Is new MacBook Air 2011 worth buying?

Apple just release the MacBook Air on last Thursday (21 July 2011), together with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and new Mac Mini.

The new MacBook Air 2011 has almost the identical design as last year 2010 model. The new MacBook Air came with thunderbolt, backlit keyboard, new cpu, and NO it doesn’t start with 4G ram and 128G flash storage, but started with the same price USD999. The 4 different model selling at RM3099, RM3699, RM3999 and RM4999.

Is the new MacBook Air worth buying?

The short answer is YES! But is still depends on your need.

Who will not buy MacBook Air? Apple haters don’t buy MacBook Air. Users need all in one notebook don’t buy MBA, users need powerful notebook, no budget? Don’t buy MBA. The list grows from here. Other than the list, you can continue reading this.

Is less than 12 months after the previous MacBook Air release, normally it takes longer than that for a new refresh. The outlook form factor is not much changes compare with the last release model, the only thing that you might notice is the mini port has changed to thunderbolt socket.

The outlook might not change a lot, but the hardware specification is quite different. While the earlier version of MBA using core 2 duo (L9400), and majority of the other notebook at the same time use core i3, core i5 (or core i7) CPU, previous MacBook Air was being criticized for using an out dated CPU. This is true for Apple case, it doesn’t look like Apple style. Apple usually use the latest hardware specification.

The new MBA using the latest Sandy Bridge 2 core CPU, which is at least 2 generation from core 2 duo. Sandy Bridge CPU is the latest 32nm CPU release by Intel early this year, it is the second generation of core i5 (or i7) series, new MBA is using the 17 watts ULV series and not the 35 watts which is commonly seen out there, the core i5 ULV (2557M) should just being release on 2011 June. Some reports saying that the new MBA performance is 2 times of the previous MBA.

Unless you want to wait for 22nm Ivy Bridge, or an A6 processor for the Air. Macbook Air is a good buy.

Reference:
Is MacBook Air worth upgrade?, maccrazy. 

Apple could adopt ARM, Arstechnica.

WebCamp KL 7 2011

You should attend the WebCamp KL 7, it was fun. Those first timer should feel interesting tonight, there are still people commented that is a bit too technical. The turn up is good, about 50.

What is WebCamp KL? A meetup for people who are interested in web related stuff, for technical and non technical as well. The meetup is quite casual, they even talk casual topic which is not web related as well. They have monthly meetup at Mindvalley, Wisma UOA, Bangsar. Is just besides Bangsar LRT station.

I did blog about WebCamp five before. You can check out their facebook group and coming up event.

They try something different this time, the Pecha Kucha 20x20 presentation. What is Pecha Kucha presentation? Is to present 20 slides, each slide in 20 seconds. You have to finish the presentation in 7 minutes time.

I really like it, because presentation in casual event like this shouldn't drag too long.

Brief list of the presentations:

1. Symbology by Shue from qnack.com.
2. Ruben Tan on Development Workflow.
3. Jern on web related stuff.
4. Diving presentation by Wu Han.
and an adhoc presentation by BuZz
5. What's wrong with the game industry.

Is not the end yet. Follow by karaoke pecha kucha presentation. Someone just present a talk with a random give slide, unknown topic and unknown content, just for fun:

First volunteer on "How to do presentation" (I can not remember the exact topic), second volunteer is Kelvin Francis on "25 Bollywood Movies", follow by another 2 presentation. Is just for fun.

Someone has do some video recording, should be posted in the facebook group.

Rumors on MacBook Air 2011

There are rumors floating around about the new MacBook Air. The latest saying that it will be released this week (this Wednesday), but who knows?

The following are few of the rumors that I head:

1. The new MacBook Air should be ready, just waiting to release together with Mac OS X Lion.

2. It came with thunderbolt, the very fast I/O interface.

3. Backlit keyboard is back.

4. Started with 4G ram and 128G flash.

5. The ULV Sandy Bridge runs at 17 watts. So it will has the same long life battery time as before.

What I am more concern about is the price. Will it be the same as before with all the features added?

New media don't lie

Newspaper, TV and radio is not the only media available. More news are available on facebook, twitter and internet.

Everyone should learn about new media and internet, especially the minister.

Few days back, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai claims that police did not shoot tear gas and water cannon into Tung Shin Hospital on Bersih 2.0 rally day.

More and more evidence on photos, video and witnesses showing that it did happened. (here, here, here and here)

Is time for those minister to spend some time on internet.

X-Men First Class as OO example

How do you describe X-Men First Class as object oriented? This is just a question, but no specific answer.

Mutants (X-Men) has superpower, at least one superpower, but some may have more than one superpower. I just pick a few character from X-Men First Class.

Erik (Magneto) play by Michael Fassbender

1. Erik aka Magneto, magnetic force fields to control metal.

Charles Xavier play by James McAvoy

2. Charles Xavier aka Professor X, telepathy power read and control others people (or mutants) mind. 

Emma Frost (by January Jones)

3. Emma Frost, telepathy and diamond state power. 

Raven (Mystique) play by Jennifer Lawrence

4. Raven aka Mystique, shapeshifter power allow her to morphing into other mutants or human form.

Emma Frost does not has nickname but she has more than one superpower. Emma has telepathy power and can turn to diamond state. She can not use both of the mutant power at the same time. For example, Emma can not use telepathy in diamond state, but she stop Charles Xavier from reading her mind in diamond state too.

The superpower of the above mutants are telepathy, diamond state, shapeshifter and magnetic force fields.

Tips:
1. All mutants has (at least 1) superpower.

2. Majority of the mutants has nickname, nickname may related to the superpower

3. There is no specific answers on how you classified or implement the object

My solution:
I am using Java-like syntax, you can use any syntax which is suitable or familiar for you.

// abstract class, because it has an abstract method, userPower() 
abstract class Mutant { 
    String name; 
    String nickname;

    Mutant() { }; 

    Mutant(String name) { 
        this.name= name; 
        } 

    Mutant(String name, String nickname) { 
        this.name= name; 
        this.nickname= nickname; 
        } 

    String getName() {
        return name;
        }

    String getNickname() {
        return nickname; 
        }

    abstract void usePower();
    } 

class Magneto extends Mutant { 
    private static final String name= "Erik Lehnsherr"; // inheritance override 
    private static final String nickname= "Magneto"; 

    Magneto() {
        super(name, nickname);
        }

    void usePower() { 
        System.out.println("move the coin"); 
        } 
    } 

class Telepathy extends Mutant { 
    // no specific name here
    Telepathy(String name) { 
        super(name);
        }

    Telepathy(String name, String nickname) { 
        super(name, nickname);
        }

    void usePower() { 
        System.out.println("read the mind"); 
        } 
    } 

class Shapeshifter extends Mutant { 
    String name= "Raven"; // inheritance override 
    String nickname= "Mystique"; 

    Shapeshifter(String name) { 
        super(name); 
        } 

    Shapeshifter(String name, String nickname) { 
        super(name, nickname); 
        } 

    void usePower() { 
        System.out.println("transform to another human or mutant"); 
        } 
    } 

class FirstClass { 
    public static void main (String [] args) { 
        Magneto erik= new Magneto(); 
        Telepathy charles= new Telepathy("Charles Xavier", "Professor X"); 
        Telepathy emma= new Telepathy("Emma Frost"); 
        Shapeshifter raven= new Shapeshifter("Raven", "Mystique"); 

        
        System.out.println(erik.getName() + " aka " + erik.getNickname()); 
        erik.usePower(); 
        System.out.println(charles.getName()); 
        charles.usePower(); 
        System.out.println(emma.getName()); 
        emma.usePower(); 
        System.out.println(raven.getName() + " aka " + raven.getNickname()); 
        raven.usePower(); 
        }
    } 

$ java FirstClass 
Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto
move the coin
Charles Xavier
read the mind
Emma Frost
read the mind
Raven aka Mystique
transform to another form

I didn't implement second superpower for Emma Frost, left it for you to do it.