Just As Core “i” MacBook Airs Provide Some System Upgrade Roadmap Clarity, Rumor Mills Start Up Again – The ‘Book Mystique
The mid-2011 MacBook Air revision turned out to be pretty much what had been widely predicted, and could reasonably have been expected by anyone familiar with Apple’s history in these matters. Sandy Bridge Core “i” processors – check. Thunderbolt I/O ports – check. Backlit keyboards – check.
However, I have to cop to being more than a little disappointed that some of the more optimistic prognostications didn’t materialize. Notably that the standard RAM and flash drive specifications for the base 11.6 inch MacBook remain at a woefully inadequate 2 GB and a laughable 64 GB (only about 48 GB actually usable) respectively, and that the entry-level model’s base price remains at $999 as opposed to a price cut of $100 that had been speculated on by some rumor mills.
The price-leader (so to speak) MacBook Air’s mediocre specification looms even larger in significance with the quiet termination of its erstwhile stablemate at the $999 price point — the white polycarbonate MacBook. I wasn’t the white MacBook’s biggest fan, but it was a power-user machine compared to the base model Air, with a respectable-sized 250 GB hard drive and a less eyestrain-inducing 13 inch display for the same money.
Consequently, well there’s indubitably been some value headed to the cheapest (again, so to speak) MacBook Air, what with the Core i5 processor (which some early benchmark report say has doubled speed compared with the preceding model), a backlit keyboard, and Thunderbolt, the overall picture for the prospective lower-end Apple notebook buyer is one of diminished choice and flexibility. Now, truth to tell, my council to anyone who sought it on the purchase of a Mac laptop has always been that if one could possibly scrape together the extra 20 percent capital outlay, the way to go would be a 13 inch MacBook Pro, which for $200 more gave you 4 GB of RAM instead of 2 GB, a larger capacity 320 GB hard drive, a FireWire port and a SD card slot, and since the last winter’s upgrade — a Core i5 processor. I have no problem discerning 200 bucks worth of extra value there.
However, at least you could upgrade the white MacBook’s RAM at a later date, and the hard drive was an easy and relatively cheap upgrade is well. Not only that, you also got an onboard optical drive, which, the MacBook Air doesn’t have (an external USB optical drive is available as a $79.95 option).
With the $999 MacBook Air, on the other hand, you’re stuck with whatever RAM configuration was installed at the time of manufacture, and at that price point, it’s an inadequate 2 GB. And while the flash drive is theoretically upgradable, it’s not easy and decidedly expensive to do so. IFixIt gives the revised MacBook Air the same dismal 4 out of 10 repairability score that its predecessor had.
I also question whether the baby MacBook Air’s 11.6 inch display, notwithstanding its nominally respectable resolution, is adequate for general, day-to-day computing without inducing the aforementioned eyestrain. ZNet’s Jason O’Grady, who’s been using an 11 inch MacBook air for the past eight months or so, says it isn’t, and using my new iPad 2 has reinforced my memory and convictions about the shortcomings of small displays on production machines.
Consequently, the 11.6 inch MacBook Air, while it makes a much more capable alternative to an iPad for productive duty, can’t really be taken seriously as realistic alternative even for budget conscious content producers, although those who mainly do routine light duty computing like Web-surfing, emailing, and playing a few games may find themselves perfectly happy with it.
That said, the mid-2011 MacBook Air release has provided some clarity for those of us anticipating a system upgrade in the next six months or so. My late-2008 model aluminum MacBook will be three years old in March, which is my provisional target interval for main workhorse laptop upgrades. The little MacBook is running like a train, having never suffered a glitch or hiccup so far, and its 2 GB Core 2 Duo processor still feels lively to me, partly I suppose in the context of the two ancient G4 Pismo PowerBooks I still have in service as utility/road machines. I can say without equivocation that the MacBook is on my short list of favorite computers ever.
On the other hand, the MacBook is borderline marginal for running OS X 10.7 Lion, although until Tex Edit Plus is available in a 64-bit clean version, or I can find an adequate substitute (little promise of that so far), I’m in no hurry to install the Lion. I’m also no particular fan of iOS user interface conventions, which I get a bellyfull of and more using my iPad .
Indeed, a factor that might prove decisive in choosing my next laptop is the residual ability to run OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, which might compel me to make a move early in order to get an Apple Certified Refurbished early 2011 model 13 inch MacBook Pro, which would combine Snow Leopard bootability with Core “i” power. I have to admit that I find the MacBook Air seductive, despite my criticisms, but my rational side points to the 13 inch Pro selling for $100 less than the cheapest 13″ MacBook Air variant, which comes with a barely marginal 128 GB SSD capacity, no optical drive (an external USB unit is a $79.95 option), has non-upgradable RAM, and not built-in Ethernet or FireWire port. The 13″ Pro has a 320 GB HDD and the aforementioned other features, and is is in my estimation the best all-round value Apple has ever offered in a laptop PC, with my experience owning the near-identical in appearance Core 2 Duo MacBook having enhanced that impression. I just wish it was available with the 1440 X 900 resolution display on the 13 inch MacBook Air.
However, as I file this column, the rumor mills are firing up again with reports of ultra-thin 15″ Apple laptop prototypes having entered final testing, with a 17″ version said to be not far behind. This begs the questions of whether MacBook Air type machines will soon displace the current MacBook Pro 15″ and 17″ models, and what the future holds for the 13″ MacBook Pro. Clarity short-lived. Things just got complicated again.
You can read my extended thoughts on the ultra-thin 15″ and 17″ MacBook rumors here:
http://bit.ly/oNsTgM