not for the technology (the iPhone is really 3+ years old in terms of technology minus the UI) but for the ability to have a phone with a combined music player all in one package.
You keep saying 3 year old technology minus the UI on the iPhone. The UI IS what the iPhone brings to the market. And having an easy to use combined music player phone was the whole idea for the iPhone that they built around. So it seems it's doing what it's supposed to do.
And of course, the world isn't standing still, so other companies will incorporate good ideas from the iPhone and make better products, just as Apple takes ideas from other companies to improve their products.
As for the MBA, it's just Apple's entry into the 3lb market, plain and simple. Apple has a tendency to be less restrained when exploring the design space of compromises and tend to try things other companies haven't. Instead of trying to be all things to as many people as possible, it's as if they try to make something that's best as possible for certain needs.
e.g. there will be people who need user replaceable batteries, but a whole lot more people who don't. My second MBP battery is still sitting in my desk after two years, and for me a lighter weight and sleeker form factor that I can appreciate every day would certainly be worth the 10 minute wait every 2~3 years while I have an Apple store person perform the free service of swapping out a battery I just bought from them.
If for you the tradeoffs are different, fine, get a different computer.
Me, I like that they are trying these approaches.
Disclaimer: I have not ordered an MBA, nor do I plan to, because my MBP is only a couple years old and suits my needs fine. But if I WERE looking for a new laptop, the MBA would perfectly suit my needs. (Desktop at home, no super intensive processing, frequent travel, never use any peripherals on the laptop -they're all connected to the desktop-, etc.)
You keep saying 3 year old technology minus the UI on the iPhone. The UI IS what the iPhone brings to the market. And having an easy to use combined music player phone was the whole idea for the iPhone that they built around. So it seems it's doing what it's supposed to do.
And of course, the world isn't standing still, so other companies will incorporate good ideas from the iPhone and make better products, just as Apple takes ideas from other companies to improve their products.
As for the MBA, it's just Apple's entry into the 3lb market, plain and simple. Apple has a tendency to be less restrained when exploring the design space of compromises and tend to try things other companies haven't. Instead of trying to be all things to as many people as possible, it's as if they try to make something that's best as possible for certain needs.
e.g. there will be people who need user replaceable batteries, but a whole lot more people who don't. My second MBP battery is still sitting in my desk after two years, and for me a lighter weight and sleeker form factor that I can appreciate every day would certainly be worth the 10 minute wait every 2~3 years while I have an Apple store person perform the free service of swapping out a battery I just bought from them.
If for you the tradeoffs are different, fine, get a different computer.
Me, I like that they are trying these approaches.
Disclaimer: I have not ordered an MBA, nor do I plan to, because my MBP is only a couple years old and suits my needs fine. But if I WERE looking for a new laptop, the MBA would perfectly suit my needs. (Desktop at home, no super intensive processing, frequent travel, never use any peripherals on the laptop -they're all connected to the desktop-, etc.)
Thanks for a really informed and unemotional response. It is refreshing that someone can state a point without getting their hormones in an uproar.
I will agree with you regarding the UI. Actually, there have been other TS UI's before but Apple implementation is currently the flavor of the day. Nokia has had one on the side waiting to see if it was marketable and now that it is, they will start releasing them by the dozens. If they can get a reasonable uptake from their music store as well, Apple will face some serious competition. If people can buy a "real" mobile telephony device (sorry but the iPhone is more iPod than phone.), and Europeans, as well as the rest of the world simply are more mature when it comes to mobiles than the US and North America, Nokia will be able to tap a huge global market.
Spot on about the MBA. It is not targeted as the all around computer but as a specific device for a very specific market. This was the point that I was trying to make (albeit I may have missed the mark somewhat), that this is not so revolutionary as evolutionary. Early adoption will be crucial for the success of this device.
Thanks for a really informed and unemotional response. It is refreshing that someone can state a point without getting their hormones in an uproar.
I will agree with you regarding the UI. Actually, there have been other TS UI's before but Apple implementation is currently the flavor of the day. Nokia has had one on the side waiting to see if it was marketable and now that it is, they will start releasing them by the dozens. If they can get a reasonable uptake from their music store as well, Apple will face some serious competition. If people can buy a "real" mobile telephony device (sorry but the iPhone is more iPod than phone.), and Europeans, as well as the rest of the world simply are more mature when it comes to mobiles than the US and North America, Nokia will be able to tap a huge global market.
Spot about the MBA. It is not targeted as the all around computer but as a specific device for a very specific market. This was the point that I was trying to make (albeit I may have missed the mark somewhat), that this is not so revolutionary as evolutionary. Early adoption will be crucial for the success of this device.
Speaking about Nokia, I had Nokia's 9300 phone. It is a smart phone. Nokia has been known to make a fashionable phone in terms of looks. I have to say though, they are not very good with softwares. I had that phone for a week and the OS freezes on me twice. Since then, i go with the iphone. Iphone i have to say has been very reliable in terms of software. The hardware though.. not very good.. at one point, i couldnt receive any att signal at all... Apple's tech couldnt figure out what happen.. so they replace mine.. kinda interesting cause Nokia is very reliable in hardware and apple in software.. Maybe they should join together.. heheh
Speaking about Nokia, I had Nokia's 9300 phone. It is a smart phone. Nokia has been known to make a fashionable phone in terms of looks. I have to say though, they are not very good with softwares. I had that phone for a week and the OS freezes on me twice. Since then, i go with the iphone. Iphone i have to say has been very reliable in terms of software. The hardware though.. not very good.. at one point, i couldnt receive any att signal at all... Apple's tech couldnt figure out what happen.. so they replace mine.. kinda interesting cause Nokia is very reliable in hardware and apple in software.. Maybe they should join together.. heheh
First I have to say that this forum is really low budget. It's hard to believe that in this day and age "Server busy. Try later" messages are still able to be seen.
Anyway, you have a point. Nokia and Apple together would be a phone for the people. However, within the next few months, Nokia will release something to rival the iPhone and be a true smartphone. I find it laughable that Apple and others see the iPhone as a smartphone or even put it it in the smartphone category. As soon as I can save files or edit a doc or have real POWER telephony functions of a smartphone, the iPhone will gain this respect. Till then, it is an iPod with phone.
As for the 9300i. Upgrade the software. The previous versions had a problem with crashing and hanging. This is the problem with S80.
First I have to say that this forum is really low budget. It's hard to believe that in this day and age "Server busy. Try later" messages are still able to be seen.
Anyway, you have a point. Nokia and Apple together would be a phone for the people. However, within the next few months, Nokia will release something to rival the iPhone and be a true smartphone. I find it laughable that Apple and others see the iPhone as a smartphone or even put it it in the smartphone category. As soon as I can save files or edit a doc or have real POWER telephony functions of a smartphone, the iPhone will gain this respect. Till then, it is an iPod with phone.
As for the 9300i. Upgrade the software. The previous versions had a problem with crashing and hanging. This is the problem with S80.
Thats true.. a real smart phone would have all the word, excel, and powerpoint equivalent.. Pretty soon, iphone should be able to do all that. In the meantime, you are right. Iphone is an ipod with a phone. One thing about iphone that i really want is INSTANT MESSAGING. I really missed this feature cause Nokia has it and some other phone too. Cmon apple, whats the use of EDGE if there is no IM (web browsing is really slow, so doesnt really count..i would rather go to apple store and borrow their WIFI than waiting a web page to load..). just release the iphone SDK already..
hehe, it's funny how people get all up in arms when anyone criticizes apple or jobs....but sapporobaby did make many valid points, even in his very first post...there are people who eat up everything apple throws at them without doing their due diligence...but i think that's a testament to the apple brand...you don't see people doing that with many other brands...
apple has always catered to a niche market...the mba is no exception...it's not for everyone, but if you're someone who loves macs and need a light laptop, it's pretty much your only choice....
i switched over to the mac about 3.5 yrs ago and will never, ever go back to windows...but like most everyone else, i have to use windows at work...and i need something that's light and portable since i carry around books and files with me...5lbs may not sound like a lot but there have been many days where i've cursed the bulkiness of my powerbook after lugging it around all day...so the mba seems like the perfect solution (light, osx, can switch to windows)...
i'm willing to compromise a few things for this...1 usb hub? i just had to doublecheck to see if i had 1 or 2 usb hubs on my powerbook because i've only ever used it one at a time....i only use my optical drive to burn my mp3s into cds that i can play in my car or to install software, neither of which i'll need to do away from home....the only reason why i'm getting the usb optical drive is so that i can install windows on it so that i can vpn into my work computer (and for no other reason, i'm not looking to get viruses!)...otherwise, i prefer to do everything wirelessly (i.e. my printer is wireless and i plan on getting time capsule for wireless backup/file storage)....i've never used ethernet on my powerbook...if i need to replace my battery, i'll just order one online and follow the instructions for self-installation...i did that when the battery died on my 3g ipod and when i had to replace the hard drive on my powerbook (and i'm a girl with intermediate level computer knowledge)....
so there is a market out there for the mba...i'm not sure how big it is, but there are people who will plop down $1800 (gulp) for this....i only hesitate because i want to give it some months for any issues to be worked out, or for the price to drop (yeah right)...and i generally don't like to buy the first model of something...that's why i didn't buy the iphone...it's still going through some growing pains, and it's not really a smartphone with features that a corporate user like me needs... but i was at the apple store today to check it out, and the mba is solid...there were 4 on display and always a line 2-3 deep of people wanting to look at it....there is interest in it...
anyway, just my two cents...what the hell am i doing here at 4am anyway?
hehe, it's funny how people get all up in arms when anyone criticizes apple or jobs....but sapporobaby did make many valid points, even in his very first post...there are people who eat up everything apple throws at them without doing their due diligence...but i think that's a testament to the apple brand...you don't see people doing that with many other brands...
apple has always catered to a niche market...the mba is no exception...it's not for everyone, but if you're someone who loves macs and need a light laptop, it's pretty much your only choice....
i switched over to the mac about 3.5 yrs ago and will never, ever go back to windows...but like most everyone else, i have to use windows at work...and i need something that's light and portable since i carry around books and files with me...5lbs may not sound like a lot but there have been many days where i've cursed the bulkiness of my powerbook after lugging it around all day...so the mba seems like the perfect solution (light, osx, can switch to windows)...
i'm willing to compromise a few things for this...1 usb hub? i just had to doublecheck to see if i had 1 or 2 usb hubs on my powerbook because i've only ever used it one at a time....i only use my optical drive to burn my mp3s into cds that i can play in my car or to install software, neither of which i'll need to do away from home....the only reason why i'm getting the usb optical drive is so that i can install windows on it so that i can vpn into my work computer (and for no other reason, i'm not looking to get viruses!)...otherwise, i prefer to do everything wirelessly (i.e. my printer is wireless and i plan on getting time capsule for wireless backup/file storage)....i've never used ethernet on my powerbook...if i need to replace my battery, i'll just order one online and follow the instructions for self-installation...i did that when the battery died on my 3g ipod and when i had to replace the hard drive on my powerbook (and i'm a girl with intermediate level computer knowledge)....
so there is a market out there for the mba...i'm not sure how big it is, but there are people who will plop down $1800 (gulp) for this....i only hesitate because i want to give it some months for any issues to be worked out, or for the price to drop (yeah right)...and i generally don't like to buy the first model of something...that's why i didn't buy the iphone...it's still going through some growing pains, and it's not really a smartphone with features that a corporate user like me needs... but i was at the apple store today to check it out, and the mba is solid...there were 4 on display and always a line 2-3 deep of people wanting to look at it....there is interest in it...
anyway, just my two cents...what the hell am i doing here at 4am anyway?
Wow. Be careful dude. Don't talk against Apple in the slightest or the Imperial Storm Troopers will come after you and deride you for independence of thought and for not towing the Apple is uber alles line and that Steve "mock turtle-neck" Jobs is the all-knowing guru. I happen to like, no, love my MBP and would NEVER go back to Windoze for any reason, but I also see Apple heading down the M$ path in some ways and this is troubling.
with the air you are dealing with a different type of user.
i have an ibm x with 12in screen
i've had it for over 3 years.
never have used it's dvd/cd brick docking platform
rarely used the ports, any most often if used is for a mouse, but with BT that's a better solution
it has a 1ghz processor with 1 gb ram 40gb hd
it's less than half full
i'll tell you why
i use online wordprocessing, spreedsheets etc, i'll take an email download and work with it
most of my work is modification of someones elses data input
now that many many things (everything) is on a network, wirelessly available
why keep all the junk.....ultraportables and their buyers don't like the bulk
the mac air is like my travel wallet minimalist but powerful and for the price, holy cow.
my ibm as equipped cost over 3500 and if you put that in 2008 dollars i paid mega dollars BUT i wanted thin and light....business thin and light. when i got home or to work then i could use my "more powerful desktop" but lets face it you don't need much......
my big problems were travel bulk and battery life. you need to talk to an active road warrior to see how the market it. but i believe SJ has hit a bulls eye.....how come, because many will try to copy or match it.
with the air you are dealing with a different type of user.
i have an ibm x with 12in screen
i've had it for over 3 years.
never have used it's dvd/cd brick docking platform
rarely used the ports, any most often if used is for a mouse, but with BT that's a better solution
it has a 1ghz processor with 1 gb ram 40gb hd
it's less than half full
i'll tell you why
i use online wordprocessing, spreedsheets etc, i'll take an email download and work with it
most of my work is modification of someones elses data input
now that many many things (everything) is on a network, wirelessly available
why keep all the junk.....ultraportables and their buyers don't like the bulk
the mac air is like my travel wallet minimalist but powerful and for the price, holy cow.
my ibm as equipped cost over 3500 and if you put that in 2008 dollars i paid mega dollars BUT i wanted thin and light....business thin and light. when i got home or to work then i could use my "more powerful desktop" but lets face it you don't need much......
my big problems were travel bulk and battery life. you need to talk to an active road warrior to see how the market it. but i believe SJ has hit a bulls eye.....how come, because many will try to copy or match it.
its just another product in their portable lineup. they're just trying to expand their market share. if you fit the profile for the mba. OK GOOD. if not, then stop complaining. unless you're invested in their stock, and is worried that their value will go down, who cares if their stuff is overpriced. it shouldn't matter to you if the price is too high to alienate part of the market.. nor should it matter if it's not a computer that fits everyones needs. why? because there are other products out there. if apple decides to change prices or configurations in any manner, THEN we'll see if it's a good/bad product for the market.
basic point: buy it if you can afford it. don't if u can't or if u can make do with alternatives.
If you were given an MBA for free, would you take it?
I am someone who has been using computers for 28 years. I switched to Mac in September 2007, long overdue, with the purchase of an Alum 20" iMac. On Saturday I purchased a new, still sealed MBA for $1500 (its $1899 in Canada) off Craigslist.
So, I have had all kinds of computers in my day, and I love my Macs and the MBA. I don't even cast a glance at any of the PCs out there any more.
So far, the MBA is perfect for me. Would it be my primary machine? No way. For many road warriors who need email, web, presentation and spreadsheet software this is a great machine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sapporobaby
I could always just live online like some and be a serial apologist for Apple, however, I choose to do something unique to this particular thread. I think for myself. The MBA is nice but hardly revolutionary. At the end of the day it is a small, thin laptop that has almost zero peripheral support, an almost non-existant battery replacement facility, no optical drive included, and did I mention extremely expensive (depends on the version). See I am not under the illusion that Apple is my friend and that Stevie Boy is my best drinking buddy. Apple is a corporation who's loyalty lies solely with the investors. Apple is not doing any of us favors for free. We consumers are a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less.
Anantksundaram and Wizard69 seem to have an understanding and are not easy prey for slick marketing. Apple never had to sell fluff to make a good product but it seems that they are taking the quick and easy route. Can you say M$?
Comments
not for the technology (the iPhone is really 3+ years old in terms of technology minus the UI) but for the ability to have a phone with a combined music player all in one package.
You keep saying 3 year old technology minus the UI on the iPhone. The UI IS what the iPhone brings to the market. And having an easy to use combined music player phone was the whole idea for the iPhone that they built around. So it seems it's doing what it's supposed to do.
And of course, the world isn't standing still, so other companies will incorporate good ideas from the iPhone and make better products, just as Apple takes ideas from other companies to improve their products.
As for the MBA, it's just Apple's entry into the 3lb market, plain and simple. Apple has a tendency to be less restrained when exploring the design space of compromises and tend to try things other companies haven't. Instead of trying to be all things to as many people as possible, it's as if they try to make something that's best as possible for certain needs.
e.g. there will be people who need user replaceable batteries, but a whole lot more people who don't. My second MBP battery is still sitting in my desk after two years, and for me a lighter weight and sleeker form factor that I can appreciate every day would certainly be worth the 10 minute wait every 2~3 years while I have an Apple store person perform the free service of swapping out a battery I just bought from them.
If for you the tradeoffs are different, fine, get a different computer.
Me, I like that they are trying these approaches.
Disclaimer: I have not ordered an MBA, nor do I plan to, because my MBP is only a couple years old and suits my needs fine. But if I WERE looking for a new laptop, the MBA would perfectly suit my needs. (Desktop at home, no super intensive processing, frequent travel, never use any peripherals on the laptop -they're all connected to the desktop-, etc.)
You keep saying 3 year old technology minus the UI on the iPhone. The UI IS what the iPhone brings to the market. And having an easy to use combined music player phone was the whole idea for the iPhone that they built around. So it seems it's doing what it's supposed to do.
And of course, the world isn't standing still, so other companies will incorporate good ideas from the iPhone and make better products, just as Apple takes ideas from other companies to improve their products.
As for the MBA, it's just Apple's entry into the 3lb market, plain and simple. Apple has a tendency to be less restrained when exploring the design space of compromises and tend to try things other companies haven't. Instead of trying to be all things to as many people as possible, it's as if they try to make something that's best as possible for certain needs.
e.g. there will be people who need user replaceable batteries, but a whole lot more people who don't. My second MBP battery is still sitting in my desk after two years, and for me a lighter weight and sleeker form factor that I can appreciate every day would certainly be worth the 10 minute wait every 2~3 years while I have an Apple store person perform the free service of swapping out a battery I just bought from them.
If for you the tradeoffs are different, fine, get a different computer.
Me, I like that they are trying these approaches.
Disclaimer: I have not ordered an MBA, nor do I plan to, because my MBP is only a couple years old and suits my needs fine. But if I WERE looking for a new laptop, the MBA would perfectly suit my needs. (Desktop at home, no super intensive processing, frequent travel, never use any peripherals on the laptop -they're all connected to the desktop-, etc.)
Thanks for a really informed and unemotional response. It is refreshing that someone can state a point without getting their hormones in an uproar.
I will agree with you regarding the UI. Actually, there have been other TS UI's before but Apple implementation is currently the flavor of the day. Nokia has had one on the side waiting to see if it was marketable and now that it is, they will start releasing them by the dozens. If they can get a reasonable uptake from their music store as well, Apple will face some serious competition. If people can buy a "real" mobile telephony device (sorry but the iPhone is more iPod than phone.), and Europeans, as well as the rest of the world simply are more mature when it comes to mobiles than the US and North America, Nokia will be able to tap a huge global market.
Spot on about the MBA. It is not targeted as the all around computer but as a specific device for a very specific market. This was the point that I was trying to make (albeit I may have missed the mark somewhat), that this is not so revolutionary as evolutionary. Early adoption will be crucial for the success of this device.
Thanks for a really informed and unemotional response. It is refreshing that someone can state a point without getting their hormones in an uproar.
I will agree with you regarding the UI. Actually, there have been other TS UI's before but Apple implementation is currently the flavor of the day. Nokia has had one on the side waiting to see if it was marketable and now that it is, they will start releasing them by the dozens. If they can get a reasonable uptake from their music store as well, Apple will face some serious competition. If people can buy a "real" mobile telephony device (sorry but the iPhone is more iPod than phone.), and Europeans, as well as the rest of the world simply are more mature when it comes to mobiles than the US and North America, Nokia will be able to tap a huge global market.
Spot about the MBA. It is not targeted as the all around computer but as a specific device for a very specific market. This was the point that I was trying to make (albeit I may have missed the mark somewhat), that this is not so revolutionary as evolutionary. Early adoption will be crucial for the success of this device.
Speaking about Nokia, I had Nokia's 9300 phone. It is a smart phone. Nokia has been known to make a fashionable phone in terms of looks. I have to say though, they are not very good with softwares. I had that phone for a week and the OS freezes on me twice. Since then, i go with the iphone. Iphone i have to say has been very reliable in terms of software. The hardware though.. not very good.. at one point, i couldnt receive any att signal at all... Apple's tech couldnt figure out what happen.. so they replace mine.. kinda interesting cause Nokia is very reliable in hardware and apple in software.. Maybe they should join together.. heheh
Speaking about Nokia, I had Nokia's 9300 phone. It is a smart phone. Nokia has been known to make a fashionable phone in terms of looks. I have to say though, they are not very good with softwares. I had that phone for a week and the OS freezes on me twice. Since then, i go with the iphone. Iphone i have to say has been very reliable in terms of software. The hardware though.. not very good.. at one point, i couldnt receive any att signal at all... Apple's tech couldnt figure out what happen.. so they replace mine.. kinda interesting cause Nokia is very reliable in hardware and apple in software.. Maybe they should join together.. heheh
First I have to say that this forum is really low budget. It's hard to believe that in this day and age "Server busy. Try later" messages are still able to be seen.
Anyway, you have a point. Nokia and Apple together would be a phone for the people. However, within the next few months, Nokia will release something to rival the iPhone and be a true smartphone. I find it laughable that Apple and others see the iPhone as a smartphone or even put it it in the smartphone category. As soon as I can save files or edit a doc or have real POWER telephony functions of a smartphone, the iPhone will gain this respect. Till then, it is an iPod with phone.
As for the 9300i. Upgrade the software. The previous versions had a problem with crashing and hanging. This is the problem with S80.
First I have to say that this forum is really low budget. It's hard to believe that in this day and age "Server busy. Try later" messages are still able to be seen.
Anyway, you have a point. Nokia and Apple together would be a phone for the people. However, within the next few months, Nokia will release something to rival the iPhone and be a true smartphone. I find it laughable that Apple and others see the iPhone as a smartphone or even put it it in the smartphone category. As soon as I can save files or edit a doc or have real POWER telephony functions of a smartphone, the iPhone will gain this respect. Till then, it is an iPod with phone.
As for the 9300i. Upgrade the software. The previous versions had a problem with crashing and hanging. This is the problem with S80.
Thats true.. a real smart phone would have all the word, excel, and powerpoint equivalent.. Pretty soon, iphone should be able to do all that. In the meantime, you are right. Iphone is an ipod with a phone. One thing about iphone that i really want is INSTANT MESSAGING. I really missed this feature cause Nokia has it and some other phone too. Cmon apple, whats the use of EDGE if there is no IM (web browsing is really slow, so doesnt really count..i would rather go to apple store and borrow their WIFI than waiting a web page to load..). just release the iphone SDK already..
apple has always catered to a niche market...the mba is no exception...it's not for everyone, but if you're someone who loves macs and need a light laptop, it's pretty much your only choice....
i switched over to the mac about 3.5 yrs ago and will never, ever go back to windows...but like most everyone else, i have to use windows at work...and i need something that's light and portable since i carry around books and files with me...5lbs may not sound like a lot but there have been many days where i've cursed the bulkiness of my powerbook after lugging it around all day...so the mba seems like the perfect solution (light, osx, can switch to windows)...
i'm willing to compromise a few things for this...1 usb hub? i just had to doublecheck to see if i had 1 or 2 usb hubs on my powerbook because i've only ever used it one at a time....i only use my optical drive to burn my mp3s into cds that i can play in my car or to install software, neither of which i'll need to do away from home....the only reason why i'm getting the usb optical drive is so that i can install windows on it so that i can vpn into my work computer (and for no other reason, i'm not looking to get viruses!)...otherwise, i prefer to do everything wirelessly (i.e. my printer is wireless and i plan on getting time capsule for wireless backup/file storage)....i've never used ethernet on my powerbook...if i need to replace my battery, i'll just order one online and follow the instructions for self-installation...i did that when the battery died on my 3g ipod and when i had to replace the hard drive on my powerbook (and i'm a girl with intermediate level computer knowledge)....
so there is a market out there for the mba...i'm not sure how big it is, but there are people who will plop down $1800 (gulp) for this....i only hesitate because i want to give it some months for any issues to be worked out, or for the price to drop (yeah right)...and i generally don't like to buy the first model of something...that's why i didn't buy the iphone...it's still going through some growing pains, and it's not really a smartphone with features that a corporate user like me needs... but i was at the apple store today to check it out, and the mba is solid...there were 4 on display and always a line 2-3 deep of people wanting to look at it....there is interest in it...
anyway, just my two cents...what the hell am i doing here at 4am anyway?
hehe, it's funny how people get all up in arms when anyone criticizes apple or jobs....but sapporobaby did make many valid points, even in his very first post...there are people who eat up everything apple throws at them without doing their due diligence...but i think that's a testament to the apple brand...you don't see people doing that with many other brands...
apple has always catered to a niche market...the mba is no exception...it's not for everyone, but if you're someone who loves macs and need a light laptop, it's pretty much your only choice....
i switched over to the mac about 3.5 yrs ago and will never, ever go back to windows...but like most everyone else, i have to use windows at work...and i need something that's light and portable since i carry around books and files with me...5lbs may not sound like a lot but there have been many days where i've cursed the bulkiness of my powerbook after lugging it around all day...so the mba seems like the perfect solution (light, osx, can switch to windows)...
i'm willing to compromise a few things for this...1 usb hub? i just had to doublecheck to see if i had 1 or 2 usb hubs on my powerbook because i've only ever used it one at a time....i only use my optical drive to burn my mp3s into cds that i can play in my car or to install software, neither of which i'll need to do away from home....the only reason why i'm getting the usb optical drive is so that i can install windows on it so that i can vpn into my work computer (and for no other reason, i'm not looking to get viruses!)...otherwise, i prefer to do everything wirelessly (i.e. my printer is wireless and i plan on getting time capsule for wireless backup/file storage)....i've never used ethernet on my powerbook...if i need to replace my battery, i'll just order one online and follow the instructions for self-installation...i did that when the battery died on my 3g ipod and when i had to replace the hard drive on my powerbook (and i'm a girl with intermediate level computer knowledge)....
so there is a market out there for the mba...i'm not sure how big it is, but there are people who will plop down $1800 (gulp) for this....i only hesitate because i want to give it some months for any issues to be worked out, or for the price to drop (yeah right)...and i generally don't like to buy the first model of something...that's why i didn't buy the iphone...it's still going through some growing pains, and it's not really a smartphone with features that a corporate user like me needs... but i was at the apple store today to check it out, and the mba is solid...there were 4 on display and always a line 2-3 deep of people wanting to look at it....there is interest in it...
anyway, just my two cents...what the hell am i doing here at 4am anyway?
Wow. Be careful dude. Don't talk against Apple in the slightest or the Imperial Storm Troopers will come after you and deride you for independence of thought and for not towing the Apple is uber alles line and that Steve "mock turtle-neck" Jobs is the all-knowing guru. I happen to like, no, love my MBP and would NEVER go back to Windoze for any reason, but I also see Apple heading down the M$ path in some ways and this is troubling.
i have an ibm x with 12in screen
i've had it for over 3 years.
never have used it's dvd/cd brick docking platform
rarely used the ports, any most often if used is for a mouse, but with BT that's a better solution
it has a 1ghz processor with 1 gb ram 40gb hd
it's less than half full
i'll tell you why
i use online wordprocessing, spreedsheets etc, i'll take an email download and work with it
most of my work is modification of someones elses data input
now that many many things (everything) is on a network, wirelessly available
why keep all the junk.....ultraportables and their buyers don't like the bulk
the mac air is like my travel wallet minimalist but powerful and for the price, holy cow.
my ibm as equipped cost over 3500 and if you put that in 2008 dollars i paid mega dollars BUT i wanted thin and light....business thin and light. when i got home or to work then i could use my "more powerful desktop" but lets face it you don't need much......
my big problems were travel bulk and battery life. you need to talk to an active road warrior to see how the market it. but i believe SJ has hit a bulls eye.....how come, because many will try to copy or match it.
with the air you are dealing with a different type of user.
i have an ibm x with 12in screen
i've had it for over 3 years.
never have used it's dvd/cd brick docking platform
rarely used the ports, any most often if used is for a mouse, but with BT that's a better solution
it has a 1ghz processor with 1 gb ram 40gb hd
it's less than half full
i'll tell you why
i use online wordprocessing, spreedsheets etc, i'll take an email download and work with it
most of my work is modification of someones elses data input
now that many many things (everything) is on a network, wirelessly available
why keep all the junk.....ultraportables and their buyers don't like the bulk
the mac air is like my travel wallet minimalist but powerful and for the price, holy cow.
my ibm as equipped cost over 3500 and if you put that in 2008 dollars i paid mega dollars BUT i wanted thin and light....business thin and light. when i got home or to work then i could use my "more powerful desktop" but lets face it you don't need much......
my big problems were travel bulk and battery life. you need to talk to an active road warrior to see how the market it. but i believe SJ has hit a bulls eye.....how come, because many will try to copy or match it.
Thanks for a great post NOFEER.
basic point: buy it if you can afford it. don't if u can't or if u can make do with alternatives.
I am someone who has been using computers for 28 years. I switched to Mac in September 2007, long overdue, with the purchase of an Alum 20" iMac. On Saturday I purchased a new, still sealed MBA for $1500 (its $1899 in Canada) off Craigslist.
So, I have had all kinds of computers in my day, and I love my Macs and the MBA. I don't even cast a glance at any of the PCs out there any more.
So far, the MBA is perfect for me. Would it be my primary machine? No way. For many road warriors who need email, web, presentation and spreadsheet software this is a great machine.
I could always just live online like some and be a serial apologist for Apple, however, I choose to do something unique to this particular thread. I think for myself. The MBA is nice but hardly revolutionary. At the end of the day it is a small, thin laptop that has almost zero peripheral support, an almost non-existant battery replacement facility, no optical drive included, and did I mention extremely expensive (depends on the version). See I am not under the illusion that Apple is my friend and that Stevie Boy is my best drinking buddy. Apple is a corporation who's loyalty lies solely with the investors. Apple is not doing any of us favors for free. We consumers are a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less.
Anantksundaram and Wizard69 seem to have an understanding and are not easy prey for slick marketing. Apple never had to sell fluff to make a good product but it seems that they are taking the quick and easy route. Can you say M$?
More and more I think this is a toy for the the style over substance type.....
Not for me. Give me a loaded black MacBook any day!
As it's been stated ad nauseam already, the Air is a niche computer. If it won't fill your niche, don't worry about it...
Edit: Just realized this is an old topic, oops!