Macbook Air is Great if You Like Clouds

I think you inadvertently hit upon one of my biggest issues with Apple. Instead of improving on basic things, like battery usage, they produce the Macbook Air. Then there's the cost. Unless all you do is travel, I have a hard time seeing the cost/value equation balancing.

I do think Steve Jobs and company have taken a stand on where they believe the future of basic computing is going. But I'm not sure whether the Air or the iPhone is the more likely heir to this transition. I think they're hedging their bets. Ultimately, if I was looking for truly mobile computing, I think I'd go with something like the Asus Eee.

I agree. If it had more HD and CPU speed I'd buy one. Or if it was five or six hundred dollars cheaper I'd buy one. But given that neither of those things are true, I'm going to have to wait it out a couple of revs. Its not powerful enough for me to do my software development on, and its too expensive for me to buy as a mobile computing toy, especially as I already have the iPhone.

As a media producer, it's a no-go for me. Nice machine if all you do is email, surf, and Keynote, but if you're doing Soundtrack Pro/Final Cut, or even iMovie, it's no good.

I honestly think this computer is like concept cars at the Detroit Auto Show. Steve is envisioning a world where there are no wires, where you'll be able to do everything in the cloud, and local storage will be for Oliver Stone paranoid types. This is a real computer, but it's much more significant as a hint of what's to come, and what's becoming possible.

Except for writing longer emails and blog posts, I can actually have what I "need" most days on my iphone.

When I'm producing a podcast, or dealing with larger media, I need the bigger computer. But when traveling, a dinky, lightweight machine could appeal. I just haven't reached the point yet where the money it costs traded off on the travel I do, requires this machine.

I think this is likely the foundation of what computer size will be. The portability issue IS huge for those of us who travel (as airport terminals get longer and longer).

And you rightly point out its lacking features...but think back to the first portable telephones. In 1997, the phone I had was a portable box with a shoulder strap that sent and received calls...that's it...it looked like something out of a WWII movie. Eleven years later, look how that product has changed, we have uber function phones that are smaller than you hand.

The Air will go through the same evolution in functionality and size...but you have to start somewhere, which is where we are today.

Best always,
- Peter

As someone who has multiple (non-Mac) machines, it is the Mac I'm most likely to buy.

I have a "powerful workhorse" for video-editing. I know that a Mac Pro is probably a better solution than a high-end PC running Premier Pro and Encore... but I've got one of those.

I have a "little low power PC" for the kids to surf with. I know a Mac Mini is probably a better solution than a 7-year old laptop running Ubuntu... but I've got one of those.

I don't have a super-light laptop that lets me do 90% of what I spend my time doing, but completely decouples me from a physical location without having to worry. The Internet (plus a couple of linux servers) are already doing the heavy lifting in my life... and I need a web client for managing my business, Twitter, RSS-reading, email, opening and editing attachments, and surfing.

Mac Air, with the SSD drive - sounds like a good deal for me.

My ONLY gripe is that, living in the UK, it would be CHEAPER for me to buy a return ticket to NYC, buy a Macbook Air there, stay overnight in a mid-range hotel, and fly back, than it would be to buy from the UK Apple store.

I agree... if a couple thousand extra dollars fell from space right now and I didn't need it for five or six other things - I'd buy it!

My Dell and my iMac carry the load of work work and I only use a laptop for writing, browning and emailing so that is all I need it to do so it's perfect for me.

My hero, Daniel Steinberg, sent me this: http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2008/01/17/macw...

Check it out!

If I traveled, this would be what I'd take!

HI Chris,

I am in a seminar and we are testing comments! Thanks for playing with us.

Love,
Rox

Wow. I really thought the keynote was fantastic this year and the product announcements were as well. Even the MacBook Air. I think they are going to sell a ton of these into the business market -- execs, sales guys, business owners, etc. The 'cool' factor is off the charts and honestly I thought the price point was just fine. I figured it would sell for something crazy like $2900 at the start.

I travel on business 3-4 times a year and have serious lust for a notebook that is as small as the Air.

One thing to watch is whether the 'lust' factor is enough to make inroads in the corporate world, which is so completely dominated by Windows. I suspect it will.

Personally, I thought the Time Capsule and new Apple TV announcements were the big news of the week. That's some serious movement in terms of seamless devices in the home, controlled by Apple. If I had the $$ to do it over again, I really think I'd go 'all Apple' in my house.

if you bought this
the bonus fairy wouldn't be the only one hitting you over the head

i am wary of the first one out
let the rich geeks test drive them
then wait for the cheaper better model
negative reviews mean better one next time
i mean
look at the segway!
no one had one and now everyone has one!

Mark and Peter have it right, Air is not for 95% of the laptop buying world, it's for those people who are members of the airline clubs and the flight staff recognize them when they get on the plane. If you've ever had burns on your shoulders from carrying around travel gear, you understand how cool the Air is. Everybody else, save some money and get the bigger rig.

At first i thought the Air was silly. Then after doing a bunch of speaking today, moving around, and so forth, I realized maybe not so much.

The powerful I currently have is powerful enough to do all the image editing and movie production I will be doing. When it comes to being 'out of office' as it were, though, I don't plan to be doing things like that, but I still want something that has a greater power and convenience than my iPhone. Were the Air a bit less expensive, it might do just the trick. Especially if there was syncing of documents (though I do that with Google Docs or Orbit).

It could be the guess at a future trend.

At first i thought the Air was silly. Then after doing a bunch of speaking today, moving around, and so forth, I realized maybe not so much.

I have a powerful desktop to do all the image editing and movie production I'll be doing. I think the Air is a great need fitter when it comes to an 'out of office' device, though. Something that I can take with me that is more convenient and practical/useful than my iphone, but doesn't carry the extra baggage of my production-top.

Perhaps the calling of a future trend.

I've got a Nokia N800 for keeping tabs on emails, blogs, Twitter, Jaiku, playing music, navigation and note taking and that does me for the moment. If I need more than that I take a 'proper' laptop with me.
But lets face it the Air probably doesn't cost much to develop and make and now that Steve Jobs has mentioned it in the keynote speech there won't be much marketing budget needed - and we're all talking about it, so it'll probably fly off the shelves until the 'proper' model is available.

I think you hit the nail on the head. It's a glimpse of what's to come. It's a smack in the eye to PC manufacturers, "look what the future holds, look who's showing you the future first and actually look whos letting you play with the future today if you're willing to pay for it... Apple!" It's a bit like Richard Branson's space flights. We'll take you to the moon but you can't get off and look around... Yet.

I've purchased a MacBook Air and I totally adore it. I must say, that first I thought the Air was really silly.
Then after doing a bunch of speaking, thinking, reading lots of articles...and so on and so forth, I realized it's quite nice.
I've read all the reviews on http://www.maconair.com and I must say, they've inspired me to buy this.
i really don't quite understand now, why I used to hate this laptop so much, when it arrived.