I just happen to be one of those people for who this laptop DOES meet my needs and I find it visually appealing. What's so wrong with that? Why does that make this a poor purchase?
It is a wonderful machine, really nice and sexy. It is well featured (and reasonably priced) in relation with its market (ultra thin). It is NOT meant to be a replacement of other macbooks, it's not even in the same market niche.
This laptop is aimed at tech people with a low budget or video (or photoshop) professional? Obviously no, because it doesn't have enough horse power (but the sony has even less...). It is this laptop aimed to people with no other computer? No, it isn't either.
Is its market target the medium to top exec/manager whose primary application is office and web browsing and whose main concern is "look"? Absolutely YES. This kind of people many times doesn't even know what a ethernet port is, they do not install themselves any application (there is the IT department for that) and all they use is word (as a typewriter), Excel, powerpoint (or keynote), a web browser and a mail application. They live in a windows world and this kind of laptop is perfect to make them switch (remember, sometimes they just don't know what a mac is).
The MBA is a status symbol laptop (just as a Ferrari car), and is so sexy that this execs will just go and buy it (or ask to the IT department to buy it). And it will work with the PC drives over there, so there will be no hassle for the IT guys...
This is a wonderful leverage into the corporate world. It will sell a lot. just as the ipod. (and I can understant it can be unfit for many of the people in this forum (most of us are tech-oriented people), I have to admit that it is not fit even for my needs (I have a macbook and I'n really fine with it), but I see a big market (a corporate one) for the MBA.
Remember, a Ferrari is not the best choice when you buy a car if you plan to go camping, but many (really more than you can imagine) just buy a ferrari. Someone prefer a suv and will say that the ferrari is overpriced and underpowered (less trunk space, more problems on slopes and so on), but I can assure you that some kind of people will buy the ferrari at once.
So they will do with the MBA. It is not designed for many of you, but it is designed for them.
So relax. It will not bomb.