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Thursday, January 31, 2008

MacBook Air: Why it isn’t for Us

Video Out:
At least they DO support driving a second monitor - kudos. This means it IS viable for doing presentations on the road. Kudos to Apple. IF the GPU were Quartz Extreme capable, you could drive the second monitor full screen for video. But it isn’t, so you can’t. Back to “Blech.” status on this one for our editorial purposes (but you COULD have bins etc on a second screen....)

Lust Factor
I’m usually one to have that savage itch when Steve smiles, waves a finger, and says “One more thing....”. Since I’m sitting in a house with 2 G4s, 3 G5s, a Mac Pro, the MacBook I’m writing on, 3 different iPods AND an iPhone, you can guess at my willpower on resisting the RDF (did I mention I live alone? Maybe there’s a correlation...but that’s another website entirely!). Granted, I’m a edge case power user, but still...my overall reaction to this Mac is “Feh.” *

In Conclusion
So why, if there are so many things wrong with this machine for the purposes that I’d (and presumably, many of you) would like to use it for, am I beating up on this machine that I’m making out to be a red headed stepchild? Partially because somebody asked, and I took a deep breath....that wasn’t deep enough. And also because it helps to illuminate all the factors that go into what DOES constitute a viable editorial machine - each of these factors is important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Apple’s default machine configs are rarely appropriate to our needs - I pretty much always am getting a Build To Order when I get a new system for myself, or am making recommendations for a client.

My historical resistance to the Reality Distortion Field right after MacWorld is usually about as strong as a junkie’s in a coca field. But not this time. With too few benefits and too high a price for what I’d be willing to pay, I’m going to sit this one out. Without even scratching at my forearms unconciously, or even sweating profusely late at night.

As much as I hate to say it (and the nose drive from Apple’s stock value from 200 to 130 ** in the last few weeks attests as well), I think Apple has delivered the Cube 2.0 - small and elegant, but underpowered, underexpandable, overpriced, and not very broad market appeal.

With at least FireWire400, a dedicated Ethernet port, and a replaceable battery, I could live with it - but it lacks all of these, so No Can Do. Add a 2.5” drive mechanism, audio in port (yep lacks that too), and a 2.2 GHz processor, it’d be an excellent successor to my MacBook. Speaking of Do Not Want - check out the price to get all the technical marvels. To get what I’d want - a 1.8 GHz model with the solid state drive, SuperDrive, AppleCare, Ethernet adaptor, and the Apple Remote (NOT included!) - it will set you back just under $3500. OUCH.

There will be well heeled road warriors who will adore this machine, and it’ll be great for them - but I’m not one of them, and you probably aren’t either. To be fair, this machine was absolutely not designed for the demands of video editing - it is intended for a different audience, who may receive it more warmly than I. But…

In the end, for our video purposes, it is what they call it - just a bunch of Air - and not much at that.

-mike

For more information, Engadget has an excellent selection of detailed articles about the MacBook Air. That is, until PVC ramps up to full speed and I’m back from vacation. wink

* Now, if my girlfriend needed a new machine, she who doesn’t do video, doesn’t do iTunes, and doesn’t take a ton of pictures...IF she decided to spend that much money, an Air would be PERFECT for her needs - lightweight,stylish, WiFi only for connectivity, a web box and photo sifter only. It is all horses for courses, my friends…

**Disclaimer - I own some Apple stock...which I wish I’d sold at 200, durnit....

Editing •

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Thanks for an informative and refreshing perspective on the newest ‘object of desire’ via the kindly design folk at Apple.

Fully in agreement on the deal-breaking aspects; lack of expansion, battery burning and Firewire a-no-go.... Though now I can rest easy, knowing I’m not missing out. Again. Think I’ll be holding onto the Mactop I’ve got- works well enuff, though the current machinery on display does alot more (for less) than I spent a year ago. (Go, Carbon!) Cheers, Marc

Posted by Marc lougee  on  02/04  at  11:12 AM

The Air is a status machine… it’s an oriniment at best. It’s good for apple fashionista’s with nothing better to offer than how lamely slick they are.

The concept of a laptop with no moving parts should be the more reliable storage media and super long battery life.

Sparing me the embarassment of not having a wafer thing after dinner laptop is not what I am looking for.

This machine makes me want to punch Steve Jobs in the wiener.

Posted by Benjamin  on  02/07  at  07:23 AM

Yeah, why this is not for us? I want it for me smile

Posted by Laptopus  on  04/22  at  10:04 PM

Surely its a special one. I always interested for introducing latest technology. Components of Mac also attract me. Hope I will be a purchaser of this special one....................

Posted by Day Nurseries East London  on  11/03  at  03:29 AM

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