MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

Most of this is probably true, however…

• MDN/SteveJack (who are one and the same) can hardly be expected to say anything else, seeing as the site is festooned with banner ads from Apple and MacMall to name but two. I know Steve has to pay his bills, but his editorial objectivity could easily be questioned by any of the people we so regularly criticise including Rob Enderle.

• The NASCAR fans dig seems a little elitist.

Mar 17, 09 - 09:16 am Comment from: Predrag

There is only one brand in the Windows world that can command price premium that can begin to approach Apple's, and it ain't Dell. It is Sony. People who know enough about computers to compare specs will buy a Windows machine that gives them best bang for the buck, and Adamo doesn't. For $2,000, they will beef up their Dell Inspiron with HDD, RAM, 3D graphics, Blu-ray etc. And those that are looking for thin, light, svelte, cool design, they will spend about 500 miliseconds looking at Adamo and go buy a MBA for same or less money. If they are festooned in the Windows world, they'll go buy a Vaio.

I wouldn't mind if Dell succeeded with Adamo. I just can't possibly see how; they have built their Dell brand into an icon of dirt cheap computing. Who in their right mind would want to buy a luxury Yugo instead of a BMW for the same money?

Mar 17, 09 - 09:23 am Comment from: Predrag

As for SteveJack's (i.e. MDN's) objectivity, some people are confusing MDN with a news site. Let's make things clear: MDN is an aggregator of news articles related to Apple and the Mac. In addition to the articles, there is an opinion section which is exactly that: an opinion (i.e. not news). The site name clearly implies where editorial priorities lie. One other thing; there is a difference between neutrality and objectivity (neutral being not taking sides; objective being impartial to the subject matter at hand) You cannot seriously expect neutrality here (although in my opinion, site has been fairly objective throughout the years that I've been reading it). SteveJack has slammed features of Apple's products that he felt were not deserving Apple's legacy. He has always been an Apple evangelist, though.

Mar 17, 09 - 09:30 am Comment from: kirkgray

Does anybody remember years ago when McDonald's launched a big promotion to become a fine (or at least finer) dining experience??

After years of building their business around cheap food, clowns and playgrounds, they were going upscale. They promised to introduce a new adult meal choice every month for a year. Diner would be able to have real food while their kids did the happy meal thing.

I'm not sure if it lasted two months or just one. They found out they weren't anything special. Just cheap food with playgrounds on every corner.

Dell is just cheap boxes with Windows on every corner.

"Alas, the one thing that Apple's MacBook Air will not offer are stickers stuck all over its elegant, cleanly-designed case."

Yes, those are intentionally stuck on with easy remove glue and take all of three seconds to peel off. But what they do do in a store is tell you exactly what you're getting in the box and what standards it has been tested to. You know, like the designed for iPod program you love so much. Except here vendors actually pay less to Intel/Microsoft etc or get advertising money if they chose to put the stickers on.

What exactly is the negative?

Mar 17, 09 - 09:41 am Comment from: HMCIV

So... this thing is slower than my Powerbook G4?

@Predrag

Well said, perhaps MDN should include your words as a sidebar to every post. I'm getting sick of all these Windows enthusiasts bleating that MDN is not news and that site would be so much better without the snarky comments. It's these comments/MDN takes that make this such such a fun read and different to every other site. Keep it up MDN. If I want to read how wonderful the world of Windows is, I can go elsewhere.

Mar 17, 09 - 09:45 am Comment from: DogGone

Offering a 1.2 GHz processor will kill this product. While the weight looks good, it still seems rather clunky.

You need to offer quality if you expect a customer to spend 2 grand.

Mar 17, 09 - 09:45 am Comment from: cptnkirk

Strangely, the Dell materials say that it is .65 inches at its thinnest. That means that it is thicker in general. The Air is .16 inches at it's thinnest. DULL should be challenged over their claim that it is the world's thinnest laptop. It's a pount heavier with a slower processor. and more than $200 more expensive. If I were in the market for a very light notbook, I'd still by a MacBook Air.

Mar 17, 09 - 10:00 am Comment from: _Bill_

Does Intel even make a 1.2Ghz C2D? That must be a mis-print; may they meant 2.2... Wait, I stand corrected: http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2duo/mobile/specifications.htm

Mar 17, 09 - 10:01 am Comment from: Ottawa Mark

Much more interesting (and revealing) when MDN posts links and summaries to articles from outside sources than when they just spout off on Apple's competition. The article reads like an extended MDN Take, complete with childish name-calling...exactly the reaction of someone who would be frightened of competition, rather than emboldened by it. Seriously, grow up.

That said, the Adamo seems pretty expensive for the wimpy processor it sports, even if the extra USB ports and built in ethernet port beat the Air.

All in all I don't think it is a bad attempt by dell while no MBA by any means by Dell standards it is pretty nice there are only 2 things on it I would like to see added to the MBA in a rev bump that is 4GB ram and an eSata. It was nice of dell to make it so easy to compare a Mac to a Dell so easily and say see the mac is cheaper for a faster machine.

"I'm confused. Is Steve Jack somebody different than the guy who normally runs MDN?""

Well I put up a post questioning the ethics of writing an article then the same person writing a puff piece on it.

It disappeared immediately, I think there's your answer. You can bet this post won't be around long either. But when it disappears and you'll know the answer to the question you're raising.

SteveJack does not run this site. Use any domain checker on the net to find out the details of who owns and runs the site and you'll see it's not SteveJack. Therefore, we hcan take MDN at face value when they give a description of who SteveJack is.

I once asked MDN to state whether they were long or short on Apple at a time when they were repeating a flurry of stories that affected the company's share price. To my surprise, they complied (and said they were long).

If you're that concerned about impartiality, you could always ask MDN for more details about who SteveJack is and what he does.

On the other hand, it really isn't any of our business since MDN makes it quite clear that they aren't impartial when it comes to reporting on Apple.

Over the past several years of visiting MDN, I distinctly remember, at some point, reading the phrase 'MDN staff'. From that description, I would, at least, assume that MDN has more people writing its 'takes' than does, oh, say, the Enderle 'Group'.

Regardless, if there are 3 people or 300, I still enjoy the MDN site and hope that it has 30 more years in it.

As an aside, maybe you can convince Jack Miller of 'As The Apple Turns' do a periodic cameo. Just a thought.

I thought SteveJack was just preaching to the choir, but go look at how Dell is promoting this thing: http://www.adamobydell.com/

OMFG, that's such a pathetically bad self-parody they probably don't even realize it. It looks like a commercial you'd find on SNL's Sprockets.

As for SteveJack's (i.e. MDN's) objectivity, some people are confusing MDN with a news site. Let's make things clear: MDN is an aggregator of news articles related to Apple and the Mac. In addition to the articles, there is an opinion section which is exactly that: an opinion (i.e. not news).

Okey, dokey: it's a news aggregator that posts opinions either as discrete articles or as "Takes".

The site name clearly implies where editorial priorities lie.

Now I'm confused: does a news aggregator have editorial priorities. Surely if you are gathering all the news that's fit to print, you do so without bias and you don't have 'priorities' or 'prejudices'.

One other thing; there is a difference between neutrality and objectivity (neutral being not taking sides; objective being impartial to the subject matter at hand) You cannot seriously expect neutrality here (although in my opinion, site has been fairly objective throughout the years that I've been reading it).

So, if the site is impartial, it has - presumably - executed an objective review comparing this Windows POS laptop with all the other Windows POS laptops and, just for giggles, the MacBook Air as well.

If we hold Paul Thurrott (Boston's biggest blowhard) or Rob Enderle to a standard where they shouldn't write click-bait or act as hit-whores with their pieces of (more often than not) 'yellow' IT op-ed, than the same standard needs to be applied here. Or are we just hypocritical fanbois?

SteveJack has slammed features of Apple's products that he felt were not deserving Apple's legacy. He has always been an Apple evangelist, though.

All fair enough, but none of that detracts from my original point that SteveJack/MDN is always open to accusations of commercially motivated bias when the site is adorned with so many Apple adverts. It's the same accusation we level at ZDnet, why does it make you so uncomfortable here.

Mar 17, 09 - 10:27 am Comment from: Jubei

The Big Ass Table from Microsoft will look great with this Thin ( haha ) Big Ass Laptop.

@Imaginary Problems

Well if stickers all over a product were so great, why do you NOT see that at a Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati, Lamborghini, etc. showroom? "High end" products do not have that. The entire image of "high end" means a product designed and built to a standard to the point that the very product itself IS the image; if you have to put stickers all over it to define it you failed.

As for the Adamo...my god I cannot imagine how slow Vista would be on a 1.2 ghz processor! The Air on a 1.6 running Apple's much snappier (had to say it) OSX still seems a tad sluggish to me.

I recently bought an aluminium ladder with steps the same design than the lid of this thing.

Mar 17, 09 - 10:30 am Comment from: Big Als MBP

Did SteveJack just review a laptop he's never seen in person let alone touched?

How can anyone do that?

Did they release a movie of it like Palm's Pre?

Is he just working with a picture and a press release?

Doesn't he just hate it when so called writers do that with Apple products?

It probably is a POS but how could he know for sure?

Big Als MBP,

Because it's stuck running Windows. Duh.

I think it's rather fitting that the Adamo comes with a wanna-be Mac OS X that doesn't get it quite right.

As the Adamo looks like a MacBook Air wanna-be that doesn't get it quite right.

(I leave more comments until I see it myself, or photos of the bottom and the innards. But putting all the connectors on the back and not using the sides seems FUBAR, design-wise.)

Mar 17, 09 - 10:39 am Comment from: Toasty

I don't think this product will steal a single sale from Apple. The base unit starts at $1999 which is $200 more than the starting Air. It has a 1.2GHz vs a 1.6GHz for a lower price. Both have 2 Gig of ram. The only seeable difference is the 128 Meg drive. Dell is using a solid state which may compensate a little bit for the lack of a better processor but you are still getting less for more with the Dell. The Air has a nice Nvidia Graphics driver where as I could find no mention on Dells site(s) as to what drives their display.

Plus it has Vista crap on it and you are stuck with it. And even the Anti Virus that you NEED to help you keep your new flashy Dell from being hijacked is only a 30 day trial.

No doubt Jack Schofield at the Guardian will praise this to the heavens, despite it's shortcomings vs. the superior MacBook Air.

Magic word: 'paid' as in Schofield is paid by Microsoft (according to some people, who are just WRONG!)

"Well if stickers all over a product were so great, why do you NOT see that at a Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati, Lamborghini, etc. showroom?"

Anem. When you walk into a Ferrari dealership, don't you see photos and posters of formula one cars with logos everywhere? Shell, Olympus, Bridgestone, Vodafone, Fiat, Marlboro, AMD, the list just goes on...

And on to the actual car: What's that large prancing horse? are those manufacturer's logos embedded in the tires? And look inside the engine bay and see if a large percentage of the 3rd party components provided proudly sport a label somewhere with the maker's logo on it. Do you see stickers with logos recommending not just a grade of oil or brake fluid but a particular brand?

If you even become rich enough to be taken seriously when you walk into a Ferrari dealership, or better still actually own one, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Mar 17, 09 - 10:57 am Comment from: Mac Daddy

This thing is really funny. Beef Wellington from McDonalds. Dell probably *is* consulting with Rob Enderle - Only a major idiot like Enderle could come up with this complete flop. Speaking of...

"...his editorial objectivity could easily be questioned by any of the people we so regularly criticise including Rob Enderle."

Rob Enderle is an idiot. He deserves every bit of criticism he gets, especially since he sluffs himself off as an "expert." What an assbag.

Mar 17, 09 - 10:57 am Comment from: Predrag

MCCFR,

You seem to be elevating (somewhat persistently) this site to the level of a news site, which it clearly isn't. The name of the site is a tongue-in-cheek inside joke (kind of like 'The Daily News'). And to continue the analogy, while The Daily News is a comedy show, many people (especially younger audience) get their news from it. Much like MDN; it's an entertainment site for Apple fans, but many of us get our Apple news from here. Still, it is clear to most that the primary purpose is entertainment, and neutrality is not a relevant part of that purpose.

When SteveJack slams ZDNet for clearly biased articles, he has every right to do that; ZDNet, an online product of Ziff-Davis publishing, is a property of CNET, which is a property of CBS. It is a news site; that is its purpose and mission. Its visitors expect to see NEUTRAL, OBJECTIVE reporting in their news articles (blogs, such as George Ou, are different matter, as they are, again, only opinions).

Once again, please, folks, let's do NOT mistake MDN for a news outlet; it may as well serve exactly that purpose for many of us (when it comes to Apple news), but opinions and commentary are exactly what they are (incidentally, would you listen to Rush Limbaugh for objective, neutral news reporting?)

Could that thing be any uglier?

Mar 17, 09 - 11:14 am Comment from: Jubei

@The Mac That Roared

Yes since it runs Windows, all 20 version of it.

To everyone who has to keep saying "Oh MDN has to say bad things about dell and HP and Windows, they cant be honest or unbiased or anything"

Of course they arent. Its MACdailynews. Its in the URL. If you dont like it, find another blog to play with.

Some people here are just so anal, must be all those years suffering with pcs' I guess, at least for some of them. This site is as much about entertainment as serious and objective news, a bit like the BBC these days actually. If you don't like the editorial comment go somewhere else where you will find the form of bias that fits your own particular prejudice and therefore able to luxuriate in the misconception that you are reading objective commentary that suits you. Otherwise just try to loosen up those jockeys for a moment and enjoy the freedom of expression, or at least try to compete with it in an entertaining manner for a change.

Mar 17, 09 - 11:41 am Comment from: jmbarry

The world's heaviest, slowest thin laptop? And we get excited to even comment? <sigh> Slow and heavy, that is an apt description of Dell these days...

Mar 17, 09 - 11:41 am Comment from: Sixvodkas

@ MacZeus

"Thoughts"?

One springs to mind when reading mindless drivel posted by MS sycophants who troll this site- If you don't like the message, attack the messenger.

Why else do you think the trolls are so easy to humiliate?

from: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/03/17/dell_unveils_heavier_more_expensive_macbook_air_rival.html

"We are definitely trying to shift the perception of Dell to one of fashion and style," said director of consumer marketing John New. "But we're not going to do a piece of jewelry just to do one. We're focusing on the fashion instead of the IT [information technology]. We want the user to be presented with this and feel special about what they're getting."

WTF? I hope I speak for every Mac user here: I did NOT buy a Mac because it looks good. I bought it because it performs well -- and looks good, too. The style is a bonus, but it was not the dealbreaker for me.

First and foremost, a computer is a tool that needs to do the tasks I want it to do. A certain style is a necessary component for that, but it's not the point you should be aiming for.

Dell, you missed the target. By light years.

It's not like Dell has an option for an OS – it's either Windows or Linux, and if Dell sells only Linux, it may as well close it's doors and give the shareholders their money back, because no one buys Linux machines.

The real problem here is that Dell is a box assembler and not a designer. The market is moving (and has been moving) toward laptops because of portability and the power laptops now have, and Dell simply can't design something to compete w/Apple.

The problem with Dell is not with the OS (Windows is a BIG problem, but Dell has no options b/c it can't license OS X) – it's with Dell's inability to design competitive hardware.

@Imaginary Problems
"If you even become rich enough to be taken seriously when you walk into a Ferrari dealership, or better still actually own one, you'll know what I'm talking about."

My my...aren't we special. I actually do know what you're talking about which is why I know you're "imaginary" in more ways than one.

"Anem. When you walk into a Ferrari dealership, don't you see photos and posters of formula one cars with logos everywhere? Shell, Olympus, Bridgestone, Vodafone, Fiat, Marlboro, AMD, the list just goes on..."

Photos and posters of racing cars with sponsor stickers; not the showroom cars which is what my original post stated and you conveniently ignored to make your lame and totally irrelevant point.

"And on to the actual car: What's that large prancing horse? are those manufacturer's logos embedded in the tires? And look inside the engine bay and see if a large percentage of the 3rd party components provided proudly sport a label somewhere with the maker's logo on it. Do you see stickers with logos recommending not just a grade of oil or brake fluid but a particular brand?"

You're really stretching to try and appear relevant but you fail. EVERY product has to have some kind of logo, emblem, name on it to identify it and the MAKER which even you unwittingly stated and thus eliminated your own faux point. Service labels inside an engine compartment? You really want to try and use that to prove anything?

Back to my original point that you don't go to showrooms of those vehicles and see stickers all over the OUTSIDE of the cars in the SHOWROOMS, not posters on the walls of racing cars and their sponsor stickers, or opening the hoods and doors of showroom vehicles where you see service stickers inside. They don't plaster stickers all over the outside because it looks cheap; if you have to do that to differentiate or distinguish your product as a "high end" product, you failed.

You know a Ferrari, Lambo, etc. the moment you see one; you don't need anything else to tell you what it is. Apple's products are the same.

Now I know you're going to go on and on, (even pasting a copy of this post to "prove" whatever point you think you're making) in order to try and save face but it's too late. You have no credibility and I'm done with this thread so go ahead... I'm done responding; I have better things to do with my time.

Didn't read the SteveJack piece. Never do. This comment is for the previous article. Adamo is competition for the Mac Book Pro, not the Air. It's decent competition, but we'll see how it sells.

and next year we all be saying remember the Adamo!

"I'm done responding; I have better things to do with my time."

That's enough of an admission that you're wrong. Koni is just as happy for you to know that you have Koni inside your Ferrari as Intel is to advertise that at point of sale by a removable sticker that you have Intel inside.

And the most expensive Ferraris in the world, the F1 cars, as you now know (and probably would have known if you'd thought about it for a few seconds) have advertising stickers all over them.

As to branded stickers in the engine compartment, most laptops have them on the keyboard area which you don't see until you open the "hood"

Perhaps you'd care to explain the external Pininfarina logo that every Ferrari styled by them carries. What is that if not a "Pininfarina outside" sticker. And you didn't really address the tires.

I can't believe after choosing such a stupid example you went on to dig a deeper hole writing a long rebuttal rather than just admitting or quietly recognizing you were wrong.

Mar 17, 09 - 01:56 pm Comment from: Predrag

Imaginary Problems,

It seems that you have completely failed to understand the point here. Apple refuses to put any sticker on their hardware. There will never be 'Intel Inside', or 'Built for Windows Vista', or 'ATI Radeon Inside', or anything else on any Apple hardware. The reason these stickers are all over box assemblers' hardware is because they increase the ever-so-thin profit margin from them. Every sticker attached to the case reduces the OEM price for the component. Much the same way all the NASCAR racing cars (or F1, if you're from outside the US) have tons of stickers of various sponsors who bring in money. To put it in the simplest possible terms, these stickers are cheap advertising, and Apple will have none of it. You'll remember, when they switched to Intel, there were questions about 'Intel inside' sticker on the case. Jobs quickly said no to that.

So, again, the point is, everyone but Apple has plenty of plastic crappy stickers. Obviously, they don't contribute to the elegant design of the device. Apple's uncompromising approach to the whole widget simply doesn't allow for that. Apple is willing to give up that part of revenue that the garish stickers would bring in.

Mar 17, 09 - 02:08 pm Comment from: MacRaven

Dell is as good at thinking up product names as Micro$oft is.

"As for SteveJack's (i.e. MDN's) objectivity, some people are confusing MDN with a news site. Let's make things clear: MDN is an aggregator of news articles related to Apple and the Mac. "

Some people may be confused because MDN presents itself as a news site, as evidenced by the motto "Where Mac news come first" and e.g. this MDN Take:
"... It is our prerogative to remain anonymous for various reasons ranging from tradition (how we started) to maintaining our ability to gather information from industry sources. For example, certain industry ties we have would likely be hampered if our faces were also the faces of MacDailyNews. ..."
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/19164/P50/

Aggregated news is not where news come first. Second at best.

The industry ties MDN needs is a working Internet connection and that will remain unhampered as long as they are able to pay their ISP bill.

@ the twit making the Ferrari/Nascar/F1 analogies:

The keyboard is not the innards of the computer, it is on the outside. You need the laptop open to use the computer - der!

You don't need, in fact you can't use (drive) a Ferrari with the hood open for quite obvious reasons.

Now if you crack an Apple laptop open and get to the actual innards, you will find many components have labels, stickers or are engraved to identify the manufacturer, model and make of the various components. Just like under the Ferrari's hood. Which is kind of essential to identify something for servicing since you don't want to send the mystery component to a forensics laboratory to identify it from photographs!

And some of those stickers which festoon every other laptop except Apples aren't so easily removed, leaving sticky residue behind, or on occasion even peel the underlying paint off.

I know my Apple whatever is built with quality components. Apple lists it quite clearly on the website and on the box without resorting to garish stickers and labels. Stickers detract from the overall aesthetic of the machine. Since most other, nay all other computers made by everyone else have no aesthetic sensibility, then the stickers most likely act to 'wow' the buyer into thinking they are getting something special, but usually they are being tricked. The sticker for the low spec Intel Celeron processor might look flashy or 'super', but the actual device ain't much chop.

Now are we clear on the purpose of these promotional stickers and why some manufacturers have them and others refuse to use them? Good!

Mar 17, 09 - 07:52 pm Comment from: Grifterus

This is the flugliest, most expensive netbook ever!!!!

Mar 17, 09 - 07:56 pm Comment from: Grifterus

This is to the MacBook what the Zune is to the iPod.

'Nuff Said!

Pretty underpowered, overpriced Dell machine. That said, SteveJack can't write for toffee. News site or no, the playground taunts are pretty pathetic. The product is clearly bad - review is as such and let the figures do the talking. It doesn't need to be smeared as well. Just saying "it's stinky and it stinks and I don't like it" means any genuine, accurate criticism can be simply ignored as part of the whole rant.

What if a Windows user thinking of switching read that review? They'd probably think all Apple fans are just as juvenile and might stick with Windows. Nice one SteveJack - by being so rabid, you're probably driving people AWAY from Apple.

While there are many shortcomings (Windows & Dell tech support being 2 of them) I think you guys are missing a couple of cool points on the Adamo, that Apple has clearly missed in the Macbook Air....

#1 Dell got Tumi to make some companion products for Adamo. That is clearly something Apple should have done. Pairing it to a luxury brand, so your high end sleek product doen't end up in a Targus bag!

#2 You can get Adamo with INTEGRATED Verizon 3G broadband (not that upsidedown & backwards piece 3G Swiss cheese known as the AT&T;3G network). Now that is cool for being integrated into such a small package.

While I love Apple & believe they do put out the best products, I am not so blinded to the fact that there ARE some things they can learn from their competitiors...

Just my 2¢

Apr 03, 09 - 11:53 am Comment from: Anonymous©

Looks like a Sony Vaio

A Macbook Pro in cheap clothing. Pass.

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