Comments on: Why the MacBook Air is a toy with no promise

Don Reisinger thinks the MacBook Air is nothing more than a toy with no promise. Is he right?

[djsipe]

I totally agree. I was completely underwhelmed by the MacBook Air. IMHO, not having a CD-ROM drive is enough of an inconvenience in and of itself to not buy it. I don't want to have to fire up another computer to install a program or burn a CD.

(Not a big fan of the in-your-face movie rental DRM either. If I download something, it should be mine. You shouldn't be able to take it away.)

Cheers,
Donald Sipe

[farisb]

This article provides excellent information.

There are some further details at www.memyselfandmyiphone.com

Check it out.

[sting7k]

Thank you for finallying what must be said. There really is no point to this product. Honestly, the majority of people who would be looking for a laptop like this probably already own a desktop machine as their main computer. Who is ever going to buy a second machine to carry around that is more expensive and yet less powerful than what they already have. It just goes against all logic.

I envision some apple boys lining up for the first shipment and then after that the vast majority not purchased will sit in the back collecting dust as everyone goes in and says the thing. Why am I going to buy something that is $700 more, less powerful, and a little smaller.

[kisskat]

Well the whole point is to have the newest gadget regardless of the price....didn't you know that (being sarcastic)? The people who will buy this will be the same ones who buy anything new that comes out on the market. For the average joe (me included) really has no need for something like this. Not to say it isn't nice but if I wanted something like this I will just stick with the one I already have.

[JazGalaxy]

The Macbook Air is like the Wii. People who are against it just don't get it.

The Macbook Air stresses compeltely opposite strenghts than what you consider to be strengths. That does not make the Macbook Air a toy or unuseable. I just bought a Macbook Pro for myself because I'm a power user and so far I'm loving it. (My first mac). I would never buy the macbook air, however as soon as I saw the macworld presentation, it jumped out as being immediately what 3 or 4 of the higherups in my organization need. THEY'RE NOT POWER USERS. They would never USE a macbook pro. What appeals to them, and what makes sense to them to pay for, is the size of the device, the long battery life, and the use of OSX and it's features.

[mastercko]

Unlike the Wii, however, there's little chance of it turning into a runaway success story for Apple.

[bgavinw]

I agree that the price point is off -- perhaps $1499 would have been better (split the difference w/ the Macbook). I also agree that most people would never buy one. That being said, there is nothing wrong with offering the product that will sell at least enough, and the price point (i'm sure) is high enough to where a profit is guaranteed. Most people don't buy the sexy little 2-seat cars (Lexus, BMW, etc.) that barely leave room for a suitcase, but they still offer them at a premium because they are sexy and some people are into that.

Also, I think Apple is trying to experiment with the whole push they've made for the last 2 years, which is to get away from CDs/DVDs. The point of the Macbook Air is not the 3pounds, but the "Air". Apple was on the vanguard of helping us to get away from a floppy disk, and now it's trying to get away from the DVD. That's why there's no Blu-Ray drives on Macs yet -- there will never be. Apple is basically positioning itself to not ever NEED CD/DVDs. As many have noted after the keynote, want music in your Car, get an iPod, music/movies on your home theatre, get an Apple TV. I think the strategy needs to be more fully developed (wireless iPod syncing, WiMax or EDGE in the MacbookAir, wireless profile management w/ iPhones/other Macs, etc). But I can see where it's going.

Just my 2 cents.

[Wolfman-K]

Here is the thing, it's really not even an ultra portable.... Sure its light and thin but it has the same footprint of an MacBook. I think it is very cool but it's basically a concept piece. Its showing us what the future will bring.

I think enough will be sold that they will continue to make them an upgrade them and in a few generations they may be something worth having, but yeah right now it's a concept unit, designed to be bough by the fanboys who happen to have a spare $1800-$3000 laying around.

Unfortunately thats not me.

Actually truth be told, I was thrilled to see this thing. Why? because it meant I didn't have to run out and drop some serious change on another new Apple "toy." Apple, my wallet thanks you.

[mcooper13]

@JazGalaxy

The "People who are against it just don't get it" argument is pathetic. It works with everything and nothing:

People who are against Windows ME just don't get it. People who are against murder just don't get it.

It's a moronic argument.

I agree with the author completely. You even proved his point by saying that "higherups in my organization" would get this albatross. He said one of the two groups of people who would get this is "people with enough money in the bank that they don't mind spending $1799 on a product they'll use in their car or at coffee shops."

This product line will disappear like the Mac Cube, only much quicker.

[john55440]

The MacBook Air has fewer features than a bottom of the line $500 Compaq notebook computer.

Even Apple Fanboy Walter Mossberg isn't real impressed:

"The sealed-in battery means you can?t carry a spare in case you run out of juice, and you have to bring it to a dealer when you need a new one. There?s no built-in DVD drive. The thin case can?t accommodate a larger internal hard disk. And the machine omits many common ports and connectors."

Only an Airhead would buy one. (grin)

[mhinnewyork]

There are multiple problems with a battery that the end user can't replace on their own. I wrote about this a few days ago:
A defensive look at the MacBook Air battery
http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13554_1-9854399-33.html
Michael Horowitz

[JazGalaxy]

To reply to McCooper;

To say that one "does not get it" is not at all a "moronic argument".

In regard to the Nintendo Wii, many gamers were moaning about the lack of advanced hardware in the unit as well as how difficult the controller would be for playing the games they like to play. Nintendo stated that their console did not NEED extra hardware inside because developers rarely make use of the hardware that they already have access to, and that they were intending to create a NEW playing experience. Not rehash what gamers had already played.

This is a classic example of people "not getting it" and missing the point. It's like refusing to buy a hovercar because it doesn't have enough trunk space to fit your old spare tire in.

It's nonsense to compare the macbook air to other products and claim that the others are superior in various ways and therefore the macbook air is inferior.

Simply put, of my small office of around 30 people, 8 of the "big muckity mucks" would LOVE the Macbook Air. They DO NOT EVER INSTALL ANYTHING. I'm not sure they would even know how. They, what, need to listen to CDs? No. Audio information is all digital these days. The Macbook Pro has more power? What do they need with more power? They're not running photoshop and aftereffects.

To users such as this, who do a lot of traveling, a great deal of flying, NO POWER COMPUTING WHATSOEVER, and would make great use of OSXs features, the Macbook Air is a great computer.

People who do not see that, just do not get it.

[mastercko]

"This is a classic example of people "not getting it" and missing the point. It's like refusing to buy a hovercar because it doesn't have enough trunk space to fit your old spare tire in."

It's more like not buying a hovercar because it doesn't have enough trunk space to fit ANYTHING in.

[john55440]

"...who do a lot of traveling..."

Yup, the MacBook Air is great for travelers. When the sealed, non user replaceable, battery runs out, they can use it as a coaster. (grin)

Only an Airhead would buy the deeply crippled MacBook Air. People who do not see that, just don't get it. (grin)