Re: MBA - Just don't get it

mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <hoicem@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

It's super sexy, no doubt but I've tried to convince myself to buy one
and the only reason I can come up with for buying one is for showing
off.

It seems it's all about style, nothing else. The fact that they can
claim the 'world thinnest laptop' isn't that impressive to me either.
Sony released the X505 way back in 2003:

http://www.aii.co.jp/contents/smojsdmk/vaio/PCG-X505/Images/wallpaper_1_1.jpg

So for Apple to produce a laptop in 2008 that's a only couple mm
thinner doesn't seem to me to be that big of a deal. I've never once
thought my MB was too thick. I have though, wanted it's footprint to
be smaller more like the 12" PB so it's disappointing that the MBA is
still quite large. Seems the MBA has the exact same footprint as the
MB with the same large bezel.

And then there's the crippled features. No optical drive, slow 1.8"
HDD, 1 USB port, no ethernet, mono audio, no firewire, no replaceable
battery, no mic input, usb optical/ethernet add ons...etc etc

Seems more like a step backwards to me. Sony proved years ago you can
make super slim laptops at the expense of features.

The X-505 only had a 10" screen, ok it had 2x USB, 4pin FW, & PCMCIA
but, NO VGA out, was a 1ghz which was wasn't cutting edge, and it too
required an external USB-ethernet & external optical drive too. It was
also $3500. That review is from 2004 soo, PB G4 1ghz 15" was $2000 at
the time. So definitely a bleeding expensive machine. So what Sony made,
was a laptop with behind the times features, its feature set WAS cut,
and, its was twice the price of a premium product at the time. The Apple
feature set is cut, but, they've cut a bigger chunk out the price than
they have the features.

These machines are aimed at the people who are on the road, well more
specifically the train/plane where weight is more of an issue than the
car, and who'll gladly pay the premium for something that doesn't take
up any weight or room in their briefcase, the dimensions in other
directions matter less when it is that slim. I'm sure it won't take many
to figure this will fit in one of the document slots of their briefcase.
They don't tend to want oomph, they want emails, word and powerpoint
during a conference.

Will I buy one? No, if I was spending that kind of money I'd have the
MBP, the CEO of my 9-5 would have one in a shot if it wasn't so
expensive, but I know other people who are currently tooling about on
10" and the like laptops because they are light and they don't care how
pricy they are, and thats who's Apple is after.
--
Jon B
Above email address IS valid.
<http://www.bramley-computers.co.uk/> Apple Laptop Repairs.
.

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