MacBook Air and some other stuff

[ktinkel]

MacInTouch (http://www.macintouch.com) has several reports on MacWorld 2008, which opened yesterday (January 15) in San Francisco.

Many of the reader replies are grouchy, though not all. Henry Norr, veteran reporter on all things Mac, gives his first (fairly detailed) impression of the new MacBook Air (http://www.macintouch.com/specialreports/sf2008/macbookair.html), which sounds very beautiful.

One quote from Norr’s article:
… the MacBook Air is still a sight to behold. It's undeniably a tour de force of engineering and design. Subnotebooks have never sold terribly well, but the thinnest of them have always elicited a special excitement (I remember years ago when a normally staid Wall Street analyst described an then-upcoming HP ultralight to me as "pure sex"), and the MacBook Air is the thinnest ever – by far.

[terrie]

I'm a bit ticked off at Apple because I think they mined their user lists and then spammed the subscribers with an email ad for the new notebook...

It does look pretty cool...

Terrie

[ktinkel]

I'm a bit ticked off at Apple because I think they mined their user lists and then spammed the subscribers with an email ad for the new notebook...

It does look pretty cool...FWIW: I own four registered Macs, three separate Apple software packages, and have a mac.com address, and yet did not receive any e-mail ad for the new notebook.

[Steve Rindsberg]

Amazingly thin and for such a small thingie, a generous sized display. I don't think I'll trade in my baby laptop though. The Air may be gorgeous but they've shaved too much off it to make it worth consideration.

Granted it's the only teenyweeny game in Mac town, but you can get a substantially lighter PC for the same or less money and not have to give up replaceable batteries, extra USB ports and such.

But you have to admit, it's stylin'.

[ktinkel]

Amazingly thin and for such a small thingie, a generous sized display. I don't think I'll trade in my baby laptop though. The Air may be gorgeous but they've shaved too much off it to make it worth consideration.

Granted it's the only teenyweeny game in Mac town, but you can get a substantially lighter PC for the same or less money and not have to give up replaceable batteries, extra USB ports and such.

But you have to admit, it's stylin'.Oh, yes.

For David Pogue’s take on the Air, his New York Times column today: Gizmos, Gadgets and Steve Jobs too (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/technology/personaltech/17pogue.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=pogue+macbook+air&oref=slogin).

[Robin Springall]

Like so many Apple products, it oozes style and sophistication. But, since the manufacturing tolerances must be extremely tight, can they build the thing reliably?

[ktinkel]

Like so many Apple products, it oozes style and sophistication. But, since the manufacturing tolerances must be extremely tight, can they build the thing reliably?Dunno, but Apple’s record on that score is pretty good, considering they make computers.

But I wouldn’t buy version 1.0, that’s for sure. In fact, cute as it is, I cannot think of a good use for it. Now, if I were still traveling a lot, it would be great.

[terrie]

kt: and yet did not receive any e-mail ad for the new notebook.I guess I'm just special...'-}}

Terrie

[ktinkel]

I guess I'm just special...'-}}That must be it.

Or some Apple reseller got you on his hot list. Some of those people are like vultures. Worse, really — vultures actually do useful work.

[terrie]

kt: vultures actually do useful work.LOL!!

Apple used to have an office right here in Reston--about 3 minutes from my house--and they used to have really nice seminars that I went to every now and again (they gave away cool toys too) but the moved the office way the hell and gone further south so I haven't been to an Apple function in a number of years...

I figured that's where they got my cserve email address but my mail.com address has only been used to sign up with the ColorsyncUsers list which is why I figured they'd mined the subscription database...

Terrie

[BobRoosth]

It is really cool looking, but I do not want any computer that has only one USB port and no network jacks. I understand the lack of optical drive and the sealed-in battery, but there has to be a way to get a couple more ports.

I also think the disk drive is more than a bit slow. Low disk performance can really hurt a modern OS Apple or MS). Size is less of an issue than speed. This machine is not intended to hold your photo or video collection, or even all your music.

However, were I to be traveling with it and a digital camera, I might want both a mouse and the camera to be connected at the same time, perhaps along with a cellular modem. That's three USB ports.

[Howard Allen]

I do not want any computer that has only one USB port...there has to be a way to get a couple more ports...were I to be traveling with it and a digital camera, I might want both a mouse and the camera to be connected at the same time, perhaps along with a cellular modem. That's three USB ports.

Just the situation for a USB hub--they're plentiful and cheap. I personally think the lack of an optical drive is a real issue--especially when you consider that Apple's OS products are all (currently) distributed on DVDs. Might be a bit sticky if you're out in the boonies and need to reinstall OSX (or boot from the OSX DVD to repair your drive), without access to a second computer. I guess the moral there is to buy and always carry an external optical drive.

[cirquelle]

Granted it's the only teenyweeny game in Mac town...

It's really not teenyweeny, just thinner and lighter. The footprint is the same as the MacBook:

MacBook Air: 12.8 X 8.94 inches
MacBook: 12.8 X 8.92 inches

[BobRoosth]

But a USB hub requires another power connection....

Bottom line, the Air is primarily a remote access or traveling computer. Take it to meetings, or on the road. If the OS dies such that you need to reinstall, that will have to wait until you get home or to an Apple store.

[Howard Allen]

But a USB hub requires another power connection....

I guess it depends on the bus power. Unpowered hubs (I have two of them) will work fine for a few low-power peripherals. F'rinstance each USB port on my MacBook Pro is rated at 500 mA. My wireless mouse uses 100 mA and my external keyboard 200 mA, which leaves 200 mA (admittedly not much) for another device before you're overloading the port. I couldn't find the USB port power rating for the Air book on Apple's site, but I suppose it's possible that they give the single port a higher power output. On the other hand, I don't know if the USB specification even allows for that.:confused: