Is the Macbook Air The Modern Day Clamshell iBook?

[Klaxons2012]

After the Snow iBooks started taking a more conventional form factor, the slim clamshell design has gone the way of the Buffalo. Now that the MacBook Air has surfaced, I notice design similarities between the two. It's almost like the design went full circle. It's not so much Clamshellesque and that oh so sexy handle isn't featured in the MBA. I do see a progression as far as how slim the Clamshell was and how thin the MBA is. You might not see it, but it's just an observation.

 

[killmoms]

Except that the MacBook Air's top shape is still a rounded rectangle, not a toilet seat. It is tapered, though.

 

[Klaxons2012]

Except that the MacBook Air's top shape is still a rounded rectangle, not a toilet seat. It is tapered, though.

Yeah, the correlation is a bit of a reach, but I believe these two have a lot in common.

 

[bartelby]

Except that the MacBook Air's top shape is still a rounded rectangle, not a toilet seat. It is tapered, though.

And the Clamshells were not what you'd call "Slim" even by the standards at the time.

 

[arkitect]

Anyone remember these? So much "flab" waiting to be trimmed off…

 

[Klaxons2012]

And the Clamshells were not what you'd call "Slim" even by the standards at the time.

i beg to differ.

Toshiba 2595 CDT
Released in 1999. Compared to this the iBook isnt dramatically thinner but it was the most compact with an optical drive.

 

[onegirlcreative]

I still think the Clamshell was the BEST design. I love it and miss my Lime Green clamshell dearly.

 

[alphaod]

I wouldn't use a clamshell if I was paid to do it... but that's just me.

 

[team 79 krunch]

the clam shells were cool at the time but they would never make it today, even with new hardware and a slimmer design

 

[Omni Geno]

Wow, I was going to say "no, the Clamshell was cheaper," but that is not entirely true. According to Mactracker, the 466MHz clamshell iBook was $1,799 as well when it first came out. Amazing.

 

[team 79 krunch]

The clamshell iBook looks uber-cool when it's closed, but when you opean it up it's not so cool

 

[CaptainChunk]

Okay, it looks vaguely like the clamshell except the MBA is crippled in several ways the original iBook was not in order to save space: no Firewire, no built-in Ethernet, no built-in optical drive, soldered/non-upgradable memory.

Anyone remember these? So much "flab" waiting to be trimmed off…

Oh yeah, the Newton! An eNote, too! Too bad Steve Jobs killed those. But not that it really matters anymore - the iPhone is pretty much the modern-day Newton with a phone. Come to think of it, how many standalone Palms are really sold these days when you can get fully functional smart phones for like $200 with rebates?

 

[mBurns]

I miss my Clamshell. I sold it last December. That being said, it was well past its prime without a LCD resolution upgrade in my personal opinion. That being said, other then the tapered edges of the MacBook Air there are little correlations between the Air and Clamshell. They are focused on totally different markets.

 

[daneoni]

Wasn't a fan of the Clamshell at all it just looked weird. The transparent (translucite?) iBooks (white G3) were the best looking iBooks IMHO. For the PBs its the titanium & 12" models. For the iMacs its the G4 model, PowerMac = G4 Quicksilver, ACD = Acrylics models, iPods = 3rd Gen.

Cant really compare the MBA to anything in the product history except maybe the Titanium PB since both have dark/black keyboards. To me the Air is just an iPod touch with a big screen and full size keyboard albeit a very good looking one.

 

[wordmunger]

Wasn't a fan of the Clamshell at all it just looked weird. The transparent (translucite?) iBooks (white G3) were the best looking iBooks IMHO. For the PBs its the titanium & 12" models. For the iMacs its the G4 model, PowerMac = G4 Quicksilver, ACD = Acrylics models, iPods = 3rd Gen.

Cant really compare the MBA to anything in the product history except maybe the Titanium PB since both have dark/black keyboards. To me the Air is just an iPod touch with a big screen and full size keyboard albeit a very good looking one.

Ummm... sure. When the iPod touch has Keynote, Photoshop, Numbers, and an HTML editor, then get back to me.

 

[leekohler]

I've been saying this since the thing came out. It absolutely looks like the second coming of the clamshell. Definitely not the best design Apple has come up with. Hopefully they find a way to clean up the lines on this thing in the future.

 

[RainForRent]

I might not have anyone to agree with me, but I loved having a carrying handle on the clamshells.

 

[daneoni]

Ummm... sure. When the iPod touch has Keynote, Photoshop, Numbers, and an HTML editor, then get back to me.

If you're gonna take me literally, then in the same token, none of those things you mentioned come with a MBA...you have to buy/add them as extras to your $1799 dent. i.e. the MBA doesnt 'have' them as standard

The iPod touch reference is my way of saying the MBA is kinda underpowered. Yes its a dual core processor but thats even questionable given that one core shuts down as soon as you push the system a little too hard