I was excited for Macworld. I really was. I’m sad to say, I was disappointed. I was looking forward to the release of a new 12” Powerbook with the sexy Macbook Pro finish. No such luck. Instead, I was greeted by an oddly clamshell-esque ultra lightweight laptop that looks like little more then a child’s toy.
The guts are not bad for such a slender notebook, but the price isn’t cheap. A $3000 price tag nets you:
- Intel Core 2 Duo processor
- 2GB memory
- 64GB solid-state hard drive1
- Built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi2 and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- 13.3″ widescreen. Only 0.76″ thick and weighs only 3lbs.
- Black backlit keys, for some reason.
When the rumors got to flying, the Air name meant a whole lot more then weight. My Sony Vaio X505 weighs a whole lot less then this thing does and I find it quite a bit more attractive. I was looking for wireless power (a pipedream, I suppose) and at a bare minimum, integrated cellular internet. Not only was there no such luck there, it doesn’t even have an expansion slot for such a card! Aesthetically, I was a little surprised at Apple’s decision to use a set of black keys on a light silver notebook. That looks ugly and out of place, in my opinion. What is it, a TiBook?
All things considered, I’m disappointed. Apple could have done so much more with the Macbook Air but they scarified everything for thin.
Wired.com is not one to print frivolous rumors, so when they break out the “breaking” title and create some (awesome) mockups, this is serious. Once you’re finished drooling at the pictures, you can enjoy this little tidbit:
“But the Air seems more like a ultra portable with a physical keyboard and multi-touch screen, according to our source (who we promised not to name but confirmed works at an Apple third-party vendor).”
When it comes to Apple, nothing is ever set in stone until Steve says so. With that said, quite a bit of credibility has been lent to the idea of a new ultraportable from Apple, with the possible moniker of “Macbook Air” or perhaps the “Airbook”. Interesting speculations include the possibility of integrated WiMAX technology from Intel, wireless charging capabilities, the lack of an optical drive and the inclusion of a solid state drive.
Why, you ask? A search for the term “macbookair” on the search engine DogPile reveals a yet to be run ad from Apple for the Macbook Air that leads to the Apple online store. It also looks like Apple is the owner of the macbookair.tld domain set.
9to5mac reader Jon Cotton discovered someone using a computer titled “MacbookAir” using the Adium program BEFORE the “something in the air” banner was unveiled.
Even Apple.com is getting in on the hype with a tantalizing “Something in the air” banner across their home page. The only sure thing is that Tuesday will bring us something interesting.
If you have been following the latest news out of the Apple camp, you’ll know that in a surprise move, they released a completely revamped (and long overdue) Mac Pro on January 8th. Why that matters in the grand scheme of things is simple: because Apple’s Macworld Expo is only 6 days away, on the 14th. Why would Apple release a highly anticipated machine before their official keynote? Simple: they have too many things to fit into Steve Job’s two hour hypefest.
There are a number of rumors circulating as to what will be released at Macworld 2008. Some of the most popular include an ultralight/ultraslim Apple notebook (whether it will be an addendum to the Macbook or Pro line is up for debate); an update to the Macbook Pro line and a possible rehashing of the less-then-popular AppleTV.
However, one thing is clear. Apple is going to be doing big things at Macworld. Recent patent discoveries for a iMac-like docking station for an unreleased ultraslim notebook, as well as a patent for an extra-large, multi-touch trackpad for another future notebook give immense credibility to the possibility of a new laptop.
Other speculation includes the (less likely) possibility of an iPhone update to include 3G wireless technologies, among other things. Here’s to hoping!
The Speck hard shell sounded like the perfect way to keep my expensive Mac protected from the world without having to take it in and out of a case every time you need to use it.
I guess in theory it does so, but it fails to execute in almost every situation. I found a number of problems with my case:
-Very poorly constructed. I had to shave down the sides of the back to get it to open and close without catching on the other section of the case and making a loud cracking sound. Very, very poorly measured out. It seems like a bonehead move and I can’t imagine its a widespread problem, but I lined everything up and it definitely doesn’t work.
-Low quality. Just look at the pictures below, this was fresh out of the box without ever putting it on my computer. Brand new.
It had plastic seams, even little cracks all over it. There was some sort of paint or scrapings on the inside that I couldn’t clean off. Again, I’ll iterate that this was brand new out of retail, shrink wrapped packaging.
My conclusion? Do not buy at retail price. For the $50 or so list, it is absolutely not worth it. The case is poorly constructed and very low quality. However, at the price I paid, I’m indifferent.
Not Recommended
Plastic seams:
Residue and bubbling:
Factory cracking (wasn’t broken, but on the way to cracked)
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