have to sleep so i can only respond to this right now.
I was referring to the specific context in which i made my post (that you in turn commented on). That was specifically on looks, no more no less.
Good night.
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Ultrabook Manufacturers Limiting Initial Shipments in Face of MacBook Air Popularity
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have to sleep so i can only respond to this right now.
I was referring to the specific context in which i made my post (that you in turn commented on). That was specifically on looks, no more no less.
Good night.
A little History
I find reading the comments in this forum rather interesting. I have always been attracted to the ultra portables. Way back in 1998 I bought my first ultraportable; a Magnesium Toshiba Portege. Then in 2000 I upgraded it to the newer model with Pentium III (600Mhz) with 384 Mb memory. It came with Windows NT and cost a whopping $2000 way back then. I used that machine until 2004. Over the years I upgraded to Windows 2000, then all the way to XP (the machine still runs fine by the way but has no practical use anymore). In 2004 I bought myself a Sony Vaio TX3 and retired the Portege. In 2007, I replaced the TX3 with the TZ390 limited edition with Carbon Fibre lid, 64Gb SSD + 320Gb HDD, Core2 Duo 1.33Ghz, 2Gb ram. I used that machine until 2009 until I saw the Sony Vaio X1 Limited edition. For those who are not familiar with the X1, it is a super light (near iPad size) NetBook with 2Ghz Atom, 128 SSD and 2Gb Ram, Windows 7. All of these machines were before the Air was available (except X1) and were the thinnest lightest of their kind. Vaio TZ was about $1900, and the X1 was $1500. So, all of them were more expensive than a MacBook Air to say the least and less powerful. I hoped that the Vaio X1 would be a good travel PC because It is even thinner and lighter than the 11.6 Air, but it is hopelessly underpowered and runs hot. Last year when Apple introduced the 11.6 Air, I bought it and retired all the Vaios for good. This year I upgraded the 11.6 Air with the new ultimate version and gave my old 11.6 Air to my daughter. The moral of the story is this: Apple certainly did not invent the slim ultraportable computers. All other companies had similar machines long before the Air was introduced. But, none of them came close the the Air, be it in quality, performance or feel. One should not overlook at things like the speed and the efficiency of OS X versus Windows either. I used all versions of Windows all my life and switched to OS X since 2009 and I find OS X much less demanding on the hardware, running faster than Windows and much more stable. Also the magnificent trackpad of a MacBook with its gestures really separate a Mac from a PC. I see a lot of people with a mouse attached to their PC's at airports but I don't remember seeing a lot (if any) Mac user with a mouse attached to their machines. Last but not least, do you know a PC that goes to sleep and wakes up as nicely as a Mac? Most Windows machines somehow confuse a sleep with a coma! These are my experience and my personal thoughts. Yours may differ from mine and I respect that, but the Mac hardware and OS X works for me and I don't look back to my PC/Windows days. Conclusion? Competing companies must really work hard and invent something unique, eye-catching and well working machines rather than just copying.
I find reading the comments in this forum rather interesting. I have always been attracted to the ultra portables. Way back in 1998 I bought my first ultraportable; a Magnesium Toshiba Portege. Then in 2000 I upgraded it to the newer model with Pentium III (600Mhz) with 384 Mb memory. It came with Windows NT and cost a whopping $2000 way back then. I used that machine until 2004. Over the years I upgraded to Windows 2000, then all the way to XP (the machine still runs fine by the way but has no practical use anymore). In 2004 I bought myself a Sony Vaio TX3 and retired the Portege. In 2007, I replaced the TX3 with the TZ390 limited edition with Carbon Fibre lid, 64Gb SSD + 320Gb HDD, Core2 Duo 1.33Ghz, 2Gb ram. I used that machine until 2009 until I saw the Sony Vaio X1 Limited edition. For those who are not familiar with the X1, it is a super light (near iPad size) NetBook with 2Ghz Atom, 128 SSD and 2Gb Ram, Windows 7. All of these machines were before the Air was available (except X1) and were the thinnest lightest of their kind. Vaio TZ was about $1900, and the X1 was $1500. So, all of them were more expensive than a MacBook Air to say the least and less powerful. I hoped that the Vaio X1 would be a good travel PC because It is even thinner and lighter than the 11.6 Air, but it is hopelessly underpowered and runs hot. Last year when Apple introduced the 11.6 Air, I bought it and retired all the Vaios for good. This year I upgraded the 11.6 Air with the new ultimate version and gave my old 11.6 Air to my daughter. The moral of the story is this: Apple certainly did not invent the slim ultraportable computers. All other companies had similar machines long before the Air was introduced. But, none of them came close the the Air, be it in quality, performance or feel. One should not overlook at things like the speed and the efficiency of OS X versus Windows either. I used all versions of Windows all my life and switched to OS X since 2009 and I find OS X much less demanding on the hardware, running faster than Windows and much more stable. Also the magnificent trackpad of a MacBook with its gestures really separate a Mac from a PC. I see a lot of people with a mouse attached to their PC's at airports but I don't remember seeing a lot (if any) Mac user with a mouse attached to their machines. Last but not least, do you know a PC that goes to sleep and wakes up as nicely as a Mac? Most Windows machines somehow confuse a sleep with a coma! These are my experience and my personal thoughts. Yours may differ from mine and I respect that, but the Mac hardware and OS X works for me and I don't look back to my PC/Windows days. Conclusion? Competing companies must really work hard and invent something unique, eye-catching and well working machines rather than just copying.
My 80 year old grandfather has had no trouble with it.
Looks like a lot of people here in this Apple-centric forum haven't seen Ubuntu since before 2004.
I'm not saying it's better than OS X, but compared to Windows it's a no-brainer for those who aren't entrenched with MS-only apps.
Your grandfather is the exception, not the norm. The average Joe would never consider a linux machine. There are people here who have trouble with an iOS device because it has one button.
You are arguing semantics.
When I wrote Linux I meant "Linux-based desktop distributions" which is awkward, so I shortened it to Linux. You don't need to prove that Linux-based desktop distros like Ubuntu are good to me. However, the Ubuntu guys need to prove it to the marketplace.
Linux-based distributions are fine for the server room and as embedded operating systems for certain devices (TiVo, my router, etc.). However, no one can claim that Linux-based desktop distros have been a success.
Toshiba's are not magical, just Macs. You must be having a bad day, you really want a MBA but just don't realize it yet. Give it a day or two and you will.
If they all go out of business, Apple will become even more Apple-like. More control, more dominating, and the most important thing to us consumers, more profits.
Thats true actually. Apple said its the future, so everyone should be using an Air. Taking my MBP 13 and selling it ASAP and getting the Air, cause Apple said it is the future. Why did I wait so long.
Stupid me. Everyone should fold tent I agree as well. All Apple all the time. Then we can finally get rid of all optical media for good! Yes!!! I don't know about you but I can;t wait till they raise prices 200-500 on each model, it will feel better paying that much personally for I.
Forgot about that. Also isn't the wifi Apple uses 3x times as fast as ethernet anyway? So technically we can rid that for good on all Macs. F USB 3, I got thunderbolt.....I'll find something for it.
I mean if a Mac is > PC, then a Mac is even > than itself. Deep sh** right there.
um, yea
While technically not really a "chicklet" keyboard by definition, the current "chicklet-style" low-travel keyboard was introduced by Apple, not Sony.
The trackpad in question is not just a generic "rectangular trackpad", but an oversized "buttonless" glass multi-touch trackpad, which was definitely introduced first by Apple, which everyone else is now starting to rip-off.
We don't know if Samsung's screen is brighter. There is no spec mentioned about the Air's brightness. Reviews say the Air's screen is brighter than average though. But, brighter doesn't mean better. Neither does resolution for that matter. Historically, Apple has included higher quality screens than almost any competitor, so it's likely to be as good or better than Samsung's, plus having more resolution.
The Samsung series 9 do not come with 256GB SSDs. You can configure a model with a Core i7 and a 256GB SSD, but that one will run you over $2k, while the same from Apple is $1700.
The Samsung can indeed accomodate more RAM than the Air. That is good and smart. I'll give you that. Apple's decision on RAM design for the Air was beyond stupid.
Thunderbolt is likely to be the future for high-speed external connections. It is far more useful than for just connecting monitors. It is faster than any other external connectivity standard, period.
The series 9 may have an HDMI port, but then you're stuck. What if you want DVI or VGA? With the Air's Thunderbot port, you can connect HDMI, DVI, or VGA devices using the appropriate cable.
The series 9 does have an Ethernet port. I do like that. Of course on the Air you can use the USB to Ethernet adapter, or again, the Thunderbolt port for that purpose. Granted, that might not be ideal. It's a trade-off for a higher performing port on a thin, space limited device.
So, yea, my comparisons are valid.
While technically not really a "chicklet" keyboard by definition, the current "chicklet-style" low-travel keyboard was introduced by Apple, not Sony.
The trackpad in question is not just a generic "rectangular trackpad", but an oversized "buttonless" glass multi-touch trackpad, which was definitely introduced first by Apple, which everyone else is now starting to rip-off.
We don't know if Samsung's screen is brighter. There is no spec mentioned about the Air's brightness. Reviews say the Air's screen is brighter than average though. But, brighter doesn't mean better. Neither does resolution for that matter. Historically, Apple has included higher quality screens than almost any competitor, so it's likely to be as good or better than Samsung's, plus having more resolution.
The Samsung series 9 do not come with 256GB SSDs. You can configure a model with a Core i7 and a 256GB SSD, but that one will run you over $2k, while the same from Apple is $1700.
The Samsung can indeed accomodate more RAM than the Air. That is good and smart. I'll give you that. Apple's decision on RAM design for the Air was beyond stupid.
Thunderbolt is likely to be the future for high-speed external connections. It is far more useful than for just connecting monitors. It is faster than any other external connectivity standard, period.
The series 9 may have an HDMI port, but then you're stuck. What if you want DVI or VGA? With the Air's Thunderbot port, you can connect HDMI, DVI, or VGA devices using the appropriate cable.
The series 9 does have an Ethernet port. I do like that. Of course on the Air you can use the USB to Ethernet adapter, or again, the Thunderbolt port for that purpose. Granted, that might not be ideal. It's a trade-off for a higher performing port on a thin, space limited device.
So, yea, my comparisons are valid.
No. The ethernet Apple currently uses is Gigabit, about 3x faster than the wifi. They just don't have it on the Air.
Honestly I think that Lenovo has outdone the Air with their U300s. I've seen the U260 in person and the orange is absolutely stunning. It seems that with this one that Lenovo has managed to clean up their already great design. All that is missing is the leather-like deck on the U260.
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I'm arguing core concepts.
Core concept #0: the kernel is mostly irrelevant on the desktop market.
User experience is everything.
If by "success" you mean "shipped copies", then no, no distro has been a success.
Except that you are comparing an OS that's sold as OEM with no support with an OS that's given away for free and lives on support fees.
Doesn't make much sense, does it?
If you go to the CS or Physics department of your local university you would be surprised to see how Ubuntu is a very relevant minority, if not a majority, on the notebooks and computers of students and researchers.
I work in web development, and the last time I've seen a Windows PC it was, I think, in 2006 or 2007.
These days EVERYBODY uses Macs or Ubuntu 10.10.
(And, uhm, dual monitors, everywhere.).
I swear.
Of course, they are niches.
But lo! Secretaries and bean counters use Ubuntu/Macs too in these environments, nobody ever complained about not finding the 'start' menu.
So, the reason why Windows still has a majority stake may not be, after all, its ease of use, but simply the fact that Microsoft, wisely enough, has agreements set up with every major manufacturer.
I like it too!
Perhaps not "outdone", but at least it does not look like a copycat or a batman toy.
oh, and it's orange, too! just like the sony c series! am i ringin' any bells?
I must admit that "orange" and "stunning" are two words I have never before seen used in the same sentence.
Having said that, Lenovo does make some nice laptops. Of course, the U300 won't be out for at least 2 more months, so it's hard to compare it with anything on the market today.
Here is a video ad for Lenovo.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20100985-501465.html
And a bit of info:
http://www.notebookreview.com/defau...o+announces+ideapad+u300s+u300+u400+ultrabook
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My parents are now grandparents. They used Ubuntu for several years until quite recently. Never had any issues.
No need for Guitar Hero -> http://fretsonfire.sourceforge.net/
Exactly, I like Ubuntu.
The problem with the marketing paradigms used in relation to Linux is manufacturers either using obscure distros, such as Linspire, or having Linux as the BTO option without any real discount for choosing it over Windows.
Honestly, I find using a more mainstream distro of Linux, such as Ubuntu, not much more difficult than using OS X.
Is everybody forgetting about Android? Android will eventually placate users fear about giving Linux a try on their other computing devices.
Installing Linux by default on more mainstream machines may be the impetus that drives users to give it a try.
I don't think most users equate using Android to Linux at all. In fact I doubt most of them even care what a kernel is nor should they. It doesn't matter much if plumbing is similar - I mean webOS is also built on the Linux kernel but no one using webOS will give Linux a try because of webOS.
Also installing Linux has been tried quite a few times I believe, most recently by ASUS and others on their Netbooks. It has been proven over and over again users simply go for Windows if given a choice.
I have no problems with Linux, I just believe it will be an impossible sell as a pc operating system outside of the geek world. Installing Linux on mainstream machines may also drive users away. The market can be quite fickle. Now if Apple used Linux, that would be a different story. The public would accept it much easier. And I am not being sarcastic. It's the power of Apple marketing, they are the masters.
Being able to use Linux and choosing Linux are two very different things.
Modern distros like Ubuntu are quite usable.
But when we're talking about PCs, we're talking about Windows pre-installed. People don't choose Windows, it just comes with their computer. With 92% of the market, neither Mac nor Ubuntu will change that soon.
That's likely because it has ONLY one button. I have an iPad2 and an Asus Transformer, and the convention of having a clearly identified Back and Home buttons makes a world of difference over having to guess what behavior you'll get when you press the iPad's single button.
In fact, I've done an admittedly informal usability test with all of my friends who got iPads: after following the instructions to set it up in Settings, how do you get back to the Home screen?
Google "iPad how to exit Settings?"
http://www.google.com/search?q=iPad+how+to+exit+settings?
About 2,140,000 results, the first pointing to an Apple Support forum page.
Apple gets a lot of things right, but sometimes they're not perfect.
With the appropriate polish to the distro used and a good marketing paradigm, this may not be an issue.
It think that Linux might grab some users from those using Android mobile devices if a more mainstream distro, such as Ubuntu, was rebranded as "Android Desktop."
True, Mac OS X users are already accustom to using an alternative OS.
I find that users adapt fairly quickly if you give an inexperienced computer user a machine running Linux. Show them how the menubar works and how to use the Ubuntu Software Center, then they're good to go.
12 million and counting. Sure, it's not taking over the world or anything, but since Microsoft still has more than 90% of the market neither is Mac OS. But, like Mac, a lot of people like it whether it's what others choose or not.
No, not 'round here. I love my Macs and all, but one of the things that got me interested in Ubuntu is the community: they have no illusions or ambitions of world domination, they just want to enjoy their computers.
The Mac culture used to be like that, but in recent years too many in the Mac community are all about "Use what I prefer or you're stupid!"
I think you hit the nail on the head. Inexperienced users will pick it up quick. Long time users don't like to change in general and will be much more resistant even though they could pick it up quickly if they gave it an honest try.
I can be that way too, but I'm usually open minded enough to give it a try and in most cases it's not as bad as I had imagined. I've used Linux, Windows and OSX. I had a lot of fun running Linux Mint off of a flash drive a few years back. Talk about a lot of effort to get everything working! But I had some help from a few users on another forum and we conquered it step by step.
That's what many people believe (give Apple credit for that) but is completely untrue. You might find the following video (called - Sony Stole Apple's Keyboard Layout) informative and even somewhat enjoyable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oJwJhLRoFI&feature=player_detailpage
Here is an image of Sony VAIO (2004 model):
Excellent point. The community is great. And helpful. But don't you think it is still more "geek" oriented than average Joe?
Ultrabook? I'll give my sincere & humble personal opinion on the "Ultrabook".
ULTRABOOK MY ASS
Out-of-the-box experience with (several) WINDOZE laptops so far
* decrapify
* windoze update
* past half a day updating Service Packs Hot Fixes Drivers Bios Whatever, finally machine is ready... NOT, because some whatever either needs reinstall or caused conflict or was redundant or whatnot
* FINALLY, after much patience, and after installing needed software, I still have a machine that a) randomly does not wake up from sleep b) randomly does not go to sleep d) randomly does not hibernate e) randomly does not shut down without long power button presses until OFF f) randomly takes ages to start / wake up
---
Out-of-the-box experience with Macbook Air 11" 1st gen:
* turn on
* use
Wakes / Sleeps in seconds, reboots in seconds, built like a tank, everything thought out in detail (packaging, charger size, cord wrap, magsafe), plays half-life 2, runs Windoze in Parallels for when its needed, updates are fast and issue-free, overall I can bear with quirks and live a comparatively frustration-free computing experience. Would buy, not twice, but twenty times over.
IMHO:
can not care less for Ultrabooks.
ULTRABOOK MY ASS
Out-of-the-box experience with (several) WINDOZE laptops so far
* decrapify
* windoze update
* past half a day updating Service Packs Hot Fixes Drivers Bios Whatever, finally machine is ready... NOT, because some whatever either needs reinstall or caused conflict or was redundant or whatnot
* FINALLY, after much patience, and after installing needed software, I still have a machine that a) randomly does not wake up from sleep b) randomly does not go to sleep d) randomly does not hibernate e) randomly does not shut down without long power button presses until OFF f) randomly takes ages to start / wake up
---
Out-of-the-box experience with Macbook Air 11" 1st gen:
* turn on
* use
Wakes / Sleeps in seconds, reboots in seconds, built like a tank, everything thought out in detail (packaging, charger size, cord wrap, magsafe), plays half-life 2, runs Windoze in Parallels for when its needed, updates are fast and issue-free, overall I can bear with quirks and live a comparatively frustration-free computing experience. Would buy, not twice, but twenty times over.
IMHO:
can not care less for Ultrabooks.
Those manufacturers used obscure Linux distros when Linux was not used as a BTO option.
No big brand manufacturer has used a more mainstream Linux distro as the default install on higher volume consumer devices being sold.
When was the last time you saw Ubuntu installed on an $800 laptop at a big box store?
Look at OS X, it is an alternative OS very similar to Linux being sold on high end machines.
I think an alternative OS, such as Linux, could become popular in the more average consumer market with the right marketing paradigm.
The problem is the mainstream manufacturers are trying to tip toe into the alternative OS market instead of using Linux as a marketing tool.
Here is a bad example of how Ubuntu could be marketed:
Android in the mobile segment shows that it can be done.
There are plenty of option for buying PC laptops without extra software. As far as the rest of your rant is concerned - it's been two generations of Windows OS after Windows XT, why do you still remember it?
I'm talking, for example, about a recent Windows 7(rap) ASUS that I got a couple of weeks ago. Or about a 5 year-old Dell with XP, or a Vaio with Vista, or another HP with (again) 7.
Also, I forgot to mention that, until one uses the Mac touchpads, it is impossible to quantify just to which level of absolute crappiness ALL other touchpads are. Yes, in particular... ALL OF THEM.
Yes, but not for anything lacking in Ubuntu itself.
Ubuntu has a much harder job than either Mac or Windows. Mac OS is made to run on a very carefully selected and relatively narrow range of components, and PCs are made to Microsoft's spec.
Out of the box Ubuntu runs well on just about any PC between one and six years old, but anything newer will usually have to rely on a volunteer to write a driver for it, and if it hasn't made it into the main repositories yet you'll end up in the Ubuntu forum asking why your wifi card doesn't work, and someone will point you to what you need.
But for machines older than a year, Ubuntu will run on more of them than the latest version of Windows, since in many respects it's a much leaner system.
And certainly more secure. Understandably that doesn't impress OS X users, since OS X is a certified Unix so it has many of the same security advantages built into the core of the system, in contrast to Windows which is at its core a single-user system on which multi-user capabilities have been grafted.
If someone's looking for a new computer from a major manufacturer, this list from Canonical is a good starting point, having been tested and verified to have all drivers ready to go for a great experience:
http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/
And there are smaller manufacturers like System76 and ZaReason, who make Ubuntu systems exclusively.
Like I said, it's never going to take over the world, and with zero advertising (so far - watch what Canonical is up to next year in the EU) growth will remain low. But it's a good choice many millions of people, and for a free system Linux makes a surprising amount of money - Canonical's privately owned so their revenue figures aren't available, but check out what the #2 Linux us up to:
Red Hat Closes in on $1 Billion in Revenue
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-new...Red+Hat+Closes+in+on+1+Billion+in+Revenue.htm
In the big picture, Linux is an excellent compliment to Mac OS:
Some folks simply can't afford a Mac. I don't want to get into one of those "Macs are too expensive! No they're not!" arguments, but really, there are only maybe two Macs available for under $1000, while the average price of a PC is under $750.
So I see Ubuntu as a perfect compliment to what Mac OS is doing: let Apple take the high-end customer, Ubuntu can take the lower end, and working together from both ends they can bring Microsoft's stranglehold on the industry down to the minority position it merits, for the betterment of all mankind.
Neither OS can do this alone, but together they just might.