“Chinese knockoff makers gets into the super-thin notebook game in a big way with the $499 AirBook. We’ve played around with it for a while now and can say that it looks very similar to Apple’s MacBook Air, and it’s very cheap,” Chris Chang reports for M.I.C. Gadget. “Unfortunately being cheap comes at a price.”
“We went to Huaqiangbei, the best place to shop for electronics, digital products and knockoffs in Shenzhen, to purchase the AirBook for review,” Chang reports. “Some people say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the AirBook has no shame with the design and that could be mistaken for the MacBook Air with its sleek lines, and ‘teardrop’ shape that is slightly thicker. It has a distinct MacBook Air-like feel, but it comes with a silver plastic body (in matte finish) and we can feel it’s all-plastic interior, and you would not believe this, the entire piece of plastic is sprayed with silver/steel spray paint to look like aluminum.”
As for battery life, “we had a bad time with the AirBook. On our standard rundown test, where we’ll loop a video until the machine calls it quits, the AirBook clocked in at just 2 hours. What’s more, it offers a disappointing 1 hour and 26 minutes for web-surfing (Wi-Fi on).
Much more in the full review, including photos and more videos, here.
MacDailyNews Take: If Apple’s legal team isn’t on this one already, they should be soon!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Joe Architect” for the heads up.]
I just threw up in my mouth a little 😣
yeah. This is sickening.
It is hard to believe that anyone would want to be involved in hustling local customers and the world’s largest company at the same time. Our political leaders tell us to admire these con artists. What they need to copy is our lawyers. Let the locals start to go after these ripoffs in a backed up court system. Add some real overhead cost to those ripoffs!
Even put the Apple logo on it. Idiots!
However, is it possible that someone blocked from the real world like the Chinese people are, may not know that Apple Mac computers run OS X and that they are not Windows PCs? So, when they turn it on, they haven’t a clue that they just got ripped off?
In China…. Good luck to Apples legal team… Rolex nor any of the other premium product mfg’s have been able to curb the blight of knockoffs… Apple , word of advice, do not waste the time and resources …. It’s the governments job…. Not that they will be able to stop it…. Those that buy the fake would not have bought the real thing anyway …. People who value your product will not be fooled …. So grin and bear it…. The cost of success…
Time to move more production to Brazil.
Scamdung is learning the lesson of what happens when you cross Apple.
The same lesson can be taught to the Chinese government.
Time to move production to the US or at least North America.
China is the rip off capital of the planet.
How about a Chinese knockoff F22 Raptor fighter jet http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/05/chinese-military-buildup-apparent-ahead-gates-visit/
My point exactly.
…”Time to move production to the US or at least North America.”
As soon as you can find skilled workers who are willing to work for $13 a day (whopping $300 per month). Never mind labour laws in the US…
I doubt if labor is a huge component of automated assembly lines, probably not over 15% of cost. With Apple’s margins they could easily manufacture in the US if they were willing to make a slightly smaller profit, and get the incredible PR of creating American jobs with American ingenuity. Keep the Chinese factories for products intended for that market, and not the cutting edge ones at that. Let Foxconn China make the cheaper Apple gear intended for Asia and other countries, while Apple makes the good stuff here where it won’t be ripped off quite as easily. It would take some serious planning, but if any company can figure it out, it’s Apple.
I am an American residing in China. Trust me, anything that can be made into a knock off has been or will be in the near future! EVEN OREOS!!!
Crap man…what the hell
balllllls…
They haven’t been able to duplicate everything – “unibody PLASTIC design”. haha
Track-pad looked plastic, too.
No design and development overhead, no machined aluminium, (assuming cheap chips & displays), no Lion, no battery life, and it’s still $499?
I’ll take the real one please.
What a Pile!
So, the outside is spray paint plastic. I’m sure the inside is just as good because that’s where it counts.
They must have forgotten to fully charge the battery before starting the test.
I just don’t get it, an Apple knock off that’s got the apple logo yet is running windows 7…
Kind of makes you wonder how stupid someone would be thinking this WAS an apple computer… Like the phone, its all about the operating system!!
Chris
So you look cool in a Chinese coffee house (or where ever Chinese hipsters congregate)
It’s about appearances, not performance. Chinese are VERY status brand conscious, and Apple is one of their most coveted brands.
Thats what you get when you share technology w the Chinese.
Well said indeed!
The problem is that share or not, its very easy to reverse engineer hardware. They get one and copy it. but I find it very interesting that they do not copy Apple software which is much easier to re-use than Microsoft software.
Just curious
The asians companies will start a huge push copying Apple next year. They have zero worries as the US legal system favors the cloners or IP thieves overseas.
If it quits after a week then you’ve blown $499 on nothing. That isn’t cheap that’s a scam.
Another reason to buy the real deal.
You get what you pay for.
Pirates of Silicon valley quote. Love it.
I’ll forward this to my buddy who works at Apple.
THIS is why Apple will grow and become absolutely HUGE in China. Everyone wants a device with the Apple logo, whether it’s real or fake. The consumers who actually care about performance and user experience will buy REAL. The ones who buy fake Apple products just care about cost, and they would not have purchased the real product anyways, until they can afford it. But buying the fake product now just means they are future Apple customers.
Exactly. Well said. Apple has absolutely nothing to fear from this sort of copying. The day that someone apes your product with a sleazy imitation is the day you are truly a success. And Apple and a multitude of other companies have earned hundreds of billions of dollars from low-paid labor and inexpensive parts in the Chinese economy. Apple’s losess on account of this device will be measured in the thousands of dollars — or less: only from those very few buyers, if any, who actually forego buying a genuine Apple product. For the chance to earn billions in China, Apple will write off an infinitesimal loss.
I think its just a macbook air with windows installed on it. Its too close not to be.
Well now I don’t know about that…..mini HDMI isn’t on the Air. hmm interesting!
Not a MacBook Air. There are tell tale aspects of the body that point out that it’s a blatant fake. The first thing that shouted out to me was the Frankenstein bolts they stuck through the display. Does that fake POS even close properly?
China: Rectal pore of planet Earth.
This is the typical outcome of extremist socialism, aka communism, aka Marxism. It offers citizens no incentives to give a rat’s. Therefore, the people create their own incentive via CRIME. The end result every time has been a criminal state just like the current fecal status of China.
The China Spring is LONG overdue. Not everyone in that over-populated hell hole is a heartless brain dead drone.
As you’ve obviously been in a cave the past 20 years let me explain. China is now the most capitalist country on the planet. Only a complete dumbass would believe that ripping off a more able competitor in order to make a quick buck was a socialist trait.
And I’m sure you’re not a complete dumbass, are you.
This reminds me of the little fake kitchen stuff my sister used to play with – versus a real kitchen with real food, etc.
The Easy Bake Faux Book.
Oh How Fun! (Dripping sarcasm included) All you need to do now is fake it out to look like Lion: http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/make-windows-7-look-like-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-20110419/
Then you can fully enjoy the illusion, just don’t let anyone touch it, you don’t want the spray paint to rub off on their hands. Apple went to the aluminum to make a durable product.
WTFO!
What else would expect from a bunch of communists. They aren’t smart enough to develop their own products. Most of the thinkers in communist China are in prison or shot.
Very good point, Franklin. Glad to see someone else “gets it.”
Not that much difference between them and socialists really.
The only difference between socialism and communism is time. One inevitably turns into the other.
How very true.
How hopelessly ignorant…
and people complain and whine that Apple is Evil when it tries to protect its IP with lawsuits etc.
Dave,
These “people” are almost always Windows and Android fans, Apple Haters all.
Don’t forget the paid trollers as well, either direct or indirect. Professional trolling is a centuries old propaganda technique.
(Off topic example: We have a massive professional trolling propaganda campaign in the USA, bent on destroying our government, well known as ‘Neoconservatism’, or as I more accurately call it, the ‘Neo-Con-Job’).
So Apple? Please explain to us why you’re pouring money into the criminal state known as China.
Apple, could you please get the HELL out of China already?!
EXCELLENT!!!!!!
I’m glad they did it!!! And I’ll try to get it.
Apple knew very well how chinese make replicas of everything, before they moved the production to China.
GREED !!! = that’s the name of the game.
Every f.. american-canadian-european company did the same thing = moved production to China.
hahahaaa…now they are paying the price, America is paying the price…
Who didn’t move to China?…hm…don’t know any company that didn’t.
Today China makes everything, from a nail and screw to planes and computers.
BUT, don’t underestimate the great chinese people.
The fact that they are able to make replicas, shows their creativity, being smarter than anybody else on this earth, just like Israel and India.
Now, some people will tell me, that because of Apple is made in China, the Mac and other products are very affordable…not so fast!
In the 50s-60s.. America was known as BIG America, country of wealth, of american dream…EVERYTHING was more than affordable. The problems started in the 70s, when “Made in America” logo started to disappear.
Greed for bigger and fatter profits – this is the reason for the economical crisis in EU and US.
In the 50s-60s-70s…Taiwan and Hong Kong were producing the most creative tools and gadgets.
NOW, it’s CHINA doing that, on a GRAND scale.
Making replicas is only a tiny part of chinese people ingenuity. They are capable much much bigger things, as we can see.
Sure, Brazil won’t do replicas, and won’t offer any creativity, not even comparable to Chinese.
So, I don’t think Apple will even think of moving to Brazil.
It’s not the right place to produce HiTech stuff.
India – yes. Israel – yes. Singapore – maybe yes.
Forget Japan – it’s infected with radioactive everything.
Can I get you another cup of coffee?
So, let me get this right: Where you are currently being cared for, when you earn a day pass you are also allowed to use the Computer Room? Cool!
does windows software even support a multitouch trackpad like that? out of habit from home mac use everytime I jump on a shitty windows laptop at work I use these gestures I’m so accustomed to and they never work, also kind of unrelated but kind of adding to china being the rectal spore of the earth,(I lmao @ that😂) I agree they make knockoffs of everything and nobody can stand up to them because all these corporations have theyre hands deep in the governments pockets, but how about it being the most polluted place on earth, they have no bees left to pollinate anything!!! they could benefit from some real apple products over there and learn by apples innovations with solar technologies.
This is great! The Chinese copy everything, but those who really want to buy an Apple product will never buy one of these fake ones. Apple should persuade them to replicate Android products and flood the market. What can Android smartphone makers do? Sue the Chinese? 🙂
I think we finally found a good use for Blackwater.
Not so fast here. Didn’t the Chinese govt support Apple in shutting down the fake Apple Stores? Maybe they’ve learned a few lessons along the way. Wait and see.
The reason why Chinese commie shut the fake Apple stores down is because the owner didn’t pay off the right people enough.
Wow…I wonder what that US judge would do in this case….the judgethat didn’t block Samdung from selling the Galaxy Tab as he didn’t think it was similar to the iPad.
Couldnt finish video. I hope that company crashes HARD!