Having taken a look at many of these new machines, my belief is that many of the PC manufacturers still don't get it.
Also, MacBook's TN displays are arguably second only to the Lenovo X220's IPS display in terms of viewing angles, though I like the colour quality in the MacBook better.
A lot of people are used to and like Windows, these people aren't as willing to take the dive into a OSX machine, especially if they have to sacrifice some of the apps they use daily.
Yeah, but with bootcamp or Parallels, you can continue to run Windows on superior hardware, even if you are unwilling to dive into OSX.
Yeah, but with bootcamp or Parallels, you can continue to run Windows on superior hardware, even if you are unwilling to dive into OSX.
That's been shown to be the way a fair amount of Windows people are making the switch. They get a Mac, install Windows in one of the various ways, or use Crossfire for the few programs they really need, and then, over time, transition completely over, except for perhaps one program or so that's never really made it, such as Quicken. I know a number of people who use Windows on their Mac just for that.
Windows honks always touted how expensive Mac's were and now they want to sell knock-offs that are the same price or more. Just wait until they start stuffing those faux luxury PC boxes with the Windows 8 Metro Desktop UI kluge; to quote Dvorak, an unmitigated disaster that make your teeth itch. I'm not sure about my teeth itching but in using in on my old Dell, it's jaw dropping lunacy. If Windows 8 is released without substantial changes, I predict a bonanza for Mac sale down the road.
Which is why when MS drops the ball that Apple needs to use that negligence to their advantage. People had to buy new apps when Windows were shipping as 64 bit and now people who buy an ARM based tablet or notebook will have to do the same. Vista caused a lot of people to question their next "PC" purchase and I think Win8 is failing into that same category. Metro, as nice as it is for MS, will be unsettling to many casual users. It might advance iPad purchases more than Mac purchases but I think it will hurt Windows-based PC sales over the next year.
Very few people had issues with the transition to 64-bit windows. The only problems tended to be drivers that didn't get updated for Vista and Win7. All 32-bit apps are supported on 64-bit windows without an issue.
Vista caused a lot of issues because MS changed the driver architecture a year before release, which didn't give all the hardware vendors time to update their drivers. So Vista launched and lots of hardware didn't work due to missing drivers (or poorly implemented drivers). This was a huge mistake for MS, but something they have been more careful about.
There was a time that when yo did a cost analysis and looked at the benefits of using MacOS vs using Windows, unless you were a graphics professional it made much more sense to go the Windows route than investing in the Apple universe.
That's a misconception. People who did a cost analysis almost always find that Macs were cheaper.
"Our checks thus far indicate that the price points for the new releases will be well over the $699 price threshold that we deem necessary for this new category to be a big success," White wrote in a note to investors.
Actually, I'd really like for the $799 MBA rumor to be true. If Apple updates the MBA and keeps the current 11" MBA at $799, it will really slam the door on Ultrabooks.
Very few people had issues with the transition to 64-bit windows. The only problems tended to be drivers that didn't get updated for Vista and Win7. All 32-bit apps are supported on 64-bit windows without an issue.
Which planet are you referring to? I know a lot of people who had all sorts of problems. In fact, most of them gave up and simply installed the 32 bit version because of driver and software issues.
Having taken a look at many of these new machines, my belief is that many of the PC manufacturers still don't get it.
Also, MacBook's TN displays are arguably second only to the Lenovo X220's IPS display in terms of viewing angles, though I like the colour quality in the MacBook better.
I've looked at them. They aren't bad. IPS would still be a nice upgrade if implemented well. HP's IPS option is really nice, but it's expensive and their computers often have other issues.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
The problem is that TN displays will always be cheaper. As they bring the price of these machines down, their profitability disappears. This is what they're worried about. It's why they tried to get Intel to cut the cost of the chips by half (Intel refused). Apple has such good supply lines, curtesy of Tim Cook, that they get better pricing. Even with the higher cost of the machined cases, Apple manages to bring the price to a reasonable level.
Then, Apple no doubt, gets better pricing on one of the most expensive components, which is the SSD that comes standard in the base machines. In addition, Apple isn't forced to use some legacy ports that Windows machines must have. That gives them a pricing advantage as well. And of course, Apple is using Thunderbolt. Other manufacturers are just now beginning to look at that.
Apple doesn't really address the lowest pricing tiers, so it shouldn't always be what is cheapest. I could see the use of IPS in lieu of other things on their top 13" Air and some of the macbook pros. Where did you find the information on Intel? I'm also wondering how expensive those ssds really are to Apple. In the base machine they're only using a 64GB.
That's been shown to be the way a fair amount of Windows people are making the switch. They get a Mac, install Windows in one of the various ways, or use Crossfire for the few programs they really need, and then, over time, transition completely over, except for perhaps one program or so that's never really made it, such as Quicken. I know a number of people who use Windows on their Mac just for that.
That's what I use my Vmware/Win7 for. Strictly Quicken/Quickbooks and some PC-only software dev tools. I've converted quite a few people to Macs and even with the commercials back in the day about Macs running windows, people still don't realize that Macs do run Windows.
One small barrier is that to run Windows, you still need to purchase VMware and a Win7 CD which adds a couple hundred dollars. I've had people hesitate due to that but in the end, they were glad they did it.
Being able to restore Windows from a VM image is golden as well and minimizes my support when Windows takes its occasional dump.
If it doesn't have an SSD in it it's not an Ultrabook in my opinion. Anyone with an SSD drive would never go back.
How is $799? I'm sure the trackpad is shit, no backlit keyboard, magsafe power adapter, no thunderbolt, tons of crapware and a lower quality screen I'm sure.
There is an ultra book (i think dell) with an i5 and 13.3" in the best but ad this week for $799. I wouldn't buy it- but almost 40% less- that's a pretty significant discount. Not sure what the thread is talkin about. Windows PCs go on sale all the time (mainly due to necessity)- so one could get discounts easily. $799 isn't bad at all- if you HAD to go PC for whatever reason.
If it doesn't have an SSD in it it's not an Ultrabook in my opinion. Anyone with an SSD drive would never go back.
How is $799? I'm sure the trackpad is shit, no backlit keyboard, magsafe power adapter, no thunderbolt, tons of crapware and a lower quality screen I'm sure.
"In our view, if consumers are not getting a significant discount for a Windows-based Ultrabook, they will simply opt for the best and pay $999 for Apple's... MacBook Air," he said.
Because no matter how nice an Ultrabook's hardware is, it still runs Windows. The lowest common denominator. Microsoft has spent decades cultivating the "cheaper is *always* better" mentality among Wintel box buyers. They've repeated the cheapness mantra over and over again, until the Wintel users of the world began to believe it: You can and will settle for less because hey, it's cheaper than a Mac. And now Microsoft and their hardware drones are completely incapable of escaping that infamous race to the bottom. (Oh, and as we all know, MacBook Air runs OS X *and* Windows, if users really need to run Windows any more.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
"However, we still believe the Apple digital grid (or ecosystem) remains the most closely integrated and intuitive in the world."
And how long did it take Apple to get there? Roughly ten long years. A decade of relentless refinement, re-design, and the occasional very painful stubbed toe. Ever since iTunes was first released in 2001. Remember "Rip. Mix. Burn."? Well not long after that, Apple released the first iPod, and they've never looked back. Meanwhile, Microsoft gained zero ecosystem equity from the Danger acquisition and learned nothing about building their own ecosystem (other than what *not* to do) from the KIN debacle. And now Ballmer is mumbling about a Windows 8 "platform of ecosystems" to replace the "separate ecosystems" of Windows 7. Can you say "mash-up"?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
In particular, White believes a so-called "iPad mini," featuring a smaller form factor and lower price, could be a big hit for Apple in the education market, where both institutions and students might be looking for a more portable and affordable iPad.
Far less incentive for Apple to release an iPad mini now that Kindle Fire sales are tanking. The small form factor might be one reason for that decline. 7" - 8" pads are still too big to fit in a pocket (especially a kid-sized pocket), and they're at the bottom end of the usability spectrum in terms of screen size. The worst of both worlds. The only advantage to end-users would be the low price. Which Apple can achieve through other means.
Instead of building a smaller iPad, Apple could instead do what they do with iPhone. Sell the older models at a steep discount. Next year, Apple could drop the price of the low-end model 2011 3rd-gen iPad to $399. And in 2014 Apple could drop the price of that model to $299. All-Retina, all 9.7", starting at $299 brand new. Or, Apple could revive the iPad 2 with its original screen resolution, sell that for $299 next year along with the $399 2012 and $499+ 2013 iPad models.
Oh, and the "more portable" argument for an educational iPad mini is completely illogical. Kids are forced to wheel luggage around filled with books now. A full-sized iPad is a featherweight compared to all that. And how much does the average textbook weigh? Probably more than 1.44 pounds, the weight of the 3rd-gen iPad.
That's what I use my Vmware/Win7 for. Strictly Quicken/Quickbooks and some PC-only software dev tools. I've converted quite a few people to Macs and even with the commercials back in the day about Macs running windows, people still don't realize that Macs do run Windows.
PC-only.
Important term, and one reason why people don't think of Apple hardware running Windows. A Mac is a PC. The term PC is generic.
I think what you mean to say is "some Windows only software development tools" and follow that up with "that will not run natively under OSX, but can be virtualised".
By necessity I run Visio, Project, and Lync "virtually" ... but they launch from my dock as if they were native.
More people need to know that capability exists ... you are "running Windows" but for all intents and purposes the programs are behaving as if they were native.
Maybe, just maybe, people are finally figuring out the old adage, "you get what you pay for", when it comes to "cheap" laptops/computers/phones/tablets. It's not just about the piece of hardware, but the software, the integration with other pieces of hardware (smartphones, tablets) and the overall user experience.
It's how I've always looked at Apple and this thinking has spilled over to other products I use. I get the sense that this is becoming true for more and more people. We all want to spend the least amount of money possible for any particular product, but if you spend X dollars on a product that either fails within a year or costs you extra to make it work the way you want/need, then it's just not turning out to be the smart buy.
The issue I see with every manufacturer trying to compete against the Air's is that they're trying to compete against the Air's. What ever happened to coming up with something new, different, better? And it really needs to be all three - new, different and better. Not just different for different's sake, which seems to be how many of these players are going about their product development. Granted, there is only so much you can do to be new, different and better, but I think that if any company wants to make a significant in-road against Apple, it's critical they look differently at how they do things.
Last night, my grandson asked if I would buy him an inexpensive Windows laptop because a game he wants is not available on the Mac or his iPad.
I refused, because the household is totally Windows free -- yeah!
I told him no I wouldn't do it! I suggested that he ask his dad to buy and maintain it for him. His dad has a Windows laptop provided by his work. He convinced his son with this:
"You do realize that it takes 15-20 minutes for my Windows laptop to startup...before I can do anything."
I told him no I wouldn't do it! I suggested that he ask his dad to buy and maintain it for him. His dad has a Windows laptop provided by his work. He convinced his son with this:
"You do realize that it takes 15-20 minutes for my Windows laptop to startup...before I can do anything."
And yet it takes me very little time to get into bootcamp.
Last night, my grandson asked if I would buy him an inexpensive Windows laptop because a game he wants is not available on the Mac or his iPad.
I refused, because the household is totally Windows free -- yeah!
I told him no I wouldn't do it! I suggested that he ask his dad to buy and maintain it for him. His dad has a Windows laptop provided by his work. He convinced his son with this:
"You do realize that it takes 15-20 minutes for my Windows laptop to startup...before I can do anything."
I'd suggest Parallels, Fusion, or VMWare on the Mac. He can run his game without having to buy a new computer.
If it's the latest high speed action game, that might not be suitable. In that case, install Boot Camp on the Mac and it should be fine.
Asus used an IPS display in one of theirs. That's something that would be a nice improvement, even if they aren't bad at all for TN displays. I think enough people would notice, and smaller IPS panels should be cheap enough compared to a few years ago.
am waiting for the zenbook prime with the IPS display. looked at the previous model at best buy and really liked the build and the way it looked. of course, if i can't run ubuntu on it then i may hold off...
I'm also wondering how expensive those ssds really are to Apple. In the base machine they're only using a 64GB.
Apple buys the largest bulk of SSDs. They use them in more products then anyone else. From the millions of iPods, iPads, iPhones to the MBAs. No one else comes close to Apple's deals on SSDs.
There is some evidence that Apple has implemented design in their MBAs to increase the life of the SSDs as well, so it becomes even smarter to chose an Apple product based on this one component alone.
Maybe, just maybe, people are finally figuring out the old adage, "you get what you pay for", when it comes to "cheap" laptops/computers/phones/tablets. It's not just about the piece of hardware, but the software, the integration with other pieces of hardware (smartphones, tablets) and the overall user experience.
It's how I've always looked at Apple and this thinking has spilled over to other products I use. I get the sense that this is becoming true for more and more people. We all want to spend the least amount of money possible for any particular product, but if you spend X dollars on a product that either fails within a year or costs you extra to make it work the way you want/need, then it's just not turning out to be the smart buy.
The issue I see with every manufacturer trying to compete against the Air's is that they're trying to compete against the Air's. What ever happened to coming up with something new, different, better? And it really needs to be all three - new, different and better. Not just different for different's sake, which seems to be how many of these players are going about their product development. Granted, there is only so much you can do to be new, different and better, but I think that if any company wants to make a significant in-road against Apple, it's critical they look differently at how they do things.
It takes time to change one's mindset - especially corporate one. Lots of inertia. "Make cheap, sell cheaper" mantra was born out of fierce competition among PC manufacturers that did help in mainstreaming PC, but also caused flood of "low-bred" units on the market.
I think it is changing... slowly, but changing. New Asus Zenbook Prime, both 11" and 13", have good quality IPS screens in full HD, as well as Bang & Ollafsen audio. I think they also offer dedicated graphics as an option. Backlit keyboard and long battery, recognisable look (though still based on general Air form). I think these specs are not just following Air, but overdoing it a bit (at least until next-gen is released).
Toshiba anoynced 21:9 cinematic wide screen with Toshiba U840W Ultrabook. Don't know hom many users will be attracted by that, but attempt in being different it is.
HP has potentially interesting line of Envy Spectre and Spectre XT ultrabooks, as well as AMD based Slimbooks. I'm saying "potential" as it seems they decided to go for cheap TFT panels (and with no information about optional better screen), but they have sweet design, Beats audio and solid bundled software kit (Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, I think).
I have noticed infos re Sony Vaio, Acer, Lenovo and other brands Ultrabooks, some first, some second generation for their respective manufacturers... but haven't noticed if they have any distinctive features outside of slim, light, metal, long battery specs Intel has set for Ultrabooks.
In addition - it is pretty much given most of them, if not all, will dip down in price quickly, especially if they don't make runaway hit. Which they, considering competition, likely will not.
Apple buys the largest bulk of SSDs. They use them in more products then anyone else. From the millions of iPods, iPads, iPhones to the MBAs. No one else comes close to Apple's deals on SSDs.
There is some evidence that Apple has implemented design in their MBAs to increase the life of the SSDs as well, so it becomes even smarter to chose an Apple product based on this one component alone.
You should learn the difference between the abbreviations "SSD" and "NAND" :P.
I'm not sure what evidence you found. SSDs can go bad either way. Longevity would be good considering the replacement costs of proprietary parts. My point was that for for the typical 2.5" SSDs offered as macbook pro, imac, and mac pro upgrades, they are most likely buying an oem drive rather than raw parts. This means their ipod/iphone/ipad purchases would not grant any leverage here unless such a company also has a foundry that supplies a portion of their other NAND needs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by screamingfist
am waiting for the zenbook prime with the IPS display. looked at the previous model at best buy and really liked the build and the way it looked. of course, if i can't run ubuntu on it then i may hold off...
I like ubuntu. I'd also like to see Apple move to IPS displays on the macbooks.
All i have to say is that, i dont think Ultra Books will ever catch on and save the PC industry, if you want a slim computer that is great, and if you do your research correctly then you will go with a MacBook Air or the new MacBook Pro, an Ultra Book is just a wanna be MacBook Air which is in this case is a more expensive laptop and which is also crap. The only people that buy Ultra Books are the PC nerds that want one to say hey, i have a computer that is like the MacBook Air but is not as good, and is more expensive. Good luck Microsoft and Intel! Wish the best of you guys, Intels business in a few years will be the companies that want Intels chips in their tablets, hopefully in a few years Apple will be making their own chip set for the Mac like it does with its current iOS Device line.
Comments
Having taken a look at many of these new machines, my belief is that many of the PC manufacturers still don't get it.
Also, MacBook's TN displays are arguably second only to the Lenovo X220's IPS display in terms of viewing angles, though I like the colour quality in the MacBook better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kyrra
A lot of people are used to and like Windows, these people aren't as willing to take the dive into a OSX machine, especially if they have to sacrifice some of the apps they use daily.
Yeah, but with bootcamp or Parallels, you can continue to run Windows on superior hardware, even if you are unwilling to dive into OSX.
That's been shown to be the way a fair amount of Windows people are making the switch. They get a Mac, install Windows in one of the various ways, or use Crossfire for the few programs they really need, and then, over time, transition completely over, except for perhaps one program or so that's never really made it, such as Quicken. I know a number of people who use Windows on their Mac just for that.
Windows honks always touted how expensive Mac's were and now they want to sell knock-offs that are the same price or more. Just wait until they start stuffing those faux luxury PC boxes with the Windows 8 Metro Desktop UI kluge; to quote Dvorak, an unmitigated disaster that make your teeth itch. I'm not sure about my teeth itching but in using in on my old Dell, it's jaw dropping lunacy. If Windows 8 is released without substantial changes, I predict a bonanza for Mac sale down the road.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Which is why when MS drops the ball that Apple needs to use that negligence to their advantage. People had to buy new apps when Windows were shipping as 64 bit and now people who buy an ARM based tablet or notebook will have to do the same. Vista caused a lot of people to question their next "PC" purchase and I think Win8 is failing into that same category. Metro, as nice as it is for MS, will be unsettling to many casual users. It might advance iPad purchases more than Mac purchases but I think it will hurt Windows-based PC sales over the next year.
Very few people had issues with the transition to 64-bit windows. The only problems tended to be drivers that didn't get updated for Vista and Win7. All 32-bit apps are supported on 64-bit windows without an issue.
Vista caused a lot of issues because MS changed the driver architecture a year before release, which didn't give all the hardware vendors time to update their drivers. So Vista launched and lots of hardware didn't work due to missing drivers (or poorly implemented drivers). This was a huge mistake for MS, but something they have been more careful about.
That's a misconception. People who did a cost analysis almost always find that Macs were cheaper.
Actually, I'd really like for the $799 MBA rumor to be true. If Apple updates the MBA and keeps the current 11" MBA at $799, it will really slam the door on Ultrabooks.
Which planet are you referring to? I know a lot of people who had all sorts of problems. In fact, most of them gave up and simply installed the 32 bit version because of driver and software issues.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dona83
Having taken a look at many of these new machines, my belief is that many of the PC manufacturers still don't get it.
Also, MacBook's TN displays are arguably second only to the Lenovo X220's IPS display in terms of viewing angles, though I like the colour quality in the MacBook better.
I've looked at them. They aren't bad. IPS would still be a nice upgrade if implemented well. HP's IPS option is really nice, but it's expensive and their computers often have other issues.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
The problem is that TN displays will always be cheaper. As they bring the price of these machines down, their profitability disappears. This is what they're worried about. It's why they tried to get Intel to cut the cost of the chips by half (Intel refused). Apple has such good supply lines, curtesy of Tim Cook, that they get better pricing. Even with the higher cost of the machined cases, Apple manages to bring the price to a reasonable level.
Then, Apple no doubt, gets better pricing on one of the most expensive components, which is the SSD that comes standard in the base machines. In addition, Apple isn't forced to use some legacy ports that Windows machines must have. That gives them a pricing advantage as well. And of course, Apple is using Thunderbolt. Other manufacturers are just now beginning to look at that.
Apple doesn't really address the lowest pricing tiers, so it shouldn't always be what is cheapest. I could see the use of IPS in lieu of other things on their top 13" Air and some of the macbook pros. Where did you find the information on Intel? I'm also wondering how expensive those ssds really are to Apple. In the base machine they're only using a 64GB.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
That's been shown to be the way a fair amount of Windows people are making the switch. They get a Mac, install Windows in one of the various ways, or use Crossfire for the few programs they really need, and then, over time, transition completely over, except for perhaps one program or so that's never really made it, such as Quicken. I know a number of people who use Windows on their Mac just for that.
That's what I use my Vmware/Win7 for. Strictly Quicken/Quickbooks and some PC-only software dev tools. I've converted quite a few people to Macs and even with the commercials back in the day about Macs running windows, people still don't realize that Macs do run Windows.
One small barrier is that to run Windows, you still need to purchase VMware and a Win7 CD which adds a couple hundred dollars. I've had people hesitate due to that but in the end, they were glad they did it.
Being able to restore Windows from a VM image is golden as well and minimizes my support when Windows takes its occasional dump.
If it doesn't have an SSD in it it's not an Ultrabook in my opinion. Anyone with an SSD drive would never go back.
How is $799? I'm sure the trackpad is shit, no backlit keyboard, magsafe power adapter, no thunderbolt, tons of crapware and a lower quality screen I'm sure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andysol
There is an ultra book (i think dell) with an i5 and 13.3" in the best but ad this week for $799. I wouldn't buy it- but almost 40% less- that's a pretty significant discount. Not sure what the thread is talkin about. Windows PCs go on sale all the time (mainly due to necessity)- so one could get discounts easily. $799 isn't bad at all- if you HAD to go PC for whatever reason.
If it doesn't have an SSD in it it's not an Ultrabook in my opinion. Anyone with an SSD drive would never go back.
How is $799? I'm sure the trackpad is shit, no backlit keyboard, magsafe power adapter, no thunderbolt, tons of crapware and a lower quality screen I'm sure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
"In our view, if consumers are not getting a significant discount for a Windows-based Ultrabook, they will simply opt for the best and pay $999 for Apple's... MacBook Air," he said.
Because no matter how nice an Ultrabook's hardware is, it still runs Windows. The lowest common denominator. Microsoft has spent decades cultivating the "cheaper is *always* better" mentality among Wintel box buyers. They've repeated the cheapness mantra over and over again, until the Wintel users of the world began to believe it: You can and will settle for less because hey, it's cheaper than a Mac. And now Microsoft and their hardware drones are completely incapable of escaping that infamous race to the bottom. (Oh, and as we all know, MacBook Air runs OS X *and* Windows, if users really need to run Windows any more.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
"However, we still believe the Apple digital grid (or ecosystem) remains the most closely integrated and intuitive in the world."
And how long did it take Apple to get there? Roughly ten long years. A decade of relentless refinement, re-design, and the occasional very painful stubbed toe. Ever since iTunes was first released in 2001. Remember "Rip. Mix. Burn."? Well not long after that, Apple released the first iPod, and they've never looked back. Meanwhile, Microsoft gained zero ecosystem equity from the Danger acquisition and learned nothing about building their own ecosystem (other than what *not* to do) from the KIN debacle. And now Ballmer is mumbling about a Windows 8 "platform of ecosystems" to replace the "separate ecosystems" of Windows 7. Can you say "mash-up"?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
In particular, White believes a so-called "iPad mini," featuring a smaller form factor and lower price, could be a big hit for Apple in the education market, where both institutions and students might be looking for a more portable and affordable iPad.
Far less incentive for Apple to release an iPad mini now that Kindle Fire sales are tanking. The small form factor might be one reason for that decline. 7" - 8" pads are still too big to fit in a pocket (especially a kid-sized pocket), and they're at the bottom end of the usability spectrum in terms of screen size. The worst of both worlds. The only advantage to end-users would be the low price. Which Apple can achieve through other means.
Instead of building a smaller iPad, Apple could instead do what they do with iPhone. Sell the older models at a steep discount. Next year, Apple could drop the price of the low-end model 2011 3rd-gen iPad to $399. And in 2014 Apple could drop the price of that model to $299. All-Retina, all 9.7", starting at $299 brand new. Or, Apple could revive the iPad 2 with its original screen resolution, sell that for $299 next year along with the $399 2012 and $499+ 2013 iPad models.
Oh, and the "more portable" argument for an educational iPad mini is completely illogical. Kids are forced to wheel luggage around filled with books now. A full-sized iPad is a featherweight compared to all that. And how much does the average textbook weigh? Probably more than 1.44 pounds, the weight of the 3rd-gen iPad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sflocal
That's what I use my Vmware/Win7 for. Strictly Quicken/Quickbooks and some PC-only software dev tools. I've converted quite a few people to Macs and even with the commercials back in the day about Macs running windows, people still don't realize that Macs do run Windows.
PC-only.
Important term, and one reason why people don't think of Apple hardware running Windows. A Mac is a PC. The term PC is generic.
I think what you mean to say is "some Windows only software development tools" and follow that up with "that will not run natively under OSX, but can be virtualised".
By necessity I run Visio, Project, and Lync "virtually" ... but they launch from my dock as if they were native.
More people need to know that capability exists ... you are "running Windows" but for all intents and purposes the programs are behaving as if they were native.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmgregory1
Maybe, just maybe, people are finally figuring out the old adage, "you get what you pay for", when it comes to "cheap" laptops/computers/phones/tablets. It's not just about the piece of hardware, but the software, the integration with other pieces of hardware (smartphones, tablets) and the overall user experience.
It's how I've always looked at Apple and this thinking has spilled over to other products I use. I get the sense that this is becoming true for more and more people. We all want to spend the least amount of money possible for any particular product, but if you spend X dollars on a product that either fails within a year or costs you extra to make it work the way you want/need, then it's just not turning out to be the smart buy.
The issue I see with every manufacturer trying to compete against the Air's is that they're trying to compete against the Air's. What ever happened to coming up with something new, different, better? And it really needs to be all three - new, different and better. Not just different for different's sake, which seems to be how many of these players are going about their product development. Granted, there is only so much you can do to be new, different and better, but I think that if any company wants to make a significant in-road against Apple, it's critical they look differently at how they do things.
Last night, my grandson asked if I would buy him an inexpensive Windows laptop because a game he wants is not available on the Mac or his iPad.
I refused, because the household is totally Windows free -- yeah!
I told him no I wouldn't do it! I suggested that he ask his dad to buy and maintain it for him. His dad has a Windows laptop provided by his work. He convinced his son with this:
"You do realize that it takes 15-20 minutes for my Windows laptop to startup...before I can do anything."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
I told him no I wouldn't do it! I suggested that he ask his dad to buy and maintain it for him. His dad has a Windows laptop provided by his work. He convinced his son with this:
"You do realize that it takes 15-20 minutes for my Windows laptop to startup...before I can do anything."
And yet it takes me very little time to get into bootcamp.
I'd suggest Parallels, Fusion, or VMWare on the Mac. He can run his game without having to buy a new computer.
If it's the latest high speed action game, that might not be suitable. In that case, install Boot Camp on the Mac and it should be fine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hmm
Asus used an IPS display in one of theirs. That's something that would be a nice improvement, even if they aren't bad at all for TN displays. I think enough people would notice, and smaller IPS panels should be cheap enough compared to a few years ago.
am waiting for the zenbook prime with the IPS display. looked at the previous model at best buy and really liked the build and the way it looked. of course, if i can't run ubuntu on it then i may hold off...
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Originally Posted by hmm
I'm also wondering how expensive those ssds really are to Apple. In the base machine they're only using a 64GB.
Apple buys the largest bulk of SSDs. They use them in more products then anyone else. From the millions of iPods, iPads, iPhones to the MBAs. No one else comes close to Apple's deals on SSDs.
There is some evidence that Apple has implemented design in their MBAs to increase the life of the SSDs as well, so it becomes even smarter to chose an Apple product based on this one component alone.
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Originally Posted by jmgregory1
Maybe, just maybe, people are finally figuring out the old adage, "you get what you pay for", when it comes to "cheap" laptops/computers/phones/tablets. It's not just about the piece of hardware, but the software, the integration with other pieces of hardware (smartphones, tablets) and the overall user experience.
It's how I've always looked at Apple and this thinking has spilled over to other products I use. I get the sense that this is becoming true for more and more people. We all want to spend the least amount of money possible for any particular product, but if you spend X dollars on a product that either fails within a year or costs you extra to make it work the way you want/need, then it's just not turning out to be the smart buy.
The issue I see with every manufacturer trying to compete against the Air's is that they're trying to compete against the Air's. What ever happened to coming up with something new, different, better? And it really needs to be all three - new, different and better. Not just different for different's sake, which seems to be how many of these players are going about their product development. Granted, there is only so much you can do to be new, different and better, but I think that if any company wants to make a significant in-road against Apple, it's critical they look differently at how they do things.
It takes time to change one's mindset - especially corporate one. Lots of inertia. "Make cheap, sell cheaper" mantra was born out of fierce competition among PC manufacturers that did help in mainstreaming PC, but also caused flood of "low-bred" units on the market.
I think it is changing... slowly, but changing. New Asus Zenbook Prime, both 11" and 13", have good quality IPS screens in full HD, as well as Bang & Ollafsen audio. I think they also offer dedicated graphics as an option. Backlit keyboard and long battery, recognisable look (though still based on general Air form). I think these specs are not just following Air, but overdoing it a bit (at least until next-gen is released).
Toshiba anoynced 21:9 cinematic wide screen with Toshiba U840W Ultrabook. Don't know hom many users will be attracted by that, but attempt in being different it is.
HP has potentially interesting line of Envy Spectre and Spectre XT ultrabooks, as well as AMD based Slimbooks. I'm saying "potential" as it seems they decided to go for cheap TFT panels (and with no information about optional better screen), but they have sweet design, Beats audio and solid bundled software kit (Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, I think).
I have noticed infos re Sony Vaio, Acer, Lenovo and other brands Ultrabooks, some first, some second generation for their respective manufacturers... but haven't noticed if they have any distinctive features outside of slim, light, metal, long battery specs Intel has set for Ultrabooks.
In addition - it is pretty much given most of them, if not all, will dip down in price quickly, especially if they don't make runaway hit. Which they, considering competition, likely will not.
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Originally Posted by Macky the Macky
Apple buys the largest bulk of SSDs. They use them in more products then anyone else. From the millions of iPods, iPads, iPhones to the MBAs. No one else comes close to Apple's deals on SSDs.
There is some evidence that Apple has implemented design in their MBAs to increase the life of the SSDs as well, so it becomes even smarter to chose an Apple product based on this one component alone.
You should learn the difference between the abbreviations "SSD" and "NAND" :P.
I'm not sure what evidence you found. SSDs can go bad either way. Longevity would be good considering the replacement costs of proprietary parts. My point was that for for the typical 2.5" SSDs offered as macbook pro, imac, and mac pro upgrades, they are most likely buying an oem drive rather than raw parts. This means their ipod/iphone/ipad purchases would not grant any leverage here unless such a company also has a foundry that supplies a portion of their other NAND needs.
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Originally Posted by screamingfist
am waiting for the zenbook prime with the IPS display. looked at the previous model at best buy and really liked the build and the way it looked. of course, if i can't run ubuntu on it then i may hold off...
I like ubuntu. I'd also like to see Apple move to IPS displays on the macbooks.
All i have to say is that, i dont think Ultra Books will ever catch on and save the PC industry, if you want a slim computer that is great, and if you do your research correctly then you will go with a MacBook Air or the new MacBook Pro, an Ultra Book is just a wanna be MacBook Air which is in this case is a more expensive laptop and which is also crap. The only people that buy Ultra Books are the PC nerds that want one to say hey, i have a computer that is like the MacBook Air but is not as good, and is more expensive. Good luck Microsoft and Intel! Wish the best of you guys, Intels business in a few years will be the companies that want Intels chips in their tablets, hopefully in a few years Apple will be making their own chip set for the Mac like it does with its current iOS Device line.