I'm a PC user whos waiting for a nice MBP upgrade (Read GPU) before making the plunge. I really wish the Mac community could find some way to pressure Apple into providing more hardware choices. Even in their current lines it would be nice and make switching a much easier decision.
Earth to Apple! I don't want/need a 2.33 GHZ 17" laptop, give me the 2 GHZ and chop off $400 from the price...
Amazon very consistently beats Apple (both online and at Apple Stores) by a combination of instant rebates, mail-in rebates, and no sales tax. My girlfriend got her MacBook for $999... if she'd bought it in an Apple Store, it would've been close to $1200, including sales tax.
The only advantages of going with Apple Stores is that they seem to get supplied first, so if you need a hard-to-get item, they're more likely to have it in stock; and they also sometimes have good deals on refurbs.
Of course, if you're at that point, you might as well consider going used, and there's plenty of good sites for that.
.
The other advantage, which might only matter to some, is that while Amazon can't customise the machines for sale, Apple does.
I have a G4 mini and think the line is one of Apple's best. If they had upgraded the mini to Core 2 Duo last year like they should have, I would've upgraded. I really hope AppleInsider is wrong here, but honestly, if Apple doesn't at least provide a minimal upgrade to the mini soon, they may as well end it.
If Apple drops the mini, they will have effectively and sadly eliminated every Mac except the Mac Pro (which at $2500+ is too expensive) that I'm interested in buying. I will never buy a desktop with a built-in screen. I plan to suck every last bit of life out of this Powerbook because Apple refuses to build-in a modem with supposedly portable laptops. The Apple TV was unbelieveably underwhelming both in hardware and software, and I fully expect the expensive iPhone to undersell expectations. No significant improvement in the iPod either.
I think we've reached a point in the cycle where Steve Jobs is out of touch with reality. He's been there before. For a couple of years there, Apple was on a roll, but they need to get back to listening to their customers rather than telling them what to want.
The other advantage, which might only matter to some, is that while Amazon can't customise the machines for sale, Apple does.
That's very true, though if you want to customize something like RAM, you should almost never do it through Apple.
Order some RAM from Crucial or someone else reputable on-line, install said RAM yourself (it's easy on most machines), and pocket some pretty huge savings, as Apple Store RAM upgrade prices are criminal.
i strong disagree, if someone downloads a movie from iTunes where they will back it up?
You disagree with what?
That most people people don't cut DVD's? I didn't say that people SHOULDN'T cut DVD's. I more than hinted that they should.
Quote:
it takes 10 bucks to download a movie and less than 50 cents to buy DVD media.
I totally agree with you. There! Take that!
Quote:
So
do not use iTunes??
do not download movies? TV Shows??
do not backit up?
i see so many excuses for not including a DVD burner than including them.
actually it could drive AWAY some sales of iTunes Movie download (and larger content) because you can save them any where (considering HDD size also so small).
i felt hard when my MacBook did not had DL burning capacity (once i downloaded more than 5 movies and two seasons of 24)
i think it is illogical to think and support, low end customers does not need DVD burning capabilities. my $0.02
Apple is the first one get rid of Floppy drive, from the same company it is unacceptable NOT to include dvd burner, which are dirt cheap nowadays.
Isn’t it MAC gives a complete pacakge of iLife of everyone of us???
Again, I totally agree with you.
All I said is that most people don't do what they should.
Apple is already criticised about its prices. Add a bit here, add a bit there, because everyone has just one teeny tiny feature that if Apple just included, would drive sales up greatly.
I gave a reason why Apple doesn't include it with their least expensive machines, because most people won't use it, and therefore won't want to pay for it. People actually buy those low end machines with the combo drives.
I think it was a brilliant move by Steve Jobs to leak a "rumor" of the Mini's demise to gauge people's reactions and help Apple guide its future plans for this device.
And you "know" that he leaked this rumor, because of ?what?
That's very true, though if you want to customize something like RAM, you should almost never do it through Apple.
Order some RAM from Crucial or someone else reputable on-line, install said RAM yourself (it's easy on most machines), and pocket some pretty huge savings, as Apple Store RAM upgrade prices are criminal.
.
You know, while we would do that, and I'm sure you often have done much more than that, as I have, believe it or not, most people won't do that.
They want to buy their machine fully equipped, from the source, and never touch it again.
You know, while we would do that, and I'm sure you often have done much more than that, as I have, believe it or not, most people won't do that.
They want to buy their machine fully equipped, from the source, and never touch it again.
I agree, and Apple certainly takes advantage of said people.
It's just so sad. Apple Store RAM prices are so out of whack that even in cases where you have to TOSS RAM due to insufficient RAM slots, you still come out way ahead by buying RAM elsewhere and installing it yourself. Yeeesh.
I agree, and Apple certainly takes advantage of said people.
It's just so sad. Apple Store RAM prices are so out of whack that even in cases where you have to TOSS RAM due to insufficient RAM slots, you still come out way ahead by buying RAM elsewhere and installing it yourself. Yeeesh.
.
Apple's RAM prices aren't quite as far out of whack as they used to be, though they are a fair amount higher.
A bunch of years ago, I bought a new Hp CL8500N printer, which I still have here at home. That was pretty expensive a machine. I wanted to add more memory.
I called Hp to ask about third party memory, and if I should get it from them instead. I needed 128 MB. this was when 16MB sticks were selling for almost $600. The RAM from Hp was not quite double that.
The engineer said that I shouldn't buy from them, because the reason they sold it was that many organizations required certified memory from them, damn the cost, but that it didn't pay, as I knew what I was doing.
The same thing is true when getting memory, or larger HD's from Apple. Apple covers the warranty for them, which doesn't happen when you buy it yourself.
If you have a problem with the machine, you might have to remove that which you bought yourself before returning the machine to Apple for repair.
But, if the problem was related to that memory or Hd, you are out of luck.
I like this form factor. I agree that it isn't priced correctly in today's market, especially when compared to its Wintel cousins, but I use it to run Windows XP as well OS X. It is faster than any box I've bought from Dell, and I've owned a lot of them. The form factor is small and it allows for a logical entry point for users who don't want to go all the way to an iMac or MacBook or MB Pro. Maybe with Apple increasing their market share in laptops, the new strategy is to let go of the low end of the market and push for those extra $$s.
I'll continue to run mine until it dies. It is a perfect machine for a lightweight user (my wife) who wants iTunes, iPhoto, word processing, e-mail and Internet connectivity. Yeah, maybe you can get it for less, but you can't beat the form factor, the energy efficiency and reliability. You pay a bit more for a BMW than a VW EOS, but you get more too!
Apple's RAM prices aren't quite as far out of whack as they used to be, though they are a fair amount higher.
A bunch of years ago, I bought a new Hp CL8500N printer, which I still have here at home. That was pretty expensive a machine. I wanted to add more memory.
I called Hp to ask about third party memory, and if I should get it from them instead. I needed 128 MB. this was when 16MB sticks were selling for almost $600. The RAM from Hp was not quite double that.
The engineer said that I shouldn't buy from them, because the reason they sold it was that many organizations required certified memory from them, damn the cost, but that it didn't pay, as I knew what I was doing.
The same thing is true when getting memory, or larger HD's from Apple. Apple covers the warranty for them, which doesn't happen when you buy it yourself.
If you have a problem with the machine, you might have to remove that which you bought yourself before returning the machine to Apple for repair.
But, if the problem was related to that memory or Hd, you are out of luck.
Yes Mel, its true that you should get certified memory, with a warranty, and that memory like that is not going to be the very cheapest out of all the memory you can get online.
The thing is, though, you can get very good quality memory, with a lifetime warranty even, and its STILL far cheaper than Apple Store upgrades, by a factor of three or four (!). Apple Store prices aren't even in the ballpark, I'm afraid. In fact, the ballpark is so far away Apple can't even see it anymore.
Trust me, out of fairness, I've tried coming up with some excuses in my head for Apple on this one, just to give them the benefit of the doubt, and there are no good ones. Apple is reaming 'convenience buyers', plain and simple (well, those and the buyers who just DON'T KNOW how much they could save). The only argument you can give Apple is the old, "Well, if you're too damn lazy to take the 5 minutes it takes to crack open your machine and slap some RAM in there, you DESERVE to get ripped off!" saw, which I've never found to be particularly compelling. I guess I always envisage a kindly grandma-type getting reamed in those situations, y'know, the kind who's just happy to get on those "Internets" from time to time.
Don't get me wrong, I really like Apple, but some things that they do aren't above board, sadly. And its not even a 'moral' thing, completely, its also just good business... because, in the end, its usually counter-productive to rip off your customers.
As I sit here typing this reply on my Mac Mini, I am saddened at this prediction. It is the Mini that has allowed me to be introduced to the world of the Mac OS X. It is the Mini that has helped me to become a loyal customer of Apple. My household now possesses 3 iPod's, plus my Mini. My next computer is going to be a Mac laptop of some sort, when I will then give my Mini to my wife. I assume it will still be cooking along as it's been an extremely reliable system. At the time of purchase, I couldn't afford nor justify the expense of the other Macs, so I'd still be completely PC were it not for the Mini option. I hope they keep it as a more affordable alternative.
Yes Mel, its true that you should get certified memory, with a warranty, and that memory like that is not going to be the very cheapest out of all the memory you can get online.
I'm not saying that I should have gotten certified memory, and I listened to his advice, and didn't.
The point he was making, was that organizations usually require it. It's actually cheaper for them, in the long run. When they have to install memory in dozens, hundreds, or thousands of machines, and then test each one, it actually can cost them more.
Quote:
The thing is, though, you can get very good quality memory, with a lifetime warranty even, and its STILL far cheaper than Apple Store upgrades, by a factor of three or four (!). Apple Store prices aren't even in the ballpark, I'm afraid. In fact, the ballpark is so far away Apple can't even see it anymore.
It's different for the technically inclined individuals such as those of us here (or at least, most of us here).
I haven't looked at Apple's memory prices recently, but the last time I did, after they lowered the prices, they were just about 50% more, which wasn't bad, considering. If a disparity such as you say is true now, then you are right, it's too expensive.
Quote:
Trust me, out of fairness, I've tried coming up with some excuses in my head for Apple on this one, just to give them the benefit of the doubt, and there are no good ones. Apple is reaming 'convenience buyers', plain and simple (well, those and the buyers who just DON'T KNOW how much they could save). The only argument you can give Apple is the old, "Well, if you're too damn lazy to take the 5 minutes it takes to crack open your machine and slap some RAM in there, you DESERVE to get ripped off!" saw, which I've never found to be particularly compelling. I guess I always envisage a kindly grandma-type getting reamed in those situations, y'know, the kind who's just happy to get on those "Internets" from time to time.
If those prices are correct, yeah.
But it isn't that most people are lazy (though some are), but rather that they are afraid. I've even offered, from time to time, to do it myself, but they are still afraid. It's still cheaper than going to a psychiatrist for weekly sessions.
Quote:
Don't get me wrong, I really like Apple, but some things that they do aren't above board, sadly. And its not even a 'moral' thing, completely, its also just good business... because, in the end, its usually counter-productive to rip off your customers.
.
I'm not sure I would say it isn't moral. I don't know their reasons. I don't like to make those kinds of assumptions.
So, I was checking out the Amazon Top Sellers for Computers and Add-ons and then clicked over to Movers and Shakers. After the strange-looking shoes and boots (huh?), and Compaq laptop, #5 was this link below.
They don't say much about specs on Amazon page, but you can go to their site to see more at http://minipc.aopen.com/Global/spec_945X.htm . Looks like they have 11 different models in four different categories.
I think specs like these are more what people are looking for in a redesigned Mac Mini or iCube.
I think it was a brilliant move by Steve Jobs to leak a "rumor" of the Mini's demise to gauge people's reactions and help Apple guide its future plans for this device
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
And you "know" that he leaked this rumor, because of ?what?
It's a combination of geographical proximity and psychic ability.
I think it was a brilliant move by Steve Jobs to leak a "rumor" of the Mini's demise to gauge people's reactions and help Apple guide its future plans for this device
It's a combination of geographical proximity and psychic ability.
I plan to suck every last bit of life out of this Powerbook because Apple refuses to build-in a modem with supposedly portable laptops.
...
I think we've reached a point in the cycle where Steve Jobs is out of touch with reality.
Let me get this straight...you wont upgrade a G4 powerbook to a core2duo mb or mbp because of a USB modem that's smaller than the remote for my car and Jobs is out of touch with reality?
In 2007? Get real. Just attach it to the end of your phone cable that you SHOULD be bringing with you anyway and its like zero hassle and nearly zero weight/size.
I think specs like these are more what people are looking for in a redesigned Mac Mini or iCube.
Exactly. They have already got Santa Rosa, Core 2 Duo, Blu Ray, 4GB Ram support, a TV Tuner, HDMI output, dual display output, TV output, USB ports on the front and a card slot.
There's absolutely no reason why Apple couldn't have done this.
Apple do this a lot though. They bring out a really nice innovative product and they let it stagnate until it's worthless. I can see them doing the same thing with the iphone.
Let me get this straight...you wont upgrade a G4 powerbook to a core2duo mb or mbp because of a USB modem that's smaller than the remote for my car and Jobs is out of touch with reality?
Well, someone at Apple must be out of touch with reality to charge $49 for that thing.
Comments
I'm a PC user whos waiting for a nice MBP upgrade (Read GPU) before making the plunge. I really wish the Mac community could find some way to pressure Apple into providing more hardware choices. Even in their current lines it would be nice and make switching a much easier decision.
Earth to Apple! I don't want/need a 2.33 GHZ 17" laptop, give me the 2 GHZ and chop off $400 from the price...
They're some pretty smart fools, then.
Amazon very consistently beats Apple (both online and at Apple Stores) by a combination of instant rebates, mail-in rebates, and no sales tax. My girlfriend got her MacBook for $999... if she'd bought it in an Apple Store, it would've been close to $1200, including sales tax.
The only advantages of going with Apple Stores is that they seem to get supplied first, so if you need a hard-to-get item, they're more likely to have it in stock; and they also sometimes have good deals on refurbs.
Of course, if you're at that point, you might as well consider going used, and there's plenty of good sites for that.
.
The other advantage, which might only matter to some, is that while Amazon can't customise the machines for sale, Apple does.
If Apple drops the mini, they will have effectively and sadly eliminated every Mac except the Mac Pro (which at $2500+ is too expensive) that I'm interested in buying. I will never buy a desktop with a built-in screen. I plan to suck every last bit of life out of this Powerbook because Apple refuses to build-in a modem with supposedly portable laptops. The Apple TV was unbelieveably underwhelming both in hardware and software, and I fully expect the expensive iPhone to undersell expectations. No significant improvement in the iPod either.
I think we've reached a point in the cycle where Steve Jobs is out of touch with reality. He's been there before. For a couple of years there, Apple was on a roll, but they need to get back to listening to their customers rather than telling them what to want.
The other advantage, which might only matter to some, is that while Amazon can't customise the machines for sale, Apple does.
That's very true, though if you want to customize something like RAM, you should almost never do it through Apple.
Order some RAM from Crucial or someone else reputable on-line, install said RAM yourself (it's easy on most machines), and pocket some pretty huge savings, as Apple Store RAM upgrade prices are criminal.
.
i strong disagree, if someone downloads a movie from iTunes where they will back it up?
You disagree with what?
That most people people don't cut DVD's? I didn't say that people SHOULDN'T cut DVD's. I more than hinted that they should.
it takes 10 bucks to download a movie and less than 50 cents to buy DVD media.
I totally agree with you. There! Take that!
So
do not use iTunes??
do not download movies? TV Shows??
do not backit up?
i see so many excuses for not including a DVD burner than including them.
actually it could drive AWAY some sales of iTunes Movie download (and larger content) because you can save them any where (considering HDD size also so small).
i felt hard when my MacBook did not had DL burning capacity (once i downloaded more than 5 movies and two seasons of 24)
i think it is illogical to think and support, low end customers does not need DVD burning capabilities. my $0.02
Apple is the first one get rid of Floppy drive, from the same company it is unacceptable NOT to include dvd burner, which are dirt cheap nowadays.
Isn’t it MAC gives a complete pacakge of iLife of everyone of us???
Again, I totally agree with you.
All I said is that most people don't do what they should.
Apple is already criticised about its prices. Add a bit here, add a bit there, because everyone has just one teeny tiny feature that if Apple just included, would drive sales up greatly.
I gave a reason why Apple doesn't include it with their least expensive machines, because most people won't use it, and therefore won't want to pay for it. People actually buy those low end machines with the combo drives.
I'm not saying it's a good idea.
I think it was a brilliant move by Steve Jobs to leak a "rumor" of the Mini's demise to gauge people's reactions and help Apple guide its future plans for this device.
And you "know" that he leaked this rumor, because of ?what?
That's very true, though if you want to customize something like RAM, you should almost never do it through Apple.
Order some RAM from Crucial or someone else reputable on-line, install said RAM yourself (it's easy on most machines), and pocket some pretty huge savings, as Apple Store RAM upgrade prices are criminal.
.
You know, while we would do that, and I'm sure you often have done much more than that, as I have, believe it or not, most people won't do that.
They want to buy their machine fully equipped, from the source, and never touch it again.
You know, while we would do that, and I'm sure you often have done much more than that, as I have, believe it or not, most people won't do that.
They want to buy their machine fully equipped, from the source, and never touch it again.
I agree, and Apple certainly takes advantage of said people.
It's just so sad. Apple Store RAM prices are so out of whack that even in cases where you have to TOSS RAM due to insufficient RAM slots, you still come out way ahead by buying RAM elsewhere and installing it yourself. Yeeesh.
.
I'm not saying it's a good idea.
ok. i am agree with you now. Hopefully WWDC has new products which can serve more broader customer base (with out hindering the profit also).
I agree, and Apple certainly takes advantage of said people.
It's just so sad. Apple Store RAM prices are so out of whack that even in cases where you have to TOSS RAM due to insufficient RAM slots, you still come out way ahead by buying RAM elsewhere and installing it yourself. Yeeesh.
.
Apple's RAM prices aren't quite as far out of whack as they used to be, though they are a fair amount higher.
A bunch of years ago, I bought a new Hp CL8500N printer, which I still have here at home. That was pretty expensive a machine. I wanted to add more memory.
I called Hp to ask about third party memory, and if I should get it from them instead. I needed 128 MB. this was when 16MB sticks were selling for almost $600. The RAM from Hp was not quite double that.
The engineer said that I shouldn't buy from them, because the reason they sold it was that many organizations required certified memory from them, damn the cost, but that it didn't pay, as I knew what I was doing.
The same thing is true when getting memory, or larger HD's from Apple. Apple covers the warranty for them, which doesn't happen when you buy it yourself.
If you have a problem with the machine, you might have to remove that which you bought yourself before returning the machine to Apple for repair.
But, if the problem was related to that memory or Hd, you are out of luck.
I'll continue to run mine until it dies. It is a perfect machine for a lightweight user (my wife) who wants iTunes, iPhoto, word processing, e-mail and Internet connectivity. Yeah, maybe you can get it for less, but you can't beat the form factor, the energy efficiency and reliability. You pay a bit more for a BMW than a VW EOS, but you get more too!
Apple's RAM prices aren't quite as far out of whack as they used to be, though they are a fair amount higher.
A bunch of years ago, I bought a new Hp CL8500N printer, which I still have here at home. That was pretty expensive a machine. I wanted to add more memory.
I called Hp to ask about third party memory, and if I should get it from them instead. I needed 128 MB. this was when 16MB sticks were selling for almost $600. The RAM from Hp was not quite double that.
The engineer said that I shouldn't buy from them, because the reason they sold it was that many organizations required certified memory from them, damn the cost, but that it didn't pay, as I knew what I was doing.
The same thing is true when getting memory, or larger HD's from Apple. Apple covers the warranty for them, which doesn't happen when you buy it yourself.
If you have a problem with the machine, you might have to remove that which you bought yourself before returning the machine to Apple for repair.
But, if the problem was related to that memory or Hd, you are out of luck.
Yes Mel, its true that you should get certified memory, with a warranty, and that memory like that is not going to be the very cheapest out of all the memory you can get online.
The thing is, though, you can get very good quality memory, with a lifetime warranty even, and its STILL far cheaper than Apple Store upgrades, by a factor of three or four (!).
Trust me, out of fairness, I've tried coming up with some excuses in my head for Apple on this one, just to give them the benefit of the doubt, and there are no good ones. Apple is reaming 'convenience buyers', plain and simple (well, those and the buyers who just DON'T KNOW how much they could save). The only argument you can give Apple is the old, "Well, if you're too damn lazy to take the 5 minutes it takes to crack open your machine and slap some RAM in there, you DESERVE to get ripped off!" saw, which I've never found to be particularly compelling. I guess I always envisage a kindly grandma-type getting reamed in those situations, y'know, the kind who's just happy to get on those "Internets" from time to time.
Don't get me wrong, I really like Apple, but some things that they do aren't above board, sadly. And its not even a 'moral' thing, completely, its also just good business... because, in the end, its usually counter-productive to rip off your customers.
.
Yes Mel, its true that you should get certified memory, with a warranty, and that memory like that is not going to be the very cheapest out of all the memory you can get online.
I'm not saying that I should have gotten certified memory, and I listened to his advice, and didn't.
The point he was making, was that organizations usually require it. It's actually cheaper for them, in the long run. When they have to install memory in dozens, hundreds, or thousands of machines, and then test each one, it actually can cost them more.
The thing is, though, you can get very good quality memory, with a lifetime warranty even, and its STILL far cheaper than Apple Store upgrades, by a factor of three or four (!).
It's different for the technically inclined individuals such as those of us here (or at least, most of us here).
I haven't looked at Apple's memory prices recently, but the last time I did, after they lowered the prices, they were just about 50% more, which wasn't bad, considering. If a disparity such as you say is true now, then you are right, it's too expensive.
Trust me, out of fairness, I've tried coming up with some excuses in my head for Apple on this one, just to give them the benefit of the doubt, and there are no good ones. Apple is reaming 'convenience buyers', plain and simple (well, those and the buyers who just DON'T KNOW how much they could save). The only argument you can give Apple is the old, "Well, if you're too damn lazy to take the 5 minutes it takes to crack open your machine and slap some RAM in there, you DESERVE to get ripped off!" saw, which I've never found to be particularly compelling. I guess I always envisage a kindly grandma-type getting reamed in those situations, y'know, the kind who's just happy to get on those "Internets" from time to time.
If those prices are correct, yeah.
But it isn't that most people are lazy (though some are), but rather that they are afraid. I've even offered, from time to time, to do it myself, but they are still afraid. It's still cheaper than going to a psychiatrist for weekly sessions.
Don't get me wrong, I really like Apple, but some things that they do aren't above board, sadly. And its not even a 'moral' thing, completely, its also just good business... because, in the end, its usually counter-productive to rip off your customers.
.
I'm not sure I would say it isn't moral. I don't know their reasons. I don't like to make those kinds of assumptions.
http://www.amazon.com/Minipc-MP945-V...7?ie=UTF8&s=pc
They don't say much about specs on Amazon page, but you can go to their site to see more at http://minipc.aopen.com/Global/spec_945X.htm . Looks like they have 11 different models in four different categories.
I think specs like these are more what people are looking for in a redesigned Mac Mini or iCube.
I think it was a brilliant move by Steve Jobs to leak a "rumor" of the Mini's demise to gauge people's reactions and help Apple guide its future plans for this device
And you "know" that he leaked this rumor, because of ?what?
It's a combination of geographical proximity and psychic ability.
Originally Posted by jasondwelsh
I think it was a brilliant move by Steve Jobs to leak a "rumor" of the Mini's demise to gauge people's reactions and help Apple guide its future plans for this device
It's a combination of geographical proximity and psychic ability.
Ah, I see.
I plan to suck every last bit of life out of this Powerbook because Apple refuses to build-in a modem with supposedly portable laptops.
...
I think we've reached a point in the cycle where Steve Jobs is out of touch with reality.
Let me get this straight...you wont upgrade a G4 powerbook to a core2duo mb or mbp because of a USB modem that's smaller than the remote for my car and Jobs is out of touch with reality?
In 2007? Get real. Just attach it to the end of your phone cable that you SHOULD be bringing with you anyway and its like zero hassle and nearly zero weight/size.
Vinea
I think specs like these are more what people are looking for in a redesigned Mac Mini or iCube.
Exactly. They have already got Santa Rosa, Core 2 Duo, Blu Ray, 4GB Ram support, a TV Tuner, HDMI output, dual display output, TV output, USB ports on the front and a card slot.
http://minipc.aopen.com/Global/spec.htm
They even have a cube:
http://xc.aopen.com.tw/taiwan/
There's absolutely no reason why Apple couldn't have done this.
Apple do this a lot though. They bring out a really nice innovative product and they let it stagnate until it's worthless. I can see them doing the same thing with the iphone.
Let me get this straight...you wont upgrade a G4 powerbook to a core2duo mb or mbp because of a USB modem that's smaller than the remote for my car and Jobs is out of touch with reality?
Well, someone at Apple must be out of touch with reality to charge $49 for that thing.