I going to assume your not just being a troll here (cause you said you weren't), but this stuff above is just 100% BS.
You are faulting the company with the best design chops, the highest build quality and the highest customer satisfaction rate in the entire industry over the last 20 years or so (and they lead the pack by a huge amount in all three) for ...
poor quality products?
Absolute nonsense.
Yes, poor quality. Look at the display on the Macbook. For a $1300+ machine, it's utter garbage. Also, I'm not impressed with the metal unibody. It dents easily and hinders wifi reception. Let's not get into the widespread problems the plastic Macbooks had with their cases.
Sure, there are always lemons in the batch, but Apple has been increasingly cutting corners while maintaining their unwarranted premium pricing.
I wanted to buy a new Macbook, but after seeing it in person, I couldn't justify throwing away $1300 on something that had a display worse than other displays I've seen in less expensive (or better spec'ed) notebooks.
The sad truth of the matter is that lots of people already have OS X running on various netbooks (albeit not without some hacks), so unless Apple whips up something that will excite both the fanboys and new Apple buyers, I'd say they're going to miss the bus with this one.
But like Steve said, he'd rather people buy and iPhone/iPod touch, anyway, than have to sell a low-cost netbook.
Who wants one now? Whoever wanted it already has it. I don't think it something to aspire towards- an underperforming large sheet of metal. Small, not large is the way to go. Analysts have already stated it's underperforming for Apple.
The constant bashing of the Air is tiring.
As I type this message on my Air, I recall the several hours of great work I put in on it earlier today and yesterday: planned an entire project, recorded and edited sample audio for said project, edited photos and video for a presentation, prepped a presentation and even threw together the first animatics for the the first couple of units. Everything was then presented at a meeting (again using the Air), the idea got a green light and I now get to use my Air to write the whole script within the next two weeks. Apps I used include: Logic, ToonBoom Studio, ToonBoom Storyboard, Pages, Keynote, iMovie, iPhoto, QuickTime Pro, Narrator, Curio, PhotoBooth, Curio, Safari, Mail and iCal. Oh, and I put everything on my private homepage using iWeb, including PDFs, movies, stills and animations. Yeah, along the way it was connected to a Wacom tablet, a Canon camera, a Canon HD video cam, my iPod, an M-Audio USB audio interface and two mics recording in stereo.
The only reason an Air would be underperforming is if the user was underperforming.
BTW, the Air is still listed as #4 on the top sellers list at Apple... It has been there or higher since its release.
Can there be anymore more double speak included in this guy's analysis?
First he says that Apple has reached a point were there will not be anybody buying their notebooks anymore:
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
these are now being joined by cash-strapped customers even within the US, making it that much less likely any of them will pay Apple's minimum asking price. At $999, the least expensive MacBook is twice or more the cost of the most frugal Windows alternatives, Gottheil says.
"It is too much to ask consumers to pay more than twice as much for a PC in these times," the analyst says.
Followed up by stating that Apple has to risk cannibalizing some of the sales of higher priced notebooks, yeah the ones that no one will be buying.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
As with most Windows PC makers, Apple would reportedly have to accept the risk of cannibalizing sales for some of its more lucrative notebook models but could theoretically maintain its profit margins and continue to grow its Mac shipments ahead of the industry curve.
So which is it? Apple is going to come to a screeching halt in the notebook category.
-OR-
Apple has to make a mad dash for the no margin, low spec netbook market and risk losing some of their sales to this category.
It is enough to make one laugh. Is it any wonder that the stock market is in a shambles, just look at the idiots who are the supposed analysts. Maybe it is analysts like this one that are in danger of going away, and not to soon either!
Like the MacBook Air ultraportable, this future system would be at least as thin and light as others in its category but would potentially have a larger surface area to allow a larger display or more comfortable input. Netbook owners carry their systems "in stacks with papers and books" and care more about thickness than footprint, according to Gottheil.
bullshit. Why is the bezel on the MBA larger than any of the other portables? The larger footprint is a direct result of the thinness, because you have to pack a big processor in there. The MBA processor is a very capable one, only slowed down by memory and bus limitations. It's nowhere near a netbook (not that I want it to be). But a 13" screen with the same footprint as a 15" MBP is pretty lame. Why this obsession with thin? The 12" powerbook was the perfect size footprint, and it could be made much thinner with today's components, while still maintaining a full keyboard and "comfortable" input. The MBA was the ultimate of compromises, and it failed miserably. If it hadn't, you would've heard the 'netbook crowd hush up as they flocked toward it. That didn't happen.
Can I have a show of hands of those who care more about footprint than thinness?
Like nearly all "journalists" this guy has no experience or financial education.
All economic slowdowns/recessions have a finite life. In the US the longest recession, since WWII, lasted 18 months. This one is now 12 months old. That means this has only 6 months to go before it too fades into our memories. That duration isn't anywhere near long enough to cause Apple any concern about "cash strapped" consumers.
This is just another bullsh*t article based on nothing more than the author's desire to generate hits.
Complacency Greg. This isn't a US recession. It's a global recession. Tweak your figures a little.
bullshit. Why is the bezel on the MBA larger than any of the other portables? The larger footprint is a direct result of the thinness, because you have to pack a big processor in there. The MBA processor is a very capable one, only slowed down by memory and bus limitations. It's nowhere near a netbook (not that I want it to be). But a 13" screen with the same footprint as a 15" MBP is pretty lame. Why this obsession with thin? The 12" powerbook was the perfect size footprint, and it could be made much thinner with today's components, while still maintaining a full keyboard and "comfortable" input. The MBA was the ultimate of compromises, and it failed miserably. If it hadn't, you would've heard the 'netbook crowd hush up as they flocked toward it. That didn't happen.
Can I have a show of hands of those who care more about footprint than thinness?
I believe the objective of the Air was to reduce weight with one critical feature that could not be compromised. That is the keyboard.
Who the hell wants a POS netbook with a pissant screen other than bored commuters in heavy urban centers that use rails and need an hour to distract themselves?
No one interested in serious computing of any measure is going to jump on the crippled system bandwagon.
1) You make the false assumption that everyone is interesting in serious computing. This is not true, the vast majority of people surf the web, chat, check their email and listen to music or watch YouTube on their system. That doesn't require a $1000+ system.
2) Portability and Cheap is the key. So you can sling it in your bag every day and not notice the weight, unlike a 5lb laptop. SO if it breaks, you won't be crying over your $1000+ investment.
3) My netbook has a higher resolution than my iBook. Text is beautifully crisp. I can't justify £719 for the base MacBook right now, certainly not the £900 for the aluminium model, hot as it is. However I could justify £205 for this netbook.
4) What do I use it for? Web surfing. IM. Email. Checking what's on TV when I'm at home. I even got accelerated 3D desktop working in Linux...
5) I can even do work on this thing, as I'm a programmer. It's not the most comfortable experience, but at least I'd have the device to hand!
6) The build quality on this device is great. Aluminium. Decent keyboard that I can type pretty well on. WiFi, bluetooth, 1280x768 display, 1GB RAM, 120GB HD ... the CPU is weak, but that's not what matters in this type of device.
And "use rails" indeed. Shows what you know about the reality of life.
OMG ... I am all alone it seems. I'd love a $599 portrait mode (heck why not iPhone-like orientation aware), light, wifi enabled, touch-gesture pad, device for reading web, mail and using iTunes. In fact it could just be an Phone in a larger format now I think about it. I type with two fingers now so an on screen keyboard at that size would be great for me. Maybe iPod Touch on steroids, US letter size, would be sufficient, i.e. no phone at all. What's the down side? Apple have all the technology there now to make this. It would only compete with iPod Touches and the size would prevent that happening much, it would have an entirely different user base.
Everyone keeps saying that netbooks make no sense. I highly disagree. I'm a web developer with a 24" iMac at home hooked up to a second 24" monitor. That's where I do all my work. That's what I *need* to do my work. But I also spend a lot of time meeting clients in coffee shops and meeting rooms... etc... where the only thing I really need a computer for is to show a Keynote presentation and / or some JPG's and be able to send emails and surf the web. A $999 plastic MacBook is far too much computer for these basic tasks. I'm not willing to spend that much on a computer that I will NEVER use except for meetings. Plus it's big and bulky and a pain to carry around compared to a "netbook" or the Air. The Air would be great for meetings... but it's even more money! A LOT more money. I would be first in line to buy a simple, small, light, stripped down Apple laptop.
Everyone keeps saying that netbooks make no sense. I highly disagree. I'm a web developer with a 24" iMac at home hooked up to a second 24" monitor. That's where I do all my work. That's what I *need* to do my work. But I also spend a lot of time meeting clients in coffee shops and meeting rooms... etc... where the only thing I really need a computer for is to show a Keynote presentation and / or some JPG's and be able to send emails and surf the web. A $999 plastic MacBook is far too much computer for these basic tasks. I'm not willing to spend that much on a computer that I will NEVER use except for meetings. Plus it's big and bulky and a pain to carry around compared to a "netbook" or the Air. The Air would be great for meetings... but it's even more money! A LOT more money. I would be first in line to buy a simple, small, light, stripped down Apple laptop.
I would hate it if Apple released anything below 900$. It just makes the Apple brand look cheap, and crappy. And it allows all these other people to be carrying around a fruit logo when they shouldn't be. In the end Apple will just dilute their brand. Please Steve Jobs - don't do it!
Do you know the word "welfare"? It is quite impossible that apple would release a netbook, for the reason the they already have the Touch and iPhone, considering also what Steve Job's said.
Don't worry, only filthy rich people like you would be the one's owning Apple's product. And other trying hard poor people like me just to own one because of it's beauty.
Mac Mini? Though it hasn't been updated for over a year and is pretty crappy specs-wise.
You have a point, but if NVidia MB style hardware goes in it, count on the popularity going up more than it is now. They are very popular despite the crappy and below average performance. We have several at work and they do great for normal people doing normal jobs. They have really caught on as servers too. Any spec increase would be welcome and possibly eat at the MacPro sales a little. I know several would disagree but we bought a MacPro and if we had a Mini with NVidia in it, we would have.
I would hate it if Apple released anything below 900$. It just makes the Apple brand look cheap, and crappy
As others have pointed out: iPhone, iPod touch, Mac mini.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HyteProsector
Want an Apple netbook? Get a 12" PowerBook refurbished. Inexpensive, small processor, and practical. Maybe a smidge too big but none the less, it'll do the trick just the same.
You forgot to mention slow as hell. I still have my 7-year-old PB 12" and I watch the CPU meter spike into the high 80s just by having iTunes open. Not playing, just open. It's as heavy as a Macbook, not exactly aiming at the people who want a 2 pound netbook. And where are you going to find a refurb nowadays? The thing's been discontinued for years.
Many people here seem to fall into the same trap. If they don't want it, it's a terrible idea. I'd hate to see what Apple would be like if they were in charge. There'd be one notebook and one desktop.
Yes, poor quality. Look at the display on the Macbook. For a $1300+ machine, it's utter garbage. Also, I'm not impressed with the metal unibody. It dents easily and hinders wifi reception. Let's not get into the widespread problems the plastic Macbooks had with their cases.
Sure, there are always lemons in the batch, but Apple has been increasingly cutting corners while maintaining their unwarranted premium pricing.
I wanted to buy a new Macbook, but after seeing it in person, I couldn't justify throwing away $1300 on something that had a display worse than other displays I've seen in less expensive (or better spec'ed) notebooks.
It's very sad, but I have to agree with you 100%. The new Macbook display is a joke and the omission of FW a deal-breaker for most creative users anyway.
But the same brick build with a 10/11" display would make a great solid netbook!
The Air might be a decent netbook for business people and soft travellers, but it seems way to fragile to be just thrown in a backpack, which is my idea of mobility.
For hard on the road use (including bumpy bike rides) I trust the conservative eeePC, MSi Wind and Lenovo S10 form factor much more than the stylish but anorexic Air design.
After they blew it completely with their new notebook line, a genuine netbook is Apple's last and only chance to get money out of me in the near future.
Otherwise they'll have to wait a few a more years until my 8-core Pro becomes obsolete...
Apple already has a net book. It is called an iPod Touch. It is fully capable at surfing the internet, and sending email. This is for less then three hundred dollars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Faced with the perfect storm of a bleak market and a boom in ultra-budget portables, Apple is believed by some to be readying its own take on the netbook for the first half of 2009.
Analyst Ezra Gottheil from Technology Business Research (TBR) cautions that Apple may no longer have the luxury of keeping its notebook pricing high when many buyers are much more concerned about price than they were even a few months ago.
The company has until now insisted on keeping its prices largely unchanged and instead has upgraded the specifications of its systems to maintain that price. That has kept its average selling price high but has also all but locked the company out of the entry-level and developing-world markets; these are now being joined by cash-strapped customers even within the US, making it that much less likely any of them will pay Apple's minimum asking price. At $999, the least expensive MacBook is twice or more the cost of the most frugal Windows alternatives, Gottheil says.
Gottheil dismisses the notion of an artificial premium on Apple products, noting that they often compete well for the features, but is certain that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has reached a breaking point where perceived quality can't override genuine financial woes from customers.
"It is too much to ask consumers to pay more than twice as much for a PC in these times," the analyst says.
Moreover, the market is also understood to be shifting away from the Mac's traditional price range. The sudden explosion in the popularity of netbooks -- portables with 10-inch or smaller screens that are often based around low-power processors and meant for basic Internet use -- has pushed the price of a notebook to as little as $300. Apple can't ignore this, Gottheil claims.
But while the Mac maker's chief Steve Jobs has argued that the iPhone is netbook-like in fulfilling many of the same online roles, the researcher believes that the desire for a keyboard ultimately the usefulness of the iPhone for certain software and that something more is necessary.
Instead, he and TBR are confident that Apple will release a computer in the netbook class within the first half of next year, but one that doesn't obey many of the rules dictated by the industry. Like the MacBook Air ultraportable, this future system would be at least as thin and light as others in its category but would potentially have a larger surface area to allow a larger display or more comfortable input. Netbook owners carry their systems "in stacks with papers and books" and care more about thickness than footprint, according to Gottheil.
Crucially, he also takes to heart Jobs' assertion that $500 systems are typically "junk" and believes that Apple will price the system at $599. The figure would be just low enough to draw customers who would pass over the plastic MacBook but high enough to avoid the risk Apple's co-founder perceives in dropping the price particularly low.
As with most Windows PC makers, Apple would reportedly have to accept the risk of cannibalizing sales for some of its more lucrative notebook models but could theoretically maintain its profit margins and continue to grow its Mac shipments ahead of the industry curve.
While the market conditions are widely accepted and are potentially supported by rumors of an unknown device being tested at Apple that would more closely fit the bill, Gottheil's statements do contradict some of Jobs' own beliefs about netbooks and Apple's role in the marketplace. He believes netbooks are part of a "nascent" category that may not pan out and has said he would be "surprised" if large volumes of notebook buyers shifted to the very bottom of the price spectrum and created problems for Apple.
Still, TBR's analyst warns that buyers, including those looking at Macs, were "more cautious" even in the summer and that Apple in its current position would gain share mainly at the expense of its revenue as users opt for less expensive models whenever possible.
As others have pointed out: iPhone, iPod touch, Mac mini.
You forgot to mention slow as hell. I still have my 7-year-old PB 12" and I watch the CPU meter spike into the high 80s just by having iTunes open. Not playing, just open. It's as heavy as a Macbook, not exactly aiming at the people who want a 2 pound netbook. And where are you going to find a refurb nowadays? The thing's been discontinued for years.
Many people here seem to fall into the same trap. If they don't want it, it's a terrible idea. I'd hate to see what Apple would be like if they were in charge. There'd be one notebook and one desktop.
You're right a powerbook would be slow as hell, but it'd handle leopard way better than most netbooks would handle Vista. I envisioned the Air to have the same footprint as the 12" powerbook maybe even a tad smaller due to the aspect ratio of the monitor. I sure as hell hope the 2nd Gen. Air has a smaller footprint.
Oh yeah, and as to where you can find a powerbook, theres this little website called eBay. Also you could try Googling "used Apple computers", isnt that where most people start their internet search?
Apple already has a net book. It is called an iPod Touch. It is fully capable at surfing the internet, and sending email. This is for less then three hundred dollars.
Yeah, I just love doing my web surfing on a 3.5" screen with no physical keyboard
You do realize that the iPod touch is nowhere near as fully featured as a netbook, right?
I use my netbook as my primary computer. If I had a touch instead, what would I use to sync it? Oh, right, I'd have to buy a real computer for the touch to be at all usable.
Comments
I going to assume your not just being a troll here (cause you said you weren't), but this stuff above is just 100% BS.
You are faulting the company with the best design chops, the highest build quality and the highest customer satisfaction rate in the entire industry over the last 20 years or so (and they lead the pack by a huge amount in all three) for ...
poor quality products?
Absolute nonsense.
Yes, poor quality. Look at the display on the Macbook. For a $1300+ machine, it's utter garbage. Also, I'm not impressed with the metal unibody. It dents easily and hinders wifi reception. Let's not get into the widespread problems the plastic Macbooks had with their cases.
Sure, there are always lemons in the batch, but Apple has been increasingly cutting corners while maintaining their unwarranted premium pricing.
I wanted to buy a new Macbook, but after seeing it in person, I couldn't justify throwing away $1300 on something that had a display worse than other displays I've seen in less expensive (or better spec'ed) notebooks.
The sad truth of the matter is that lots of people already have OS X running on various netbooks (albeit not without some hacks), so unless Apple whips up something that will excite both the fanboys and new Apple buyers, I'd say they're going to miss the bus with this one.
But like Steve said, he'd rather people buy and iPhone/iPod touch, anyway, than have to sell a low-cost netbook.
Who wants one now? Whoever wanted it already has it. I don't think it something to aspire towards- an underperforming large sheet of metal. Small, not large is the way to go. Analysts have already stated it's underperforming for Apple.
The constant bashing of the Air is tiring.
As I type this message on my Air, I recall the several hours of great work I put in on it earlier today and yesterday: planned an entire project, recorded and edited sample audio for said project, edited photos and video for a presentation, prepped a presentation and even threw together the first animatics for the the first couple of units. Everything was then presented at a meeting (again using the Air), the idea got a green light and I now get to use my Air to write the whole script within the next two weeks. Apps I used include: Logic, ToonBoom Studio, ToonBoom Storyboard, Pages, Keynote, iMovie, iPhoto, QuickTime Pro, Narrator, Curio, PhotoBooth, Curio, Safari, Mail and iCal. Oh, and I put everything on my private homepage using iWeb, including PDFs, movies, stills and animations. Yeah, along the way it was connected to a Wacom tablet, a Canon camera, a Canon HD video cam, my iPod, an M-Audio USB audio interface and two mics recording in stereo.
The only reason an Air would be underperforming is if the user was underperforming.
BTW, the Air is still listed as #4 on the top sellers list at Apple... It has been there or higher since its release.
First he says that Apple has reached a point were there will not be anybody buying their notebooks anymore:
these are now being joined by cash-strapped customers even within the US, making it that much less likely any of them will pay Apple's minimum asking price. At $999, the least expensive MacBook is twice or more the cost of the most frugal Windows alternatives, Gottheil says.
"It is too much to ask consumers to pay more than twice as much for a PC in these times," the analyst says.
Followed up by stating that Apple has to risk cannibalizing some of the sales of higher priced notebooks, yeah the ones that no one will be buying.
As with most Windows PC makers, Apple would reportedly have to accept the risk of cannibalizing sales for some of its more lucrative notebook models but could theoretically maintain its profit margins and continue to grow its Mac shipments ahead of the industry curve.
So which is it? Apple is going to come to a screeching halt in the notebook category.
-OR-
Apple has to make a mad dash for the no margin, low spec netbook market and risk losing some of their sales to this category.
It is enough to make one laugh. Is it any wonder that the stock market is in a shambles, just look at the idiots who are the supposed analysts. Maybe it is analysts like this one that are in danger of going away, and not to soon either!
Like the MacBook Air ultraportable, this future system would be at least as thin and light as others in its category but would potentially have a larger surface area to allow a larger display or more comfortable input. Netbook owners carry their systems "in stacks with papers and books" and care more about thickness than footprint, according to Gottheil.
bullshit. Why is the bezel on the MBA larger than any of the other portables? The larger footprint is a direct result of the thinness, because you have to pack a big processor in there. The MBA processor is a very capable one, only slowed down by memory and bus limitations. It's nowhere near a netbook (not that I want it to be). But a 13" screen with the same footprint as a 15" MBP is pretty lame. Why this obsession with thin? The 12" powerbook was the perfect size footprint, and it could be made much thinner with today's components, while still maintaining a full keyboard and "comfortable" input. The MBA was the ultimate of compromises, and it failed miserably. If it hadn't, you would've heard the 'netbook crowd hush up as they flocked toward it. That didn't happen.
Can I have a show of hands of those who care more about footprint than thinness?
Glad to see you guys learned from the last experience. Of course, that was over a month ago.
Like nearly all "journalists" this guy has no experience or financial education.
All economic slowdowns/recessions have a finite life. In the US the longest recession, since WWII, lasted 18 months. This one is now 12 months old. That means this has only 6 months to go before it too fades into our memories. That duration isn't anywhere near long enough to cause Apple any concern about "cash strapped" consumers.
This is just another bullsh*t article based on nothing more than the author's desire to generate hits.
Complacency Greg. This isn't a US recession. It's a global recession. Tweak your figures a little.
bullshit. Why is the bezel on the MBA larger than any of the other portables? The larger footprint is a direct result of the thinness, because you have to pack a big processor in there. The MBA processor is a very capable one, only slowed down by memory and bus limitations. It's nowhere near a netbook (not that I want it to be). But a 13" screen with the same footprint as a 15" MBP is pretty lame. Why this obsession with thin? The 12" powerbook was the perfect size footprint, and it could be made much thinner with today's components, while still maintaining a full keyboard and "comfortable" input. The MBA was the ultimate of compromises, and it failed miserably. If it hadn't, you would've heard the 'netbook crowd hush up as they flocked toward it. That didn't happen.
Can I have a show of hands of those who care more about footprint than thinness?
I believe the objective of the Air was to reduce weight with one critical feature that could not be compromised. That is the keyboard.
The keyboard had to be full size.
From there the footprint was determined.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...th_review.html
The MBA is selling quite well
Based on what?
Who the hell wants a POS netbook with a pissant screen other than bored commuters in heavy urban centers that use rails and need an hour to distract themselves?
No one interested in serious computing of any measure is going to jump on the crippled system bandwagon.
1) You make the false assumption that everyone is interesting in serious computing. This is not true, the vast majority of people surf the web, chat, check their email and listen to music or watch YouTube on their system. That doesn't require a $1000+ system.
2) Portability and Cheap is the key. So you can sling it in your bag every day and not notice the weight, unlike a 5lb laptop. SO if it breaks, you won't be crying over your $1000+ investment.
3) My netbook has a higher resolution than my iBook. Text is beautifully crisp. I can't justify £719 for the base MacBook right now, certainly not the £900 for the aluminium model, hot as it is. However I could justify £205 for this netbook.
4) What do I use it for? Web surfing. IM. Email. Checking what's on TV when I'm at home. I even got accelerated 3D desktop working in Linux...
5) I can even do work on this thing, as I'm a programmer. It's not the most comfortable experience, but at least I'd have the device to hand!
6) The build quality on this device is great. Aluminium. Decent keyboard that I can type pretty well on. WiFi, bluetooth, 1280x768 display, 1GB RAM, 120GB HD ... the CPU is weak, but that's not what matters in this type of device.
And "use rails" indeed. Shows what you know about the reality of life.
Everyone keeps saying that netbooks make no sense. I highly disagree. I'm a web developer with a 24" iMac at home hooked up to a second 24" monitor. That's where I do all my work. That's what I *need* to do my work. But I also spend a lot of time meeting clients in coffee shops and meeting rooms... etc... where the only thing I really need a computer for is to show a Keynote presentation and / or some JPG's and be able to send emails and surf the web. A $999 plastic MacBook is far too much computer for these basic tasks. I'm not willing to spend that much on a computer that I will NEVER use except for meetings. Plus it's big and bulky and a pain to carry around compared to a "netbook" or the Air. The Air would be great for meetings... but it's even more money! A LOT more money. I would be first in line to buy a simple, small, light, stripped down Apple laptop.
That's two of us
I would hate it if Apple released anything below 900$. It just makes the Apple brand look cheap, and crappy. And it allows all these other people to be carrying around a fruit logo when they shouldn't be. In the end Apple will just dilute their brand. Please Steve Jobs - don't do it!
Do you know the word "welfare"? It is quite impossible that apple would release a netbook, for the reason the they already have the Touch and iPhone, considering also what Steve Job's said.
Don't worry, only filthy rich people like you would be the one's owning Apple's product. And other trying hard poor people like me just to own one because of it's beauty.
Mac Mini? Though it hasn't been updated for over a year and is pretty crappy specs-wise.
You have a point, but if NVidia MB style hardware goes in it, count on the popularity going up more than it is now. They are very popular despite the crappy and below average performance. We have several at work and they do great for normal people doing normal jobs. They have really caught on as servers too. Any spec increase would be welcome and possibly eat at the MacPro sales a little. I know several would disagree but we bought a MacPro and if we had a Mini with NVidia in it, we would have.
So I'll pass.
I would hate it if Apple released anything below 900$. It just makes the Apple brand look cheap, and crappy
As others have pointed out: iPhone, iPod touch, Mac mini.
Want an Apple netbook? Get a 12" PowerBook refurbished. Inexpensive, small processor, and practical. Maybe a smidge too big but none the less, it'll do the trick just the same.
You forgot to mention slow as hell. I still have my 7-year-old PB 12" and I watch the CPU meter spike into the high 80s just by having iTunes open. Not playing, just open. It's as heavy as a Macbook, not exactly aiming at the people who want a 2 pound netbook. And where are you going to find a refurb nowadays? The thing's been discontinued for years.
Many people here seem to fall into the same trap. If they don't want it, it's a terrible idea. I'd hate to see what Apple would be like if they were in charge. There'd be one notebook and one desktop.
Yes, poor quality. Look at the display on the Macbook. For a $1300+ machine, it's utter garbage. Also, I'm not impressed with the metal unibody. It dents easily and hinders wifi reception. Let's not get into the widespread problems the plastic Macbooks had with their cases.
Sure, there are always lemons in the batch, but Apple has been increasingly cutting corners while maintaining their unwarranted premium pricing.
I wanted to buy a new Macbook, but after seeing it in person, I couldn't justify throwing away $1300 on something that had a display worse than other displays I've seen in less expensive (or better spec'ed) notebooks.
It's very sad, but I have to agree with you 100%. The new Macbook display is a joke and the omission of FW a deal-breaker for most creative users anyway.
But the same brick build with a 10/11" display would make a great solid netbook!
The Air might be a decent netbook for business people and soft travellers, but it seems way to fragile to be just thrown in a backpack, which is my idea of mobility.
For hard on the road use (including bumpy bike rides) I trust the conservative eeePC, MSi Wind and Lenovo S10 form factor much more than the stylish but anorexic Air design.
After they blew it completely with their new notebook line, a genuine netbook is Apple's last and only chance to get money out of me in the near future.
Otherwise they'll have to wait a few a more years until my 8-core Pro becomes obsolete...
Faced with the perfect storm of a bleak market and a boom in ultra-budget portables, Apple is believed by some to be readying its own take on the netbook for the first half of 2009.
Analyst Ezra Gottheil from Technology Business Research (TBR) cautions that Apple may no longer have the luxury of keeping its notebook pricing high when many buyers are much more concerned about price than they were even a few months ago.
The company has until now insisted on keeping its prices largely unchanged and instead has upgraded the specifications of its systems to maintain that price. That has kept its average selling price high but has also all but locked the company out of the entry-level and developing-world markets; these are now being joined by cash-strapped customers even within the US, making it that much less likely any of them will pay Apple's minimum asking price. At $999, the least expensive MacBook is twice or more the cost of the most frugal Windows alternatives, Gottheil says.
Gottheil dismisses the notion of an artificial premium on Apple products, noting that they often compete well for the features, but is certain that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has reached a breaking point where perceived quality can't override genuine financial woes from customers.
"It is too much to ask consumers to pay more than twice as much for a PC in these times," the analyst says.
Moreover, the market is also understood to be shifting away from the Mac's traditional price range. The sudden explosion in the popularity of netbooks -- portables with 10-inch or smaller screens that are often based around low-power processors and meant for basic Internet use -- has pushed the price of a notebook to as little as $300. Apple can't ignore this, Gottheil claims.
But while the Mac maker's chief Steve Jobs has argued that the iPhone is netbook-like in fulfilling many of the same online roles, the researcher believes that the desire for a keyboard ultimately the usefulness of the iPhone for certain software and that something more is necessary.
Instead, he and TBR are confident that Apple will release a computer in the netbook class within the first half of next year, but one that doesn't obey many of the rules dictated by the industry. Like the MacBook Air ultraportable, this future system would be at least as thin and light as others in its category but would potentially have a larger surface area to allow a larger display or more comfortable input. Netbook owners carry their systems "in stacks with papers and books" and care more about thickness than footprint, according to Gottheil.
Crucially, he also takes to heart Jobs' assertion that $500 systems are typically "junk" and believes that Apple will price the system at $599. The figure would be just low enough to draw customers who would pass over the plastic MacBook but high enough to avoid the risk Apple's co-founder perceives in dropping the price particularly low.
As with most Windows PC makers, Apple would reportedly have to accept the risk of cannibalizing sales for some of its more lucrative notebook models but could theoretically maintain its profit margins and continue to grow its Mac shipments ahead of the industry curve.
While the market conditions are widely accepted and are potentially supported by rumors of an unknown device being tested at Apple that would more closely fit the bill, Gottheil's statements do contradict some of Jobs' own beliefs about netbooks and Apple's role in the marketplace. He believes netbooks are part of a "nascent" category that may not pan out and has said he would be "surprised" if large volumes of notebook buyers shifted to the very bottom of the price spectrum and created problems for Apple.
Still, TBR's analyst warns that buyers, including those looking at Macs, were "more cautious" even in the summer and that Apple in its current position would gain share mainly at the expense of its revenue as users opt for less expensive models whenever possible.
As others have pointed out: iPhone, iPod touch, Mac mini.
You forgot to mention slow as hell. I still have my 7-year-old PB 12" and I watch the CPU meter spike into the high 80s just by having iTunes open. Not playing, just open. It's as heavy as a Macbook, not exactly aiming at the people who want a 2 pound netbook. And where are you going to find a refurb nowadays? The thing's been discontinued for years.
Many people here seem to fall into the same trap. If they don't want it, it's a terrible idea. I'd hate to see what Apple would be like if they were in charge. There'd be one notebook and one desktop.
You're right a powerbook would be slow as hell, but it'd handle leopard way better than most netbooks would handle Vista. I envisioned the Air to have the same footprint as the 12" powerbook maybe even a tad smaller due to the aspect ratio of the monitor. I sure as hell hope the 2nd Gen. Air has a smaller footprint.
Oh yeah, and as to where you can find a powerbook, theres this little website called eBay. Also you could try Googling "used Apple computers", isnt that where most people start their internet search?
Apple already has a net book. It is called an iPod Touch. It is fully capable at surfing the internet, and sending email. This is for less then three hundred dollars.
Yeah, I just love doing my web surfing on a 3.5" screen with no physical keyboard
You do realize that the iPod touch is nowhere near as fully featured as a netbook, right?
I use my netbook as my primary computer. If I had a touch instead, what would I use to sync it? Oh, right, I'd have to buy a real computer for the touch to be at all usable.