MacBook Airs have Arrived, Early Notes, Benchmarks
First review MacBook Airs have arrived (80GB, HDD, 1.6GHz): Gizmodo, Engadget, Macworld
Some early notes:
- Wireless Remote disk details: can't play DVD media, can't burn a CD, can't listen to a music CD,
- The Novatel U727 (3G USB modem) won't fit in the MacBook Air without a USB extender.
- MacBook Air's MagSafe charger works in the MacBook/MacBook Pro and vice-versa but the regular MagSafe won't stay attached to the Air when it is sitting flat on a desk.
- Size comparison between MacBook Air and other laptops.
- Engadget provides some Xbench 1.3 benchmarks of the MacBook Air compared to a MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac, though with a mismatch of configurations. Unsurprisingly, the MacBook Air came in at the lowest speeds amongst the machines tested.
- Gizmodo provides some "real world" benchmarks in comparison with a MacBook (2GHz) and MacBook Pro (2.2GHz), and finds the performance of the MacBook Air to not be far off from the previous generation (2GHz) MacBook.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
53 months ago
That's a good size comparison. Will the wireless remote disc be available for other Macs? My department wants me to install it on our local image.
53 months ago
Wow... Can't even play DVD's? So if I want to watch a movie on my Macbook Air on the couch, I have to plug in that superdrive and have it sitting there humming next to me? :confused:
53 months ago
I really think I'll get mine without the external optical drive.
If I can't live with Remote Disc I can always buy it later. But I can probably just save the $99. Disc-based copy-protection is my main question there.
Burning CDs and DVDs has a pretty easy workaround: iDVD and Disk Utility can both burn to a disc image. Move the image to another machine (even a PC) to do the actual burn.
If it had an internal drive, it would be humming too.
Still, if you were putting the disc in the remote machine anyway, I'd use its larger screen too, and not the Air's screen.
This is surely not a reason Apple should have added optical-drive bulk and made the MacBook Air into a regular MacBook.
(And iTunes rentals and Handbrake are movie options that don't need you to tote a drive.)
If I can't live with Remote Disc I can always buy it later. But I can probably just save the $99. Disc-based copy-protection is my main question there.
Burning CDs and DVDs has a pretty easy workaround: iDVD and Disk Utility can both burn to a disc image. Move the image to another machine (even a PC) to do the actual burn.
Wow... Can't even play DVD's? So if I want to watch a movie on my Macbook Air on the couch, I have to plug in that superdrive and have it sitting there humming next to me? :confused::mad:
If it had an internal drive, it would be humming too.
Still, if you were putting the disc in the remote machine anyway, I'd use its larger screen too, and not the Air's screen.
This is surely not a reason Apple should have added optical-drive bulk and made the MacBook Air into a regular MacBook.
(And iTunes rentals and Handbrake are movie options that don't need you to tote a drive.)
53 months ago
Wow... Can't even play DVD's? So if I want to watch a movie on my Macbook Air on the couch, I have to plug in that superdrive and have it sitting there humming next to me? :confused::mad:
Assuming you carry DVDs around. We keep our DVDs organized in our basement where we watch them on a much bigger screen with surround sound.
One the go around the house or outside the house we watch them from iTunes or on iPods/Phones either from ITMS or Handbrake. Keeping the DVD's safe and scratch free in the basement.
Personally, I'm not even getting the external superdrive. I don't see any use for it. I hardly ever use the one in my MBP anyway.
53 months ago
Wow... Can't even play DVD's? So if I want to watch a movie on my Macbook Air on the couch, I have to plug in that superdrive and have it sitting there humming next to me? :confused::mad:
Somewhat disappointing, but it makes sense. The speed/quality of a given connection may not be enough to support watching a movie. Of course, if that were the case, they could simply buffer the stream.
I am surprised you can't burn CDs - only DVDs.
53 months ago
The reality is, folks, that you will need to buy an external DVD drive if you want DVD functionality on this laptop. 'Wireless' drive options are not enough. Although having said that, I can at least play CDs wirelessly on a PC network... :rolleyes:
[ Read All Comments ]
Analytics firm Chitika today released a report showing that by its metrics iOS has now surpassed OS X in overall web traffic share in the United States. Chitika's methodology involves an analysis...
One of the most frequent reasons for an iPhone to go on a trip to the Apple Store's Genius Bar is because of water damage. Typically, a water damaged iPhone can be replaced for a flat $199...
TheVerge's Joshua Topolsky summarizes the iPad 3 casing findings reported earlier today, but also adds his own sources regarding some details of the iPad 3.
Image from RepairLabs
As...
Last July, Apple discontinued the white MacBook from its consumer lineup, pushing consumers toward the company's popular MacBook Air line or the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The company didn't kill...
Popular iPhone Twitter client Tweetbot has finally arrived on the iPad, with a user interface instantly familiar to any current Tweetbot user. Designed for the Twitter power-user, Tweetbot packs a...
