Comments (21)

you're paying for the smaller size and weight. People will use it for much the same thing as they do now. It's kind of like bring a car that will do 130 MPH in a quarter mile. You might ask, "What the hell is Chevy thinking when they make the Corvette? What will people use it for?" People drive corvettes for the same reason I drive a Saturn. They want transportation. They pay extra for the secondary features:

bragging rights, pride, status symbol, etc.

in addition, the higher price is for a more ecological solution. The screen is backlit with LEDs, replacing the LCDs which contain mercury. Less material in the laptop means less material in a landfill 10 years from now. Not big reasons for the price, but maybe some insight into the marketing.

I didn't look at all the technically details, but the summaries make it seem like it's as good as any other laptop, just smaller. If that's true, it makes sense. A lighter, smaller computer is more convenient in many situations, and people will pay for convenience.

No optical drive. :o

I have 3 computers at home with an optical drive. Why should I get another when I rarely use them. Remote disc lets me use my existing hardware. I think that if they can get the price down a bit, people will bite.

Personally, I wouldn't consider this at $500.00.



I too, am not too concerned about the lack of an optical drive. It's hard drive and processing speeds that are deal breakers for me. I can't see what this computer is for beyond mobile surfing and data entry. Anything necessitating more processing power is going to be tedious.



It's only advantages over the other Mac products is that it is thinner, lighter and has the new trackpad. Personally, I'd prefer to spend less money for more power, and deal with a few extra pounds. As for the trackpad, I expect the Macbook Pro lineup to receive the same makeover soon.



They may make adjustments to power and price that change my take on things, but as it stands this thing is grossly overpriced for what it delivers, and nothing more than a fashion item.



As was (and to an extent, still is) the iPhone.

As for Corvettes, most people buy them because they go fast. If General Moters sells a lighter Corvette that is slower and charges more money for it, I'd think that they were crazy as well.

I stand by my post above. People pay extra for secondary features:

bragging rights, pride, status symbol, etc.



I'll add fashion statement to the list.



This computer obviously isn't for you. That doesn't correlate to Apple being crazy. Most people only use their computers as communication tools. The Macbook Air will allow them to e-mail, surf, chat, and do most business related tasks in a lighter package. I know a lot of people who would pay for that. Sounds like a brilliant addition to the Macbook line-up to me.



Corvettes drive on the same roads I do. The speed limit is the same for every car. Chevy is charging for speed that you can't legally use. I would rather pay less for a car that goes to the extent of the speed limit, than more for speed I can't use. Corvettes are fashion items.

Quote Archimago



I didn't make a correlation between a computer not being for me and Apple being crazy. I think they're crazy for making this specific computer.



If Applebee's started serving Dog-Shit Sandwiches and I listed the specific reason's I thought they were a bad idea(starting with the fact that they contain dog shit), dismissing my claim that they were crazy for for peddling this culinary delight with the statement "These sandwiches a obviously aren't for you. That doesn't correlate to Applebee's being crazy." would hold about as much water.



Quote Archimago



Agreed. An iPhone does this cheaper, faster, and with a wider available network. Not to mention it's really small and light.



Quote Archimago



Depends on the business. However, if your business is typing stuff into a database file, then I concede. However I think most white collar business folk aren't on the Mac platform.



Again, price and power are the two factors that kill this for me. If this was cheaper with these features (say around $1,100) I'd think they'd be on to something (not crazy, but still not for me).



Maximum speed is only a small part of "fast". You can legally use a Corvette's speed in a number of places.

If I understand you correctly, your main argument is that Apple has priced this wrong. Comparing it to a dog-shit sandwich and then saying that they priced it wrong is silly. A dog-shit sandwich would be useless. This product is useful, you just disagree on the price. On that point, I refer you to my statements.
People pay extra for secondary features:
bragging rights, pride, status symbol, etc.
I'll add fashion statement to the list.

As for a communication tool, you say "An iPhone does this cheaper, faster, and with a wider available network. Not to mention it's really small and light".


The only person that I know who has an iPhone is Snazzykat. I know she still uses her laptop. Maybe a full size keyboard is easier to type on. Maybe the iPhone doesn't support as much software as a laptop does. Maybe the marketing people at Apple aren't as stupid as you seem to think.

I didn't compare it to a dog-shit sandwich.

Indirectly you did. I don't like to quibble about semantics.



Basic point:

Apple has a new product that you think is a mistake. Good for you. I think Apple has a better grasp on the computer market at large. I made a 94% return on my stock portfolio last year. 40% of that is attributable to Apple and the introduction of the iPhone. I like tech fashion.

I'd think a doorstop with an Apple logo on it being sold for $150 was crazy too. By your rational it makes sense, though, 'cause I can go brag to my friends about it and be really proud.



I'm not advocating the iPhone as a laptop replacement. I'm not advocating the Macbook Air as a laptop replacement either. I'm saying that an iPhone seems to meet the same perceived demands that a Macbook Air does.

I'm not quibbling about semantics. I compared the arguments, not the products. The product could have been anything. I only picked a "dog-shit" sandwich because I was pretty sure you would share my views on it being a less than desirable food item.



Apple had a good year. That doesn't make all their future decisions gold. How's that stock doing since the introduction of the MBA?



I don't need a "Good for you" from you, sir. This post wasn't the self-congratulatory flogging that your responses to it have attempted to be. I merely stated that I thought this was a bad idea, and wondered what market it catered to. Your answer is "people who like to brag about stuff". While I think that there is a large market here, I think the subsection of that market that will pay $1,800 for a slow computer because it's thin and light (not small, it actually has a fairly large footprint) is pretty tiny.



Time will tell. I could be wrong. It's happened before.

"self-congratulatory flogging" may have been a little harsh. Sorry.

My iPhone is cool. It, obviously, doesn't have an optical drive either. Surfing the internet on it is useful when its your only option. It is slow without WiFi, equated to dial up. There is no iChat on the iPhone, which has been one of my pet peeves about it from the start (not that, as of recently, I have had much use for iChat anyway, but I'm not bitter). Typing on the iPhone is better than keypad texting by a good deal, but it still takes a lot of skill to work without "fat-fingering" it, and thank god for the auto spellcheck. I love having a digital camera that I can email my pictures directly from. I think this is an innovation more digital cameras should integrate. I love, most of all I think, the google maps function. It is also quite handy to keep some blues clues podcasts on hand for when the 2 year old gets rowdy at a restaurant.

Speaking as an iPhone owner, it could never replace my laptop for practical, functional everyday use. Macbook Air, I could definitely see owning in the future BECAUSE it has many of the things I love about both my macbook and my iPhone with the practical functionality of the macbook. Perhaps the optical drive thing doesn't bother me so much because I already have approximately 6 functioning optical drives on our network, but perhaps my situation is unique. Of course it doesn't hurt that the Macbook Air is a freaking cool gadget.

I know you all didn't ask for that, but I heard my name and had to perk up.

My iPhone is cool. It, obviously, doesn't have an optical drive either. Surfing the internet on it is useful when its your only option. It is slow without WiFi, equated to dial up. There is no iChat on the iPhone, which has been one of my pet peeves about it from the start (not that, as of recently, I have had much use for iChat anyway, but I'm not bitter). Typing on the iPhone is better than keypad texting by a good deal, but it still takes a lot of skill to work without "fat-fingering" it, and thank god for the auto spellcheck. I love having a digital camera that I can email my pictures directly from. I think this is an innovation more digital cameras should integrate. I love, most of all I think, the google maps function. It is also quite handy to keep some blues clues podcasts on hand for when the 2 year old gets rowdy at a restaurant.

Speaking as an iPhone owner, it could never replace my laptop for practical, functional everyday use. Macbook Air, I could definitely see owning in the future BECAUSE it has many of the things I love about both my macbook and my iPhone with the practical functionality of the macbook. Perhaps the optical drive thing doesn't bother me so much because I already have approximately 6 functioning optical drives on our network, but perhaps my situation is unique. Of course it doesn't hurt that the Macbook Air is a freaking cool gadget.

I know you all didn't ask for that, but I heard my name and had to perk up.

My iPhone is cool. It, obviously, doesn't have an optical drive either. Surfing the internet on it is useful when its your only option. It is slow without WiFi, equated to dial up. There is no iChat on the iPhone, which has been one of my pet peeves about it from the start (not that, as of recently, I have had much use for iChat anyway, but I'm not bitter). Typing on the iPhone is better than keypad texting by a good deal, but it still takes a lot of skill to work without "fat-fingering" it, and thank god for the auto spellcheck. I love having a digital camera that I can email my pictures directly from. I think this is an innovation more digital cameras should integrate. I love, most of all I think, the google maps function. It is also quite handy to keep some blues clues podcasts on hand for when the 2 year old gets rowdy at a restaurant.

Speaking as an iPhone owner, it could never replace my laptop for practical, functional everyday use. Macbook Air, I could definitely see owning in the future BECAUSE it has many of the things I love about both my macbook and my iPhone with the practical functionality of the macbook. Perhaps the optical drive thing doesn't bother me so much because I already have approximately 6 functioning optical drives on our network, but perhaps my situation is unique. Of course it doesn't hurt that the Macbook Air is a freaking cool gadget.

I know you all didn't ask for that, but I heard my name and had to perk up.

I only ment tp post once...sorry.

Nevermind, I obviously can't spell either. No, I wasn't trying to post from the iPhone.