Refurb MacBook Air - $1099

[zenzen]

Checked the Apple website following today's keynote. Apple's refurb store is selling the first-version MacBook Air (1.6GHz, 80 GB PATA, 2GB 667MHz RAM) for $1099. Yes, I know that's still almost three times the cost of a cheap netbook...

http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FB003LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw

[vric]

this is hot !

Refurbished Apple product come 1 year warranty and are really like new, if not better.. (I already ordered 2 macbook and 1 Itouch there)

[chinaboy1021]

hmmmm

[Yankees 1903]

Some 1st gen Macbook Air's had core shutdown problems due to overheating, I'm not sure if Apple has fixed this problem yet. The PATA drive is also some what of a drawback on these.

[darksith31]

Jus tbought one. Now I have to find someone to buy my Macbook 13.3". :-0

[Xon]

r they really that unreliable that they have refurbs of these things???

I think this is just there attempt at a sale/price drop, bet u they r all BNIB, just in a plain box.

When you're dealing with the first generation of new product line there's bound to be problems. Doesn't necessarily mean they're unreliable though. Sometimes components are just dead on arrival.

[DoneDeal]

Just cant get used to the look of the apple laptops recently?

[HowEver]

It's possible they're newish, but just returns. Sell a few million of something, and some people will return some.

For the ones that are indeed refurbished, you get the same one-year warranty and option to add two years.

r they really that unreliable that they have refurbs of these things???

I think this is just there attempt at a sale/price drop, bet u they r all BNIB, just in a plain box.

[hagbard]

Isn't there some Apple event happening soon? I'd wait.

[Phr3sh]

Isn't there some Apple event happening soon? I'd wait.

It already happened...nothing good came of it though

[drumboz79]

Jus tbought one. Now I have to find someone to buy my Macbook 13.3". :-0

how much are you selling it for?

[henrycao8]

wow this is hot, i was at the apple store the other day and was playing with macbook air, it is just stunning

[loybond]

Nice to see this... Craigslist prices were around 1100 for a used one, so... with this... hopefully less!

[coldpower27]

Very Chic...glad I don't want a notebook of any sort or the wallet will be hurten.:lol:

[jase]

Apple's refurb line will drop in price over time no doubt. But this is a great find! Good that I didn't buy it yesterday at 1249!

[soarlow]

this is first gen macbook air..... the second gen ones run far better apparently.. just a heads up...

[Absolute]

Damn.... very, very, very hard to resist!!!!!

[enforcerviper]

Just remember the Macbook Air is the slowest amongst the mac lineup. It's due to the 4200rpm drive

[anton204]

HOT!!

Looks like this is the discontinued 1st gen Mac Book Air 80GB so there are chances that your purchases may be brand new and not refurbished. Apple classifies old products as refurbished sometimes, or so I was told by a sales rep at an Apple retailer.

[Absolute]

Just remember the Macbook Air is the slowest amongst the mac lineup. It's due to the 4200rpm drive

What about the 1.8GHz with the 64GB solid state drive, for an extra $350?

http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FB450LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw


Refurbished MacBook Air 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - $1,449.00

[vric]

this is first gen macbook air..... the second gen ones run far better apparently.. just a heads up...

but will cost twice :razz:

[Winnopeg]

HOT!!

Looks like this is the discontinued 1st gen Mac Book Air 80GB so there are chances that your purchases may be brand new and not refurbished. Apple classifies old products as refurbished sometimes, or so I was told by a sales rep at an Apple retailer.
... MacHelper?

[duttypersian]

What about the 1.8GHz with the 64GB solid state drive, for an extra $350?

http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FB450LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw


Refurbished MacBook Air 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - $1,449.00


Solid State drive will make ur Macbook air even slower than it is. The only advantage is that your laptop will be a couple of grams lighter.

[Absolute]

Solid State drive will make ur Macbook air even slower than it is. The only advantage is that your laptop will be a couple of grams lighter.

Err... didn't know that that solid state drives were even slower than a 4200! Thanks for letting me know :)

[HowEver]

Err... didn't know that that solid state drives were even slower than a 4200! Thanks for letting me know :)

I'd do some research before believing that. Won't take you long...

[Absolute]

I'd do some research before believing that. Won't take you long...

Quite interesting results, for certain: http://www.anandtech.com/mac/showdoc.aspx?i=3226&p=15

[Acuratl]

Quite interesting results, for certain: http://www.anandtech.com/mac/showdoc.aspx?i=3226&p=15

ordered :D will replace 2 y/o blackbook first gen

[Emancipated]

Very Chic...glad I don't want a notebook of any sort or the wallet will be hurten.:lol:

People who usually buy Apple products aren't really doing so out of necessity but out of desire/lust. And no, I am not quoting myself in the signature -- it's actually repugnant to think someone could be so foolhardy and claim that. I've bought a few things from the refurbish store and every time it's been very pleasant so order with confidence.

[TurboTronix]

Sorry not a Mac Fan :)

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary

[Kestral]

Love the form factor but all the MacBook Airs max out at 2GB RAM and you can't upgrade it (even the current models max out at 2GB RAM) :cry:

When it can handle more RAM (and if it could get Firewire) I am so there. Until then I'll stick with my black MacBook 2.4 ghz (which has 4GB RAM) :D

[Chopsuey2030]

I'll never understand people's obsession with the Macbook Air or Apple products in general. Do people actually like paying $2000 on technology that's considered 'cutting edge' maybe four years ago? Technically speaking, this thing's a piece of crap no matter what way you look at it. 1.6GHz core 2 duo, 120gb HDD, ONE usb, the list goes on. All this money for maybe a few inches off the corners and a few lbs lighter? Apple's marketing team is filled with pure geniuses. People like pretty, shiny things I guess.

[Absolute]

Personally, it's the form factor and weight that interest me the most. Each day I'll spend 40-80 minutes walking with a laptop slung over my shoulder, from home to work and back (that's a total walking time, above). I really despise my current laptop, which honestly is a Toshiba Satellite with 256MB RAM - quite old, and heavy. Even current Dells from their business line weigh a considerable amount, and I end up nursing sore shoulders each day.

I also don't like the "mini" laptops out there - I prefer the portability of a fully capable laptop, not a small screen that allows me to surf the net and take notes - I'd use my Blackberry or would have kept my Nokia n800 for that.

I love this notion - small and portable, without the extras I don't need? The slimness will fit nicely into my shoulder bag (or murse, as some people call it), and actually will be a third the weight of my current laptop.

No DVD/CD? No problem - travelling I would just use Xvid or other files to save on battery life with my current laptop. I also have two PCs at home and a desktop at work to use the remote CD/DVD tool.

Non-upgradable memory and CPU? I can live with that - I've never used a laptop for gaming, I'll stick to my work PC's 24" monitor and SLI 7800 GTX's, thank you =)

I'm not an Apple person myself, either. I currently have a second generation iPod Nano, that I got from TD when I switched to them. Never purchased an Apple item in my life, before this!

I'm not saying you don't have good points, those certainly are detracting factors when comparing to MacBook Pros and other laptops capability-wise. For my use of it - which I believe a section of this audience fits within - I've given due consideration to those factors and it exceeds my needs.

As previously mentioned, going "ga-ga" over this just because it's Apple or a shiny toy could cause you a world of regret. It does fit a specific niche, however! Personally, I'm going to sleep on this; if it's still available in the morning and I'm not having second thoughts, then we'll see =)

[robskot]

.

[themanfromvlad]

OS X and iLife.

People who bash Macs here don't see any value in it. And that's fine with me.

Enjoy cleaning your registry, defragging your hard drive, scanning for viruses and using lousy music, photo & video programs.

[Emancipated]

.

It's a valid argument though. Did you happen to think the things discussed/revealed at Macworld today was top shelf?

[robskot]

It's a valid argument though. Did you happen to think the things discussed/revealed at Macworld today was top shelf?

Actually, disappointed the new Mini weren't revealed...will be grabbing iLife 09 for Garageband.

I think that the release of the MAC BOX SET was a great idea....excellent price on it too!!!

I guess just have to wait till WWDC. Or maybe a 2Q announcement.

[hotweiss]

OS X and iLife.

People who bash Macs here don't see any value in it. And that's fine with me.

Enjoy cleaning your registry, defragging your hard drive, scanning for viruses and using lousy music, photo & video programs.

That's why there is Linux. Linux and OS X are both Unix based and offer the same stability. The plus with Linux is that everything is free and there is a lot more software.

[Coinsurance]

Looks like this is a Steve Job's "thin" promo deal! Yeah!

Would rather get this than mini-mac.

[antibact]

That's why there is Linux. Linux and OS X are both Unix based and offer the same stability. The plus with Linux is that everything is free and there is a lot more software.

Linux and Mac OS X are both very different and the stability of either one depends largely on your configuration. To use such a sweeping generalization is disingenuous. Also, everything for Linux is not free. There are many scientific applications such as MATLAB and Mathematica that are closed source and cost quite a bit of money.

[Chopsuey2030]

I don't doubt there's a niche out there for products such as this. It has its usefulness for people that are on the go and absolutely require portability. I just think the prices they charge for this is absolutely ludicrous. They basically stripped down everything good in a laptop and charge an obscene price for it. I hardly think this is innovative. If anything it's taking a step backwards. If you've got the money to spend then all the more power to you. I just think this is one of those guilty pleasures type of thing.

[jase]

I'll never understand people's obsession with the Macbook Air or Apple products in general. Do people actually like paying $2000 on technology that's considered 'cutting edge' maybe four years ago? Technically speaking, this thing's a piece of crap no matter what way you look at it. 1.6GHz core 2 duo, 120gb HDD, ONE usb, the list goes on. All this money for maybe a few inches off the corners and a few lbs lighter? Apple's marketing team is filled with pure geniuses. People like pretty, shiny things I guess.

I used to think that way too. I used to visit NCIX every couple of months looking for the latest parts to upgrade my rig. Sometimes hardware worked well with the OS (Windows), and sometimes it didn't and I wasted an entire Saturday just figuring out what was wrong and trying to "optimize" things. That usually includes reinstalling the OS and all the stuff that was on it.

I've been using a Mac for the last couple of months and haven't had to do any of that. Granted my "options" for hardware upgrades are limited. But what Apple has done is removed the upgrading desire from my using the computer, and has instead refocused my attention to using the computer.

So it depends on whether you're the type of person who is a computer hobbyist and/or gamer (likes building stuff, tinkering with it, and then using it to play the latest games in DX10), or someone who doesn't want to fuss around with configuration and just want to use the computer (a Mac user).

I personally use my Macs not for the iLife, iWork or that sort of stuff. I use it for programming Ruby applications because it's actually very painful to program Ruby in Windows. Linux is alright, but the experience still is nowhere nearly as pleasant. The Unix-like terminal in Mac is actually quite powerful, but I don't suspect most Mac users use it for that ;)

[NuggyBuggy]

That's why there is Linux. Linux and OS X are both Unix based and offer the same stability. The plus with Linux is that everything is free and there is a lot more software.
There's not really that much more software available for Linux, especially since you can run X under OS X.

I've been working professionally with any number of Linux and BSD variants for more than a decade, and I can say that there is no desktop or window manager for Linux that comes close to providing as nice an experience as OS X (especially Leopard), but plenty that provide one that is at least the equal of any Windows interface (minus, maybe, useless eye candy). Anyone who has worked with OS X for more than a little bit knows this.

[Sansul]

This Air is really slow, there are benchmarks available at macworld.com, and they are not pretty, Macworld (http://www.macworld.com/article/131864/2008/01/macbookair.html)

The new aluminum Macbooks are stunning, and only weigh 1.5 pounds more, come with more powerful processors, 9400M integrated graphics, and optical drive, removal battery. Boxing Day price for the base model was 1250$

Only reason I could see someone need a Macbook air would be to slice a cake or slide it under a door.

[skanji]

Not sure why people would bash Macs. I bought mine a few months back. Still learning it, but overall, when I open the Macbook, IT WORKS. It doesn't delay, it doesn't wait to start-up, it just STARTS!!!!

I haven't seen one PC laptop that has as good a response from start-up. Video editing is a snap too!

[TurboTronix]

Check the new pc laptop then, they boot even faster! Also, every freakin BRAND NEW PC boots fast on the first few weeks. Once you start using it, installing, downloading, etc, it slows down. :cheesygri

[trixstar]

I have an iBook G4 with a 1.33 ghz processor and 512MB ram. It's running Leopard and all I can say is that this laptop boots quicker and works better then a 1.66 ghz windows laptop with 2gb ram.

I would rather buy something that works

[skanji]

Check the new pc laptop then, they boot even faster! Also, every freakin BRAND NEW PC boots fast on the first few weeks. Once you start using it, installing, downloading, etc, it slows down. :cheesygri

good call tt...so as long as you don't use your PC, you should be fine...well played!

[Acuratl]

my Black Macbook has been working fine now for 2 years, no problems apart from a crack on the macbook that's a common defect on the early versions, fixed under applecare.

This thing is always kicking, never slowed down at all on me, i love apple..

[trixstar]

Check the new pc laptop then, they boot even faster! Also, every freakin BRAND NEW PC boots fast on the first few weeks. Once you start using it, installing, downloading, etc, it slows down. :cheesygri

they still boot slower because of the crap software that is preinstalled when you purchase it. then you have to configure your firewall, add a antivirus software which you have to pay for yearly and pick up Internet seurity software. it's a hassle maintaining a PC then a mac.

[Sansul]

Not sure why people would bash Macs. I bought mine a few months back. Still learning it, but overall, when I open the Macbook, IT WORKS. It doesn't delay, it doesn't wait to start-up, it just STARTS!!!!

I haven't seen one PC laptop that has as good a response from start-up. Video editing is a snap too!

This is what I hate so much about PC laptops. Hibernate in XP is atrocious, and 50% of the time on an HP/Toshiba/Acer I find that if you close the lid on the laptop when its running, you need to do a hard reboot to get it working again, cause it will crash when it tries to wake up.

This issue is mostly gone in Vista, and Vista sleep works about as good as a Mac. But Vista hibernate is a total joke. This hibernate feature takes up like 3 gb of harddrive space (stores an image of whats running or something), and no lie, it takes about 3-5 minutes to wake up if it went into hibernate mode. My HP goes into hibernate if its been sleeping for extended periods of time. Its so much faster to just shut down the computer and reboot then these features that make it harder to use.

[mr_yellow]

This is what I hate so much about PC laptops. Hibernate in XP is atrocious, and 50% of the time on an HP/Toshiba/Acer I find that if you close the lid on the laptop when its running, you need to do a hard reboot to get it working again, cause it will crash when it tries to wake up.

This issue is mostly gone in Vista, and Vista sleep works about as good as a Mac. But Vista hibernate is a total joke. This hibernate feature takes up like 3 gb of harddrive space (stores an image of whats running or something), and no lie, it takes about 3-5 minutes to wake up if it went into hibernate mode. My HP goes into hibernate if its been sleeping for extended periods of time. Its so much faster to just shut down the computer and reboot then these features that make it harder to use.

hibernate is actually a very handy feature. I've actually completely forgone shuttingdown all together and hibernate my laptop all the time. it works great on every laptop I've ever used.

Yes, it creates a large file on the disk. It mirrors everything in RAM so that when it boots back up, it can restore what was there because hibernate lets you resume *exactly* where you left off... That is a great feature IMO. If there's a similar feature on Macs, it's implemented exactly the same way. Macs probably just hide the file so you don't see it. If you have 3 gigs of RAM, then the hibernation file will be 3 gigs.

Whenever I resume from hibernate, it usually takes less than a minute. About the same as booting up from cold. Except I have all my apps and windows I was using still open and ready to go. If your hibernate takes 3-5 minutes, then you have other problems. I bet if you timed it, your hibernation really doesn't take that long. And shutting down and booting up from cold takes longer than you think (don't forget the time it takes to load all your favorite apps like IM, mp3 players, browsers, etc...)

[spender]

This Air is really slow, there are benchmarks available at macworld.com, and they are not pretty, Macworld (http://www.macworld.com/article/131864/2008/01/macbookair.html)

The new aluminum Macbooks are stunning, and only weigh 1.5 pounds more, come with more powerful processors, 9400M integrated graphics, and optical drive, removal battery. Boxing Day price for the base model was 1250$

Only reason I could see someone need a Macbook air would be to slice a cake or slide it under a door.

LOL! I like your comment about the cake slicing! However, the beauty of the MacBook Air is that it is truly light and portable. As an owner of both a Thinkpad X31 (amazing laptop, still going strong 5 years on) and an X61s, I know the benefits of a laptop being smaller and lighter, as you actually can bring it places comfortably without a second thought. Yes, I bought an Air on this deal and mostly surf/word process, and no, someone who needs Photoshop should not buy this.

[milhaus]

. If there's a similar feature on Macs, it's implemented exactly the same way. Macs probably just hide the file so you don't see it. If you have 3 gigs of RAM, then the hibernation file will be 3 gigs.

Whenever I resume from hibernate, it usually takes less than a minute. Except my "hibernate" takes two seconds. You haven't used a Mac ever, have you?

It puzzles me why PC fanboys have to enter every thread about a Mac and bash it for being too expensive or not a real computer. Is there something wrong with the size of your . . . processor?

[vric]

Why every Apple thread have to end by a PC vs Mac war...

I'm a PC guy. I work all day long on PC. I have a Core I7 at home, but for my laptop, I just love my Alu-Macbook (had a Black Macbook before)

For my need, the Macbook is the perfect laptop. But I wouldn't live without my PC neither.

[asmielia]

Except my "hibernate" takes two seconds. You haven't used a Mac ever, have you?

It puzzles me why PC fanboys have to enter every thread about a Mac and bash it for being too expensive or not a real computer. Is there something wrong with the size of your . . . processor?

I think people just have a problem with paying too much for certain hardware. There's nothing special about the internal components in a Mac, they just package it up very nicely and give it a slick interface.

Apple has always had an advantage because they don't have to support very much hardware, so they can focus on usability.

If you want the best of both worlds, buy a PC that's hackintosh compatible, like a Dell Mini or an MSI Wind. Then you can be a cheapskate and still enjoy OSX.

[vric]

This Air is really slow, there are benchmarks available at macworld.com, and they are not pretty, Macworld (http://www.macworld.com/article/131864/2008/01/macbookair.html)

The new aluminum Macbooks are stunning, and only weigh 1.5 pounds more, come with more powerful processors, 9400M integrated graphics, and optical drive, removal battery. Boxing Day price for the base model was 1250$

Only reason I could see someone need a Macbook air would be to slice a cake or slide it under a door.

As much as I love my new Macbook.. The screen f***ing suck. I would get the Air over the Macbook just for the screen quality. Or would go with the Pro (but then it's expensive and bigger) Beside that, the new Macbook is near perfect.

[NuggyBuggy]

I'll never understand people's obsession with the Macbook Air or Apple products in general.... All this money for maybe a few inches off the corners and a few lbs lighter?
At these weights, every ounce makes a difference. The regular Macbook is about 50% heavier than the Air. That's huge.

Most people who work with their computers don't really need a more spec-ed out computer than an Air, but they can always save having to lug around another pound or two. If you think most of us *really* should need to have 4 GB computers with 300 GB disk space, that might be because we've been inculcated into the bloated requirements and piss-poor performance of Windows.

I have two Macbook Pros and if I worked on the road much more than I do, and if they didn't have a glossy screen, I would have been all over an Air. If I were a student and could afford one, I'd probably be all over it too. I'll say it again - as a working OS, Leopard absolutely blows away anything that Microsoft has to offer.

I used to run Windows to play games, but now prefer to play on the current-gen consoles, so have almost no reason left to run Windows. Aside from Quicken, I can't think of a single application I need to run Windows for, anymore.

[NuggyBuggy]

Except my "hibernate" takes two seconds. You haven't used a Mac ever, have you?
You guys are talking about two different things. Whatever takes two seconds on the Mac (I keep forgetting what they call their modes) is not paging memory out to disk, but keeping it alive in RAM. It seems to only store RAM to disk once the battery is almost completely exhausted.

Which is one of the things I hate about OS X, actually. I wish I could control the parameters of when it chooses to hibernate to disk- right now you're pretty much at the mercy of OS X to decide when to do what. My old Thinkpad 560 of about 12 years ago would let me do this. Why can't I do it with OS X ?

[HowEver]

As much as I love my new Macbook.. The screen f***ing suck. I would get the Air over the Macbook just for the screen quality. Or would go with the Pro (but then it's expensive and bigger) Beside that, the new Macbook is near perfect.

What's the difference between the screens?

Then again, I have last year's MacBook Pro, with a matte screen. I wouldn't want a glossy screen.

The new (yesterday) 17" MacBook Pros have a $50 "anti-glare" screen option. I assume this is a matte screen--at least, under glass, sort of.

Colours are richer on the glossy screen, if you can see them. But they are truer on the matte.

People also don't understand that it isn't just clock speed but internal architecture that makes Macs faster/more useable. I can run 50 applications each in 4 "spaces" without my MacBook Pro blinking. Try that on a PC, when you aren't deleting spyware, running 2 firewalls and updating your anti-virus definitions (yes, you're all experts, you can do this in your sleep).

[NuggyBuggy]

As much as I love my new Macbook.. The screen f***ing suck. I would get the Air over the Macbook just for the screen quality. Or would go with the Pro (but then it's expensive and bigger) Beside that, the new Macbook is near perfect.
I bought a new Macbook a while ago. It's screen was awesome, *except* for the fact that it is glossy. AFAIK, all current-gen Macs have the same "quality" screen. I ended up buying a refurb MBP instead because I absolutely detest glossy screens and this was the only way to get a matte screen.

[asmielia]

People also don't understand that it isn't just clock speed but internal architecture that makes Macs faster/more useable. I can run 50 applications each in 4 "spaces" without my MacBook Pro blinking. Try that on a PC, when you aren't deleting spyware, running 2 firewalls and updating your anti-virus definitions (yes, you're all experts, you can do this in your sleep).

There's no difference in internal architecture. They use x86 components from Intel and nVidia. They don't make their own motherboards or CPUs. The advantage with Macs is all software based.

People seem to think you don't need anti-virus software for Macs because they're more secure. In fact they've been proven time and again to be less secure. But because they've had a smaller user base this whole time, they've avoided the wrath of virus writers. As their user base grows and as they attract more and more computer un-savvy people, you can bet that that will change.

[NuggyBuggy]

People seem to think you don't need anti-virus software for Macs because they're more secure. In fact they've been proven time and again to be less secure.
Do you have a link for this "proof" ?

As their user base grows and as they attract more and more computer un-savvy people, you can bet that that will change.
The knock on Mac users was commonly that they were computer un-savvy people, though a Mac is certainly the first computer I would recommend to a neophyte. Are you seriously suggesting that most Mac users are expert computer users ?

How many Mac users will there need to be for them to be "worth" hacking ? What percent market share will Macs need to have before this fatuous argument goes out the window ?

[asmielia]

Do you have a link for this "proof" ?

I can't find all the articles I've read, but here's a couple:

http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+Tells+Users+Get+a+Mac+Antivirus+Program/article13562.htm

http://www.macworld.com/article/57616/2007/04/daizovi.html

Anyway, my point is that Mac users believe that there is something special about Macs that prevent them from getting viruses. It's simply not true.

[user01]

PATA is slow as heck..... Heh :lol::lol::lol::lol:

I will pass the deal for sure.... :razz::razz::razz:

[smileydw]

Although this isn't a latest report it gives some idea of the misinformation regarding security of Vista and Apple operating systems.

Hackers love to target Microsoft. Have from the earliest days when Bill Gates issued an open letter claiming people who copied software were thieves. I don't even think the IBM PC had been released then (or DOS obviously). But I do remember belonging to a Tandy Colour Computer club which pooled together to purchase software and copied it at meetings, so his claims weren't unfounded.

http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3667201

[vric]

I bought a new Macbook a while ago. It's screen was awesome, *except* for the fact that it is glossy. AFAIK, all current-gen Macs have the same "quality" screen. I ended up buying a refurb MBP instead because I absolutely detest glossy screens and this was the only way to get a matte screen.

The viewing angle of the Macbook is one of the worst. MacBook Air and MacBook Pros have much better screen.

I like the Glossy. The color are "good looking", but far from accurate (even after doing a calibration with my Spyder 2, color are off quite a bit) the backlight is awesome (LED) but the viewing angle are terrible. Worst than many PC, including cheap Toshiba.

There is even people that try to fit the Air screen in the new Macbook.. without much luck so far :razz: Look at forums if you don't beleive me.. there is some people that are so Mac fanboy that can't admit it (god.. seeing a Backbook pro beside a Macbook and it's nearly day and night) but many are complaining.

That said, it's not a deal breaker, but having to buy a new Macbook right now, I would go with the air. I was very close to get it 2 months ago at 1499 refubrished, but ended with the Alu-Mac.. Now for cheaper, I would get the Air. FOR MY NEEDS.

[vric]

PATA is slow as heck..... Heh :lol::lol::lol::lol:

I will pass the deal for sure.... :razz::razz::razz:

SATA didn't bring much to PC.. 4200rpm is damn slow, but PATA don't change much.

[hempopotamus]

What I can tell you is that I have been running Mac's exclusively at home for over 7 years now. I have had 4 different machines both PowerPC and Intel based. I have never once run any sort of Anti Virus product on any machine that I have owned.

I surf the web regularly, cruise the odd p*rn site, download torrents, have used limewire etc etc and have never once had any sort of virus or malware install itself and disable my machines in any way.


Anyway, my point is that Mac users believe that there is something special about Macs that prevent them from getting viruses. It's simply not true.

[HowEver]

Have you ever used a Mac and got a virus? No.

Have you met anyone or read about anyone using a Mac who got a virus? No.

Are there articles about people using Macs who type in their username and password and allow someone, physically, to take over their Mac? Yes.

As a proof of concept, a Mac virus might exist. The point is that PC users get viruses simply by connecting to the internet. Mac users don't. Ever.



I can't find all the articles I've read, but here's a couple:

http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+Tells+Users+Get+a+Mac+Antivirus+Program/article13562.htm

http://www.macworld.com/article/57616/2007/04/daizovi.html

Anyway, my point is that Mac users believe that there is something special about Macs that prevent them from getting viruses. It's simply not true.

[vric]

What I can tell you is that I have been running Mac's exclusively at home for over 7 years now. I have had 4 different machines both PowerPC and Intel based. I have never once run any sort of Anti Virus product on any machine that I have owned.

I surf the web regularly, cruise the odd p*rn site, download torrents, have used limewire etc etc and have never once had any sort of virus or malware install itself and disable my machines in any way.

I didn't had any Virus/Spyware in the last 5 years on PC neither.. I use Symantec Antivirus (not norton) and didn't had a virus for 5 years. Still, I clean/format over 100 computer a year for clients that are full of it :p

Mac are easier for the average user that don't know anything and still get excited when he see Jesus dancing in a flash movie. For someone that know how it work, Windows isn't that bad. Start by stop using Internet explorer, and half of the problem are gone.

In both case, the worst thing isn't Virus, it's stupidity.

[ahcash]

Mac are awesome..

[user01]

SATA didn't bring much to PC.. 4200rpm is damn slow, but PATA don't change much.

Actually, SATA did bring something to PC. Infact, most PC uses serial nowadays because they can transmit 1.5 or 3 Gb/s while PATA only transmit 16 bits at a time. 4200rpm is only the hard drive revolutions per minute rotation limit, we're talking about the connector pins/ports here.... :razz::razz::razz::razz:

In case you don't know what they are: :lol::lol::lol::lol:

PATA
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Nappe.svg/550px-Nappe.svg.png

Serial
http://www.tech-faq.com/serial-ata.jpg

[Skiguy53]

I'll never understand people's obsession with the Macbook Air or Apple products in general. Do people actually like paying $2000 on technology that's considered 'cutting edge' maybe four years ago? Technically speaking, this thing's a piece of crap no matter what way you look at it. 1.6GHz core 2 duo, 120gb HDD, ONE usb, the list goes on. All this money for maybe a few inches off the corners and a few lbs lighter? Apple's marketing team is filled with pure geniuses. People like pretty, shiny things I guess.

I was a hard core PC user and currently have six PC of varying vintages for my family. I ran a software programming company and currently use the two PC at work on daily basis.

My last PC was a Dell installed with Vista...it is currently an expensive web brower as it does not install or run some key software. I am tired of dealing with support issues with my home pcs and I just purchased my first mac. it's a 24" imac that worked out of the box with preloaded software and no bloatware.

I am impressed with both the look and the speed of the iMac and if all the mac hype is true, I'll be upgrading the family to macs. Good bye and good riddance, Microsoft and your PC makers.....I'm tired of dealing with support and compatiablity issues

[Acuratl]

Okay guys, if you're buying any macs be sure to get the free 100 dollar printer MIR when you buy your mac! just got myself a free canon pixima mx300

[zenzen]

Hi RFD'ers,

If I can speculate, this deal looks more like a clearout than the sale of a few returned units. There seems to be a lot of stock as the item is still available and is being promoted on the front of the Apple store page (bottom-left when you scroll down). It looks akin to the sell-off of previous-model MacBook Pros in October or the first-gen iPod Touches this summer.

Well, this was my first deal post and I never intended it to be a Mac vs PC slugfest, which is a mug's game IMO. I use both and love/hate both and will gladly gab for hours on the pros & cons. I guess the only thing worse would have been to have started a Bose thread... :lol:

Last night I tried both the gen-2 MBA and the gen-1 MBA 1.6GHz systems at the Apple Store and could not detect much real-time difference in operation (except, paradoxically, that the older Intel GMA3100-based seemed to have smoother-scrolling graphics). Applications ran well enough etc. Unless all the gen-1's are plagued by the thermal shut-down bug, I can't see spending $900 more for a new gen-2 MBA.

While in the throes of buyer's remorse, I researched the new bigger netbooks (like the Dell Mini 12 and the Asus S101) and the rumours about the forthcoming Dell Adamo. These are great times for these thin-n-lights, and it's only going to get better.

However, for my purposes (web, office, light photoshop and music production, and chick-magnetizing), I would not regret getting this MBA. It's more powerful than the Atom-based systems, the keyboard and display are great, and I know that in three years I can sell it on craigslist for $500. Sure, the 80GB 4200 rpm PATA drive is small and slow, but I have several TB of data and lossless music that lives on external drives, so no laptop is expected to hold all my stuff. Also, I have never used the internal CD/DVD of any laptop for burning (or even ripping) because of the heat generated and the slow and fragile nature of those mechanisms. And, thank you RFD, I bought the 7-port powered DLink USB hub from Dell last year which has proved flawless. So even the one USB port is not an issue. On the road, I have only used one port at a time (photo bak, ipod sync/charge, USB key). Finally, it would not be my sole computer.

And one more thing (sorry for the long post), a bit of my experience. I've owned and built many systems over the years (C64, Atari ST, Mac System 7, Windows 3.11, Mac OS9, Windows 95 98 98SE 98ME NT 2000 XP, various Linux flavours). The best system is ... the one you ACTUALLY USE.

Whatever machine you choose, just use the heck out of it and then sell it and move on. Sounds right?

zz

[number8888]

Hi RFD'ers,

Well, this was my first deal post and I never intended it to be a Mac vs PC slugfest, which is a mug's game IMO. I use both and love/hate both and will gladly gab for hours on the pros & cons. I guess the only thing worse would have been to have started a Bose thread... :lol:



Yeah don't mind these people. EVERY Mac thread turns out like this. Ditto on BOSE, Monster, and MDG. It's actually pretty funny reading through the replies. This too shall pass once another deal is posted. :lol:

Personnally I thank you for the post since I have been looking at Macs for a while. I think this deal is great because I like the Air form factor a lot. Yes it's last gen but it still has a Core 2 and decent amount of ram. HDD is the only down point I suppose since it's only 4200 rpm.

[vric]

Actually, SATA did bring something to PC. Infact, most PC uses serial nowadays because they can transmit 1.5 or 3 Gb/s while PATA only transmit 16 bits at a time. 4200rpm is only the hard drive revolutions per minute rotation limit, we're talking about the connector pins/ports here.... :razz::razz::razz::razz:

In case you don't know what they are: :lol::lol::lol::lol:

PATA
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Nappe.svg/550px-Nappe.svg.png

Serial
http://www.tech-faq.com/serial-ata.jpg
yea I know that :p
What I said is HD in SATA vs PATA of the same series didn't had any speed advantage. (or maybe 5%.. which his far from "slow as heck")

[guppy98]

Okay guys, if you're buying any macs be sure to get the free 100 dollar printer MIR when you buy your mac! just got myself a free canon pixima mx300
Is there a link to the coupon for this?

[golden]

I'm a long time PC user since 286 and built my own PC for many years. There are certainly millions users like me out there frustrated with all those hardware/software issues associated with PC and Microsoft. I don't think this thread should be evolved into a debate on why buy Mac, but rather it's a good deal for the Air (compared to the rest of Mac book lineup and current 2nd gen). I think this deal is hot..... thanks, OP.

[jasons]

Is there a link to the coupon for this?
http://www.apple.com/ca/promo/

[milhaus]

Yeah don't mind these people. EVERY Mac thread turns out like this. Ditto on BOSE, Monster, and MDG. It's actually pretty funny reading through the replies. This too shall pass once another deal is posted. :lol:
Dude, even the hardiest PC troll wouldn't compare Apple with BOSE, Monster or MDG. :twisted:

[klover]

I've reviewed the Apple Store policies as best I can and haven't discovered any exceptions to their return policy for refurbs. Does anyone know/have experience with trying to return a refurb. product?

If these are indeed new unit being cleared as refurbs, I'd like to find out :)

[HowEver]

I've reviewed the Apple Store policies as best I can and haven't discovered any exceptions to their return policy for refurbs. Does anyone know/have experience with trying to return a refurb. product?

If these are indeed new unit being cleared as refurbs, I'd like to find out :)

They may actually be refurbs, but they will be either be returnable (any dent or scratch or anything on a just-received refurb and they'll swap it) or have had their top and bottom case and screen replaced outright. Apple does not sell refurbs that look used, and if it does you'll get another. The only difference most people can see is the box they come in.

[chex]

They may actually be refurbs, but they will be either be returnable (any dent or scratch or anything on a just-received refurb and they'll swap it) or have had their top and bottom case and screen replaced outright. Apple does not sell refurbs that look used, and if it does you'll get another. The only difference most people can see is the box they come in.

I've read on other forums about people returning their MBAs to apple (due to buyer's remorse) with noticeable scratches on them. Are you saying that apple will replace the parts with scratches/dents/etc? Since refurbs come with the same 1-year warranty, my only worry about buying a refurb is that it will come with scratches and that I'll be stuck with it...

[HowEver]

I've read on other forums about people returning their MBAs to apple (due to buyer's remorse) with noticeable scratches on them. Are you saying that apple will replace the parts with scratches/dents/etc? Since refurbs come with the same 1-year warranty, my only worry about buying a refurb is that it will come with scratches and that I'll be stuck with it...

I don't work for Apple, but I've actually heard of very few instances where people get refurbs that are scratched; in every case, Apple has replaced them without blinking.

[vric]

They may actually be refurbs, but they will be either be returnable (any dent or scratch or anything on a just-received refurb and they'll swap it) or have had their top and bottom case and screen replaced outright. Apple does not sell refurbs that look used, and if it does you'll get another. The only difference most people can see is the box they come in.

X2.. even if it's refurbished.. expect "like new" quality. I have bougth 3 time refurbished apple product, and beside the box (it's brown.. not fancy white) it's brand new. Not even a single fingerprint.

Apple actually change the outside of every Mac and IPod before reselling them. My last Ipod touch is a scratch magnet.. Looking at it and it scratch.. but when I got it, it was perfect.
Same for my old Macbook Black which is a finger print magnet and MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro I got for a friend was also brand new looking.

[mingo-jones]

good to know the refurbs look good cuz i just ordered a refurbed macbook 13.3" aluminium 2.4ghz (!)
:cry:
this purchase is really going to hurt my finances but i've always wanted a mac - not the air tho, not powerful enuff for my needs, - and getting it refurbed is the only way to squeeze any savings from apple.

[Acuratl]

good to know the refurbs look good cuz i just ordered a refurbed macbook 13.3" aluminium 2.4ghz (!)
:cry:
this purchase is really going to hurt my finances but i've always wanted a mac - not the air tho, not powerful enuff for my needs, - and getting it refurbed is the only way to squeeze any savings from apple.

You'll love it, got mine 2 years ago and never looked back, starts up beatifully every single day.

Used to have a toshiba satellite that crapped out on me, and then a HP bulky monster that my brother inherited and now has 20 min battery life :D yayyy

[Haz]

Pfft... Forget the Air and go for the Macbook Wheel! (http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary?utm_source=embedded _video)

[duttypersian]

I'd do some research before believing that. Won't take you long...

indeed, i read those results from the benchmarking website. I would confirm that with another one before making a definite conclusion. However... does the 350$ increase in price justify a slight increase in performance?

[franniemae]

Hey guys,

Im intersted in getting a MacBook Pro, mainly for photoediting (hobby wise). I have the aluminum new Macbook, but the glossy 13" screen is killing my eyes.

Due to budget, what do you guys think of this refurbished MacBook Pro: http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FB133LL/A?mco=MjE0NjE5MA for $1,449.00?
Are the specs and price alright? I dont know too much about MBP's :( Thanks for your help:

2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB (two SO-DIMMs) 667MHz DDR2 memory (PC2-5300)
15.4-inch (diagonal), 1440 by 900 resolution, widescreen
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory and dual-link DVI
Built-in iSight camera, DVI, VGA (DVI to VGA adapter included)
Combined optical digital input/audio line in, combined optical digital output/audio line out, stereo speakers, microphone
200GB Serial ATA; 5400 rpm
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit)
Built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11n); built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Apple USB Modem (sold separately)
Full-size, illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor; Multi-Touch trackpad
One FireWire 400, one FireWire 800, two USB 2.0 ports, and ExpressCard/34 slot
5.4 pounds
14.1 x 9.6 inches
1.0 inch
DVI to VGA adapter (other adapters sold separately)
85W Mag

Also, how does the above compare to this lenovo, i mean is the lenovo SIGNIFICANTLY more "powerful" than the above MBP?

Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9400 (2.53GHz, 6MB L2,1066MHz)
Genuine Windows Vista Business
Genuine Windows Vista Business - English
15.4" WSXGA+ TFT
ATI Mobility FireGL V5700 with 512MB VRAM
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (2 DIMM)
US English Keyboard
160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Slim

[krs]

That particular MBP for $1449 is the sweet spot right now in my opinion.

I bought one not too long ago - as mentioned earlier - other than for the box it comes in, it's no different than a new one (except for the specs of course).

This MBP also has LED backlighting which I like - a matte screen, good for photo work, FW 800 etc.

No idea about the lenovo

If I were you I'd grab that MBP before they are gone - this model seems to sell out on the refurb store really fast.

[zenzen]

how does the above compare to this lenovo, i mean is the lenovo SIGNIFICANTLY more "powerful" than the above MBP


I'd give the Lenovo the performance edge based on faster CPU and bus and (from what I can glean) a newer dedicated graphics chip with more memory. Also, if I recall correctly, historically Photoshop runs faster on the PC than Mac.

Regardless of the specs, try to get your hands on one. There may be something about the unit(s) that you love or that drives you up the wall (Macbook display, for instance). For me, keyboard feel and display are very important. I'd be willing to sacrifice a bit of performance if I like how a particular model implements these things. You'll kick yourself less over the coming years...

Good luck!

zz

[stephane]

I have a MBA and absolutly love it was my first Mac 3 month ago. I alway have PC before in my store and home for many many years. After playing with my MBA and OSx I uprage all my PC garbage to Mac it is the best moove I ever made in computer. Also for the one who think MBA 4200 or 2mb RAM is not enought I could tell under PC it will be garbage but under OSx it is a Ferrary
I now understand the difference

[bmmr]

Have one of these since day one..

I'm really happy with it for it's intended purpose ...

Obviously does not compare in speed and features to my 2.4 macbook pro or Imac 2.4...

[Gmail1]

Hey guys,

Im intersted in getting a MacBook Pro, mainly for photoediting (hobby wise). I have the aluminum new Macbook, but the glossy 13" screen is killing my eyes.

Due to budget, what do you guys think of this refurbished MacBook Pro: http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FB133LL/A?mco=MjE0NjE5MA for $1,449.00?
Are the specs and price alright? I dont know too much about MBP's :( Thanks for your help:

2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB (two SO-DIMMs) 667MHz DDR2 memory (PC2-5300)
15.4-inch (diagonal), 1440 by 900 resolution, widescreen
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory and dual-link DVI
Built-in iSight camera, DVI, VGA (DVI to VGA adapter included)
Combined optical digital input/audio line in, combined optical digital output/audio line out, stereo speakers, microphone
200GB Serial ATA; 5400 rpm
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit)
Built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11n); built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Apple USB Modem (sold separately)
Full-size, illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor; Multi-Touch trackpad
One FireWire 400, one FireWire 800, two USB 2.0 ports, and ExpressCard/34 slot
5.4 pounds
14.1 x 9.6 inches
1.0 inch
DVI to VGA adapter (other adapters sold separately)
85W Mag

Also, how does the above compare to this lenovo, i mean is the lenovo SIGNIFICANTLY more "powerful" than the above MBP?

Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9400 (2.53GHz, 6MB L2,1066MHz)
Genuine Windows Vista Business
Genuine Windows Vista Business - English
15.4" WSXGA+ TFT
ATI Mobility FireGL V5700 with 512MB VRAM
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (2 DIMM)
US English Keyboard
160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Slim

These MBPs have the faulty nVidia graphics card that you may have heard about. From what I hear, they will all fail sooner or later. So personally I don't think it's worth 1450$, but if you plan on getting rid of it (selling, etc) in less than 3 years than maybe you should get it with an applecare off ebay (less than 200$) just in case it ever fails.

[krs]

These MBPs have the faulty nVidia graphics card that you may have heard about. From what I hear, they will all fail sooner or later. So personally I don't think it's worth 1450$, but if you plan on getting rid of it (selling, etc) in less than 3 years than maybe you should get it with an applecare off ebay (less than 200$) just in case it ever fails.

You can read more about it here:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=578050

From a practical point of view, I know quite a few people who have one of these MBPs that are possibly affected - only one had the problem so far and Apple replaced his motherboard.
This chip problem supposedly started almost two years ago and none of the Mac forums I go to have reported a huge failure rate over that time period.
For a laptop I always get Applecare anyway, so to me this is not much of an issue.

[vric]

I would go with the macbook pro for the screen.. I would be surprised if the Lenovo has a S-IPS screen.

Photoshop + New Macbook Alu is a pain.. The screen make it useless for color accuracy. MBP is you best bet.

P.S For Photoshop working slower on mac, it's false. It's running only in 32bit, but 64bit don't give any performance boost anyway (64bit will come with the new OS + CS4)

[Phr3sh]

I just got a refurb'd macbook in the mail...booted it up and noticed artifacting on the screen right away...my guess is a faulty integrated video chip. You gotta wonder though, what kind of "testing" could it possibly go through when the problem is so blatantly obvious.

So much for the "stringent" quality refurbishment process...

[napoleon1769]

Does this come with lcd screen?

[hagbard]

Does this come with lcd screen?

No. You need to buy the screen separate from the laptop, same with the keyboard. That's what makes them special. :lol:

[jase]

Has anyone who jumped in on this deal received it yet?
I'm just curious to see if you could tell if the product was a brand new product in a brown box or a refurbed.

[Tha_Doggg]

No. You need to buy the screen separate from the laptop, same with the keyboard. That's what makes them special. :lol:

You do realize that some people will believe you. :lol:

[fyrefly]

Has anyone who jumped in on this deal received it yet?
I'm just curious to see if you could tell if the product was a brand new product in a brown box or a refurbed.

Doubtful that one would be able to tell regardless - most Apple refurbs arrive looking completely brand new.

[jase]

Doubtful that one would be able to tell regardless - most Apple refurbs arrive looking completely brand new.

Yeah I know... :-0
A brand new "reburb" MBA would be a great deal at 1099... and I'm looking for excuses to NOT buy it (want to help the country's GDP, anyone?)... (already got too many computers around and not enough people to use them)

[vistokid]

Has anyone who jumped in on this deal received it yet?
I'm just curious to see if you could tell if the product was a brand new product in a brown box or a refurbed.


Install Coconut Battery and it should tell you a bit about the Air.

[krs]

Has anyone who jumped in on this deal received it yet?
I'm just curious to see if you could tell if the product was a brand new product in a brown box or a refurbed.

I imagine one could tell by checking the battery cycles.

[krs]

I just got a refurb'd macbook in the mail...booted it up and noticed artifacting on the screen right away...my guess is a faulty integrated video chip. You gotta wonder though, what kind of "testing" could it possibly go through when the problem is so blatantly obvious.

So much for the "stringent" quality refurbishment process...

You're jumping to conclusions.

With this type of video chip failure, it's quite possible that the failure happened after it was packed.
Wouldn't make any sense for Apple to ship a known defective unit - costs them more to repair/replace it later than on the factory floor.

[zenzen]

Has anyone who jumped in on this deal received it yet?
I'm just curious to see if you could tell if the product was a brand new product in a brown box or a refurbed.

Yes, it came yesterday before noon, less than 48 hours after ordering. The fedex tracking showed it going from California within hours of the order.

It came in a blank white box (no apple logo or "Apple reconditioned product" printed like the brown boxes). The MBA was wrapped and sealed like a new item. It was supported by two thick foam end-pieces. The rest of the stuff (install DVDs, power adapter + longer cord, DVI & VGA adapters, booklets, apple stickers) came in a narrow white box marked "Apple Certified Product". The accessories looked brand new.

I unwrapped the MBA and removed the foamy sheet protecting the keyboard and screen. The machine was flawless. No fingerprints or any signs of wear on the case, screen or keyboard. I plugged in and booted up. No dead pixels. The display is very nice. It is still a TN panel, but I found it had less colour-shift than my 2-year-old white macbook I sold in December. It's more like a smaller MBPro-class panel, but I urge you to confirm this for yourself at a store.

Nowhere on the aluminum case did it say "refurbished". It is probably marked/stickered on the inside, but I wasn't about to open the case.

After the sign-up etc, I confirmed that everything worked and checked the specs. Unfortunately, no extras :o: I got a 1.6/80/2/667bus as advertised. System was 10.5.2. I hooked up my external DVD burner (LG from 3yrs ago in a noisy vantec case) and reinstalled the OS (hold "C" on startup) minus iLife and the extra languages and printer drivers, which I don't use. the installation went smoothly as did all the system updates to 10.5.6. I noticed that the bluetooth and EFI boot firmware was updated. The previous boot firmware was dated April 2008, but I don't know what that means other than this was probably not a recent return.

In the USB port, I tried a Kingston Traveller-R stick, a powered external 7200rpm 500GB Lacie, and a 2.5" IDE drive in a generic case. All worked well and fast. The USB port powered the 2.5" with no problems or interruptions. [side note: I don't know about the latest MacBooks, but in the older ones, only the USB portyclosest to the front could provide full power and bandwidth. Google Andy Ihnatko +macbook +USB for more info...or just start here: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/05/the-macbook-all.html]

I loaded Office 2008 (minus Entourage: good show, bad software!) and did all the updates, Propellerhead Reason 4 (my main music app), and some shareware. Office runs very well. Reason runs well (none of the demos went past the half CPU using a very small buffer for 6 ms latency) and sounds pretty good from the built-in audio output. Internet surfing went perfectly well. High-quality mode on youtube played smoothly and at full screen. The Watchmen trailer at 720p played smoothly, with no stuttering or dropped frames.

Graphics scrolling was very smooth and did not cause audio stutter. The keyboard is nice and I do like the key backlight, which has various brightness levels. The keys perhaps feel a little stiffer than my old white Macbook and the slim aluminum white keyboard. I can confirm that the 1.8" 4200rpm drive means the booting and read/write time is noticeably slower but still OK. There was no real operational lag from disc IO. And in a quiet room heated by radiators, I could make out the drive spinning and read-writing. Spend $350 more for the 64GB SSD? No way!

So reading over this long post, I see the word "smooth" a lot. That sums it up.

What else? I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

All-in-all, I'm pretty satisfied. It is a solid piece of machinery that performs pretty weel and is easy on the eyes; I value that (and the resale value!) so I have no qualms about spending more than the average large-screen netbook.

Hope this helps.
zz

[jamex]

Does apple charge both GST and PST on the order? Can you return it to Apple within 30 days if you're not satisfied with the purchase?

[jase]

Does apple charge both GST and PST on the order? Can you return it to Apple within 30 days if you're not satisfied with the purchase?

I know for sure they charge GST and PST.
I'm not sure about their return policy.

[ceraf]

slightly unrelated....

my 1st gen macbook pro had a pretty bad crash trying to view a picture.
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/5287/img8520yk2.jpg


Still loving my mac though.

[chex]

I imagine one could tell by checking the battery cycles.

I've always wondered about that. Does the refurbishing process take that long so that the battery has a noticeable decrease in how long it holds a charge? I was recently looking at getting a used MBA from Ebay/kijiji/CL but I realized that in most cases, the battery would have been used a lot. I'm still deciding whether I should pull the trigger or not...

[zenzen]

Does apple charge both GST and PST on the order?

Yes, both taxes. No shipping or brokerage.

Can you return it to Apple within 30 days if you're not satisfied with the purchase?

14 days from shipping day. 10% restocking.

[HowEver]

Great review. Thanks.

Yes, it came yesterday before noon, less than 48 hours after ordering. The fedex tracking showed it going from California within hours of the order.

...Hope this helps.
zz

About the battery questions: since you're getting a new battery, it's no different than if buying a new machine--perhaps better. If you get one with lots of cycles (it happens) return it--Apple will replace the computer, as the battery should have been swapped out.

[napoleon1769]

I meant LED screen not LCD.

[krs]

I've always wondered about that. Does the refurbishing process take that long so that the battery has a noticeable decrease in how long it holds a charge? I was recently looking at getting a used MBA from Ebay/kijiji/CL but I realized that in most cases, the battery would have been used a lot. I'm still deciding whether I should pull the trigger or not...

No, not at all (answer to your first question).
The cycle count on the Mac laptop seems to increment everytime the battery is being charged - not just for complete discharge and charge cycles.

So with my "logic", the cycle count provides some rough indication how much the laptop was used before you received it.

The question was: "Could Apple refurbished units actually be new units that Apple needs to get rid of?"

I think if the cycle count on the unit you received was 0 or 1, then it could well be a new unit or a unit that was returned without having been used.
If the cycle count is more than a small number, then it's a Mac that has been used - returned and resold as refurbished.

I don't thing the refurbishing process adds significantly to the cycle count, maybe one or two increments, and it certainly doesn't affect the life of the battery - different story for used ones.

[krs]

Great review. Thanks.



About the battery questions: since you're getting a new battery, it's no different than if buying a new machine--perhaps better. If you get one with lots of cycles (it happens) return it--Apple will replace the computer, as the battery should have been swapped out.

What makes you think the battery should have been swapped out?
Certainly not my expectation on a refurb. but really nice if that is always the case.

[HowEver]

What makes you think the battery should have been swapped out?
Certainly not my expectation on a refurb. but really nice if that is always the case.

Since all reports I've seen show no more than a handful of cycles (as with new Macs) on the batteries. This may be different for the MacBook Air, but I haven't seen anything to the contrary so far.

[darksith31]

Yes, it came yesterday before noon, less than 48 hours after ordering. The fedex tracking showed it going from California within hours of the order.

It came in a blank white box (no apple logo or "Apple reconditioned product" printed like the brown boxes). The MBA was wrapped and sealed like a new item. It was supported by two thick foam end-pieces. The rest of the stuff (install DVDs, power adapter + longer cord, DVI & VGA adapters, booklets, apple stickers) came in a narrow white box marked "Apple Certified Product". The accessories looked brand new.

I unwrapped the MBA and removed the foamy sheet protecting the keyboard and screen. The machine was flawless. No fingerprints or any signs of wear on the case, screen or keyboard. I plugged in and booted up. No dead pixels. The display is very nice. It is still a TN panel, but I found it had less colour-shift than my 2-year-old white macbook I sold in December. It's more like a smaller MBPro-class panel, but I urge you to confirm this for yourself at a store.

Nowhere on the aluminum case did it say "refurbished". It is probably marked/stickered on the inside, but I wasn't about to open the case.



Literally, same situation with me. Couldn't be happier. Awesome price for a super awesome machine. No regrets at all. Going to stop typing fragmented sentences. Peace out, A-Town.

[Phr3sh]

You're jumping to conclusions.

With this type of video chip failure, it's quite possible that the failure happened after it was packed.
Wouldn't make any sense for Apple to ship a known defective unit - costs them more to repair/replace it later than on the factory floor.

I guess you're right, anything could really happen when in travel. I'm not really mad or anything, just annoyed because it is for my gf.

I just spoke with Apple over the phone and they were really top notch. They have emailed me a Fedex barcode which I will use to return this tomorrow.

[krs]

Any product can (actually will) fail sooner or later.
Hopefully so much later that it's no longer in use - but if that's not the case, with Apple their service to make wrong things right has been outstanding - I'm sure that's at least partly so because Apple has tons of cash in the bank and is willing to spend some of this to keep customers happy.

Please let RFDers know how things proceed - I'm sure many are interested in that.

[Acuratl]

arrived today, slower than my blackbook for sure, but its so light :D

[Absolute]

My Macbook Air 1.8Ghz 64GB SSD arrived today.... wow. I didn't buy it entirely for the appearance (but let's be honest.... it doesn't hurt), and it arrived with our receptionist disbelieving the the light box actually contained a laptop. FYI I placed the order at 8am on the 7th, and mine also came from California through FedEx.

I also ordered the USB Ethernet adapter (my work's wireless network is firewalled off, so I bought it for the convenience of accessing internal shares), and it was shipped separately from Purolator; it also arrived today.

When it first arrived I noticed the same as zenzen, that it was in a white carboard box, but properly protected by styrofoam and wrapped in plastic. Examining the case, there were no scratches on it, and the keys were pristine.

Plugged in the power cord - I didn't realize it was a nice short cord with an extension you could add, nice - and it booted up. Damn, fine display - I want to keep watching that intro movie!

I've been letting it charge up for the next little bit, but jumping up from my old Toshiba Satellite with 256MB RAM.... wow =)

I'll let you know what else happens as I play with it!

[jase]

Damn... I'm very tempted.

Especially when I think that the technology is only 1 year old and that this time last year it cost $1799 or 1899 (before taxes).

[zenzen]

Install Coconut Battery and it should tell you a bit about the Air.

Thanks for the tip! Coconut Battery showed that the battery was charged twice, presumably including the full charge last night. It also said this MacBook Air is 8 months old.

Could one conclude that either Apple replaces everything including the battery (unless the battery was the culprit in the return) or this was unsold stock prior to the 9400M update a few months ago? Or something else.

So far looks like a keeper.

[jase]

I just ran coconut battery on my macbook. I bought the macbook new back in April, and it seems pretty accurate. The company that programmed coconut battery also has a freeware called coconut identity.

http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutidentitycard/index.html

It gives more useful info like where the mac was built and when it was built. The way it figures this out (from googling about it) is based on your system's serial number.

If you guys who received your MBA don't mind running this and giving some info for us, that'd be greatly appreciated. ;)

Addendum:
I also just ran the coconut identity on my REFURBISHED imac. I bought it around September 1st, and it says that it was built sometime mid-August. So possibly it wasn't quite a refurbished unit but rather a product that didn't quite meet specifications and went back for some fixing before being shipped out.

[zenzen]

If you guys who received your MBA don't mind running this and giving some info for us, that'd be greatly appreciated. ;)

Last week of May 2008, country of manufacture unknown.

[Acuratl]

Curiosity, are you guys taking advantage of the free printer?

[Absolute]

Great program!

Mine is 6 months old, and has been fully charged twice - as with others, it seems to indicate it was a new battery.

[franniemae]

Hey how often does apple replenish their refurbished stock?
the macbook i was looking at got sold out!

[jase]

Hey how often does apple replenish their refurbished stock?
the macbook i was looking at got sold out!

Quite often it seems lately.
From past experience it varies from time to time, but just keep looking.

[anton204]

... MacHelper?

MacHelper? If you were wondering who told me this, it was some person at the University store. He said Apple usually puts its old stock/product in the refurb category along with actual refurb products. For most of the newer last gen "refurbs" you are more likely to get a product that was never in customer hands before and thus brand new. Not sure if this is true though. I'm debating on getting an iMac but will wait.

[chinaboy1021]

can you run windows XP on this???

[jase]

can you run windows XP on this???

Yes, with Bootcamp, Parallels, VMware Fusion, or Virtualbox.
Just google these up for details.

[Asin]

The only problem with this other than the small HD is the fact you have to purchase an external superdrive separately if you want to play/write DVDs.

Though I think this would be an awesome netbook.
The MacBook Air comes with a technology called Remote Disc that allows you to wirelessly use an optical drive from another computer in your network. So you can still play/burn DVDs without that external SuperDrive.

I'm still waiting for them to bring back that 15" MacBook Pro that had a nVidia GeForce 8600M GT 512 MB graphics card. That was an awesome deal.

[vric]

The only problem with this other than the small HD is the fact you have to purchase an external superdrive separately if you want to play/write DVDs.

Though I think this would be an awesome netbook.

Agree, but I have an Aluminium Macbook (had a Black one before) and I must say I use the drive once a month or so. It's quite rare that I use it on the go. For me the Air would be nice.

[mystery]

The MB Air is definitely for a niche market.

I still believe for what you get functionality-wise (e.g. CPU speed, hard disk space, 1 usb port) it is overpriced.

You pay for the form factor, which is good, if that is what you need.

[Acuratl]

The MB Air is definitely for a niche market.

I still believe for what you get functionality-wise (e.g. CPU speed, hard disk space, 1 usb port) it is overpriced.

You pay for the form factor, which is good, if that is what you need.

If anything you pay for the apple name, compare the other products they sell and this is a pretty good deal, almost 40% off retail.

[DrXenon]

I have a Macbook Air and if you try to use it on your lap, the kernel_task goes crazy and the system becomes very slow. Others are reporting this problem, too - see discussions.apple.com .

I wish I'd bought the Macbook Pro I really wanted, but my wife insisted on the low-weight model.

[zer0tails]

If anything you pay for the apple name, compare the other products they sell and this is a pretty good deal, almost 40% off retail.

agreed. I'm buying this as a a high end netbook, and low end laptop. So i'm not going to expect much from it, just lightness and web surfing. It'll be like the porsche of netbooks.

[Bordello]

I have a Macbook Air and if you try to use it on your lap, the kernel_task goes crazy and the system becomes very slow. Others are reporting this problem, too - see discussions.apple.com .
How does the notebook tell the difference between your lap and a tabletop?

[shawn99]

I'd wait for the Dell Adamo, better prices and better specs...

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/01/rm-ces-adamo-09-01.jpg

[krs]

How does the notebook tell the difference between your lap and a tabletop?

I take it you are not familiar with the latest in Apple touch technology?
Won't go into any details what else the MacBook Air can figure out when it's sitting on your lap.

But seriously...a link to the discussion on the Apple forum would have been nice.
All I can find related to kernel panics on the MBA is an issue with Parallels:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1635

[krs]

I'd wait for the Dell Adamo, better prices and better specs...

But doesn't run OS X unless you somehow use hacked software.
That in itself is a deal breaker for me - so is also the Dell name. Had two Dell PCs in the past, that was enough for one lifetime.

[NuggyBuggy]

How does the notebook tell the difference between your lap and a tabletop?
I don't have an MBA and could not find the articles using the provided link, but I'd guess the Air can overheat when it's on your lap as opposed to a flat surface. I *do* have two MBPs, and I have been told that they are designed to use the bottom of the enclosure as a big heat sink, and needs to sit on a flat surface so that there is a tiny amount of air under the computer. If the computer is on your lap, or on fabric, it may not be able to dissipate enough heat, thereby causing problems.

If the Air is designed the same way, that might explain why you'd get instability using the thing onyour lap.

[DrXenon]

Try searching for "kernel_task" in the "Using your macbook air" forum on discussions.apple.com. There are pages of complaints about this.

Yes, it seems to be a heat dissipation thing, although there is controversy about this.

[xinhang]

Not to thread crap, but why would u buy a laptop that cannot be used on your lap. Save yourself some money and get a Sony txn or tz. Battery on TXN run up to 10 hours on light use, and it comes with a dvd writer.

[ironblood]

I'd wait for the Dell Adamo, better prices and better specs...

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/01/rm-ces-adamo-09-01.jpg

Both of which isn't even discussed yet, at least not officially by Dell.

[themanfromvlad]

I'd wait for the Dell Adamo, better prices and better specs...


Wow, talk about talking bullshi*t on a web forum.

Dell refused to announce any specs or price when they showed the Adamo last week. Every single tech website was extremely disappointed. All we know for sure is that it'll be limited to Windows and all its problems.

So you keep waiting...

[milhaus]

I'd wait for the Dell Adamo, better prices and better specs...

Wow, you must have a access to a private spec sheet because Dell didn't release any specs at CES. For all we know, it uses a 5 year old celeron chip, because Dell didn't show anything. Plus, most blogs concede this will be Dell's highest end laptop, and nowhere near the thousand dollar mark. Given the pics, I don't really see how this is an MBA competitor. It looks like a slightly thinner blackbook (MB). I like the look, don't get me wrong, but I don't see it catering to the same market.

BTW, I don't think I'd touch the first gen MBA, though it has a rep for having a beautiful screen. If I could get a 2nd Gen MBA for $1099, then we could talk . . .

[HowEver]

I don't have a MacBook Air, but my friends with Airs use them on their laps and never mention heat.

I do have a MacBook Pro, which has never been out of a protective sleeve, and I use it on my lap and elsewhere--it has never felt hot.

I used to have an iBook G4, and a black MacBook, which seemed to work a bit harder but were never too hot to be laptops.

I don't have an MBA and could not find the articles using the provided link, but I'd guess the Air can overheat when it's on your lap as opposed to a flat surface. I *do* have two MBPs, and I have been told that they are designed to use the bottom of the enclosure as a big heat sink, and needs to sit on a flat surface so that there is a tiny amount of air under the computer. If the computer is on your lap, or on fabric, it may not be able to dissipate enough heat, thereby causing problems.

If the Air is designed the same way, that might explain why you'd get instability using the thing onyour lap.

[illogic]

I just want to point out that the macbook air is also only half a pound lighter than the new unibody Macbooks, and ~ a pound heavier than netbooks. Although the Air isn't a netbook competitor, I personally can't think of many +'s for the air...

What? Macbook Air weighs 3 lbs, the new unibody Macbook weighs 4.5 lbs.

[NuggyBuggy]

I do have a MacBook Pro, which has never been out of a protective sleeve, and I use it on my lap and elsewhere--it has never felt hot.

My first-gen MBP got scorching hot, so much so that I complained to Apple and was told what I posted above. When I referred to the computer as a "laptop", I was quickly corrected by the Apple CSR - and was told that the instructions specifically say not to use it on your lap. Sure enough, the literature did say it was only supposed to be used on flat surfaces. I then looked at the Apple website and they only referred to the MBP as a "portable computer".

However, I like OS X as a working environment so much better than Windows, and I dislike the new glossy screens, so I bought another (refurb) MBP a few months ago - and it is not too hot.

[DrXenon]

I don't have a MacBook Air, but my friends with Airs use them on their laps and never mention heat.

It's not that it gets too hot to have on your lap, it's that once it reaches a certain temperature, the kernel goes crazy and the system becomes almost unusable (spinning beach ball of death, etc.). Your friends can verify this by looking at all processes in the activity monitor and noting the CPU consumption of the kernel_task.

[mystery]

If anything you pay for the apple name, compare the other products they sell and this is a pretty good deal, almost 40% off retail.

Correction: you also pay for the huge Apple marketing and propaganda/"mystique". Not to start a flame war, but I'm so sick of those "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" commercials.

[Acuratl]

Correction: you also pay for the huge Apple marketing and propaganda/"mystique". Not to start a flame war, but I'm so sick of those "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" commercials.

You can think what you want, i used to have a Toshiba satellite that crapped out after 1 year, and i had a HP laptop that was great besides being heavy as hell, but now after 3 yrs the battery is dead.

Whereas my 2 year old macbook is going strong now and the battery is still good, never had to reformat and no headaches with the OS!

[krs]

Try searching for "kernel_task" in the "Using your macbook air" forum on discussions.apple.com. There are pages of complaints about this.

I don't know where you're looking, but when I search for kernel_task as you suggested I get all of 12 posts (not pages of complaints) and most of these posts are plain dribble or are meaningless.
How does one get 150% CPU usage for instance.

How about posting a link - it's not hard.

The posts I'm looking at are these:

http://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?threadID=&q=kernel_task&objID=f1259&dateRange=last90days&userID=&numResults=15&rankBy=10001

[jase]

Heh... all these Apple deal threads always degenerates into a Apple vs PC flame war...

Can't we all just live in peace and get along? :cheesygri

I have a feeling that a lot of the refurbs will drop in price in the upcoming months as Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 comes out...

[anton204]

You can think what you want, i used to have a Toshiba satellite that crapped out after 1 year, and i had a HP laptop that was great besides being heavy as hell, but now after 3 yrs the battery is dead.

I've had the same experience with Toshiba and HP. Tons of warranty issues with those two... I guess you get what u pay for too...

I have a feeling that a lot of the refurbs will drop in price in the upcoming months as Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 comes out...
Lets hope so.

[DrXenon]

I don't know where you're looking, but when I search for kernel_task as you suggested I get all of 12 posts (not pages of complaints) and most of these posts are plain dribble or are meaningless.
Well, I have degrees in electrical engineering and computer science and I don't consider them meaningless. There are at least 3 lengthy, multipage threads unless Apple has deleted them again.

How does one get 150% CPU usage for instance.

There are 2 cores in a Macbook Air. The Activity Monitor calls complete use of 1 core 100%. Follow?


How about posting a link - it's not hard.


How about looking through the thread list - you won't have to go beyond page 3.

[Winnopeg]

I have a feeling that a lot of the refurbs will drop in price in the upcoming months as Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 comes out...
Doubt it, in the past all Apple has done is bundle an upgrade disc with older units until the refurbs start coming with the new OS pre-installed. And considering the upgrade disc only costs them $5 or whatever a machine vs discounting much of their stock...

MacHelper? If you were wondering who told me this, it was some person at the University store. He said Apple usually puts its old stock/product in the refurb category along with actual refurb products. For most of the newer last gen "refurbs" you are more likely to get a product that was never in customer hands before and thus brand new. Not sure if this is true though. I'm debating on getting an iMac but will wait.
Apple Reseller on St Mary's; I heard the same thing mentioned there recently (something I hadn't heard before and I work there) so I was just wondering if that's where you had heard it. :)

[hotweiss]

Wow, talk about talking bullshi*t on a web forum.

Dell refused to announce any specs or price when they showed the Adamo last week. Every single tech website was extremely disappointed. All we know for sure is that it'll be limited to Windows and all its problems.

So you keep waiting...

Windows and its' problems? Vista is pretty stable now and it has the advantage of running 10 times the number of apps and game. Apple has succeeded at giving their customers the perception of a superior product, yet it is not. It's only an overpriced net appliance targeted at narcissistic yuppies.

PS-I'm a Linux user

[topherkris]

Windows and its' problems? Vista is pretty stable now and it has the advantage of running 10 times the number of apps and game. Apple has succeeded at giving their customers the perception of a superior product, yet it is not. It's only an overpriced net appliance targeted at narcissistic yuppies.

PS-I'm a Linux user

I'm a linux user as well, and I've always been blown away by the crap certain mac users throw at the wall, in hopes of it sticking. The old adage, "Macs are good for idiots, and artists" couldn't be more true. I've used the windows, freebsd & gentoo on servers, ubuntu on my laptop and os x on my girlfriends. I have a good background.

Personally, I enjoy my computer doing what I tell it to do. I'm not going to spend thousands of dollars on Adobe software, so buying a Mac is just downright silly.

If you think 10% less weight, 10% better battery life, and 10 Million percent better appearance are worth 1200 dollars when you can buy the same specs on a PC for half of the price: then buy it.

Personally, I think Gnome + metacity (or beryl/compiz) are better than os x. Its certainly not as pretty, but you can change it to look like a mac, or windows, or whatever but it does what I want.

I would highly suggest linux to anyone that values their time and money as it will save you both.

[Asin]

I think that I found the sweet spot for new inventory on the Refurbished Store.

It's somewhere around 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EST on weekdays.

Anyway, looks like I'm getting a MacBook Pro with a nVidia GeForce 8600M GT with 512 MB at $1,599 CDN. :)

[mystery]

Windows and its' problems? Vista is pretty stable now and it has the advantage of running 10 times the number of apps and game. Apple has succeeded at giving their customers the perception of a superior product, yet it is not. It's only an overpriced net appliance targeted at narcissistic yuppies.

PS-I'm a Linux user

+1

Apple is all MARKETING. Sure they produce good products, but nowhere superior to PC that they try to make it appear.

Vista has been 100% rock solid stable since I started using it even before SP1.

[HowEver]

Another non-user of Macs weighs in... Good luck selling that used notebook btw.


+1

Apple is all MARKETING. Sure they produce good products, but nowhere superior to PC that they try to make it appear.

Vista has been 100% rock solid stable since I started using it even before SP1.

[zenzen]

Well, I for one welcome our linux overlords...

[game_fanatic]

I'm a linux user as well, and I've always been blown away by the crap certain mac users throw at the wall, in hopes of it sticking. The old adage, "Macs are good for idiots, and artists" couldn't be more true. I've used the windows, freebsd & gentoo on servers, ubuntu on my laptop and os x on my girlfriends. I have a good background.

Personally, I enjoy my computer doing what I tell it to do. I'm not going to spend thousands of dollars on Adobe software, so buying a Mac is just downright silly.

If you think 10% less weight, 10% better battery life, and 10 Million percent better appearance are worth 1200 dollars when you can buy the same specs on a PC for half of the price: then buy it.

Personally, I think Gnome + metacity (or beryl/compiz) are better than os x. Its certainly not as pretty, but you can change it to look like a mac, or windows, or whatever but it does what I want.

I would highly suggest linux to anyone that values their time and money as it will save you both.

I'd love to be able to assemble a PC that ran Linux, but unfortunately, getting involved in Linux seems to take a fair amount of technological know-how and commitment of time (which I am lacking in both). If it has become more user-friendly since I last looked into it, it's definitely a path I would love to pursue. Do you have any recommended sites or tutorials for getting my feet wet in Linux? Thanks in advance!

[jase]

You know...

There is more in common between Mac OSX and Linux than Linux and Windows ;)

See for yourself:
POSIX compliant operating systems...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POSIX

Just think of Mac OSX as a hotter looking sibling of yours ;)

[NuggyBuggy]

Windows and its' problems? Vista is pretty stable now and it has the advantage of running 10 times the number of apps and game. Apple has succeeded at giving their customers the perception of a superior product, yet it is not. It's only an overpriced net appliance targeted at narcissistic yuppies.
I think it is revealing that you chose the phrase "pretty stable". When Windows advocates are happy with "pretty stable", that says a lot.

As for Vista having 10 times the number of apps... forgetting all the software which is not compatible with Vista, and forgetting all the free software which will build readily on OSX, I am hard-pressed to think of more than a few applications available only on Windows for which I can not find a good - or better - equivalent on OS X. The only real reason I keep a PC around now is for games, and the PC game market is dying.

And my PS is that I work professionally on Linux and other Unix variants and have done so for many years. I defy anyone to point me to a window manager that comes close to OS X's interface. Which is, of course, the main reason to choose OS X over a free Unix variant.

[NuggyBuggy]

I would highly suggest linux to anyone that values their time and money as it will save you both.
That's hilarious. As I have mentioned before in this thread, I work professionally with Linux. There's no way I am saving money using Linux as a desktop OS over OS X. At the interface level, it's just way too rough around the edges, with no interface coming anywhere near OS X (specifically, Leopard) - it is hands down the most productive environment I have seen. The people who are going to pick Linux as a desktop OS are people who a) have a specific task to accomplish that require Linux, b) are "free software" zealots, or c) have loads of time to spend tweaking, building, and sorting out dependencies. In fact, I only got into the OS X world a few years ago because I got sick of wasting my hours trying to sort out dependencies building or installing various productivity apps which come standard in OS X.

Anyone who says Vista or some Linux window manager has anything close to the interface that Leopard has, has never *really* used the latter.

[jase]

Okay okay peeps... :lol:
We're all friends here on RFD

The Apple opposition obviously don't really care about the *deal* of $1099 for the Macbook Air.

I understand there are $500 Dell Inspiron laptops (http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=686244) lurking around somewhere...

Anyone heard of any problems with the MBA batteries > 1 year?

[galanz]

That's hilarious. As I have mentioned before in this thread, I work professionally with Linux. There's no way I am saving money using Linux as a desktop OS over OS X. At the interface level, it's just way too rough around the edges, with no interface coming anywhere near OS X (specifically, Leopard) - it is hands down the most productive environment I have seen. The people who are going to pick Linux as a desktop OS are people who a) have a specific task to accomplish that require Linux, b) are "free software" zealots, or c) have loads of time to spend tweaking, building, and sorting out dependencies. In fact, I only got into the OS X world a few years ago because I got sick of wasting my hours trying to sort out dependencies building or installing various productivity apps which come standard in OS X.

Anyone who says Vista or some Linux window manager has anything close to the interface that Leopard has, has never *really* used the latter.

+1, remember there's no zealot like a Linux zealot. I actually like and use Linux, it's the users that are the problem. :)

[emchiasson]

You can think what you want, i used to have a Toshiba satellite that crapped out after 1 year, and i had a HP laptop that was great besides being heavy as hell, but now after 3 yrs the battery is dead.

Whereas my 2 year old macbook is going strong now and the battery is still good, never had to reformat and no headaches with the OS!

I'm in the same boat... kinda ticks me off though - at least with my old assorted windows products I always had an excuse to buy something new.

With the ole MacBook its slightly more difficult to justify buying a new one when i've never even had to 'crtl alt del' oh right - there isn't a 'crtl alt delete' on a Mac ... :D

[krs]

Well, I have degrees in electrical engineering and computer science and I don't consider them meaningless.

So do I, but what does that have to with anything?
I tried what you suggested and got nowhere on the Apple discussion site and you haven't posted a link to these three pages of discussion either.

[ceraf]

i thought ubuntu was pretty user friendly. Think of it as the vista of linux. except it's not a memory leech.

[mystery]

I'm in the same boat... kinda ticks me off though - at least with my old assorted windows products I always had an excuse to buy something new.

With the ole MacBook its slightly more difficult to justify buying a new one when i've never even had to 'crtl alt del' oh right - there isn't a 'crtl alt delete' on a Mac ... :D

but neither is there a second mouse button!

[milhaus]

but neither is there a second mouse button!

Wow, quit while you're ahead, dude. This just shows that you've never used OS X in your life.

Again, good luck selling the 1330 (Ultraportable, LOL! I guess my new Macbook is an Ultraportable too!!) Seriously, I can't understand why Windows fanboys feel the need to enter Apple Hot Deal threads to try and crap all over the deals. They only make themselves look stupid and petty.

[MC25]

The MBA is way overrated. Im a mac fan, but the MBA i think is not worth the coin.

[mystery]

Wow, quit while you're ahead, dude. This just shows that you've never used OS X in your life.

Again, good luck selling the 1330 (Ultraportable, LOL! I guess my new Macbook is an Ultraportable too!!) Seriously, I can't understand why Windows fanboys feel the need to enter Apple Hot Deal threads to try and crap all over the deals. They only make themselves look stupid and petty.

I apologize for my comment, but I couldn't resist, and was only responding to 'no ctrl-alt-delete' on mac.
I know there is some key combination that when combined with the mouse button makes it a secondary/alternate click, but when you want to run Windows on it, how does this happen? special software driver? How hard is it for Apple to incorporate a secondary mouse button?

As for m1330 being ultra-portable, see:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=m1330+ultraportable&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

[galanz]

I apologize for my comment, but I couldn't resist, and was only responding to 'no ctrl-alt-delete' on mac.
I know there is some key combination that when combined with the mouse button makes it a secondary/alternate click, but when you want to run Windows on it, how does this happen? special software driver? How hard is it for Apple to incorporate a secondary mouse button?

As for m1330 being ultra-portable, see:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=m1330+ultraportable&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

The Apple Mighty Mouse has both a right and left click on the mouse.

[Anonymouse]

So do I, but what does that have to with anything?

Well, I see it as relevant because the usual technique of bashing people who have complaints about their Apples as ignorant, non-technical lunatics is evident.


I tried what you suggested and got nowhere on the Apple discussion site and you haven't posted a link to these three pages of discussion either.

I was able to find these complaints very easily:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1843696&tstart=0
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1394682&tstart=0
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1696844&tstart=0
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1813340&tstart=0

and that's just the first 3 pages of threads; I stopped looking after that. Let me know if you need any help searching in the future - I can come over, and even read the threads to you if you want.

[Choco]

I apologize for my comment, but I couldn't resist, and was only responding to 'no ctrl-alt-delete' on mac.
I know there is some key combination that when combined with the mouse button makes it a secondary/alternate click, but when you want to run Windows on it, how does this happen? special software driver? How hard is it for Apple to incorporate a secondary mouse button?

As for m1330 being ultra-portable, see:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=m1330+ultraportable&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

You can plug in any basic USB mouse that have 2+ buttons and it works fine on MAC OS. I still prefer using Ubuntu 8.10 and Windows XP OS (NOT VISTA~!!!) over MAC Leopard/Tiger. I have all three OS at my work place and play around it constantly.

[krs]

I was able to find these complaints very easily:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1843696&tstart=0
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1394682&tstart=0
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1696844&tstart=0
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1813340&tstart=0

and that's just the first 3 pages of threads; I stopped looking after that. Let me know if you need any help searching in the future - I can come over, and even read the threads to you if you want.

No need to get snarky.......

Checking back it turns out that the Apple discussion group website only searches for posts with the search keyword, not the complete threads which is the way all searches are set up that I have ever used.
RFD is actually the first forum where I have seen the option to search for posts rather than threads, but the default is still threads.

[topherkris]

That's hilarious. As I have mentioned before in this thread, I work professionally with Linux. There's no way I am saving money using Linux as a desktop OS over OS X. At the interface level, it's just way too rough around the edges, with no interface coming anywhere near OS X (specifically, Leopard) - it is hands down the most productive environment I have seen. The people who are going to pick Linux as a desktop OS are people who a) have a specific task to accomplish that require Linux, b) are "free software" zealots, or c) have loads of time to spend tweaking, building, and sorting out dependencies. In fact, I only got into the OS X world a few years ago because I got sick of wasting my hours trying to sort out dependencies building or installing various productivity apps which come standard in OS X.

Anyone who says Vista or some Linux window manager has anything close to the interface that Leopard has, has never *really* used the latter.

When i started using linux, I had all sorts of time on my hands (highschool) so i installed Slackware 7.0? and just had at 'er.

I'm somewhat biased in my opinion because when you go from compiling your crap from source, to letting ubuntu do its thing -- you sort of forget that you have little tidbits of knowledge that makes using linux easier.

First off, apt packaging has always been really good and it was one of the reasons people loved debian over just about every other linux flavour. Ubuntu has made apt essentially idiot proof. The only thing that you'll ever have issues with is knowing what software to download. You cant just type in "BEST MSN SOFTWARE" and end up at Pidgin.

These are the only things i've had to do to my repos:

1.) add non free and source (i like movies)
2.) add the R repos (i like statistics)

I adore Ubuntu for its simplicity and its MASSIVE help index. You dont have to root through kazillions of internet pages to figure out why your configure script keeps dying 20 minutes in.

Ubuntu literally took all of the annoying crap out of Linux, and when you combine that with HUGE advancements from Open Office and other productivity software -- you have a viable desktop.

These are the steps I take:
0.001: Insert Live cd into computer and run. Does all of my hardware work? Sound? check. Wifi? check. Video? Check, etc etc etc.

1. Install
2. Click on icon that allows me to use Nvidia
3. check non-free repos
4. download some themes from gnome-look
5. click on theme manager, make ubuntu pretty


OS X is awesome, but it lags behind on the open-source stuff and configuring that crap on your OS X machine is a MASSIVE HEADACHE.

Yes OS X is easy to use, very easy to use but if you prefer to do things differently than the apple way -- you're screwed.

PS: I hate eyecandy and this is why I beleive spending that much more money on an apple is stupid-silly.

[HowEver]

Apple hasn't sold a one-button mouse for many years. And, all this time, multi-button mice of every kind have worked on my Macs with no need for any kind of driver installation--since the last millennium, in fact.

In fact, speaking of drivers, I no longer bother with printer drivers when using Mac OSX. When one of the upstairs Macs needs to print, it finds the living room printer automatically through the Airport Express, and prints to it. It's an Epson printer (thanks RFD!) hooked up via USB to the wireless router.



I apologize for my comment, but I couldn't resist, and was only responding to 'no ctrl-alt-delete' on mac.
I know there is some key combination that when combined with the mouse button makes it a secondary/alternate click, but when you want to run Windows on it, how does this happen? special software driver? How hard is it for Apple to incorporate a secondary mouse button?

As for m1330 being ultra-portable, see:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=m1330+ultraportable&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

[NuggyBuggy]

OS X is awesome, but it lags behind on the open-source stuff and configuring that crap on your OS X machine is a MASSIVE HEADACHE.

Yes OS X is easy to use, very easy to use but if you prefer to do things differently than the apple way -- you're screwed.

PS: I hate eyecandy and this is why I beleive spending that much more money on an apple is stupid-silly.
Hmm.. you hate eyecandy but use Ubuntu ... did you step down to a lighter-weight window manager ?

As for OS X lagging "behind on the open-source stuff"... where exactly is it lagging ? Everything I need to work professionally is available and most packages I've had to work with include targets for OS X. R is readily available.

Whether or not spending the extra money on a Mac is worth it or not depends on just how much your time is worth. To me, I have not seen another OS I could tweak to make it work for me as well as OS X works - and I had spent years working through various GNOME and KDE window managers - so to me, the premium for an OS X machine is worth it.

Leopard is not perfect but as far as I am concerned nothing else is close. For the first time in my computing career, I am perfectly happy doing things "the Apple way".

[milhaus]

I apologize for my comment, but I couldn't resist, and was only responding to 'no ctrl-alt-delete' on mac.
I know there is some key combination that when combined with the mouse button makes it a secondary/alternate click, but when you want to run Windows on it, how does this happen? special software driver? How hard is it for Apple to incorporate a secondary mouse button?

As for m1330 being ultra-portable, see:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=m1330+ultraportable&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

So you clearly haven't used OS X. On my notebook, two finger tap works in Boot Camp and in OSX for right click.

Well, okay, I'll give you the "ultraportable" thing, since it wasn't your error, but c'mon: if the M1330 is a UP, then the new MacBooks are in that class as well (< 5pounds). I just don't agree with the ultraportable tag being applied to the computer.

[mystery]

So you clearly haven't used OS X. On my notebook, two finger tap works in Boot Camp and in OSX for right click.

Well, okay, I'll give you the "ultraportable" thing, since it wasn't your error, but c'mon: if the M1330 is a UP, then the new MacBooks are in that class as well (< 5pounds). I just don't agree with the ultraportable tag being applied to the computer.

I never said I used OSX. I don't need to to realize that physically there is no second mouse button for the touchpad! The fact that there is a work-around is good, but IMO hardly intuitive. Apple is selling these at a premium and they can't even implement a second mouse button.

And just because you don't agree with the m1330 being an ultra-portable despite the link I gave doesn't mean anything. I never said the macbook wasn't an ultraportable.

I never meant to make a big deal about this. All I said was there was no second mouse button after someone said there is no ctrl-alt-delete on a mac, which by itself is absurd, since there must be an equivalent reset key combination. It's not that macs never freeze or anything!

[HowEver]

There are several ways to add multiple clicks using the mousepad and other keys on every Apple laptop. All built-in, most operating by default.

Additionally, there are two, three and now four-finger swipe actions.

All of these actions are user-programmable. You open a preference pane, you assign an action. Or you leave the defaults, as most people do.

If you need physical buttons (and Cntrl-click is right-button, if you like) I suggest you leave the room when the iPhone, iPod Touch or any Apple laptop is being discussed. You'll feel better. There, there, now.

Also there is a force-quit if you want to quit a particular application. And holding down the power key shuts off the computer. If you ever need to use these.



I never said I used OSX. I don't need to to realize that physically there is no second mouse button for the touchpad! The fact that there is a work-around is good, but IMO hardly intuitive. Apple is selling these at a premium and they can't even implement a second mouse button.

And just because you don't agree with the m1330 being an ultra-portable despite the link I gave doesn't mean anything. I never said the macbook wasn't an ultraportable.

I never meant to make a big deal about this. All I said was there was no second mouse button after someone said there is no ctrl-alt-delete on a mac, which by itself is absurd, since there must be an equivalent reset key combination. It's not that macs never freeze or anything!

[galanz]

I never said I used OSX. I don't need to to realize that physically there is no second mouse button for the touchpad! The fact that there is a work-around is good, but IMO hardly intuitive. Apple is selling these at a premium and they can't even implement a second mouse button.

I'm assuming you missed it the first time, but the Apple Mighty Mouse has a left and right click.
There might not be distinct buttons, but you click on the right side for a right click and you click on the left side for a left click. What's so unintuitive about this?

[mystery]

I'm assuming you missed it the first time, but the Apple Mighty Mouse has a left and right click.
There might not be distinct buttons, but you click on the right side for a right click and you click on the left side for a left click. What's so unintuitive about this?

Actually I didn't miss it. Thanks for the info. However, if have no space to use an external mouse and must use the trackpad (i.e. lying down on the bed/couch)......

As I said I'm not trying to make a big deal of this (see previous post by me), but why can't Apple provide a secondary mouse button built into their notebooks, especially at the prices they charge.

[Winnopeg]

I never said I used OSX. I don't need to to realize that physically there is no second mouse button for the touchpad! The fact that there is a work-around is good, but IMO hardly intuitive. Apple is selling these at a premium and they can't even implement a second mouse button.

And just because you don't agree with the m1330 being an ultra-portable despite the link I gave doesn't mean anything. I never said the macbook wasn't an ultraportable.

I never meant to make a big deal about this. All I said was there was no second mouse button after someone said there is no ctrl-alt-delete on a mac, which by itself is absurd, since there must be an equivalent reset key combination. It's not that macs never freeze or anything!
I, for one, would hate to have a "normal" second mouse button on Apple's laptops. Because the trackpad is as large as it is, a typical right-handed user will need to press on the right hand side of the button to click.

Apple's regular mice, as well as every single third party alternative, have had right click for years now.

There is an equivalent key combination (command + option + esc), it's just nobody knows of it and rarely uses it. Should an application lock up, most just access the menu via the Apple on the top bar.

[Sybersport]

Actually I didn't miss it. Thanks for the info. However, if have no space to use an external mouse and must use the trackpad (i.e. lying down on the bed/couch)......

As I said I'm not trying to make a big deal of this (see previous post by me), but why can't Apple provide a secondary mouse button built into their notebooks, especially at the prices they charge.

Tapping the trackpad with 2 fingers at once is a "right click" on a mac

[Acuratl]

Tapping the trackpad with 2 fingers at once is a "right click" on a mac

indeed, and it works great.

[woodster]

really tempting to get this. but after reading the problem with the heating, I am bit hesitate. Anyone have bought this deal and how it has been for them?

[Gmas]

Want to pull the trigger on an older Macbook Pro bad, but I can't get past the spotty WiFi so many people talk about. :(

[zenzen]

really tempting to get this. but after reading the problem with the heating, I am bit hesitate. Anyone have bought this deal and how it has been for them?

See my post above, before the Mac/PC/Linux punch-up.

Largely a very positive experience, with zero thermal shutdown or excessive fans issues. My machine was essentially new. And it runs everything I need to run without problems. (I am not a gamer and do not edit video on it; sound yes, video no).

The only thing you have to face is that you will not be upgrading it in its lifetime. The RAM is soldered in place and the 1.8" hard drive is PATA, a disappearing standard. It's a psychological thing and a real-world assessment. For me, I never upgraded my old laptops, but just replaced them after 2, 3 or 5 years. So unless something changes radically in the next couple of years, I think I can live with the MBA as it is. In this case, applecare makes sense.

[Colin0317]

Want to pull the trigger on an older Macbook Pro bad, but I can't get past the spotty WiFi so many people talk about. :(

Are there any old macbook pros that are affected by the defective NVIDIA cards? I'm asking because they have good deals on the refurbs. Which one should I get?

[IronMac]

Are there any old macbook pros that are affected by the defective NVIDIA cards? I'm asking because they have good deals on the refurbs. Which one should I get?

All I know is that the previous generation of MBPs, only certain months (May to Sept. 2008) were affected by the NVIDIA problem.

[kim_ip]

got my refurb mba today, run the coconut battery:
current battery capacity 4925mAh, original: 5090
battery loadcycles 3,
age of mac 8 month

i think they did disassemble the mba to reset b/c i note that the screw at the back was wear!! so the info about battery loadcycles from coconutbattery software may not right!!

anyway, i am still pretty happy with it.

[Khrak]

A nice toy, but $1100 isn't even a good price for a new one of these, forget a refurb, this laptop's specs are matched by new $350 netbooks, forget about refurbs.

[spender]

A nice toy, but $1100 isn't even a good price for a new one of these, forget a refurb, this laptop's specs are matched by new $350 netbooks, forget about refurbs.

Yes, but then you are missing the point on what a MacBook Air is all about.

[zenzen]

A nice toy, but $1100 isn't even a good price for a new one of these, forget a refurb, this laptop's specs are matched by new $350 netbooks, forget about refurbs.

Geez, really? Among other things, 1.6 GHz Atom = 1.6 GHz C2D?

From "A Christmas Carol" by Chas. Dickens:

'Spirit. are they yours.' Scrooge could say no more.

'They are Man's,' said the Spirit, looking down upon
them. 'And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers.
This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both,
and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy,
for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the
writing be erased. Deny it.' cried the Spirit, stretching out
its hand towards the city. 'Slander those who tell it ye.
Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse.
And abide the end.'

[MrWizard]

I apologize for my comment, but I couldn't resist, and was only responding to 'no ctrl-alt-delete' on mac.
I know there is some key combination that when combined with the mouse button makes it a secondary/alternate click, but when you want to run Windows on it, how does this happen? special software driver? How hard is it for Apple to incorporate a secondary mouse button?



Two fingers on the track pad and then click. Not difficult.

[klover]

got my refurb mba today, run the coconut battery:
current battery capacity 4925mAh, original: 5090
battery loadcycles 3,
age of mac 8 month

i think they did disassemble the mba to reset b/c i note that the screw at the back was wear!! so the info about battery loadcycles from coconutbattery software may not right!!

anyway, i am still pretty happy with it.

Can you speak to the condition of the computer besides the screw? Any scuffs, scratches, etc.?

Really, really tempted to grab one of these little guys as a secondary computer.

[leonk]

I'd prefer it be the 2nd gen MBA .. the PATA drive kind of scares me.

Does anyone know how long it'll be before the Alu macbooks show up on the referb store? Do they normally show up only after the next gen is available?

I got my first macbook white 2 years ago (C2D 2.0ghz).. since I've upgraded to 3GB of RAM and 320GB HD..

would you know it.. my wife now uses it more than me.. she told me to just buy another one (since she loves it so much more than her XP box!!)

Go figure ..

P.S. I love this laptop. 2 years old and runs as well with all the latest software. Might as well been purchased last week (unlike XP which needs to be reimaged periodically for optimal performance).

[check12]

Mine was pristine. Battery had 1 cycle on it and the unit was manufactured 8 months ago. Not a big Mac OS fan... but the screen/formfactor make it an ideal portable machine for photo shoots. Lugging around a massive laptop to instantly view images on as you are shooting is not ideal :(

[emchiasson]

Two fingers on the track pad and then click. Not difficult.

There's my learn something new every day for today... always did crtl click for right click... in 2 yrs+ never realized there was an easier way, not that crtl click was a big strain lol

Thanks RFD'ers :)

[galanz]

Does anyone know how long it'll be before the Alu macbooks show up on the referb store? Do they normally show up only after the next gen is available?


I've seen them a couple of times now but they seem to sell out quickly.

[YYZer]

Does anyone know how long it'll be before the Alu macbooks show up on the referb store? Do they normally show up only after the next gen is available?


Wow... that was fast. Aluminum Macbook was just on there 5 minutes ago. $1199 for the Core Duo 2.0 and 160gb. Not there anymore... sold out already?

[kim_ip]

Can you speak to the condition of the computer besides the screw? Any scuffs, scratches, etc.?

Really, really tempted to grab one of these little guys as a secondary computer.

yes. there are a lighty scratches but it is unnoticeable , every refurb one is diff. good luck

[gflux]

I got my Macbook 2.4Ghz yesterday! Coconut battery says it's only 6 weeks old!

[mingo-jones]

I got my Macbook 2.4Ghz yesterday! Coconut battery says it's only 6 weeks old!

got mine last week and coconut shows my mb 2.4ghz is 6 wks old as well. coincidence?

happy i jumped on this refurb when i saw it, they don't have it on stock all the time.

[frankae]

I am honestly kind of sick of reading this windows vs mac vs linux talk, please only talk about this product.

I purchased a Macbook Pro (2.16 GHz C2D) and Macbook Air (1.6 GHz, PATA) all refurbished from mac, and they have worked perfectly since day one. Warranty is also very easy to use as one of my batteries died and was sent a new one very promptly. Anyone hesitating to buy a refurbished product should know that the product itself works just as well as a brand new product. The notebooks I received were scuff free, no nicks anywhere. The only way you can tell that it's refurbished is if you check with Coconut info, or remove the battery and reveal the serial bar code stating that it is a refurbished product. This is a good deal for a Macbook Air.

[trixstar]

I am honestly kind of sick of reading this windows vs mac vs linux talk, please only talk about this product.

I purchased a Macbook Pro (2.16 GHz C2D) and Macbook Air (1.6 GHz, PATA) all refurbished from mac, and they have worked perfectly since day one. Warranty is also very easy to use as one of my batteries died and was sent a new one very promptly. Anyone hesitating to buy a refurbished product should know that the product itself works just as well as a brand new product. The notebooks I received were scuff free, no nicks anywhere. The only way you can tell that it's refurbished is if you check with Coconut info, or remove the battery and reveal the serial bar code stating that it is a refurbished product. This is a good deal for a Macbook Air.

how about the packaging? is it packaged in an original box??

[check12]

how about the packaging? is it packaged in an original box??

No. It's a plain white box and simple internal packaging.

[frankae]

as check12 stated, they both came in a generic box, but very well protected. I purchased my MBP a while back, so the box it came with was a plain brown box, but my mbp came in a plain white box. Which is useless information, but basically it does not come with retail packaging.

[jase]

Did anyone purchase any of the new aluminum macbooks /macbook pros?
What's the condition / battery on those when you check w/ coconut?

[Absolute]

Tapping the trackpad with 2 fingers at once is a "right click" on a mac

Thanks for the tip - still learning how to use a Mac :D

[HowEver]

You can also just tap with two fingers (at once): it's a "secondary tap." Then drag one finger along the contextual menu (what comes up when you right-click) and single-tap (or click). You don't even need to click.

In System Preferences > Trackpad (10.5.6) you'll see a little video demonstration of this when you hover over "secondary tap."

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3309/3195234827_d3b51ae7bf_o.pnghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3390/3196088202_26af184cc7_o.png

[jamex]

...also interested in overheating issues. Can those of you who've received your air go to youtube and try and play some clips fullscreen and see if you can trigger a core shutdown? I could care less about fan noise, but Im wondernig if the core shutdown issue has been addressed or not. I realize coolbook can help but its neither a free solution nor as elegant as I would prefer from apple.

also, does applecare have to be purchased within the first 90 days or can you still get it within the 1 year warranty period?

thanks.

[CouponKindaGuy]

Did anyone purchase any of the new aluminum macbooks /macbook pros?
What's the condition / battery on those when you check w/ coconut?

I have a UBMB (Unibody MacBook) and the condition of the battery is as follows:
Current Battery condition: 4295 mAH
Original Battery condition 4100 mAH
Its lifecycle is 3weeks old

[zenzen]

...also interested in overheating issues. Can those of you who've received your air go to youtube and try and play some clips fullscreen and see if you can trigger a core shutdown? I could care less about fan noise, but Im wondernig if the core shutdown issue has been addressed or not. I realize coolbook can help but its neither a free solution nor as elegant as I would prefer from apple.

My full report is somewher in this thread. For me, no shutdowns or external fan noise. No stutters, dropped frames or other probs in: Youtube, Youtube HQ/HD, Vimeo, Quicktime 720p (the Watchmen trailer). Perhaps it's the freakishly cold ambient temperatures in my office. This was after I made the system and firmware updates suggested by Apple Update.

also, does applecare have to be purchased within the first 90 days or can you still get it within the 1 year warranty period?

Within a year.

thanks.

No probs!

[game_fanatic]

Hey, for those Mac users that have 1GB of system memory, how do you find the performance is? Occasionally refurb MB pop up on the site, and more often than not they have only 1GB of memory, and I certainly wouldn't want to get an under-powered machine. I tend to run Firefox, iTunes and Word simultaneously, if that means anything. Thanks!

[fyrefly]

Hey, for those Mac users that have 1GB of system memory, how do you find the performance is? Occasionally refurb MB pop up on the site, and more often than not they have only 1GB of memory, and I certainly wouldn't want to get an under-powered machine. I tend to run Firefox, iTunes and Word simultaneously, if that means anything. Thanks!

With just those three programs at once ], 1GB would be fine. 32GB would be better, but you shouldn't notice too much (if any) lag with the 1GB. I have 1.25GB of RAM on my work MB and right now I have safari, iTunes, Quicktime, Adium and VLC open... no problems.

[check12]

...also interested in overheating issues. Can those of you who've received your air go to youtube and try and play some clips fullscreen and see if you can trigger a core shutdown? I could care less about fan noise, but Im wondernig if the core shutdown issue has been addressed or not. I realize coolbook can help but its neither a free solution nor as elegant as I would prefer from apple.

also, does applecare have to be purchased within the first 90 days or can you still get it within the 1 year warranty period?

thanks.


I unfortunately can get YouTube HD to stutter - not quite as bad as that kid in 5th grade though ;)

This machine is definitely not going to launch rockets - but it's not that bad from an end user perspective. I am going to try a couple of other OS's on it to see if I can get some better performance.

[enforcerviper]

I was thinking of getting one of these. My biggest concern is overheating and the MONO speaker. Can anyone comment on the sound quality?

I have no idea why they couldn't put another usb port and another speaker there.

[Anonymouse]

The sound is perfectly acceptable to me; I watch DVD movies on mine all the time. Unfortunately, the kernel_task problem is a bit of a deal killer, and I'm looking for an exit strategy (the cheap refurb price from Apple is not helping things; I'd effectively be paying $100/month for the useful life I got out of it).

I use xemacs and other open source software with no problem. All software can be written in Lisp, and so can run in xemacs, so I fail to see the point in complaining. Seriously, getting all kinds of free and open software for Mac is no problem whatsoever; there is an apt-type program for this.

[check12]

[QUOTE=Anonymouse;8076191]Unfortunately, the kernel_task problem is a bit of a deal killer, and I'm looking for an exit strategy (the cheap refurb price from Apple is not helping things; I'd effectively be paying $100/month for the useful life I got out of it).QUOTE]

This has been a real issue for you? I have yet to experience it - even with heavy usage. Does it come in time?

[jamex]

[QUOTE=Anonymouse;8076191]Unfortunately, the kernel_task problem is a bit of a deal killer, and I'm looking for an exit strategy (the cheap refurb price from Apple is not helping things; I'd effectively be paying $100/month for the useful life I got out of it).QUOTE]

This has been a real issue for you? I have yet to experience it - even with heavy usage. Does it come in time?

kernel_task problem is when a core shutdown happens from overheating. Thats when things get intollerably slow.

Check12 when testing youtube are you watching for more than 10 minutes? When you got youtube HD to stutter, it doesn't sound like it was overheating, just maxed out for what it could decode with both cores running.

Interested in more results from anyone else as well.

[themanfromvlad]

[QUOTE=check12;8076557]

kernel_task problem is when a core shutdown happens from overheating. Thats when things get intollerably slow.

Check12 when testing youtube are you watching for more than 10 minutes? When you got youtube HD to stutter, it doesn't sound like it was overheating, just maxed out for what it could decode with both cores running.

Interested in more results from anyone else as well.

Kernel Panics are not normal at all on a Mac - Apple should repair or replace your machine.

[soniko]

bought the macbook 2.0Ghz last night.
the first one was like a dust between the glossy screen and the led screen which i couldnt remove it. and i took it back for a exchange.
the second one was a fingerprint on the led screen and i couldnt wipe it out..
so..i got the last one ..with good condition..:mad:

[jamex]

[QUOTE=jamex;8077195]

Kernel Panics are not normal at all on a Mac - Apple should repair or replace your machine.

nobody said kernel panic. during overheating, the system will disable a core to try and prevent any damage from overheating. when this happens kernel_task maxes out the available CPU and the system crawls.

[DrXenon]

[QUOTE=themanfromvlad;8077224]

nobody said kernel panic. during overheating, the system will disable a core to try and prevent any damage from overheating. when this happens kernel_task maxes out the available CPU and the system crawls.

The core disabling thing went away with an OS patch. I don't think anyone is having that problem anymore.

What happens now is that the kernel starts spending 85% of its time in a function called "log_level" which sounds like a bug to me. Maxing out the CPU on anything is not going to address a heat problem; it's going to make it worse. The behaviour can be seen at CPU temperatures as low as 66 degrees, which is not hot at all, so I don't think it's an overheating problem, although it may be correlated with higher temperatures due to high definition decoding, etc.

[Pizzletron]

Ordered me a refurb MacBook 2.4GHz aluminum today. Very excited.:-0 I've had very good success so far with Apple refurbs. I bought a 16gig iTouch, also a first gen iPod Nano years before that from their refurb store and they were pretty much brand new.

[aircobra]

Ordered me a refurb MacBook 2.4GHz aluminum today.
Cant find refurb. aluminum macbook now. How much is your 2.4G?

[Pizzletron]

Cant find refurb. aluminum macbook now. How much is your 2.4G?

The availability tends to fluctuate throughout the day. I saw one this morning 8am, but was OOS 5mins later. I finally managed to get one at 4pm after checking frequently. I paid 1549.00. The 2.0GHz were 1199.00.

[aircobra]

Thanks:lol:

[MrWizard]

Seriously considering selling my Macbook to pick up one of these...

[stephane]

I use mine for 3 month play youtub film watch picture.....never ever got heating problem ans the speaker are perfect

those comparing a dell with a macbook is comparing mercedes with a lada....I buy a vostro 1330 before my MBA and send it back 3 day after it was a piece of crap noting but problem with camera and usb driver,keybord is crap,camera crap, dell customer support is poor plus the plastic corner was so sharp after tiping for 1 houre my palm was in blood......

Only 4 month ago I was a PC lover my experience with mac is the best ever with a computer MBA have better and faster OS,stonger and easier aplication iphoto,iweb....,alway ready when you open in a second, beter keyboard, beter speaker,beter screen,beter trackpad,beter camera,beter design,smaller,lighter,faster,no driver, beter batery,beter resale value,beter look.........and for the rare aplication you could not run with Leopard you coud run Windows in a blink of and eye....

[fyrefly]

I use mine for 3 month play youtub film watch picture.....never ever got heating problem ans the speaker are perfect

those comparing a dell with a macbook is comparing mercedes with a lada....I buy a vostro 1330 before my MBA and send it back 3 day after it was a piece of crap noting but problem with camera and usb driver,keybord is crap,camera crap, dell customer support is poor plus the plastic corner was so sharp after tiping for 1 houre my palm was in blood......

Only 4 month ago I was a PC lover my experience with mac is the best ever with a computer MBA have better and faster OS,stonger and easier aplication iphoto,iweb....,alway ready when you open in a second, beter keyboard, beter speaker,beter screen,beter trackpad,beter camera,beter design,smaller,lighter,faster,no driver, beter batery,beter resale value,beter look.........and for the rare aplication you could not run with Leopard you coud run Windows in a blink of and eye....

Glad to hear your positive experience! I have had a MBA for almost a year and never had a problem.

[themanfromvlad]

Ubuntu Causes Girl To Drop Out of College

MCFARLAND (WKOW) -- Abbie Schubert paid more than $1,100 for a Dell laptop hoping to enroll in online classes at MATC.

But something stopped her: Ubuntu.

That's an operating system for your computer similar to Windows that runs off the Linux system.

Schubert says she ordered her laptop online at Dell.com expecting to buy your classic bread-and-butter computer.

She didn't realize until the next morning her laptop defaulted to the Ubuntu operating system.

"It's been a mess," she said. "I regret ordering the computer."

Schubert says she never heard of Ubuntu before learning that's when she accidentally bought. She called Dell the very next day and says the representative told her there was still time to change back to Windows.

But she says Dell discouraged her.

"The person I was talking to said Ubuntu was great, college students loved it, it was compatible with everything I needed," said Schubert.

So she stuck with it.

Later, she discovered Ubuntu might look like Windows, but it doesn't always act like it.

Her Verizon High-Speed Internet CD won't load, so she can't access the internet. She also can't install Microsoft Word, which she says is a requirement for MATC's online classes.

As a result, with no internet and no Microsoft Word, Schubert dropped out of MATC's fall and spring semesters.

She also says Dell claimed it was now too late to get Windows and any changes she made herself would void her warranty.

"I'm extremely frustrated," said Schubert. "I wanted to get back to school, but I needed a computer to be able to do that."

27 News contacted Dell, but the company has not responded to us yet.

However, we think we've helped her get back to school.

Verizon says it will dispatch a technician to try to assist her accessing the internet without using the Windows-only installation disk.

MATC also says it promises to accept any of Schubert's papers or class documents using whatever software she has installed.

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9667184

[jase]

Ubuntu Causes Girl To Drop Out of College

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9667184

This has got to be a joke... :cheesygri

In any case, it's Darwinism at work

[Haz]

Ubuntu Causes Girl To Drop Out of College

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9667184

This has got to be a joke... :cheesygri

In any case, it's Darwinism at workI'm not sure what's worse. The girl in the story or the reporter not getting all facts straight about the situation. At least learn about Ubuntu before making it look bad.

On another note, I heard on the radio (News 1130) about a poll where only 3% of Canadians perceive that Americans are educated. No joke. Conversely, 43% (or was it 46%?) of Americans perceive Canadians as educated.

[hagbard]

Ubuntu Causes Girl To Drop Out of College

MCFARLAND (WKOW) -- Abbie Schubert paid more than $1,100 for a Dell laptop hoping to enroll in online classes at MATC.

But something stopped her: Ubuntu.

That's an operating system for your computer similar to Windows that runs off the Linux system.

Schubert says she ordered her laptop online at Dell.com expecting to buy your classic bread-and-butter computer.

She didn't realize until the next morning her laptop defaulted to the Ubuntu operating system.

"It's been a mess," she said. "I regret ordering the computer."

Schubert says she never heard of Ubuntu before learning that's when she accidentally bought. She called Dell the very next day and says the representative told her there was still time to change back to Windows.

But she says Dell discouraged her.

"The person I was talking to said Ubuntu was great, college students loved it, it was compatible with everything I needed," said Schubert.

So she stuck with it.

Later, she discovered Ubuntu might look like Windows, but it doesn't always act like it.

Her Verizon High-Speed Internet CD won't load, so she can't access the internet. She also can't install Microsoft Word, which she says is a requirement for MATC's online classes.

As a result, with no internet and no Microsoft Word, Schubert dropped out of MATC's fall and spring semesters.

She also says Dell claimed it was now too late to get Windows and any changes she made herself would void her warranty.

"I'm extremely frustrated," said Schubert. "I wanted to get back to school, but I needed a computer to be able to do that."

27 News contacted Dell, but the company has not responded to us yet.

However, we think we've helped her get back to school.

Verizon says it will dispatch a technician to try to assist her accessing the internet without using the Windows-only installation disk.

MATC also says it promises to accept any of Schubert's papers or class documents using whatever software she has installed.

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9667184

Sounds like a Microsoft press release.

[LegiT]

Wow...it never occurred to her to flip her laptop and buy an alternative? I'm sure she could've easily picked up another laptop by searching slickdeals or fatwallet. Openoffice can save files as .doc if that matters..."Discouraged" or rather bought the BS and was incapable of researching and deciding for herself.

[Absolute]

Wow...it never occurred to her to flip her laptop and buy an alternative? I'm sure she could've easily picked up another laptop by searching slickdeals or fatwallet. Openoffice can save files as .doc if that matters..."Discouraged" or rather bought the BS and was incapable of researching and deciding for herself.

Sounds like someone who figured Dell would shower her with free gifts if she complained enough, or was hoping to generate sympathy (and free gifts) by going to the press. Sigh, wah wah.

[sjpeters79]

Thanks. Just placed my order.

[camt]

Wow...it never occurred to her to flip her laptop and buy an alternative? I'm sure she could've easily picked up another laptop by searching slickdeals or fatwallet. Openoffice can save files as .doc if that matters..."Discouraged" or rather bought the BS and was incapable of researching and deciding for herself.

Now how would you expect her to flip this laptop via a website or do additional research....she couldn't get on the web after all! :)

[Acuratl]

Ok guys, im finding the charge times to be ridiculous, like 8 hrs for a charge, i'm calibrating the battery and we'll see if it improves.

[spender]

Ok guys, im finding the charge times to be ridiculous, like 8 hrs for a charge, i'm calibrating the battery and we'll see if it improves.

I agree - I've been getting good time out of my battery (around 4-5 hours), but it seems to take overnight to charge. How do you calibrate a Mac battery?

[Acuratl]

I agree - I've been getting good time out of my battery (around 4-5 hours), but it seems to take overnight to charge. How do you calibrate a Mac battery?

essentially charge it until its at 100%, then disconnect the charger and use it until it turns off due to lack of power, then let it sleep for 5+ hours..

and thats it charge it up again batteries callibrated.

[silverthunder]

Hi Guys

I couldn't resist and ordered one yesterday, I will post a review when I get it.

I also ordered the new Macbook Pro 17 the week before, it should a good laptop for light stuff when I don't want to carry the MBP 17.

After more then 15 years on PCs (DOS, OS2, Windows....), I'm now happily paying the apple tax and drink their cool-aid.

ST

[HowEver]

I agree - I've been getting good time out of my battery (around 4-5 hours), but it seems to take overnight to charge. How do you calibrate a Mac battery?

http://tinyurl.com/976pts







http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490



.

[trixstar]

i'm going to place an order for this on sunday... but 8 hours to charge?? man... it's hard to decide now.

[HowEver]

i'm going to place an order for this on sunday... but 8 hours to charge?? man... it's hard to decide now.

You realize that is one person's anomaly, right?

[Acuratl]

i'm going to place an order for this on sunday... but 8 hours to charge?? man... it's hard to decide now.

it's still a great laptop the screen upgrade alone was worth it over my old macbook. Ill update the thread after the calibration is complete!

[check12]

Still can't get video to play back smoothly... Hmmm. It stutters every 10 seconds or so.

[leonk]

Still can't get video to play back smoothly... Hmmm. It stutters every 10 seconds or so.

What are you using? VLC had a bug that has been fixed since that caused this kind of behaviour.

[sjpeters79]

http://tinyurl.com/976pts
.

That's awesome.

[check12]

What are you using? VLC had a bug that has been fixed since that caused this kind of behaviour.

Tested with flash video only so far. YouTube and CTV players do this - full screen or not. Upgraded flash to 10 with worse results.

[zer0tails]

I ordered the rev a. 1.8/64gb SSD version. Video and 720 hd streaming movies are no problem at all. Fans are 2500 rpm under normal usage conditions and rev up to 6,000 when watching movies.

While the SSD price isn't as nice, I would recommend taking a little hit in your wallet as it's still a good price considering it went for 3098 when it first came out. Plus, if you think about it an extra 400 bucks for a processor upgrade and 64GB ssd is not so bad.

[spender]

http://tinyurl.com/976pts


LOL! This WAS funny the first 100 times I saw it posted on RFD :razz:

[macdude]

Also getting ridiculous charge times as well.

Ordered one last year when it had just come out and it was taking 10 hours to charge. Called in Applecare wanted 48hours to talk to engineers to see if it was "in spec" as the machine was so new they had no benchmarks. Aghast that they could even consider 10 hours within spec, and not wanting to wait for the reply as I was going away for two weeks and thus would be outside the 14 day return period when I returned, I was able to convince an Apple rep to return the whole thing.

Fast forward to this deal and I thought "oh hey, nice price and it's been a year so they should all be good". NOPE. Stupid me too as I spent all day tuesday transferring files over and installing software only to realize that this one has the *exact same* ridiculous charge times. Read up online and many reports say that it gets better with time. Ok, fine. So did five full charge/sleep/recharge cycles and also reset the power management (SMC). STILL THE SAME ISSUE.

So today I decided to call Apple. Got forwarded to a "product specialist" who was very uncaring and basically told me this was normal and that's it (I honestly think he was the same guy I spoke with last year from Applecare - he was equally unhelpful). He said the machine is supposed to charge in 5 hours but that 10 hours is normal too given "environmental factors". He then tried to convince me that the power up in Vancouver was different than the US (which I shot down as incorrect) or that the power in my house was poor (which I also shot down as the house is new, plus the fact I had the same charge time when at work). He didn't seem to understand that taking 10 hours to charge was a **major** annoyance for traveling (how can I recharge during a two hour layover??) and just generally stupid given the fact the product is meant to be high end.

I have an appointment with the genius bar on Sunday and will see what they say. Honestly, I am just so frustrated because I have invested a week's worth of time setting it up, fiddling with calibration, and calling Apple only to be told that it is "normal" and made to feel dumb for expecting a computer to charge in less than half a day. Not happy...

The worst part is that I really love the machine too! Awesome design and weight, great screen, and decent performance. Argh - I just want it to work!!

[gflux]

I've found phone support in Canada pretty poor - US customers seems to get great support. You should have better luck at the Apple store though - I've heard nothing but good things. Good luck!

[whitethunder]

I've found phone support in Canada pretty poor - US customers seems to get great support. You should have better luck at the Apple store though - I've heard nothing but good things. Good luck!

the funny part of that is the same guys/gals that do the canadian support also do the american support, must just be your personal experience....

[zer0tails]

the funny part of that is the same guys/gals that do the canadian support also do the american support, must just be your personal experience....

I second that. I've talked to quite the number of support people/sales people and they've almost always been American.

[Acuratl]

I second that. I've talked to quite the number of support people/sales people and they've almost always been American.

Ditto and to a degree they've been great..sales especially, with any mac/pc compatabiliy problems though they're no help @ all.

[whitethunder]

Ditto and to a degree they've been great..sales especially, with any mac/pc compatabiliy problems though they're no help @ all.


yes support ends when you click install on the windows disk, then you can deal with lovely microsoft hahaha

[Acuratl]

yes support ends when you click install on the windows disk, then you can deal with lovely microsoft hahaha

not only that but networking mac/windows issues, never been able to network a windows printer to a mac computer...

[milhaus]

not only that but networking mac/windows issues, never been able to network a windows printer to a mac computer...
Really? I've done this about 100 times. No problem whatsoever every time.

[Acuratl]

Really? I've done this about 100 times. No problem whatsoever every time.

help? i setup the printer on a windows machine and try to find it on the network what do i have to do. Does the mac need the drivers?

[check12]

The performance issues that I was experiencing appear to have been resolved when I booted into XP. ;) I would love to get OSX working correctly though - nobody else has dropped frames/stuttering with video?

[jamex]

The performance issues that I was experiencing appear to have been resolved when I booted into XP. ;) I would love to get OSX working correctly though - nobody else has dropped frames/stuttering with video?

have you tried watching video other than flash\youtube? Flash and Mac is a well known clusterfsck, so try watching some 720p avis with vlc or mplayer and see if the performance is any better.

[Acuratl]

The performance issues that I was experiencing appear to have been resolved when I booted into XP. ;) I would love to get OSX working correctly though - nobody else has dropped frames/stuttering with video?

yes i had those issues, especially playing facebook poker and watching a youtube video..no way in hell am i booting Xp..sorry :)

[krs]

Which version of Flash are people using with OS X?
I was told that Flash 10 resolves these playback problems - I'm still using Flash 9 right now.

[fyrefly]

not only that but networking mac/windows issues, never been able to network a windows printer to a mac computer...

Which Windows? XP is not too hard, but Vista sharing with OS X is a bit of a nightmare due to Vista print sharing settings.

Which version of Flash are people using with OS X?
I was told that Flash 10 resolves these playback problems - I'm still using Flash 9 right now.

I use Flash 10 on my Air and it's working great. Be sure to let the air sit on a flat surface when using it for video/processor intensive stuff. The fan/exhaust vent is on the back/bottom and barely vents enough when it's sitting flat (allowing the laptops "feet" to raise it so air can get underneath.

If you have the air sitting on a pillow or a blanket or your lap, parts of the vent get blocked and your computer will overheat quickly causing the stuttering.

[Acuratl]

Also getting ridiculous charge times as well.

Ordered one last year when it had just come out and it was taking 10 hours to charge. Called in Applecare wanted 48hours to talk to engineers to see if it was "in spec" as the machine was so new they had no benchmarks. Aghast that they could even consider 10 hours within spec, and not wanting to wait for the reply as I was going away for two weeks and thus would be outside the 14 day return period when I returned, I was able to convince an Apple rep to return the whole thing.

Fast forward to this deal and I thought "oh hey, nice price and it's been a year so they should all be good". NOPE. Stupid me too as I spent all day tuesday transferring files over and installing software only to realize that this one has the *exact same* ridiculous charge times. Read up online and many reports say that it gets better with time. Ok, fine. So did five full charge/sleep/recharge cycles and also reset the power management (SMC). STILL THE SAME ISSUE.

So today I decided to call Apple. Got forwarded to a "product specialist" who was very uncaring and basically told me this was normal and that's it (I honestly think he was the same guy I spoke with last year from Applecare - he was equally unhelpful). He said the machine is supposed to charge in 5 hours but that 10 hours is normal too given "environmental factors". He then tried to convince me that the power up in Vancouver was different than the US (which I shot down as incorrect) or that the power in my house was poor (which I also shot down as the house is new, plus the fact I had the same charge time when at work). He didn't seem to understand that taking 10 hours to charge was a **major** annoyance for traveling (how can I recharge during a two hour layover??) and just generally stupid given the fact the product is meant to be high end.

I have an appointment with the genius bar on Sunday and will see what they say. Honestly, I am just so frustrated because I have invested a week's worth of time setting it up, fiddling with calibration, and calling Apple only to be told that it is "normal" and made to feel dumb for expecting a computer to charge in less than half a day. Not happy...

The worst part is that I really love the machine too! Awesome design and weight, great screen, and decent performance. Argh - I just want it to work!!

im getting **** battery times..3hrs tops even mild web browsing....what to do?

[Maro15]

im getting **** battery times..3hrs tops even mild web browsing....what to do?

Buy a spare battery, and whenever you run low on juice swap it with the current one on the fly... oh wait. :lol:

// Sorry, I could not resist. No personal attack or Apple/Non-apple PC war intended :)

I guess call Apple and see what they have to say. If it's within the warranty period and the charge cycle count is not abnormal, they might be willing to exchange your battery.

[milhaus]

im getting **** battery times..3hrs tops even mild web browsing....what to do?

Uh, that's normal. Every company's estimated times are far above real world . . . I would have said expect 2hrs 30 mins, given the 4.5 hr estimate.

Right, and I should have said, I've done printer sharing under XP, not Vista, so that may the cause of your troubles. Nothing hard about it. Just Add printer, select Windows printer (or network if networked), and if it's on the network, it'll see it . . . install or select drivers and that's it . . .

[Acuratl]

Uh, that's normal. Every company's estimated times are far above real world . . . I would have said expect 2hrs 30 mins, given the 4.5 hr estimate.

Right, and I should have said, I've done printer sharing under XP, not Vista, so that may the cause of your troubles. Nothing hard about it. Just Add printer, select Windows printer (or network if networked), and if it's on the network, it'll see it . . . install or select drivers and that's it . . .

hmm..regardless...i was expecting atleast 4 my blackbook gave me 4 or more hours even though it was 2 yrs old..

[zenzen]

hmm..regardless...i was expecting atleast 4 my blackbook gave me 4 or more hours even though it was 2 yrs old..

I'm getting closer to 4 without the power-saving option, wi-fi on, bluetooth off. I've read about the effect of improving battery life after several full charges, but am sceptical. Also, like some others, charging the battery from near-zero has taken many hours (more than 8 in my last count). Otherwise, everything's running very smoothly and I can see using this for 90% of my daily work and 75% of my music work.

[macdude]

success!

Ok so I I took my MBAir into the Apple Store in Vancouver on Sunday and the genius was fantastic. Of course, as soon as she plugged it into her adaptor it showed a charge time of 2 hours and was dropping at a constant rate. Still, she listened when I told her I wasn't crazy and also appreciated that 10 hour charge times were mildly annoying. She looked into some of the system processes to see if anything was running in the background (nothing was) and if anything was waking the computer up (looked like something might be). Still, she thought the computer was charging ok at the time and wanted to keep it for a couple of hours to observe and also to do a battery test. I told here that it wasn't a problem.

2.5 hours later I come back and she goes into the back to check on it. She tells me that while the computer charges fine while awake, it slows to a crawl while sleeping . So she reset the power management controller "PMC" http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411 again. She said that it was designed to trickle charge while sleeping in order to prolong battery life, but should charge normally when the computer is on. This meant that it would take awhile while sleeping, so maybe 5-6 hours tops. She did say it shouldn't take 10 hours and that if it continues to do so to come back and they'd swap the battery.

So far the computer is performing well. I charged it up yesterday and drained it last night. It charged fully between midnight and 5:40am today so it's at least taking less than 6 hours!

In sum, for people with the same issue I'd recommend doing several battery calibrations and resetting the PMC twice. I think the battery might also be happier if it doesn't go all the way to zero (i.e. charge while there's still 10% or so of battery left).

All in all, very very happy with the Mac Genius and would definitely recommend the store over phone support.

Btw, if anyone is considering AppleCare, don't buy in Canada as it's $300. I managed to get one for $125 US off of eBay (item number 300286615372). All they do is email the registration code too so no shipping costs.

[soniko]

success!

Ok so I I took my MBAir into the Apple Store in Vancouver on Sunday and the genius was fantastic. Of course, as soon as she plugged it into her adaptor it showed a charge time of 2 hours and was dropping at a constant rate. Still, she listened when I told her I wasn't crazy and also appreciated that 10 hour charge times were mildly annoying. She looked into some of the system processes to see if anything was running in the background (nothing was) and if anything was waking the computer up (looked like something might be). Still, she thought the computer was charging ok at the time and wanted to keep it for a couple of hours to observe and also to do a battery test. I told here that it wasn't a problem.

2.5 hours later I come back and she goes into the back to check on it. She tells me that while the computer charges fine while awake, it slows to a crawl while sleeping . So she reset the power management controller "PMC" http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411 again. She said that it was designed to trickle charge while sleeping in order to prolong battery life, but should charge normally when the computer is on. This meant that it would take awhile while sleeping, so maybe 5-6 hours tops. She did say it shouldn't take 10 hours and that if it continues to do so to come back and they'd swap the battery.

So far the computer is performing well. I charged it up yesterday and drained it last night. It charged fully between midnight and 5:40am today so it's at least taking less than 6 hours!

In sum, for people with the same issue I'd recommend doing several battery calibrations and resetting the PMC twice. I think the battery might also be happier if it doesn't go all the way to zero (i.e. charge while there's still 10% or so of battery left).

All in all, very very happy with the Mac Genius and would definitely recommend the store over phone support.

Btw, if anyone is considering AppleCare, don't buy in Canada as it's $300. I managed to get one for $125 US off of eBay (item number 300286615372). All they do is email the registration code too so no shipping costs.

so..you did registrar the code on apple website without any problem right?
:cheesygri if thats alright. gotta buy it on ebay:D

[YYZer]

Macbook Aluminums back in stock. $1199 for 2.0 GHz and $1549 for 2.4Ghz.

[Acuratl]

Macbook Aluminums back in stock. $1199 for 2.0 GHz and $1549 for 2.4Ghz.

gone already

[soniko]

gone already

MB 2.4G and MBP 2.4G is back~:lol:

[CouponKindaGuy]

success
Btw, if anyone is considering AppleCare, don't buy in Canada as it's $300. I managed to get one for $125 US off of eBay (item number 300286615372). All they do is email the registration code too so no shipping costs.
Thanks for the tip!!!! I couldnt resist and grabbed it for $140 US. Its really a no brainer and Registration went real smooth.
After registration, you also get a Tech DVD Download only available for AppleCare Customers.

[Pizzletron]

My Macbook Aluminium arrived yesterday! Couldn't be more pleased with it. Still going through battery calibration. Haven't found any flaws that I'm aware of yet.

[Absolute]

so..you did registrar the code on apple website without any problem right?
:cheesygri if thats alright. gotta buy it on ebay:D

Same here, looks like a good thing to have =)

[johnmoon]

Macbook Aluminums back in stock. $1199 for 2.0 GHz and $1549 for 2.4Ghz.



Balck in stock get it now :)
Just ordered mine finallly

[anton204]

So just to clarify you can apply new applecare warranty on a refurb apple product?

[SaraLee]

I notice some macbooks mention glossy screen and some don't. I know this applies only to the last gen macbooks as they have matte and glossy screens. Is it safe to assume on a previous gen macbook if it doesn't say glossy you will get a matte screen?

[krs]

So just to clarify you can apply new applecare warranty on a refurb apple product?

Yes - you get the same warranty with refurb (from Apple!!!) as with new and you can also buy Applecare for refurb within the first year of ownership.

[krs]

I notice some macbooks mention glossy screen and some don't. I know this applies only to the last gen macbooks as they have matte and glossy screens. Is it safe to assume on a previous gen macbook if it doesn't say glossy you will get a matte screen?

As far as I know, MacBooks always had glossy screens - only the MacBook Pro gave you a choice of matte or glossy screens, but only with the older models.

PS: If you had written MacBook Pros instead of MacBook, you would have been right on all counts.

[SaraLee]

Yes, I meant Macbook Pro. Thanks for your help.

As far as I know, MacBooks always had glossy screens - only the MacBook Pro gave you a choice of matte or glossy screens, but only with the older models.

PS: If you had written MacBook Pros instead of MacBook, you would have been right on all counts.

[AndrewChang]

My Macbook Aluminium arrived yesterday! Couldn't be more pleased with it. Still going through battery calibration. Haven't found any flaws that I'm aware of yet.

Battery calibration? As in full recharge and discharge?

[Pizzletron]

^ yes, full discharge/recharge.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490

[krs]

^ yes, full discharge/recharge.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490

Not quite !!!!!!!!!!

For the newer Macs (including the MacBook Air) there are some time intervals involved as well - actually shown in the link posted.

1. Plug in the power adapter and fully charge your PowerBook's battery until the light ring or LED on the power adapter plug changes to green and the onscreen meter in the menu bar indicates that the battery is fully charged.
2. Allow the battery to rest in the fully charged state for at least two hours. You may use your computer during this time as long as the adapter is plugged in.
3. Disconnect the power adapter with the computer still on and start running the computer off battery power. You may use your computer during this time. When your battery gets low, you will see the low battery warning dialog on the screen.
4. Continue to keep your computer on until it goes to sleep. Save all your work and close all applications when the battery gets very low, before the computer goes to sleep.
5. Turn off the computer or allow it to sleep for five hours or more.
6. Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again.

[champdood]

Refurbished 1.8ghz macbook air with 64GB SSD (http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FB450LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw) is only $1449.

Of course, it's $350 just for a faster CPU and an SSD that is of questionable improvement over the HDD (http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/macbook-air-ssd-review.ars) (interesting to note that there were battery issues a year ago, Apple inflated the figures big time). Still, you're buying a macbook air, if pure speed worried you you would just get a macbook :cheesygri

[Pizzletron]

Not quite !!!!!!!!!!

For the newer Macs (including the MacBook Air) there are some time intervals involved as well - actually shown in the link posted.


Yes, directions are shown in the link I posted. ;)

[Hu$tlah]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I am looking to buy one of the following but not sure which to get. What seems like a better value? Will the $1399.00 be worth the price difference against the $1049? I am debating which to get and looking for some help as to which one of those two seems like a better value.


http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB467LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw

OR

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB404LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw

Thank you.

[Acuratl]

I'm Returning my macbook air, ordered a refurb macbook :)

[check12]

I sent mine back too ;)

[HowEver]

The new white MacBooks, released today, have upgraded RAM (from 1GB to 2GB), the upgraded video card (same as the unibody MacBooks), upgraded hard drive, etc. Same price as yesterday. Perhaps the white MacBook refurbished pricing will drop further as a result...

[Bob Lawbla]

Ordered the Macbook

got the Macbook

Love the Macbook.

It came in a generic white box but the laptop looks brand new, like its never been touched.

Battery took 2hrs to charge and 4 of regular use to discharge complete.

[Pizzletron]

The new white MacBooks, released today, have upgraded RAM (from 1GB to 2GB), the upgraded video card (same as the unibody MacBooks), upgraded hard drive, etc. Same price as yesterday. Perhaps the white MacBook refurbished pricing will drop further as a result...

Didn't notice the new Macbook White. I'd get a refurbed unibody, same price as the new macbook (white). Not sure if the new white macbooks have the LED screen, but I'd say the unibody's LED screen and trackpad are worth it.

[Mulder and Scully]

Didn't notice the new Macbook White. I'd get a refurbed unibody, same price as the new macbook (white). Not sure if the new white macbooks have the LED screen, but I'd say the unibody's LED screen and trackpad are worth it.

I prefer the MacBook aluminum as well, but the just updated MacBook white is $250 less (for a new one) than the aluminum and the specs are much closer now. It's quite a good deal now for an entry-level MacBook if you don't need or care for the aluminum's LED-backlit screen and multi-touch trackpad because that's the only difference now. The white MacBook has always been a pretty good colour as well. This is making the decision-making tough...

[guy_uoft]

Why on earth would anyone in their right mind pay over a grand for a rig that's only 1.6 ghz, 2 gb of ram and 80 gb hdd space not to mention the craptacular Intel integrated graphics...there's not a single saving grace on this machine hardware wise and people lined up to pay over a grand for it???

[klover]

Prepare for flames...

[MarquisDM]

Prepare for flames...

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/EUR/2400-1337~Bengal-Tiger-Jumping-Flames-Posters.jpg

lulz:lol:

[flashx]

Why on earth would anyone in their right mind pay over a grand for a rig that's only 1.6 ghz, 2 gb of ram and 80 gb hdd space not to mention the craptacular Intel integrated graphics...there's not a single saving grace on this machine hardware wise and people lined up to pay over a grand for it???

Well it's a good product. However, it's not for everyone. You think it's not worth the deal but I think there are some users out there willing to buy it for the design, run OSX and the tight integration of OSX with the hardware so it rarely breaks.

I find it funny how I think, why people wants to go buy Vista for $100 to $200. That's even a worse deal if you are forced to buy it with those Vista laptops.

[dasteve]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents, as I bought a MacBook Air then returned it later in the week.

My beefs:
1) There's no lock port! (so can't bring it to work -- at least I wouldn't)
2) It's not as thin or light as it looks -- just thin at the edges and weights like 4-5lbs.

[SiNiSon]

2) It's not as thin or light as it looks -- just thin at the edges and weights like 4-5lbs.

It weighs 3lbs.

[Acuratl]

It weighs 3lbs.


yea macbook air sucks...apple will likely discontinue it in 1-2 years or atleast MAJORLY overhaul it

[xinhang]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents, as I bought a MacBook Air then returned it later in the week.

My beefs:
1) There's no lock port! (so can't bring it to work -- at least I wouldn't)
2) It's not as thin or light as it looks -- just thin at the edges and weights like 4-5lbs.

where do you work? You cant trust the people there? i go to school and i leave my computer in the library unattended for hours and nothing happens to it

[Acuratl]

where do you work? You cant trust the people there? i go to school and i leave my computer in the library unattended for hours and nothing happens to it

You're crazy, or you have a 10 year old laptop, because here in Ucalgary you can't leave your laptop to go take a dump let alone hours without asking somebody to keep an eye on it. and lately you can't ask people because they may take your stuff and run.

[silverthunder]

Got mine last week..

I love the Macbook Air... thin, light, relatively fast

ST

[HBP]

where do you work? You cant trust the people there? i go to school and i leave my computer in the library unattended for hours and nothing happens to it

I hate douchebags who leave their **** and occupy a seat for hours.

[Jon Lai]

I hate douchebags who leave their **** and occupy a seat for hours.

+1

No offense, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU DO THIS? Do you not wonder what you would do if someone DID take your laptop?

I'd hide your laptop just for the heck of it. :lol::lol:

[dasteve]

where do you work? You cant trust the people there? i go to school and i leave my computer in the library unattended for hours and nothing happens to it

I've worked for numerous big companies, big banks, big insurance companies.
And all of them have huge rates of theft of laptops especially overnight but even unlocked in daylight.
One company had 24 laptops stolen all in 1 day (shopping spree!)

Do you leave your wallet on your desk unattended? You may aswell.

[xinhang]

I've worked for numerous big companies, big banks, big insurance companies.
And all of them have huge rates of theft of laptops especially overnight but even unlocked in daylight.
One company had 24 laptops stolen all in 1 day (shopping spree!)

Do you leave your wallet on your desk unattended? You may aswell.

I leave my whole bag there as well when i go out for lunch or dinner and come back hours later. :P maybe im just lucky

+1

No offense, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU DO THIS? Do you not wonder what you would do if someone DID take your laptop?

I'd hide your laptop just for the heck of it. :lol::lol:

You are terrible. I would like ot think people in this world are better than that.

I hate douchebags who leave their **** and occupy a seat for hours.

I study in robart library there are over thousands of seats in that place, just find one on your own -_-''

You're crazy, or you have a 10 year old laptop, because here in Ucalgary you can't leave your laptop to go take a dump let alone hours without asking somebody to keep an eye on it. and lately you can't ask people because they may take your stuff and run.

Haha no, it is a sony tz, maybe it is too small for people to notice :P

[zer0tails]

I leave my whole bag there as well when i go out for lunch or dinner and come back hours later. :P maybe im just lucky



You are terrible. I would like ot think people in this world are better than that.



I study in robart library there are over thousands of seats in that place, just find one on your own -_-''



Haha no, it is a sony tz, maybe it is too small for people to notice :P

you leave your laptop in Robarts unattended and it hasn't been stolen? You must be lying. Someone is probably watching over it for you. No way in heck can you leave a sony tz in Robarts unattended. Unless you lock it.

But anyways, if you aren't lying. Don't do it anymore! Robarts is pretty dangerous

[Jon Lai]

[QUOTE=xinhang;8143611You are terrible. I would like ot think people in this world are better than that.[/QUOTE]

Haha! Personally I wouldn't do that, but I know if I was there with some of my friends they would gladly have pranked you that way. Honestly, take the stuff with you, how hard is it to do that?

[dromaryn]

I'm not surprised that his laptop hasn't been stolen at Roberts - the place is so massive with so many rooms and nooks within rooms that you could kill somebody in there and the body may not be found for weeks. So, um yeah, Robarts is dangerous! :cheesygri

[Acuratl]

I'm not surprised that his laptop hasn't been stolen at Roberts - the place is so massive with so many rooms and nooks within rooms that you could kill somebody in there and the body may not be found for weeks. So, um yeah, Robarts is dangerous! :cheesygri

yea at the U of C they have signs up saying to secure your laptop, or people will walk out with it...I've seen a few people leaving their laptops probably to go tot he washroom, problem is that it's not a secure facility anybody can get off the streets and get on campus...the other day a few bums were caught sheltering on floor 5

[jase]

Haha.. I can't believe this thread went from Macbook Air to how to secure your laptop in an university library. ;)

[flashx]

Haha.. I can't believe this thread went from Macbook Air to how to secure your laptop in an university library. ;)

Agree with you Jase.

I bought one love it and well, it's not cheap. Neither does a smart car. Some people laugh at it but some people love it as a niche product serving a particular market. It's not for everyone. Don't complain if that's not the right computer for you. There's also other computer more powerful and beefy to fill the void. I am aware of all the PC offerings out there but nothing really appeals to me, maybe exception of the HP Mininote 2140. Even then, I will have to either pay someone to put OSX or Ubuntu on it or spend hours hacking it.

As for people claiming Apple computer being expensive, you should give Mac OSX a go. My experience and my other Mac experience users can tell you, if you have all the time to tweak in Linux, reformat virus filled Windows comps, or pay for some anti-virus software that hogs your alot of resource with your Vista or XP setup then by all means consider a PC alternative. Time loss == money! If I can buy my time back, I am willing to pay a bit extra.

Hey there those of you Windows XP users going jump on my back about games. There's boot camp for that. Do I have to pay for another OS? Yes, but at least I can boot 2 OS without much technical abilities. How long does it take to setup a dual booting hackintosh laptop? Multiply that number of hours you spent on getting it to work without proper updates to OSX and what do you save?

Macbook Air is a good machine satisfying a paricular purpose. If you think it doesn't have enough power then get a Macbook. And no it doesn't weight 4lbs, it weights 3lbs. Or the HDD isn't intel 486 slowish and sluggish HDD. HDD is slower than a 5400rpm if you do random seeking. Myth is also CPU is 1.6Ghz and it isn't good for you. It's dual-core. It's 64-bit. You can play 1080p videos. It's somewhat of a future-proof CPU with 64-bit and dual-core. It's will still be plenty fast for your daily task plus more.

[chex]

where do you work? You cant trust the people there? i go to school and i leave my computer in the library unattended for hours and nothing happens to it

Your TZ is like 2.7 pounds man, just bring it with you!

I'm almost gonna pull the trigger on the Air, but I'm still on the fence about refurbished products...

[dingus]

Your TZ is like 2.7 pounds man, just bring it with you!

I'm almost gonna pull the trigger on the Air, but I'm still on the fence about refurbished products...

Apple refurbs are excellent. I jumped on this deal last week and have no regrets. It's not even really a refurb, mine was brand new.

Just make sure to grab all the updates and calibrate the battery properly.

[jackwest]

Congratulations, you use apple. I use PC. Let's move on.

[nikonwhore]

haha hell the university of alberta student newspaper has an annual poll showing how many laptops and bikes were jacked.

i dont think i have ever left my laptop unattended, even with its lock on it. we have a bus station that brings many unsavory characters on campus. there are so many reports of theft on campus that it pretty much has made me a super safe person in thinking haha.

[Acuratl]

haha hell the university of alberta student newspaper has an annual poll showing how many laptops and bikes were jacked.

i dont think i have ever left my laptop unattended, even with its lock on it. we have a bus station that brings many unsavory characters on campus. there are so many reports of theft on campus that it pretty much has made me a super safe person in thinking haha.

Lol Ucalgary actually has had a few sexual assaults in the past few years, it's got much better, but i think i've scared a few girls on campus if I'm the only one near them..being a brown guy and all they assume the worst :|

[zenzen]

Just wanted to pipe in on an alternative for PC users, the Thinkpad X61s being offered to RFD usrs for $565 and the x61 tablet for a little more. See: http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=692554

I have a T41 with a nice 1400x1050 screen that I use mainly for working from home (using Office and gotomypc.com when necessary). It's a great machine that still has plenty of life in it after 5 years (knock on something!). When thinking about the thin'n'light route, I remembered how much I liked using a Thinkpad X40 at work some years back. In the end, I realized that I liked the (for now) secure and stable experience running OS X the solid non-creaky aluminum construction, and the better display of the MBA. I recently packed the MBA for a business trip and can tell you that the 1.5-2 lbs lower weight from the white MacBook I carried for 2 years is indeed a palpable difference! And it was no probs at the hotel I stayed at, which offered paid wi-fi in addition to the conventional ethernet jack in the room.

All to say, there are great choices out there these days. Go with what you like, can afford, and will actually USE. In a couple of years, I'm looking forward to the next-gen netbooks running Windows 7 and/or Snow Leopard. For now, I'm happy with the MBA.

[HowEver]

That's pretty awful you get treated that way.

(Also, any sentence that begins "Lol Ucalgary actually has had a few sexual assaults..." is more than awkward.)

Lol Ucalgary actually has had a few sexual assaults in the past few years, it's got much better, but i think i've scared a few girls on campus if I'm the only one near them..being a brown guy and all they assume the worst :|

[ibanker]

ok this is boring


ill just be the first mac user to admit it

i buy a mac instead of a pc because:

i think im better then u
because im a hippie
because im a vegan
because i listen to indie rock bands
because i have more money then u
because i prefer looks over functionality
because it gets me chicks
because ppl look at it when im out and think im cool
because i do yoga
because i wanna be cool
because i am more similar to psychadelic steve jobs then nerdy conservative bill gates/mike dell
because im pro choice
because i believe in change
because YES WE CAN

there i admited it so stop bugging us mac owners you earthlings

[OldnwiseS01]

ok this is boring


ill just be the first mac user to admit it

i buy a mac instead of a pc because:

i think im better then u
because im a hippie
because im a vegan
because i listen to indie rock bands
because i have more money then u
because i prefer looks over functionality
because it gets me chicks
because ppl look at it when im out and think im cool
because i do yoga
because i wanna be cool
because i am more similar to psychadelic steve jobs then nerdy conservative bill gates/mike dell
because im pro choice
because i believe in change
because YES WE CAN

there i admited it so stop bugging us mac owners you earthlings


Thats some funny chit right there, but as with most humor there's certainly a hint of truth to alot of the points...hehe

[Emancipated]

Lots of Mac at home but still no chicks.

[flashx]

Lots of Mac at home but still no chicks.

I have a lot of macs at home. Lots of chicks too, your mom included.

[HowEver]

It's a "chick macnet."



.

[SiNiSon]

This thread delivers.

[Emancipated]

I have a lot of macs at home. Lots of chicks too, your mom included.

http://www.teesforall.com/images/Seinfeld_Jerk_Store_Black_Shirt2.jpg

[Nofirstname]

Folks, did I understand correctly that there is no wireless connection (built-in) in MBA?

[klover]

Folks, did I understand correctly that there is no wireless connection (built-in) in MBA?

You did not.

[Nofirstname]

Is this related to old model?

http://apcmag.com/macbook_air_top_10_things_wrong_with_it.htm

[DrXenon]

No, all those things still apply.

I'm about to buy a Macbook Pro because my Air is unusable.

[Acuratl]

No, all those things still apply.

I'm about to buy a Macbook Pro because my Air is unusable.

Returning? Enjoy paying the 10% restock fee :D

[flashx]

Is this related to old model?

http://apcmag.com/macbook_air_top_10_things_wrong_with_it.htm

As I pointed out before in the thread:

1. 4200RPM is usable. It's not that slow. It's slower but certainly doesn't make it run like a old Pentium II computer. People have exaggerated this RPM rotation thing beyond belief. If you computer is doing a lot of random sector seeking on the disk then this will be slower. If you load big block of files, not by much.

2. No broadband internet (3G network UTMS, HSPDA or EVDO or upcoming LTE ) but there's certainly Wifi and pretty fast solid wifi with 802.11n. There's ethernet but just not built-in but 90% of the time I am perfectly ok without LAN.

3. CPU. 1.6 or 1.83 GHz isn't slow. If you compare to a 2.4 or 2.8GHz it's not fast. However, it's beefy enough to play 1080p mkvs and also enough juice for me to do Java development on Eclipse. There's alot of CPU power in it. It's dual-core, it's not Atom, it's 64-bit. It's probably be future-proof for the next 2 or 3 release of OSX. Do you really want a 2.8Ghz in that form factor and have it burn your legs? ( Please just shut up about it being slow because it's not all that slow. If you are buying this for 3D games, you need a reality check and either get a PC laptop or a Macbook or Macbook Pro. )

4. If you are buying this as your primary computer, then you got the wrong machine. This is meant to be a complement computer for someone who wants mobility and have another beefier desktop to work at home. You can look at this as a beefier netbook.

[DrXenon]

Returning? Enjoy paying the 10% restock fee :D

No, not returning; I bought my Air on the announcement day so it's not an option. I'll just use the Air attached to a monitor on a desk, where hopefully the kernel_task problem won't materialize. The MBP will become my main laptop.

[Absolute]

4. If you are buying this as your primary computer, then you got the wrong machine. This is meant to be a complement computer for someone who wants mobility and have another beefier desktop to work at home. You can look at this as a beefier netbook.

+1 there - I have a full desktop (4 monitors and 4 TB of space ;)) at work, and a cheap HP machine at home. I bought the Air specifically as an accessory to them, as a light and compact machine to carry and travel with, but by no means to replace them.

The machine is excellent for portability... you can't deny that. I bought the SSD machine to avoid the PATA concerns, and have not noticed a single issue related to speed. I also bought the ethernet dongle at the same time, but only to plug it into the internal network at the office.

Honestly, the Air is great for my very first Mac. Thankfully I'm surrounded by Mac users at the office, who are willing to help me!

[knightwrangler]

Well I took advantage of this deal and I am one happy geek today...
Got my Air yesterday, this is my first refurb from Apple it won't be my last as it looks and smells like new!!! I'm impressed.
No scuffs,scratches or dead pixels.Ran coconut battery, 4 charge cycles that's fine with me. I have an external bluray burner so I wiped the drive and re-installed Leopard minus the bloat.(additional languages,fonts & printer drivers)
Came with the iLife '09 disc what a nice surprise!
This Apple "netbook" is a dream for a secondary mac. It's very lite, solid, nice screen & full-sized keyboard. Great for traveling and light to moderate work,nothing too incredibly intensive but yet it has 2GB ram and core2duo processor. The HD drive is small but it can be upgraded down the road.
I had an ultra small Toshiba Portege R100 at one time and this Air will run circles around it.
Not many ports but who needs 'em.Cut the cords I say! We are in a wireless world after all!
Plus the fact it runs Leopard not Vista or Xpee is the icing on the cake.

[sjpeters79]

Got my macbook air 2 weeks ago and all I can say is that it's a really great machine. This is my first ever mac that I've owned it is making me want to switch to os x instead of vista but the only issue is that I'll have to repurchase all my software for os x.

The other issue I've found from using the mac is that it does not seem to like wep wireless security as it frequently disconnects all the time. I've fixed by switching to wpa connection but then vista doesn't like wpa and works well with wep so it win loss situation either way I look at it.

[kim_ip]

iLife ’09, a significant upgrade to Apple’s digital lifestyle applications, features updates to iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, and iWeb. If you’ve purchased a qualifying computer on or after January 6, 2009, that does not include iLife ’09, you can upgrade to iLife ’09 for US$9.95 plus tax.*

http://www.apple.com/ilife/uptodate/

[zer0tails]

i gave up on these refurbs. I ordered 4 and each one had some minor issue from dead pixels, to airport card not working. If you're OK with 2-3 dead pixels then this deal is a no brainer.

[mrelusive]

I got my refurb Macbook Pro (07 model, boo-hiss as glossy screens) last week, and it's awesome so far.

It had 2 charges on the battery after I calibrated it.

[spender]

No, all those things still apply.

I'm about to buy a Macbook Pro because my Air is unusable.

Different strokes for different folks - the MacBook Air is definitely a "special purpose" laptop, and clearly was not intended by Apple to be a desktop replacement or to complete with the Pros. As for them leaving the CD/DVD drive off and cutting back on ports, kind of reminds me of how they left the floppy drive off the iMac - at the time it seemed incomplete, but we now recognize that they were dead on the money.

[flashx]

i gave up on these refurbs. I ordered 4 and each one had some minor issue from dead pixels, to airport card not working. If you're OK with 2-3 dead pixels then this deal is a no brainer.

I ordered multiple refurbished Apple products ( from apple TV, time capsule, macbook air to PowerMac G5) and never had issues. I even bought a refurb Cinema Display recently before Christmas and it's like new and no dead pixels.

Maybe it's your luck, I haven't had one single issue with Apple refurbished products. Anyways if you are close to an Apple store, you can definitely go to there with the dead pixels and they will do a straight swap if you are within the warranty period. You can test the replacement to make sure it's 100% before you leave.

[krs]

i gave up on these refurbs. I ordered 4 and each one had some minor issue from dead pixels, to airport card not working. If you're OK with 2-3 dead pixels then this deal is a no brainer.

You must be really unlucky!

I have bought three "refurbished" Macs, two desktops and a laptop, several ipods, an Airport Extreme card - all refurbished and once they were out of the plain cardboard box, you couldn't tell the difference between those and the new Macs I bought.
They have all ben running without a problem - only the "new" laptop had to go in last week to have the touchpad and external power cord replaced.
I wouldn't hesitate for one second to buy Apple refurbished again.

And btw - I would call neither 2-3 dead pixels not a dead airport card a "minor" issue. I hope you had all of those issues taken care by Apple.

[Anonymouse]

Different strokes for different folks - the MacBook Air is definitely a "special purpose" laptop, and clearly was not intended by Apple to be a desktop replacement or to complete with the Pros. As for them leaving the CD/DVD drive off and cutting back on ports, kind of reminds me of how they left the floppy drive off the iMac - at the time it seemed incomplete, but we now recognize that they were dead on the money.

I also upgraded to a MBP, but only because the kernel_task problem was harshing my buzz. The Air is simply not fit for purpose; you can't even watch a youtube video with the thing on your lap. My wife was giving a Keynote presentation with it and it was so slow as to be embarrassing due to the kernel process taking up a core and a half. Now that we have the MBP, we will be sending the Air in for a motherboard replacement under the Applecare warranty that we foolishly bought thinking that there was a solution to the kernel_task problem. We don't expect this to work, but maybe we'll get a faster processor when they replace the board.

[zenzen]

I also upgraded to a MBP, but only because the kernel_task problem was harshing my buzz. The Air is simply not fit for purpose; you can't even watch a youtube video with the thing on your lap. My wife was giving a Keynote presentation with it and it was so slow as to be embarrassing due to the kernel process taking up a core and a half. Now that we have the MBP, we will be sending the Air in for a motherboard replacement under the Applecare warranty that we foolishly bought thinking that there was a solution to the kernel_task problem. We don't expect this to work, but maybe we'll get a faster processor when they replace the board.

I hope they take care of it, as my refurb MBA does not exhibit the kernal_task problem (or any over-heating) or youtube or 720p playback probs. Last week, I hooked it up to my 24" monitor and ran all the demo songs on Reason with no overheating or cpu overload (highest was 50% cpu). All to say, that the problems are not inherent in the design, but there seem to be some quality-control issues out there that Apple should fix without question.

This is my 5th Apple refurb purchase. I've had minor niggles in with 2 items (the macbook had a buzz in the power supply) and the Mac mini had a problem with its motherboard that caused ethernet to stop working. Both problems were fixed at the Apple store and the machines are still running well, 2 years later for the MacBook, one year later for the Mac mini. I've had no problems with the refurb Nano 2g, Touch 1g, or this MBAir; but these seem to have been model phase-outs rather than the one-off refurbs (when I bought the mini, for example, it was immediately removed from the refurb website).

zz

[Brandon]

Just got my refurb Macbook Air. I ordered it on Monday and got it today (Thursday). It's in mint condition... like it's brand new. According to coconutBattery, there have been 3 battery load cycles and the age of the Mac is 5 weeks.

[Acuratl]

really happy with my macbook so far, great battery life :) good thing i returned the air. Happy with apple so far, got my printer rebate and all !

[mrelusive]

Just got my refurb Macbook Air. I ordered it on Monday and got it today (Thursday). It's in mint condition... like it's brand new. According to coconutBattery, there have been 3 battery load cycles and the age of the Mac is 5 weeks.coconutBattery told me my Macbook Pro was 122 months old. Don't know what's going on there. :lol:

[Kestral]

So how slow is the rev A MacBook Air anyways? I have a 2.4 ghz black MacBook right now.

In reading Macrumors.com, the xbench benchmarks would say that even the low level rev B MacBook Air is 2-3x as fast as the fastest rev A MacBook Air.

Still, $1099 is a great price and the form factor is spectacular and the screen on the MBA is gorgeous. But I need 4GB RAM, so when that happens I'll buy an MBA, until then I'll be waiting.

[sofa_king]

My son is in University ( God I'm old! ) was going to buy this refurb to manage his music and videos off his Ipod among other things.

He backed off because of the issue of not having an access panel to the battery to replace (worn) or exchange a second fresh battery (on trips).
This was the deal killer for him.

Does anyone know how much Apple would charge to replace the battery on the MBAir? And what are realistic battery usage times?

[HowEver]

http://www.apple.com/ca/support/macbookair/service/battery/

$159 battery replacement

http://www.apple.com/ca/macbookair/specs.html

http://images.apple.com/ca/macbookair/images/specs_battery20080115.jpg

You should consistently get 3+ hours for the first year. Some report more; a few report less, especially later on.

If you want a massive battery experience, pay $4K for a new 17" MacBook Pro, with brand new battery technology that only Apple offers.





My son is in University ( God I'm old! ) was going to buy this refurb to manage his music and videos off his Ipod among other things.

He backed off because of the issue of not having an access panel to the battery to replace (worn) or exchange a second fresh battery (on trips).
This was the deal killer for him.

Does anyone know how much Apple would charge to replace the battery on the MBAir? And what are realistic battery usage times?

[fyrefly]

So how slow is the rev A MacBook Air anyways? I have a 2.4 ghz black MacBook right now.

In reading Macrumors.com, the xbench benchmarks would say that even the low level rev B MacBook Air is 2-3x as fast as the fastest rev A MacBook Air.

Still, $1099 is a great price and the form factor is spectacular and the screen on the MBA is gorgeous. But I need 4GB RAM, so when that happens I'll buy an MBA, until then I'll be waiting.

My MBA RevA is about as fast as my 1st Gen CoreDuo 2.0Ghz MBP. The Video card in the MBP helps it a but, but in day to day tasks, they feel the same. I've encoded video with Visual Hub on both, and it's about the same speed.

My son ... backed off because of the issue of not having an access panel to the battery to replace (worn) or exchange a second fresh battery (on trips). This was the deal killer for him.

Does anyone know how much Apple would charge to replace the battery on the MBAir? And what are realistic battery usage times?

The Apple Replacement for a MBA Battery is $159 CAD as AASPs and Apple Retail Stores. Apple Retail stores promise same day repairs on Genius Bar booked appointments.

http://www.apple.com/support/macbookair/service/battery/

My MBA works for ~3 hours on a full battery with Wifi/BT on, and screen on 90%ish brightness. Battery life always depends on what you're doing, but I've pushed it to 4 before, with less brightness and no Bluetooth.

[zer0tails]

You must be really unlucky!

I have bought three "refurbished" Macs, two desktops and a laptop, several ipods, an Airport Extreme card - all refurbished and once they were out of the plain cardboard box, you couldn't tell the difference between those and the new Macs I bought.
They have all ben running without a problem - only the "new" laptop had to go in last week to have the touchpad and external power cord replaced.
I wouldn't hesitate for one second to buy Apple refurbished again.

And btw - I would call neither 2-3 dead pixels not a dead airport card a "minor" issue. I hope you had all of those issues taken care by Apple.

yep! I always seem to get bad luck...even the mac pro refurb i bought a couple months ago had a faulty gpu. But they sent me a new gpu to replace it myself and it has been great ever since :-0 I still recommend Apple refurbs though

[N1QUE24]

how are mac refurbished products? looking to nab a macbook.. thanks :D

[Acuratl]

how are mac refurbished products? looking to nab a macbook.. thanks :D

A+ awesome, i too bought the refurb macbook for 1199 .

[i-o_o-i]

how are mac refurbished products? looking to nab a macbook.. thanks :D

A+ awesome, i too bought the refurb macbook for 1199 .
same here, bought a refurb macbook last week, it looks and works just like new, I don't notice any difference between this and a new one except for the white box it came in...

[N1QUE24]

Great to hear!

I was thinking of picking this model up:
http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FB487LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw

There was a MBP that was $1,350 w/ lower specs than the one above.. was wondering if the upgrade was really worth it or not?

Also whats the main difference between the model in the link, and the new MBP's? I'm trying to persuade my Dad but can't really put it in simple terms. Any Mac afficionados input would be a great help.

Thanks :cheesygri

[HBP]

Great to hear!

I was thinking of picking this model up:
http://store.apple.com/ca/product/FB487LL/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw

There was a MBP that was $1,350 w/ lower specs than the one above.. was wondering if the upgrade was really worth it or not?

Also whats the main difference between the model in the link, and the new MBP's? I'm trying to persuade my Dad but can't really put it in simple terms. Any Mac afficionados input would be a great help.

Thanks :cheesygri

New MBP's have different casing. Some other stuff I don't really care about.

I would totally buy this. In fact, I think once this macbook dies I will buy this refurb MBP (hopefully it's still in stock!).

HowEver, if you could chime in about your macbook replacement under applecare and upgrade to MBP that would be awesome. How many repairs did you have?

[Moebiwankenobi]

Well, after sitting on the fence since this damn thread started, I bit the bullet tonight. And here's the thing, it was between this and waiting for the Dell Mini 10 - but I have a feeling the Mini 10 isn't going to be cheap.

So, my decision was based on need - something portable for trips, for writing, for surfing, and for general tasks (maybe some WoW) but that will be it. As for the option of getting a MSI Wind and Hackintoshing it, that just wasn't going to work out.

This will be my second refurbed mac with the MBP doing desktop duty, this will be my little puter that could. I'm quite excited! (horrific to think I'm spending this kind of cash today but they don't call it biting the bullet for nothing!)

[N1QUE24]

New MBP's have different casing. Some other stuff I don't really care about.

I would totally buy this. In fact, I think once this macbook dies I will buy this refurb MBP (hopefully it's still in stock!).

HowEver, if you could chime in about your macbook replacement under applecare and upgrade to MBP that would be awesome. How many repairs did you have?

Awesome :cheesygri

[HowEver]

New MBP's have different casing. Some other stuff I don't really care about.

I would totally buy this. In fact, I think once this macbook dies I will buy this refurb MBP (hopefully it's still in stock!).

HowEver, if you could chime in about your macbook replacement under applecare and upgrade to MBP that would be awesome. How many repairs did you have?

Here you go!

I had an iBook G4. There were a couple of minor problems (keyboard had screened characters, wore off a few, replaced on request a couple of times), hard drive replaced, never a problem, quick replacements.

Then at 2.5 years into the warranty period, the logic board failed a couple of times. Because there were previous documented problems, a couple of logic board failures prompted the Apple store to offer a brand new iBook G4--which they couldn't find. I asked for a MacBook (iBooks having been discontinued), they said, call AppleCare. I did and was offered a MacBook after 2 minutes of the rep reading the file notes. I asked to upgrade to a black MacBook, they said yes for a few hundred $$. So, 2.5 years after buying an iBook and AppleCare, I was upgraded to a black MacBook (the black MacBooks were more expensive for the colour :confused: , more storage, etc., but mostly the colour).

I wound up selling the black MacBook nearly a year later in mint condition for the cost of a new one (with no taxes, etc.).

So not every Apple model used to be perfect but if your computer isn't, the warranty certainly is.

Thanks HBP.

[N1QUE24]

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=578050

Hey guys, all refurbished products have a 1 yr warranty right? So if anything is wrong with the graphics card, I can just exchange my MBP correct?

[Moebiwankenobi]

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=578050

Hey guys, all refurbished products have a 1 yr warranty right? So if anything is wrong with the graphics card, I can just exchange my MBP correct?

They will fix it, not just give you a new one. Unless they can't fix, then they do an exchange (but that depends on the Genius or the AppleCare rep you get as well).

As for the 8600M problems, wasn't Apple going to fix that SPECIFIC problem for 2 years instead of just the standard 1?

[HBP]

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=578050

Hey guys, all refurbished products have a 1 yr warranty right? So if anything is wrong with the graphics card, I can just exchange my MBP correct?

Yup (maybe not exchange the MBP, but definitely get it fixed), I'd also highly recommend buying the APP (cheaper from places online like eBay). I've used it quite a bit on my macbook... I think they should give me a replacement since it's given my some hassle.

Thanks for the recount HowEver, I wonder if the same will happen to me. Did they offer the replacement to you or did you ask for it?

[Moebiwankenobi]

hot damn! Ordered on Saturday and already typing on it tonight! This thing is so thin....I'm almost afraid to use it (but very well constructed). It's a tad slower than what I'm used to (but that's comparing a MBP with 4GB of ram and almost twice the CPU power so that's not fair.)

So far, I'm very impressed with it. I love how minimal everything is - even though there's not a lot of ports, it's good enough for a portable machine! Thanks OP for pointing out the deal, now to find a good case :)

[deanrw]

Here you go!

I had an iBook G4. There were a couple of minor problems (keyboard had screened characters, wore off a few, replaced on request a couple of times), hard drive replaced, never a problem, quick replacements.

Then at 2.5 years into the warranty period, the logic board failed a couple of times. Because there were previous documented problems, a couple of logic board failures prompted the Apple store to offer a brand new iBook G4--which they couldn't find. I asked for a MacBook (iBooks having been discontinued), they said, call AppleCare. I did and was offered a MacBook after 2 minutes of the rep reading the file notes. I asked to upgrade to a black MacBook, they said yes for a few hundred $$. So, 2.5 years after buying an iBook and AppleCare, I was upgraded to a black MacBook (the black MacBooks were more expensive for the colour :confused: , more storage, etc., but mostly the colour).

I wound up selling the black MacBook nearly a year later in mint condition for the cost of a new one (with no taxes, etc.).

So not every Apple model used to be perfect but if your computer isn't, the warranty certainly is.

Thanks HBP.

My older ibook G4 1.3 ghz is still running strong. I had to comment about the keys though. They do wear off over time :cheesygri Other than that, it has not has any issues whatsoever. The battery could be replaced now though as it does not hold and more than an hour charge.

I also have a Macbook Pro 2.2ghz. Great machine all around. I am a PC guy, but when it comes to laptops, the quality of the Macs is top notch. The fit and finish is second to none.

[chex]

I just noticed recently that all 4 configurations are being offered as refurbs (1.6 HDD/1.8 HDD/1.6 SSD/1.8 SSD).

[Kestral]

When do the rev B's come on refurb?

[bmmr]

Well I'm an "apple junkie" and I did go out and buy the air at intro

I love it and although it is ls slower than my Macbook Pro's , it serves it's intended purpose


My current Mac Stable
13" Macbook Air 1.8

12" powerbook 1.5

15 " Macbook Pro 2.0

15" Macbook Pro 2.4

17: Macbook Pro 2.4

20" Imac 2.0

[s2k]

Anyone know where the Apple Refurbs ship from in Canada? And how long it takes to go from "prepared to ship" until actually shipped with a tracking number?

[s2k]

same here, bought a refurb macbook last week, it looks and works just like new, I don't notice any difference between this and a new one except for the white box it came in...

How long did it take to arrive from when you placed the order?

[iamalittlepepper]

It comes from California.. Fedex handles all the logistics.

Takes 2 days for me in the west coast

Anyone know where the Apple Refurbs ship from in Canada? And how long it takes to go from "prepared to ship" until actually shipped with a tracking number?

[s2k]

It comes from California.. Fedex handles all the logistics.

Takes 2 days for me in the west coast

Thanks. Did you pay for the faster shipping or the normal free?
I'm on east coast so I expect some added time.

[iamalittlepepper]

just the standard free shipping.

Thanks. Did you pay for the faster shipping or the normal free?
I'm on east coast so I expect some added time.

[s2k]

just the standard free shipping.

Was that 2 days from when you ordered it or from when it went to "shipped" status?

[crawford]

I just ordered a refurb MacBook (at 1:00 pm EST) and it had shipped by 5:00 EST. Website said that it would be ready to ship within 2 days, but obviously it shipped much faster than that.
I would definitely not spring for the expedited shipping.

[s2k]

I just ordered a refurb MacBook (at 1:00 pm EST) and it had shipped by 5:00 EST. Website said that it would be ready to ship within 2 days, but obviously it shipped much faster than that.
I would definitely not spring for the expedited shipping.

I ordered a Macbook Aluminum last night around 8EST, shows as prepared to ship so far so sounds like it would go out today with luck then.

[Sushi Roll]

I ordered on a Monday morning, it shipped in the afternoon, and it arrived Wednesday morning. That was the normal shipping option. Apple ships amazingly fast.

[iamalittlepepper]

Shipment Travel History

Date/Time
Activity
Location
Details
Feb 12, 2009 2:26 PM
Picked up
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA
Feb 12, 2009 4:17 PM
Left FedEx origin facility
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA
Feb 13, 2009 12:29 AM
Arrived at FedEx location
MEMPHIS, TN
Feb 13, 2009 1:21 AM
Departed FedEx location
MEMPHIS, TN
Feb 13, 2009 5:10 AM
In transit
CALGARY, AB
Paperwork available for non-FedEx broker
Feb 13, 2009 7:43 AM
Int'l shipment release
CALGARY, AB

Was that 2 days from when you ordered it or from when it went to "shipped" status?

[s2k]

Mines stayed in "Prepared for Shipment" status all day :-\

Edit - finally just shipped.

[solaraxis]

Thinking of purchasing the MBA 1.6Ghz. It only comes with 2GB of Ram, is it possible to upgrade it to 4GB?

[s2k]

Thinking of purchasing the MBA 1.6Ghz. It only comes with 2GB of Ram, is it possible to upgrade it to 4GB?

http://www.apple.com/ca/macbookair/specs.html

Think they have a max of 2gb as it is onboard.

[sofa_king]

I ordered a Macbook Aluminum last night around 8EST, shows as prepared to ship so far so sounds like it would go out today with luck then.

+1 Also ended up going with the Macbook Aluminum over the Air for the battery flexibility and better specs over portability. First Mac ... Showed up in 2 days in mint condition....Off to a good start.....Plus as the ad says it's fully recyclable. Hopefully a Loooong way off.

[Sushi Roll]

Thinking of purchasing the MBA 1.6Ghz. It only comes with 2GB of Ram, is it possible to upgrade it to 4GB?

Not possible to change the ram since it's soldered onto the board. It uses custom ram chips and not the usual SODIMMS that you can replace on other notebooks.

[nornet]

I assume these are like the other Apple notebooks that are sealed and after 1000 battery recharges you toss them. Not a very green philosophy. How old would the average refurb be? I'm assuming they don't/can't replace the battery during the refurb.


If you are posting about your purchase of one, could you include the date of manufacture?

[virtexl]

do refurbs come with a new case but old inside? my friend told me that, but I'm skeptical, anyone know?

[Pizzletron]

Just an update on the Macbook Aluminium I ordered on Jan 10th. It's been about a month and a half and everything has been awesome! Mine shipped to me within 5 days from being ordered. I upgraded the ram to 4gb from Crucial, and it's an upgrade worth every penny. Coconut battery showed it was less than 2 weeks old. Just wanted to share.

[stephane]

I upgraded the ram to 4gb from Crucial, and it's an upgrade worth every penny.

Wath is the type of RAM you use? any model link and price you pay cause they use 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM and It seem to be expensive

[Pizzletron]

Wath is the type of RAM you use? any model link and price you pay cause they use 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM and It seem to be expensive

There's been some compatibility problems with the new MBP, MB's and 3rd party ram. Go to Crucial and run the System Scanner to be sure you'll get the right compatible ram. It's the DDR3 1066mhz like you said. I think it was 79.00US for the 4GB kit when I bought it.

edit: It's now 65.00 US. Good deal.
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=2E9B2B4EA5CA7304

[dasteve]

There's been some compatibility problems with the new MBP, MB's and 3rd party ram. Go to Crucial and run the System Scanner to be sure you'll get the right compatible ram. It's the DDR3 1066mhz like you said. I think it was 79.00US for the 4GB kit when I bought it.

edit: It's now 65.00 US. Good deal.
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=2E9B2B4EA5CA7304

Did you get dinged by brokerage/etc fees? I went to checkout on Crucial.com and it wasn't charging tax...

[ThirteenInchMags]

How is it possible the the AppleCare Protection Plan is so much cheaper on ebay? From what I see, they are legit, but how is this even possible?

[antibact]

How is it possible the the AppleCare Protection Plan is so much cheaper on ebay? From what I see, they are legit, but how is this even possible?

Because they like to screw us over in Canada. I bought mine online from LA Computer Center and had no problems. They emailed the activation code immediately so I didn't have to pay shipping or customs fees.

[bmmr]

How is it possible the the AppleCare Protection Plan is so much cheaper on ebay? From what I see, they are legit, but how is this even possible?

I bought 4 applecares on Ebay the past 3 years and a Macbook Pro Applecare just yesterday for $159.99 USD . Apple stores in Canada sells Macbook Pro Applecare for $399.00 CDN plus tax. Apple USA sells it for $349.00 USD...

[milhaus]

I assume these are like the other Apple notebooks that are sealed and after 1000 battery recharges you toss them. Not a very green philosophy. How old would the average refurb be? I'm assuming they don't/can't replace the battery during the refurb.


If you are posting about your purchase of one, could you include the date of manufacture?
It's a silly assumption, and wrong. Batteries can be replaced for approx. the same price that Apple typically charges for an extra battery, service included. http://www.apple.com/support/macbookair/service/battery/

[Pizzletron]

Did you get dinged by brokerage/etc fees? I went to checkout on Crucial.com and it wasn't charging tax...

Yeah, as to be expected when ordering things from the US. I don't have the receipt in front of me, but I think it was about 10-15$

[nornet]

It's a silly assumption, and wrong. Batteries can be replaced for approx. the same price that Apple typically charges for an extra battery, service included. http://www.apple.com/support/macbookair/service/battery/

My reasoning is that to replace the battery is going to cost $150 plus parts which are probably several hundred. Who is going to spent upward of $350 to replace the battery in notebook several years old? I should have been more specific when I made my statement and added that the battery is not user replaceable.

[HowEver]

My reasoning is that to replace the battery is going to cost $150 plus parts which are probably several hundred. Who is going to spent upward of $350 to replace the battery in notebook several years old? I should have been more specific when I made my statement and added that the battery is not user replaceable.

Umm, no.

http://www.apple.com/support/macbookair/service/battery/

It's $159 plus taxes, all included. Why do you think it's $350?

[milhaus]

My reasoning is that to replace the battery is going to cost $150 plus parts which are probably several hundred. Who is going to spent upward of $350 to replace the battery in notebook several years old? I should have been more specific when I made my statement and added that the battery is not user replaceable.
Do you have something against doing research before posting, or even reading research done for you? I guess not. Pls. see above post for even more obvious summary of the article I cited.

[HowEver]

How is it possible the the AppleCare Protection Plan is so much cheaper on ebay? From what I see, they are legit, but how is this even possible?

Sometimes it's better if we just don't know... I'd like to think they buy up AppleCare from companies that are going out of business. All I know is that eBay AppleCare can work.

[nornet]

Umm, no.

http://www.apple.com/support/macbookair/service/battery/

It's $159 plus taxes, all included. Why do you think it's $350?

I don't read that to include the battery. If you need out of warranty battery service that does not include replacement it $159. Parts extra although nowhere does it say so explicitly. I've sent a note to Apple for clarification.

Can't locate an email address for clarification. The Inquirer (UK trade publication) says it is all inclusive so that's good enough for me. Actually $159 sounds cheap.

milhaus, and I suppose every warranty you've read was crystal clear? Apple has some of the vaguest in the industry in case you want to do some research.

Applecare is also available on Amazon but not at the Ebay prices.

[HowEver]

I don't read that to include the battery. If you need out of warranty battery service that does not include replacement it $159. Parts extra although nowhere does it say so explicitly. I've sent a note to Apple for clarification.

How nice. You're still wrong. You now have negative-1000 points.

[zenzen]

How is it possible the the AppleCare Protection Plan is so much cheaper on ebay? From what I see, they are legit, but how is this even possible?

Well, I believe the margin for Apple computers is very very slim for non-Apple-Store retailers and everything else like accessories and AppleCare has a very high mark-up. Ebay retailers are probably just selling closer to cost. Now how they get their hands on legit AppleCare is a mystery to me.

[nornet]

How nice. You're still wrong. You now have negative-1000 points.

I should have noted in the tag lines of those that jumped on me were Apple bigots. My oversight, I am out of here.

[HowEver]

I should have noted in the tag lines of those that jumped on me were Apple bigots. My oversight, I am out of here.

How nice. You have devalued the meaning of the word "bigots." You now have negative-10000 points but of course won't know since you are "out of here" (without ever being "here"). Rather than seeing people as knowledgeable, you read in your own self-serious small agenda.

I use PCs all the time, btw. It just doesn't take much to know the difference between a $159 battery with install and a $350 figure pulled out of the air--just not the MacBook Air.

[milhaus]

I should have noted in the tag lines of those that jumped on me were Apple bigots. My oversight, I am out of here.
Ah, the lovely ad hominem attack: resorting to the ammunition of idiots, are we? Not surprising, since you can't seem to demonstrate basic reading comprehension. Seriously, dude: it's $159, even if you can't read. Geez.

[dasteve]

Just wanted to mention I bought a Refurb Macbook Aluminum 2.0ghz for $1199, it was supposed to come with 2gb ram, but they gave me 4gb ram! SWEET!

[HBP]

Just wanted to mention I bought a Refurb Macbook Aluminum 2.0ghz for $1199, it was supposed to come with 2gb ram, but they gave me 4gb ram! SWEET!

Good stuff :cheesygri

[stephane]

Im french native so sometime I dont catch all but could someone confirm me
did the batery is 100% covert on the applecare warantie cause I have read the entire apple site and could not find someting clear

thank

[IntrepidRT]

Just wanted to mention I bought a Refurb Macbook Aluminum 2.0ghz for $1199, it was supposed to come with 2gb ram, but they gave me 4gb ram! SWEET!
Ooooooo, a $20 mistake!

[dasteve]

Ooooooo, a $20 mistake!

It's DDR3, and not to mention 2GB is 2 sticks, so you'd have to buy new sticks. It's more like ~$80-100.

[HowEver]

Im french native so sometime I dont catch all but could someone confirm me
did the batery is 100% covert on the applecare warantie cause I have read the entire apple site and could not find someting clear

thank

Apple calls the battery a consumable product, or something like that. If it dips to a really low charge in the first year it's covered. If it goes down to a few hours' charge it's not covered. Batteries get used up.

[neo1973]

I am happy with my new DELL mini 9 running OSX Leopard for about $400. A refurbished MacBook Air for $1099 is still too rich for me. :lol:

[J-Money]

My macbook is on it's way to my doorstep at this very moment. :D

[Captain Snazzypants]

I'm holding off until the new MacBook Wheel comes out this Spring. More on that here (http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary) :twisted:

[rivet]

Is there only one color for the Macbook air line? I went to futureshop and saw their last model and do not like the color that much, a bit like the aluminum macbook?

[HBP]

I'm holding off until the new MacBook Wheel comes out this Spring. More on that here (http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary) :twisted:

It was supposed to come out this past Christmas, but I can't wait any longer so I decided to bite on a unibody Macbook. Good on you for waiting though, that wheel is going to be revolutionary.

[HBP]

Is there only one color for the Macbook air line? I went to futureshop and saw their last model and do not like the color that much, a bit like the aluminum macbook?

Yeah, only one color.

[Hanif]

gonna order the macbook air as my primary computer

[rivet]

I read somewhere the first gen macbook air has overheating problem, does this refurbished ones have this problem?

[Absolute]

I've run my Macbook rather intensely over the past two months, and I have to say I've never had an overheating problem. The bottom gets warm to be sure, but never to an uncomfortable point or to causing any issues with the Air.

All I can say is that this is the best laptop purchase I've made!

[rivet]

Hello,

I am interested in ordering the MB air for my wife, had bought the dell mini 9 from bestbuy, but I know that she'd perfer the MB air much more. However, I never had a Mac before so I really have a few questions before pulling the trigger,

1. I am abit flexible in buying time, will there likely be any better options/price for MB air if I wait till back-to-school time? I know that I can get a new macbook w/ educational discount and got an ipod touch for free (after MIR), but does apple offer any discount on refurbished product at back to school time?

2. I most likely have to run window besides OS-X because I have softwares for windows but not Macs, I know I can run windows through bootcamp, but any known bugs of XP and vista I need to aware of?

3. I remember some one mentioned that you can get a printer for free after MIR? Any links for that?

4. Is that worth to pay $250 extra for the 64GB SSD version, how much difference does it make in real life?

Finally, I would like to hear from more people who actually bought this refurbished MB air about your experience with it. In particular, any overheating, slow down when watch video? ( I know some one just answered me, but I would like to hear more opionions).

Thanks very much,

[zx7rgirl]

1. I am abit flexible in buying time, will there likely be any better options/price for MB air if I wait till back-to-school time? I know that I can get a new macbook w/ educational discount and got an ipod touch for free (after MIR), but does apple offer any discount on refurbished product at back to school time?

Hi there - I ordered a refurbed Air over the telephone, for my mother. I asked at the time and the sales person said you could not combine an education discount with a refurb price. (I own a MB Pro but when I played with my mom's Air, it was too cool! The form factor is crazy, you can slip between a few sheets of paper and it disappears! Anyway, needless to say, I ordered one for me too and I love it!)

2. I most likely have to run window besides OS-X because I have softwares for windows but not Macs, I know I can run windows through bootcamp, but any known bugs of XP and vista I need to aware of?

I have never run bootcamp but I read forums where guys were doing so to install an HP mediasmart, and they did not mention any probs.

3. I remember some one mentioned that you can get a printer for free after MIR? Any links for that?

When you order your Macbook Air over the phone, ask for the printer offer if they don't mention it; also - online, you can add the printer. They will supply you with the link.

On a side note, if you order Mobile Me with it, you will qual for a $30 MIR, and you also get ilife 09 update disc INCLUDED with the Air, you don't need to order it.

4. Is that worth to pay $250 extra for the 64GB SSD version, how much difference does it make in real life?

From what I read on the forums, you get a tiny improvement and speed and battery life, but I think it was milliseconds for speed, and less that 30 min for battery life. In all honesty, this machine is fast enough. It powers on from standby almost immediately. I would use the extra 250 toward an ext. warranty (only in the last month) OR accessories ]:-0

Finally, I would like to hear from more people who actually bought this refurbished MB air about your experience with it. In particular, any overheating, slow down when watch video? ( I know some one just answered me, but I would like to hear more opionions).

No overheating here! I have watched hi-def 720 mkv's no prob.... I tried some hi-def files from eyetv but those would not work. But the eyetv is very proprietary. AVIs and other files will work fine.

Oh, and the sound blew me away. For one speaker, it is louder than the macbook my mom bought in October 08. The sound is great!

Full size back-lit keyboard, the pinch and zoom etc.. great value. Can't compare it to a netbook, this IS a computer.
PS I own numerous laptops (UMPC as well), two desktops, and many gadgets, so I can make a qualified opinion when I say Apple is a marvelous brand. The PC I bought a six weeks ago locks up every other day, and the seagate HDD inside of it was defective.

Cheers!

[Acuratl]

I've run my Macbook rather intensely over the past two months, and I have to say I've never had an overheating problem. The bottom gets warm to be sure, but never to an uncomfortable point or to causing any issues with the Air.

All I can say is that this is the best laptop purchase I've made!

LOOOOOOVE my new macbook, my black one used to get hot really hot, the aluminum one is great

[rivet]

Thanks very much for reply. Still can't find any information on Apple.ca regarding the free printer though, is that still valid today?




1. I am abit flexible in buying time, will there likely be any better options/price for MB air if I wait till back-to-school time? I know that I can get a new macbook w/ educational discount and got an ipod touch for free (after MIR), but does apple offer any discount on refurbished product at back to school time?

Hi there - I ordered a refurbed Air over the telephone, for my mother. I asked at the time and the sales person said you could not combine an education discount with a refurb price. (I own a MB Pro but when I played with my mom's Air, it was too cool! The form factor is crazy, you can slip between a few sheets of paper and it disappears! Anyway, needless to say, I ordered one for me too and I love it!)

2. I most likely have to run window besides OS-X because I have softwares for windows but not Macs, I know I can run windows through bootcamp, but any known bugs of XP and vista I need to aware of?

I have never run bootcamp but I read forums where guys were doing so to install an HP mediasmart, and they did not mention any probs.

3. I remember some one mentioned that you can get a printer for free after MIR? Any links for that?

When you order your Macbook Air over the phone, ask for the printer offer if they don't mention it; also - online, you can add the printer. They will supply you with the link.

On a side note, if you order Mobile Me with it, you will qual for a $30 MIR, and you also get ilife 09 update disc INCLUDED with the Air, you don't need to order it.

4. Is that worth to pay $250 extra for the 64GB SSD version, how much difference does it make in real life?

From what I read on the forums, you get a tiny improvement and speed and battery life, but I think it was milliseconds for speed, and less that 30 min for battery life. In all honesty, this machine is fast enough. It powers on from standby almost immediately. I would use the extra 250 toward an ext. warranty (only in the last month) OR accessories ]:-0

Finally, I would like to hear from more people who actually bought this refurbished MB air about your experience with it. In particular, any overheating, slow down when watch video? ( I know some one just answered me, but I would like to hear more opionions).

No overheating here! I have watched hi-def 720 mkv's no prob.... I tried some hi-def files from eyetv but those would not work. But the eyetv is very proprietary. AVIs and other files will work fine.

Oh, and the sound blew me away. For one speaker, it is louder than the macbook my mom bought in October 08. The sound is great!

Full size back-lit keyboard, the pinch and zoom etc.. great value. Can't compare it to a netbook, this IS a computer.
PS I own numerous laptops (UMPC as well), two desktops, and many gadgets, so I can make a qualified opinion when I say Apple is a marvelous brand. The PC I bought a six weeks ago locks up every other day, and the seagate HDD inside of it was defective.

Cheers!

[zenzen]

Yeah, only one color.

Except that the bezel around the screen is aluminum and not glossy black like the Macbook. Also, the display is a better quality screen than the Macbook's (closer to the 15" Macbook Pro's).

- - -

and +1 to zx7rgirl's excellent post.

[zenzen]

Thanks very much for reply. Still can't find any information on Apple.ca regarding the free printer though, is that still valid today?

Try here: http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/home/campaigns/printer_promo?mco=MjQyMDkxOQ

Looks like it's a $100 rebate rather than a free printer per se.

[Super strokey]

Stupid question guys but as the MB air doesnt have a disc drive can you use the disc drive on a windows pc wirelessly? My understanding is that you can use a macs in this way but im unsure.

[Absolute]

Stupid question guys but as the MB air doesnt have a disc drive can you use the disc drive on a windows pc wirelessly? My understanding is that you can use a macs in this way but im unsure.

Yep! It's called Remote Disk, and can be used to install an OS/software on your Air, or you can access the PC's drive directly from the Air.

[zx7rgirl]

Here is the printer rebate.. http://www.apple.com/ca/promo/
you have to "buy" the printer at the time you order the macbook. You pay for it, and send in for the rebate. They will send you the cheque in a few weeks. KEEP YOUR UPC CODE that is glued to the shipping box. You need that, and you will need the UPC from your printer box too....

Note, if you go to apple.com there is a rebate for mobileme which customer service will honour as well.


PS I have used the remote disc with my macbook pro - amazing. Haven't tried it with windows but if no one else knows, I will give it a go....

[rivet]

Thanks all for answering my questions. I returned my mini 9 yesterday. Called apple today trying to ask whether the printer promotion works with refurbished macbook air, ended up placing my order over the phone. I bought the HDD model with the MX-300 printer (damn the printer only sells $43 at CC) and hope I won't regret did not spend $250 more for the SDD.

I just realized that I forget to use airmiles, and what is more, I just noticed that airmilesshopping.ca has a 10x promotion last weekend, that is equivalent to probably $60 of gas, how can I miss that, anyway, I guess I am not a true RFDer yet, too lazy to cancel the order and order it using airmiles again to save an extra $6 :cheesygri.

Back to the topic, I asked the same questions on some other site, many people recommend me to buy Rev. B Macbook air and claim it is vastly superior than Rev. A, well, to me the price difference is too much to strech. Anyway, I am crossing-finger and waiting for the Macbook air, this will be our (me and my wife)'s first Mac, let's see how it works out.

[zenzen]

Back to the topic, I asked the same questions on some other site, many people recommend me to buy Rev. B Macbook air and claim it is vastly superior than Rev. A, well, to me the price difference is too much to strech. Anyway, I am crossing-finger and waiting for the Macbook air, this will be our (me and my wife)'s first Mac, let's see how it works out.

I went with RevA after trying both side by side at the Eaton Centre Apple Store in January. The RevB has the Nvidia 9400M graphics chipset, among other updates. HOWEVER, when I two-finger-scrolled a webpage on Safari, the RevB showed disctinct jerkiness and some fragmenting of the graphics during the scroll. The RevA, using the older Intel GMA3100, scrolled smoothly. That was enough for me! Any speed advantages of RevB would be offset by that quirk...and I was not about to spend $800 more, either.

Incidentally, I notice this scrolling issue in the new Aluminum MacBooks, too. It's kinda subtle, but it's the type of irritant that once you see it, you'll always be noticing it.

As they say here, YMMV. For me it was a clincher.

All the best with your new purchase. zz

[Kestral]

That's interesting zenzen, it could be because the drivers for the new Nvdia card are not yet mature.

When the X3100 first came out (I know since I have an X3100 based MacBook), the drivers weren't mature either so there was almost no difference between the X3100 and the previous model 950.

This could be the case here, and could be fixed either in a 10.5.x update or in Snow Leopard (which I hear may have been pushed back to fall 2009).

[manixc]

i know there is remote disc. but i'd like to know if any usb cd/dvd drive would work with the macbook air.

[klover]

Still debating this purchase.

Has anyone here had any problems with the MBA's hinges? Apparently, the REV A models develop a loose hinge that can ultimately crack (with Apple yet to confirm or admit this issue exists).

[SUPERMAN-01]

i am also suprised that you took intel over the 9400mI went with RevA after trying both side by side at the Eaton Centre Apple Store in January. The RevB has the Nvidia 9400M graphics chipset, among other updates. HOWEVER, when I two-finger-scrolled a webpage on Safari, the RevB showed disctinct jerkiness and some fragmenting of the graphics during the scroll. The RevA, using the older Intel GMA3100, scrolled smoothly. That was enough for me! Any speed advantages of RevB would be offset by that quirk...and I was not about to spend $800 more, either.

Incidentally, I notice this scrolling issue in the new Aluminum MacBooks, too. It's kinda subtle, but it's the type of irritant that once you see it, you'll always be noticing it.

As they say here, YMMV. For me it was a clincher.

All the best with your new purchase. zz

[Absolute]

Has anyone here had any problems with the MBA's hinges? Apparently, the REV A models develop a loose hinge that can ultimately crack (with Apple yet to confirm or admit this issue exists).

Nothing noticeable on mine, and I do open/close the lid several times a day. Mind you, I've only had it since mid-January, so take that with a grain of salt!

[fyrefly]

Has anyone here had any problems with the MBA's hinges? Apparently, the REV A models develop a loose hinge that can ultimately crack (with Apple yet to confirm or admit this issue exists).

I think there's been two reports of the cracking hinge on the 'net - with both being replaced/fixed by Apple (after some hassle) - but with thousands of MBA RevA's being sold - and only two reported problems - I think this is an overblown issue.

I've had a RevA for over a year and no problems - not loose, not cracking.

[zsnow]

Just ordered the air online. Consider the cost of 13' other brand notebooks are similar, this is not bad.
Hope i don't have the loose hinge issue. I don't mind the graphic card is not good as revB. it sounds this is a very common problem for revA.

[manixc]

FYI, refurb revB is supposed to be on sale around April. so might want to wait for that if you are not in a hurry.

[chex]

^May I ask from where did you get that info?

[manixc]

^May I ask from where did you get that info?

the apple forum at notebookreview.com

[rivet]

Hello,

I got the Macbook air yesterday, it looks and works very nice initially. It is also very quite out of box. However, after I do a software update, the fan seems to crank up very loudly. And the fan noise won't go down unless I didn't do any thing for like 10 minutes, and even copy some files may make the fan noise go up again, it also runs a bit hot. I haven't experience any freeze or slow down so i think it is fine, but the fan noise is very annoying for regular use.

For anyone else who bought this, what is your experience? Is this likely just be a fan control problem or sth. indicating mine is among those problematic once?

Thanks,
rivet

[rivet]

Hello,

If I need a USB to Ethernet adapter for occasional travel use only. Is there any cheaper alternative than buying the one from apple for $30+tax? Thanks.

rivet

[stephane]

I was having a RevA macbook air and it was almost dead silent If you heard lot of noise I think it is defect

[lewdvig]

I don't have a MacBook Air, but my friends with Airs use them on their laps and never mention heat.

I do have a MacBook Pro, which has never been out of a protective sleeve, and I use it on my lap and elsewhere--it has never felt hot.

I used to have an iBook G4, and a black MacBook, which seemed to work a bit harder but were never too hot to be laptops.

You have thick fire-proof skin.

I review notebooks. MBP and MB notebooks prior to the unibodies all get hot. I reviewed four revisions of plastic macbook and all had heat issues except the 2009 model. I measured 61 degrees Celcius on one! That's dangerous!

The MBA probably does too, but I am going to get anyway.

[lewdvig]

FYI, refurb revB is supposed to be on sale around April. so might want to wait for that if you are not in a hurry.

... and save some money in a piggy bank too because it will be $1700, not $1100 like the Rev A.

There are mountains of Rev As and that is why the price is so low.

The B is 30% faster, runs cool and can play Civ IV. That's freaking awesome. Apple will not have to discount it as much.

[HBP]

Hello,

I got the Macbook air yesterday, it looks and works very nice initially. It is also very quite out of box. However, after I do a software update, the fan seems to crank up very loudly. And the fan noise won't go down unless I didn't do any thing for like 10 minutes, and even copy some files may make the fan noise go up again, it also runs a bit hot. I haven't experience any freeze or slow down so i think it is fine, but the fan noise is very annoying for regular use.

For anyone else who bought this, what is your experience? Is this likely just be a fan control problem or sth. indicating mine is among those problematic once?

Thanks,
rivet

Download an App called SMCFanControl.

You can also take it in to an Apple store to describe your problems, but I doubt they will be "reproduced".

[lewdvig]

I went with RevA after trying both side by side at the Eaton Centre Apple Store in January. The RevB has the Nvidia 9400M graphics chipset, among other updates. HOWEVER, when I two-finger-scrolled a webpage on Safari, the RevB showed disctinct jerkiness and some fragmenting of the graphics during the scroll. The RevA, using the older Intel GMA3100, scrolled smoothly. That was enough for me! Any speed advantages of RevB would be offset by that quirk...and I was not about to spend $800 more, either.

Incidentally, I notice this scrolling issue in the new Aluminum MacBooks, too. It's kinda subtle, but it's the type of irritant that once you see it, you'll always be noticing it.

As they say here, YMMV. For me it was a clincher.

All the best with your new purchase. zz

Yeah, so you did not want to spend an extra $800. That is understandable.

But the 9400m is not worse than the X3100 at anything except sucking. There is a huge difference in performance. The biggest in my experience is heat - particularly how little effort the 9400m expends accelerating video decoding (this generating less heat). The X3100 gets very hot.

[rivet]

Thanks, I'll check SMCFanControl, I thought SMCFanControl only adjust the minimum fan speed for you, but I will try.

I got back my air from a local apple authorized reseller for services. The service is good, took just one business day. In the report, the tech. basically disassembled the air and find too much thermal compound so he re-applied less amount thermal compound. Total cost is about $100 charged to Apple warranty.

It got back better, but not totally address the issue. Based on istat menu, basically, my air idles around 50 C degree (some time less especially first boot usually 40 to 45 degree), once the temperature goes beyond 70c, the fan will ramp up towards 6200 rpm. The fan is actually very easy to ramp up because it seems that any continues CPU or HD/graphics activity may trigger the fan to ramp up, for example, watching a photo slide show for a minute can cause the fan ramp up to 6200rpm. However, the fan will only slow down from 6200rpm after the CPU temperature drop below 50 degree, but, this seems to be pretty hard for my air because it usually stays above 50 C degree even with very light use (web searching etc.). Good thing is I now need to wait 3 to 5 minutes (without using the air) for the fan to slow down to 2500rpm compared to 10 minutes before the service. Also, I can watch 720p h264 video using VLC smoothly now (it was choppy before the services) temperature will go above 80 degree though.

I am not sure whether I should send mine back for check again now, I doubt they can do anything better than what is now. Given all the good feedback from other user who got the refurbished air, looks like I got a slightly hotter one.


Download an App called SMCFanControl.

You can also take it in to an Apple store to describe your problems, but I doubt they will be "reproduced".

[fyrefly]

Thanks, I'll check SMCFanControl, I thought SMCFanControl only adjust the minimum fan speed for you, but I will try.

I got back my air from a local apple authorized reseller for services. The service is good, took just one business day. In the report, the tech. basically disassembled the air and find too much thermal compound so he re-applied less amount thermal compound. Total cost is about $100 charged to Apple warranty.

It got back better, but not totally address the issue. Based on istat menu, basically, my air idles around 50 C degree (some time less especially first boot usually 40 to 45 degree), once the temperature goes beyond 70c, the fan will ramp up towards 6200 rpm. The fan is actually very easy to ramp up because it seems that any continues CPU or HD/graphics activity may trigger the fan to ramp up, for example, watching a photo slide show for a minute can cause the fan ramp up to 6200rpm. However, the fan will only slow down from 6200rpm after the CPU temperature drop below 50 degree, but, this seems to be pretty hard for my air because it usually stays above 50 C degree. Good thing is I now need to wait 3 to 5 minutes for the fan to slow down to 2500rpm compared to 10 minutes before the service. Also, I can watch 720p h264 video using VLC smoothly now (it was choppy before the services) temperature will go above 80 degree though.

I am not sure whether I should send mine back for check again now, I doubt they can do anything better than what is now. Given all the good feedback from other user who got the refurbished air, looks like I got a slightly hotter one.

The Air is not designed as a multimedia machine really. If you tax the video card, the air heats up substantially. This is an X3100 problem , as mentioned above. Are you using the Air on your lap when it gets hot? The air works best on a hard, cool, flat surface. Not on a pillow, or a blanket, or on your lap, especially when trying to push the limits of the GMA 3100 by watching 720p video.

The app you want is called CoolBook, btw. SMCFancontrol will just push your minimum settings higher (user defined), at least as far as I know...

[zsnow]

refurb RevB now is available in the apple online store.
$1749 though.
http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_air

[rivet]

Found this as well, still quite expensive compare to the Rev. A. I am quite surprised that apple's product is actually cheaper in Canada compare to the US site if you factor in the current exchange rate.

refurb RevB now is available in the apple online store.
$1749 though.
http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_air

[straysheepie]

Thanks for the link, have been waiting to see what the price for RevB will be and it's still a bit steep. I've heard that RevB performs much better than RevA but not sure if it justifies a $650 difference though...

Also struggling between whether I should be practical and get a Macbook or go after the beautiful MBA :cheesygri I run extensive calculations on Excel spreadsheets when I work from home, and I plan on running Excel in Boot Camp and am worried RevA may be slow. However, I did use my 5 or 6 year old T-series Vaio until it died recently and it handled the spreadsheets fine.

How have people found the MBA for photo editing? That is the only other processor intensive use I anticipate. The MB or MBA will be my primary computer, but I do have a Mac Mini at home to act as a desktop.

refurb RevB now is available in the apple online store.
$1749 though.
http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_air