A thin Mac with either an 11-inch or 13-inch screen and no optical drive.
9
votes
7answers
6k views
Is there a similarly fast alternative to Crtl + Shift + Eject for new Macbook that lack eject keys?
The new MacBook Air and Pro without optical drives lack an Eject key.
I use Ctrl + Shift + Eject a lot to put my display to sleep at the simple press of three keys. Without the Eject key being there ...
7
votes
4answers
26k views
How do I make a bootable USB flash drive for a MacBook Air?
Does anyone have a Terminal command-line recipe for making a new bootable USB flash drive for one of the new MacBook Air's? Is there a way to dd copy the USB boot device that comes in the box and ...
10
votes
3answers
10k views
Can I connect more than one external monitor to the late 2010 MacBook Air?
I am thinking about buying the new MacBook Air as a primary desktop replacement. One of the things I have on my desktop which I like is two large monitors. Does anyone know whether the new MacBook ...
3
votes
1answer
3k views
Turn off internal display without closing lid
I learned that a MacBook Air's built-in screen turns off when I close the lid so I can continue working on an external display set to be primary. But the MacBook Air has a heat system that requires it ...
20
votes
7answers
17k views
Is there a way to securely erase an SSD on my MacBook Air?
I have a late 2011 MacBook Air with an SSD and Lion. I used it for a while and then I activated File Vault 2. Now the data is encrypted, but I need to securely erase it so I can sell the computer.
I ...
14
votes
6answers
6k views
Keyboard shortcut to turn off display not possible with MacBook Air
Shift + Control + Eject will turn off a Mac's display.
I just bought a new MacBook Air. It has a power button instead of an Eject key:
Besides a hot corner or turning down the screen brightness, ...
13
votes
4answers
2k views
Is there any way to output to two 1920x1200 external monitors with any of MacBook Pro or Air?
I understand that you can output to one 1920x1200 monitor while still using the laptop's screen, and one 2560x1600 monitor using the dual-DVI adapter.
But can you output to two external 1920x1200 ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Is there a way to limit the size of the disk swap file in Mac OS X?
It seems to be that in OS X, whenever you are out of ram the system happily swaps to disk. This easily becomes an disaster due to the fact that the swapped out memory eventually fills my drive. On my ...
9
votes
7answers
14k views
Upgrade to higher memory or faster processor on MacBook Air
I'm zeroing on buying the 2012 MacBook Air. My usage of the machine will be mostly for development work (MySQL, Eclipse, Xcode, Android, etc.). I will also be running Windows 7 with SQL Server in a ...
2
votes
3answers
789 views
Is putting the computer to sleep while it's in a hot car a bad idea?
I know that keeping the battery of a MacBook Air in a hot environment is a bad idea. But sometimes I have to leave it in a hot car. Are there any recommendations as to what to do in this kind of ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
New thunderbolt MacBook Air and external monitors
Does the MB Air with thunderbolt only connect with Apples Thunderbolt monitor?
What are the options for third party monitors with DVI or VGA?
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Closing lid for clamshell doesn't make external monitor primary under 10.7.3 on MacBook Air 13"
I'm connecting a 13" MacBook Air to a Dell 22" screen using the Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, with an Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad plugged into a USB on the MacBook and a USB mouse ...
1
vote
3answers
3k views
I have 21.5GB free. Why won't my MacBook Air 2010 let me use Boot Camp?
I'm trying to install Windows 7 on my MBA, 2010.
I open up Boot Camp and attempt to use it, but after the first screen it comes up with an error saying it can't install unless theirs 10GB of free ...
16
votes
4answers
7k views
Delay in keyboard responsiveness after wake with Mountain Lion?
After upgrading to Mountain Lion, now when I open the lid to my 2010 13" MacBook Air, there is a 3-5 second delay between when the screen powers on and when the keyboard will respond to key presses in ...
12
votes
14answers
15k views
Wi-Fi connection randomly disconnects on 2012 MacBook Air
My 2012 MacBook Air has problems with Wi-Fi – random disconnections, every few minutes.
The problems occurred with Lion, and persist after an upgrade to Mountain Lion.
It seems the Wi-Fi drops ...
11
votes
1answer
2k views
Why is my Mac's CPU throttled? (Turbo Boost Ratio)
AnandTech has a instructions1 on how you can check the Turbo Ratios for the Mac's CPU. Since they are logged, the information is very easy to find.
In Mountain Lion you can do this the following ...
8
votes
2answers
503 views
mid-2011 Macbook Air changes applications on wake from sleep
When my new Macbook Air (13" mid-2011, Lion) wakes from sleep (by opening the lid, clicking the mouse or pressing the space bar), it usually wakes to the last application I was using, then changes ...
16
votes
6answers
10k views
Is it bad that my MacBook Air is passing me electricity?
Whenever my MacBook Air is connected to the AC power and I have my hands on the palm rest, I feel it passes some electricity to me. If I unplug it from the AC power it stops doing that.
This has ...
5
votes
2answers
769 views
Replacing shortcuts that use the eject key on MacBook Air lacking such a physical key?
I'm getting used to working on a MacBook Air this week and find myself wondering if I can systematically change the default system shortcuts to use the power button as a direct substitution for the ...
4
votes
1answer
899 views
re-mount ejected SD card without reinserting
I use a microSD card in my macbook air for additional storage, using a flush adapter (homemade, similar to the nifty minidrive).
To save battery when I'm not using it, I disabled auto-mount using ...
8
votes
6answers
18k views
Have to reconnect to WiFi every time computer goes to sleep
I recently purchased a new MacBook Air (2011) with Lion preinstalled. There is this persistent and incredibly annoying problem that is occurring with the WiFi. Every time I close the lid or let the ...
5
votes
3answers
505 views
Considerations when connecting an 11“ 2011 MBA and 13” 2012 MBP to a 2560x1440 Dual-link DVI monitor
This blog post by Jeff Atwood about the amazingly cheap and sketchy, but awesome 27" 2560x1440 Dual-link DVI Korean monitors got me wanting one.
I have a 11" 2011 MacBook Air and a 13" 2012 MacBook ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
How do you connect the new MacBook Air to the Cinema Display?
The MacBook Air has the magsafe and a USB port on one side of the chassis and the mini display and another USB port on the other side of the chassis. Does the 3-port cable for the Cinema Display ...
4
votes
6answers
15k views
Wi-Fi has stopped working around the time 10.7.3 update. Might they be related?
I have a MacBook Air which was working fine. Now I have awful network issues since the 10.7.3 update.
My home router is a D-Link DIR-615. I was securing the Wi-Fi network using WEP which worked great ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the connector used by the MBA's SATA drive?
I wonder what kind of connector is used in the latest MacBook Air for the SATA drive.
SATA Express?
When I first saw the gumstick SSD drive I thought it was using a SATA Express connector.
But when ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
How can I tell the difference between display sleep vs. computer sleep on my MacBook Air (Late 2010)?
How can I tell the difference between the entire computer sleeping and only the display sleeping?
I'm trying to diagnose sleep problems, and one of the basic things I need to know is the difference ...
9
votes
9answers
3k views
What is the benefit of using flash memory in the Macbook Air?
I don't understand why Apple does not use SSD drives in the Macbook Air like some other manufacturers to (e.g. Asus, Samsung). The technical specifications of the Macbook Air on Apple's website never ...
8
votes
3answers
7k views
Using FaceTime without the video
I have a first generation MacBook Air that heats up a lot when playing videos, and almost grinds to a halt after a few minutes of playback.
Is there a way I could turn off the video during FaceTime ...
8
votes
4answers
3k views
What's the purpose of the eject button on the MacBook Air?
I was interested to see that the power button on the new Airs has been moved to the keyboard, and was anticipating that it would just replace the eject key that has traditionally taken up that ...
7
votes
2answers
18k views
How do Apple engineers reset EFI password on new MacBooks?
Apple state:
Only Apple retail stores or Apple Authorized Service Providers can unlock these computers protected by a firmware password.
If you cannot remember the firmware password for your ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
MacBook Air takes an eternity to come out of sleep
For the past few years I've been using a 2008 aluminum MacBook. The day the new airs came out I decided to switch so I purchased one to replace my well used MB. Lion has had its bugs, most of which ...
5
votes
4answers
4k views
How long does the battery last on mid-2011 MacBook Airs?
I know that one of the big innovations in the MacBook Air was in the battery (which gets most of the internal volume of the computer!)
What is a normal loss of battery life (change in usable time on ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Can I attach two external displays to new MacBook Air?
Would it be possible to connect a thunderbolt display and a DVI display to the new thunderbolt MacBook Air? The Apple website has images of a Pro with multiple external monitors, but an Air with only ...
4
votes
3answers
834 views
Is the flash storage firmware update 1.0 for my MBA installed? How can I verify it?
On May 16th 2013 Apple released the MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0. Since I have experienced the described symptoms I really want this update.
However, the Mac App Store will show ...
4
votes
5answers
8k views
MacBook Air has suddenly become very slow at booting and shutdown
I have a Late 2010 MacBook Air, and it has a 256 GB SSD, 2.13 GHz processor, and 4 GB RAM. It has been lightning fast ever since I bought it and I upgraded to OS X Lion and it was super fast. Boot ...
3
votes
3answers
7k views
Can a Mac with Thunderbolt effectively use a PCI Graphics Card using an external cage?
I was wondering how good thunderbolt is for adding a beefier PCI graphics card to my MacBook Air.
If I use a PCI enclosure like this, will the card integrate with the Mac to enhance the performance ...
2
votes
1answer
230 views
Should the MacBook Air have the same amount of charge as its stated capacity when 'Full Charged'?
The following is an extract from System Information (under power):
Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh): 6517
Fully Charged: Yes
Charging: No
Full Charge Capacity (mAh): 6690
...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
High fan speed and CPU temp with low CPU usage?
I've been having intermittent fan speed and high CPU temperature when my CPU usage is nearly 0%. I don't run any weird apps. If I put my computer into sleep mode and wake it back up, this fixes the ...
2
votes
2answers
444 views
How can I keep my MacBook Air's battery cool?
It seems that the best advice for battery longevity on my MacBook Air is to keep the battery cool. It doesn't have powerful fans like the MacBook Pro, so I would think that overheating is even more of ...
2
votes
2answers
486 views
How do I wipe my MB Air's drive and start fresh?
I want to return my Air to the original factory settings, to the way it was before I added all kinds of junk to the solid state drive.
I'm running Snow Leopard. So after I wipe it clean, I plan to ...
2
votes
1answer
5k views
How do I boot my MacBook Air running Lion in safe mode?
I follow the instructions in http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455 to boot in Safe Mode, but it appears something different happens with Lion. After holding the shift key when hearing the startup tone, ...
2
votes
4answers
694 views
Syncing iOS devices to multiple Macs with same Apple ID
Not really a duplicate to the specific question but related:
Sharing music in the iTunes library with multiple accounts and iOS devices.
I got a 2011 13-inch MacBook Air for my upcoming college ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
MacBook Air wifi NIC: supported channels
I've had a problem with my Wi-Fi connection to a TP-Link router from MacBook Air. It has been solved by manually changing Wi-Fi channel on the router from "Automatic" to an average value.
What ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
MacBook Air: Can't connect to my TP-Link wifi router
I have a MBA 13" mid 12, OS X 10.7.5. It often completely ignores my Wi-Fi network, not showing it in the list of available networks (my Linux boxes and Android devices are connecting perfectly).
I ...
1
vote
2answers
448 views
Macbook Air (13" 2012) Fails to wake from sleep
The Air doesn't wake up from sleep mode when the lid is closed. Have to do a hard restart by pressing the power button for 5 secs which isn't nice. Tried to select the startup disk from system ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Bose QuietComfort 15 inline Microphone and mid-2011 Macbook Air
The BOSE headphones come with a cable that has a remote/microphone. The BOSE website and even the box says:
The QuietComfort 15 inline remote and microphone cable is compatible
with iPod nano ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Does the MacBook Air have a Fast User Switching (Login Window) shortcut key?
I have recently purchased a new MacBook Air, with my optical drive equipped MacBooks, there is a Shift+Control+Eject key combination that allows you to lock your system by showing the Login Window for ...
0
votes
2answers
355 views
How can I disable automatic scanning for WiFi networks?
The objective is to strengthen the WiFi reception (at the moment without additional hardware).
I live in an area with a 100+ radio signals.
Majority is useless (to low signal) but still scanned and ...
-2
votes
1answer
304 views
Running *ix Commandline tools in Macbook Air? VNC? Virtual-machine? Usable or too slow? [closed]
I haven't used OS X since an awful experience with its commandline tools and CD Xcode about 2009, that time getting rid of all Apple stuff but coming back after iPhone/iPad/FaceTime/iCloud/etc. Now I ...
