MacBook Air 11-inch: The Mercedes Benz of netbooks
by Jason Hiner | November 10, 2010 3:52am PST | Image 1 of 22
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MacBook Air 11-inch vs. other netbooks
The Apple MacBook Air 11-inch has broken new ground for netbooks. See why and learn its one major flaw.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner
Read the full review: 11-inch MacBook Air: This is what a netbook should look like
Photo credit: Jason Hiner
Read the full review: 11-inch MacBook Air: This is what a netbook should look like
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From all I read, Mercedes means expensive, sometimes impractical, and quite often unreliable. Was the headline supposed to suggest praise?
@zdnet@... Unreliable is the first thing I envision when I hear Mercedes. As I lived in germany, I saw more Mercedes broken down on the side of the Autobahn than any other brand. This was not because there were more Mercedes sold than others , Ford was the number one and Mercedes was about the 4th on the list.
Can't agree. At all.
Form factor yes.
Power and handling no.
Lets get an i-series cpu, more ram and more storage.
Add to that higher display resolution and seperate video gpu/ram - not shared.
Then you can call it. But not until.
Form factor yes.
Power and handling no.
Lets get an i-series cpu, more ram and more storage.
Add to that higher display resolution and seperate video gpu/ram - not shared.
Then you can call it. But not until.
@zenwalker Yeah, none of that is going to fit in an 11.6" laptop, much less one as thin as the MBA. There is not enough room for discrete video (physically or thermally). and no i-Series CPU has an IGP that supports the features that Apple requires.
And why would you want a higher resolution on such a small display? 768P works fine on an 11.6" display. Especially when the likes of Dell and friends sell 16" laptops with the same resolution.
And why would you want a higher resolution on such a small display? 768P works fine on an 11.6" display. Especially when the likes of Dell and friends sell 16" laptops with the same resolution.
@Stuka
A few months back I would have thought the same.
On my 13" UL ASUS - the higher resolution I got as a lark - now I pretty much leave at the higher res and ctrl+/- if I need bigger detail - better productivity for me.
A few months back I would have thought the same.
On my 13" UL ASUS - the higher resolution I got as a lark - now I pretty much leave at the higher res and ctrl+/- if I need bigger detail - better productivity for me.
Exactly ... and the 13" has the same resolution as the MacBook Pro 15" ... also the screen looks sharper.
.. and an expresso machine too ... "then you can call it"
@john_gillespie@...
Espresso. Just sayin'.
Espresso. Just sayin'.
Mercedes Benz cars are known for their substandard reliability - look at these TUV figures.
http://www.vdtuev.de/presse/tuevnachrichten/tuv-report-2010-mehr-maengelware-auf-den-strassen/dok_view?oid=177105
Mind, these results are based on actual data from physically checking more than 6 million cars and at least 10,000 cars from every model.
If Steve Jobs really deployed his Think Different thinking and was looking at impossible engineering, he would be driving Mazda RX-8 - the only car on the planet with Rotary engine.
http://www.vdtuev.de/presse/tuevnachrichten/tuv-report-2010-mehr-maengelware-auf-den-strassen/dok_view?oid=177105
Mind, these results are based on actual data from physically checking more than 6 million cars and at least 10,000 cars from every model.
If Steve Jobs really deployed his Think Different thinking and was looking at impossible engineering, he would be driving Mazda RX-8 - the only car on the planet with Rotary engine.
@kitko - to keep with the analogy, Mercedes Benz produced two models with rotary engines back around '69/'70 (the C-111 and C-111 Mk II) and decided the rotary was not worth persuing.
Actually a couple of car manufacturers tried the Wenkel engine back in the early 70s but Mazda keep at it and perfected it. Of course it took 30 years. Interesting about the Benz though. I have had 3, all with over 100 thousand miles. If you have traveled to third world countries you would see old Benz driving on those terrible roadways.
BFD, it still a crapple product with the same limitations on what they will allow you to do with something that you supposedly own.
Is there a grammar checker for Windows? See if you can find one.
@sncking
Limitations? Such as? Do you know ANYTHING about OSX? At all?
Limitations? Such as? Do you know ANYTHING about OSX? At all?
@dayjm that's right, it's more like the AS 1810TZ - I'm not normally an Acer fan, but I have to say I love my 11.6 inch *sub*notebook 
very similar specs - though the GeForce GPU would crap all over the Intel GPU I'm sure
But I've had this for nearly a year - and it's got a card reader, hdmi + vga, an extra usb port, mic jack... lasts between 8 - 10 hours battery life (depending on if I'm using wifi), only about 300 grams heavier and not really that much bigger - for half the price - just wish everything wasn't so glossy - what's the deal?? why can't they offer matte screens anymore? sure, glossy looks nice when there's no glare, but take it outside and you have a mirror
very similar specs - though the GeForce GPU would crap all over the Intel GPU I'm sure But I've had this for nearly a year - and it's got a card reader, hdmi + vga, an extra usb port, mic jack... lasts between 8 - 10 hours battery life (depending on if I'm using wifi), only about 300 grams heavier and not really that much bigger - for half the price - just wish everything wasn't so glossy - what's the deal?? why can't they offer matte screens anymore? sure, glossy looks nice when there's no glare, but take it outside and you have a mirror
@iFX.64
Uh, what?
Very similar specs? WTF?!?
Hint: if you are going to cherry pick, you are supposed to pick facts that SUPPORT your position!
?1.3 SU4100 vs. 1.4 Core2Duo. Really, you are going to make that comparison?
?Hate to break it to you, but the AS1810TZ does NOT have a GeForce GPU, it uses the same onchip Intel graphics.
?AFAICT the second USB port is on the same bus, so big deal, get a hub.
?HDMI and VGA? So? Two words: Mini DisplayPort.
?Your battery life does not match reviews, but eh. The MBA beats it, nonetheless, in real world tests.
"ONLY" 300 grams heavier?!? Mislead people much? 300 grams is almost 30% heavier. Thanks for proving Mart Twain right!
?Same can be said of your comments about size, with the Acer being almost TWICE as thick!
Seriously, are you TRYING to be a charlatan?
Uh, what?
Very similar specs? WTF?!?
Hint: if you are going to cherry pick, you are supposed to pick facts that SUPPORT your position!
?1.3 SU4100 vs. 1.4 Core2Duo. Really, you are going to make that comparison?
?Hate to break it to you, but the AS1810TZ does NOT have a GeForce GPU, it uses the same onchip Intel graphics.
?AFAICT the second USB port is on the same bus, so big deal, get a hub.
?HDMI and VGA? So? Two words: Mini DisplayPort.
?Your battery life does not match reviews, but eh. The MBA beats it, nonetheless, in real world tests.
"ONLY" 300 grams heavier?!? Mislead people much? 300 grams is almost 30% heavier. Thanks for proving Mart Twain right!
?Same can be said of your comments about size, with the Acer being almost TWICE as thick!
Seriously, are you TRYING to be a charlatan?
Apple products are best in package design, not in OS design, and several months and even a year behind in terms of RAM, GPU and CPU speed.
@LinuxUser&XPGamerGraphic
Bull. How's that Linux configuration going for you?
(And I am an Ubuntu user)
Bull. How's that Linux configuration going for you?
(And I am an Ubuntu user)
Some one wrote the following: "there were cell phones, Apple came and showed us how a cell phone should be. There were tablets, Apple came and showed us what a tablet should be. There were sub notebooks, Apple showed us what a sub notebook should be.
And I can't agree more. And yes I am a fanboi with 1000 Apple shares at $300 a pop, and proud of it. Apple rules. And yes, I do and buy what Steve Jobs says. Again, I have more money then all of Apple haters/idiots, trailer trash Democrats.
And I can't agree more. And yes I am a fanboi with 1000 Apple shares at $300 a pop, and proud of it. Apple rules. And yes, I do and buy what Steve Jobs says. Again, I have more money then all of Apple haters/idiots, trailer trash Democrats.
@Plogpower - Awwwww, Someone Missed his/her Yoga Class Today :-P
@Plogpower
What the hell does being a Democrat have to do with anything?
What the hell does being a Democrat have to do with anything?
May not be the fastest, but reliability, quality, and fit-and-finish is second to none
Style-wise - I'd call it the Audi of netbooks
Minimalist, clean, sharp lines... plus LED-everything
Style-wise - I'd call it the Audi of netbooks
Minimalist, clean, sharp lines... plus LED-everything
Smallish ssd hd storage, 2 generations older cpu, shared ram (soldered onto board), nice and thin though, battery life good (but not removable), I'd consider getting the barebones body and installing ubuntu rather than OSx.
@Jaytmoon
Yeah, because Ubuntu/Gnome/KDE is SOOOO much better (not.)
Yeah, because Ubuntu/Gnome/KDE is SOOOO much better (not.)
now i understand the losers better..
they are against every high quality/performance product... if they have the right to choose what to be before being born,, they would prefer to become animals or insects rather than humans..
who's that crazy who would dislike Mercedes Benz the world iConic Car !! the best one ... the most prestigious.. the car of the kings and president...
same thing for an apple computer pad,pod or phone aiii .
by the i just found out on the net that steve jobs also drives Mercedes... man there's a great correlation between all this. therefore :
the apple macs are th mercedes of the computers
Mercedes Benz is the Apple of cars (since about 50% of car technologies was invented by MB)
Steve jobs is the Mercedes of the CEOs.
they are against every high quality/performance product... if they have the right to choose what to be before being born,, they would prefer to become animals or insects rather than humans..
who's that crazy who would dislike Mercedes Benz the world iConic Car !! the best one ... the most prestigious.. the car of the kings and president...
same thing for an apple computer pad,pod or phone aiii .
by the i just found out on the net that steve jobs also drives Mercedes... man there's a great correlation between all this. therefore :
the apple macs are th mercedes of the computers
Mercedes Benz is the Apple of cars (since about 50% of car technologies was invented by MB)
Steve jobs is the Mercedes of the CEOs.
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