Laptops Macbook Air finally gets some competition, or does it?

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And if we leave aside the price. I dont see how is it so hideous. I would buy it just as I would buy a Macbook aluminium (where looks are the only criteria). I find it as pleasing to the eyes. :|
 
Lord Nemesis said:
superczar, I understand the point behind this thread, but I think what you said is the other way around most of the time. When Apple releases a overpriced and half-assed product, most Apple fans don't seem to mind, but when some other company releases a similar half-assed product, suddenly the same people begin to criticize. One perfect example such double standards is how Linux and OS X fans crib that Windows does not bundle any useful software like Linux or OS X. Yet when MS does so much as put an icon to Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer, the same people criticize how MS is anti competitive and monopolistic and want MS to be drowned under countless lawsuits.

While I agree Mac Book's are great (the best portables actually), Mac Book Air is not. Comparing it features and price wise to another crap product may make it look less crappy, but crap is crap whether its in small quantity or large.
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I agree with Superczar's original argument. However I think it is limited to a product like the Adamo. Dell has been getting better and better with its laptop design. Consider the Studio XPS 16. It's a beautiful & powerful laptop. Configure it with the FHD display and you get a beautiful, non-clunky, powerful machine for just $1400. Drop the Vista Option and the price drops down to $1250 (You have to convince the sales reps to do this.) Just for once I am jealous of a non-apple laptop.

And p.s: When the Air was released, it was ridiculed by both the Apple fans and those from the dark side equally!
 
Lord Nemesis said:
superczar, I understand the point behind this thread, but I think what you said is the other way around most of the time. When Apple releases a overpriced and half-assed product, most Apple fans don't seem to mind, but when some other company releases a similar half-assed product, suddenly the same people begin to criticize. One perfect example such double standards is how Linux and OS X fans crib that Windows does not bundle any useful software like Linux or OS X. Yet when MS does so much as put an icon to Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer, the same people criticize how MS is anti competitive and monopolistic and want MS to be drowned under countless lawsuits.

While I agree Mac Book's are great (the best portables actually), Mac Book Air is not. Comparing it features and price wise to another crap product may make it look less crappy, but crap is crap whether its in small quantity or large.
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Well I do agree on some points, but the reason why Adamo is expensive, and that most apple's are is coz of the better works manship that goes in these products, this point is usually ignored, but you cant compare a Inspiron with a Adamo, or the xps, and they are expensive even with similar hardware, Apples always have great quality and in my opinion justify the price jump.

Macbook air, is never intended to be the only machine, I have a desktop that I use for most of other tasks, but very honeslty the Rev B has been doing a lot of my work, the fact that it can play blu-ray discs flawlessly, and do most of normal things, with its ultra portable form factor, makes it a better choice then any other notebook for me. Whenever anyone is considering the air or any other ultra portable, one must consider, whats expected of the machine, in case of Air, your paying for its light weight, and for some people its what they need, more than just a bulky machine to carry around. My point being just as everything sold in different sizes, this is not a "one size fits all" machine! :P
 
@i_max2k2 : The thing is Air is not a ultra portable. Its about the same size as a typical 13" laptop, only slimmer. So its not going to save a lot of space. The weight is also at a mid range 1.3Kg and that's about 700 Grams less than the Mac Book. The price difference is more than $1000 and you still do not get the kind of power as with a regular Mac Book while at the same time it sacrifices on some niceties. Now it really had been a ultra portable with a 8~10" screen and weighing less than a 1Kg, the price difference would have been somewhat justified. But $1000~1500 more for a bit slimmer and lighter lappy is day light robbery.
 
^ Well. I find it interesting, what you said.
Now it really had been a ultra portable with a 8~10" screen and weighing less than a 1Kg, the price difference would have been somewhat justified.
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Had it been a 9 incher with Intel Atom, you think people would see it justified? With Acers priced at around ~300. NO!

I also feel that its the thickness thats more important. Rather than space. People will still be carrying bags for their computers. And a thinner profile helps here. Plus it doesnt compromise on keyboard, it doesnt compromise on trackpad, it doesnt compromise on screen. And its much lighter than the normal PC laptops. So yeah, it makes for a good and rich netbook experience.

That said, it needs to cut down weight a bit more. Though I doubt if thats possible. It needs to feature one more USB port. Thats just for silencing whiners, I got no problems. Thats it!

I feel that MBA is exactly where it ought to be. Yeah, I would want a price decrease (who wouldnt?), but thats doesnt mean its wrongly priced.
R&D costs money. And something so radical will cost money.
I have read baout Lenovo's and Fujitsu's and Sony's that are similar to or more expensive than MBA, without much reason or innovation. Havent you?

People are still buying it. MBA hasnt failed. It has been the world thinnest laptop for long, I dont know if it is currently.

People do see a possibility for a "PC netbook" ish netbook that everybody wonders about. But I guarantee that it would NOT come cheap. No! It will be done in the Apple way. It will be one of its kind, and its gonna cost higher. You might not want to spend that much amount on it. But people will.
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And its not daylight robbery. No-one's forcing you to buy one.
 
bikalpapaudel said:
Had it been a 9 incher with Intel Atom, you think people would see it justified? With Acers priced at around ~300. NO!
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I am talking about a 9 incher with rest of the specs of MBA intact. If they wanna charge $1000~1500 more over a regular Mac Book, there should be enough to justify that, be it hardware or form factor. With its current form factor and hardware specs, I don't think more than a $300 premium is justified over a regular Mac Book.

As for MBA being successful in the market, you will find that not everyone in this world buy's stuff because its worthy of the price or because they need the special features offered by it. Sometimes people are led or forced into believing that they need a certain product or that its worthy of a certain price. That's what marketing is for and Apple is really good it. With the right marketing strategy you can sell anything. The same holds true for MS too. Why do you think Windows has 9 times more market share than Mac OS, is it because Windows is 9 times better than OS X? For that matter see how nVidia is re-branding old GPU's with newer numbers and managing to sell the same old GPU's to a new market segment.

And don't forget, Apple is a league apart form these companies in marketing. The kind of market base Apple has attracted is aptly demonstrated by the iPhone app "I am Rich" which practically does nothing but yet, sold 8 copies for a $1000 per copy on the Apple's app store.

bikalpapaudel said:
And its not daylight robbery. No-one's forcing you to buy one.
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Who said any thing about me buying one. You cannot pay be enough to touch one with a 10 foot pole. :P But still, you cannot stop me from voicing my thoughts on a crap product.
 
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