I want a mac.

It's so hard to compare a Macbook to other lines - I initially got an Envy with the Radiance screen and though it was awesome - until I got my Macbook Pro and the build quality just annihilated the Envy. I don't think you'll be dissapointed - you don't get as much for your money but the Macbook Pros are pure joy to use day in and day out.
 
look at: HP EliteBook, Dell Latitude, Lenovo X***....that's what they were referencing



100inch said:
Definitely not high-end dell.Those words don't even go together.

Maybe high-end sony notebooks. But, you'll pay just as much or more.



just another thing to carry.
Click to expand...
 
munkle said:
I played with a mac that had parallels installed. it was in the "coherence" mode or whatever where it makes windows and osx seem seemless. It was really nice. Mainly I want the mac for the touchpad (I love scrolling with it) and I would use parellels for my windows only programs. Every windows pc I have used has a crap touchpad.

If they come out with a 15" mac book air I will get that.
Click to expand...

Using Windows XP (I know) with Lion, is amazing with Parallels. I don't use Coherence mode, but what I do is I use Lion's fullscreen mode. Then I can three finger swipe between OSes on the fly, I love it like this.

P.S. I am new here, and this is my first post ;)
 
W.Feather said:
look at: HP EliteBook, Dell Latitude, Lenovo X***....that's what they were referencing
Click to expand...

I know what he was referencing. I haven't played with any of the newer elitebooks though, but last time i did they weren't much of an improvement, if any, from their higher end non-business lines.

Companies business lines are a step-up from their non-business lines. But still a latitudes are pretty cheap. They don't feel like they are going to fall apart, which is better than most laptops. Beating their consumer line their consumer line is not something that is difficult.

Sony is really the only brand that has made something to be proud of, as far as build, and their notebook line is limited and expensive.

And I agree with the other poster. Envys do feel like cheap apple nock-offs. They sure do look cool online till you get one in your hands. They are still far better than the average laptop though and a good choice for a laptop.

Its tough to build a good laptop without throwing tons of money into the engineering and material.
 
Last edited:
I think one good suggestion for those who want the apple trackpad but can't afford the mac computers would be to just buy the separate magic trackpad. I heard it's compatible with both windows and mac.
 
The trackpad does work well on Windows as well. However I haven't found it worth using on a desktop and it would kinda defeat the purpose of a laptop to carry it around in addition.

Not sure why you'd consider a Dell Latitude even close to par with a high end Sony or Macbook Pro. Maybe you're referencing a different model, but the one I'm on right now for work is a pos.
 
SSD is king in a mack book. It makes the computer FLY. Gaming is a different story so I would not expect much out of it unless very low settings is an okay thing during your gaming time. I only say that for the price and I'm sure there are better laptops out there that will do better graphics wise.
 
Last edited:
W.Feather said:
look at: HP EliteBook, Dell Latitude, Lenovo X***....that's what they were referencing
Click to expand...

One of the issues with business line laptops is that consumer friendly features are left out.

For example, USB 3.0 and a halfway decent GPU are easy to find on consumer Windows laptops. You have to go to the workstation class business laptops to find those features. The workstation laptops are heavy and the power bricks are literally the size of bricks.

Everybody has different needs and sometimes the business line laptops just won't work. For example, I've yet to see a business line laptop that matches the overall specs and consumer friendly features of the cheapest MBP 15. The MBP 15 is at least somewhat portable - can't say the same for the HP 8560W or even the Dell M4600.

I don't own a Mac. But I have been looking and waiting to buy a laptop, and have come to realize Apple does have some machines that are decent choices.
 
I got work to pay the $1,900 for a 13" MBA with 256GB SSD. I have now had it for a couple of weeks and I don't get the fascination for it some people have. As life-long Windows/PC user I was quite disappointed with the purchase. I expected some epic moment that would change my life but all I got was another laptop.

Yes, it's thin, yes, it's aluminum alloy whatever, but so what?
The trackpad is more responsive/accurate than the PC counterparts and I don't miss having a right-click that much (yes, I know about right-click zones).

Other than that it's just another computer. It does Word, it does Excel, it does web browsing, music and video. It doesn't do any of those things better, or even different, than my Latitude 6400.

All the MBA does is show other people that I (work, but they don't know that) can afford to shell out $1,900 for a machine that I could have had for half the price. It's a prestige item more than anything else.

We had a similar discussion in the Virtualization Forum and there a lot of IT folks say that they appreciate Macs for their POSIX compatible OS and guaranteed hardware support. I could care less about a POSIX compatible OS, it's not one of my requirements thus I don't assign value to it.

Other than that I still do not understand what Apple's value proposition is that allows them to so easily sell these things at those prices. Probably all just comes down to exceptional marketing.
 
Thuleman said:
I got work to pay the $1,900 for a 13" MBA with 256GB SSD. I have now had it for a couple of weeks and I don't get the fascination for it some people have. As life-long Windows/PC user I was quite disappointed with the purchase. I expected some epic moment that would change my life but all I got was another laptop.

Yes, it's thin, yes, it's aluminum alloy whatever, but so what?
The trackpad is more responsive/accurate than the PC counterparts and I don't miss having a right-click that much (yes, I know about right-click zones).

Other than that it's just another computer. It does Word, it does Excel, it does web browsing, music and video. It doesn't do any of those things better, or even different, than my Latitude 6400.

All the MBA does is show other people that I (work, but they don't know that) can afford to shell out $1,900 for a machine that I could have had for half the price. It's a prestige item more than anything else.

We had a similar discussion in the Virtualization Forum and there a lot of IT folks say that they appreciate Macs for their POSIX compatible OS and guaranteed hardware support. I could care less about a POSIX compatible OS, it's not one of my requirements thus I don't assign value to it.

Other than that I still do not understand what Apple's value proposition is that allows them to so easily sell these things at those prices. Probably all just comes down to exceptional marketing.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's just marketing, although that does play a role, particularly word-of-mouth sales.

I'm a devoted PC user (Lenovo W510) but I own an iMac from 2001 and a Powerbook from 2005, both still working. I also briefly owned a Macbook Air. I will say that Macs are exceptionally good at putting together the "whole package" in a way that really wows users.

For example, my school required me to purchase an HP Elitebook which is nicely built and specced, but has a really horrendous screen which is a deal-breaker for me. There is literally no sweet spot--if you look at it head-on, there's still a noticeable color gradient due to being out of the proper viewing angle. ASUS laptops often have great specs but also horrible screens and poor input devices as well. I briefly owned a Samsung 11.6" Series 3 ultraportable which was nice, but had a really crappy trackpad that would lock up for around 1 second after typing because of a poorly designed accidental click protection software. The multi-touch gestures were so unresponsive/laggy that they were basically useless. The absolute worst was a 17" Everex laptop I had which would only run at full speed with the bottom cover off, because it would very quickly overheat during games or intense tasks. With all of these laptops, you get the sense that no one really tested them before being put on shelves.

PC makers often just don't get it--they put out products that are good, except with one or two fatal flaws which ruin the user experience. Apple's computers have adequate specs for your typical user, and do an extremely good job of putting together a cohesive user experience. They have good screens, good keyboards, good trackpads, good build quality, and (in my experience) good reliability. The virus/malware situation really turns off non-savvy PC users in my experience.

A lot of users only buy a new computer every 3-4 years, so it's not a big deal to pay an additional $100-200 per year of service in exchange for a headache-free experience.
 
Last edited:
Thuleman said:
Yes, it's thin, yes, it's aluminum alloy whatever, but so what?
Click to expand...

Shrugging your shoulders at a thin and light notebook that can keep up with a full-size notebook is more than a little silly.

If you really want to know what the big deal about the MacBook Air is, ask Intel. They’re the ones setting aside stacks of money to help other brands duplicate the MBA, after all.
 
Terpfen said:
Shrugging your shoulders at a thin and light notebook that can keep up with a full-size notebook is more than a little silly.

If you really want to know what the big deal about the MacBook Air is, ask Intel. They’re the ones setting aside stacks of money to help other brands duplicate the MBA, after all.
Click to expand...

Thin and light is great but it comes at price price premium. I think 'part of the reason Intel is investing in ultrabook designs is because they will be Intel's best attempt at x86 tablets. Intel has made more than a few remarks about x86 being the superior platform for Windows 8 tablets over ARM because of full Windows desktop legacy compatibility but Atom based machines won't cut it and ultrabook designs will no doubt be shared with x86 tablets but those devices have to get significantly cheaper.

It's all about cost now, Intel and PC OEMs who want to sell X86 ultrabooks and tablets are going to have to drive down costs substantially for these devices to take a hold.
 
Thuleman said:
Other than that it's just another computer. It does Word, it does Excel, it does web browsing, music and video. It doesn't do any of those things better, or even different, than my Latitude 6400.
...

Other than that I still do not understand what Apple's value proposition is that allows them to so easily sell these things at those prices. Probably all just comes down to exceptional marketing.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of an Mac/PC xkcd cartoon - http://xkcd.com/934/

I do think a lot of the Mac vs Windows stuff are old myths, placebo, and personal preference masked as rational decision making. At the same time, I do think each one has positives.

For example, Apple stores (and local resellers) are a great way to get support. For a lot of people, being able to have a face-to-face conversation is really important and the best way to solve computer problems.

Everybody has different needs for a computer. From what I've seen, many (most?) people are probably buying the entry level Apple machines, not the juiced up ones like you did. So the price premium is not as much as it was in your case.

The_X said:
PC makers often just don't get it--they put out products that are good, except with one or two fatal flaws which ruin the user experience. Apple's computers have adequate specs for your typical user, and do an extremely good job of putting together a cohesive user experience. They have good screens, good keyboards, good trackpads, good build quality, and (in my experience) good reliability. The virus/malware situation really turns off non-savvy PC users in my experience.
Click to expand...

There are good Windows laptops out there. The problem with the Windows computer world is that there are too many products and companies change form factors/physical designs too often. There don't seem to take an extended span of time to perfect things. At least in the consumer space, the cacophony of products makes it really hard for any consumer (even the the tech savvy ones), to figure out the good ones.

There are Windows computers that are very solid. A year and a half ago somebody I know purchased a 2010 Vaio Z. With exception of the trackpad (which is not all that bad), that thing is just a brilliant machine with incredible specs for a 13". Even the screen (usually a weak point with many Windows laptops) was a fantastic 1600x900 panel. The MB Air 13 was ludicrously outdated and overpriced in comparison.

Did most people even know the 2010 Vaio Z existed? No, because it was only in a few stores.

Of course Sony decided to change the Z design (why???) for the 2011 model...
 
heatlesssun said:
Thin and light is great but it comes at price price premium.
Click to expand...

The MacBook Air starts at $100 less than the MacBook Pro.

I think 'part of the reason Intel is investing in ultrabook designs is because they will be Intel's best attempt at x86 tablets.
Click to expand...

Intel is rumored to have attempted to enter negotiations with Apple to manufacture ARM CPUs for them. That would have been their best bet at the tablet market, which is really just the iPad market.
 
Terpfen said:
If you really want to know what the big deal about the MacBook Air is, ask Intel. They’re the ones setting aside stacks of money to help other brands duplicate the MBA, after all.
Click to expand...

It's always interesting to see this framed as an Intel vs Apple situation. If not for Intel's engineering, there would be no MBA. The real issues is that ARM is going to eat their lunch in the low end market. Even if they do make ARM chips, how profitable will that be for them versus their own x86 stuff?

heatlesssun said:
Thin and light is great but it comes at price price premium. I think 'part of the reason Intel is investing in ultrabook designs is because they will be Intel's best attempt at x86 tablets. Intel has made more than a few remarks about x86 being the superior platform for Windows 8 tablets over ARM because of full Windows desktop legacy compatibility but Atom based machines won't cut it and ultrabook designs will no doubt be shared with x86 tablets but those devices have to get significantly cheaper.
Click to expand...

In 12-16 months a bunch of people (including me) are going to walk into a store and say this $500 (hopefully!) ARM based Windows 8 tablet does most everything I need from a computer and it's easy to take anywhere. Why should I spend more?

Such devices are going to be a really big deal in countries like India and China, where $500 is a lot of money.

Intel stands to lose a big chunk of the market. As heatlesssun pointed out, Ultrabooks are going to be the main competitors to these thin and portable tablets.

Originally Posted by heatlesssun
Thin and light is great but it comes at price price premium.
Click to expand...
The MacBook Air starts at $100 less than the MacBook Pro.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but you could put a SSD in a MBP 13 and it would be a much faster machine with a lot more flexibility. Purely in terms of specifications and benchmarks, you are paying a premium for the MBA form factor.

That misses the point of course. The real issue is that the MBA is fast enough for a lot of people and so the real world gains of the MBP are negligible.
 
Terpfen said:
The MacBook Air starts at $100 less than the MacBook Pro..
Click to expand...

Not exactly equivalent hardware.


Terpfen said:
Intel is rumored to have attempted to enter negotiations with Apple to manufacture ARM CPUs for them. That would have been their best bet at the tablet market, which is really just the iPad market.
Click to expand...

While this may be true it certainly doesn't mesh with what Intel has been saying and doing in response to ARM and it certainly would stop Intel from pursing x86 designs that rival ARM power efficiency. Yes, the media tablet market for now is just the iPad, Intel has plans for more powerful tablets even if it were going to make ARM devices for Apple, which certainly wouldn't be every profitable for Intel.
 
obug said:
In 12-16 months a bunch of people (including me) are going to walk into a store and say this $500 (hopefully!) ARM based Windows 8 tablet does most everything I need from a computer and it's easy to take anywhere. Why should I spend more?

Such devices are going to be a really big deal in countries like India and China, where $500 is a lot of money.
Click to expand...

I pretty much agree with this, that's why it's imperative for Intel and OEMs to have $500 x86 tablets because they would have legacy Windows desktop and be able to taut that over ARM machines. ARM is great for its power efficiency but at the end of the day for now it's really just barely good enough computing. x86 does trounce ARM in performance. Intel just needs to get close on power efficiency and be price competitive and it can pretty compelling in the tablet space. If Intel and OEMs can sell $500 x86 tablets with solid performance that are TRUE PCs as well as tablets it at the very least forces ARM tablets to a much lower price point. But yeah, this is why Windows 8 is going to ARM because it's going to be tough for Intel to match ARM devices at the lowest price points.
 
heatlesssun said:
Not exactly equivalent hardware.
Click to expand...

Actually...

While this may be true it certainly doesn't mesh with what Intel has been saying and doing in response to ARM and it certainly would stop Intel from pursing x86 designs that rival ARM power efficiency. Yes, the media tablet market for now is just the iPad, Intel has plans for more powerful tablets even if it were going to make ARM devices for Apple, which certainly wouldn't be every profitable for Intel.
Click to expand...

“Media tablet market”? No. There is no tablet market or subset of that market, like a “media tablet market”. There’s the iPad market and a bunch of flops that failed to compete. Look at RIM and HP.

As for profitability, if Intel actually does want to make CPUs for the iPad, then they clearly believe there’s profit to be had.
 
Last edited:
i have to add to the whole package theme: OSX and the hardware are married together, and it brings a better computing experience in my opinion.
 
Terpfen said:
“Media tablet market”? No. There is no tablet market or subset of that market, like a “media tablet market”.
Click to expand...

Yes there is, it's based on the the same compute hardware as the Macbook Air, the Samsung Series 7 Slate I'm holding is identical to a base model MBA 11, down to the screen size and resolution, the prices even overlap depending on configuration. Yes, I know it's a niche market but it's essentially ultrabook technology and I'm sure that Intel would love to sell them in the millions. At any rate the line between ultrabooks and tablets will blur with Windows 8 and these kinds of tablets certainly are not the same thing as an iPad or Android tablet considering they have more in common with the MBA at the hardware level.
 
gigatexal said:
i have to add to the whole package theme: OSX and the hardware are married together, and it brings a better computing experience in my opinion.
Click to expand...

IMO it really improves the support experience. One thing that drives me nuts with Windows laptop support is the "We can't find anything wrong on the hardware end. Maybe you should reinstall Windows? BTW your extended warranty only has basic software support so we can't help you with a reinstall."

Apple can't play the hardware versus OS game because they make and package both. Even if you do have to reinstall OSX, the whole process is a lot better than Windows.

ARM is great for its power efficiency but at the end of the day for now it's really just barely good enough computing. x86 does trounce ARM in performance. Intel just needs to get close on power efficiency and be price competitive and it can pretty compelling in the tablet space.
Click to expand...

I'm really curious how things are going to play out between ARM and Intel. I don't see Intel's 2012 atoms offering a compelling tablet experience (unless you think a brick like the Inspiron Duo is a compelling tablet). The ARM A15 is supposed to provide a big jump, but will it be big enough for Win 8?

AMD, are you there somewhere :)

I hope we don't see a Vista like debacle where MS certifies Win 8 on some really under speced tablets just to get it out the door. The end result will be painful and could sour the world on Win 8 tablets for a long time.
 
obug said:
I'm really curious how things are going to play out between ARM and Intel. I don't see Intel's 2012 atoms offering a compelling tablet experience (unless you think a brick like the Inspiron Duo is a compelling tablet). The ARM A15 is supposed to provide a big jump, but will it be big enough for Win 8?

AMD, are you there somewhere :)
Click to expand...

One thing that's being missed in the Windows 8 discussion is the optimization that's going into it. From the reports I've heard Windows 8 runs much better on Atoms than Windows 7. A number of people with Atom based Windows tablets have reported a significant bump in performance, I'm waiting to for the Beta to install Windows 8 on my HP Slate, there's still some driver issues that I hope get sorted out.

Where Windows 8 tablets will shine will be on Ivy Bridge ULV designs akin to their ultrabook brethren. Unfortunately those won't be $500 tablets but if the S7S is any indication they will be extremely compelling. All the power of a laptop and tablet in one device that should hit 8 hours of battery life and not weigh much more than the larger mobile OS tablets.
 
heatlesssun said:
Yes there is
Click to expand...

No, there isn’t. These things that you describe sell in minuscule numbers. They do not even register on the sales radar. Samsung has gone so far as to cease reporting actual units of phones and tablets sold, and is instead reporting units shipped to retailers—as if this any sort of legitimate quantitative measurement of how many products are reaching consumers. There are tablet makers who have simply quit the market, like HP and RIM. And then there are tablet makers who repeat the cycle of releasing products and canceling them weeks later, like Dell.

There is an iPad market, there isn’t a tablet market.

At any rate the line between ultrabooks and tablets will blur with Windows 8 and these kinds of tablets certainly are not the same thing as an iPad or Android tablet considering they have more in common with the MBA at the hardware level.
Click to expand...

There will be no blurring, because people who buy PCs will prefer to run in standard Windows mode, and the ten people who buy Windows 8 tablets will default to Metro.
 
Terpfen said:
No, there isn’t. These things that you describe sell in minuscule numbers. They do not even register on the sales radar. Samsung has gone so far as to cease reporting actual units of phones and tablets sold, and is instead reporting units shipped to retailers—as if this any sort of legitimate quantitative measurement of how many products are reaching consumers. There are tablet makers who have simply quit the market, like HP and RIM. And then there are tablet makers who repeat the cycle of releasing products and canceling them weeks later, like Dell.

There is an iPad market, there isn’t a tablet market..
Click to expand...

This is like saying the Bugatti Veyron doesn't exist because of small sales number. All I am saying is that Intel has a vested interest in higher-end x86 tablets and that the same technology that is used in ultrabooks will be used in these tablets. They're now niche because they are expensive and of course Windows 7 isn't a touch optimized OS and because most people don't even have a clue that devices of this capability even exist. At least some of this changes with Windows 8 and no doubt as ultrabooks get cheaper, as they must in order to get out of their own niche category outside of the Macbook Air, so will higher end x86 tablets.

Terpfen said:
There will be no blurring, because people who buy PCs will prefer to run in standard Windows mode, and the ten people who buy Windows 8 tablets will default to Metro.
Click to expand...

If you'd ever seen an S7S next to an MBA 11 you'd probably rethink this. And without seeing the number and types of Metro apps that will be available what people will prefer to do with Windows 8 is anyone's guess. Metro apps will probably have more to do with how well Windows 8 does than Windows 8 itself. That's why Visual Studio 11 is included in one version of the Windows 8 Developer Preview ISO, the first time that Microsoft bundled it's premier development IDE in an OS test release that I can recall.
 
heatlesssun, they package it with Visual Studio 11 Express, which is free to download separately.

That said, I'm having lots of fun reading this thread on my new $500 x86 Windows 8 DP tablet. ;D It's the Acer W500.
 
shurcooL said:
heatlesssun, they package it with Visual Studio 11 Express, which is free to download separately.

That said, I'm having lots of fun reading this thread on my new $500 x86 Windows 8 DP tablet. ;D It's the Acer W500.
Click to expand...

You are correct, the included version is the Express version. I was thinking that the full version of Visual Studio 11 was included but I did download that separately. However, it is the first time that I recall that a full IDE, even an Express version one, was actually included in an official Microsoft test OS release. Clearly Metro apps are a big deal to Microsoft.

Devices like the W500 will be very key to Windows 8 success, decent device, right price point. I was thinking about getting one, the keyboard dock is cool but it's fixed position and doesn't fold. When you do add a keyboard dock to a Windows 8 tablet you do have what is in essence an ultrabook.
 
if apple puts out a 15inch ivy bridge macbook air with the rumored higher res display and a 256GB or greater ssd with the option for 8GB of ram i'll buy it even if it costs 2k, call me crazy, but the macbook air is damn hard to beat
 
heatlesssun said:
One thing that's being missed in the Windows 8 discussion is the optimization that's going into it. From the reports I've heard Windows 8 runs much better on Atoms than Windows 7.
Click to expand...

I tried the DP on a 7 year old Athlon 3000+ with a 6600GT. The whole experience felt good and was seemed more fluid than Win 7. I was quite surprised. In terms of benchmarks the Athlon 3000+ is on par with many of the current Atoms and Zacates.

heatlesssun said:
Where Windows 8 tablets will shine will be on Ivy Bridge ULV designs akin to their ultrabook brethren.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I'm concerned about. My guess is that a fair number of Win 8 tablets will be Atoms, Zacates, and ARM. When you combine this with media hype and marketing there is potential for disaster.

Look at the netbooks. When reviews first came out, there seemed to be a clear difference in reviews based on expectations. People who expected a full experience cursed netbooks. People who just wanted a word processor were happy. People's views on netbooks have become more realistic, and so now people who buy netbooks tend to expect less of them. Even with the E-350 based machines, hitting the limits of it is pretty easy.

I can see a lot of people buying Win 8 tablets because they expect it to be just as good as their "regular" computer. But, as you have pointed out, they'll need to invest in a ULV processor for that. What will that do for the image of these devices?
 
obug said:
I can see a lot of people buying Win 8 tablets because they expect it to be just as good as their "regular" computer. But, as you have pointed out, they'll need to invest in a ULV processor for that. What will that do for the image of these devices?
Click to expand...

Excellent questions and indeed one HUGE question mark is how well will the cheaper Windows 8 devices work. It's obviosus that Microsoft understands this and why the optimization work is going on with Windows 8, how effective that work will truly be is a big question mark. Plus the Windows 8 tablet universe if far more complex, x86 versus ARM, versus pure slates, with touch screens, with pen digitizers, convertibles, Atom or ULV. Android obvisouly has a lot of devices and device choice can be complicated, different flavors of Android, etc. but for now they are all ARM devices and don't run desktop apps.

However I think when it comes to Metro apps, the performance will be there on all the devices, the Metro UI and apps work very well on Windows Phones, indeed many people think Windows Phone is as fast as there is and Windows Phone hardware is well behind Android and the iPhone, Windows Phones aren't even at dual core.

But the sticky wicket will be legacy Windows desktop apps and running desktop apps, that's obviously not going to be the best experience on lower end Atoms and not at all on ARM devices without new apps but I think it may be just enough to get what 90% of people would want or need a desktop or laptop for and then Metro apps for everything else. That's why lots of quality Metro apps are CRITICAL to Windows 8's success.
 
Agreeing with everything being said here. Lots of good points.

heatlesssun said:
You are correct, the included version is the Express version. I was thinking that the full version of Visual Studio 11 was included but I did download that separately. However, it is the first time that I recall that a full IDE, even an Express version one, was actually included in an official Microsoft test OS release. Clearly Metro apps are a big deal to Microsoft.
Click to expand...
Yeah, like you said in your previous post, Metro apps are a huge deal for Microsoft. They're essentially starting from scratch, so they have a lot of work to do, and fast. And it has to work well enough so people would choose to use it rather than ignore.

heatlesssun said:
Devices like the W500 will be very key to Windows 8 success, decent device, right price point. I was thinking about getting one, the keyboard dock is cool but it's fixed position and doesn't fold. When you do add a keyboard dock to a Windows 8 tablet you do have what is in essence an ultrabook.
Click to expand...
Indeed. It's a surprisingly good device, good price, rightfully deserving at least 4/5 stars. But its keyboard dock is horribly flawed. The best way to think of it is that it doesn't exist. Like you said, the fixed hinge, unable to fold are two annoying problems preventing it from having that "ultrabook" feel with the dock. More importantly, there is no scroll wheel, essentially. They give you an IBM-like TrackPoint with 2 mouse buttons. The way the true IBM TrackPoint allows you to scroll is by having a third mouse button: when held down, it turns the nub into a virtual scroll wheel. All touchpads have ways of scrolling, and in 2011, not being able to scroll efficiently is a usability killer.
 
gigatexal said:
if apple puts out a 15inch ivy bridge macbook air with the rumored higher res display and a 256GB or greater ssd with the option for 8GB of ram i'll buy it even if it costs 2k, call me crazy, but the macbook air is damn hard to beat
Click to expand...

The 13" MBA Ultimate is $1700, you really think you'll get all of that for 2k?
 
Ive had Macs for years, best computers out there, very dependable, long lasting. Still on my original Macbook 1 (1.83ghz model) Intel Core Duo. 3 Batteries and 2 Power adapters later, still pumping out the processes. I use macs for everything besides gaming. Just started building Windows based PC's for gaming and a hobby. totally prefer iOS and OSX over Winblows anyday.
 
mazdaboi said:
Ive had Macs for years, best computers out there, very dependable, long lasting. Still on my original Macbook 1 (1.83ghz model) Intel Core Duo. 3 Batteries and 2 Power adapters later, still pumping out the processes. I use macs for everything besides gaming. Just started building Windows based PC's for gaming and a hobby. totally prefer iOS and OSX over Winblows anyday.
Click to expand...

There's plenty of dependable PC devices out there, it's just that there's so many PCs with so many varying levels of quality. Heck even on the cheap end you can get a long lasting device, you just have to know which ones to look for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top