i concur. this has cube written all over it. the new macbooks are a much better value. space and weight are important but for $1799, you can damn near buy a refurb core duo 2 macbook pro with 2GB of RAM and 40% better performance plus much more expandability.
the macbook air is a design achievement but seems more of a toy for the affluent than those who work for their money or just want the latest toy. On 1/15/08, Diamond Eric <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I can't help but think they've missed the boat on this one. Yes, it is > beautiful and technolust-inspiring but the flaws are many. to wit: > > No user-removable battery. This is a guaranteed trip to Apple in a > year or two, and when traveling, one will have to carry a dongle- > enabled external battery if one needs extra power away from a wall > outlet, 5 hours of battery life not withstanding. > > External DVD drive. I remember when I had my Powerbook Duo. When > commuting I never worried about the external drive, but when traveling > I always carried it. Why? It seemed like there was always software to > install, or offload to a client or video to watch. So in the bag it > goes, along with the cable. Didn't really save much space. And then > there is the external connector--a possible failure point...unless it > is magsafe too. > > A single USB port, and no firewire. This limits the disks and > peripherals you can connect to, and will inspire a plethora of USB > hubs meant for the MBA. Which will go into the bag. Again, space saving? > > The RAM disk version is $3k. I'm not sure you're gonna save a lot of > weight because of the extra stuff you'll have to carry around (Is the > AC adapter as sleek?) and purchase. The Duo failed because it while it > was beautiful and cool as hell, it underperformed as laptop and was > limited as a desktop. > > I can't see anyone who is in a creative field purchasing this unless > it is a luxury. I can't see this being a primary machine and at > $2k-3k, it is a very expensive peripheral. I see this as targeted > toward executives who want a sexy meeting accessory, or someone who > just uses her MBA to blog a little, and surf a lot, or a writer. > > It is a beautiful machine but it smells like the Cube. It too was a > beautiful, limited machine, a feat of engineering. But with the lack > of expandability and it's cost, people could not justify it. It died, > as did the 10th anniversary mac, the other "executive" mac. It's > really funny but Apple from time to time comes out with these products > that are meant to show off their engineering prowess, but don't really > address that sweet spot intersection between cost, utility and > aesthetics. Each time they do, the product usually fails, but serves > to inform other products. For example: > > Failure: Apple Lisa > Value: Precursor to the Mac, proved the concept of GUI interfaces and > the mouse > Evolution: Mac Plus > > Failure: Macintosh Portable > Value: Introduced the trackball > Evolution: Powerbook > > Failure: Mac 10th anniversary edition > Value: First example of a vertical computer built around a screen > Evolution: iMac G5 and later > > Failure: Cube > Value: Compact design, fanless ducting, limited technology, desktop > eye candy > Evolution: Mac Mini > > Failure: Newton > Value: PDA, synchronization, touch screen > Evolution: iPhone > > In each case the failed product was sexy and groundbreaking, but > failed to meet a need. I can't help thinking that is what happened > with the Air. > > From a strategic perspective they targeted the wrong target. Instead > of out Vaio-ing the Vaio, they should have targeted and out eee'd the > eeePC. Small, light, Linux capable and cheap. ($400) An excellent > machine that bridges the gap between smartphone and laptop. Imagine > the eeePC running OS X with a svelte polycarbonate shell with aluminum > trim. I'd jump on it in a second, just to have something with me at > all times. For $400 it is a no brainer, but for $2k? I'd have a hard > time justifying it and I think others will too. I'll have to let the > Air breeze by. > > Now of course, I'll be proved completely wrong, and it will be a > raging success and I'll feel really dumb about this email. But that's > Karma, and she's a tough old broad. :-) > > --- > Eric Diamond > F I R S T W A T E R > strategic design + planning > > 847 674 6568 office > 847 414 6467 mobile > 847 380 1887 SkypeIn > ericdiamondmm AIM, Skype > > > > On Jan 15, 2008, at 12:45 PM, Murli Nagasundaram wrote: > > > There's probably going to be at least one person on this list who's > > got a glimpse of MBA today: > > > > http://www.apple.com/macbookair/ > > > > Any reports on this, particularly the multitouch interface would be > > appreciated. > > > > Another issue -- there are some similarities here to the design > > parameters for the Tata Nano -- strip the dang thing down to its > > essence. MBA, of course, has a more elitist market than the Nano. > > There's unlikely to be any issues raised regarding the possible > > downsides of proliferating the Air. Incidentally, Apple claims that > > they've gone the extra mile in making the Air eco-friendly (in > > disposal). > > > > Thanks. > > > > Murli > > ________________________________________________________________ > > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > > To post to this list ....... 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