Brief Report: Macbook Air @ Best Buy

[Owen Densmore]

I'm drinking the koolaid again, and buying one of the new MacBook Airs.  So I called up BestBuy, found they had them, and dropped by for over an hour.

BTW: If any of you have a MBA, please respond with your observations too!

The store had both of them, side by side, with power and networking.

Both models (11.6" & 13.3") are surprisingly solid.  They feel as rigid and safe as the other MacBooks.  This is due to the unibody design.  The difference in weight (2.3lb vs 2.9lb) is noticeable.  I was surprised that the 0.6lb/9.6oz difference would be that noticeable, but it is.  Still, the equivalent Macbooks felt like they weighed a ton in comparison!

The 11 is surprisingly useful for so little a screen: 1366x768.  But the 13's 1440x900 makes it the same as the MBPro 15".

Laptops are for laps, so I was delighted that I could hitch myself up onto the counter and try them both in my lap (and not bother the clerks!).  Both were fine, the 13 more "natural" due to being closer in size to standard laptops.

I downloaded a large keynote presentation (both .pdf and .key), and the NetLogo tutorial models (both 2D and 3D to make sure OpenGL got run), and tried them on both, side-by-side.  Yes there was a slight difference in speed due to the different processor clocking and battery management, but they both feel as fast as my current laptop (4 year old 17" MBP).

Both are "real Macs" in that there are no limits on programming etc.  Exactly the same snow leopard I've been using.  I forgot that they were "special" within minutes of use.

One missing component is Flash, but I've turned that off where possible due to huge battery drain.  Apple wants you to download the latest from Adobe due to apparently real security issues, but I'm sure mainly due to corporate warfare.

The netlogo runs suggested the two systems (both entry level, thus only 2GB RAM) differed by around 20% in speed.  This is not particularly noticeable.

I'm tending towards the 13 due to the display difference: 74x132.  The 132px height advantage is very noticeable.

Part of the test was BestBuy itself.  The staff was more knowledgable than I had thought and they are willing to discuss the Amazon price difference (Amazon does not charge tax, a roughly $115.00 hit).  They have a method: on the web, get the MBA in checkout, including tax etc.  Print this and bring it in for the discussion.

If I buy locally, which I'd like to do, DotFoil and BestBuy are the choices.  Both have +/-'s.  DotFoil has been quite knowledgable and helpful to various family members recently. And because unibody Macs have built-in batteries, the local-buy decision will include cost of the for-sure battery replacement during its life.  BestBuy apparently has a warrantee which includes Apple Care but with more features and costs less.  DotFoil is Apple Care only, I believe.

    -- Owen



============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

[Joe Spinden]

I have an MBA -- not that I see the relevance.  for me the big issue is
connectivity.  If either had Firewire 800, I would definitely consider
it.  Without it, neither is significantly better for me than a netbook
(which I have).  Obviously, my needs are specialized..

Joe



On 1/22/11 11:08 AM, Owen Densmore wrote:

> I'm drinking the koolaid again, and buying one of the new MacBook Airs.  So I called up BestBuy, found they had them, and dropped by for over an hour.
>
> BTW: If any of you have a MBA, please respond with your observations too!
>
> The store had both of them, side by side, with power and networking.
>
> Both models (11.6"&  13.3") are surprisingly solid.  They feel as rigid and safe as the other MacBooks.  This is due to the unibody design.  The difference in weight (2.3lb vs 2.9lb) is noticeable.  I was surprised that the 0.6lb/9.6oz difference would be that noticeable, but it is.  Still, the equivalent Macbooks felt like they weighed a ton in comparison!
>
> The 11 is surprisingly useful for so little a screen: 1366x768.  But the 13's 1440x900 makes it the same as the MBPro 15".
>
> Laptops are for laps, so I was delighted that I could hitch myself up onto the counter and try them both in my lap (and not bother the clerks!).  Both were fine, the 13 more "natural" due to being closer in size to standard laptops.
>
> I downloaded a large keynote presentation (both .pdf and .key), and the NetLogo tutorial models (both 2D and 3D to make sure OpenGL got run), and tried them on both, side-by-side.  Yes there was a slight difference in speed due to the different processor clocking and battery management, but they both feel as fast as my current laptop (4 year old 17" MBP).
>
> Both are "real Macs" in that there are no limits on programming etc.  Exactly the same snow leopard I've been using.  I forgot that they were "special" within minutes of use.
>
> One missing component is Flash, but I've turned that off where possible due to huge battery drain.  Apple wants you to download the latest from Adobe due to apparently real security issues, but I'm sure mainly due to corporate warfare.
>
> The netlogo runs suggested the two systems (both entry level, thus only 2GB RAM) differed by around 20% in speed.  This is not particularly noticeable.
>
> I'm tending towards the 13 due to the display difference: 74x132.  The 132px height advantage is very noticeable.
>
> Part of the test was BestBuy itself.  The staff was more knowledgable than I had thought and they are willing to discuss the Amazon price difference (Amazon does not charge tax, a roughly $115.00 hit).  They have a method: on the web, get the MBA in checkout, including tax etc.  Print this and bring it in for the discussion.
>
> If I buy locally, which I'd like to do, DotFoil and BestBuy are the choices.  Both have +/-'s.  DotFoil has been quite knowledgable and helpful to various family members recently. And because unibody Macs have built-in batteries, the local-buy decision will include cost of the for-sure battery replacement during its life.  BestBuy apparently has a warrantee which includes Apple Care but with more features and costs less.  DotFoil is Apple Care only, I believe.
>
>      -- Owen
>
>
>
> ============================================================
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
>

--

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant."

   -- Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, 1913.


============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

[Grant Holland]

Owen,

I was able to get a 10% discount off of the list from Apple over the
phone on the MBP 15" i5 5.63MH that I bought last week.

I got a rep on the line and he offered me the 10% discount. I took it
under advisement and called back later, only to get an order-taker - who
would not honor the 10% discount. Fortunately, I had the phone number of
the sales rep, was able to call him back directly - and he really did
give me the 10% discount!

However, Apple does charge state sales tax. But I still saved money over
Best Buy. I probably save money over Amazon too, because the 10% should
be worth more than the absence of sales tax. Unless you get a discount
from Amazon as well.

Grant

Grant Holland
VP, Product Development and Software Engineering
NuTech Solutions
404.427.4759


On 1/22/2011 11:33 AM, joseph spinden wrote:

> I have an MBA -- not that I see the relevance.  for me the big issue
> is connectivity.  If either had Firewire 800, I would definitely
> consider it.  Without it, neither is significantly better for me than
> a netbook (which I have).  Obviously, my needs are specialized..
>
> Joe
>
>
>
> On 1/22/11 11:08 AM, Owen Densmore wrote:
>> I'm drinking the koolaid again, and buying one of the new MacBook
>> Airs.  So I called up BestBuy, found they had them, and dropped by
>> for over an hour.
>>
>> BTW: If any of you have a MBA, please respond with your observations
>> too!
>>
>> The store had both of them, side by side, with power and networking.
>>
>> Both models (11.6"&  13.3") are surprisingly solid.  They feel as
>> rigid and safe as the other MacBooks.  This is due to the unibody
>> design.  The difference in weight (2.3lb vs 2.9lb) is noticeable.  I
>> was surprised that the 0.6lb/9.6oz difference would be that
>> noticeable, but it is.  Still, the equivalent Macbooks felt like they
>> weighed a ton in comparison!
>>
>> The 11 is surprisingly useful for so little a screen: 1366x768.  But
>> the 13's 1440x900 makes it the same as the MBPro 15".
>>
>> Laptops are for laps, so I was delighted that I could hitch myself up
>> onto the counter and try them both in my lap (and not bother the
>> clerks!).  Both were fine, the 13 more "natural" due to being closer
>> in size to standard laptops.
>>
>> I downloaded a large keynote presentation (both .pdf and .key), and
>> the NetLogo tutorial models (both 2D and 3D to make sure OpenGL got
>> run), and tried them on both, side-by-side.  Yes there was a slight
>> difference in speed due to the different processor clocking and
>> battery management, but they both feel as fast as my current laptop
>> (4 year old 17" MBP).
>>
>> Both are "real Macs" in that there are no limits on programming etc.  
>> Exactly the same snow leopard I've been using.  I forgot that they
>> were "special" within minutes of use.
>>
>> One missing component is Flash, but I've turned that off where
>> possible due to huge battery drain.  Apple wants you to download the
>> latest from Adobe due to apparently real security issues, but I'm
>> sure mainly due to corporate warfare.
>>
>> The netlogo runs suggested the two systems (both entry level, thus
>> only 2GB RAM) differed by around 20% in speed.  This is not
>> particularly noticeable.
>>
>> I'm tending towards the 13 due to the display difference: 74x132.  
>> The 132px height advantage is very noticeable.
>>
>> Part of the test was BestBuy itself.  The staff was more knowledgable
>> than I had thought and they are willing to discuss the Amazon price
>> difference (Amazon does not charge tax, a roughly $115.00 hit).  They
>> have a method: on the web, get the MBA in checkout, including tax
>> etc.  Print this and bring it in for the discussion.
>>
>> If I buy locally, which I'd like to do, DotFoil and BestBuy are the
>> choices.  Both have +/-'s.  DotFoil has been quite knowledgable and
>> helpful to various family members recently. And because unibody Macs
>> have built-in batteries, the local-buy decision will include cost of
>> the for-sure battery replacement during its life.  BestBuy apparently
>> has a warrantee which includes Apple Care but with more features and
>> costs less.  DotFoil is Apple Care only, I believe.
>>
>>      -- Owen
>>
>>
>>
>> ============================================================
>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
>> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
>> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
>>
>

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org