Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

arstechnica.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 392 posts

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#91

Post by gehsty »

lbotos wrote: post #54
benrbray wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never really understood fingerprint scanners on phones. Is it really more useful to you than e.g. a headphone jack?

I mean, I have a 6s which has a headphone jack and a fingerprint scanner. Happy as a clam. I have "wake on lift" on and I grab it by the bottom quadrant and touch id works 90% of the time. I really want the better camera of the newest iphone, but I am weary of face ID and I really don't want bluetooth headphones. I already lose headphones a ton as it is.

FaceID is rock solid...Both it and TouchID have there ups and downs but FaceID has been great since day 1 with the X.

100% agree with the bluetooth headphones. I have lost multiple pairs. AirPods are now something I have to track in my day to day carry... Phone / keys / wallet / AirPods... which is a little annoying.

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#92

Post by gehsty »

nakedrobot2 wrote: post #35

USB-C ONLY? I mean, seriously. It was a bold gambit. But the world of usb-C is a world of pain. Give it up. Magsafe was a wonderful thing. I cannot seriously believe they gave it up for this.... thing they call usb-C And still, iphone with lighting, macbook with usb-C? Seriously Apple?

*Thunderbolt only

But I guess this is part of the issue. No one understands the differecnce and strange compatibility rules (cable length is even a factor..).

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#93

Post by Kpourdeilami »

stakecounter wrote: post #23
whywhywhywhy wrote: post #11

> the new model comes with the latest-generation edition of Apple's "butterfly" keyboard Maybe it was naive of me but I had high hopes Apple would use the Air refresh as an upgrade path for those of us who have decided they need a keyboard with more travel and reliability beyond a few months. (I use a 2017 butterfly keyboard today, never again)

Any info on whether the 2018 keyboard update fares much better [1]? I’m seriously considering buying this MBA, but I’m happy with the travel and durability on my 2011 MBA keyboard and primarily spooked by the butterfly keyboard complaints. [1] https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/macbook-pro/#keyboard

The 2018 keyboard is much better than 2017 and feels nicer to type on. I have both right now and the 2018 seems improved but still not as good as the old keyboards

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#94

Post by cauthon »

In 2014 I bought a Macbook Pro with retina display, 2.6 GHz i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB SSD for $1300.

In 2018 I can buy a Macbook Pro with retina display, 2.3 GHz i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB SSD for $1300 (and now you have to buy dongles).

In 2018 I can also now buy a Macbook Air with retina display, 1.6 GHz i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB SSD for $1200.

I don't really understand what market this Air is hoping to target. The Macbook Pros are already winning the ultraportable category, and the Air doesn't offer any significant price differentiation.

I thought in 2014-2015 the "Apple premium" wasn't actually too bad for the specs compared to equivalent laptops from the competition. Unfortunately their hardware offerings have stagnated over the past four years and they are again overpriced for what you're buying.

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#96

Post by notatoad »

cauthon wrote: post #94

In 2014 I bought a Macbook Pro with retina display, 2.6 GHz i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB SSD for $1300. In 2018 I can buy a Macbook Pro with retina display, 2.3 GHz i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB SSD for $1300 (and now you have to buy dongles). In 2018 I can also now buy a Macbook Air with retina display, 1.6 GHz i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB SSD for $1200. I don't really understand what marke…

>I don't really understand what market this Air is hoping to target.

i'm assuming it's meant to target the people buying the $1300 macbook pro, so they can get rid of that model and ratchet up the prices of the pro models while still having a 13" laptop that works for most poeple.

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#97

Post by notatoad »

ummonk wrote: post #81
atlasunshrugged wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gah, just what I need, another adapter. I guess in this day and age pretty much everything is in the cloud but still, I like having at least one USB port. A little surprised they kept the mic jack

It's getting better every year, as peripherals and other devices switch over to USB-C. Apple's imposition of USB-C as the one cable has been very frustrating, but we're starting to see the fruits of it.

if apple were truly imposing USB-C as the "one cable" it would be less frustrating. it's crazy that still, three years after the macbook pro switched to all usb-c, if you go to the apple store and buy a brand new iPhone and a brand new mac, you need an aftermarket cable to connect the two.

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#98

Post by zapnuk »

atlasunshrugged wrote: post #7
ihuman wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No USB ports No USB- A ports. There are still 2 USB ports, but they are Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports.

Gah, just what I need, another adapter. I guess in this day and age pretty much everything is in the cloud but still, I like having at least one USB port. A little surprised they kept the mic jack

To be fair I already have to carry a ethernet and a display adapter with me. Switching to an USB-C means I don't need other adapters anymore.

At least one USB-A port should be the minimum though.

Between no USB-A with Apple notebooks and no USB-C on the Surface Laptop I don't know whats worse...

Re: Apple Finally Updates MacBook Air with Retina Display, Touch ID

#100

Post by tonyedgecombe »

masklinn wrote: post #84
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whoa, the internals aren't just a MacBook Air now?

The price has skyrocketed though, entry model is $800 (used to be $500), the top end with all options is $4200.

It would be interesting to compare that to an equivalent Intel NUC, my guess is you are paying a lot for the ability to run macOS.
Post reply on HN