MacBook Air: In a Word, Impressive 13 comments
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Around the Macworld show floor, I heard a lot of the same comments. The Mac faithful groaned consistently that the morning’s keynote address was a snoozer. They weren’t impressed enough. There was too little surprise, they said, and, worse, only little changes. It’s not that something is wrong with the existing Apple product line, Apple’s Steve-worshiping fans just wanted more. Their expectations were over-stoked. They wanted to be surprised, wowed and awed. The reality was short.
In a way, it’s not unlike the stock price. It tends to rise before the trade show, and drop a bit after; a consequence of Apple’s finely tuned marketing machine. Sometimes, it’s almost too good for its own good.
It’s true, Apple’s product announcement yesterday morning largely validated the rumors, or the rumors largely pegged the announcements. There were few surprises. Odds on, most expected announcements were made. Like a predictable book, Apple delivered the comfortable conclusions. That’s not to say it wasn’t satisfying, however. The new Macbook, in fact, is rather impressive. The improvements to the Apple TV’s software aren’t bad either.
In my experience, price notwithstanding, the decisions to buy many a gadget starts in the gut. It’s less about need than desire. It’s a question of whether the product leaves you walking away impressed. Or just walking away. Is it something you rave about? Or something you pan? There’s not much middle ground.
Apple TV is nice but it doesn’t rise to the standards of a “must have” product, yet. It’s an appetizer. Hands on, the support for the new rental program, and the improved HD video and surround sound capabilities are good. Displayed on a theater sized screen, with massive speakers, it got audience attention. And in demonstration, it remains iconic. The user interface is crisp and intuitive. It’s clearly from Apple. Better yet, existing owners aren’t made obsolete. The changes are in the software. Still, with gadget lust it doesn’t fuel hunger yet. I can wait to see what comes from Netflix (NFLX) and LG’s partnership. From TiVo (TIVO) and Amazon’s (AMZN) joint effort. From Building B and Vudu. TV Convergence devices, just aren’t ripe for the picking, yet. (Case in point, on Apple’s own site, Apple TV is relegated to a placement under the iPod + iTunes tab. Unlike the Mac, the iPhone, or the iPod, Apple TV doesn’t yet rate its own top-billed section)
The new Macbook on the other hand? It was the show stealer at this Macworld. Michael Jordan wasn’t on hand to share his famed “Air” Moniker, but the Macbook Air would have done him proud. It’s another design sensation. With tapered edges and a sleek shape, the design cues remain minimalist, right down to the now classic Apple magnetic power connector (though this one is different at the tip). In line with the aesthetic there’s also a fold-out door which hides a USB port, a headphone jack and a micro DVI port, and amazingly, it doesn’t look flimsy as folding computer components often do. (Adapters are included for different monitor connections).
With a 13.4 inch screen, the computer is not a miniature, but in weight and thickness, it is. Its tapered case ranges from 0.76inch to 0.16inch thick. It’s like holding a legal pad. And in weight, it’s not much heavier.
The Intel (INTC) chipset seems quick (though testing that is purely anecdotal and no benchmarking is really possible until Apple ships the product or provides review models). In speed, the real virtue is the flash based hard drive. With no moving parts it boots incredibly quickly. The only question is whether it proves reliable. . (There’s not necessarily any reason to doubt it will, but new hard drive technology always inspires a few “lost data” neuroses.) And for those wanting, solid state drives are available too.
With the user interface, the gesture controls added to the tracking screen are also smooth and easy to adjust to. The rest is classic Apple. For intuitive and elegant design that seems simple, Apple yet again proves it's in an elite league. It’s no accident an art college offering an industrial design degree had a prominent booth on the trade show floor. Apple is the Bang and Olufsen of the mass market, if not something more than that.
All in all, for anyone who travels, for people who like Macs, for gadget freaks, the Macbook Air is wowing. True, the battery is not removable. True, there are things that can be criticized. True, it’s evolutionary. True, it’s not shocking in its feature set, but it’s a product easy to see yourself using (for many). I can picture it on my desk. Or in a bag when I’m on the go. Accompanying me on a plane. Improving my work. I can see it.
And who can deny, little fuels gadget lust more than being able to easily see yourself having the product in your life. It’s kind of like buying a house – people picture how their furniture will look in it. The Macbook Air is a product you can picture decorating your office furniture.
In the past, I have been impressed by Apple computers but not tempted to switch away from the Microsoft world. This is a product that could motivate me to finally change.
From the minds of Steve Jobs, Jonathan Ive and their team, this notebook is a winner… and groans of the unsurprised notwithstanding, on first looks, it impresses. The lines of people stacked two and three deep hoping to play with one is evidence of that enough.
Come June, even with its expense, this is a computer that will sell a lot of units. It won’t be for everyone. It has a niche, but it should capture it with vigor.
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This article has 13 comments:
But please don't overlook Apple TV, which I think will take off in 2008 (not that its 1.9m units sold in the last year is too shabby anyway).
Everyone knows and trusts iTunes. The convenience will be irresistable...
Actually, the drive it ships with is a conventional (low rpm) hard drive (same as in the iPod classic), so it will likely seem sluggish. Only the $1,000 optional solid state drive is flash-based.
Wireless is far from reliable today, not a great call
And then the solid state HD has been available from Dell for over a year
And the battery not being removed is not really a boneheaded choice as much as it is taking advantage of the boneheads who will buy this because Apple made it. Laptop batteries slowly lose charge time and need to be replaced. Why put a compartment so it can be removed when you can pay Apple to replace it for you! It worked for the iPhone, why not here.
But how can I criticize something from Apple and the exhalted one Steve Jobs. Everything he does must be revolutionary!
The 2 gig standard RAM it will ship with will alleviate some performance concerns, by reducing the amount of "disc swapping". As a UNIX-based OS, Leopard handles RAM pretty efficiently.
- NO ONE WAS GROANING. I didn't hear one complaint about the keynote except for the fact that most of us couldn't get in because of a raft of VIPs. Again, I didn't hear one complaint.
- I used the Air and it's every bit as zippy as MacBook Pro on normal tasks. And yes, I was using the low-end version.
- Ethernet is supplied by a USB adapter, I would agree that wireless is unpredictable, but I wouldn't agree that it's unreliable. Once you find a connect, you're typically fine.
- You buy the battery, Apple covers the labor for replacement. So it's the same cost as buying a battery otherwise, you just have Apple do the work.
- Are you implying that Apple's behind on solid state drives? Apple's had a working modern OS for almost ten years. Does Dell?
This is not a laptop for everyone, but it will be fantastic for the people that want it. It's fast, light, great battery life, and it's a Mac. These will be selling like hot cakes come December.
One could alternately pack an Airport Express wireless hub for travel. Whatever works.
If MS put an a battery that couldn't be changed on any of their products, they'd be an outrage
I don't hate Apple, anyone who can convince the world they sell happiness is a marketing genius but don't BS me about how wonderful their are
I will just buy the calls on the stock and collect the fat margins
The XBox requires a battery? Other than mice and keyboards, what other hardware does MSFT make?
"Seriously, if Steve Jobs took a dump and put an Apple logo on it, who wouldn't call it revolutionary and buy it?"
Actually, we fans are tougher than the pundits on Jobs when he messes up. But he hasn't messed up in a substantive way in a number of years. The Cube was overpriced-- without any redeeming features (like MacBook Air's extreme portability) beyon style. The Flower Powere iMacs didn't sell. The MOT / AAPL ROKR phone was a flop (thanks mostly to MOT, from what I hear). AppleTV 1.0 was "pretty good", but not quite "there". AppleTV 2.0 looks much closer to where it needs to be.