Rory Reid
Rory lives, breathes and would probably even eat computers -- if there are chips and bites on the menu, he's happy. When he isn't digesting the latest PC tech, he's criticising manufacturers for force-feeding us worthless products and chastising hapless consumers for swallowing the industry's lies
Wednesday 23 January 2008, 5:20pm
Seven reasons why the MacBook Air sucks
It's been a week since Steve Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air and thankfully the hype has died down. Now the drool oozing from the mouths of slack-jawed fanboys has dried, there's a window of opportunity for rational thinking. Here are my top seven reasons why I believe the MacBook Air will be a massive flop.
1. It's too expensive
The basic MacBook Air comes in at £1,199. That's way too much given the specification. Let's put things in perspective: a Dell XPS M1330 (once the "thinnest laptop in the world") is cheaper, even with a superior specification. Okay, it's 500g heavier and a tiny bit fatter, but it has a faster CPU, double the hard drive space, and a graphics card and operating system that will run most games.
2. It's too big
It's logical that people should pay more for a thinner, lighter laptop, but the MacBook's dimensions still disappoint me. It has a 13.3-inch screen and weighs 1.3kg, which is too big and heavy to 'qualify' (under our admittedly vague system) as an ultraportable. The current Sony Vaio TZ series weighs 1.24kg with an optical drive and the Toshiba Portege R500 is nearly a third lighter at just 800g. Even the four-year-old Sony X505 was thinner. And lighter. Apple really can't claim to have re-invented the wheel on this issue, because it's about four years too late.
3. Not enough connectivity
Apple decided, in its infinite wisdom, to equip the Air with a single USB port when even handheld UMPCs have two more. Then it decided to stick this port directly next to a Mini-DVI port, which to most people only becomes usable once you connect a DVI/S-Video adaptor. Yes, you can carry a USB hub everywhere you go. Or the body of a dismembered antelope. But neither is very practical.
Despite Apple pushing FireWire ports for years, there isn't one on the Air. That has several serious repercussions: anyone with a DV camcorder is going to find it difficult to transfer footage to the MacBook Air, iMovie will become virtually redundant and Windows Movie Maker will rule the Earth. Shudder.
As if the USB/FireWire situation wasn't silly enough, Apple decided it wouldn't bother including an Ethernet port. If you want to communicate with other PCs, you're going to have to use yet another adaptor or settle for wireless. Nothing wrong with that, you might think, but there's plenty: ask any journalist whether Wi-Fi is anywhere near as reliable as wired Ethernet, particularly in a busy environment where everyone's trying to use the same hotspot, and thousands of other devices are yapping on the same 2.4GHz frequency, and the answer will be the same: "give me wires, or give me death!" Intel chipsets are fully capable of supporting wired Ethernet and adding a physical port to the Air would have added about 0.000003g to the overall weight. Yes, you can buy an adaptor, but that just adds cost. Apple got it wrong here. No question.
4. Non-user-replaceable battery
The MacBook Air's battery is replaceable, but not by you. Touch it and you'll void your warranty. Most laptop makers actively encourage users to buy spare batteries -- not only is it convenient for the user, but it also generates revenue for the company. You get the option of a spare wheel when your car gets a flat, so why can't you have the same option in your laptop?
5. No mobile broadband
The best ultraportable laptops in the world have integrated mobile broadband. The MacBook Air does not. Anyone that's used HSDPA to jump online anywhere they damn well please (well, outside of backwards redneck USA) will tell you it's a great feeling. But this is a feeling you will not get with the MacBook Air, designed by the company that doesn't think 3G is all that.
6. It might well shock you
Not long ago we broke a story on Dell laptops shocking their users with electricity due to an ungrounded power supply and metallic chassis. Many users responded by saying their MacBook Pros and other laptops did the same thing. Since the MacBook Air is made almost entirely of aluminium and will likely use a similar ungrounded power supply -- to make it even thinner, dahling -- one might think electric shocks are just a fingertip away.
7. Rubbish storage
The Air ships with an 80GB hard drive. What, are we living in the 1960s? Toshiba managed to get a 160GB drive in its Portege R500, and Sony crammed a 250GB drive in its latest TZ. And both those laptops can ship with a built-in DVD rewriter! With the Air, you have to buy a separate USB Superdrive -- adding even more cost -- or borrow another PC's optical drive over Wi-Fi, assuming that PC has a Wi-Fi adaptor and the owner will let your stupid, Mac-using backside near his gear.
Will I be buying a MacBook Air? No. Is it style over substance? Yes. Will it be a flop? Almost certainly. Will Apple release an improved version in 6-8 months time because they got this one wrong -- as they did with Apple TV? You betcha. -Rory Reid
Comments on this post
A sound summary of the reasons not to buy the Air. An entertaining read too. Great stuff Rory. Any why does the entry level model not sport a solid state hard drive? I'll be waiting til Apple releases a decent version of the Air.
Posted by Rockster on Fri 25 January, 2008 11:31 AM
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Like a lot of reviews I've seen of ultra-portables, you've made the assumption that it's your main computer. I can definitely see the case for not having a MacBook Air for that, but as a lightweight portable machine I think it's a step in the right direction; my large files are elsewhere, I don't need attached devices, I'd just want something lighter than my MacBook! You're spot on the mark too with the price, but like the iPhone I think it'll drop, hopefully...
Posted by Andrew Kirkpatrick on Fri 25 January, 2008 1:57 PM
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Very valid points and very entertaining. I don't know why we theoretically need more than one USB port, but I just get a feeling one is not enough. Andrew, a second computer?! I'm not sure about you, but I'm not prepared to spend £1,199 minimum on a second computer. Also, if it is meant to be a second computer, then why would it have so much memory, surely not for music and movies because isn't that what an iPod is for?
Posted by Tashi Sherpa on Sun 27 January, 2008 7:16 PM
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Number 8, the machine costs considerably more in the UK than in the states, even allowing for shipping etc. I worked out it should cost around £900 here. At £900 it would be far closer to being at 2nd computer price. Stop ripping us off Apple.
Posted by Stephen on Mon 28 January, 2008 10:04 AM
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Comparing a modern day laptop running a different OS is highly unfair. The mac runs Intel dual core duo. And four years ago what were they running then, Pentium 3/4. This is the modern day, not 5 years ago. If you are to compare Air, then at least compare it with laptops in the same league, in the same time period
Posted by Tom on Sun 17 February, 2008 2:19 PM
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tom, not being nasty but that is total bullcrap the fact that he is comparing it to a four year old laptop just shows that the system is a total step-back in technology, also it is not an ultraportable (or umpc) because the people who came up with the idea of umpc microsoft *cough*IRONY*cough* states that an ultraportable has a 10" or under screen and even the dumbest mac troll sould be able to work out the math that it is in fact bigger than that, but, one more thing to say - if the four year old sony vaio x505 was thinner then this shows that apples marketing team are incompetent fools who should be sued for mis-advertisement so instead of saying "macbook air, worlds thinnest laptop" they should say "worlds second thinnest laptop, apart from the sony vaio x505 that also has better features,but we are proud to say even though it is the worlds second thinnest laptop it is the worlds biggest RIP-OFF!"
Posted by j2l2r on Tue 26 February, 2008 10:51 PM
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While I agree on many of your points, I think you are missing something key. Apple is missing a portable in their range. the 13.3" is a bit of a pig, the 15 and 17" are ideally desktop machines, god knows why the 12" powerbook was discontinued. Your price argument is completely unjust. Similar sonys with no optical drive, minimal ports, 1GB ram and solo processors are £1,500-£2,000. Do some real research. The top spec Portege R500 which matches the Air is £1,899 inc vat. Thats a £700 premium for an optical drive. Give me a break.
Posted by alex on Wed 5 March, 2008 11:04 AM
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As a Mac user, I can tell you know _nothing_ about Mac OS X. Read up a bit, or use it a little. You'll like the lack of viruses and the speed. For one thing, the Air is quicker than any lame Windows based retarded POS out there, but it IS in fact the thinnest notebook out there. Oh and why is the Air more expensive in the UK? Because the Queen rips Apple off in taxes, and so Apple has to rip you off. Still, for 1.2k, it is a very reasonable price for a notebook like that. Apple rule.
Posted by Stra on Wed 12 March, 2008 3:03 AM
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Actually I take that back, as a Mac user I know how much I am in denial and that I am a fanboy of Apple, to the extreme.
Posted by Stra on Sat 22 March, 2008 9:07 PM
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Carry on Apple bashing and no one will believe you are writing impartial reviews... why dont you also compare Movie Maker with Final Cut Xpress or Pro? Does anyone use MM to create Hollywood movies? Some used FC to produce Cold Mountain... !
Posted by Mel on Sat 5 April, 2008 7:49 PM
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Umm, yes the USA has mobile broadband. Covering the span of a continent. As for the redneck part, I suppose we'll just never be as nuanced or sophisticated as you guys. Good article though, you're other points are right.
Posted by Anonymous on Tue 13 May, 2008 11:47 PM
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8. It's a Mac.
Posted by Max Power on Thu 15 May, 2008 7:56 PM
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yeah yeah, 1.3kg instead of 1.24, can't swap the battery, its a little bit pricey, boo hoo. It's a mac lads. It's for guys like me who once in a while don't want to lug around the 17" Pro - you know something that still runs a decent OS but that we can use like a notebook for some writing and email - decent sized quality screen, clean elegant design, and software that just does it right. perfect. An 80GB disk is fine - you aren't going to be editing video on a machine with this spec anyway. Bottom line, it's a second machine for lightweight recreational stuff - if its not for you then you're right - you're not the market.
Posted by Stephen on Fri 16 May, 2008 8:22 PM
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Please ignore the comment I made dated Wed 12 March, 2008 3:03 AM. I was clearly drunk with passion for a garbage product. Macs are great, but the Air sucks.
Posted by Stra on Tue 27 May, 2008 2:08 AM
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