We've seen a lot of commentary on the Macweb and beyond since the Macworld keynote revealed the MacBook Air, and several themes have started to become apparent. One of the ideas most often advanced is that Apple simply made too many sacrifices in power to meet the demands of the gorgeous form factor, a complaint against Apple that has long-standing precedent back to the G4 Cube and beyond. Through much of this, however, I get the sense that there's a kind of mistaken, or at least misplaced, assumption at work.Frankly, we've been spoiled by Apple's portable designs. After essentially inventing the modern notebook computer form factor Apple has been churning out better and better portable machines, to the point that Mac portables now significantly outsell the desktops, and for many people their only computer is a PowerBook or MacBook (Pro). We've been led to expect a Mac portable to be the only computer you need (so much so that now the phrase "desktop replacement" almost seems quaint). It's in that light, I think, that the Air seems to fail. Whatever else you might say about the machine, it is not really adequate as your one and only Mac if you're anything like the majority of tech-savvy TUAW readers.
So what is the Air? I think the Air is, and is really intended to be, a secondary computer. It's serious enough to get real work done on while you're away from home or office, but it's not a primary production machine in my view. Looked at in this light, however, the sacrifices Apple has made don't seem so bad. If you've ever lugged a 5-6 lbs laptop (plus accessories!) on your back all day, you know exactly what I mean.
What's the upshot? Well, if you're only going to have one Mac, it shouldn't be the Air. By the same token, it seems to me too highly priced right now to be a huge success. Its real market is going to be executives and others who have enough disposable income (or expense accounts) to have an Air plus another Mac. Thus, I think Apple should embrace this "second Mac" status more explicitly by introducing some kind of syncing system similar to the iPhone/iPod. It would be great if there were a kind of MacBook Air dock you could set it in and have it automatically sync, say, your Documents folder as well as parts of your iTunes and iPhoto libraries, etc. well beyond what third party software can offer in ease of use. Even more radical would be a kind of workspace syncing, so that you could grab your Air and it would automatically have basically the same workspace you were using on your main Mac, with applications, documents, etc.
Of course, only the future will tell if the Air is too big of a compromise (like the Cube) or whether it will meet with some success. I'm sure Apple will sell plenty of Airs, but I seriously doubt it will have the success of the regular MacBook lines. Nonetheless, it shows that once again Apple is out in front and (in some respects) listening to its customers (who have been clamoring for a small Mac portable since the 12" PowerBook died). It may turn out, like in the case of the original iPod, that Apple is really creating a new market here that we just don't quite understand yet. But if that's so, much like the original iPod, I think the Air will need to drop in price and expand in functionality to really be a mainstream hit. What do you think?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
1-19-2008 @ 1:20PM
kdt said...
"It would be great if there were a kind of MacBook Air dock you could set it in and have it automatically sync, say, your Documents folder as well as parts of your iTunes and iPhoto libraries, etc. well beyond what third party software can offer in ease of use"
Isn't that exactly the purpose of Time Capsule? While I wouldn't buy an MBA, if I did I would have the Time Capsule with my printer and any extra storage I needed attached to it. As far as watching movies on the road -- either iTunes or MacTheRipper/Handbrake would suffice.
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1-19-2008 @ 1:24PM
Mat Lu said...
No, TC is for backup. My point is a syncing solution to another computer.
1-19-2008 @ 1:52PM
Matt said...
they have a syncing solution. it's called .Mac
1-29-2008 @ 4:34PM
Mark Scrimshire said...
Isn't the "Back to my Mac" part of the solution for the Air?
This may be part of an Apple plan to get you to buy 2 machines. How about a Mac Mini with a big add-on hard drive, or a Mac Pro, or iMac sitting at home or in the office and traveling light with the Air.
Given that I was thinking about a MacBookPro fully loaded with a big hard drive and tons of Ram it is not such a bad deal to have an Air plus 24" iMac with 500GB drive
Fully loaded 15" MBP with Applecare is about $3700
An Air (1.8GHz) with ethernet and remote + 24" iMac with 2GB Ram and 500GB drive wireless mouse/kb and Applecare comes to around $4600. Hmmm....... tempting if I had that sort of money.
1-19-2008 @ 3:01PM
Carlos said...
It would have been a good move for Apple to give away .Mac to Mac Air users
2-20-2008 @ 12:02AM
Sham The Sam said...
No (Mat Lu), Time Capsule also mounts as a wireless hard drive. Being able to easily off-load the majority of your storage needs addresses a big reason behind the need for syncing. There's some logic behind why they were cooking up both of these at the same time. This doesn't negate your argument completely, since the Air will fit into a number of computing environments- including multi-Mac and solo settings.
1-19-2008 @ 1:23PM
anon said...
Spot on. A lot of fuss over this thing ... silly.
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1-19-2008 @ 1:23PM
edwin said...
You couldn't have pin point the flaws of the Air any better! I TOTALLY agree with you on every aspect. To the point that I dare to say that the Air still lacks a few beauty-elements that the Power Book 12" had: aluminum keyboard. Isn't Apple aware? Black keys are just plain ugly when fitted into a aluminum keyboard. Of course, the early Power Books did came with black keys so who knows... we might se early aesthetic changes.
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1-19-2008 @ 1:26PM
Joe Z. said...
Well said!
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1-19-2008 @ 2:03PM
ChillyWilly said...
Spot on. Agree on all parts. I think time may actually have good effect on the MacBook Air.
1-19-2008 @ 1:29PM
Cawlin said...
This can easily be the only laptop for many people. Half the people that own macbooks only use it for surfing the internet, listening to music and typing up documents. I am sure many people will be glad to shed some pounds off the weight they carry,
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1-19-2008 @ 1:31PM
Larson said...
Sure it may not do as well as other computers but we still need to remember that this will push other companies and people to make our electronics even smaller and efficient. It's definitely another step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned.
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1-19-2008 @ 1:34PM
jag1087 said...
I completely agree with you that the Air is a secondary computer. That's the reasoning I used in deciding that I'm not going to buy one. I already own a portable MacBook. Had I an iMac (and the necessary funds) that I can't take with me, I would seriously consider buying the Air. It's portableness is very attractive since I'm only on my campus for a few hours a day and it would feel more comfortable using on smaller desks during class.
That said, I also wonder if the Air can be a mainstream hit right off the bat. At this point it is too expensive, and people will probably opt for the cheaper Macbook, or shell out more for the much more powerful Pro. I don't really think first time Mac owners will consider the Air either. I think the Macbook and Pro will continue to dominate due to more bang for you buck.
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1-19-2008 @ 8:20PM
Neil said...
Portableness??
That would be - portability.
1-19-2008 @ 1:36PM
Fred said...
It's interesting to me that not many people seem to be looking in the direction of the dock patent that Apple recently (or at least it was recently reported) filed. It was basically an iMac LCD with it's guts ripped out, and you slide in the Air. I would LOVE to see something like that, throw a large hard drive, and maybe some more memory in there, and you carry what you need around with you, and work on bigger stuff at home (or at the office). The duos did that years ago and as I recall the people who had them loved them.
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1-19-2008 @ 2:17PM
Big John said...
You have to remember -- companies will patent almost any idea if they believe there is even a sliver of a chance of their competitors profiting from it. I bought a MBA but I don't think it's ready to be "docked" (even in the next revision) because it's quite an under-performer when matched up against the iMac.
1-19-2008 @ 1:40PM
James said...
It think there are two kinds of people that will be happy with a Macbook Air. You hit one of them: those using the MBA as a secondary computer. These people, already having a primary machine are usually focused on one thing and one thing only: I want the smallest and/or lightest laptop Apple makes. The MBA is now that laptop.
But the 2nd population is probably at least equal if not greater in size than the first: I think there are is a large population of Mac users (and even Windows users) that simply
a) never buy or use a 2nd battery, ever.
b) never use more than one USB peripheral at a time, ever.
c) never actually install any software on the computer beyond what originally came with it.
To some of us, those facts may boggle the mind but it's plenty true for a lot of people. These are probably iPod converts who do basic iTunes/iPhoto/internet use. They probably have less than 10GB of music and less than 10GB of pictures.
So this computer is for the extremely casual user (for lack of a better term) or for the "pro" user who is using it as a secondary computer. When your laptop IS your secondary computer you end up using it a lot like a casual user, except you do install software. This is why that remote disc was developed: it's obviously something that an advanced user would have no trouble with.
I think these two markets give the Air enough of an audience, sort of like the mini: it will sell okay, but nothing to write home about, but the people for whom it "fits" will love it.
(BTW, this computer "dock" is a really lame, clunky idea)
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1-20-2008 @ 8:47AM
GB HENDERSON said...
Best comment yet. For months this crowd has talked about a small form factor. I think many felt it would fit in your shirt pocket. I don't think anyone felt it would have a 2.4 Gig chip and a TB HD. It is exactly what it is: a niche machine for a niche crowd.
My long in the tooth PB G4 1 Gig does more than I can do. Still the Intel chip beckons. I'll give in soon. MB Pro or iMac. Even if I had the money, I don't think I'd fall into that category. It's an individual thing. I totally agree: It'll go, but it won't dent the MacBook numbers. GBH
1-19-2008 @ 1:41PM
sebmillo said...
I think that Apple is trying to force the ‘two Mac pro user’. When purchasing my last Mac I faced the dilemma of getting a 24” iMac or spending that same money on a notebook. I went the iMac route because I could not imagine working on such a small screen for hours on end. The Air has me wanting a portable computer again, my current hardware will keep me happy for the next few years (until multi-touch anyway), and so this may be that big tax return reinvestment... Maybe this also falls into the ‘why does the new iMac have a glossy screen?’ debate... Force pro users to pay for the top of the line gear (whether they need the power or not)...
I never new I needed two Macs...
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1-19-2008 @ 1:42PM
oshawapilot said...
The air will be the greatest thing since sliced bread for people who revolve around being online. Sync'ing is only important for people that deal with local utilities and files.
Personally, I use the Google suite of online apps now (Docs, calendar, etc etc) and I rarely do anything locally on any of my Mac's (video editing and photo storage on my iMac desktop aside) that stores stuff locally, so I'd easilly make all the tradeoffs that the Air demand in order to have such a light package.
When you do everything online, Sync'ing becomes irrelevant. My Google docs are available on my iPhone as easilly as they are on my MB/iMac at home, no sync required.
The argument that it doesn't have enough power to be considered seriously is moot IMHO - anyone who buys an Air and then expects to be doing heavy-duty work on it needs to reconsider their decision - it's simply not meant for that, nor was it ever designed around that reality.
However, the price will be a sticking point for many. This thing screams "student dream computer", but it unfortunately screams "most students could never possibly afford it" in the same breath.
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