You do know that the US price is exclusive of sales tax, whereas the European price is inclusive. In Finland that's 22% right?
Yup, 22% VAT here at the moment. 23% this autumn. Thank you ponzi guys.
Anyway, LOL, I forgot that they add all those taxes at the counter in the USA. The prices you see on the shelves are not what you pay, which is pretty evil. I remember when I visited New York and bought a camera the clerk added some state taxes etc. to the bill and I was just like WTF is this.
Yup, 22% VAT here at the moment. 23% this autumn. Thank you ponzi guys.
Anyway, LOL, I forgot that they add all those taxes at the counter in the USA. The prices you see on the shelves are not what you pay, which is pretty evil. I remember when I visited New York and bought a camera the clerk added some state taxes etc. to the bill and I was just like WTF is this.
By my (rough) calculation we are paying a slight premium in the UK at present, but to be fair to Apple, a couple of years back there was something like a 10-12% discount paying in Sterling. It is closely related to exchange rate obviously, but to my knowledge Apple has never adjusted overseas prices outside of updates. Perhaps it would be better if they did when exchange rates move significantly between updates, I would have thought the administrative cost of that would be trivial.
And yes, I echo your thanks to the international banking Ponzi profiteers!
iWork files created on a Mac are not compatible with iWork on iPad and vice versa. Just try files with movies, animations, transitions, backgrounds, tables, special fonts, audio, etc. Google for it to find more information.
Likewise with Office files created on a Mac or an iPad, even with DataViz Documents to Go (to be released soon).
Well, then it's a huge problem for the iPad as a purported content-creation machine.
Lower price tag? Where? Here in Europe the 17" MBP costs 2249 euros. That is around 2900USD... In the States it costs 2299USD. So 600USD less than here in Europe. Why is that?
The price in US does not include Taxes (Equivalent of the VAT) which are included in Europe.
Means that the US price plus the 19% Euro VAT = 2299 + 436.21 = 2735.81
On top of this you need to add Import taxes which I don't know what they are for Europe, but 135US could be about right.
So before you say that your are paying MUCH more you have to consider these... I am a Canadian living in Europe (Germany) and I often forget these figures and think I pay more, but that is the way it is!
Unfortunately, there is a big, big, big problem: the iPad is NOT a Mac. The truth is that the Mac and the iPad are not compatible when working with Apple iWork and with Microsoft Office files.
The main reason for that is the different microprocessors (Intel on Mac and ARM on iPad). So, in practice, what is needed is an iBook mini or a MacBook Air mini. Sign the petition and more information here:
Sure, the ARM isn't an x86 processor (like intel, AMD and the like). But you could sure as shit run the full version of Mac OS X on it, if you wanted to. Or rather, you were someone with the technical competence to do so. I don't know if you are or not, I'm simply making a statement.
The fact of the matter is, Apple don't want to, and have explained the reasons why they don't think it would work as well as their current approach. Reasons that make sense. Good, rationed, reasoned decisions.
It wasn't a marketing move. They don't want to intentionally shut themselves out of a profitable marketplace. But they wish to preserve their reputation of doing a few things WELL, rather than a LOT of things BADLY.
If you don't like it, buy a netbook, from one of the hundreds of manufacturers that don't feel as apple do. There is NOTHING stopping you. But apple will never, ever listen to your petition, and (most) of the people here know it. So please stop trolling the forums with requests to sign it.
Anyway, LOL, I forgot that they add all those taxes at the counter in the USA. The prices you see on the shelves are not what you pay, which is pretty evil. I remember when I visited New York and bought a camera the clerk added some state taxes etc. to the bill and I was just like WTF is this.
In Europe, this is considered a breach of the Customer-Protection Rules. It is a delicate issue, however, to establish at which point the need for clarity and foreseeability should trump the person's own responsibility for his decision to rush into a contract without properly checking the final price. In a way, Europe assumes that most people are idiots, which is ironic because of the higher proportion of the population with secondary and higher education than in the U.S.
By my (rough) calculation we are paying a slight premium in the UK at present, but to be fair to Apple, a couple of years back there was something like a 10-12% discount paying in Sterling. It is closely related to exchange rate obviously, but to my knowledge Apple has never adjusted overseas prices outside of updates. Perhaps it would be better if they did when exchange rates move significantly between updates, I would have thought the administrative cost of that would be trivial.
The sterling price increase is staggering. Have you noticed that just at this last refresh, Apple upped the prices of the 15" MBPs by 125-150 GBP per model, while the price stayed the same in USD and was only slightly upped in EUR.
At this point last year, an entry level MBP 15" was at GBP 1250. It is 1500 now ... It's all logical, of course. You just have to look at the forex charts.
The best option for me would be the 15" with the CinemaDisplay,instead of the iPad.So I can get portability,performance and plenty of ports.Being an architect I need to work on the go but rarely.The 15" gives me that ability (run ArchiCAD) and also the possibility to use Aperture,although with limitations due to the real estate (spaces helps a bit though). And when on my desk the CinemaDisplay provides all the comfort I need to design as well as the MBP as a secondary monitor
I do not know about you but a 6.5 pounds for the 15-inch notebook is already heavy, let alone the even much heavier 17-inch notebook. I still prefer the 13-inch, if I were to carry a notebook around, then pair that with a desktop or an iMac for even more serious computing.
Which brings the issue, for true portability, it may be better to pair the iPad (that will surely beome more powerful in the future) with a desktop or an iMac to have greater differentiation of a true portable and more serious computing.
My hope is that with increasing power of CPUs, miniaturization of storage units, more powerful batteries, the iPhone OS will become more powerful so that the more basic functionalities -- word processing, spreadsheet and slide presentation, perhaps even basic video (photos, moviews) editing become almost fully functional in the iPad, with wireless connection to a printer.
If anyone ever remembers MS Word 5 for the Mac (ca late 1980s), it worked with the Mac Classic with 25-Mb CPU(?), It was a fully-functional word processing software; much of the other functionalities added after that to the much simpler MS Word 5 were mostly useless whistles and bells (except perhaps the spellchecker). There is no reason why such fully functional application softwares could be created for a a more robust and powerful iPhone OS that will surely evolve in the next few years.
The other possibility is for Apple to place these more fully functional softwares -- specifically tailored for the iPhone OS and also compatible with their version in the OS X -- in cloud computing; accessible to paid subscribers of specific applications. Such possibility would be a good use of Apple's facility in North Carolina (?) .
The MacBook Pro Notebook in an iPad Form.
My ideal portable MacBook Pro notebook computer would have the simplicity of the iPad form (i.e., not a clamshell design) perhaps as large as the 13-inch with an iPhone OS in steroids (i.e., more powerful) or even an OS X. Also, it should be as light as the current iPad (1.5 pounds) or less. Maybe, it could even serve as a second screen, as a number of users suggested.
More than likely, Apple would not be evolving the MacBook Pro to the iPad form any time soon, because of concern of cannibalization. But its evolution should go there. Remember how much different the original iMac from its most recent form. The MacBook Pro notebook computer form needs such an evolution in design to make it more truly portable and elegant.
Cannibalization
As to cannibalization, it need not become an issue. The Mac mini is a "full computer", i.e., with an OS X rather than an iPhone OS. And yet, the Mac mini does not cannibalize the MacBook Pros, the iMac line, nor the Mac desktops. What Apple needs to do to avoid cannibalization is to ensure more significant distinctions in the functions, targets and capabilities among these various forms of Mac computers.
Amazing how that has affected so much. I wonder if there will be another Little Ice Age because of it. Any talk of that across the pond?
As the situation is now, there won't be any effect to our climate. The ash cloud sits at ca. 5-10km height. It won't stay there long because of wind and rain. If the ash gets up to 20km the situation could get a little more interesting.
As for the price difference US/EU it is not so bad has it has been in the past. I don't know if it is really more expensive for Apple to sell computers in the EU than it is in the US as Apple isn't running a lot of brick and mortar stores in the EU. But Apple is in line with all the other computer manufacturers. Some time ago I checked Dell and HP for their price difference and it is in line with Apple's.
That's because you have something called "higher taxes". The good thing about it is that at least European governments do :something: good with most of the taxes. Unlike here in Brazil, where taxes go up to 50% and none of the public services are of any good. And I don't mean "good" in the whiny way, I'm being serious here: our healthcare and education systems are practically nonexistent, and national infrastructure is a mess at best. That's what you get when half the government is made of ex-terrorists and thieves (once again, I'm being serious).
The $1200 MBP over here costs $1800. That's because Apple US came over here to kick Apple Brazil's a$$ for abusive pricing last year. Before then, the same MBP cost $2500. That's what I payed for mine \
I hope I injected some sense on you 1st world people with this.
I'm in South East Asia at the moment and after living in the US and Australia, I still wonder why the 3rd world is the 3rd world. Just can't get out of its rut. Anyway at least Brazil really knows how to party!
The sterling price increase is staggering. Have you noticed that just at this last refresh, Apple upped the prices of the 15" MBPs by 125-150 GBP per model, while the price stayed the same in USD and was only slightly upped in EUR.
At this point last year, an entry level MBP 15" was at GBP 1250. It is 1500 now ... It's all logical, of course. You just have to look at the forex charts.
Yeah, the forex charts will show some sense to Apple pricing movement. It's also to discourage grey market imports of Apple products from more favourably-priced countries, I think. Still, adjusting for all the different currencies, comparing many countries, it's hard to beat buying Apple products in the US itself.
As for the UK, I don't know what is going on there. I went to London near the middle of 2008 trying to get a job and I'm glad by mid-August I bailed and left the country. The £ has dropped like a rock since then, and as I hear the economy is still only just recovering?
Lower price tag? Where? Here in Europe the 17" MBP costs 2249 euros. That is around 2900USD... In the States it costs 2299USD. So 600USD less than here in Europe. Why is that?
Are you sure that $2,299 is the final price in most of the US? Most US States have sales taxes that will result a higher cost, though not sure how much exactly (I'm in Australia). Here, we have a national system of taxation (as opposed to predominantly State-based), so the advertised price is always (legally has to be) the final price owed.
So if the sales tax is 10% then, that's $2529 approx. If you take today's US->AU exchange rate it takes it to AU$2713, approx, so the price we pay here at $2,899 is still somewhat of a price gouge, though seemingly not as bad as our poor Brazillian friend...
Wouldn't you just import a US model if the discrepency was that high?
I don't get the idea of pairing a big notebook with an iPad.
Basically, they're saying that you can get the big notebook, because its portability is now less important - you have the iPad for the portability. So you don't need to lug around the big notebook when you're going home or on a business trip, just take the iPad with you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zunx
Unfortunately, there is a big, big, big problem: the iPad is NOT a Mac. The truth is that the Mac and the iPad are not compatible when working with Apple iWork and with Microsoft Office files.
There is a solution to these problems. I just purchased a Mini Server for home and transferred all my files from all my computers to the Mini Server. When my iPad gets here, I can use Back To My Mac (or LogMeIn, or GoToMyPC, or several other options) to access the server. I'll therefore have access to all my files without lugging a 'real' computer.
Until I try it, I won't know how well it works. I'm pretty confident it will work for more casual computing needs. I'm not sure it will meet ALL my mobile computing needs, so I'm not selling my 17" MBP yet. I may need the MBP just for longer business trips when I'll be doing more content creation and more presentations, but I don't know yet.
Yeah, the forex charts will show some sense to Apple pricing movement. It's also to discourage grey market imports of Apple products from more favourably-priced countries, I think. Still, adjusting for all the different currencies, comparing many countries, it's hard to beat buying Apple products in the US itself.
As for the UK, I don't know what is going on there. I went to London near the middle of 2008 trying to get a job and I'm glad by mid-August I bailed and left the country. The £ has dropped like a rock since then, and as I hear the economy is still only just recovering?
Don't know about the rest of the U.K., but the conjuncture in London is still very tough. Let's be honest, the whole local economy was based on real property speculation. Local housewives and teachers owning 5 buy-to-let properties on full mortgage (and with no or very little capital repayment), while themselves earning salaries of GBP 400 per week ... Arabs/Russians buying at ask prices just to move their money outside their corrupt and uncertain countries etc. This had to end. The sterling devaluation (25% with regard to EUR and USD since early 2008) didn't bring much redress either as this country hardly exports anything anymore, apart from financial services perhaps )) Thank you, Maggie Thatcher ...
People talk a lot about public debt these days, but the real time-bomb is in the private debt:
I find the iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard and the Apple case for use as a kickstand and screen protector is a very good solution for mobile writing, browsing, etc. I have the iMac at home and the Mac Mini in my office so while neither place, I can bring my iPad. That is, unless I have to develop in XCode, in which case I need to go get my MacBook Air and bring it to wherever I may be at for XCode only... a situation which, in many years, has not happened so is making the Air seem not fitting for my needs any more...
Bottom line: apart from developing in XCode, I find the iPad to be more than adequate in all situations, especially with the keyboard connected. I wouldn't go with a 17" MBP because why have all that heft and bring both devices with you "just in case"? It doesn't make sense to me. I was, until recently, bringing my Air with me everywhere and using the 24" LED Cinema Display at the office. Then I got my iPad and started to carry the Air and iPad with me everywhere. So I got the Mini for the office and the iMac for home, and the iPad everywhere else. Will probably end up selling the Air because now it just sits at home on a hutch in the kitchen... anyways, yeah that's my experience with the iPad.
For my needs as a web designer, a more logical pairing is a 27" iMac + iPad. The iPad for travel and client meetings (good for showing mockups, visiting a web site or sending an email) and the gigantic 27" iMac (plus a second 27" external monitor by the way) at home for doing the real work (design + code).
The instant I saw an iPad "in the flesh" I knew what my next laptop purchase would be -- an iPad. Everything about the design and features of the iPad to me screams "your next MacBook."
Well, then it's a huge problem for the iPad as a purported content-creation machine.
You do not get it. We are not talking about content creation here. Just content consumption! The iPad cannot even properly display iWork or Office files created on a Mac, as previously explained. That is.
Comments
You do know that the US price is exclusive of sales tax, whereas the European price is inclusive. In Finland that's 22% right?
Yup, 22% VAT here at the moment. 23% this autumn. Thank you ponzi guys.
Anyway, LOL, I forgot that they add all those taxes at the counter in the USA. The prices you see on the shelves are not what you pay, which is pretty evil. I remember when I visited New York and bought a camera the clerk added some state taxes etc. to the bill and I was just like WTF is this.
Yup, 22% VAT here at the moment. 23% this autumn. Thank you ponzi guys.
Anyway, LOL, I forgot that they add all those taxes at the counter in the USA. The prices you see on the shelves are not what you pay, which is pretty evil. I remember when I visited New York and bought a camera the clerk added some state taxes etc. to the bill and I was just like WTF is this.
By my (rough) calculation we are paying a slight premium in the UK at present, but to be fair to Apple, a couple of years back there was something like a 10-12% discount paying in Sterling. It is closely related to exchange rate obviously, but to my knowledge Apple has never adjusted overseas prices outside of updates. Perhaps it would be better if they did when exchange rates move significantly between updates, I would have thought the administrative cost of that would be trivial.
And yes, I echo your thanks to the international banking Ponzi profiteers!
iWork files created on a Mac are not compatible with iWork on iPad and vice versa. Just try files with movies, animations, transitions, backgrounds, tables, special fonts, audio, etc. Google for it to find more information.
Likewise with Office files created on a Mac or an iPad, even with DataViz Documents to Go (to be released soon).
Well, then it's a huge problem for the iPad as a purported content-creation machine.
Lower price tag? Where? Here in Europe the 17" MBP costs 2249 euros. That is around 2900USD... In the States it costs 2299USD. So 600USD less than here in Europe. Why is that?
The price in US does not include Taxes (Equivalent of the VAT) which are included in Europe.
Means that the US price plus the 19% Euro VAT = 2299 + 436.21 = 2735.81
On top of this you need to add Import taxes which I don't know what they are for Europe, but 135US could be about right.
So before you say that your are paying MUCH more you have to consider these... I am a Canadian living in Europe (Germany) and I often forget these figures and think I pay more, but that is the way it is!
Unfortunately, there is a big, big, big problem: the iPad is NOT a Mac. The truth is that the Mac and the iPad are not compatible when working with Apple iWork and with Microsoft Office files.
The main reason for that is the different microprocessors (Intel on Mac and ARM on iPad). So, in practice, what is needed is an iBook mini or a MacBook Air mini. Sign the petition and more information here:
http://macbookair10.net
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=896211
Erm... what?
Sure, the ARM isn't an x86 processor (like intel, AMD and the like). But you could sure as shit run the full version of Mac OS X on it, if you wanted to. Or rather, you were someone with the technical competence to do so. I don't know if you are or not, I'm simply making a statement.
The fact of the matter is, Apple don't want to, and have explained the reasons why they don't think it would work as well as their current approach. Reasons that make sense. Good, rationed, reasoned decisions.
It wasn't a marketing move. They don't want to intentionally shut themselves out of a profitable marketplace. But they wish to preserve their reputation of doing a few things WELL, rather than a LOT of things BADLY.
If you don't like it, buy a netbook, from one of the hundreds of manufacturers that don't feel as apple do. There is NOTHING stopping you. But apple will never, ever listen to your petition, and (most) of the people here know it. So please stop trolling the forums with requests to sign it.
Anyway, LOL, I forgot that they add all those taxes at the counter in the USA. The prices you see on the shelves are not what you pay, which is pretty evil. I remember when I visited New York and bought a camera the clerk added some state taxes etc. to the bill and I was just like WTF is this.
In Europe, this is considered a breach of the Customer-Protection Rules. It is a delicate issue, however, to establish at which point the need for clarity and foreseeability should trump the person's own responsibility for his decision to rush into a contract without properly checking the final price. In a way, Europe assumes that most people are idiots, which is ironic because of the higher proportion of the population with secondary and higher education than in the U.S.
By my (rough) calculation we are paying a slight premium in the UK at present, but to be fair to Apple, a couple of years back there was something like a 10-12% discount paying in Sterling. It is closely related to exchange rate obviously, but to my knowledge Apple has never adjusted overseas prices outside of updates. Perhaps it would be better if they did when exchange rates move significantly between updates, I would have thought the administrative cost of that would be trivial.
The sterling price increase is staggering. Have you noticed that just at this last refresh, Apple upped the prices of the 15" MBPs by 125-150 GBP per model, while the price stayed the same in USD and was only slightly upped in EUR.
At this point last year, an entry level MBP 15" was at GBP 1250. It is 1500 now ... It's all logical, of course. You just have to look at the forex charts.
Which brings the issue, for true portability, it may be better to pair the iPad (that will surely beome more powerful in the future) with a desktop or an iMac to have greater differentiation of a true portable and more serious computing.
My hope is that with increasing power of CPUs, miniaturization of storage units, more powerful batteries, the iPhone OS will become more powerful so that the more basic functionalities -- word processing, spreadsheet and slide presentation, perhaps even basic video (photos, moviews) editing become almost fully functional in the iPad, with wireless connection to a printer.
If anyone ever remembers MS Word 5 for the Mac (ca late 1980s), it worked with the Mac Classic with 25-Mb CPU(?), It was a fully-functional word processing software; much of the other functionalities added after that to the much simpler MS Word 5 were mostly useless whistles and bells (except perhaps the spellchecker). There is no reason why such fully functional application softwares could be created for a a more robust and powerful iPhone OS that will surely evolve in the next few years.
The other possibility is for Apple to place these more fully functional softwares -- specifically tailored for the iPhone OS and also compatible with their version in the OS X -- in cloud computing; accessible to paid subscribers of specific applications. Such possibility would be a good use of Apple's facility in North Carolina (?) .
The MacBook Pro Notebook in an iPad Form.
My ideal portable MacBook Pro notebook computer would have the simplicity of the iPad form (i.e., not a clamshell design) perhaps as large as the 13-inch with an iPhone OS in steroids (i.e., more powerful) or even an OS X. Also, it should be as light as the current iPad (1.5 pounds) or less. Maybe, it could even serve as a second screen, as a number of users suggested.
More than likely, Apple would not be evolving the MacBook Pro to the iPad form any time soon, because of concern of cannibalization. But its evolution should go there. Remember how much different the original iMac from its most recent form. The MacBook Pro notebook computer form needs such an evolution in design to make it more truly portable and elegant.
Cannibalization
As to cannibalization, it need not become an issue. The Mac mini is a "full computer", i.e., with an OS X rather than an iPhone OS. And yet, the Mac mini does not cannibalize the MacBook Pros, the iMac line, nor the Mac desktops. What Apple needs to do to avoid cannibalization is to ensure more significant distinctions in the functions, targets and capabilities among these various forms of Mac computers.
CGC
Amazing how that has affected so much. I wonder if there will be another Little Ice Age because of it. Any talk of that across the pond?
As the situation is now, there won't be any effect to our climate. The ash cloud sits at ca. 5-10km height. It won't stay there long because of wind and rain. If the ash gets up to 20km the situation could get a little more interesting.
As for the price difference US/EU it is not so bad has it has been in the past. I don't know if it is really more expensive for Apple to sell computers in the EU than it is in the US as Apple isn't running a lot of brick and mortar stores in the EU. But Apple is in line with all the other computer manufacturers. Some time ago I checked Dell and HP for their price difference and it is in line with Apple's.
That's because you have something called "higher taxes". The good thing about it is that at least European governments do :something: good with most of the taxes. Unlike here in Brazil, where taxes go up to 50% and none of the public services are of any good. And I don't mean "good" in the whiny way, I'm being serious here: our healthcare and education systems are practically nonexistent, and national infrastructure is a mess at best. That's what you get when half the government is made of ex-terrorists and thieves (once again, I'm being serious).
The $1200 MBP over here costs $1800. That's because Apple US came over here to kick Apple Brazil's a$$ for abusive pricing last year. Before then, the same MBP cost $2500. That's what I payed for mine
I hope I injected some sense on you 1st world people with this.
I'm in South East Asia at the moment and after living in the US and Australia, I still wonder why the 3rd world is the 3rd world. Just can't get out of its rut. Anyway at least Brazil really knows how to party!
The sterling price increase is staggering. Have you noticed that just at this last refresh, Apple upped the prices of the 15" MBPs by 125-150 GBP per model, while the price stayed the same in USD and was only slightly upped in EUR.
At this point last year, an entry level MBP 15" was at GBP 1250. It is 1500 now ... It's all logical, of course. You just have to look at the forex charts.
Yeah, the forex charts will show some sense to Apple pricing movement. It's also to discourage grey market imports of Apple products from more favourably-priced countries, I think. Still, adjusting for all the different currencies, comparing many countries, it's hard to beat buying Apple products in the US itself.
As for the UK, I don't know what is going on there. I went to London near the middle of 2008 trying to get a job and I'm glad by mid-August I bailed and left the country. The £ has dropped like a rock since then, and as I hear the economy is still only just recovering?
Lower price tag? Where? Here in Europe the 17" MBP costs 2249 euros. That is around 2900USD... In the States it costs 2299USD. So 600USD less than here in Europe. Why is that?
Are you sure that $2,299 is the final price in most of the US? Most US States have sales taxes that will result a higher cost, though not sure how much exactly (I'm in Australia). Here, we have a national system of taxation (as opposed to predominantly State-based), so the advertised price is always (legally has to be) the final price owed.
So if the sales tax is 10% then, that's $2529 approx. If you take today's US->AU exchange rate it takes it to AU$2713, approx, so the price we pay here at $2,899 is still somewhat of a price gouge, though seemingly not as bad as our poor Brazillian friend...
Wouldn't you just import a US model if the discrepency was that high?
I don't get the idea of pairing a big notebook with an iPad.
Basically, they're saying that you can get the big notebook, because its portability is now less important - you have the iPad for the portability. So you don't need to lug around the big notebook when you're going home or on a business trip, just take the iPad with you.
Unfortunately, there is a big, big, big problem: the iPad is NOT a Mac. The truth is that the Mac and the iPad are not compatible when working with Apple iWork and with Microsoft Office files.
There is a solution to these problems. I just purchased a Mini Server for home and transferred all my files from all my computers to the Mini Server. When my iPad gets here, I can use Back To My Mac (or LogMeIn, or GoToMyPC, or several other options) to access the server. I'll therefore have access to all my files without lugging a 'real' computer.
Until I try it, I won't know how well it works. I'm pretty confident it will work for more casual computing needs. I'm not sure it will meet ALL my mobile computing needs, so I'm not selling my 17" MBP yet. I may need the MBP just for longer business trips when I'll be doing more content creation and more presentations, but I don't know yet.
Yeah, the forex charts will show some sense to Apple pricing movement. It's also to discourage grey market imports of Apple products from more favourably-priced countries, I think. Still, adjusting for all the different currencies, comparing many countries, it's hard to beat buying Apple products in the US itself.
As for the UK, I don't know what is going on there. I went to London near the middle of 2008 trying to get a job and I'm glad by mid-August I bailed and left the country. The £ has dropped like a rock since then, and as I hear the economy is still only just recovering?
Don't know about the rest of the U.K., but the conjuncture in London is still very tough. Let's be honest, the whole local economy was based on real property speculation. Local housewives and teachers owning 5 buy-to-let properties on full mortgage (and with no or very little capital repayment), while themselves earning salaries of GBP 400 per week ... Arabs/Russians buying at ask prices just to move their money outside their corrupt and uncertain countries etc. This had to end. The sterling devaluation (25% with regard to EUR and USD since early 2008) didn't bring much redress either as this country hardly exports anything anymore, apart from financial services perhaps
People talk a lot about public debt these days, but the real time-bomb is in the private debt:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._external_debt
Bottom line: apart from developing in XCode, I find the iPad to be more than adequate in all situations, especially with the keyboard connected. I wouldn't go with a 17" MBP because why have all that heft and bring both devices with you "just in case"? It doesn't make sense to me. I was, until recently, bringing my Air with me everywhere and using the 24" LED Cinema Display at the office. Then I got my iPad and started to carry the Air and iPad with me everywhere. So I got the Mini for the office and the iMac for home, and the iPad everywhere else. Will probably end up selling the Air because now it just sits at home on a hutch in the kitchen... anyways, yeah that's my experience with the iPad.
Well, then it's a huge problem for the iPad as a purported content-creation machine.
You do not get it. We are not talking about content creation here. Just content consumption! The iPad cannot even properly display iWork or Office files created on a Mac, as previously explained. That is.