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(continued from previous page)
The trend among automakers to go green apparently has engulfed Ferrari, as it displayed an F430 affixed with biofuel stickers on the hood and doors. The car runs on E85, a mix of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.
In other environmental-awareness news, IBM announced the creation of an Eco-Patents Commons--shared innovations geared at environmental sustainability --with the participation of Sony, Nokia, and Pitney Bowes.
The Eco-Patent Commons will start with a donation into the public domain of 31 patents that cover everything from a manufacturing process that reduces volatile compounds to a natural coagulant used to purify industrial waste water.
Meanwhile, venture capital investments in green-tech companies topped $5 billion in North America and Europe last year, and they show no signs of slowing down, according to quarterly numbers released by the Cleantech Group. Investing leaped from $3.6 billion in 2006 to $5.18 billion in 2007. Energy generation was the most active sector, with 172 deals, totaling $2.75 billion.
An eye on Microsoft
Keeping track of employees is apparently on the minds of top brass at Microsoft.
The software maker, which has been busy on the patent-filing front, has raised concerns with one application in particular. That application covers a means to wirelessly measure employees' metabolism, such as a person's heart rate, blood pressure, and facial expression.
The Times newspaper of London posted a story this week noting the "Big Brother" implications such a technology could have, such as notifying an employer if a worker appears stressed out or is not being productive.
However, Microsoft says this patent is more aimed at building a more useful and relevant help system into software than it is at offering a snooping tool for bosses. Of course, you never can tell where a technology will lead, and the patent could cover either or both applications.
Microsoft also hired Tony Scott as chief information officer to head management of its internal IT systems. Scott fills a position open since November, when Microsoft fired previous CIO Stuart Scott for violating company policies.
There have been a fair number of changes at Microsoft's headquarters of late, so News.com created a rundown of the people who have recently joined or decided to leave Microsoft's executive ranks.
Also of note
Oracle plans to acquire middleware maker BEA Systems for $8.5 billion in cash...Sun Microsystems will spend $1 billion to buy MySQL, the maker of a popular open-source database...Game companies Hasbro, which distributes Scrabble in North America, and Mattel, which is responsible for its overseas trademarks, have reportedly asked Facebook to remove the game Scrabulous from its application directory...Google.org launched an ambitious plan to help communities around the world use Web and communications technology to identify and warn others of outbreaks like Avian flu or disasters like Hurricane Katrina.
See more CNET content tagged:
MacBook Air, Detroit Auto Show, Steve Jobs, Apple MacBook, Week in review
Sure, but the MacBook Air was not designed for "most folks". "Most folks" should buy a Macbook or Macbook Pro.
The MBA is a premium-price, special-use, prestige product to showcase design, technology and perhaps push present products toward the future. just like a "concept car"...expect people can actually buy one.
Don't plan on buying one myself, but it is unfair to criticize it for not being something that it was never intended to be.
Simple!
http://tinyurl.com/2fvnok
In the decade of being in the tech industry, going to hundreds of meetings, conferences, etc. I have seen exactly 2 people sporting ultra-lights. One of those was a deputy CIO who pecked on his IBM during a meeting (trying to look important) while his own presenter carried his Ultra-light mated to its deck, essentially turning it into a regular ThinkPad, plugged into our (still non-WiFi) network and ran our projector without a hitch.
The other time was an agent whom we met with every couple of years, who had one to show it off but the next year he had a regular notebook because he got tired lugging around all the separate bits. Most people have the lightest unit they can manage with them needing all the extra external toys.
Yes there places where ultralights have a purpose, but I fail to see when someone wants to be flexible enough to carry a PC instead of actual pen and stationery, but so in-flexible that carrying something akin to a oversized calculator/PDA makes sense, especially when ultra-lights cost more (not Less) than the standard before adding in all the necessary peripherals.
Add to that, the fact that other companies already manage to produce ultralights just thin, almost as light and still have all the ports, an optical drive, and user serviceable 6hour+ batteries.
I think this is simply in line with Apple's "why let them do it for free when you can charge them to do for it them?" strategy
The whole thing is just too "geek toy" for me. Who wants and ultra, with 1 usb, no optical, restricted possibilities for use, and at an $1,800.00 price???
Just doesn't make sense nor fit my laptop budget.
NOW, if they would have come out with a NEW iPhone, I would have been more impressed and it would have assisted my work and leisure time MUCH MORE! I would have purchased it "on the spot"!
I have a great laptop already, anyway!
Ron
However, I have never ever had to replace a Mac battery. I have an old wallstreet laptop from 1997 who's battery is fine. My orignial iBook from 2002 is fine. All my laptops are fine.
As far as the usefulness of the "air" I think it goes back to the original notebooks, a replacement for a paper notebook basically. These days most laptops have replaced desktops and do everything, but maybe someone just wants something for meetings and to lug on business trips, small thin and light.
But people will protest "but but but there's nothing!" and the Mac fanbois will scream them down - as usual.
between thin laptops as hardware without software is nothing. Take
bott time, OSX is 4 times faster. Take all other functionality needed
for computer user. If you take everything into account it is possible
that Apple has thinest solution that any other company. Very
elegant.
That is a matter of personal requirements. What is more than acceptable for one person isn't always suitable for someone else... just like pizza. Thick or thin crust? There is no one best solution.
Message to Apple:
You REALLY screwed the pooch, Steve! The loss in stock price
to date is going to be nothing compared to the end of the year
if you don't turn this one around! (I personally have already
lost thousands in share value).
When will you learn, Steve, that YOU are not the person driving
the innovation, it is the Apple customers. They wanted better
notebooks, you gave it to them, they bought them. They
wanted video on the iPod, you gave it to them (grudgingly I will
add) and they bought it. They wanted a smartphone, you
fought it for years, gave in and gave them a crappy product
(Rocr), then finally gave them what they wanted, they bought it.
You have put out nothing spectacular here. People are
clamoring for a touchpad portable, a DVR, a PDA, game
machines, UPGRADE-ABLE and REPAIRABLE products. GIVE IT
TO THEM!
I beg you as a shareholder and customer, give the people what
they want! Or do you just not hear them? Or do you just think
you are smarter than them and think you have to tell them
what they want?
I am almost done with you and Apple. I am not sure where to
turn at this point, because MS doesn't seem to get it either!
Linux is sounding better and better...I will just build my own
machines if you don't get off your high horse and make the
equipment I know you can.
companies.
You think you are driving the innovation.. great.. nice way to
take credit for someone else's work. What have you achieved in
real life??
If you think the stock price has something to do with the price
drops in AAPL share, think again..
Why don't you sell the stock and make the money that you can
as the stock price is going to drop further because Apple is not
going to withdraw this product from the market.
Don't let too much of your ignorance get exposed.
would, it is STEVE JOBS that saved Apples stock when it was... oh... let's see...
between $14 to $16 a share...
Consumers wanting innovation don't create products... if it DID, we would
have had great cell phones from companies like Motorola and Nokia (which we
don't), and great software from companies like Microsoft (which I don't think
EVER will happen). And when I say great I mean cell phones that do what WE
want... not with crippled features and with a lousy interface so we can be
gouged for more money later...
Without a Steve Jobs in the mix (someone who can realistically visualize how
to create products that truely fit consumers needs) you get nothing. People
didn't clammor for an iPod and Apple made it, BTW. Apple made it and
stunned people. That's why they bought it. People didn't say "Make us a fast,
easy to use operating system and built it over the security and robustness of
UNIX" so Apple did... I was in the audience for the keynote that announced the
original OS X... total surprise by even THOSE geeky people.
So it's Steve Jobs whose understanding of what people want that's taken their
stock from $14/$16 to the $160ish that it is today... splitting at least once
along the way. Thank you Steve.
BTW... the MB Air is not a product that I would buy. but that doesn't mean it
doesn't fill a need for a different group of people.
- People are quick to judge a product that isn't available
- by Vegaman_Dan January 21, 2008 12:57 PM PST
- Until it is out in the hands of end users, I think we are a bit quick to judge what the real demand would be.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(24 Comments)Apple thought the iPhone would sell 10 million units by this time and it would be a hit in Europe. They missed on both marks.
I thought the iPhone would be too limited of a device and the service contract locked to AT&T would make it a product without a market. I missed on that one. People still bought it.
The AppleTV was stillborn from the outset. Hopefully the new version will help revive the flagging product.
It's a hard market to guess. Sure there have been ultrathin laptops before, thinner and ligher than the Air. Even now, there are several laptops out that have all the features the Air is lacking, plus being lighter (See the Toshiba Portege R500 for example), but none of those have the infamous Apple logo. There is something to be said for people who buy by brand name only.
I don't know how well this will do. It definitely have a market, but I'm not sure that it will be big enough for Apple to keep producing it. If they can't make their money back on the design and production work on it due to slow/poor sales, then it might get pulled purely for financial reasons. It might also do very well and they will release new models.
People might also want to wait two months before buying it to see if there will be a price drop or new improvements to the base model. People are a bit more wary after the iPhone debacle.
Of all the comments I have read here defending the Air, the general concensus is that it's a great product, it has a market, but no, they won't be buying one. I haven't seen any posts from someone who intends to buy one yet. That has me worried about its future.