You do realize that the iPod touch is nowhere near as fully featured as a netbook, right?
And do you realize that a netbook is no where near as portable as an iPod Touch, or as useful as a regular notebook. Their certainly is a market for netbooks, just as their is a market for the DIY PC aficionados, but that doesn't make them a market segment Apple want to get in to.
I have a MSI Wind with OSx86 installed. There are quirks, but it works well enough for when I'm backpacking it. I still have my iPhone with me, which I use predominantly for email, websurfing, IMing, and every other normal aspect of internet computing, even replying to forums now that they fixed the Safari issues. It's just so much more convenient, easy to use, and feature filled enough to do what I need it to do.
I keep the Wind for when I'm writing abroad. Real writing, not just internet based replies, so it has it's purpose, but it won't fit in my pocket and it does lack many features that OS X iPhone has buit in or can be easily DLed from the App Store. But it also gets shelved as soon I'm near a "real" computer because the keyboard is far from ideal for long term writing. You are okay with it as your main computer but do you think this would fly with most people who just want something convenient for emails, websites, IMs and such?
The iPhone/Touch is the mobile platform. Any 'netbook' type device will be built up from that, not down from the MacBooks. I've always assumed that there will be an 8" version of the iPhone at some point... and I'm sure there is. When and whether it gets released depend on a whole slew of technological and economic factors.
Why the need to prove something that is common knowledge? Really every idiot that got drawn in by Apples marketing even with AIRs glaring ommisions has purchased one. Sales on the device dropped like a rock after the mad rush and the follow on poor performance reports.
Like it or not the AIR was poorly speced at the onset of design. That was further complicated by poor engineering that resulted in AIRs that simply don't operate up to the expectations of the owners.
It will be interesting to see if the revised AIRs can address the reliability issues and AIRs ability to meet performance expectations. Even if it does it still sits on the market with a limited feature set and a very bad reputation. AIR is simply a very limited appeal machine. It is niether a netbook nor a real laptop as such does not appeal to either group.
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?
You're guessing about how well the Powerbook works. I'm not. I use mine every day. Believe me, most people would never tolerate it. Besides, your point is wrong. Netbooks don't come with Vista. They either have Linux or Windows XP installed. And people who have seen demonstrations say that Microsoft has done some amazing work getting Windows 7 to run snappily on netbooks.
Do you know the difference between "used" and "refurbished"? Here's a hint: one has a full Apple warranty. One is in near new condition. The other can be anything short of a paperweight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vinney57
The iPhone/Touch is the mobile platform. Any 'netbook' type device will be built up from that, not down from the MacBooks. I've always assumed that there will be an 8" version of the iPhone at some point... and I'm sure there is. When and whether it gets released depend on a whole slew of technological and economic factors.
Are you saying Macbooks aren't mobile? You're limiting its capabilities right from the get-go. Work from the Macbook down and you get the capabilities of a full computer, including theoretically even running iPhone apps, since that runs a subset of OS X (plus baseband, of course). Developers have said that if you know how to program for the Mac, you're ready to program for the iPhone. Work from the iPhone/touch up and you get a glorified phone/iPod that will never run OS X apps. Even now, it lacks many basic functions every PC in the world has had for decades, like cut & paste. Good luck moving files around, too, since there's nothing like the Finder.
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.
Just because a recession ends doesn't mean that everyone suddenly gets jobs to pay for these gadgets! A company isn't going to start hiring people because it's out of the red again, it's going to wait 1-2 quarters to see if the growth demands more workers. Companies may get out of the recession in the middle of 2009, but "average joe" won't until beginning of 2010 when real productivity increases.
Apple will never make a $599 laptop. They have a netbook, it's called the MacBook Air and it's $1800. Why would the create another machine just to charge less money when they make a healthy profit on the Air?
Frankly this may be the most offensive and disgusting post I've ever seen on these forums!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ipodrulz
I would hate it if Apple released anything below 900$. It just makes the Apple brand look cheap, and crappy.
You do realize that Apple has a large selection of products under $900 right now! Further the price you pay for a product has nothing to do with it's quality. If you honestly believe that paying more for the same hardware implies better quality then you really need to spend some time on education else you will go through life looking awfully ignorant.
Quote:
And it allows all these other people to be carrying around a fruit logo when they shouldn't be.
Well all I can say is that it is extremely clear that you are not the sort of person that should be deciding who can and can't own an Apple product. Frankly I budget my money like many others here and make personal decisions on what to buy to meet my needs. I don't really care if people around me use an iPhone or not, the same for their PC /OS choice.
Quote:
In the end Apple will just dilute their brand. Please Steve Jobs - don't do it!
What you fail to realize is that Apple really has no choice but to market to and have products for mass sale. They have simply grown to the size where there simply isn't enough money in the snob market for them to sustain business.
In any event your statements are without rational value as you seem to ignore the fact that Apple is the largest merchandiser of MP3 players going. That has done nothing to delute the brand but rather has enhanced it considerably. All of that with devices well under $900.
Apple will never make a $599 laptop. They have a netbook, it's called the MacBook Air and it's $1800.
First and foremost AIR is a conceptual mistake coupled to some poor engineering. AIR is not a netbook and never has been. Steve has as much as admitted that this is the case considering his public comments on netbooks. Apple simply isn't playing in the netbook market right now.
Quote:
Why would the create another machine just to charge less money when they make a healthy profit on the Air?
Because AIR simply doesn't play in the market we are talking about here. No matter whose vision you follow here ( iPhone on steroids, a tablet Mac or a netbook), we are not taliking about anything being close to AIR in size.
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.
.
This is funny. Since when does Steve Jobs need to argue about what Apple products are going to be like. Its like this TBR analyst thinks he knows more about Apple product cycles then Jobs. Gottheil is saying that Apple does not know what they are doing and TBR does. If I was them, I would never come out and say that a CEO is lying about their future products. When it doesn't happen it just makes them look stupid. This would be more creditable if they had a source.
I am going to stick with what I always said about the Apple Netbook, anything bigger then the Touch is for people who need better eyesight. Here is my shameless plug. about the topic.
The gating factor, in my opinion, for Apple and netbooks is the form factor of the keyboard: I can't see Apple putting a smaller-than-standard keyboard on something that users expect to be a real keyboard.
Which means nothing you'd consider a netbook.
That doesn't mean that Apple isn't thinking of something that would cost $600-800 that you could do surfing and light email on, watch movies and play music on.
And it's not like Apple hasn't surprised the world before.
And for that matter, doesn't Apple already have something along the lines of something you can surf, do light email on, watch movies and play music on that's not a Mac?
The fear of cannibalized sales shouldn't be from other Apple products but from other manufactures. My co-worker who had purchased her first Mac a few years ago just bought an HP laptop for an an anniversary present. Her Mac book's harddrive and battery were shot. She was in love with the new macbook design and wanted a mac but they could only afford $500-$600 range.
In this one case Apple lost a sale to someone who had converted.
The only truth you are saying is that the AIR "is neither a netbook nor a real (full features) laptop". That's right, but why should everything be in a strict category? why should everything be just black or white? The AIR is just another type of computer, either it fits your needs or it doesn't. If it doesn't that doesn't make it a bad product.
************
Back on the subject. I think there is room between the $399 iPod touch and the $999/1299 13" MacBook for a couple of products that would fit the netbook/notebook market before Apple can release a full Mac OS X tablet (or something like that).
1- MacBook mini (10-11") based on the 13" MacBook motherboard, still with a full keyboard (enclosure cut as close to the keys as possible (11.0-11.5" wide), 7.0-7.5" depth, no optical drive. Could use the MBA external ODD.
When the 13" MacBook is updated to 2.26/2.53GHz cpus or better (spring 2009), this MacBook mini could receive the leftovers (2.0/2.4GHz cpus). Apple could probably price those at $899-1099 and keep the 13" MacBook at $1299/1599.
Apply a modern Apple look on the Isamu Sanada mock-up below (image on the left).
Cons: more expensive and bigger than most netbooks, small trackpad
Pros: more powerful than any netbook, standard OS, standard apps
.
2- Bigger iPod touch (7" or so, 1024x600?), the best prototype mock-up I've seen so far, was from MacLife (image on the right):
Like 3 iPod touch side by side, it would do everything the iPod touch does + displays up to three apps at the same time + the dock (with alerts, email, etc...), stand-alone + sync with your Mac and/or your iPhone/iPod.
Additional apps: "Finder" + QuickLook so you can display almost anykind of file, Wifi software updates (no Mac needed). Some apps could be expanded to full screen (email, video, calendar, etc...)
Additional hardware: Bluetooth/USB for an external keyboard (or an integrated mini-keyboard that mimics the virtual keyboard of the iPod touch), video out. Stereo speakers, mic, iSight. It would probably need a multicore ARM cpu and better graphics GPU than the current iPod touch for all that (Summer 2009).
For storage, it could have the 1.8" 120GB HDD or SSD. Probably two models at $599/799. The prototype shows a rigid design, but I think it could be a folded one with 4 positions: closed, notebook, kiosk (as shown), tablet.
Cons: not really a "computer", not much editing capabilities
Pros: smaller than most netbooks (better autonomy), can be used by a larger audience (a real consumer product)
So, IMO, here are the possible $599 "netbook" and $899 notebook, "analysts" are dreaming/talking about...
Like it or not the AIR was poorly speced at the onset of design. That was further complicated by poor engineering that resulted in AIRs that simply don't operate up to the expectations of the owners.
It will be interesting to see if the revised AIRs can address the reliability issues and AIRs ability to meet performance expectations. Even if it does it still sits on the market with a limited feature set and a very bad reputation. AIR is simply a very limited appeal machine. It is niether a netbook nor a real laptop as such does not appeal to either group.
Dave
I have an Air for work and as a mobile worker going from site to site, its perfect. At my prior job, I had a Dell Latitude 420. That was also perfect for frequent travels. The 420 also suffered from the same issues as the Air in that it was no where as fast as its big brothers but for what I use them both for, it is a fit.
What the heck is a Netbook anyways other then some term that Marketing made up leading Engineers to scramble to make a product to fit the need. How small does something have to be before you can call it a netbook? Does it have to have a real keyboard to be one? I always saw a Netbook as a small tablet system. FYI, Tablets never sold well and like the Air and Dell 420, they are for niche markets with little appeal to the masses.
You're guessing about how well the Powerbook works. I'm not. I use mine every day. Believe me, most people would never tolerate it. Besides, your point is wrong. Netbooks don't come with Vista. They either have Linux or Windows XP installed.
Alright bud, you missed the point completely here. I guess you didn't pick up on the implication, so I'll make it explicit. The point is that an Apple laptop does not need the newest Apple software to be a successful "netbook". All the netbooks on the market, as you so keenly pointed out (**claps hands for acomplishment**) run XP or Linux. Take it easy on the software, just like PC netbooks. That was the point.
Also, I think its a really good point as was stated at the top of page 2 that netbooks are too big to carry without a bag and too small to need a bag. They're right in the middle. Kinda akward. I agree.
Remember POGs? How about tiddly-winks to the older generations? Just a hot fad that died out. Same with netbooks. I don't doubt that they're selling like hot cakes now, but in a year? I doubt they'll have any staying power. Besides, I'd like to see the demographics of who is actually buying these things. I believe it to be hot only in a niche market right now.
Smartphones and hand-held portables seem like a viable solution, I must agree.
(Oh yeah for the record, I've owned 2 12" powerbooks, I buy and sell the things on eBay... I know all about 'em)
Alright bud, you missed the point completely here. I guess you didn't pick up on the implication, so I'll make it explicit. The point is that an Apple laptop does not need the newest Apple software to be a successful "netbook". All the netbooks on the market, as you so keenly pointed out (**claps hands for acomplishment**) run XP or Linux. Take it easy on the software, just like PC netbooks. That was the point.
If it doesn't need the newest OS, then why did you bring up Leopard? Why not say it would work fine with Tiger or even Panther?
Quote:
Also, I think its a really good point as was stated at the top of page 2 that netbooks are too big to carry without a bag and too small to need a bag. They're right in the middle. Kinda akward. I agree.
I'm usually carrying a bag of some kind anyway, so it's not a big deal. Go to the big city and nearly everybody's carrying a bag. I see guys in their 60s still lugging around knapsacks. Sticking another small device in there weighing a couple of pounds isn't awkward at all. A five pound slab of a laptop usually is, though.
Quote:
Remember POGs? How about tiddly-winks to the older generations? Just a hot fad that died out. Same with netbooks. I don't doubt that they're selling like hot cakes now, but in a year? I doubt they'll have any staying power. Besides, I'd like to see the demographics of who is actually buying these things. I believe it to be hot only in a niche market right now.
That's exactly right. "You believe." And a lot of people believed Apple would never make a cell phone. Others believed Steve when he said Apple would stay away from anything TV-related. You know what they say about people and their opinions.
Quote:
Smartphones and hand-held portables seem like a viable solution, I must agree.
We'll see who's right within a year.
Quote:
(Oh yeah for the record, I've owned 2 12" powerbooks, I buy and sell the things on eBay... I know all about 'em)
Yeah, you know all about them. I suppose your personally "refurbished" Powerbooks include the standard one-year Apple warranty? I didn't think so.
Am I the only person getting tired of netbooks? Fine, they make ultraportable notebooks intended solely for browsing the Internet and responding to email. Great! Why do we keep hearing about how great they are? They're narrow-use products. I'm already tired of the term netbook, just like how I got tired of the terms like "Web 2.0" and "blog" years ago. Enough.
Snow Leopard and a rumored $99 iPhone are bigger deals than an Apple netbook.
People like you are the reason there's a lot of hate for Mac users out there.
Whats wrong with what he said, netbooks are just part of the annoying complaints we have to deal with. Theybare cheapening the computer market, next people will be demanding 200 dollar macs.
Comments
WE NEED THOUSANDS for our University:
- Light (about 300 to 400 g). The MacBook Air is too heavy for us!
Is your university located in Munchkin Land?
You do realize that the iPod touch is nowhere near as fully featured as a netbook, right?
And do you realize that a netbook is no where near as portable as an iPod Touch, or as useful as a regular notebook. Their certainly is a market for netbooks, just as their is a market for the DIY PC aficionados, but that doesn't make them a market segment Apple want to get in to.
I have a MSI Wind with OSx86 installed. There are quirks, but it works well enough for when I'm backpacking it. I still have my iPhone with me, which I use predominantly for email, websurfing, IMing, and every other normal aspect of internet computing, even replying to forums now that they fixed the Safari issues. It's just so much more convenient, easy to use, and feature filled enough to do what I need it to do.
I keep the Wind for when I'm writing abroad. Real writing, not just internet based replies, so it has it's purpose, but it won't fit in my pocket and it does lack many features that OS X iPhone has buit in or can be easily DLed from the App Store. But it also gets shelved as soon I'm near a "real" computer because the keyboard is far from ideal for long term writing. You are okay with it as your main computer but do you think this would fly with most people who just want something convenient for emails, websites, IMs and such?
Proof? (Unless you're blowing smoke......)
Why the need to prove something that is common knowledge? Really every idiot that got drawn in by Apples marketing even with AIRs glaring ommisions has purchased one. Sales on the device dropped like a rock after the mad rush and the follow on poor performance reports.
Like it or not the AIR was poorly speced at the onset of design. That was further complicated by poor engineering that resulted in AIRs that simply don't operate up to the expectations of the owners.
It will be interesting to see if the revised AIRs can address the reliability issues and AIRs ability to meet performance expectations. Even if it does it still sits on the market with a limited feature set and a very bad reputation. AIR is simply a very limited appeal machine. It is niether a netbook nor a real laptop as such does not appeal to either group.
Dave
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?
You're guessing about how well the Powerbook works. I'm not. I use mine every day. Believe me, most people would never tolerate it. Besides, your point is wrong. Netbooks don't come with Vista. They either have Linux or Windows XP installed. And people who have seen demonstrations say that Microsoft has done some amazing work getting Windows 7 to run snappily on netbooks.
Do you know the difference between "used" and "refurbished"? Here's a hint: one has a full Apple warranty. One is in near new condition. The other can be anything short of a paperweight.
The iPhone/Touch is the mobile platform. Any 'netbook' type device will be built up from that, not down from the MacBooks. I've always assumed that there will be an 8" version of the iPhone at some point... and I'm sure there is. When and whether it gets released depend on a whole slew of technological and economic factors.
Are you saying Macbooks aren't mobile? You're limiting its capabilities right from the get-go. Work from the Macbook down and you get the capabilities of a full computer, including theoretically even running iPhone apps, since that runs a subset of OS X (plus baseband, of course). Developers have said that if you know how to program for the Mac, you're ready to program for the iPhone. Work from the iPhone/touch up and you get a glorified phone/iPod that will never run OS X apps. Even now, it lacks many basic functions every PC in the world has had for decades, like cut & paste. Good luck moving files around, too, since there's nothing like the Finder.
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.
Just because a recession ends doesn't mean that everyone suddenly gets jobs to pay for these gadgets! A company isn't going to start hiring people because it's out of the red again, it's going to wait 1-2 quarters to see if the growth demands more workers. Companies may get out of the recession in the middle of 2009, but "average joe" won't until beginning of 2010 when real productivity increases.
I would hate it if Apple released anything below 900$. It just makes the Apple brand look cheap, and crappy.
You do realize that Apple has a large selection of products under $900 right now! Further the price you pay for a product has nothing to do with it's quality. If you honestly believe that paying more for the same hardware implies better quality then you really need to spend some time on education else you will go through life looking awfully ignorant.
And it allows all these other people to be carrying around a fruit logo when they shouldn't be.
Well all I can say is that it is extremely clear that you are not the sort of person that should be deciding who can and can't own an Apple product. Frankly I budget my money like many others here and make personal decisions on what to buy to meet my needs. I don't really care if people around me use an iPhone or not, the same for their PC /OS choice.
In the end Apple will just dilute their brand. Please Steve Jobs - don't do it!
What you fail to realize is that Apple really has no choice but to market to and have products for mass sale. They have simply grown to the size where there simply isn't enough money in the snob market for them to sustain business.
In any event your statements are without rational value as you seem to ignore the fact that Apple is the largest merchandiser of MP3 players going. That has done nothing to delute the brand but rather has enhanced it considerably. All of that with devices well under $900.
Dave
Apple will never make a $599 laptop. They have a netbook, it's called the MacBook Air and it's $1800.
First and foremost AIR is a conceptual mistake coupled to some poor engineering. AIR is not a netbook and never has been. Steve has as much as admitted that this is the case considering his public comments on netbooks. Apple simply isn't playing in the netbook market right now.
Why would the create another machine just to charge less money when they make a healthy profit on the Air?
Because AIR simply doesn't play in the market we are talking about here. No matter whose vision you follow here ( iPhone on steroids, a tablet Mac or a netbook), we are not taliking about anything being close to AIR in size.
Dave
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.
.
This is funny. Since when does Steve Jobs need to argue about what Apple products are going to be like. Its like this TBR analyst thinks he knows more about Apple product cycles then Jobs. Gottheil is saying that Apple does not know what they are doing and TBR does. If I was them, I would never come out and say that a CEO is lying about their future products. When it doesn't happen it just makes them look stupid. This would be more creditable if they had a source.
I am going to stick with what I always said about the Apple Netbook, anything bigger then the Touch is for people who need better eyesight. Here is my shameless plug. about the topic.
Which means nothing you'd consider a netbook.
That doesn't mean that Apple isn't thinking of something that would cost $600-800 that you could do surfing and light email on, watch movies and play music on.
And it's not like Apple hasn't surprised the world before.
And for that matter, doesn't Apple already have something along the lines of something you can surf, do light email on, watch movies and play music on that's not a Mac?
A netbook will never happen from Apple i think, why? who the heck is gonna buy the $1700 Macbook air then?
Right, right... never gonna happen.
In this one case Apple lost a sale to someone who had converted.
...
Dave
Dave... again with the AIR?
The only truth you are saying is that the AIR "is neither a netbook nor a real (full features) laptop". That's right, but why should everything be in a strict category? why should everything be just black or white? The AIR is just another type of computer, either it fits your needs or it doesn't. If it doesn't that doesn't make it a bad product.
************
Back on the subject. I think there is room between the $399 iPod touch and the $999/1299 13" MacBook for a couple of products that would fit the netbook/notebook market before Apple can release a full Mac OS X tablet (or something like that).
1- MacBook mini (10-11") based on the 13" MacBook motherboard, still with a full keyboard (enclosure cut as close to the keys as possible (11.0-11.5" wide), 7.0-7.5" depth, no optical drive. Could use the MBA external ODD.
When the 13" MacBook is updated to 2.26/2.53GHz cpus or better (spring 2009), this MacBook mini could receive the leftovers (2.0/2.4GHz cpus). Apple could probably price those at $899-1099 and keep the 13" MacBook at $1299/1599.
Apply a modern Apple look on the Isamu Sanada mock-up below (image on the left).
Cons: more expensive and bigger than most netbooks, small trackpad
Pros: more powerful than any netbook, standard OS, standard apps
2- Bigger iPod touch (7" or so, 1024x600?), the best prototype mock-up I've seen so far, was from MacLife (image on the right):
Like 3 iPod touch side by side, it would do everything the iPod touch does + displays up to three apps at the same time + the dock (with alerts, email, etc...), stand-alone + sync with your Mac and/or your iPhone/iPod.
Additional apps: "Finder" + QuickLook so you can display almost anykind of file, Wifi software updates (no Mac needed). Some apps could be expanded to full screen (email, video, calendar, etc...)
Additional hardware: Bluetooth/USB for an external keyboard (or an integrated mini-keyboard that mimics the virtual keyboard of the iPod touch), video out. Stereo speakers, mic, iSight. It would probably need a multicore ARM cpu and better graphics GPU than the current iPod touch for all that (Summer 2009).
For storage, it could have the 1.8" 120GB HDD or SSD. Probably two models at $599/799. The prototype shows a rigid design, but I think it could be a folded one with 4 positions: closed, notebook, kiosk (as shown), tablet.
Cons: not really a "computer", not much editing capabilities
Pros: smaller than most netbooks (better autonomy), can be used by a larger audience (a real consumer product)
So, IMO, here are the possible $599 "netbook" and $899 notebook, "analysts" are dreaming/talking about...
Like it or not the AIR was poorly speced at the onset of design. That was further complicated by poor engineering that resulted in AIRs that simply don't operate up to the expectations of the owners.
It will be interesting to see if the revised AIRs can address the reliability issues and AIRs ability to meet performance expectations. Even if it does it still sits on the market with a limited feature set and a very bad reputation. AIR is simply a very limited appeal machine. It is niether a netbook nor a real laptop as such does not appeal to either group.
Dave
I have an Air for work and as a mobile worker going from site to site, its perfect. At my prior job, I had a Dell Latitude 420. That was also perfect for frequent travels. The 420 also suffered from the same issues as the Air in that it was no where as fast as its big brothers but for what I use them both for, it is a fit.
What the heck is a Netbook anyways other then some term that Marketing made up leading Engineers to scramble to make a product to fit the need. How small does something have to be before you can call it a netbook? Does it have to have a real keyboard to be one? I always saw a Netbook as a small tablet system. FYI, Tablets never sold well and like the Air and Dell 420, they are for niche markets with little appeal to the masses.
You're guessing about how well the Powerbook works. I'm not. I use mine every day. Believe me, most people would never tolerate it. Besides, your point is wrong. Netbooks don't come with Vista. They either have Linux or Windows XP installed.
Alright bud, you missed the point completely here. I guess you didn't pick up on the implication, so I'll make it explicit. The point is that an Apple laptop does not need the newest Apple software to be a successful "netbook". All the netbooks on the market, as you so keenly pointed out (**claps hands for acomplishment**) run XP or Linux. Take it easy on the software, just like PC netbooks. That was the point.
Also, I think its a really good point as was stated at the top of page 2 that netbooks are too big to carry without a bag and too small to need a bag. They're right in the middle. Kinda akward. I agree.
Remember POGs? How about tiddly-winks to the older generations? Just a hot fad that died out. Same with netbooks. I don't doubt that they're selling like hot cakes now, but in a year? I doubt they'll have any staying power. Besides, I'd like to see the demographics of who is actually buying these things. I believe it to be hot only in a niche market right now.
Smartphones and hand-held portables seem like a viable solution, I must agree.
(Oh yeah for the record, I've owned 2 12" powerbooks, I buy and sell the things on eBay... I know all about 'em)
Alright bud, you missed the point completely here. I guess you didn't pick up on the implication, so I'll make it explicit. The point is that an Apple laptop does not need the newest Apple software to be a successful "netbook". All the netbooks on the market, as you so keenly pointed out (**claps hands for acomplishment**) run XP or Linux. Take it easy on the software, just like PC netbooks. That was the point.
If it doesn't need the newest OS, then why did you bring up Leopard? Why not say it would work fine with Tiger or even Panther?
Also, I think its a really good point as was stated at the top of page 2 that netbooks are too big to carry without a bag and too small to need a bag. They're right in the middle. Kinda akward. I agree.
I'm usually carrying a bag of some kind anyway, so it's not a big deal. Go to the big city and nearly everybody's carrying a bag. I see guys in their 60s still lugging around knapsacks. Sticking another small device in there weighing a couple of pounds isn't awkward at all. A five pound slab of a laptop usually is, though.
Remember POGs? How about tiddly-winks to the older generations? Just a hot fad that died out. Same with netbooks. I don't doubt that they're selling like hot cakes now, but in a year? I doubt they'll have any staying power. Besides, I'd like to see the demographics of who is actually buying these things. I believe it to be hot only in a niche market right now.
That's exactly right. "You believe." And a lot of people believed Apple would never make a cell phone. Others believed Steve when he said Apple would stay away from anything TV-related. You know what they say about people and their opinions.
Smartphones and hand-held portables seem like a viable solution, I must agree.
We'll see who's right within a year.
(Oh yeah for the record, I've owned 2 12" powerbooks, I buy and sell the things on eBay... I know all about 'em)
Yeah, you know all about them. I suppose your personally "refurbished" Powerbooks include the standard one-year Apple warranty? I didn't think so.
Am I the only person getting tired of netbooks? Fine, they make ultraportable notebooks intended solely for browsing the Internet and responding to email. Great! Why do we keep hearing about how great they are? They're narrow-use products. I'm already tired of the term netbook, just like how I got tired of the terms like "Web 2.0" and "blog" years ago. Enough.
Snow Leopard and a rumored $99 iPhone are bigger deals than an Apple netbook.
Well said dude Im just plain tired of it.
People like you are the reason there's a lot of hate for Mac users out there.
Whats wrong with what he said, netbooks are just part of the annoying complaints we have to deal with. Theybare cheapening the computer market, next people will be demanding 200 dollar macs.