False comparison: "if you’re interested in getting the most pop possible for your buck, it’s clear that the MacBook Air isn’t the best way to go."
I knew that in advance. The Air is not about pure performance.
Exactly. They compared an ultraportable to full-size laptops, without outlining why someone should get one over the other. They only stated the obvious "other computers give you more power."
I'm growing tired of these comparisons. For me: I prefer Mac. Other people prefer Windows. I actually have one of the new MacBook Airs (the 13" upped to 4gb RAM and 256gb hard drive) and it's hands down the best Mac I've purchased.
This doesn't mean that if I bought an equally priced (and benchmark-ed-ly faster) Windows machine that I'd be happier. I would basically just have a machine that is a little bit faster with an interface that I strongly do not prefer. Saving a couple bucks in this way would not make me happy.
These comparisons seem great for people that are truly apathetic to their interface, environment and workflow... the only people I know that fit that description are not playing Call of Duty.
I'm not saying that Mac is better than Windows. I'm saying my preference is a Mac, and with the perceived price-per-power that I normally feel with Macs, I feel like I got a great deal. It's quick, the battery lasts about twice as long as I'd ever need it to, and I'm happy with my purchase.
I think they ignored the fact that people buy the Air because it's ultra thin and light.
I mean, the Alienware they are comparing it to for example has a height of 1.29 inches whereas the Air is 0.11 to 0.68 inches.
Then for weight the 11" Alienware is 4.39 lbs but the 11" Air is 2.3 pounds.
Obviously there is merit in these alternatives they are rating but I wish they put some value into the thinness and weight numbers that people buy Airs for.
and in such comparisons I never see categories like "surface area of trackpad" and "bulkyness of power adapter and power cable", which I've learned to appreciate more than fps in games.
\begin[possibly failing]{humor}
Alright! Apple did something wrong! Took PCWorld long enough to bring it to our attention. I mean, what, didn't the MacBook Air come out yesterday? And it can't perform well as items already on the market?
\end{humor}
While a lot of people are poo-pooing the article, just earlier this week I heard someone make the comment that the 13" MacBook will run circles around PC laptops.
I think its a useful datapoint for consumers, even if it isn't a single datapoint that can be used to drive all decisions.
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 42.7 ms ] threadThis doesn't mean that if I bought an equally priced (and benchmark-ed-ly faster) Windows machine that I'd be happier. I would basically just have a machine that is a little bit faster with an interface that I strongly do not prefer. Saving a couple bucks in this way would not make me happy.
These comparisons seem great for people that are truly apathetic to their interface, environment and workflow... the only people I know that fit that description are not playing Call of Duty.
I'm not saying that Mac is better than Windows. I'm saying my preference is a Mac, and with the perceived price-per-power that I normally feel with Macs, I feel like I got a great deal. It's quick, the battery lasts about twice as long as I'd ever need it to, and I'm happy with my purchase.
And at the end of the day, that is what matters.
I mean, the Alienware they are comparing it to for example has a height of 1.29 inches whereas the Air is 0.11 to 0.68 inches.
Then for weight the 11" Alienware is 4.39 lbs but the 11" Air is 2.3 pounds.
Obviously there is merit in these alternatives they are rating but I wish they put some value into the thinness and weight numbers that people buy Airs for.
How is the 11" Air compared to a regular netbook?
I think its a useful datapoint for consumers, even if it isn't a single datapoint that can be used to drive all decisions.