MacBook Air Has Issues, Says Apple
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MacBook Air users might need to move their new ultra-thin laptops to keep bits moving to and fro, Apple Inc. said in a note on its support site, just one of several problems posted now that the new portable has started shipping.
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Capping off his Macworld 2008 keynote, Apple CEO Steve Jobs put the rumors to rest by announcing the "world's thinnest notebook" called the MacBook Air.
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Processors specially developed by Intel for&#160;Apple&#39;s new MacBook Air laptop&#160;will soon be used by other PC vendors in systems, possibly creating competition for what Apple calls the world&#39;s lightest and thinnest notebook.Two PC makers will use the miniaturized Intel Core 2 Duo processors used by Apple in MacBook Air, said a source familiar with Intel&#39;s plans. Systems powered by the chips will be released soon, the source said.The companies&#39; names weren&#39;t revealed, but the chip could bring smaller and lighter notebooks that could compete in size and performance with the ultra-thin MacBook Air, which weighs 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) and measures 0.16 inches (0.4 centimeters) at its thinnest part and 0.76 inches (1.93 cms) at its thickest part.Apple asked Intel to develop powerful chips for MacBook Air that are 60 percent smaller than the normal size, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said during a keynote address at the Macworld Conference and Expo earlier this month. Intel obliged, which led to the development of smaller Core 2 Duo processors.&quot;All you have to do is check out the size and shape of the MacBook Air to see what the shrink enables -- smaller, lighter form factors that were physically not possible before,&quot; said Connie Brown, an Intel spokeswoman.The MacBook Air comes with miniaturized Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at either 1.6Ghz or 1.8GHz, with the Intel 965GMS chip set and integrated graphics. Manufactured using the 65-nanometer process, the chips belong to Intel&#39;s Merom family of processors.Intel shrunk the CPU and chip set for a 60 percent reduction in total footprint to comparable Merom processors, Brown said. While delivering similar performance, the chips use 20 watts of power, lower than comparable Merom chips that use 35 watts.The miniaturized chip was designed for Apple, but other PC makers can use it, Brown said.PC manufacturers could adopt the miniaturized Merom CPU in mini desktops or subnotebooks, but the Mac OS X Leopard operating system gives MacBook Air an advantage, said Nathan Brookwood, an analyst with Insight 64. Other systems could be based on Windows or Linux.Apple also has a leg up in product design, which potential MacBook Air competitors will find hard to emulate, Brookwood said.&quot;What has resulted from Apple&#39;s move to Intel chips is its forcing other OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] to pay more attention to the styling of their systems, which is clearly an advantage for users,&quot; Brookwood said.This was the first time Intel developed a small form-factor chip from a normal-sized mobile processor, Brown said.However, Intel has talked about developing chips with smaller form factors in the past.At the Intel Developer Forum last year, Intel talked about shrinking the size of chips by up to 60 percent for its next-generation Montevina mobile platform, which will include the new Penryn processors manufactured using the 45-nm process. The small form-factor chips will be released shortly after the normal-sized chips, due to ship by the middle of this year.It&#39;s not a coincidence that both Intel and Apple have talked about a 60 percent size reduction in chips, Brookwood said. Apple has taken a step ahead by adopting the Merom processor for the MacBook Air, and a natural path of progression is to upgrade to the small form-factor Penryn processors that will be part of Montevina, he said.Apple doesn&#39;t comment on future products, a company spokesman wrote in an e-mail.
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Of all the comments on the hard drive, and there have been hundreds, this one explains it best. I'm sorry to hear about your experience at the Apple Store. I was a "genius" for a year and can assure you that the policy regarding HDs was frustrating to us as well. In warranty it wasn't so hard to justify, but out of warranty customers often had a problem with it. My recommendation to them (and to you) is the same. AASPs often do not have the same contractual obligations with HD manufacturers that Apple does, so they may very well let you keep it. If you still wanted to have it done through an Apple store, take a magnet to it before you hand it over. The techs have better things to do than trawl through your personal data (there are exceptions, of course), but if it sets your mind at ease- go for it. Honestly, I would do this in your position because I have read of people getting reman drives with other people's data still on them. But that would have nothing to do with Apple and everything to do with the companies contracted to remanufacture the HDs.Not much more to say after that. I will probably write a summary tomorrow.
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Editor's note: This story was reprinted from Computerworld. For more of Computerworld's coverage of the Mac, visit its Mac Knowledge Center.
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When Steve Jobs announced the MacBook Air at Macworld, he touted its environmentally friendly construction. Greenpeace welcomed the new eco-talk, but said Apple could still be doing more.
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Following Steve Jobs' announcements at Macworld a few weeks ago, Apple has announced that the MacBook Air is shipping, but new AppleTV software has been delayed two weeks.
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Time for the MacBook Air reveal--it's a signature Steve Jobs moment.
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Is Apple airtight? The unveiling of Apple's super-thin MacBook Air promises to expand further the Mac user base. That's troubling news for a platform that, as it enjoys greater uptake, risks the darker side of fandom - stalkers. Or, in this case, hackers and virus writers.â¦
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While some call the thinnest ultra-portable laptop the market has ever seen a boon for business travelers, others are doing benchmark testing that reveal the MacBook Air is slower than its sister laptops.
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Apple has released a patch designed to stop annoying audio problems that users began reporting after updating their systems to Mac OS X 10.4.10 almost two weeks ago.
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With the&#160;ultra-thin MacBook Air&#160;reaching stores soon, Apple is selling accessories that make up for the laptop&#39;s skimpy features. Apple is already taking orders for a slim external optical drive and an Ethernet adapter, both designed for the MacBook Air, that plug into the laptop&#39;s only USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. The accessories are designed to match Air&#39;s slim footprint, Apple said. Belkin and WaterField Designs are also cashing in, announcing notebook bags designed for the unconventional MacBook Air.MacBook Air&#39;s optical driveTo make up for the lack of an optical drive in the laptop, Apple is taking orders for the MacBook Air SuperDrive on its Web site. The sleek drive can play and burn CDs and DVDs, and in the laptop&#39;s spirit, &quot;takes up little space on your desk or tray table,&quot; according to the company. The portable optical drive measures 5.47 by 5.47 by 0.67 inches (139 by 139 by 17 millimeters) and weighs 0.71 pounds (320 grams). The drive plugs into Air&#39;s USB port, and doesn&#39;t require a separate power adapter.The $99 drive is available on Apple&#39;s Web site.Ethernet adapter for MacBook AirTo supplement wireless networking built into MacBook Air, Apple is selling the USB Ethernet Adapter for wired networking. The Ethernet dongle is light and plugs into Air&#39;s USB port, according to Apple. Available on Apple&#39;s Web site, the $29 adapter will ship in two to three weeks.Video connector for AirMost of the older external multimedia devices -- TVs and VCRs -- can be connected to MacBook Air with Apple&#39;s Micro-DVI to Video Adapter. Designed specifically for the laptop, the adapter connects to a laptop&#39;s DVI (Digital Video Interface) port and includes S-Video and composite connectors that connect external multimedia devices like projectors to the laptop. The $19 adapter is available on Apple&#39;s Web site.Belkin&#39;s Macbook Air SleeveA MacBook Air is too small for a conventional notebook bag, so Belkin has created a bag specifically for Air&#39;s slim profile. With a neoprene cover, the Sleeve bag can protect the MacBook Air from damage by absorbing shock, said Melody Chalaban, a Belkin spokeswoman. The Sleeve is small enough to be slipped into a bag or backpack, Chalaban said. A model of the Sleeve will come with a strap to hook the bag around the shoulder.Starting at $29.99, the neoprene Sleeves will be available starting March. A $49.99 Sleeve, which will ship in May, includes leather and the option to access the laptop from the top or side.WaterField&#39;s SleeveCaseWaterField Designs this month introduced SleeveCase, a hardcover bag designed to protect the MacBook Air from impact. The cover, made of thick synthetic nylon and neoprene, cushions the laptop while in transport, the company said. Over 50 sizes of the bag are in stock, WaterField said. The bags can be carried individually or slipped into a messenger bag, backpack or suitcase.SleeveCase prices start at $38, depending on size and model. It started shipping earlier this month.
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Apple Computer Inc. is investigating claims of poor working conditions at a Chinese iPod factory, the company said Friday, vowing not to tolerate any labor violations.
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SHANGHAI -- Apple Computer Inc. said yesterday it is working to resolve a dispute over alleged labor abuses by an iPod manufacturer in China.
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A software update for MacBook and MacBook Pros addresses an issue that caused the keyboard to freeze.
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âAs I look at a newly arrived MacBook Air laptop,â writes Dean Takahashi , âit occurs to me there has never been a better time to switch to a Mac.â And he points to the new MacBook Air as âa great example of the faster innovationâ that Apple offers customers. âThe design is attractive and nobody can boast having a thinner notebook computer. It has an innovation dubbed Remote Disc. You install a disk on a desktopâs DVD drive. Then you can use your MacBook Airâs Remote Disc function to take over the DVD drive and install software into the MacBook Air. Itâs an innovation that may signal the beginning of the end of disk media.â
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Apple today introduced the worldâs thinnest notebook: MacBook Air. It measures an unprecedented 0.16 inches at its thinnest point while its maximum height of 0.76 inches is less than the thinnest point on competing notebooks. In addition to a stunning 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, MacBook Air offers a full-size and backlit keyboard, a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, and a spacious trackpad with multi-touch gesture support, letting users pinch, rotate and swipe. The new notebook is powered by a 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, and it includes as standard features 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, and the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1. Starting at just $1,799, MacBook Air begins shipping in two weeks.