The new thin lightweight version of a Mac laptop was introduced today at Mac World. It looks ultra cool. It might another reason for PC laptop users to switch.
I just watched the demo. My, oh, my. Like an inch thick? Amazing. No DVD drive, though, as they expect the entire world to be wireless. I dunno about that. There is something reassuring about wires.
Also realeased is Time Capsule, a hard-drive built for Leopard's Time Machine feature, which might make me break down and go Leopard.
Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE Mac fan, but I have been a little disappointed in Apple lately. I still would not switch to a PC though. I have a thinkpad at work and it drives me crazy.
My iMac at home is old. I talk to it daily to make sure it knows I love it, but it really needs to be replaced soon. I just had to reboot it once again with Disk Warrior.
I initially planned to replace it last January, but no new iMacs. Then in August when the new iMacs came out, only glossy glass screens. I have a real glare problem with my eyes and love my matte screen.
And here again today, the new Mac Book Air - only glass screens. I am also not thrilled about a few other things, such as the non-replaceable battery and the cost when you add in the super drive and the warranty which I would definitely want to have. With an educational discount, that would add up to $1,981.00 before tax.
Right now the only computer left with a Matte screen is the Mac Book Pro and that is also a pretty costly computer. Sigh, I should have bought the white iMac before it was updated. I thought about getting a refurbished one after the new iMacs came out, but I want a bigger hard drive and you could not do any customization with refurbished Macs.
I was hoping that Apple would bring back the matte screen on the iMacs as an option today as I know many others have also complained to Apple about the lack of choice on screens. I don't have room in my tiny studio for a second display and that again would cost more. So...now here I am still deciding on either the new iMac or the Mac Book Pro. I don't think I will get a Mac Book Air. As long as my little old iMac holds out, I will continue to wait and decided.
Although, the Mac Book Air is awfully cool looking and very thin!
By the way, there is an interesting thread going on over at the MacRumors Forums about the iTouch upgrade. If you previously bought an iTouch, you need to pay $20.00 for the upgrade but if you buy a new iTouch today (for the same cost as what everyone paid yesterday), you get the upgrade for free. Interestingly, the Apple TV can be updated for free.
Yes, I hate those glossy screen, and I am most happy with my matte-screen, white iMac. Still pondering whether to Leopard or not. Probably not for a while.
I just finished watching the Apple Keynote address. The Mac Book Air is SUPER thin! It does look like a very cool computer but again, the glass screen, although pretty soon, that will probably be the only option.
What I did like and may need to get is the improved Apple TV with the ability to rent movies and play them on your TV.
The Air does look very sweet for traveling, but I don't know that I'd buy one. I would like to replace my 12" PowerBook G4 with a new Intel model MacBook, but I use my laptop for my main computer, and I just don't think the Air has enough ports and flexibility for that.
I really love my little PowerBook -- I find it just the right size, and the MacBooks seem a little big to me. But I guess Apple is never going to go back to that form factor.
I am thinking about getting an iPod Touch now that they have fixed some of my main complaints about the software. But I still don't think it's a great interface for storing a lot of notes and random information, which is a big part of how I use my Palm PDA. Also, they still don't have e-books available for the iPod. So maybe I'll wait to see what happens when they open it up to 3rd party software, which is supposed to be coming soon.
I went and played with a MacBook Air today for a little while.
The keyboard took a few minutes to get used to. The keyboard is very flat, and a little more difficult I found to type on than the new flat keyboards for the new iMac.
It didn't feel as light as I imagined but it is definitely lighter than the MacBook and it is incredibly thin.
I set off the LOUD alarm in Best Buy when the cord attached to the alarm they had on the laptop popped out after I started twisting it around in the air to check out the ports and to see the bottom. That was fun having two Best Buy guys hurry over to see if I was stealing the laptop. I smiled and put my hands in the air as if I was going to surrender.
I still wouldn't buy one as my primary computer and am not rich enough to buy a second computer.
it looked very promising when I first saw it but after a little research... too big, too fragile, too expensive, lacks features for it's price range.
After seeing the Asus eeepc for just $400 bucks I find it hard to pay $1800 which is 4.5 times that price for functionality I will probably never use on the road.
May be ok for someone who wants to own a portable as their only computer but then again why not a Macbook pro instead?
Posts: 143 | Location: Irvine, CA | Registered: 13 February 2008
I also was in our new Mac store (we finally HAVE a Mac store!) and of course had a few minutes to browse while they upgraded my memory to 2 GB.
I didn't realize from the tv ad that there was no cd/dvd drive. DUH! I still love my Power Book G4 as my only computer. Brad has an older PC laptop, and is seriously considering switching to a Mac. THAT would be better than having 2 newer cars in the driveway. I still lust after Krista's iPhone since seeing it at a couple of GTGs!
I didn't realize from the tv ad that there was no cd/dvd drive. DUH!
Nor all the other ports that I seem to use all the time. I still have a G3 iBook which I use too much; it is the only computer we have. It is now close to five years old, and I thought recently that I might have to replace it soon. But when I discovered those limitations of the MacBook Air, I dismissed it as a possibility right away.
I hope I don't have to make that decision soon. If I had to get another one, I'd probably go for the MacBookPro 15.4", through some place like MacMall, as I no longer live near an Apple Store. I've used a Mac since they first came out in 1984. It was my first personal computer, and I wouldn't consider using anything else.
Incidentally, does anyone know whether someone who is no longer actively teaching but who has emeritus status (me) can still get an educator's discount from Apple?
