Handtops, UMPC - What is *IN* the Air? :)

02/01/08 + ecsk2

02/05/08 + tnkgrl

My MacBook Air unboxing pictures are up... Check my blog!

Recent Blog: Bluetooth hack for the Asus 701 (Eee)

02/06/08 + ecsk2

Not that Im looking to buy one at this point...maybe if they made an 10" one or something like that...or say 8"

02/07/08 + 2disbetter

My impressions of the Air are that it is nice from an engineering perspective, but really not all that pratical to me. It's the same size as the regular macbook in 2 dimensions. I mean it's thin, that's the only thing, and becuase of that now there is no optical. But it still takes up the same footprint, and more now for the external optical.

I guess it's just a luxury thing, because I fail to see the significance of having a thin laptop.

2d

edited: Feb 07 2008 + tnkgrl

@2disbetter You know, now that I blog a lot more on the go, the 5" to 7" screens just don't cut it anymore - my eyes (and brain) get cranky after a while! That's part of the reason I picked up the MacBook Air... I could probably live with a version with an 11" screen, though.

Recent Blog: Bluetooth hack for the Asus 701 (Eee)

02/07/08 + anthonyb

Just sold my OQO Model 02 yesterday to buy a Macbook Air.

Saw it and used it at the store today. Its not just thin. It is "crazy" thin. Looks thinner due to the curved edges.

My sons may break it though so I'm scared to actually buy it.

Recent Blog: Smartercase with ultra clip for OQO

edited: Feb 08 2008 + 2disbetter

tnkgrl I hear you on the screen size, I get strained often as well, but the air hasn't really provided you with anything you couldn't have gotten from a regular macbook. As a matter of fact, some could argue you've gotten less.

I'm all about my tech looking as great as it is technically, but this is one thing Apple has done that appears to be purely cosmetic.

2d

02/08/08 + muntaser7

am passing on the "air" for now.
thin... so what?
I have an imac but i find mac users to be the most brainwashed fools on the planet.
i cant stand them!!

02/08/08 + anthonyb

muntaser7, if youve actually held one then I would say to each his own. Youve obviously already made up your mind.

If you have not held one yet, then you will likely change your mind. Its really "crazy thin" but also more functional then any laptop I have seen due to its thinness.

Its expensive but people pay a premium for size. The Sony UX, FS, OQO are proof of that.

Recent Blog: Smartercase with ultra clip for OQO

02/08/08 + tnkgrl

@2disbetter, the MBA is over 2 lbs lighter and is significantly thinner than the MacBook - not to mention the LED screen and keyboard backlight... This matters a lot to me!

Those of you who don't "get" the MBA, read this: link

Recent Blog: Bluetooth hack for the Asus 701 (Eee)

02/08/08 + MeanSquare

I read the link with a considerable feeling deja-vu. You'd get the impression from the article that Apple just invented the wirelessly-connected hard-drive. They _did_ just invent an Apple-branded one, but the beasties have been around for several years already and, because they're network resources would work with wireless Macs (as well as PCs, Linux boxes, and even my WiFi-connected PDA

). I have to say that the article seems to boil down to "The Mac Air: It doesn't have this and it doesn't have that, but you really don't need those and actually Apple is making a bold move in not giving them to you."

Ah well. As with all niche items, the Air will appeal to some and not to others. I personally like the idea of a larger screen and a really thin device, but I'd also like at least another USB port, the ability to use a larger hard-drive (since I'd need to run VM-Ware and Windows), and I'd really would have preferred that they find a way to put a DVD drive in there.

Recent Blog: MeanSquare's Review of the Sony UX (with comparison to OQO)

edited: Feb 08 2008 + muntaser7

anthonyb said: "muntaser7, if youve actually held one then I would say to each his own. Youve obviously already made up your mind.

If you have not held one yet, then you will likely change your mind. Its really "crazy thin" but also more functional then any laptop I have seen due to its thinness.

Its expensive but people pay a premium for size. The Sony UX, FS, OQO are proof of that."

you are correct, i have not held one as of yet..
I think i am just angry because i cant afford one, haha

edited: Feb 09 2008 + tnkgrl

@MeanSquare you're right - a lot of the tech in the MacBook Air is not new... But as usual with Apple, the result is greater than the sum of the parts!

Judging by how many people I know that have purchased a MacBook Air vs. how many people I know that have purchased an OQO (or any UMPC, for that matter), the MacBook Air is not a niche product.

Recent Blog: Bluetooth hack for the Asus 701 (Eee)

edited: Feb 09 2008 + 2disbetter

Tankygirl, come on you know that is a very relative comparison. The Air even on it's first day enjoyed far more marketing and advertisement than the oqo even at this stage in it's exsistence. Beyond that Apple in general already has a far larger pool of customers. Becuase a product is more visible and thus more popular does not mean it is better or more wanted than another product. People can't want something they don't know about.

That said I do find Apple's product nice, I would just never buy an air. There are in my opinion (key factor here) way better options available.

2d

02/09/08 + anthonyb

tnkgrl, your assessment "But as usual with Apple, the result is greater than the sum of the parts!", is sooo true.

The iphone is the best example of this.

Im going to the Apple store today and I may walk away with one.

Recent Blog: Smartercase with ultra clip for OQO