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Apple Announces MacBook Air
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Stocks are falling across the board today. Citigroup announced a 10 billion dollar loss. Fears of recession are up. There's more going on today than the keynote!!
DOW down 217.86 (1.70%)
NASDAQ down 45.99 (1.86%)
S&P 500 down 27.43 (1.94%)
Then you could argue that all Apple computers are a rip off because you can get a desktop for $300 ( vs iMac ), or any windows PC for a lot less than a Mac.
I love the fact that I said it having iPod hard drive (kind of) would save so much space, and I was shot down instantly, saying I was stupid for saying something like that, now look whats happened 
That's a MacBook. I think you're missing the point - yes, they could make it just a little bit thicker and add all the stuff people are complaining about...but then it would be that much thicker, and the MacBook Air lives and dies based on it's thinness...really it's no different than the gamer who spends 50% more for 8% more performance on ultra-high end hardware. The Air sacrifices features for its form factor.
Apple's entire design for the MacBook Air revolves around form factor - it has nothing to do with optical drives, replaceable batteries etc. It sacrifices those for the desired form factor. I think it works.
This is the most hilarious thread I've ever read in my life. People complainin' about this and that. Crackin' me up. Honestly, I think it's a great product. Big thumbs up to Apple.
How is it a great product. Yesterday my CC was burning a whole in my pocket to buy this, but then I heard the specs and I was completely turned off, especially with the lack of expandability. No user replaceable battery, no memory expansion, no way to add a FW400 even if you wanted to. This machine is the definition of planned obsolesce.
And Power users were ready to "see" the Pro model but are forced to buy an outdated and slower MBP, which many were hoping/expecting to see improved a-la the rest of the laptop chip industry has been doing for the past four weeks.
I put away my wallet. I'm not the target market. I hope this thing takes off, I love to see Apple succeed. But ignoring the MBP was, IMO, a mistake. And I think they're getting punished for it in the market (and no, AAPL did not go down the day the iPhone was introduced, quite the opposite).
As for the folks whining about the whining, this is a forum for discussion. Aside from the usual trotting out of stupid comments ('this is trash', etc), it's fair game to air (heh) your opinion pro or con. Get over it.
Wow, there are some stupid people posting today. Case in point:
"No gigabit ethernet? This sucks."
"No 2.4 GHz processor? This sucks."
"No built-in optical drive? This sucks."
"No 200GB HD to store all my porn videos? This sucks."
That's not what this product is for. It's like saying a hammer sucks because it doesn't work like a saw.
Wake up.
This is a Mac for people who want to do writing and email and internet and some other "lighter" applications (like listening to music, or watching some videos), and not carry around a heavier, bulkier machine.
The VAST majority of that market will not care about gigabit ethernet ports. Nor will they care about storing a huge amount of data on a hard drive. You could possibly argue that optical media is more useful, but it's getting much less useful by the day.
I think this is an amazing product. It truly is a massive accomplishment. It finally fills the sub-notebook hole in Apple's lineup, but without compromising on keyboard or screen real estate. It's also a perfect compliment for Mac owners who already have a desktop, but need to be mobile as well.
It's going to sell very well...
"No gigabit ethernet? This sucks."
"No 2.4 GHz processor? This sucks."
"No built-in optical drive? This sucks."
"No 200GB HD to store all my porn videos? This sucks."
That's not what this product is for. It's like saying a hammer sucks because it doesn't work like a saw.
Wake up.
This is a Mac for people who want to do writing and email and internet and some other "lighter" applications (like listening to music, or watching some videos), and not carry around a heavier, bulkier machine.
The VAST majority of that market will not care about gigabit ethernet ports. Nor will they care about storing a huge amount of data on a hard drive. You could possibly argue that optical media is more useful, but it's getting much less useful by the day.
I think this is an amazing product. It truly is a massive accomplishment. It finally fills the sub-notebook hole in Apple's lineup, but without compromising on keyboard or screen real estate. It's also a perfect compliment for Mac owners who already have a desktop, but need to be mobile as well.
It's going to sell very well...
I think the metaphor is unfair - is Apple somehow the only company that tries to distinguish its products from competitors? I think not. Every time a vendor touts a new product it's engaging in the same junk-whipping behavior you criticize Steve Jobs for. It's business, it's marketing. And judging by sales and stock prices, Apple is pretty good at it these days.
Meh. I rarely use FW on my laptop, and in 13 years of laptop ownership have replaced a battery just once. the RAM limit is slightly vexing but this is clearly intended as a light-use or second machine. I'm not convinced by your arguments. RE: planned obsolescence...what computer out there isn't a good example of this? The computer industry as a whole is the avatar of planned obsolescence.
i think a macbook pro is better suited for that. the macbook air is for those who do a lot of plane/train hopping. businessmen, district managers, writers, etc...
Lots of good ideas in this new laptop, but seems to me the battery and tiny disk would be deal breakers for most people, me included. Why can't we get a MacBook Pro 12/13 (like my old PBG4...miss that machine)??
I absolutely agree with you, but I don't think people want to spend $1,800 to check their email. The problem is the price vs. performance - it's fine to offer a lightweight, stripped down option - but then you can't charge "pro" prices for it. I think that's where most of the disconnect stems from.
Well the 3 network will give you 2.8Mbps on, for instance, the Nokia N95.
Not really that far behind is it?
http://threestore.three.co.uk/?id=1183
Yay!
Ohhh well im happy....i mean i kinda like the Air...its cute and everything but i would never buy it, WAY too expensive and it brings less things than a MBP...Im just happy they didn't do anything to the Macbook. I've got a black macbook that i bought last Thanksgiving and i didn't want it to be obsolete that fast....so thanks Apple for not doing ANYTHING to me macbook as for the Air.....well cool multitouch trackpad, thats about all i like about it lol
Ohhh well im happy....i mean i kinda like the Air...its cute and everything but i would never buy it, WAY too expensive and it brings less things than a MBP...Im just happy they didn't do anything to the Macbook. I've got a black macbook that i bought last Thanksgiving and i didn't want it to be obsolete that fast....so thanks Apple for not doing ANYTHING to me macbook
as for the Air.....well cool multitouch trackpad, thats about all i like about it lol
A MBP isn't even good for that since you can't replace the battery. The MBA is the Cube all over again.
I don't really care about ODD nor ports. Ultra portable users can live without them. They've been since long ago.
Let me explain what ultra portable must have.
User replaceable battery. (oh man. if you don't know why you need this, with 4 hr, at most, possible real battery time.. What's the point of carrying ultra portable if you can't stay on, for example, for whole flight?)
Light weight.
my personal preference.
laptop must be cool enough to not bother the work I do.
also possible access to EVDO network (direct/indirect.. express card slot etc).
If you still don't get it, and persuading me to get Macbook because of this, you just don't understand.
only 80GB
I was assuming it would have the 160GB hard drive option (like the iPod Classic), or would that have required a thicker case? Even for the road warrior, my thinking is that 80GB just isn't enough. Especially given the amounts of music/photos/movies that people typically carry on their laptops. I'm just unsure why my new iPod Classic has a hard drive that is twice the size as the Air... Auto-syncing my pod will certainly be out of the question.
Maybe the answer is to get one of the new Capsules and run an iTunes and iPhoto library straight off that when at home. I believe for the moment that my 12" Powerbook with 160GB hard drive, ethernet, superdrive, firewire etc. is still a more realistic mobile tool, despite the extra 1.8 pounds. Really too bad MBP's weren't updated with a new form factor.
I was assuming it would have the 160GB hard drive option (like the iPod Classic), or would that have required a thicker case? Even for the road warrior, my thinking is that 80GB just isn't enough. Especially given the amounts of music/photos/movies that people typically carry on their laptops. I'm just unsure why my new iPod Classic has a hard drive that is twice the size as the Air... Auto-syncing my pod will certainly be out of the question.
Maybe the answer is to get one of the new Capsules and run an iTunes and iPhoto library straight off that when at home. I believe for the moment that my 12" Powerbook with 160GB hard drive, ethernet, superdrive, firewire etc. is still a more realistic mobile tool, despite the extra 1.8 pounds. Really too bad MBP's weren't updated with a new form factor.
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