Author Topic: Ub3r thin lappy.. (Read 1453 times)

Cunning Plan · « **on:** January 17, 2008, 08:21:22 am »

http://www.apple.com/macbookair/

Incursus · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2008, 08:28:26 am »

Yeah spotted that in the news yesterday.

thought not having an optical drive was a bit lame. but when I thought back to how many times i've used the drive on my laptop at work....hardly ever.

clever stuff.

Roadkill · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2008, 08:37:44 am »

Yep, wouldn't say no.

Incursus · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2008, 08:45:49 am »

Quoting: Roadkill

Yep, wouldn't say no

Could sell it and buy something more useful

55starchief · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2008, 08:46:08 am »

A few years back every laptop had a floppy drive, then they started to add external ones. With the increase in size of flash USB i cant see the real need for an optical, more and more stuff is downloadable and how long before they start loading onto flash. There is an external optical drive available though

Incursus · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2008, 08:48:31 am »

Quoting: 55starchief

There is an external optical drive available though

plus it has a program so that you can "borrow" a drive on another PC or MAC.

Quoting: 55starchief

With the increase in size of flash USB i cant see the real need for an optical,

Indeed I use my Flash drive 100 times more often than the optical

HardRockCamaro · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2008, 08:57:08 am »

It's very clever engineering in all fairness to them.

The thickest end is still thinner than one of those uber thin Vaios.

They got Intel to make them a custom version of the Core 2 Duo processor that is 60% smaller.
The entire motherboard is the length of a pencil in one direction and about a third of that in the other dimension.

What don't I like? The price due the feature set.

£1,299
13.3", 1.6GHz Core2Duo, 2GB, 80GB HDD, 1x USB port, 1x video out port, 1x audio out port.

For the same money you can get a MacBook Pro which while thicker and heavier has a 15" screen, 2.something GHz Core2Duo, 120GB HDD, firewire 400 and 800 ports, more USB ports, ethernet port, DVD burner and so on.
So if you need power you buy that.

Or for just £800 you can get a MacBook with the same size screen but extras such as firewire ports, larger hdd, faster processor and so on.

So really you're paying a £400 premium over a MacBook for the same size screen, to get the thickness and weight down, and you lose out on spec too.

So for people on a budget, the MacBook is the way to go, for power users the MacBook Pro is the way to go.
The MacBook Air then is only worth buying if you *need* the slimness and don't need the other features or much processor power.

Don't get me wrong, as a consumer machine for someone who wants to use the internet, edit digital photos (but not connect their camcorder) and who travels a lot it's awesome.

55starchief · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2008, 09:01:06 am »

Yup i love my macbookpro but if i was doing a lot of traveling it would be an air

Cunning Plan · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2008, 09:31:44 am »

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

So for people on a budget, the MacBook is the way to go, for power users the MacBook Pro is the way to go.
The MacBook Air then is only worth buying if you *need* the slimness and don't need the other features or much processor power.

I think its just pushing the boundarys of component size, the specification of the next version will probably be alot higher.

Incursus · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2008, 09:42:25 am »

Quoting: Cunning Plan

I think its just pushing the boundarys of component size, the specification of the next version will probably be alot higher.

And cheaper.

Roadkill · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2008, 10:29:42 am »

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

What don't I like? The price due the feature set.

£1,299

It starts at $1799 in the U.S, apparently . . .

55starchief · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2008, 10:30:27 am »

Quoting: Roadkill

It starts at $1799 in the U.S, apparently . . .

Yup plus tax

art b · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2008, 11:49:33 am »

clever design,

nice bit of kit

how durable will it be.............

...if some one sat on it..

F Body · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2008, 12:40:05 pm »

Looks

What about battery life ?

55starchief · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2008, 12:45:00 pm »

Quoting: art b

how durable will it be............

It has an aluminum case and those are pretty tough, my powerbook survived a drop from 24" the case was a little bent but still functioned

Quoting: F Body

What about battery life ?

5 Hours which is true, my 15" macbookpro gets 4.5 and thats been tested by myself

Cunning Plan · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2008, 03:40:04 pm »

Quoting: 55starchief

5 Hours

Thats so good. I only get 1 hour from my lappy..

HardRockCamaro · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2008, 03:50:35 pm »

I had to laugh when I read a review by some IT rag, they were compating to an Asus (or something like that) small laptop and said that Asus claimed 3.5 hours battery life and Apple claimed 5 hours, but in real life they felt both would last as long as each other.
Don't think so bud, my MacBook Pro lasts a good 4.5 hours and would probably hit the 5 hours if WiFi was turned off.

The Air is a lovely machine and the processor speed of a dual core 1.6 (1.8 optional?) is plenty realistically, I mean that's 3.2GHz of processing power for an OS that is fairly zippy anyway.
My only issue with it is the lack of a firewire and ethernet port. Ok I use wireless 95% of the time but wired networks aren't dead yet, especially if you need to move big files around. And for the same reason I want firewire not USB2. I have USB2 and firewire hard drives and the firewire is a good 40% faster in real world use. I also have 3 firewire 800 devices and they're even faster. So while I could live with the lack of wired ethernet I'm less happy about the lack of firewire.

Although Apple are offering a free battery replacement service (as the battery is inside) I still think that's inconvenient and with Li-Ion batteries in laptops being less than reliable (mainly due to heat caused by improper end user useage imho) you could be sending your laptop back to them or sitting around at the Genuis Bar in the Apple stores too often for my liking...

Tis lovely though...

55starchief · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2008, 04:00:31 pm »

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Tis lovely though...

Of course its apple design form.

F Body · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2008, 06:19:52 pm »

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Li-Ion batteries in laptops being less than reliable (mainly due to heat caused by improper end user useage imho)

#

How do you inappropriately use an inbuilt lap top battery

55starchief · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2008, 06:25:52 pm »

by runing them on the mains supply rather than the battery

Gator · « **Reply #20 on:** January 17, 2008, 06:34:21 pm »

clever but i cant see the benefit its the same size in the other 2 dimensions so its no more portable than any other laptop but a lot easier to break

soon as a Li-Ion is charged you should unplug the mains or it wont last long

art b · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2008, 06:43:50 pm »

Quoting: Gator

no more portable than any other laptop but a lot easier to break

heres the sorta bloke id imagine sitting on it and bending it

remember that lump on ya head big fella.....

HardRockCamaro · « **Reply #22 on:** January 17, 2008, 07:29:24 pm »

No, the enemy of modern batteries is heat.
Using a notebook computer on your lap (no such thing as a laptop nowadays) or placed on top of the duvet (if you're in bed) is what will kill he battery when charging (or the machine for the matter).

You need the air gap beneath.

Personally I'm glad they didn't use a smaller screen to make it smaller in the other 2 dimensions. That would mean smaller than standard keyboard buttons which are a pita, and a screen with limited resolution (typically 800 pixels wide or less).

Cunning Plan · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2008, 07:46:54 pm »

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

No, the enemy of modern batteries is heat.

Totally true, most modern Li-ion batteries have advanced charging systems to give them the right amount of charge, at a rate that is sympathetic to the battery to ensure the maximum amount of cycles can be achieved. The charging system and battery should not be effected by 'over-charging' as the system should by-pass the battery when charged and run from the mains until you pull the power lead out..

For example, if you tried to charge a Ni-Cad or a NiMh battery when it was half full already, you would not get a decent charge and would proberlly be damaging the battery. Li-ion can be charged at any time in any state to a maximum charge again as it has no 'memory'.

I think its why they renamed laptops to notebooks, to stop people putting them on their laps and getting burnt by the hot battery, or the lappy breaking because of the heat build up due to lack of ventilation. Just keep them off your lap when you can and make sure the fan can breath..

Gator · « **Reply #24 on:** January 17, 2008, 08:38:17 pm »

i change about 30 of these things a week due to over/under charging and they can also be discharged enough not to charge at all Lithium batteries are used for all sorts of applications where they are exposed to heat far above a laptop on a douvet or you would never be able to take a camera on holiday

battery memory depends on a lot of things heat included