“In my experience, price notwithstanding, the decisions to buy many a gadget starts in the gut. It’s less about need than desire. It’s a question of whether the product leaves you walking away impressed. Or just walking away. Is it something you rave about? Or something you pan? There’s not much middle ground,” Seth Gilbert writes for Seeking Alpha.
Apple’s new MacBook Air “was the show stealer at this Macworld,” Gilbert writes. “It’s another design sensation. With tapered edges and a sleek shape, the design cues remain minimalist, right down to the now classic Apple magnetic power connector…”
“With a 13.4 inch screen, the computer is not a miniature, but in weight and thickness, it is. Its tapered case ranges from 0.76inch to 0.16inch thick. It’s like holding a legal pad. And in weight, it’s not much heavier,” Gilbert writes. “With the user interface, the gesture controls added to the tracking screen are also smooth and easy to adjust to. The rest is classic Apple. For intuitive and elegant design that seems simple, Apple yet again proves it’s in an elite league.”
“All in all, for anyone who travels, for people who like Macs, for gadget freaks, the Macbook Air is wowing. True, the battery is not removable. True, there are things that can be criticized. True, it’s evolutionary. True, it’s not shocking in its feature set, but it’s a product easy to see yourself using (for many). I can picture it on my desk. Or in a bag when I’m on the go. Accompanying me on a plane. Improving my work. I can see it,” Gilbert writes.
“In the past, I have been impressed by Apple computers but not tempted to switch away from the Microsoft world. This is a product that could motivate me to finally change,” Gilbert writes. “From the minds of Steve Jobs, Jonathan Ive and their team, this notebook is a winner… and groans of the unsurprised notwithstanding, on first looks, it impresses. Come June, even with its expense, this is a computer that will sell a lot of units. It won’t be for everyone. It has a niche, but it should capture it with vigor.”
Full article, in which Gilbert also looks at the improved Apple TV, writing that it’s “nice but it doesn’t rise to the standards of a ‘must have’ product, yet,” here.
I used to have to make my switch.
I preferred Willow over Hickory.
My Grandpa caught on quick to that….
With all the great Apple products out BEFORE the intro of the MacBookAir, if the the Windows person hasn´t already been thinking his next computer will be a Mac, this $1700 wallet burner ain´t going to tempt them.
So this breakthrough, powerful, cool and amazing ‘world’s thinnest’ is a ‘gadget’.
I agree. Make the price $899 and I’m all in. That’s the most a gadget is worth and, even then, I’m just showing off – no work to be done on the thing – just take it out of the envelope, put it on the seat back tray table and wait for the swooning from adjacent passengers full of envy for reasons unknown.
“In the past, I have been impressed by Apple computers but not tempted to switch away from the Microsoft world. …”
Even though this is a positive review, the above sentence causes him to lose all credibility.
Now I think he’s just stupid.
Maybe that’s the morning rum talking.
I don’t see this as just a product for “switchers” since it has no disk drive it’s very much a second, portable machine for Mac users and/or windows users. I can’t see too many people using it as their sole machine unless they have very specific (somewhat limited) requirements.
It’s a very interesting combination of being an upgrade from a Macbook in some ways but also lesser in others,
Uninteresting,
Why don’t they just make it $1.99, you stupid fsck?
What a lot of poor trolls there are.
Stick to your 299 self mad PC’s guys..
Funny how all the negative Nancy posters that pop up after SJ keynote are never registered posters on MDN!
I call shenanigans!
Ditto on shenanigans. And some of these angry for a stupid reason posters need to switch.
To decaf.
To M.X.N.T.4.1: “since it has no disk drive”
From Apple:
“The 80GB hard drive provides plenty of storage space. And you have the option to upgrade to a 64GB solid-state drive, which has no moving parts for enhanced durability.”
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/features.html
Air is computationally under powered. It is an under powered MacBook that went to Jenny Craig. This is definitely a wait and see product. MacWorld 2009 will feature the Mac Air we should all buy. I guess I need to save more sheckels and get a Mac Book Pro.
Just my $0.02
Checked out a couple of online “ultra portable laptop” lists & reviews. The price and specs are not so out of whack with the others out there.
I have to admit that I find the 7 inch Asus portable at least equally impressive in its own low cost niche,
The multi touch trackpad is promising. I want a free standing one that would replace my mighty mouse. I prefer my macbook track pad over the iMac’s mouse
I just don’t get. This unit should be priced just under the MacBook, not closer to the MB Pro. Even $999 would be a stretch, but do-able. I just don’t get it. I’m giving up the ability to burn discs, connect to a nice gigabit connection, I’ll have a slower CPU, fewer expansion ports, I can’t buy a separate battery, and no access to RAM slots. Umm, why would I choose to pay almost as much as a MacBook Pro for a system that has far fewer features than the MacBook. Because it’s thin? Really? My Pro is just as portable, I just need a slightly bigger envelope. I say $899 and I’m sold.
I can’t change the bloody battery! Boo F-ing Hoo.
Just curious about the “underpowered” thing. I’ve got the little Asus thing, gave it to my wife because the keyboard is too small to use. Something like an old 900 MHz CPU. That’s underpowered.
The machine I’m typing this on is a 1.6 GHz celeron.
That’s underpowered.
The MBA has, on the base model, a 1.6 MHz core 2 duo processor. Dual processor 1.6 GHz, not single core, not old core duo, not Celeron.
Okay, it isn’t the maximum 2.6 GHz you can get in the MBP, but “underpowered?”
I get the distinct impression that what the whiners on MDN were expected is as follows:
A 10 inch screen with the same number of pixels as a 24″ iMac, a full sized keyboard, a 2.4 or more GHz core 2 duo, memory slots, a 64 GB SSD drive, an independent graphics card, an optical drive along with firewire port, multiple USB ports, card readers, ethernet, a replaceable battery, in a machine the size of the Asus eeepc, but ideally smaller and lighter than that, all for $699. Or maybe $999 with some complaining, and with “its a dealbreaker” at $1299. And they’d like a pony. And for the machine to be hand-delivered by Natalie Portman.
@ Long Time Fanboy
You’re following the script too closely. It’s okay to improvise.
@ OpJ
You’re forgetting the hovercraft and time machine options.
Steve Jobs is definably reaching for a subset of a niche market with this product.
I am completely shocked about the price for what one gets. It’s insulting even to those who can afford it’s steep price tag.
People with money have a problem, getting value for their money. Because once people know you have money, they tend to think they are entitled to charge what ever they can get from you. Just like Apple is with this product.
So the rich have to turn into being “cheap pricks” or else the money will disappear many times faster than it would normally.
If Steve Jobs thinks he can fool enough people with this product and it’s price tag, let him try.
Far as I know, the collective computing community just barfed all over anything Apple with this product announcement.
People need computers for functionality, to get things done. This MacBook Air is all about design and slimness.
Sure one can go into the fancy stores and buy a pair of jeans for $150. To prove only to themselves that they can afford it, because nobody else really cares. Most opt to buy the same jeans for $20 everywhere else.
So what is Cupertino doing with this product? Setting the bar higher in a vain attempt to wrangle and bleed every last dollar from the faithful?
It makes no sense to buy this product for most people. What is scary is that enough could that Apple will charge even more for the MacBook Pro Air and discontinue the MacBook/MacBook Pro in there present configurations.
And it comes with a GOD AWLFUL GLOSSY SCREEN TOO!
Did anyone tell Apple the US economy is headed for a recession?
@ Old Mac Man
Changing your name doesn’t help, either.
Many of you just don’t get it.
This is not for everybody. This is not for the home user.
This is not a primary computer.
Look at the big buisiness suits that travel quite a bit, many are female. I bet they would jump at the chance to lug around half the weight in a laptop. Do presentations, check e-mail or do web research.
When they get back to the office, they use their regular desktop.
People kept asking when is Apple going to come out with a sub notebook, they do, and then everyone whines. Before you bitch about price, compare it to others in the same category. It beats them on price/performance.
I guess Apple could have gone for the 3rd thinest laptop in the world, but then people would bitch about that.
“Sure one can go into the fancy stores and buy a pair of jeans for $150.”
You’ve obviously never owned a really nice pair of jeans. But then, no one is looking at your ass anyway.
Dear whiners like Old Mac Man –
As others have pointed out, for the market the MBA is price effective. It outperforms similar machines from Sony (see the comparison at dealmac.com) and Dell (I priced one out last night – the three pound Dell is a 1.0 GHz system for $1700) for a similar price.
You don’t want to spend $1799 on a three pound Mac? I don’t either – that’s why I bought a MBP 2.2 GHz. For those people that schlep a laptop every day, let them decide with their wallet. Apple has a reason to enter that market, let the market decide if they want it. Don’t complain it’s too expensive, it’s not for what comes with it compared to other machines in that market. Don’t like it – buy a MacBook and enjoy. Sheesh.
C1: You are cracking me up!
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“But then, no one is looking at your ass anyway.”
It’s hard to tell on some of these guys that are all ass from head to toe. A six foot tall vertical smile with breath to match.
I agree that the MBA is expensive – but not too expensive, for what one gets.
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Expensive is relative, anyway.
Also, for me, it doesn’t lack much what I would want.
Two USB-ports (or one USB and one IEEE1394-port) would be OK – but why argue over an USB-port?
I could complain equally about the lack of serial ports in the rest of Apples machines.
Currently, I don’t really need a laptop anyway – no big commute, no work-related travel.
But if $work gave me one for free, the MBA would be on my very short shortlist, nevertheless.
“Did anyone tell Apple the US economy is headed for a recession?”
No. Their spam filter must have grabbed that memo by mistake.
Stupid troll.