Didn't Steve Jobs say the netbook was dead at the iPad launch event? Then Apple go and release this! So now there is something infinitely more useful why bother with their tablet at all?
http://www.reghardware.com/2010/10/20/macbook_air_rollout/ (http://www.reghardware.com/2010/10/20/macbook_air_rollout/)
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I have found a perfect market for the iPad - Silver surfers.
I kid you not.
My mum, aged 70, wanted to start emailing and using the web. Rather than go through the laborious teaching her how to use a PC, I bought her an iPad and within half and hour she had learnt how to send and receive emails and surfing. Photos she's sent from my borther in the States automatically go into her photos folder and has her audio books. Job done.
She is a complete technophobe and even she grasped it in seconds. It's dead easy to use has no boot up time and no need to wield a mouse. I can't believe how painless it was.
If nothing else the iPad a perfect solution for that generation of people not au fait with computers and wanting basic communication packages.
I fear Steve Jobs would be turning in his grave, if in fact he was dead, which he isn't obviously :rolleyes:
I imagine he and the Apple developers would be very sad if their world changing device ended up being used by senior folks rather than by the legions of trendy hipsters and technophiles he intended it for. The new Macbook Air plus the apps store looks a really nice option. Which is why I don't get the whole launch event. If Jobs had said that the iPad stood alongside traditional netbooks as an alternative, then that would have been great. Choice is good. But he went to great lengths to explain that the whole concept of a netbook was redundant and that tablets, and specifically the iPad were the future. Now it seems the netbook is not in fact the technological dead end we though it was.
As long as that netbook looks stunning, costs a fortune, has weird propriety connections and doesn't do flash of course :wink:
Steve Jobs is the master at generating attention grabbing headlines. If he had said "The iPad is pretty cool and we think it's going to be a niche alternative" then he wouldn't get nearly as much press as "We've created a netbook KILLER!".
Apple hardware is generally rather good, but it's not even close to being worth the premium they ask for it. If I were a rich man and didn't have to worry about money, my laptop of choice would almost certainly be a Macbook. But I'm not, so it isn't :)
On a seperate point: Jobs is totally correct to be dropping Flash. It's garbage, and the sooner people start using HTML5 instead the better.
Agreed. But as long as flash is still as popular as it is surfing the web without it must be a pain. I'm just glad it's Apple users who are leading the fight. Their pain will one day be my gain :)
I would buy a macbook air if it was the same price as a normal laptop. The hardware is so well polished it makes it great. I'd strip off the apple OS and put windows 7 on, and hopefully get the multitouch pad working well and it's about as good as computers can get right now. An iPad too, if I could strip it back and put a custom OS on it, I'd consider buying one...even at its current price.
The problem is, they make the best hardware (excluding desktop towers, where they fall hopelessly behind in a lot of cases) but they make you use their horrible software. My friend has a macbook air and I think I could live with the stupid adaptors to plug it into monitors etc if it didn't cost so much or try and force OSX on you.
As for the OP, I'm not sure what the article even says...is it just a smaller macbook air (ie netbook) or is it running the same cut down OS as the iPhone and iPad?
Quote from: T-Bag;318180The problem is, they make the best hardware....
Sony Z series... The Mac's don't even come close.
Quote from: Naldo;318181Sony Z series... The Mac's don't even come close.
Can't agree with that, Apple have the edge for me - Macbook Pro's in particular are stunningly well built.
Quotethey make the best hardware (excluding desktop towers, where they fall hopelessly behind in a lot of cases)
Having just taken delivery of a brand new Mac Pro tower at work, I can confidently say that they are of the highest standard - very few PC cases come even close.
If Apple ever manage to get game developers on-side (and Valve/Steam is a huge step in the right direction), Microsoft could be in some serious trouble. UNIX architecture is far superior to that of Windows. Unfortunately, I don't think Apple will ever abandon their high prices - I think they quite like being classed as 'luxury' computers.
Quote from: Tutonic;318182Unfortunately, I don't think Apple will ever abandon their high prices - I think they quite like being classed as 'luxury' computers.
Stella used to advertise their product as "Reassuringly Expensive"
In Tesco's today they were Ã,£10 for 20 440ml. cans.
clickpfffssst....that was me opening a can:beer:
Apple is master in simplifying things that everyone can use them, having full control of their products and charging huge overprice. Even after those it has the "cool factor" in it, you have to own an apple product to be cool. Granted that macs are good for some things but every apple product is way simplified and they have some really retarded features and I wonder why can't people see those. I hardly ever hear someone saying anything bad about apple products. Most of the time it is about the brand.
Quote from: Tutonic;318182Can't agree with that, Apple have the edge for me - Macbook Pro's in particular are stunningly well built.
Having just taken delivery of a brand new Mac Pro tower at work, I can confidently say that they are of the highest standard - very few PC cases come even close.
If Apple ever manage to get game developers on-side (and Valve/Steam is a huge step in the right direction), Microsoft could be in some serious trouble. UNIX architecture is far superior to that of Windows. Unfortunately, I don't think Apple will ever abandon their high prices - I think they quite like being classed as 'luxury' computers.
I didn't mean in particular cases let them down, I was saying they have a lot of weak points. The case is nothing special, and dare I say rather ugly IMO, but it's their hardware in general. A Base quad core is $2,500. Add $150 to upgrade a 1TB into a 2TB. A 2TB on its own wouldn't cost that much, and the difference is much less (Or $300 on its own) and optical drive ($200) no option for blu-ray...which would cost less than that of a normal PC. Office 2008 ($400)...my ultimate version cost Ã,£30.
There are many things that you can get that are better than the apple alternatives, but cost less.
(http://fox.naurunappula.com/nn/1/375/281/s_teemu-jopi_651915.jpg)
And the scenario that T-Bag said, it is not just about Towers, especially in the laptops the prices are just insane high when you want more RAM or HDD-space. But hey, at lest you have an Isomething :)
I always wonder; what if the people who rave about apple spent the same amount on a PC. Surely a 2k laptop running windows7 would be much better? (although granted wouldnt look as cool)
I have also noticed that apple users are very protective and try to persaude you that you must switch to apple or you'll missing out on something major.
I was talking to a guy I work with about getting the DesireHD and he started on about his iphone4, so I probed him with several tech questions etc and his closing statement was
"In all honesty its crap really, the reception is pants, the battery is a joke and it freezes if you try too many things...but I just love the app store"
Take from that what you will.
Ipad pad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkAyXkTMexs)
Nuff said.
It might be useful to slap people on the head with it, instead of the old book slap.
As for the macs, overpriced pieces of silicone with massive incompatibilities. A niche product at best.
Gained it's "popularity" back in the 80's for editor/publisher usage. The only reason why they don't switch to windows/linux is due to re-training/re-familiarisation costs.
As for the iphone, I don't understand why there's all this boohoo about it. It needs charging every single day and it's practically impossible to write a text message if you have big fingers. My phone needs charging once a week or 10/12ish days.
Quote from: T-Bag;318191I didn't mean in particular cases let them down, I was saying they have a lot of weak points. The case is nothing special, and dare I say rather ugly IMO, but it's their hardware in general. A Base quad core is $2,500. Add $150 to upgrade a 1TB into a 2TB. A 2TB on its own wouldn't cost that much, and the difference is much less (Or $300 on its own) and optical drive ($200) no option for blu-ray...which would cost less than that of a normal PC. Office 2008 ($400)...my ultimate version cost Ã,£30.
Here is the same situation: http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/4624/mac01.jpg