MacBook Air 13-inch: If you squint hard enough, you'll see a lesser-spotted Apple Price Cut I suppose this is one of those glass half-empty, half-full situations. For months, the interweb was aflutter with rumours of a new MacBook Air with a high-definition Retina display to match that of the MacBook Pro. Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (early 2014) Apple's MacBook Air 2014-style: use the price cut to get more RAM …
"1) OSX is simple, but that's cos of Apple targeting the lowest common denominator."
I think we can safely assume the lowest common denominator doesn't use ssh to servers or run their own local server. However there are two key demographics - the home user and the business user. Neither of these groups are interested in the technical gubbins of any computer, pc, mac or otherwise because they'd rather spend their time on online shopping, emails, writing letters and managing their accounts.
Personal computers have been around for long enough now that we really ought to be moving beyond looking after the configuration of an operating system.
Some people assume those with IT skills are "into computers". It's like asking a carpenter if they are "into chisels" ... developing IT skills should be focussed on creating better workers, not for nerdy knowledge of what's under the bonnet.
>>1) OSX is simple, but that's cos of Apple targeting the lowest common denominator.
Pet peeve of mine, thinking that if something is simple and easy to use and well designed, it must be for idiots.
What does Windows's complicated UI allow you to do that can't be done with OS X's simple UI? In my experience I've found OS X to be more capable than Windows, not less. It's easy to do a bunch of stuff in OS X that would be difficult in Windows and/or require 3rd party software--e.g., rip/burn an ISO, encrypt volumes, run a web server with PHP, have multiple virtual screens, manage what software/services run at startup, and that's not even getting into command line stuff.
"I could go on, but tbh there are haters no matter which side of the fence you're on. Yes, it's not what I'd call cheap, but if that's an issue then go buy a cheap HP/Dell for under £500. And forget ultrabooks."
This made me look for second hand prices on eBeg, and I was surprised that even the original MBAs are still swapping hands for £250+
Then I had a look at 2008 Macbooks, and see that the normal ones, with 2/4gb ram and spinning rust storage in good nick are going for £400+
I wonder what my cosmetically imperfect, but 8gb'd and SSD'd one would be worth...
I can pick some discarded, not Apple shitware, hardware out of a skip and slap Linux, any flavour as long as 'beer is free', on it and completely fail to use the result to bootcamp some for shit powerpoint presentations on it but still end up with a computah that does the job. The alternative fascination would be??
This MBA is the target of the new Microsoft Surface thingy. People are going to compare specs, but they really need to compare what gets done. The MBA can run any Windows program, so erase that speed bump. The MBA has less resolution, but much better Intel graphics. The MBA doesn't require the "laptop" to be wedged into your belly when used on your lap. The MBA isn't a compromise. The MBA costs less.
This article may call it "aged", but it's way ahead of that thing that came out yesterday.
The MBA has a particular use-case.
Personally, I'd have liked to see a 16G RAM option so I can run a 8G VM. I don't think that would have impacted battery life too much. Resolution is nice but probably impacts battery life and most of the time, an external screen is available. Does it have stereo speakers yet? HP's touchpad has good sound which just shows what you can do in a confined space.
I know apple is focused on its market, but a proper delete key is still high on my agenda. Apart from that, its a nice little thing. a few tweaks and it could be at the top of quite a few windows-based users who are just tired of lugging heavy Dell E6xxx's around.
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