but... but... YOU CAN GET A LAPTOP FOR ~$300 !!!

but... but... YOU CAN GET A LAPTOP FOR ~$300 !!!

Yeah.. a Laptop. not an ultrabook.

I guess the main reason for me really boils down to I don't like the OS, and really, if you are not using OSX there is no reason to buy Apple.

I guess the main reason for me really boils down to I don't like the OS, and really, if you are not using OSX there is no reason to buy Apple.

Say that on the Arch Linux forums

I'm not a fan of apple in the slightest... Sure it may be a *nix, but I cant stand the front end of the OS or justify the price (because I'm cheap like that.) If you want a mac experience, just download elementary OS. They imitate it down to the keystroke symbols, which still confuse me to this day.

Well I would perfer building a hackin'tosh.

Come on building a computer is half the fun of owning one. xD

I'm not a fan of apple in the slightest... Sure it may be a *nix, but I cant stand the front end of the OS or justify the price (because I'm cheap like that.) If you want a mac experience, just download elementary OS. They imitate it down to the keystroke symbols, which still confuse me to this day.

That is an excellent point, though I have yet to find a better-priced flatbook than the airs.

Ever since I started using *nix (including OS X, which I use now), I simply can't go back to Windows. It's too limiting. And yes, I can install whatever I want on OS X. The myth that Apple restricts everything needs to stop being perpetuated. 

Ever since I started using *nix (including OS X, which I use now), I simply can't go back to Windows. It's too limiting. And yes, I can install whatever I want on OS X. The myth that Apple restricts everything needs to stop being perpetuated. 

Amen! celtore I hope you're writing notes! lol jk.

Also... find a flatbook with the same specs and cheaper price than a base model 11" macbook air, they don't exist ( yet at least )

Mac user over here. I switched to Apple because when studying music at a tertiary level, you pretty much had to have a Mac. I could never go back to using a PC day-to-day. I mean, I own a PC for gaming. But would I like to run my life from it? Wow, nope.

The desktop management on OSX is particularly good. And it's native. That's the biggest draw for me.

That said, I'm pretty much exactly Apples target demographic here. Mid 20's, artistic, tech-savvy but not really a tinkerer... I totally get why Mac's aren't the best choice for everyone. Especially anyone who likes custom-building their machines.

The elitist 'Macs are crap' attitude really rubs me the wrong way though. Just because something isn't right for one person doesn't mean it's not perfect for somebody else.

That said, I'm pretty much exactly Apples target demographic here. Mid 20's, artistic, tech-savvy but not really a tinkerer... I totally get why Mac's aren't the best choice for everyone. Especially anyone who likes custom-building their machines.

I don't know, Apple actually doesn't seem that bad for developers either. ( I mean, they support the Eclipse IDE, what's not to like? )

and I've probably emphasized this point quite a bit of the time, but at this point, The macbook air is probably the best valued flatbook over any other *cough cough* lenovo thinkpad X1 carbon *cough cough*

"If you mean the Macbook Air, okay, Enlighten me, Find me an ultrabook ( Keyword: ULTRABOOK ) that has the exact same specs as the base Macbook air 11", and for cheaper."

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. It's about the same as the 13" MBA, but has 8GB RAM instead of 4 and a 3200x1800 screen instead of a 1440x900 screen for less than the 256GB model (for the same amount of storage, 256GB).

Do I win?

"If you mean the Macbook Air, okay, Enlighten me, Find me an ultrabook ( Keyword: ULTRABOOK ) that has the exact same specs as the base Macbook air 11", and for cheaper."

 

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. It's about the same as the 13" MBA, but has 8GB RAM instead of 4 and a 3200x1800 screen instead of a 1440x900 screen for less than the 256GB model (for the same amount of storage, 256GB).

 

Do I win?

I guess you do. Better value than the 13" Air.

now find a better 11" ultrabook than the 11" Air.

I guess you do. Better value than the 13" Air.

 

now find a better 11" ultrabook than the 11" Air.

That is gonna be the hard part.

That is gonna be the hard part.

Exactly, and that's the only size ultrabook I'd actually buy!

Exactly, and that's the only size ultrabook I'd actually buy!

If I were to buy an ultrabook, I'd get a 13.3" one, easier to see on (he says as he works with a 15.6" 1080p screen) and a bigger keyboard which is ergonomically better for me.

"If you mean the Macbook Air, okay, Enlighten me, Find me an ultrabook ( Keyword: ULTRABOOK ) that has the exact same specs as the base Macbook air 11", and for cheaper."

 

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. It's about the same as the 13" MBA, but has 8GB RAM instead of 4 and a 3200x1800 screen instead of a 1440x900 screen for less than the 256GB model (for the same amount of storage, 256GB).

 

Do I win?

Not quite. Surface-level specs aren't everything. Those alone don't dictate performance and, most importantly, user satisfaction. The Yoga 2 Pro has a battery life of nine hours. The MBA 13" has thirteen. The Air also has Intel HD graphics 5000, which delivers over 40% higher performance than the Yoga's 4400. 

Let's consider SSD read/write speeds, as well. The Air's sequential read speed is benchmarked at over 800 MB/s, and it has a write speed of over 700 MB/s (source: AnandTech). On the other hand, the Yoga is limited to read speeds of around 500 MB/s, and write speeds of 130 MB/s (source: PC Pro). This is a massive difference. 

A few other things to consider: the MBA has two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, and a thunderbolt port. The Yoga 2 has a similar loadout, but has one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0. 

The only thing that the Yoga has over the MacBook is the screen, the importance of which varies from person to person. I don't care for that, personally, especially with the screen sizes involved. 

It's also generally agreed that the MacBook's touchpad is superior to the competition, but that's obviously not quantifiable. 

Not quite. Surface-level specs aren't everything. Those alone don't dictate performance and, most importantly, user satisfaction. The Yoga 2 Pro has a battery life of nine hours. The MBA 13" has thirteen. The Air also has Intel HD graphics 5000, which delivers over 40% higher performance than the Yoga's 4400. 

 

Let's consider SSD read/write speeds, as well. The Air's sequential read speed is benchmarked at over 800 MB/s, and it has a write speed of over 700 MB/s (source: AnandTech). On the other hand, the Yoga is limited to read speeds of around 500 MB/s, and write speeds of 130 MB/s (source: PC Pro). This is a massive difference. 

 

A few other things to consider: the MBA has two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, and a thunderbolt port. The Yoga 2 has a similar loadout, but has one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0. 

 

The only thing that the Yoga has over the MacBook is the screen, the importance of which varies from person to person. I don't care for that, personally, especially with the screen sizes involved. 

 

It's also generally agreed that the MacBook's touchpad is superior to the competition, but that's obviously not quantifiable. 

But can you fold back the screen 180° degrees and get a tablet?

That's another thing the Yoga has over the Air, yeah, but it's a niche feature. You'd buy that if you needed it, but I'd wager that most prospective laptop customers wouldn't be prioritizing it. Comparing both as ultrabooks (where the emphasis is on speed, portability, and battery life), I would prefer the Air every time.