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New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

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Re: New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

#71

Post by acdha »

_delirium wrote: post #54
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I suppose the Ethernet is useful. But it doesn't seem worth sacrificing everything else for. Why not just get a USB or Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter?

Huh, I hadn't seen the Thunderbolt ones. The USB ones are notorious for not really working (they seem to have driver issues). Hopefully the Thunderbolt ones are better?

I'd second the thunderbolt recommendation but I would question the concerns about USB – until upgrading to Thunderbolt, I had no problems with daily heavy usage (along with several coworkers). The main drawback is that the USB devices can't go over 100Mb.

Re: New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

#72

Post by smackfu »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #48
_delirium wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's probably a diminishing use-case, but I personally still need an ethernet port. There's a surprising number of times when I visit somewhere (offices, universities) and they can't figure out how to get me logged onto the guest wifi, but I can just plug in to the wired network without a problem. Also some hotels have only ethernet, though that's getting less common.

Yes, I suppose the Ethernet is useful. But it doesn't seem worth sacrificing everything else for. Why not just get a USB or Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter?

"Oh, you want to hook your Firewire drives up to it? That's another adapter. Oh, you want to play or burn CD's? You need to get an external drive then. You want to use your old Magsafe power bricks? Sorry, we changed the connector. You want to lock up the computer while it's at your desk? Sorry, there's no Kensington slot anymore."

At which point the SSD and Retina display sound nice, but that other stuff seems like it's going to a pain in the neck on a daily basis.

Re: New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

#73

Post by jmnicolas »

hackerboos wrote: post #17
jmnicolas wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is for the 11" model. The 13" has a more appropriate 1440x900. Retina would be nice though.

If Apple made a retina Macbook Air then nobody would buy the Macbook Pro.

I believe that it would be more profitable for a company to offer their best instead of artificially segmenting the market.

Re: New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

#74

Post by morituri »

_delirium wrote: post #40
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has a slightly faster processor (don't be fooled by "1.3GHz", the MBA's top CPU speed is 2.6GHz) but there's a 500GB non-solid-state hard drive, it's heavier, the graphics are older, and it has a lower-resolution screen. Why would anyone want it?

It's probably a diminishing use-case, but I personally still need an ethernet port. There's a surprising number of times when I visit somewhere (offices, universities) and they can't figure out how to get me logged onto the guest wifi, but I can just plug in to the wired network without a problem. Also some hotels have only ethernet, though that's getting less common.

Or you can get an Airport Express or similar adaptor, and use it in bridge mode.

Re: New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

#75

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

smackfu wrote: post #72
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I suppose the Ethernet is useful. But it doesn't seem worth sacrificing everything else for. Why not just get a USB or Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter?

"Oh, you want to hook your Firewire drives up to it? That's another adapter. Oh, you want to play or burn CD's? You need to get an external drive then. You want to use your old Magsafe power bricks? Sorry, we changed the connector. You want to lock up the computer while it's at your desk? Sorry, there's no Kensington slot anymore." At which point the SSD and Retina display sound nice, but that other stuff seems like…

Apple tend to deprecate and remove stuff often and quickly. The PC world and Microsoft don't. For those of us who like living on the cutting edge, we're fine with it, but it's not really for everyone.

Remember when the iMac was the first USB-only computer, and had no floppy drive? Both were really unpopular at the time.

(Lack of Kensington is stupid though, I'll agree on that.)

Re: New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

#76

Post by jmnicolas »

_delirium wrote: post #54
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I suppose the Ethernet is useful. But it doesn't seem worth sacrificing everything else for. Why not just get a USB or Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter?

Huh, I hadn't seen the Thunderbolt ones. The USB ones are notorious for not really working (they seem to have driver issues). Hopefully the Thunderbolt ones are better?

I don't know for MACs but for 2 years at work I used a Windows laptop with a USB to Ethernet adapter and it ran absolutely fine.

Re: New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

#78

Post by smackfu »

netcan wrote: post #61
abrowne wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised they didn't get rid of it today.

I agree. One thing Steve Jobs seemed pretty keen on was a rational, minimal product line. Allowing the product line to evolve and fit all the little niches crevices is not Apple's style.

OTOH, keeping some out-of-date products around just for the educational market is a long-time Apple trend.

Re: New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

#79

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

thejosh wrote: post #49
_delirium wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's probably a diminishing use-case, but I personally still need an ethernet port. There's a surprising number of times when I visit somewhere (offices, universities) and they can't figure out how to get me logged onto the guest wifi, but I can just plug in to the wired network without a problem. Also some hotels have only ethernet, though that's getting less common.

Yeah, go and buy a thunderbold ethernet cable, they are really cheap and work fantastically. The only downside is on Linux you have to reboot if you unplug the ethernet, but apparently that's being improved in 3.15.

I think the reason Windows and Linux seem to behave awkwardly with Thunderbolt is that Thunderbolt is actually PCI-Express, and they're not exactly used to hot-plugging PCIe devices! But that's just speculation on my part.

Re: New MacBook Air Released – $100 Cheaper

#80

Post by taude »

Anyone know if new MB AIRS still make a ton of noise with their fans? (BTW ton = any noise) I have a 15" MB Pro and love the fact that it's dead silent, unless I'm rendering video in Adobe Premiere or After Effects.

I'd like to get an 11" form factor for all my pogramming stuff, and migrate the 15" into some form of desktop computer.

Edit: Probably what I'm looking for in a non-existant 11" MB Pro.

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