MacBook Air
Jan 31, 2008 | 6:39 am
#181
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,219
actually, that's exactly what they did. macs have efi (not bios) and apple added the ability to connect with a wifi network and look for published drives. when the user selects the network boot disc, the mac establishes a secure connection, transfers a small kernel, boots it, and then it mounts the network drive and pulls down whatever else it needs from the dvd. it's basically an extension of what they were doing for network booting.
Jan 31, 2008 | 10:28 am
#182
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: Dirt
Posts: 949
External optical drives are the least of my worries. Practically all computers made in the last 5 years, if not more, supported boot from external USB optical drives.
I used a slate tablet pc from 2004 through 2007. I never found the lack of optical drive an inconvenience. For the time when I have to burn backups of my data, I put together a $30 DVD writer in a $20 USB/Firewire enclosure and kept it at my desk. To transfer data, I used USB flash drives.
A rescue partition on an USB flash drive is far easier than CD's. These days, I am quite a fan of System Rescue CD. I run it from a 256MB USB flash drive leftover from upgrade.
This has been done since the 80's. The diskless unix workstations of yore had system firmware that could query the BOOTP (precursor to DHCP) server for its IP address and a location to download the system image. In 1999, Intel incorporated this process into standard PC design and named it PXE.
Today, many systems work over PXE. Linux can boot over network just as diskless unix workstations once did. Microsoft has a system to install Windows over network. All of this requires a managed IT infrastructure so you hardly hear about them.
I used a slate tablet pc from 2004 through 2007. I never found the lack of optical drive an inconvenience. For the time when I have to burn backups of my data, I put together a $30 DVD writer in a $20 USB/Firewire enclosure and kept it at my desk. To transfer data, I used USB flash drives.
Originally Posted by UALOneKPlus
I couldn't restart the machines with CDs like Knoppix, UBCD, UBCD4Win, or even Win XP install CDs to try to fix the windows install.
Today, many systems work over PXE. Linux can boot over network just as diskless unix workstations once did. Microsoft has a system to install Windows over network. All of this requires a managed IT infrastructure so you hardly hear about them.
Feb 1, 2008 | 11:39 pm
#183
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Hoboken, NJ; Pembroke Pines, FL
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Posts: 2,941
BTW, regarding my purported weak straw man Dell comparison: I'm not trying to create the ideal comparison, I'm just relating my two choices for corporate laptops at my company - Dell and Apple.
I was kinda disappointed that my new Latitude 630 had such disappointing battery life given I have the bulbous extended battery *and* the bay battery.
Speaking of Dell/MS bashing, I just had the most horrible day of fighting Windows to get my new Windows Mobile 6 phone to (Active) sync via Bluetooth. Half of the websites I found recommended uninstalling the vendor Bluetooth stack and using the MS XP SP2 Bluetooth stack. How any mere mortal could be expected to get this to work is beyond me.
I was kinda disappointed that my new Latitude 630 had such disappointing battery life given I have the bulbous extended battery *and* the bay battery.
Speaking of Dell/MS bashing, I just had the most horrible day of fighting Windows to get my new Windows Mobile 6 phone to (Active) sync via Bluetooth. Half of the websites I found recommended uninstalling the vendor Bluetooth stack and using the MS XP SP2 Bluetooth stack. How any mere mortal could be expected to get this to work is beyond me.
Feb 4, 2008 | 10:23 pm
#186
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,219
I stopped by a local Apple Store after work and found one in stock.
So far, it's not that exciting since it feels almost exactly the same as my Macbook Pro. The keyboard backlighting is actually more legible with the backlight on black instead of on silver. The single mono speaker is much louder than our white Macbook, but not as loud as the stereo speakers on the Macbook Pro. It's also a bit strange to have the sound come from only one side and behind the keyboard.
I found the file transfer to be fast enough over wifi. I had about 40 gigs of data transfered in a couple hours. The network utility said it was connected at 130 Mbit/s.
We'll see what happens when I use it for a couple weeks. It might replace my Mom's iBook G4 if I find that I can't live with it.
So far, it's not that exciting since it feels almost exactly the same as my Macbook Pro. The keyboard backlighting is actually more legible with the backlight on black instead of on silver. The single mono speaker is much louder than our white Macbook, but not as loud as the stereo speakers on the Macbook Pro. It's also a bit strange to have the sound come from only one side and behind the keyboard.
I found the file transfer to be fast enough over wifi. I had about 40 gigs of data transfered in a couple hours. The network utility said it was connected at 130 Mbit/s.
We'll see what happens when I use it for a couple weeks. It might replace my Mom's iBook G4 if I find that I can't live with it.
Feb 6, 2008 | 2:22 am
#187
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 545
If it is possible to put a recovery/reinstall on a large size USB stick and boot from that, fine. That is an unbeatable solution. But is that the case here? I dont know.
However, what is clear is that needing to mess with optical drives in the moment of truth - or having to look for one or carry one around is just not good enough for a mission-critical tool. That weakness has dogged optical driveless ultraportables for years. Doesnt change just because there is an Apple logo on the device.
If of course this is just a shiny toy, then sure, it doesn't matter. But IMO this is 2008. You bring out a device like this then has got to be able to do a reinstall and boot from a USB stick.
Feb 6, 2008 | 5:53 am
#188
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: United GS+
Posts: 1,889
While I'm admittedly not a Mac fan, I find this laptop especially horrid, from a maintenance and tweaking point of view.
I've used dozens of laptops, and had a couple Sony Vaio's that gave me bad experiences about laptops without optical drives.
All laptops will fail, and some quicker than others, at very inconvenient times. The Vaio's that failed had external optical drives, but I had them stored away and didn't use them very frequently. When the laptops failed, I couldn't find the optical drives, so I couldn't restart the machines with CDs like Knoppix, UBCD, UBCD4Win, or even Win XP install CDs to try to fix the windows install.
I had to open up the Vaios to remove the hard drive (just like the MBA), took it out, slaved it to a desktop, to salvage the data. The lack of an optical drive readily available made it a pain in the rear. I also couldn't reinstall the OS without having to find the optical drives.
So those of you who think the lack of an optical drive is no big deal, make sure you organize your stuff better than I, and keep your optical drive in a safe place that you can get to easily. This seemingly trivial stuff is a real PITA when computer do go wrong.
I hope the bios of the MBA will allow booting from the external optical drive, as that will simplify the install of other OSs or disaster recovery media.
Bottom line though the MBA is a sweet notebook, but there are too many "workarounds" to handle the deficiencies that have been widely discussed here.
I've used dozens of laptops, and had a couple Sony Vaio's that gave me bad experiences about laptops without optical drives.
All laptops will fail, and some quicker than others, at very inconvenient times. The Vaio's that failed had external optical drives, but I had them stored away and didn't use them very frequently. When the laptops failed, I couldn't find the optical drives, so I couldn't restart the machines with CDs like Knoppix, UBCD, UBCD4Win, or even Win XP install CDs to try to fix the windows install.
I had to open up the Vaios to remove the hard drive (just like the MBA), took it out, slaved it to a desktop, to salvage the data. The lack of an optical drive readily available made it a pain in the rear. I also couldn't reinstall the OS without having to find the optical drives.
So those of you who think the lack of an optical drive is no big deal, make sure you organize your stuff better than I, and keep your optical drive in a safe place that you can get to easily. This seemingly trivial stuff is a real PITA when computer do go wrong.
I hope the bios of the MBA will allow booting from the external optical drive, as that will simplify the install of other OSs or disaster recovery media.
Bottom line though the MBA is a sweet notebook, but there are too many "workarounds" to handle the deficiencies that have been widely discussed here.
I backup data through the wireless network. Of COURSE the MBA will allow booting from an external drive.
If you consider those workarounds a problem, you are NOT a candidate for an ultraportable. Keep lugging your 5lb laptop around and sleep easy.
Feb 6, 2008 | 5:57 am
#189
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Join Date: Jul 2007
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Posts: 1,889
You sure it can't? I've been running OS X on my Thinkpad x60s (<3 lb book) for ages.
Feb 6, 2008 | 5:59 am
#190
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In theory, yes. In practice, user experience shows that not all USB optical drives can be relied on to do this correctly. Most hardcore ultraportable users would tell you that. And the moment of crisis is the worst possible time to be having to roll the dice.
If it is possible to put a recovery/reinstall on a large size USB stick and boot from that, fine. That is an unbeatable solution. But is that the case here? I dont know.
However, what is clear is that needing to mess with optical drives in the moment of truth - or having to look for one or carry one around is just not good enough for a mission-critical tool. That weakness has dogged optical driveless ultraportables for years. Doesnt change just because there is an Apple logo on the device.
If of course this is just a shiny toy, then sure, it doesn't matter. But IMO this is 2008. You bring out a device like this then has got to be able to do a reinstall and boot from a USB stick.
If it is possible to put a recovery/reinstall on a large size USB stick and boot from that, fine. That is an unbeatable solution. But is that the case here? I dont know.
However, what is clear is that needing to mess with optical drives in the moment of truth - or having to look for one or carry one around is just not good enough for a mission-critical tool. That weakness has dogged optical driveless ultraportables for years. Doesnt change just because there is an Apple logo on the device.
If of course this is just a shiny toy, then sure, it doesn't matter. But IMO this is 2008. You bring out a device like this then has got to be able to do a reinstall and boot from a USB stick.
Feb 6, 2008 | 10:23 am
#191
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: Dirt
Posts: 949
However, what is clear is that needing to mess with optical drives in the moment of truth - or having to look for one or carry one around is just not good enough for a mission-critical tool. That weakness has dogged optical driveless ultraportables for years. Doesnt change just because there is an Apple logo on the device.
In the last couple of years, the industry is moving toward utility/recovery partitions on the system drive. For instance, if there is some kind of OS error on your ThinkPad, push the blue ThinkVantage button to boot from the utility partition. You can choose to restore to an earlier backup or factory state. No optical drive needed. Well, not unless the system drive fails or the utility partition gets erased.
Feb 6, 2008 | 10:29 am
#192
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Feb 6, 2008 | 11:05 am
#193
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,219
Mobile Tech Review, reviews the Macbook air. They also compare with the Fujitsu LifeBook P1620, Toshiba Portege R500, Sony Vaio SZ, and Sony Vaio TZ.
Feb 6, 2008 | 12:10 pm
#194
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: San Jose, California, USA
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The reason I insist that my subnotebook have an optical drive is that I once used a subnotebook without an optical drive and know from experience how irrititating it was to deal with that omission. I won't make that mistake again and I don't recommend that anyone purchase an MBA unless they know for sure that they can live with the limitations & workarounds.
Feb 6, 2008 | 12:33 pm
#195
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,219
The reason I insist that my subnotebook have an optical drive is that I once used a subnotebook without an optical drive and know from experience how irrititating it was to deal with that omission. I won't make that mistake again and I don't recommend that anyone purchase an MBA unless they know for sure that they can live with the limitations & workarounds.
Why do a lot of people cling to legacy ideas?
Now, almost everything can be done over the network. Software installs are downloaded rather than mailed on CD or DVD. Files are shared with colleagues over email or posted on a portal / website. Movies can be downloaded to your hard drive, which also saves battery power compared to watching on a disc. The music CD is in decline.
A few years ago (way back in 2003), sub-notebooks without optical drives, like the Sony X505, were probably ahead of the times. The use of the internet was not as prevalent as it is now.