s too expensive for the things it has to offer.
I rather buy a Macbook Pro or even a Macbook that is cheaper and has a lot more to offer. I have a Macbook and I’ve got more than 4 hours while running on battery power, so the 5 hours of Macbook Air do not surprise me. I think Macbook Air is not a wise choice for anyone unless you’re on the run all the time and don’t need cd/dvd-rom and ethernet, still I would buy a Macbook if I were in that position.

Cons: expensive, lack of CD/DVD-ROM (unless you pay $99 for an external drive), slow CPU, slow HDD with little space, lack of an ethernet port (unless you buy an extra adapter).
Pros: 13.3″ LED screen, thin, light.

    +2

I figure Apple will move all its laptops in the same directions—lighter, thinner, solid state, multitouch—and at a much better price in a year or so.

    -1

If I could afford the flash hard drive option, I’d definitely go for it. I’ve had a hard drive fail on a month-old MacBook Pro (my bad for not backing up!), but never had a problem with any CF cards in my cameras. I hardly ever use the CD/DVD drive, and with Netflix finally getting on the Mac bandwagon, I won’t really need to since I already download the vast majority of software that I use.
As a writer and photographer on the move, Air is very attractive though I’d rather spend the money on a new lens. I suspect the price will be the biggest deterrent.

(subscribed to comments)     -1

No.

I work in a Mac heavy shop, in a Mac heavy industry, and none of us quite understand the draw of this device beyond typical Mac aesthetic of design. And there’s a lot to be said for that.

But…it’s underpowerd, expensive and makes a few significant decisions in features that render it less of a work solution. It’s light. But the footprint isn’t miniscule in order to maintain a decent screen and keyboard. The Macbook isn’t that heavy or unweildly to begin with, though it might seem so on a scale next to the Air. Still, when you factor in the other issues…

A small, Applefied tablet would have been a much more welcome and interesting entry into the world of Mac.

    +3

Why couldn’t Apple just update the MBP line and offer 13 inch version w/out the optical drive. Style is one thing, but I’m trying to do work with my computer. If this is made for roadwarriors, it must have flexibility to swap out batteries easily. I always relied on spare batteries and routinely rely on it. And how can you call this ‘Air’ w/out wireless broadband built-in? To add insult to injury, it lacks option to even add outboard broadband securely. My bet is that after initial hype, this concept will be a failure.

    +1

notebook should be this thin by default, but shouldn’t be this expensive

    -1

I completely agree with denpashonen. I would say AIR is a waste of money as portability and multi touch are the only main features it has….a NO/NEG for me.

    +0

I won’t be buying one myself, but then I’m not in the target demo: rich, appearance obsessed yuppie wannabes. They sound nice, look great and performance wise, they seem to hold their own. Maybe if money were no object, and my primary Mac were a Mac Pro or an iMac, I’d consider it. I’m addicted to the portability a laptop affords. Still, I can get better performance out of a plain vanilla MacBook at 2/3 the cost. So no. If someone wanted to give me one I wouldn’t say no, but otherwise…

    +0

Hi, there, I love mac computer and I have dreamed with this light and stylish look many years… but it is really too expensive. Example, Year 2004 I bought a DELL m300 1.5 Kg. 1700 USD. HDD 60GB, Proc. Celeron 1.3Ghz Ram 1GB…. ho and the CD/DVD RW was included and also the Ethernet port (which is missing in the MBA). SO… At least I was expecting for 1700USD and 4 years later.. something really impressive…. huge HDD more Ram and maybe a CD/RW IN The machine..(that would have been really awesome in 1.5 Kg), also an incredible battery life like 5h-6h for real (in japan, were I live, there are a line of Panasoic PCs the smallest of them is about 1500USD and battery last 5h to 6h)… that would been something really mac style…and I really would have paid the 1700USD or more. But this machine is no better than MacBook.. ( macbook is just heavier :P… ) Even the OQO Model 2, or the line of Sony UX… which are PCs of the size of your palm, with touch screen and cost this much.. but it is really awesome machine… (unfortunately only runs Windows)…. so for an ultra-portable.. I think macbook air is not an option for me :(.. at least, not yet.

    +0

I voted no. Like the other poster said, for half the price it makes sense. But if you’re buying it just to run a few presentations, check e-mail at a coffeeshop or play some movies every now and then, wouldn’t something like the Eee PC make more sense?

Granted, it doesn’t run OS X. Which is precisely my point: for what people can/want do with this thing (because they realise its limitations), why didn’t Apple just give us something like the Eee PC at $800?

    +0

A BIG NO!

The MacBook Air was a flop in my opinion. It is nice looking and the added multi-touchpad features are interesting, although I am sure it will get added to the other notebook lines in the future, are not enough for the price. I would have paid this for a tablet style notebook with an iPhone touch interface in a heartbeat. I also agree to call it Air it should’ve had Broadband Wireless capabilities again like the iPhone. And one of the biggest grips I have heard is that battery, let us swamp batteries Apple in all your products. Very disappointed in Apple. The only other thing that makes it interesting is the Solid State Drive option, but that is way too expensive at this point in time especially since the Air is already expensive to start with. This new line should have been transforming not just slightly different with less features and power. I almost hope it flops, so the great features in it will move quickly to the only notebooks and Apple will go back to the drawing board and come up with the Tablet version ultra small notebook.

    +0

I totally agree that the MBA needs to be cheaper! At between $900-$1100 Apple would sell a ton of these things. The hard drive included is essentially the same hard drive used in the iPod Classic–it is going to crawl. However, all that said it looks sweet.

    +0

I’m going to look at the Air in store soon. I just really wish it would be cheaper, otherwise it would be a great travel laptop.

    +0

I love how everyone has said Apple’s missed the boat when 95% (probably 99%, but I’m being generous) of them have yet to even see one in person.

    +0

No - too expensive. It’s indisputably sexy though.

For 20% of the price I’d get an Asus EeePC instead. Part of that bias comes from the mod-ability of the EeePC; you can take it apart and solder a lot of things into it pretty easily. And if it breaks, well, it’s cheap anyway. I wouldn’t let a soldering iron within 10 feet of a MacBook Air, not at US$1799.

I don’t think I’m part of the target demographic though (that’s the demographic labelled “Have Money To Burn”).

    +0

The MacBook Air has the same footprint as a MacBook, less speed, less features and twice the price. What were they thinking?

Count me among the many Mac users that were hoping for a real sub-notebook and not an over priced skinny MacBook.

I waited over a year to replace my 15″ G4 Titanium. If it would have been 10-11 inches and $250 more than a MacBook I would have bought it without hesitation.

I bought a white MacBook the day after MacBook Air was announced.

Let’s hope it lasts as long as the Cube.

    +1

It’s going to be huge. Slower? You need to go try one. It’s fast. You’d get an Asus EE PC instead? Why not just use an iPhone? Almost the same size screen!

You’re looking at a 13.3″ screen, 3 lbs, ultrathin. Every competitive PC on the market is inferior in features and higher in price. And is a PC.

Watch and learn. This is going to be huge. It’s the Air, and it’s flying out of the stores.

    +0

Hahnah…

This is one thing I definitely agree on…

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