Why Apple's new laptop is basically useless(crunchgear.com)
crunchgear.com
Why Apple's new laptop is basically useless
http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/15/macbook-airhead-why-apples-new-laptop-is-basically-useless/
21 comments
Do you people not work in an enterprise environment?
1) Treo 2) External HD 3) Ethernet (I'd forgive just about everything if it had built-in ethernet...at least then it's a decent thin client) 4) Mouse 5) Keyboard (Yes, keyboard. Who types on their laptop keyboard for most of the day? I don't envy your wrists, even on Colemak/Dvorak). 6) DVD (in this case)
And that's assuming I never have to transfer files from one external drive to another. I'm often sending out a loaner external for massive video files (or Logic 8 ISOs).
I like having an ultraportable. I like being able to use it as a desktop, too. Because unlike one Apple rep tried to convince me, the 'solution' isn't to have one laptop and one desktop for everyone. We're not made of money.
1) Treo 2) External HD 3) Ethernet (I'd forgive just about everything if it had built-in ethernet...at least then it's a decent thin client) 4) Mouse 5) Keyboard (Yes, keyboard. Who types on their laptop keyboard for most of the day? I don't envy your wrists, even on Colemak/Dvorak). 6) DVD (in this case)
And that's assuming I never have to transfer files from one external drive to another. I'm often sending out a loaner external for massive video files (or Logic 8 ISOs).
I like having an ultraportable. I like being able to use it as a desktop, too. Because unlike one Apple rep tried to convince me, the 'solution' isn't to have one laptop and one desktop for everyone. We're not made of money.
> Do you people not work in an enterprise environment?
I sure don't. My office is my living room (and also my wife's office). I'm also my only employee, so getting purchases approved is rarely a problem. :)
I sure don't. My office is my living room (and also my wife's office). I'm also my only employee, so getting purchases approved is rarely a problem. :)
> Do you people not work in an enterprise environment?
Sure do - but it's an enterprise environment that has 80% travel. I have a Treo and an iPhone, neither of which I sync very often, and when I do, it's from my workstation not m Macbook. I don't bring an external mouse or keyboard when I travel, that would just be too bulky.
Sure do - but it's an enterprise environment that has 80% travel. I have a Treo and an iPhone, neither of which I sync very often, and when I do, it's from my workstation not m Macbook. I don't bring an external mouse or keyboard when I travel, that would just be too bulky.
This has more in common with the Power Mac Cube than any Mac since that one.
Its biggest feature is flashiness. Its not really an ultraportable, because its width and length are too big.
Its biggest feature is flashiness. Its not really an ultraportable, because its width and length are too big.
In general he makes good points. I just didn't agree with one of them: "Let's start with the obvious: no optical drive"
It could be just me, but I've only installed software by DVD/CD rom - two times in two years for my macbook pro. I think a lot of people can get away with not having an optical drive.
It could be just me, but I've only installed software by DVD/CD rom - two times in two years for my macbook pro. I think a lot of people can get away with not having an optical drive.
All his points are bogus. It's a freaking laptop, how many USB ports does he need? While I can come up with tons of use cases, I honestly don't recall an actual visual image in m head of a laptop with 2+ USB devices connected at the same time. And the only time I see someone sticking a CD/DVD into a laptop is to watch a movie, which doesn't stop me from thinking about replacing my CD/DVD tray with an extra bay battery (ThinkPads rock).
And Duo 2 1.6Gz is too weak? That's just insane. Software has stagnated for at least 10 years, lagging behind hardware like crazy. What is that guy running today that he wasn't running 10 years ago? I have a CPU scaling frequency indicator in Gnome menu that 99.9% of the time shows me freaking 800Mz - yes, that's a typical frequency my 2.2Gz Duo 2 is running at.
The only time I wish I had a faster PC is when I do batch conversion of a bunch of RAW files from my camera. But it's like doing backups - pushing gigabytes around... And even that I am doing on my "big" PC where I need more screen real estate.
The only thing this laptop is missing is UltraNav found on ThinkPads. An enormous productivity/ergonomics booster, something that will keep pe glued to Lenovo forever.
And Duo 2 1.6Gz is too weak? That's just insane. Software has stagnated for at least 10 years, lagging behind hardware like crazy. What is that guy running today that he wasn't running 10 years ago? I have a CPU scaling frequency indicator in Gnome menu that 99.9% of the time shows me freaking 800Mz - yes, that's a typical frequency my 2.2Gz Duo 2 is running at.
The only time I wish I had a faster PC is when I do batch conversion of a bunch of RAW files from my camera. But it's like doing backups - pushing gigabytes around... And even that I am doing on my "big" PC where I need more screen real estate.
The only thing this laptop is missing is UltraNav found on ThinkPads. An enormous productivity/ergonomics booster, something that will keep pe glued to Lenovo forever.
I think the blogger is just not in the market for a small laptop. I have a white Macbook that I'm very happy with, and I couldn't imagine carrying around anything larger. I'd have bought a 12" Powerbook if those had survived the Intel switch. In contrast:
> And lastly, let's be honest: did we really need things to get that much thinner? My MBP is a great size, not too heavy, and it's thin enough that there's quite a lot of leftover room in the laptop compartment of my bag.
There's obviously much more room for ports and other little conveniences at 15", but it's unfair to call a machine "useless" if it makes compromises to get smaller than that.
> And lastly, let's be honest: did we really need things to get that much thinner? My MBP is a great size, not too heavy, and it's thin enough that there's quite a lot of leftover room in the laptop compartment of my bag.
There's obviously much more room for ports and other little conveniences at 15", but it's unfair to call a machine "useless" if it makes compromises to get smaller than that.
I regularly use 4 USB devices with my laptop. Keyboard, Mouse, Camera, iPod. Even if keyboard+mouse go together, and Camera and iPod are swappable, I still need at least 2 ports simultaneously. Maybe the keyboard won't be necessary, but I doubt it. I have yet to find a laptop keyboard I didn't hate.
I've had the exact same experience. When I read that the MacBook Air didn't have an optical drive, my first reaction was "WTF?", but then I counted how many times I've needed mine, and it turned out to be zero.
My reaction was:
"fantastic news! No more irritating seek noises every damn time my macbook starts! No more tainted region coding infection! No more useless thing I never use anyway!"
Great news.
Great news.
Been using a 12" laptop without an optical drive for about a year now. I only missed it when I wanted to finally install Linux about a month ago. I couldn't get it to work from a bootable USB drive so I ended up borrowing a friend's external CD drive. Glad to be rid of Windows, even if the fonts aren't very good. I'd kill for the equivalent of Windows standard font smoothing in Linux.
I reckon its more appropriate for mobility (onsite presentations etc). Its not a desktop-replacement as such.
I'm getting one.
Search low prices on Bountii : http://bountii.com/search.php?item=macbook+air
For versions of low that still cost more than my house:)
This is just flat out linkbait. Crunchgear is desperate.
While I use my dvd drive heavily (watching dvds, especially when I am offline), I don't think that a 80 gb had is sufficient to store a suitable amount of films for offline use.
The real problem I see is this: reset of the password has always been done by inserting the boot dvd. This needs an external drive now and should better not be necessary on the go.
The real problem I see is this: reset of the password has always been done by inserting the boot dvd. This needs an external drive now and should better not be necessary on the go.
Meh...my MBP is only 1 year old, so it will be some time before I'm in the market for a new portable.
I was hoping Apple would do something revolutionary, like a portable that's basically a 10-inch screen iPhone (all touch/styles gestures and writing, tablet style, virtual keyboard that pops on text widget focus...).
I was hoping Apple would do something revolutionary, like a portable that's basically a 10-inch screen iPhone (all touch/styles gestures and writing, tablet style, virtual keyboard that pops on text widget focus...).
My only complaint is the price. Not because I don't want to pay it. Because I fear losing it. It is SO portable that I'd take it everywhere. Lose attention for 10 seconds and it could be gone. That's what I like about the eee. I wouldn't feel as bad losing a $400 device as an $1800 one.
My problem with the price is that I'm not sure whether it could work as my primary computing tool or not.
What Devin Coldewey is announcing here is that he is not in the target market for an ultraportable laptop. And that's fine. Other people are.