My take1

Apple's Asian Production: Macs Up, iPods Down, iPhone Volatile

"I would pay a ten fold premium to use a Mac"

I know. The fact that Apple is making money proves that there exist people like you.

"My time and productivity are important to me. Maybe yours aren't."

What productivity? At work, I don't turn off PC. I come to work and unlock my PC screen, use it for 9 hours, and then lock the screen and leave the work. How can you lose productivity when your PC is on 24 hours 365 days a year?

I know that it is not produent to have an electronic device always on. But, it's not just any electronic device, it's a computer! You use it for a few years and throw it away when Intel comes up with a newer and faster CPU, or any other fancy device comes along such as a faster hard drive.

People used to argue about which OS is better, which hardware is better. That kind of discussion is laughable these days.

Apple buyers! Don't live in the past!

Apple's Asian Production: Macs Up, iPods Down, iPhone Volatile

If I translate what I said above to financial terms:

Apple's business model is based on premium branding on a commodity product; yes, computer is a commodity product, now. That's why PC makers have been on cut-throat competitions for decades now. Premium branding on a commodity product that people are forced to replace in 3-5 years due to newer and faster chips, is like trying to build a castle on sand.

Current fascination with Apple will give an illusion of a sturdiness in its business model, but only for so long, it will crumble down.

Apple's Asian Production: Macs Up, iPods Down, iPhone Volatile

Apple charges too much for a computer. Most people use a computer for just interent access. They can buy the latest NEW PC for less than $400.00 from a major PC brand and it comes with nice features (1.6GHz Intel Chip, 1GB RAM, 250GB hard disk, etc.) and all the standard warranties.

Why pay at least three times as much for macintosh? I just don't get it. Some people don't care that much about their money since using plastic credit card gives an illusion that it's not really money.

But, folks! It's your REALLY MONEY! If you have that much left over money, spend it for some worthwhile causes such as donation to a charity, don't donate it to a commerical corporation!

Apple's Extraordinary Edge

I forgot to mention. The darn good reason can't be, "Oh, it's such a beautiful object!"

LOL, that only works with the silly guy who wrote this column.

Apple's Extraordinary Edge

I am an independent thinker and therfore don't use Apple.

I like Windows because of the freedom it gives me. When using Windows, you just upgrade the components whether hardware or software you want to upgrade, no corporate leader makes a decision and forces me to buy something. I can be a follower at certain situations, but never to a corporate leader.

The office application suite I am using (Office 2000), I bought it 9 years ago. Over the years, Microsoft have come up with newer and updated office suites, but I haven't spent a single penny on them since I am happy with the office app I have. I started using it with Windows NT, then with 2000. Now, I am using it with XP.

Same thing with Vista. When Microsoft came up with a newer and better OS, Vista, I yawned at it. Hey, the last time my XP crahsed after years of using it, ... Well, it has never crashed. Sorry, Microsoft. You did a pretty darn good job with XP. When I buy a new computer, I will try Vista.

If any corporate guy wants my money, he'd better give dang good reason for it. I'm no Apple guy.

Apple's Extraordinary Edge

I am happy with my Windows XP.

Vista? I don't need it. Why upgrade when I am happy with what I've got now?

Apple? No thanks, I am an independent thinker.

Linux? Yuck.

Defending Apple's MacBook Air

"Germany, GB, And a handful of other EU countries are some of the biggest users of Apple products."

They are not as mindless as people in the US. I heard that iPod shuffle sale is signficantly down in UK because UK people buy more Creative Zen Stone's there; it's no surprise since Zen Stone is less than half the price of shuffle and has more features.

Apple invented Mouse? It's like Al Gore claiming he invented internet.

"Come on....where is all the thinking forward ideas from Mfst, Hp, Dell...etc"

Frankly, I don't care. I am a consumer. I don't like separating from my money. I demand companies to provide me products at a cheaper price with more features.

"And this is the same core OS in use today."

No. The current Windows OS has nothing to do with the DOS OS Bill Gate's Microsoft released at the time. The Windows XP and Vista originate from DEC VMS OS. The engineering team behind the venerable VMS OS moved from DEC to Microsoft and built a new Windows OS from scratch.

Defending Apple's MacBook Air

"Though I bought 3 Dell notebooks, I am not bound to Dell or even Microsoft."

I bought the 3 in the following order.

One with Pentium 2 chip in 1998
One with Pentium 3 chip in 2001
One with Pentium M chip in 2005

Sorry for the confusion.

Defending Apple's MacBook Air

Apple users should thank PC makers. In the PC industry, competition is fierce and even marker leaders such as HP and Dell are allowed only thin margins. Apple is an underdog in the computer market and they still have to play the rules set up by PC makers: lower price and more features. I bet profit margin of MacBookAir is much thinner than their IPod's. If Apple were dominating the computer market as they do in mp3 market, MacBookAir wouldn't be $1800.00, it would be $5000.00.

Defending Apple's MacBook Air

"People have this notion they can save 50 or 100 bucks by buying a Windows product and then suffer through a whole "upgrade cycle" of compromise and annoyance"

I bought my Windows notebook 3 years ago. I saved more than $1000.00 compared to a comparably equipped mac. I haven't upgraded it since and no annoyance.

Please wake up, this is a 21st century. You don't need to devote your soul to one commerical company. Though I bought 3 Dell notebooks, I am not bound to Dell or even Microsoft. If I think Sony makes a better notebook at a cheaper cost, I will switch to Sony next time. If Microsoft comes up with a newer OS that doesn't impress me, I will pass the upgrade. I make the decision.

Culturally, people in the US are moving backwards while the rest of the world is moving forward in terms of free thinking.

Defending Apple's MacBook Air

"Have they actually been benchmarked or are you just spouting nonsense? "

You don't need benchmark when things are so obvious. Compare the components used in the gizmodo site link. Apple even used 4200 rpm hard disk. These days, it's hard to find a new laptop with such a slow RPM. I bought mine 3 years ago, and it has a 7200 RPM.

"Vista is a REALLY pokey OS"
I never used Vista, so I don't know how pokey it is. I use XP which is a darn good OS. I really don't see any need to upgrade to Vista. Why upgrade when I already have an OS which I am happy with. Most XP users feel the same way, I heard. Microsoft's Vista's biggest competitor is its predecessor, XP.

"The Dell doesn't have wireless??????"
You don't have to use wireless if you don't want when using Dell. With MacBookAir, you don't have a choice. You have to take a electro-magnetic shower every time you have to access an optical drive. What people don't realize is that every time they remove a cable, they replace it with intense electromagnetic wave showers through their body.

Well, what people do for looks and style.

Defending Apple's MacBook Air

"The Dell is pound more." Dell XPS is a Ferrari, not a one-seat compact car. You can't comapre Ferrari with super-charged turbo engine with a one-seat car.

gizmodo.com acknowledges that,

"It (XPS) bests the MacBook Air in nearly every single category, delivering about 30% more processing power, 50% more memory, over 300% more hard drive space, plus a dedicated graphics card"

Dell XPS is a notebook that screams performance with a style while MacBook Air is emphasizes looks while sacrificing performance.

Another reason that I stay away from a computer that has a MacBookAir type of technologies is that I don't want to be bombarded with intense electro-magnectic waves coming from all those wireless technologies. With cellphones and cordless phones, I get enough of that every day.

Defending Apple's MacBook Air

The MacBook Air just shows that Apple has so much money and they have to do something with it.

This is is a secondary computer and cannot be the only computer for a person since it lacks an optical drive. But, who these days need two computers? I am a serious computer user. I have only one laptop that I use both at home and at work. These days, people just need one laptop and a docking station equipped with a full monitor, a keyboard and a mouse at home and at office. That way, they just plugg in/out their notebooks at each place and sacrifice nothing when using their notebook. Desktop is a thing of the past unless you are a serious game player.

And, MacBook Air is no Ferrari. Ferrari is equipped with an uncompromised powerful engine, top accessories, etc. The MacBook Air's components are ordinary and just less. It's more like Honda decided to make a one-seat Accord using same components as normal Accord but getting rid of back seats, trunk space, etc. And, here is the Apple way. They decide to sell the one-seat Accord at the same price as a 4-seat Accord. You might ask: it must have cost less to make the one-seat Accord than a full 4-seat Accord, how come charge the same price? Apple's reply is because we are Apple.

Ferrari of notebook is a Dell XPS. That thing is really equiped to perform. But, dang, too expensive for an average Joe like me. Last time I checked its price with components I liked, the XPS cost more than $5000.00. I look at people with XPS with envy.

Defending Apple's MacBook Air

It seems that Apple is being pushed into trying extreme things for just sustaining its market image as an innovator. No other company could dare trying this kind of experiment for a niche niche market in a computer industry. Most tech companies simply don't have any room for an error this kind of venture might likely bring. Only Apple has enough cash cushion for this kind of dare devil act. Apple made tons of money with a huge profit margin for every one of the zillions of iPods they sold. It's an irony that, in US MP3 industry, the market gorilla Apple is allowed to have a huge profit margin while smaller guys are pushed into a razor-thin profit margin.

I think MacBook Air is a sign of time that Apple is being exhausted in its endeavor to come up with something new every year.

Well, it was bound to happen like it happened to Microsoft. In the 90's, every time Microsoft came up with newer and better OS and technologies, people lined up to get their new OS. I remember having had to visit a few computer stores before I could land my hand on their new OS. But, after XP, people are yawning at any new OS from Microsoft. XP is a pretty darn good OS. There is not that much Microsoft can do to improve on the existing pretty much perfect OS, XP.