Thinking of a new Mac? LOOK!

[CalamityJanet]

We just saw the new TV ad for Macbook Air and it's unbelievable! Check this out!http://www.apple.com/macbookair/guidedtour/index.html?size=medium

I know how I'm going to use my tax rebate to stimulate the economy!:D:D

[Wendy]

Hi Janet ...

Its stunning isn't it :)

Wendy

[CalamityJanet]

Yes, Wendy, stunning is a good word for it! But right now a better word for me to use is "shocking" because I just ordered one!:eek: My PC laptop's power supply stopped working this week...it was a sign!:D

[Wendy]

Hi Janet ...

Now wasn;t that good timing ... are you sure that you didn't "help" it along :eek:

Wendy :D:D

[Teacher617]

It looks good for people who will travel a lot with it, but be aware, it does have some limitations in order for it to be so thin.

The word "elegant" comes to mind when I look at it ...

Tricia

[CalamityJanet]

Wendy, the old laptop has been in the shop since Monday and I just saw the ad for the MacBook Air last night so I can honestly tell you AND my DH that I had nothing to do with it!:D

Tricia, I thought about the missing optical drive allowing for the thinness, but is there some other feature that I may not have considered? I bought the separate superdrive for $99 for when I'm away from home and I'll be using the wireless disc sharing feature with my iMac when I'm home. Which brings me to a question...

My iMac is running Tiger and the Air will have Leopard. Will this cause any issues with linking them up wirelessly for filesharing, etc? Will I have to get Leopard for the iMac?

Every time I see that ad on TV and I watch that MacBook sliding out of that envelope I just can't believe how thin it is! It truly is elegant and I think the ad is brilliantly done. The first time I saw it I went straight to the computer to check it out. I watched the video and immediately ordered it!:eek: I'm not usually that impulsive about a major purchase. But it just felt right, you know? Ahhhhh...synchronicity!:D

[Teacher617]

This is not meant to discourage anyone from purchasing a MacBook Air, just to help folks be informed:


No Ethernet port; all is wireless; can purchase adapter

No Superdrive; must purchase separately or use new Remote feature to install and/or run CDs or DVDs

Smaller hard drive than MacBook or MacBook Pro - relevant only if you need the Air to store files for you

Only 1.8 GHz processor speed - slow for current industry standards

RAM can't be upgraded

Only 1 USB port

Hard drive is only 4200 rpm; slow compared to current industry standards

Battery can only be replaced by certified pro

No Firewire port - relevant for those who import digital video


Tricia

[Teacher617]

For a more in-depth review of the MacBook Air, here are 3 journalists' opinions:

Reviews (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/01/24/first_hdd_based_macbook_air_reviews_hit_the_wires. html)

Tricia

[sfd301]

Hey all,

Have to agree with teacher617. This seems great for the business traveler, but as a stand alone computer it will not cut it for me. Head on over to Engadget and take a look.

Small, and light came with a big drop in specs. It is the slowest in the Apple lineup, so I'd go with one of the others personally, but that is just for my needs.

that one USB port is in a flip down door that has a problem with the size of things plugged into it. Also, the battery life is far short of what Apple is claiming. Be interested in reviews from those that go for it.
geo

[CalamityJanet]

Hi Tricia,

Thanks for the info and the links to the reviews. Since I'm not very computer-literate I called AppleCare and spoke to a very nice guy who took the time to help me determine if the MBA is a good computer for my needs and we decided it probably is since it is not my main computer. The one concern is the processing speed for photo editing. Things like applying filters may be a little slower but the only way to know is to use it. I can use it for 2 weeks and if I decide it's too slow I can return it and get something else so I'm not going to sweat the missing features....yet.;):)

[Teacher617]

Good for you, Janet! Sounds like a great plan. Hope you will let us know what you think of the Air, once you've played around with it. I value a "real" user's opinion more than a journalist who receives a complementary machine.

Have fun!!
Tricia

[CalamityJanet]

Tricia....I'm waffling now! I've had too much time today to think about it and look around and I'm thinking I might get more bang for my buck with a MacBook Pro.:eek: That Air is so tempting but the main thing I'll want to do is PSE or possibly CS3 in the near future. I don't want to get frustrated if the Air starts to bog down. I am so glad you got me to thinking about this! The Pro weighs almost twice as much but it's still only 5.4 pounds. And overall it's probably a better choice.

Any other opinions out there? Please?:)

[CarolLHB]

Hi Janet, the pro is an awesome machine. But here's another thing to consider
the Macbook is cheaper and I do tons of scrapbooking and other PSE work on it-it's a great little machine for the money-:)

[Teacher617]

Janet, do you happen to have an Apple Store near you? You could visit and play with all of the laptop models that Apple sells; perhaps that would help you.

I feel a little guilty ... didn't mean to make you waffle ... yikes:eek:

Tricia

[bnk1953]

We have a Macbook in our family along with our old G4 souped up tower w/ 20" Cinema display. Although I love the Macbook for working on the couch or taking it on trips - I really don't like it for photo work as the screen really is small (especially compared to the 20"). One of my daughters is thinking about upgrading (lol) from a pc to a mac and thought she would go with a macbook - but after playing with ours during Christmas break - she thinks she might go with the macbook pro due to the larger screen (not to mention bigger drive, power, etc.). - Just some more stuff to throw into the mix.
~bruce.

[bnk1953]

One more thing - and this is on a personal note - I tend to shy away from "new" things until they have had some "shake down" time. This goes for anything as in new design for a car to new operating system. I haven't upgraded to 10.5 on mac yet - still waiting for all the shake down to take place.
PS - good luck on your decision - and if you can get to someplace to check out the different options (e.g. a mac store) all the better.
~bruce.

[CarolLHB]

What you say is true-I far prefer working on my iMac with the 20" monitor:)

I just wanted Janet to know that there was a less expensive laptop that would work well also.

And Tricia's advice is great-it's always nice to go and play with them before you buy if you have an Apple store nearby. And speaking of playing, my local Best Buy has put an Apple department in, with Apple employees-very cool:cool:

[ufauxreal]

I'm in the market for a new Mac. My current Mac is just underpowered (1.42 ghz, 512mb Ram). I went to an Apple store to try to 'play' on different machines. However, as far as I could tell, none of them had any version of Photoshop loaded, so it was difficult to say how they would do. PSE is probably the most resource demanding program I use. My current Mac does fine for just general surfing and e-mail. I have a G4 iBook that I use when I travel and I plan to keep that.

I think the Macbook Air will be very popular with business travelers, but, obviously not as the sole computer. It sure does look impressive!

Joan

[CalamityJanet]

Thanks Carol, Bruce and Joan for the input. Lots to think about! We don't have an Apple store close by, but our BestBuy has added the Mac dept. too. Although I think their inventory is pretty limited. I'll head over there later today.

The reason I'm looking at the Pro is that I'm afraid the MacBook, at 13.3", will feel too small. I also like the lighted keyboard. And it comes with a choice of displays...either glossy or matte. I may want to stick with matte in spite of what they say about glossy giving richer color and deeper blacks. It seems to me there would be more glare and reflections...just another reason to venture out to BestBuy today to compare. Although I'd rather see the different models in my own den as I find the big store environment to be distracting and misleading. My 20" iMac looked small in the store compared to how it looks at home. I almost bought the 24", which would have been too big for my workspace. In fact, I probably would have been satisfied with the 17". Bigger is not always better.

Tricia, don't feel guilty! Sometimes waffling is a good thing if it leads to making a wiser choice in the end!:)

Joan...good luck in your search for a new Mac! What's your opinion about the glossy screens vs the matte? I'd love to be able to compare models while looking at the PSE 6 color scheme. I had 6 on my PC laptop and I was having a hard time seeing it. I don't think I'll put 6 on the new MacBook for that reason.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

I used to have the MacBook and then we changed over to the MacBookPro ... I love it :)

Wendy

[Wendy]

Hi Joan ...

Ask in the Apple Store .. here in the UK Photoshop is installed on all the Macs but sometimes you have to ask in order to be able to use it :)

Wendy

[Teacher617]

I have a MacBook Pro at home with a glossy screen and one at work that runs Windows, which has a matte screen. There's no doubt for me that the glossy screen has brighter colors. Even though it can have reflection problems, if I adjust the screen's position, it's not a problem. However, I don't see it as mandatory by any means, for those who work in Photoshop. You have worked since forever with the matte screen and have done fine with PSE.

Do check it out at the Best Buy store and see what you think.

Tricia