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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > 2006 MacBook dead, new MacBook Air?

2006 MacBook dead, new MacBook Air?
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megasad
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May 21, 2009, 08:27 PM
 
My ill-fated MacBook has stopped working, 3 years and 2 days after I bought it, won't turn on whatever I try.

I take it into the Apple Store on Sunday for the splitting case issue, which AppleCare already agreed to repair over the phone, so maybe they will be nice and randomly make it work again too.

Failing that, I was planning on buying a MacBook Air when I go back to uni in 2010, wouldn't mind getting one sooner. I was holding out for a 512GB SSD / 8GB RAM combo, but half of that would be bearable...

Anyone have thoughts on the liklihood of a 2GHz, 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD Air at the next refresh? And the idea that such a refresh would be coming very soon? This old iBook is okay for websites and email but that's about it, can't even play MP4s without stuttering hard.
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Simon
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May 22, 2009, 03:11 AM
 
A refresh soon (i.e. before fall) is rather unlikely.

An upgrade to 2 GHz should be in the cards. However 4GB RAM soldered and a 256 MB SSD option are not that likely. To my knowledge 1.8" 256GB SSDs just became available with IDE. SATA versions should arrive no earlier than Q4.

You could consider getting a MBA (if you're ok with 2 GB RAM) or a MB (if you need 4 GB RAM) now and then upgrade to a large SSD yourself. On the MB that should be no problem. It's a standard 2.5" drive that's very easy to replace. The MBA is of course quite a bit more tricky.
( Last edited by Simon; May 22, 2009 at 03:26 AM. )
     
megasad  (op)
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May 22, 2009, 05:39 AM
 
A refresh of the MacBooks in general, based on past updates to itself and the iBook, seem to always fall within a month or two or May and October of each year.

However, if as you say the components to make such a refresh worthwhile are simply not available until later in the year, then I fear you may be right, especially with regards the Air.

I've considered the regular MacBook and it does seem a nice enough machine but the Air is calling to me... It's 2/3 the weight! And really dang thin!

My current MacBook still more than meets my needs in terms of performance, and so I wanted the Air to reach 2GHz simply so that I'd not be stepping back. Similar with the RAM. But the hard drive will require some huge amounts of deleting.
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macfix
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May 23, 2009, 03:24 PM
 
With WWDC right around the corner, I would wait to see in hopes that something will be announced/released in the Air category.
My macbook is serving me well, but I want an Air.
     
bishopazrael
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May 23, 2009, 03:32 PM
 
Or you could buy a Dell Mini 9/10/11 and you could install OSX on it and upgrade it yourself for WAY less that what a MBA will cost you. It's dead easy to install Leo onto one of them. Tutorials abound, just google it. I've thought about it but I need the power of my MBP. But check out the videos online and see if it would fit your needs.
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Wiskedjak
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May 23, 2009, 03:44 PM
 
And, what if your MacBook Air *also* dies just after the extend warranty expires? Will you again reward Apple for shoddy quality by upgrading to a MacBook Pro?

I like Apple and much as the next guy here, but we really need to stop rewarding them when our laptops die so soon.
     
megasad  (op)
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May 23, 2009, 04:21 PM
 
Originally Posted by bishopazrael View Post
Or you could buy a Dell Mini 9/10/11 and you could install OSX on it and upgrade it yourself for WAY less that what a MBA will cost you. It's dead easy to install Leo onto one of them. Tutorials abound, just google it. I've thought about it but I need the power of my MBP. But check out the videos online and see if it would fit your needs.
I considered it, one of those new Eee Seashells too, but in both cases the keyboards are still horrible compared to the MacBook one I've come to know and love over the last three years. In fact the keyboard layout has remained almost unchanged since the iBook I got in 2001 so I'm loathe to use another simply because I'm so used to it.

That all being the reason I won't get such a laptop as my main machine.

However, if I see a Seashell in the duty-free shop on my way back to Germany next week (and so ~£320 instead of ~£385) I may just pick one up to tide me over :P

EDIT - Also, the 1024x600 screen resolution and wimpy CPU would hinder what I use my computer for, so not an option as my only machine as the Air is.
( Last edited by megasad; May 23, 2009 at 04:30 PM. )
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megasad  (op)
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May 23, 2009, 04:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
And, what if your MacBook Air *also* dies just after the extend warranty expires? Will you again reward Apple for shoddy quality by upgrading to a MacBook Pro?

I like Apple and much as the next guy here, but we really need to stop rewarding them when our laptops die so soon.
I'm more a glass half-full kind of guy...

The iBook I bought in 2001 is still working nicely, as is the eMac I got in 2004, that I gave to my family when I bought my MacBook, and that I'm typing on now whilst I visit them.

As for the MacBook, half the issues it's had have been due to me poking around its insides when I really should have known better. And Apple has fixed it every time, no charge, even though I didn't actually buy AppleCare and so, in theory, they stopped having any duty towards me in 2007.

After the last repair I worked it out that they'd spent about ~£840 repairing it (according to all their invoices) and I bought the thing for ~£845... After this repair they shall be totally in the red thanks to me :P

So yes, bad that it's had issues. But good the way it's been dealt with. Wheee!
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megasad  (op)
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May 27, 2009, 09:23 AM
 
Dang. The top case has been replaced, so the MacBook looks all shiny and new, but the power button wasn't the problem, it was the logic board that had randomly died.

For Apple to repair it will cost £385, or I can buy the logic board for £250 and try my hand at fixing it myself.

With the on-the-sly white MacBook update earlier today and WWDC in a couple of weeks I currently wait and see if any other updates happen, go from there.

If they do give the Air a 256GB SSD then my decision shall be easy so fingers crossed.
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macfix
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May 27, 2009, 10:47 AM
 
I better do some research!
I don't know about the 'on-the-sly white Macbook update earlier today'!
     
Simon
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May 27, 2009, 11:18 AM
 
Just a small stealth update.

+0.13 MHz, +40GB HDD, faster RAM, +0.5h battery rating.
     
The Placid Casual
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May 27, 2009, 04:20 PM
 
Just wondering, why specifically an Air?
     
The Placid Casual
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May 27, 2009, 04:23 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
And, what if your MacBook Air *also* dies just after the extend warranty expires? Will you again reward Apple for shoddy quality by upgrading to a MacBook Pro?

I like Apple and much as the next guy here, but we really need to stop rewarding them when our laptops die so soon.
Subjective at best. Move along.

I have spoken to people who have had issues with Apple, Dell, Sony, and Acer in the last few days. Does this make all these shoddy too?

Please don't use this place to troll, or air personal gripes. There is no evidence either way to say that Apple's quality has reduced significantly since the Intel switch.
     
megasad  (op)
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May 28, 2009, 06:54 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Placid Casual View Post
Just wondering, why specifically an Air?
It boils down to simply because I want one but I can give more reasons

So the cheapest option is to fix my current MacBook for ~£385 or buy the new white one for ~£625. Both those ways give me a white MacBook and whilst I like the look of the machine it is too fragile and does not weather well in the way my old iBook has.

The aluminium MacBook is very nice, does all I'd need and is much more durable. However, as I really want the backlit keyboard, I'd need to buy the 2.4Ghz model, which brings the price nearer ~£930. This combined with the lack of FireWire makes me think, why not spend a couple hundred more and get an Air?

So then I look at the Air and barring the too small storage it's what I want in a laptop precisely. But such a light, thin machine with a regular moving harddrive? I've had one of those die on me before from being accidentally dropped, it wasn't nice, so why not get a SSD and so remove that danger completely?

And then finally, though computers are tools and I use one for work all day, and I am ostensibly studying computer science, will be going back to that after working for another year... I now see a personal computer as an extravagance, something that's nice to have but not vital for actual real-live life.

So, as I said, it's simply that I like the MacBook Air the most, that's why I'd buy it.
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macfix
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May 28, 2009, 10:49 AM
 
Well said, megasad!
I simply want an air because they are light with nice screens.
     
JTh
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May 28, 2009, 11:52 AM
 
So the cheapest option is to fix my current MacBook for ~£385 or buy the new white one for ~£625. Both those ways give me a white MacBook and whilst I like the look of the machine it is too fragile and does not weather well in the way my old iBook has.
I thought newer white ones didn't have quite the same issue, as far as "weathering" was concerned.

The aluminium MacBook is very nice, does all I'd need and is much more durable. However, as I really want the backlit keyboard, I'd need to buy the 2.4Ghz model, which brings the price nearer ~£930. This combined with the lack of FireWire makes me think, why not spend a couple hundred more and get an Air?

So then I look at the Air and barring the too small storage it's what I want in a laptop precisely. But such a light, thin machine with a regular moving harddrive? I've had one of those die on me before from being accidentally dropped, it wasn't nice, so why not get a SSD and so remove that danger completely?
Because there's no guarantee. Dropping nearly any laptop puts an incredible amount of stress on all of the internals, no matter what. Of the stories you read that "hey, i dropped my laptop from three feet onto a cement floor!", I can absolutely guarantee you there's far more people whose laptop didn't survive. The best insurance is to always have a backup. If it comes down to it, I'd much rather replace a regular hard drive for a fraction of the cost of an SSD.

Firewire is not coming back to the Al Macbook, and the writing is on the wall that the white Macbook's days are numbered. It's an old design that doesn't fit in their lineup any longer.

I can't comment on the backlit keyboard. I personally have never had one, and I've never really wanted one.

And then finally, though computers are tools and I use one for work all day, and I am ostensibly studying computer science, will be going back to that after working for another year... I now see a personal computer as an extravagance, something that's nice to have but not vital for actual real-live life.

So, as I said, it's simply that I like the MacBook Air the most, that's why I'd buy it.
I agree, the MBA is a very nice machine. But let's be honest: for CS, you're going to want upgradability. You'll most likely be compiling programs on your machine at one point or another, so more memory and a faster hard drive will be crucial. Likewise, you might want/need to make a hard-wired connection to a network. If so, you'll appreciate the 1GB network port that's standard on the Macbook, vs an adaptor (and USB slowness) of the MBA.
     
megasad  (op)
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May 28, 2009, 04:19 PM
 
Originally Posted by JTh View Post
I thought newer white ones didn't have quite the same issue, as far as "weathering" was concerned.
The wrist area no longer goes strange colours but the splitting at its front still happens. Apple have a standing agreement to repair such splits for free, regardless of warranty status, but that does then mean having to be without it for short whiles.

Originally Posted by JTh View Post
Because there's no guarantee. Dropping nearly any laptop puts an incredible amount of stress on all of the internals, no matter what. Of the stories you read that "hey, i dropped my laptop from three feet onto a cement floor!", I can absolutely guarantee you there's far more people whose laptop didn't survive. The best insurance is to always have a backup. If it comes down to it, I'd much rather replace a regular hard drive for a fraction of the cost of an SSD.
I simply meant that having a disk drive with no moving parts means no moving parts in the disk drive can break. As you say, too much violence will hurt anything, but that's a given. I have an off-site backup of all my important files, keep it updated once a week. The time I broke a hard drive, my MacBook was propped on its side, like an open book, on a rug over tiles. I bumped into it and it fell flat and because the distance it fell was so small, the heads didn't have time to park.

Originally Posted by JTh View Post
Firewire is not coming back to the Al Macbook, and the writing is on the wall that the white Macbook's days are numbered. It's an old design that doesn't fit in their lineup any longer.
Yep and the only thing I have that works solely via FireWire is an old Canon video camera which I can get the footage off of using my old iBook, transfer to the FW-less machine using a USB+FW hard drive.

Originally Posted by JTh View Post
I can't comment on the backlit keyboard. I personally have never had one, and I've never really wanted one.
Never had one either but always wanted one for the obvious ability to use the keyboard in the dark. I touch-type for text-entry but not for random key-pressing.

Originally Posted by JTh View Post
I agree, the MBA is a very nice machine. But let's be honest: for CS, you're going to want upgradability. You'll most likely be compiling programs on your machine at one point or another, so more memory and a faster hard drive will be crucial. Likewise, you might want/need to make a hard-wired connection to a network. If so, you'll appreciate the 1GB network port that's standard on the Macbook, vs an adaptor (and USB slowness) of the MBA.
I've already completed the first two years of my comp-sci degree and whilst I did compile lots of programming projects, they weren't so large in scale that I ever found myself waiting on my old MacBook. My final year will see larger and more complicated programs, obviously, but if I need Brute-Force-Raw-Powah I'll use my department's dedicated machines, they best any laptop anyway.

I've made sure the Air is capable of doing all I need it to, else I'd not consider buying it. The only concession I'm making now that my MacBook died young is that I'll take a 256GB SSD over a 512GB one.
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The Placid Casual
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May 28, 2009, 05:23 PM
 
Originally Posted by megasad View Post
It boils down to simply because I want one but I can give more reasons

So the cheapest option is to fix my current MacBook for ~£385 or buy the new white one for ~£625. Both those ways give me a white MacBook and whilst I like the look of the machine it is too fragile and does not weather well in the way my old iBook has.

The aluminium MacBook is very nice, does all I'd need and is much more durable. However, as I really want the backlit keyboard, I'd need to buy the 2.4Ghz model, which brings the price nearer ~£930. This combined with the lack of FireWire makes me think, why not spend a couple hundred more and get an Air?

So then I look at the Air and barring the too small storage it's what I want in a laptop precisely. But such a light, thin machine with a regular moving harddrive? I've had one of those die on me before from being accidentally dropped, it wasn't nice, so why not get a SSD and so remove that danger completely?

And then finally, though computers are tools and I use one for work all day, and I am ostensibly studying computer science, will be going back to that after working for another year... I now see a personal computer as an extravagance, something that's nice to have but not vital for actual real-live life.

So, as I said, it's simply that I like the MacBook Air the most, that's why I'd buy it.
Hehe, no problems! As good a reason as any!

I only ask, as a while back I faced the same issue. I use my laptop literally 18 hours a day for work, and with my MBP 2.1 (and backup MBP 1.83!!) dying on me daily, it was time for an upgrade.

I too *really* wanted an Air after seeing a friends, and also as I wanted a 13" Macbook size machine...but with a backlit keyboard... The week I was about to buy, the AluBook came out, and I bought the 2.4 with the backlit keyboard.

I have never looked back. It is the most solid Mac laptop I have owned since my Pismo. It is very, very well made, and not much bigger than an Air when you look at it. Combined with easy battery swap out, better specs etc, for me at least, it was well worth the price I paid.

Good luck with the decision, and enjoy whichever you choose!
     
megasad  (op)
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May 29, 2009, 01:39 PM
 
Wheee! My MacBook is randomly back from the dead. I went to collect it from the Apple Store today and they'd put the old cracked top case back on, their reasoning being they couldn't give me a "fixed" machine that didn't even boot up... And so then I pressed the power button and it started and seemed to be fine...

The CPU temperature sensors are apparently what are messed up, they sometimes won't let the machine start because they say it's too hot. But so they put the new unsplit top case back on and all is well so far.

It will probably die at some point in the future so I still keep an eye out for MacBook Air updates but hopefully it'll last a little while longer.
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amazing
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May 29, 2009, 01:58 PM
 
MB rises from the dead! A miracle?!?

Be sure and get the cracked top case fixed now that it's working! And install the SMCfancontrol to keep it cool. Frankly, I've also got a small deskfan sitting across from my MBP to blow air across it sideways, when I'm doing something that heats it up (like watching Hulu--that darn Flash.)

The pleasures of a light MBA will soon fade away when you run out of disk space...and apparently the white MB also got a stealth display update, according to some users:

MacDailyNews - Apple's newly updated White Macbook gets improved display, too
     
shifuimam
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May 30, 2009, 08:38 PM
 
For the future -

Take a closer look at some of the netbook offerings out there. The HP Mini 1000 has a 95% full-size keyboard. It's plenty for even big man-hands (boyfriend uses it without issue). The Dell Mini 10 has a decent sized keyboard with a standard layout, as does the Acer Aspire One.

Netbooks are also super lightweight, durable (they don't try to put form over function the way that Apple does - the components are pretty damn sturdy across the board).

If you have had a history of dropping or otherwise damaging laptops, doesn't it seem to be a bit silly to spend $2500 on an underpowered (particularly for the price), feature-void laptop? The Mini 10 starts at only $300 - you could buy eight of those and still be spending $100 less than what an Air costs. It also has a 1366x768 display upgrade option.

I think you underestimate what netbooks are capable of. I run memory-heavy apps like Photoshop and certain MO clients without issue.

I think, as has already been mentioned, the novelty of the MBA's lightness will wear off as you start to realize that it's almost entirely non-upgradeable and you have to haul around a USB hub just so you can plug more than one thing into it simultaneously.

Just some things to consider.
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Simon
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May 31, 2009, 04:22 AM
 
Two thoughts.

Sure netbooks start at something like $300. But once you start upgrading them to reasonable specs you'll likely end up quite a bit higher. You'd want at least a 10" screen, ideally Gigabit, you want BT and 802.11n (definitely not just g!), maybe you want a larger SSD, you probably want a camera, and 2 GB RAM should be the bare minimum. Then add in the $129 OS X license and you'll probably be closer to $700 than $300. I'm not at all saying a netbook isn't nice, but I think it's important people realize that even though $300 looks extremely tempting, you will end up spending a good chunk more.

I think we are still to far away from making OS X netbooks 'turn-key' solutions. Once the OSx86 community comes up with a way to get OS X installed on these computers with two mouse clicks the option will become available to everybody. But right now it does involve some tinkering. Downloading EFI emulation, burning extensions to a CD, etc. are a bit involved for people who just want a working 'Mac'. And then there's the problem with software updates and updates breaking the hack. Sure, somebody with a bit of time and some interest can get it to work today, but it's definitely not yet as simple as double-click ready-made hack installer, reboot, install OS X. I also think maybe these EFI-X style solutions will become more popular as they drop in price. Imagine buying a $29 USB memory key with all you need already on it. Plug it in, reboot, install OS X from the installer DVD, done. I'd say once we reach that level of simplicity, netbooks will indeed be a viable option for any Mac user, including my mother. But right now, we're simply not there yet.
     
shifuimam
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May 31, 2009, 11:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by Simon View Post
Two thoughts.

Sure netbooks start at something like $300. But once you start upgrading them to reasonable specs you'll likely end up quite a bit higher. You'd want at least a 10" screen, ideally Gigabit, you want BT and 802.11n (definitely not just g!), maybe you want a larger SSD, you probably want a camera, and 2 GB RAM should be the bare minimum. Then add in the $129 OS X license and you'll probably be closer to $700 than $300. I'm not at all saying a netbook isn't nice, but I think it's important people realize that even though $300 looks extremely tempting, you will end up spending a good chunk more.
Not necessarily. You can get a netbook with a decent-sized hard drive (160GB) for under $400.

802.11n isn't standard in netbooks, but can VERY easily be added simply by buying a cheap card on eBay.

Netbooks max out at 2GB RAM for the moment. That being said, I run Leopard on a 733MHz G4 with 1.5GB RAM and an 800MHz G4 with 1GB RAM, and both run pretty damn well.

Cameras are now standard across the board unless you go for the really cheap deals, like when woot has a $150 eeePC 900 up. 10" screens are standard across the board at this point. A very, very tiny Bluetooth adapter can be found on DealExtreme for about $4 shipped. Plug it in and forget about it.

The point about gigabit is, IMO, pretty irrelevant. It's going to be a damn long time before a lot of infrastructure outside your home network will really support gigabit - not only that, but a netbook is designed to be moved around and taken with you, not plugged into your home gigabit router. Gigabit is fine for when you need to transfer large quantities of files between two machines, but other than that, it's really overhyped for home use.

I'm not sure why you'd pay $129 for an OS X license. It doesn't make it any more legal, since installing OS X on third-party hardware is, AFAIK, a violation of the EULA that comes with the OS.

I think we are still to far away from making OS X netbooks 'turn-key' solutions. Once the OSx86 community comes up with a way to get OS X installed on these computers with two mouse clicks the option will become available to everybody. But right now it does involve some tinkering. Downloading EFI emulation, burning extensions to a CD, etc. are a bit involved for people who just want a working 'Mac'.
When was the last time you tried an OSx86 install? The images that are available on BitTorrent these days are pretty much one-click installs. You generally just have to choose whether or not you have an AMD or Intel processor, and it takes care of the rest.

And then there's the problem with software updates and updates breaking the hack. Sure, somebody with a bit of time and some interest can get it to work today, but it's definitely not yet as simple as double-click ready-made hack installer, reboot, install OS X. I also think maybe these EFI-X style solutions will become more popular as they drop in price. Imagine buying a $29 USB memory key with all you need already on it. Plug it in, reboot, install OS X from the installer DVD, done. I'd say once we reach that level of simplicity, netbooks will indeed be a viable option for any Mac user, including my mother. But right now, we're simply not there yet.
I'm not sure how much of a risk updating OSx86 is anymore, but it's definitely something worth considering.

At the end of the day, though, I think a MBA is extremely overpriced and an unnecessary purchase for a college student - buy yourself a MacBook for a grand and put the other $1500 in savings - you'll need it when you graduate, unless Mommy and Daddy are footing your bills.
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Simon
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May 31, 2009, 12:41 PM
 
Hmm, you make it sound so tempting. How about we take a reality check?

These specs:
• 10" screen
• 2 GB RAM (4 GB would be nice, but since this is a netbook 2 GB will do)
• no less than 100 GB HDD or 64 GB SSD
• Gigabit
• 802.11n, BT
• something that matches an iSight
• video out (DVI would be nice, but VGA would do)

What's the list price for that kind of netbook? No rebates, no mail-in baloney. Regular list price if I order today.

I will add $129 for OS X because while I disagree with the EULA limitations on how to use OS X, I know that taking something without paying for it is stealing.

And then I'd also like a short and simple guide on how to install OS X on it. I'd like to know if I can ever do any updates. Also, I'd like this stuff to come from a verifiable source. Any .zip over BitTorrent is not considered reliable.

Convince me.
( Last edited by Simon; Jun 1, 2009 at 02:21 AM. Reason: typo)
     
megasad  (op)
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May 31, 2009, 08:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by amazing View Post
MB rises from the dead! A miracle?!?
The CPU temperature sensor is still apparently broken but now maybe it thinks everything is always icy-cool rather than bakey-hot?

Originally Posted by amazing View Post
Be sure and get the cracked top case fixed now that it's working!
Done and done. When I got home I realised the trackpad button would only work if clicked dead centre, not at all on the left or right. Rather than tempt fate with yet another repair (it's now cost Apple £950 O_o), a handy piece of cardboard between its underside and the battery has made it nicely clicky, better than before even.

Originally Posted by amazing View Post
And install the SMCfancontrol to keep it cool. Frankly, I've also got a small deskfan sitting across from my MBP to blow air across it sideways, when I'm doing something that heats it up (like watching Hulu--that darn Flash.)
The machine getting too hot hasn't been the problem, the fan comes on at the appropriate times, just the not-starting-up thing was being weird.

Originally Posted by amazing View Post
The pleasures of a light MBA will soon fade away when you run out of disk space...
I've lived with computers that are all but completely full up before and it is nice now having 200GB free for random DVD ripping / TV show carrying / insert thing-that-uses-terrifying-amounts-of-disk-space here. When I have time I'm going to do some house-cleaning, I guess I may not need all those archived software installers and old Library folders...

Originally Posted by amazing View Post
and apparently the white MB also got a stealth display update, according to some users:
I saw that, it is nice that all the MacBooks now have good quality displays, not just the Air and Pro.

~~~

Originally Posted by shifuimam View Post
Take a closer look at some of the netbook offerings out there. The HP Mini 1000 has a 95% full-size keyboard. It's plenty for even big man-hands (boyfriend uses it without issue). The Dell Mini 10 has a decent sized keyboard with a standard layout, as does the Acer Aspire One.
I bought one of the original 7" Eee PCs back in November 2007 so my view of them was a bit out-of-date. Last week, when I thought I was going to buy a new machine sharpish, I did have a look at a lot of the newer netbooks in the shops and the keyboards were much improved, the Dell Mini 10's especially. It actually felt better than the one on the Adamo they had on display, the Adamo's being so shallow as to be disconcerting.

Originally Posted by shifuimam View Post
Netbooks are also super lightweight, durable (they don't try to put form over function the way that Apple does - the components are pretty damn sturdy across the board).
Price being one of the selling points of netbooks, I did find it amusing that a lot of them are moving to 160GB 1.8" hard drives now. But of course SSDs are still usually an option. And the hard drive being the only possible moving part other than the fan, they did all feel proper-strong otherwise.

Originally Posted by shifuimam View Post
If you have had a history of dropping or otherwise damaging laptops, doesn't it seem to be a bit silly to spend $2500 on an underpowered (particularly for the price), feature-void laptop? The Mini 10 starts at only $300 - you could buy eight of those and still be spending $100 less than what an Air costs. It also has a 1366x768 display upgrade option.
The appeal of a computer you don't actually worry about dropping / losing / paying-lots-to-repair, hasn't escaped me and if the price of the Air drops, or another machine that meets my needs becomes available, I shan't be unhappy. I would find a 10" screen at 1366x768 too squint-inducing, my preference being for lower DPI displays rather than higher. So maybe not a "netbook" ever, but other tiny-light laptops are what I'm looking for.

Originally Posted by shifuimam View Post
I think you underestimate what netbooks are capable of. I run memory-heavy apps like Photoshop and certain MO clients without issue.
The thing I'm doing at the moment that pushes my machine the most is video encoding, which taxes the CPU hard and makes the fan run non-stop. Next year, if there are CPUs that are the equivalent of what I have now, I would consider other tiny-light laptops more seriously; too many of them are currently using Atom processors, which would not be suitable.

Originally Posted by shifuimam View Post
I think, as has already been mentioned, the novelty of the MBA's lightness will wear off as you start to realize that it's almost entirely non-upgradeable and you have to haul around a USB hub just so you can plug more than one thing into it simultaneously.
The USB ports and upgradability are not an issue for me but I do hope that SSD development continues at the pace it's been going the last two years, that I'm not being unreasonable in expecting a 512GB 1.8" 5mm drive by October 2010.

~~~

Originally Posted by Simon View Post
Sure netbooks start at something like $300. But once you start upgrading them to reasonable specs you'll likely end up quite a bit higher... probably be closer to $700 than $300. I'm not at all saying a netbook isn't nice, but I think it's important people realize that even though $300 looks extremely tempting, you will end up spending a good chunk more... I think we are still to far away from making OS X netbooks 'turn-key' solutions... But right now, we're simply not there yet.
Originally Posted by shifuimam View Post
Not necessarily. You can get a netbook with a decent-sized hard drive (160GB) for under $400... I'm not sure how much of a risk updating OSx86 is anymore, but it's definitely something worth considering.
If Apple do release their own even tinier MacBook then this trying to shoe-horn Leopard onto a netbook will no longer be relevant, at least for me. That's the other main reason I'd get an Air; I'm no longer interested in fighting a computer to make it work, haven't been in a long time even if I am a comp-sci :)

Originally Posted by shifuimam View Post
At the end of the day, though, I think a MBA is extremely overpriced and an unnecessary purchase for a college student - buy yourself a MacBook for a grand and put the other $1500 in savings - you'll need it when you graduate, unless Mommy and Daddy are footing your bills.
I'm guessing this was more a general statement about students rather than directed at me? But in case it was aimed at me, I'm a mature student working for two years as part of my studies, no financial reliance on anybody else. The cheapest MacBook I would buy is around £900 and so the extra £600 the Air will cost is worth it to me.
( Last edited by megasad; Jun 1, 2009 at 07:26 PM. )
BayBook (13" MacBook Pro, 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 1TB HD) // BayPhone (iPhone 4, 32GB, black)
     
   
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