And I know, because I own one.

>.<

it has multiple usb ports, ethernet, vga out, 160GB hdd, wireless internet, replacable battery, smaller form facter for portability, and more

Here it is: “It’s slimmed down and streamlined for people who just want a computer to go online, write papers, and listen to music.”

This is all well and good, but there’s something you didn’t realize. This is the definition of a NETBOOK. Like the Air, netbooks have limited power, limited ports, and happen to be slim and light. Unlike the Air, they generally cost a whole lot less than full featured laptops.

Apple made a netbook, but they charge $1400 for it. Don’t buy the Air. Instead of buying air, just buy wind. The MSI Wind. It’ll get you online, let you watch movies, listen to music, everything the Air will do, but it costs $3500$450 instead of $1400. Plus, for you mac fanboys, you can install and run OSX on it just fine. Oh, and it’s got ports. VGA out, three USB ports, mic, headphones, and ethernet, though it’s true I’ve never used the ethernet port. But I can plug in my wireless logitech and leave the tiny transmitter there and not lose all available USB ports. (In case, you know, I might want to use a wireless mouse and, say, an external drive or USB thumbdrive, all very common peripherals.)

Just saying, this one’s a fail. If you need a mac, there are other macbooks that cost less, are more powerful, have all the ports you need, and are almost as thin. And they look better, too. Plus, they’re nice and flat, so when they’re obsolete, you can use them to make sandwiches on, or as a cutting board or something.

http://www.macworld.com/article/131864/2008/01/macbookair.html

…Quotation from the best review of the MacBook Air yet:

Unboxing of the Stupid MacBook Air

There is no recording input so musicians arent the demographic

There is no firewire so moviemakers arent in this slot

There is no optical drive so people who like to play games r anything are not the demographic

There is no replaceable battery so road warriors wont use it

There is no minidvi out so presentations are impossible

THERS NO ETHERNET? is THAT REALLY OBSOLETE? wifi is NOT faster or “ubiquitous”

the processor is outdated, the SSD is 1000 dollars its expensive.

Dont be a brainless fanboy, buy an Asus EEE-pc and use that, hell you guys all on the macbook anyway why downgrade?

Exactly. I’m sure all the semi-retarded, fashion-accessory electronics buying hipsters and fanboys will be very satisfied with it.

If you don’t travel on a daily or weekly basis, the mba is not for you. Get a mbpro or straight mb.

The mba, like all sub-notebooks, is not meant to be a primary machine. They’re convenience items for travelers. Get over it.

Is it expensive? Hardly. If you think it costs too much, then again you are not the target customer. Get over it.

Sorry if that makes me sound like a jerk. Get over it.

I happen to have a mbpro and I’m adding a mba to my stack. It’s not that the mbpro is heavy or anything, but it is an extra bag I’ve got to take along. On most business trips, I don’t need the full power (or the distraction) that comes with having my main machine on hand. That said, I still might have some time for a bit of writing, email, and of course surfing the net. Why load myself down with all that other garbage? Especially when I go overseas.

Again, if that kind of comment bothers you, you are not the target consumer of the mba. Get over it.

My only complaint about the design is the power adapter. I _love_ that it’s smaller (wish it were even smaller) but the location is probably going to be a real frustration at times. Guess I’ll have to get over it.

Engadget has a solid out of the box review with lots of pics.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/25/macbook-air-review/

True, you could get an extension usb cable – but like you said Will Holmes, “isn’t that defeating the exact purpose of an ultraportable computer?”

Wi-fi isn’t guaranteed because of secure spots, and when you tap into other network without intended permission, isn’t that illegal?

Personally, I cannot really see whats the vision for this product. Who is it ultimately for? Not the students, not the pros for sure. Why should people on the road prefer a MBA to a MB when all that MBA functionally provides- and more- is available on the MB ? Will just the form factor of the MBA suffice to convince people that the $700 price diff is worth it?

Time will have the final say on the fate of the MBA but I for sure will not be lining up to buy the MBA (as I did for the iPod Mini/Nano/Touch and the iPhone )

But the fact is, that if the Air was a little smaller, perhaps with a 9″ wide screen it mioght be more useful.

The non-replaceable battery (and this goes for iPhones and iPods too) is an environmental disaster. It’s time Apple (and we) started thinking about these things. This is the kind of built-in obsolescence that the car industry went through in the 1950s and 1960s.

I wouldn’t buy any of these products.

cheers
geoff

These are the target markets:

- Users of iMac and MacPro desktop systems who need to take a system on the road from time to time.
- ‘RoadWarrior’ types who mainly do email and web and value portability over raw power.
- Wealthy students.

Why is there no firewire? I suspect on purpose, do discourage the serious professional market from choosing this over a MacBookPro. They have extremely carefully positioned this to avoid overlap.

However if you are a MacPro using professional and you stop in Starbucks daily, or visit clients from time to time then “who ya going to call?”

I think it is an inspired (and yes brave) move by Apple into new markets, and as always there are a million less inspired voices out there saying it will fail because “I wont buy this”. Like we should care?

It’s form over function. Well of course, that’s what you think when a computer is designed for mobility. We are talking about form here. But function is, almost, part of the form.

The screen is too big. Stevie claims that other companies compromising screen size is shit, but really, the only way to create a smaller computer is to slim the screen down. Sure, the MBA is thin. Sure, it’s more “mobile”. But does it make that much of a difference? No. For way less, you could get a full featured MacBook, that would only be a bit thicker and a tad heavier.

I have a feeling the MBA will be discontinued very shortly. I’ve seen ultra-mobile computers, but this thing is just thin. It’s hefty price and underfeatured specs just don’t cut it.

Lame product.

The way I look at it is that it’s targeted at folks who buy or are married to people who buy Louis Vuitton handbags. It’s an important chunk of Apple’s demographic, but not me.

That said, the vast majority of users will think hard about it, and either buy a MacBook (getting more functionality for less money) or a MacBook Pro (getting WAY more functionality for slightly more money).