Steve Jobs announced Apple’s entry into the ultra-mobile laptop market, the Macbook Air during his keynote at the Macworld Expo today.
It’s an amazing machine that I got to play with this afternoon (photos below) so I’ll get the fanboy stuff out of the way. Air is an apt name, because its 3 pounds (1.36kg) and thinner than my iPhone in its (somewhat bulky) case. The tech specs are solid, but like any good Apple product it’s the form factor that makes the difference. Full keyboard, 13.4″ screen and a tactile trackpad brings iPhone style touch functionality to a laptop.
Now here’s the downside. The price. $1799.
We’ve covered the move towards cloud computing recently with the gPC; the same company now offers a ultra-mobile laptop for $299. Asus offers the eeePC, another ultra-mobile laptop that runs linux and is focused on the cloud for between $299-$499. The move away from computers that rely on desktop apps to the cloud (internet apps) is on. The Macbook Air fits the criteria with its lack of optical drive, relatively small storage options and emphasis on wireless/ WiFi internet. But here’s the thing: it’s too much money. Sure, it’s superb engineering and a full powered machine, but $1799 US and probably a lot more by the time its offered internationally is beyond what many will pay for an ultra-mobile.
The Macbook Air will also likely cannibalize Macbook sales, after all for not much more you can own an amazing machine, but perhaps that’s the whole point. Perhaps the Macbook Air is Apple’s outreach to the premium end of the Ultra-mobile market and longer term a replacement for the Macbook? Either way Apple has not launched a mass market computer, but they probably know that already, oh, and I still want one.
Update: international pricing is (as expected) inflated. Air in Australia is $2,499 AUD ($2,219) for the base model, and a staggering $4,338 AUD ($3881) for the model with the solid state drive. To put this is perspective I paid approx $3,600 AUD for the top of the range Macbook Pro less than 12 months ago.
First post.
Always been a mac fan and I think this one’s a winner.. still think it should have been called macbook nano though.
I think it should be called “I just paid almost 2 grand for a shiny light toy”. No thanks, I’ll stick to my $700 dollar laptop.
Let the fun of pun begin:
“The Air is so thin that it makes you dizzy…”
“May the Air force be with you…”
(please stop me)
This will probably sell very poorly.
The reason being that very few companies are going to allow their salespeople to have a $1800 ultramobile Mac laptop.
If they had cut corners to bring this baby in at $999, the length of the battery power at 5 hours alone would have made this the new corporate tool of choice.
Also, after iPhone, one would think that they would innovate beyond thinness and a few iPhone features in laptops…but no.
The $1,800 didn’t hit me as hard as the $3,098.00 for the SSHD version. THAT is just freakin’ insane.
quote :”I think it should be called “I just paid almost 2 grand for a shiny light toy”. No thanks, I’ll stick to my $700 dollar laptop.”
I remember also people saying “No thanks, I’ll stick to my $60 dollar phone.”
apple sold millions of them…
Apple keeps pourin and we keep drinkin….
$300 more than a macbook (black) for an ultra-sleek and cool laptop doesn’t make it so bad. It’s the WAAAY slower processor (1.6 GHz) that makes it sucky. This is probably the first time ever that we’ve had to go back to a slower processor as time has progressed.
Too expensive. Reminds me of OLPC.
http://www.knickerpicker.com/
Best website ever.
buy a toshiba…they dont break. seriously.
i think anyone who pays $1800 for a laptop today deserves the “mactard” label.
anyone who buys a top-of-the-line mac or pc deserves the “tard” label. they are all obsolete in 3 months…always buy last years technology…you will get a solid 2.5 years out of it for 1/2 (or less) the price.
This would only be really attractive to me if there was a dock, but as it is – a big disappointment. No removable battery, no RAM upgrade possibilities.
How was the keyboard???
I really miss my Duo and dock…
Oh, and
dave:
I had my Mac Duo for 10 years and it performed beautifully. That’s the difference between a WinTel machine and a decent Mac – worth the premium price over the long run.
and eee pc is not a replacement for a real notebook. It may be $400 but you aren’t going to be able to use it as a full time notebook, even if it runs windows.
With every macbook that’s released, someone says businesses won’t buy they are too expensive, but Apple is doing more than fine. Obviously Apple is either not targeting business, or those people don’t know what they are talking about. I think the later.
Apples have never been for everyone. They are too expensive. If you can’t afford them, they aren’t for you. Quit complaining and move on. It’s a high end item. They are supremely designed, have a great operating system, and a price-tag that goes with that.
ultraportables arent supposed to be replacements for real notebooks. Thats why I like the EEE pc(especially the bigger ones coming). The air isnt exactly ultraportable no matter how light and skinny it is. Its still quite wide
MacBook Air! Now with LESS features!!
Where can we read more about this $299 GPC laptop?
This is fantastic product but I think slightly expensive.
I’m in the market for a Laptop as im moving to Europe. Needs high speed and Ram as well as a long battery life (6+ hours), anyone able to make some good suggestions?
It’s bad enough we have to buy ipods and iphones with fixed batteries, which barely last 2 hours after a few months, but you’d have to be crazy to buy a 1800 laptop where you can’t replace the battery!!!
I wonder what the replacement battery cost will be and how long you have to go without your laptop and all your private data for apple to change the battery!
RE: “the gPC; the same company now offers a ultra-mobile laptop for $299. Asus offers the eeePC, another ultra-mobile laptop that runs linux and is focused on the cloud for between $299-$499.”
Please, do NOT put the gPC or the eeePC in the same category as the MacBook Air!
The “real” computers to compare to the MacBook Air are of the Sony Vaio quality, and the MacBook Air EXCEEDS them in all way, INCLUDING price. Plus the MacBook Air comes with Mac OS X, the Ultimate OS.
Someone, somewhere, can ALWAYS sell something cheaper. But, usually, you are getting much less.
Who cares how thin it is if functionality is reduced.
I have to say the Air looks amazing, though it is no replacement for my MacBook Pro, not that I thought it ever was supposed to be. If I ever begin to use a desktop as my primary computer, I would consider to get one, but until then I think it cannot be of use to me. The Air is a laptop designed for desktop users who are on the go a lot.
Beautiful design but more of a ’status’ thing than a laptop I’d tote around. Can you imagine how easy it would be to bend or break it? What about the battery? Would you need to bring it back to Apple to get the battery replaced?
I think they’ve hit the nail on the head with this one – a light, easy to carry laptop that’s sexy and functional. I can honestly see it appealing to business types (esp. female executives and business owners) and cashed up students.
A few years ago I paid about $2,500 (AUD) for a 12″ Powerbook opting for that over the 15″ for the portability. I upgraded to a Macbook but it’s just not the same. This laptop in the 80GB config will cost about the same. Lack of optical drive doesn’t bother me as I have an external HDD for backups and otherwise use USB drives. I rarely have a need for CDs when away from my iMac.
I would gladly sell my Macbook for one of these, but might just be sensible – wait for any updates to it and confirm there’s no heating issues etc as there have been for many other first releases.
Duncan, what did the mechanisms feel like? Such as the clip for the lid, the opening and closing of the ports, and the track pad button? I would be worried that the ports thing would break or get loose.
I think they really have another Cube on their hands. Sacrificing way too much functionality for design, and then charging more for it.
They’ve been down this route before. I fear they haven’t learned from it.
I will wait for the inevitable price drop in May..then maybe i will get one..
Gee Doug, I guess your laptop still has a 3.5 floppy drive. Apple was the first to drop the floppy from its laptops and people like you called it retarded.
The thing you aren’t seeing is that Dell and Toshiba and friends are all going to start copying the idea and doing the same thing….but not as well.
The PC manufacturers who try to copy it aren’t going to put N-Wireless in it, they aren’t going to put multi-touch in it, they aren’t going to put a 13.3″ screen in it, they aren’t going to put a high-resolution camera in it, the aren’t going to put a 5 hour battery in it, they aren’t going to put Bluetooth 2.1 EDR in it, they aren’t going to put VGA/DVI/Composite/S-Video Out in it, they aren’t going to put a backlit keyboard and ambient light sensor in it, they aren’t going to put “remote disk” in it, they aren’t going to put a mag-safe power adapter in it, they aren’t going to make it good for the environment….
….But they’ll make it weigh more, and you’ll still eat it up because you can’t look past the price tag.
NEWS FLASH : You Get What You Pay For whether you go with a PC or a Mac.
Does this new MacBook even come with a FireWire port? And I know it still has USB but how many ports?
I love the sexy new look, but that is a pretty stiff price. Still, if you’ve ever used a Mac you will never think of buying a PC again.
My Dell is a piece…
When are people going to realize that Apple is not friendly towards the consumer. It’s great to talk about the “cloud”, but the fact remains that it doesn’t yet exist. The idea that this computer is “ultra-mobile” is ridiculous. My HP is 6 pounds and 1-2″ teardrop (it is also 15″). Sure the Air is smaller and lighter, but at these sizes it doesn’t really matter. At the end of the day, the Air is an overpriced piece of junk. It is a step backward in terms of power and performance. I will laugh at anyone who purchases this computer.
And we laugh at you anon… You and your POS-HP.
BTW, my HP is more powerful than the Air, has a larger drive, has a CD/DVD RW, 3 x USB 2.0, modem, ethernet, VGA, firewire, s-video, 2 headphone, 1 mic, expansion, express card. Oh yeah, it also cost $1000.
For a couple more lbs., one more inch, and $800 less, I think the option is clear.
The MacBook Air is unique, but I also think that it is too expensive. Besides, I think its processor speed is quite obsolete…
and a built in camera… sorry i forgot.
Anon,
A modem???? Surely you jest. Does anyone actually use those anymore?
So, that HP of yours that cost $1000…
Where’s the high-resolution camera?
Where’s the bluetooth?
Where’s the Multi Touch?
Where’s the Bluetooth?
Where’s the 5 Hour Battery?
Where’s the 802.11n wireless?
Where’s the Ambient Light Sensor?
Where’s the Backlit Keyboard?
Why does it weigh so much??
I’d easily pay $800 for those features and to lose 3 Lbs less weight.
My back is killing me just thinking of you walking around with your enormous black carrying case…
Thinnovation requires something fat: a wallet:-)
looking nice one
@Genius
I don’t use the modem, but it is nice to know that I have it should I not be able to access wireless or cable in an emergency. I have a build in camera – the res is fine. I have bluetooth. I have a large battery – I wouldn’t say 5 hrs., but how long do you really think that is going to last. Sorry, no ambient light sensor or lit keyboard – which are essential since I’m always typing in the dark and have to look at the keys when I type – it is just so hard to learn Qwerty and Dvorak. No 802.11n – my comp is over 1 year old. Multi Touch? Please… have fun swiping and pinching. Looks like so much fun – and so much easier than pressing a button and dragging – oh how hard that is on my life.
Anon,
Obviously you are a masochist: You enjoy lugging heavy loads and putting up with Vista and all the other shortcomings of your ugly HP.
Enjoy the next decade of crappy Microsoft updates…
…oh and using your crappy modem.
You are right – 6 pounds is so heavy – especially when compared to 3. I think I am developing a medical problem from lifting all of that weight.
FYI, I use XP SP2 and it is awesome.
Enjoy the next decade of coverflow and all of it’s amazing practical uses. I bet it so cool being able to swipe through all of your album covers. Also, have fun with iLife. I’m sure you do some really amazing things with GarageBand and iWeb.
Thank you!
“You can never be too thin or too expensive,” as the saying goes.
Awesome? Windows XP is “awesome”??
Wow. You are delusional. Do you use it to dial into AOL with your 3Lb modem?
According to NPD, Apple’s retail notebook market share for June 2007 was 17.6 percent.
When thinking about this particular product, one has to think in terms of ultraportable market niche, not the overall laptop market.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think none of the previous Apple laptop models competed in the ultraportable market.
This market typically targets corporate clients with portability and wireless capabilities as the main features, not graphics or power computing in general (which is why the Air has only such a weak processor but latest wireless capabilities).
Targeting such a targeted market is not going to lead to huge sales numbers, but Air will complement the product range nicely.
And once salespeople turn to one type of computer, there is a fair chance that the rest of the company will turn, at the end of the tech cycle, to same brand, but obviously not to ultraportables.
Did anyone watch the keynote? Apple made it VERY clear who they will be competing against. They made a direct comparison to the Sony ultra-portable. Those seem to be quite popular and you can easily price one out at over $2K.
Seriously, Kids–what’s with all the mac air comparisons to $299.00 sub notebooks? When will people realize that this product is not targeted at 98% of the users with 27lbs HP notebooks. Is it that hard to see that this product is an add on to your arsenal?
How hard is it to see that this is not a product designed for Granny’s first jump into the world of email. It’s designed for people who want an alternative to use around the house, while away on business/vacation, or to simply take down to Starbucks and get some basic (email, blogging, web research, etc) tasks out of the way. And while we’re on the subject of expensive consumables, let’s address the Air’s price point.
When was the last time Apple cared about product pricing? Affordable computing, for the most part, has always been an Apple oxymoron. Reality is, Apple knows (far better than most) about who their customers are, what they want and what they will pay. And at the end of the day, they know that owning a mac is more about an ownership culture and ongoing brand experience. (Just like Ferrari knows you’ll get a lot more ass with their metal than that busted up 350ZX you race around town).
I’d say quit bitching about price (and lack of Prosumer capabilities ala Devin over at Crunch Gear) and recognize the realities. And then realize that this is almost certainly just a taste of what’s to come from Big Stevie J.
Stop “Thinking Different” Crunch Captains–and “Think logically”
Get a grip.
Comparable ultraportables – of which Air beats handily in looks, if not features, power or battery life – can run well over $1000 more.
$1800 isn’t all that much for a top-of-the-line laptop; you at least pay that whether its best of breed in performance, size, or niche (tablet/etc).
It’s rather competitive pricing, actually; I was suprised.
@AlexTheLate, I agree wholeheartedly. It’s very clear that Apple has positioned itself with 3 different models of Laptops:
1) MacBook Pro – Expensive but extremely Powerful.
2) MacBook Air – Expensive but extremely Portable
3) MacBook – Affordable AND comes with everything you’d ever need.
Anyone here who thinks the MacBook Air is too pricey should obviously be looking at a MacBook.
@Michael Griffiths. That’s so true. I can remember buying an old Compaq desktop 10 years ago that did practically nothing for well over $2000.
It’s all relative. These kids can’t remember when a computer used to cost $500,000, took up an entire room, and did practically nothing! $1700 really isn’t that much when you think about it.
$1,700 with a corporate discount where I work.
Is that really that bad? I paid about that much a while back for a machine with similar specs (well, it had an optical drive too), and it was pretty standard operating procedure.
Of all the notable things, the price didn’t even lift my eyebrow. These people sell the iPhone for how much?