
The MacBook Air: A Decade’s Worth of Legacy - mpweiher
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2018/01/15/the-macbook-air-a-decades-worth-of-legacy/
======
cletus
Argh... I can't talk about the Macbook Air without getting angry. Angry at
Apple's direction.

I bought the second generation MBA (the first good one) in 2011. It was a
fantastic laptop. It was pretty much the right compromise of power vs weight
vs cost. I loved how you could get a pretty darn usable Macbook for
(eventually) like $1200.

For the first couple of years other manufacturers just couldn't compete with
that much hardware for that price.

But then it got a bit long in the tooth. I, like many, was waiting for a
screen upgrade (particularly to a retina screen). Other manufacturers were
increasingly producing better hardware and smaller bezel displays. Yet no
update from Apple (after about 2015 or so).

And then... the Macbook came out, which spelt the end for the MBA (a 12" MB
and 11/13" MBAs were too many SKUs for Apple). And the MB was a terrible
compromise. One port (also for power!). Terrible keyboard. Horrible
performance.

And now we have Macbook Pros that have:

\- Removed the super-useful Magsafe connector

\- Added a stupid touchbar no one cares about

\- Used a much worse keyboard and trackpad to save like 0.5mm in width; and

\- Cost 2x+ as much.

Thanks for that, Apple.

All I wanted was an updated Macbook Air.

~~~
dkonofalski
>\- Removed the super-useful Magsafe connector

>\- Added a stupid touchbar no one cares about

>\- Used a much worse keyboard and trackpad to save like 0.5mm in width;

I have 2 of the new Touch Bar MBPs (one for work and one for personal) and
those 3 things are something that sold me on the computer _after_ I had
purchased it. I had no intention of using the TouchBar and felt like they
didn't need to mess with the MagSafe or the keyboard and yet all 3 of these
things have won me over.

The TouchBar is _amazing_ to me and something that I use regularly (made even
better by BetterTouchTool). Being able to scrub through media while still
having hands on the keyboard and then switching immediately to editing tools
is a godsend for me.

The USB-C connector is a much better option, in my opinion, than MagSafe was
(even though I really liked MagSafe) simply because it's not a proprietary
connector and it's not limited to charging. I'll happily give up a dedicated
port for charging when I don't have to buy chargers from Apple and the port
doubles as an I/O port. In hindsight, MagSafe was convenient when laptops
weighed and ton and could easily get pulled down by the standard laptop
charger plug. I've had all different laptops for years now and can count on
one hand the number of times MagSafe would have saved me a slight bit of
trouble.

As for the trackpad and keyboard, I much prefer the feel of the new keyboard
and I can't tell a difference between the trackpads simply because I prefer
the larger trackpad. The "click" feels exactly the same in day-to-day use. The
keyboard feels much more stable and even to me and I don't find the travel to
be greater to one side of a key or another so it always feels like a solid
press.

Maybe it's just me but I love the new Macbook Pros. I'd love to see an updated
MBA with a Retina display instead of the 12" Macbook but I have no complaints
about the Pro line at all and I'm a professional media creator and developer.

~~~
coldtea
> _In hindsight, MagSafe was convenient when laptops weighed and ton and could
> easily get pulled down by the standard laptop charger plug._

Didn't you get that inversely? It's today's lighter laptops that can MORE
easily get pulled down by the standard laptop charger plug.

Absent a magsafe style solution, the easiness of which a laptop can be pulled
down is an inverse factor of its weight.

> _I 've had all different laptops for years now and can count on one hand the
> number of times MagSafe would have saved me a slight bit of trouble._

That's still up to 5 times. And that's with YOUR use cases, others (e.g. less
mindful, with pets, with kids, working on cafes, etc) can have it even much
worse.

But even 1 time, never mind "measurable on one hand" times, of avoiding
getting a laptop dented, with broken screen, etc, in a decade is a good ROI.

~~~
dkonofalski
>Didn't you get that inversely? It's today's lighter laptops that can MORE
easily get pulled down by the standard laptop charger plug.

No, but I probably should have been clearer in my meaning. The chargers now
plug in via a very tiny port that is easily removed with minimal force. The
larger, heavier laptops of the past had the more standard wall-wort plugs that
needed to be pulled straight back to remove them. USB-C unplugs too easily to
ever be a risk for a computer getting pulled down and computers are too light
now to actually disengage the MagSafe ports. It's a tough balance where too
powerful of a magnet won't disengage a light computer and too light of a
magnet causes the charger to fall off at the lightest touch.

As for your second point/question, I was mainly saying that paying a premium
for a MagSafe connector is less worth it to me than having a non-proprietary
port that is also multi-function since it's very uncommon for the use-case
that MagSafe was designed for to happen nowadays with computers. I have yet to
hear a current story where MagSafe saved someone's computer or where the USB-C
cable trashed someone's computer by getting pulled and not releasing. MagSafe
was awesome for its time but I think it's not as useful with today's tech.

~~~
wallWorth
Where to begin?

Okay, so USB-C has a long pull. It’s not a short simple disengage that can
occur at any angle. You can’t snap off a USB-C plug by rolling at an angle,
without inflicting wear at best, or connector damage at worst.

The lighter the laptop, the more likely the laptop will be pulled by the
binding of the tension clip, especially if the angle of pull is
unintentionally wrong and accidental.

That the laptop is lighter is good, because on a bad drop off a table top,
there’s less impact damage or probability of screen breakage, but a trip over
a cord or an excited pet can still send the laptop flying MORE EASILY, not
less.

The heavier chasis weight merely means that damage was more readily inflicted
on the conductive ring-and-pin DC port itself, or the adapter wire, by serving
to anchor the chasis in place, than would a lighter chasis get launched across
the room.

The lighter chasis means a lesser magnet should be used to link the magsafe
connector to the power port, but either way, magsafe wins. It’s the better
design every time.

Back in the day, the magsafe connector saved multiple fragile components,
preventing HDD head crashes, dents, bent plugs, sceen smashes and frayed power
cord internals. But now, with SSD drives and gorilla glass monitors, and
commodity cords, laptops are more durable and survivable on a drop than years
ago.

Either way, it’s still extremely disconcerting to drop a laptop, no matter
that they can withstand more abuse than the bad old days, and magsafe power
connects were a reassuring presence.

Fortunately, it’s low technology, and USB-C is an open standard, so after
market solutions could jump into the market for a save. It doesn’t have to be
an Apple product exclusive anymore. It could be an Otter Box durability
sweetener included with their hardened clamshell wrappers, or a Belkin
accessory, or whatever dongle-du-jour company puts something out. It’s just
that no one has pushed into that area yet.

~~~
systoll
The Griffin BreakSafe cable, among others, push into that area.

------
paulus_magnus2
Sony’s VAIO X505 had some impressive specs when it first debuted in 2004. It
was just 0.38 inches at its thinnest point, and used Intel’s ultra-low voltage
Pentium processor. It was the first laptop to feature a "chiclet" keyboard,
named for its small rounded keys that resemble Chiclets gum. All of this was
packaged into a $3,000 notebook years before Apple unveiled its MacBook Air.

[https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/6/5385716/sony-vaio-
iconic-p...](https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/6/5385716/sony-vaio-iconic-pcs-
photo-essay#photo-5149539-10)

~~~
dijit
That laptop certainly looks revolutionary. But while we're on the subject of
Sony ultra-portables: I am a little sad that there's been no update to the
Sony VAIO P-Series of laptops which are literally pocket sized.

I had one, and aside from the screen refresh it was so crazy how absurdly
portable it was.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Vaio_P_series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Vaio_P_series)

~~~
awiesenhofer
Boy, i loved those! I remember browsing lots of japanese and hongkong sites to
find one with EU-shipping. Does anyone know similar current devices?

~~~
schlarpc
There's a couple recent products that hit similar niches:

GPD Pocket: [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gpd-pocket-7-0-umpc-
lapto...](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gpd-pocket-7-0-umpc-laptop-
ubuntu-or-win-10-os-laptop--2)

GPD Win 2: [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gpd-win-2-handheld-
game-c...](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gpd-win-2-handheld-game-console-
for-aaa-games-laptop)

Ockel Sirius A:
[https://www.ockelcomputers.com/sirius-a/](https://www.ockelcomputers.com/sirius-a/)

I have the original GPD Win, and it's a surprisingly competent PC for being
roughly the size of a Nintendo 3DS XL. The keyboard is terrible for typing on,
but that's kind of expected with its gaming focus.

~~~
stuaxo
I got a pocket... the keyboard lets it down a bit, I hanker after the Psion 5
keyboard.

Unfortunately the team trying to bring back something like the Psion are the
same people who are not bringing the Spectrum Vega to its backers, but instead
seem to be spending the backers money on frivolous lawsuits.

~~~
mmjaa
I have a GPD Pocket too, and I concur with you - the keyboard is one iteration
away from being acceptable. But, is it not still a kick-ass machine? I really
love mine, and I look forward to any revision we may see from GPD in the
future - and/or competition along similar lines. Finally a decent unibody not
of Apple heritage!

------
bluedino
Probably the favorite of any laptop I have ever owned. Lightning fast with the
SSD (compared to the 250/320GB spinner in the 13" Pro at the time), very
sleek, great touchpad/screen/keyboard...

And then 11" was a new level of portability. The 2013 model brought battery
upgrades that were so far ahead of the rest of the thin and lights.

Perhaps the best part: the low price of $1099 made the 13" Air a bargain.
Cheaper than the _worse_ 13" Pro! And the 11" model was another $100 less.
Combine that with discounts from retailers like B&H, Best Buy, or MicroCenter
and you could get a brand new Mac for $799 at various times. Very unlike
Apple.

~~~
FabHK
And great battery life, for such a light machine.

I liked it much more than my current 2016 MacBook "Pro".

~~~
ppeetteerr
I agree about the battery life but the non-touch bar MBP is a gem. It's as
light as a MacBook Air and I've bounced it around a few times accidentally (no
damage, unlike my Air). The new screen and touch pad are great too.

------
wenbert
For me my next purchase would probably still be a Macbook Air. Right now, I'm
using an Air it I love it. The comfortable enough to work and use anywhere.
But I wont be buying any time soon. The one I'm using now is about 3 years
old. It's still reliable and haven't noticed a single problem with it. This
comparing to my brother's 2 year old MBP riddled with LCD problems.

I've had MBPs before and it seems they tend to break easier. They are a bit
hot and heavy.

~~~
Tiktaalik
Also I can't help but continue to notice the reliability complaints people
have about new MBP keyboards. I love my Macbook Air keyboard.

I'm still doing fine with my 2012 MBA. The battery was shot, so I replaced it.
I'd love to see Apple continue making them...

------
asplake
This week I had the battery replaced in my mid 2013 Air. First time I’ve had a
computer for anything like this long and not wanted to bin it. A bigger SSD
and more RAM would be nice but it remains my ideal laptop. They were
definitely on to something.

~~~
elahd
The SSDs in the Air are replaceable, but new units are insanely expensive.
I've been looking to swap out my 128GB SSD with a 256GB unit (Mid-2013 MBA).
An OEM 256GB SSD is around $450, the OWC Aura (seemingly the only compatible
third party unit) is $250 -- better, but still hard to justify. There are used
units on eBay, but I don't like using second hand hard drives.

Are there any other options out there?

~~~
gaahrdner
There are but there are some heavy caveats and they don't really work all that
well. For example, I recently purchased one of these Sintech adapters[0] and a
Samsung 960 Evo. NVMe drives are technically supported in the latest High
Sierra, but clearly there are huge issues with the NVMe SSD drivers and OS X
still. While I appreciated the higher speeds and capacity at a better price,
ultimately having OSX hard reboot due to kernel panics two or three times a
day made me give up on this experiment. I'll probably try it again sometime in
the future though.

0\. [http://eshop.sintech.cn/storage-adapter-2013-mac-pcie-
ssd-c-...](http://eshop.sintech.cn/storage-adapter-2013-mac-pcie-
ssd-c-130_132.html)

------
misterpigs
I took the plunge with the second gen MacBook Air after seeing fellow devs at
WWDC haul them around as if they were nothing. I initially noticed the slower
HDD and performance hit, but didn't miss it after the first week. The mobility
was a huge boon. I was working for myself and often meeting clients or working
from the coffee shop, bar, etc. I held on to it until the MacBook caught up in
size/weight.

Source: me. I write iOS apps.

~~~
saagarjha
Interesting…the original MacBook Air I know was pretty slow and underpowered.
How did it feel developing on it?

~~~
misterpigs
I was upgrading from a medium spec second gen Intel MacBook Pro so the
performance hit wasn't as drastic for me. Development was fine honestly. The
Air was my primary development machine for the next 4 years.

------
robotresearcher
The killer feature for me of the 2nd-gen Airs was the battery life. It’s the
first time I’d been able to go all day without plugging in (for light
management-type work).

All day was a step change. I was sad when my new 13in MBP needs plugged in at
lunchtime. The screen and other specs are much better of course but I’d become
used to leaving my PSU in the office all day while zipping around.

~~~
FabHK
Absolutely true. The 2016 MBP sure has a nice screen and all, but basically
half the battery life for twice the price.

~~~
fossuser
The MBP isn't the successor to the air though - that'd be the Macbook which I
think has similar battery life and a nicer screen.

I'm not sure why Apple still makes the air since the Macbook seems like the
obvious replacement.

~~~
fyfy18
From a design point of view maybe, but the price of the MacBook is far too
much for what you get.

The 2011 MacBook Air was a good replacement for the discontinued white
MacBook. It was a lot more modern, but retained the same price point. It still
continued to fulfil the role of the entry level Mac.

The current MacBook doesn’t do that though. It’s too expensive to be entry
level - similar spec’ed to a MacBook Air, it is $300 more, for some new
colours and a slightly better screen? Ok it’s a little more portable, but it’s
not like the MacBook Air is bulky... The base model having an underpowered
processor definitely isn’t helping it’s reputation - it’s like the original
MacBook Air all over again.

------
olivermarks
I am writing this on a 2011 macbook air -it's my battered lightweight notebook
computer and still my main device. My next laptop will be a chromebook. I only
really continue to use the mac for a small handful of mac specific hard drive
run software programmes such as Adobe Creative Suite 4 (the last disk based
version).

I replaced the battery last year and am unimpressed by newer Mac products.

Apple have completely lost me as a customer after years of my buying their
hardware. I use an Android phone and consider Google to be the new Apple at
this point in history.

~~~
mmphosis
I am writing this on a handed down 2003 PowerBook G4 12" — it's my battered
lightweight notebook computer and still my main device except for when I am
being paid. I am not sure what my next laptop will be. I am looking at
overpowered fan-less mini PCs, but have decided to wait for breakthrough CPUs,
maybe massively parallel open cores — I could be waiting a while.

I use the PowerBook mostly to type, code, and debug. The code most often runs
on other hardware, although from time to time I have compiled the latest
modern versions of software I use for the PowerBook.

I keep it plugged in as much as I can and have yet to replace the battery. I
am also unimpressed by newer Mac products as the iPhone appears to be their
focus.

Apple never really had me as a customer after decades of my using their
hardware. I sometimes use an old Android phone without data and consider
Google to be the new Microsoft at this point in history.

~~~
m_mueller
What are you running on your PowerBook? Linux? MacOS with Firefox? If it's the
latter, do you still get browser updates? Do you never have the urge to watch
web videos at native resolution, or do you use it precisely because those
kinda distractions are not available?

I'm asking because I still got a 2005 G4 12'' somewhere, and I'm wondering
whether I should do anything with it.

~~~
olivermarks
I'm on a gigabit connection which helps my old Air chug along, but I can't
watch 1080 video without herky jerky interruptions and fan huffing and
puffing. That's a drawback...

I have managed to cut MSFT out of my life for the most part but in many ways I
agree that Google are now their equivalent...

------
sien
It's always interesting how people in the Apple bubble just ignore what the
90% of computers that are not Macs are doing. It's like when people talk about
the IPhone as completely new but ignore Blackberry and Nokia Communicators.
Sure, they were not nearly as good, but they were there.

The Air was Apple's reaction to netbooks which were appearing at the time. I
remember seeing an Air for the first time, which instead of an AUD 300 netbook
was AUD 1200 or something. But it still looked super neat. The early machines
with Celerons or something had pretty dismal performance at high price. But
when the i5 machines came out with SSDs they were and are sweet.

This is being typed on a MBA from 2013. The battery life is still very good
and the performance is fine for most things I do with it.

However, if I bought a similar machine now it probably wouldn't be a Mac
because well, Apple just don't care about much or perhaps most of the range
now and the Windows machines have got better and better. Surfaces are where
people most excited.

I still have a netbook too. When you're travelling and don't want to take a
machine a $AUD 250 netbook is remarkable. A 'real' computer that I do a few
things on that is cheap enough to be almost disposable.

~~~
maxsilver
Yes. If you want to see the legacy of the Macbook Air, you probably need to
start with Netbooks and end with something like the latest LG Gram or Acer
Swift 7 from CES 2018.

Apple participated in the space, and put in a great effort, but the story
neither starts nor ends with Apple's products.

~~~
sien
Definitely.

Oh, there was also the failed 'Ultrabook' thing from Intel that was Intel's
attempt to certify effectively Air clones.

------
Finbarr
I just bought another Air after returning a 2016 "Pro". I've been using my
2015 Pro for the last 3 years, and worried about it breaking down so wanted a
spare. I've had 2 of them before and they are the best machines I've ever
owned.

If Apple released a MBA with retina display and 16gb of ram with the same
battery life, I've pay at least 2x the current price for it.

~~~
ppeetteerr
The new Pros are effectively Airs in weight but not in battery. What about the
12inch MacBooks? Aren't they effectively Airs minus the ports (a dongle could
solve that problem).

~~~
comstock
In my experience the 12inch Macbook is not an Air replacement. The CPU is
super-slow, and the keyboard is very poor (maybe I just got a bad one I don’t
know... but I find it almost useless).

------
LeifCarrotson
> The base model shipped with a 4,200-RPM hard drive straight out of an
> iPod...A 64 GB SSD option was available for a whopping $999.

$1k is not expensive for a high-quality Ultrabook...In fact, I'm pretty sure
the Macbook Air is still around that price. Have laptops really gone up in
price since 2008?

...oh wait. A little research [1] suggests that the optional SSD _added_ $1k
to the price, bringing the total to $3100. That is and was expensive.

[1]: [https://gizmodo.com/345101/adding-a-64gb-ssd-to-the-
macbook-...](https://gizmodo.com/345101/adding-a-64gb-ssd-to-the-macbook-
air-1300-extra-please)

~~~
mikestew
The originals were, IMO, something for upper management to show off with. It
could be argued that the machines could be used for productive work, but it
was ungodly high price to pay for such an underpowered machine. For half the
price and a pound more in weight, a lot of machines would mop the floor with
the Air.

That’s not to say that cramming it into a case that size wasn’t impressive,
and it was a rough preview of the nice Airs Apple would later build. Just two
years later an Air was my main dev machine.

~~~
FabHK
I'm wondering whether we will see the same evolution with the current thin
MacBook line - from underpowered "concept" to main working machine.

~~~
abrowne
Almost certainly that's the plan ... unless they can get you to switch to an
iPad Pro instead.

------
TazeTSchnitzel
Unfortunately it's neglected by Apple now. The 2015 MacBook is nice, but it
has a quarter less battery life and two thirds less CPU TDP. Yet the MacBook
Air's design hasn't changed in years and features a screen that is not very
impressive now. (I don't care about Retina, but contrast and viewing angles
matter — somehow it gives me eyestrain if used for long periods.) It also has
stopped getting thinner and lighter, though in fairness maybe they've pushed
it as far as they can without sacrificing performance.

Maybe they'll revive it with Ryzen Mobile, or stuff that into the MacBook. I
can dream. For now I want a new laptop but have nothing to buy because,
relative to my current 2013 13″ MacBook Air, the new MBAs are virtually
identical, the MacBook Pro is too heavy, and the new MacBook is at best a
sidegrade (the screen, Rose Gold finish and greater compactness are nice but
the performance would be the same or worse).

------
jitix
It's still a very compelling option as a second computer that you'd want to
take around with you. I bought one few months back and its powerful enough for
common development tasks. Considering that Macbook Pro RAM has been capped at
16GB for some time now it makes sense to buy a powerful PC for running stuff
plus a Macbook Air for portability.

~~~
gxs
The only thing holding me back from buying one is the low quality/resolution
screen.

How has that affected your work? Any thoughts to share?

~~~
JimDabell
If you want a portable Mac but with a better screen, have you considered the
12" MacBook? It's thinner and lighter than the Air and has a Retina screen.

~~~
jitix
IMO the 12 inch MacBook is a weird proposition since it neither has the power
of mbp nor the battery backup of mba. From the anecdotal reviews I read in
various forums it’s performace is somewhat lower than the mba but I’m not sure
if that’s true.

~~~
JimDabell
I downsized from a maxed out 2015 15" MacBook Pro to a maxed out 2016 12"
MacBook. I've owned an 11" MacBook Air in the past as well (~2012).

I thought there would be a large step down in power, but it's not really
noticeable for my workloads (native mobile and full stack web development with
Docker, some graphic design with Sketch, etc.). The only time I've ever really
felt it made a significant difference is when I have 100+ tabs open in my
browser (bad habit). You can get 16GB with the 2017 12" MacBook though, so if
you're buying new, that's not a problem.

The battery life between the 12" MacBook and the Air is roughly the same, from
memory. Maybe newer Air models are better, but both are good.

I'm not really sure what makes it a weird proposition. The MacBook having less
power than the heavier, more expensive MacBook Pro is to be expected, isn't
it? And the Air is just the cheapest model they keep around for the students.
The 12" MacBook is for the average person.

------
dzhiurgis
The problem with original wasn't only hard drive, but overheating CPU. The
heatsink was basically a thin piece of metal, not exactly a heatsink.

Watching any flash video was impossible for more than few minutes.

Skype calls were impossible for more than a few minutes.

HD video was impossible for more than a few minutes.

~~~
njitbew
This is so true. I remember that I had to pause video playback after about 30
minutes or you would experience jitter. The next generation did not suffer
from this problem, but I'm still kinda disappointed in Apple for selling such
a bad product. A $1000+ laptop that cannot play 30 minutes of HD video is just
sad, even in 2009.

------
kruhft
By far my favourite computer ever. I recommend it to everyone that asks me
which computer to buy.

The battery life is what makes it. The first time I could leave the house
without a charger and not be worried.

Interactive performance feels the same as my MBP. Development is fine, from JS
to Common Lisp.

Great systems. I'll keep buying the as long as Apple keeps making them.

------
guelo
The sad thing is how the Air design has infected all their other laptops
including the awful non-pro 2016+ Macbook Pros

~~~
FabHK
Funny thing is that the Air had better battery life than the 2016 "Pro"...

~~~
rsynnott
That’s not at all surprising. There’s a reason it kept the low-res screen for
so long.

------
Humphrey
I switched to Mac with the Mid-2012 i7 Air. Cost me just under A$2000 after
updating all the internals

It is still my home computer and have not noticed it slowing down!

I'm glad I chose this over the newly released 13" pro retina. The low DPI
screen means this thing flies!

I can't see any reason I would to upgrade in the next year or two - appart
from a new battery, and my power adaptor just started fraying.

A new Air wouldn't be significantly more powerful & would cost more than my
original (Australian dollar doesn't convert as well now).

Although, having just got into audio production, I think I'm almost at the
performance ceiling. CPU fan gets quite loud while using Logic with 15+ tracks
& effects, but it still runs great.

I need to replace the battery - I think this will make it like an new
computer.

~~~
dbspin
Try Reaper. Much more efficient processor-wise than Logic.

------
mmjaa
I've managed to avoid the Air cult, mostly because I need extra beef, and Air
never seemed to have it.

But I sure am glad there are machines like the GPD Pocket around. I'm not
entirely convinced the two, at each ends of various spectra as well as legacy,
are inter-linked, however.

Which is to say the Air "was inevitable", its just that Apple did it 'best'.

Its taken a fair bit for other vendors of electronic junk to catch up with the
Air factor, though, but I do wonder about what the future may hold for the GPD
Pocket 2. It has the potential as a 'just as good Air experience', only .. you
know .. fully open.

~~~
dm319
Also have a look at the Gemini PDA.

------
andr
It'd be awesome if Apple made an anniversary Macbook Air with upgraded
internals, like Lenovo did recently. Would buy one in a heartbeat.

~~~
megy
They have, it is called the macbook. Smaller, lighter than the air, retina
screen, great battery.

------
ksec
After All these discussions and comment over and over again, it is clear the
problem is simply: Pricing / Product Position, and Trade Offs.

Most wanted a updated MBA, which many has pointed out that is basically MBP.
And that is right, the MBP is what we wanted except the pricing. The same goes
to Macbook, it doesn't replace MBA. Then there is the issues with trade off on
Keyboard, thinness, and single port with Macbook

I.e Keyboard Issues and Port aside, people have problems with its value
proposition against the MBA. It is either MB Pro is too expensive, or the MB
Air offers too much value.

It was also noted that the discontinued MB Air 11" was the best selling Laptop
at its time, simply because it was the cheapest .

There are also lots of consumers buying the Macbook Pro simply because the
current Macbook is inadequate for them. Be it size or power.

Really, the MBA is Mac Mini, used to be the most valuable in the lineup, but
is now neglected.

------
CJPD
I got a 2017 13in Touchbar Pro after getting the top spec 13in MBA in 2013.

The battery was worse, it was heavier, same speed, keys constantly got stuff
stuck under them. Only benefit was bright screen and better resolution.
Returned it immediately.

I eventually got the new top spec MacBook, and its the spiritual successor to
the air. I can't recommend it enough.

~~~
ambivalence
Doesn't it have the same butterfly keyboard as the new Macbook Pro?

------
dreamfactored
The huge flaw with the 13" MBA was that although thinner and lighter, it had a
bigger footprint than the 13" MPB. Particularly crucial with confined
deskspace such as coffee shop, flying, on a train. Add in lack of RAM and
retina and it was never compelling for me much as I adore thin and light (and
happy with new 12" MBP for it's further reduced footprint, although the RAM
situation is maddening).

------
gwilkes
I have the mid 2012 model, it's okay. Definitely was never usable for me as a
primary computer with 4GB of RAM. It was just something light that I can bring
on the road. I find a Chromebook is better for this use case now. The keyboard
is good, I will give the MBA that. But open Gmail in Chrome (with no other
tabs or apps opened) and the MBA starts tapping out like that is some kind of
big ask.

------
simplify
I still use my air from 2011 and love it. Its slow-ish performance also keeps
my code in check :)

------
reaperducer
My MacBook Pro died just after the Air came out, so I went with that. Used it
as my primary machine until 2016 when I got a proper desktop. But I still
carry it with me everywhere. The battery only lasts two hours now, but it's
enough.

------
egypturnash
Every time I pick up my new 13" MBP some tiny part of me notes that it just
feels so much _bigger_ than the 13" Air it replaced. I hope Apple brings it
back by the time this one is ready for replacement.

------
kristianp
It's showing its age now. My partner's work Air is so much bigger and heavier
than my xps 13, it seems obscene that so many Airs are still sold as standard
issue at many workplaces.

------
schuke
Let's not forget the Air kept a non-IPS screen for ten years, too.

------
ElCapitanMarkla
My air is my main development machine. I've got the mid 2013, the only think
I'd need to be happy using this for more years to come is more ram.

------
lostgame
I count on performance in my Macs, and for the price, the Air never delivered.

If my use case was browsing, emails and word processing, great. But I’m a
professional audio producer and film editor. No dice.

~~~
reaperducer
That's like saying you passed on a Fiat because you need something to move
furniture.

Right tool for the job. The Air was never intended for your job.

