New aluminum jewel .. who's going to be first?

[3Ms75Argosy]

Ok, who's going to be first to get the new Apple "Macbookair." Even comes in an aluminum shell with a polishing cloth! No mention of the "Icyclo" option yet though.
Oh, I want one bad!
Apple - MacBook Air - Guided Tour

Don't need a video rental store anymore when you're out in the boonies or at the local KOA, just fireup your wifi and grab a movie to rent too from iTunes. Maybe I will buy a Mac Mini for the trailer and hook it to a flatscreen.

Twinky, you out there?

Marc

[Stefrobrts]

Oh my gosh! If I'm spending that kind of money, it better have wheels

[CanoeStream]

Wheels Stephanie? Or fins I'm sure!

I'll only pop when it comes out in midnight sun. I want to leave the door unlocked so nobody has to break in. Then they can't find the 'puter because it looks just like any other cushion.

[InsideOut]

I want!

[k0dlc]

been wanting a MacBookPro to go with this MacMini... the MacBookAir... hmmm... too cool... One note, running a MacMini from 12 takes a bit of effort, there is no Apple supplied 12DC adapter (they are available, just not from Apple) that my justification for a MadBookPro.

[overlander63]

Mac is better than the Gates-O-Matic, but I don't think it's 3X better. I just got a really good notebook with just about everything I could want for a third that price.

[TinLoaf]

I have a Macbook Pro that I use at home and on the road. I just got it last year, so there are no upgrade plans in my future. I just wanted to note what a pleasure I've found the computer is to use. I honestly believe there is no better home computer unless you need to run specialized applications. It's just amazing how all the applications work with each other to make tasks easy. Such a pleasure to use.

[fotochop]

went to my local "RV" dealer yesterday to get a new dump valve and was engaged by a salesmen who tried his tired ole "let's dis on the Cult of Airstream" routine. he wanted to sell me a new SOB for $299 down and $179 a month. for eternity or some such time frame. I had to laugh at that. I paid $4K for my '69 Safari.

"yeah, those airstream people will go park out in a field somewhere next to a campground just because they can, etc. etc.." he seemed really disappointed that we didn't all have 38" flat-screen tv's mounted into our rigs hooked up to 600 megawatt service like the majority of his "rigs".

I could see right off it would be a waste of breath to try and explain..

"it's just a different mentality" I said. this thread reminds me that the world of Macintosh is much the same. yes, they cost more. yes, they work better. yes, they are elegant. yes, they last longer. did I mention they cost more?

;-)

I have three sitting right here in my studio that aren't going away anytime soon...

once you go mac you never go back ;-)

[flyfshr]

With three at home and two at the office, I'm thinking of changing my name to MacFshr. I started computing on a IIgs in 1988, if that's what you called it back then, and have always enjoyed the Mac environment.

Brad
FF

[ScottW]

My sentiments exactly. I'm on the desktop, looking at two laptops - both operational. They need upgrading to a newer OS, but don't have the memory needed and it can't be added. Looks like I'll be forced to buy an iphone when I retire in may so I can connect thru att while on the road. By the way, I donated my old IIGS to a boys home and took a nice write off on my taxes.

[TShepherd]

I think I will just stick to the VHS's and a Big Mac.
TShep

[CanoeStream]

Wonder what they mean by "super fragile?" Chance for rear end separation? We can fix that with elephant ears! See the Gizmodo hands-on review with lots of pics.

[jcanavera]

I stayed up late the other night to watch the replay of Steve Job's presentation. That Mac Air is one sweet machine although I probably wouldn't consider it as my one and only laptop. My Macbook Pro is so better suited for that job.

One of the bigger things to consider if you are hot on this machine is the fact that the battery pack is not a user replacable item. From what I understand it's more Ipod like in that a store or service center will have to do the replacement for you.

As one who has been a PC user for many many years, the Mac is really a breath of fresh air.

Jack

[silverback]

No built in 3G or WiMax so I'll wait until (June/July?) for at least the SSD to get bigger or cheaper.

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

One of the bigger things to consider if you are hot on this machine is the fact that the battery pack is not a user replacable item. From what I understand it's more Ipod like in that a store or service center will have to do the replacement for you.

I'm sure by the time it needs a new battery the aftermarket will have figured out how to do it yourself. To me, yanking apart something the company never intended you to open up is part of the challenge! After two home battery replacements, my 3rd Gen iPod lives on!

[crazylev]

Goodbye, and good riddance to video rental stores that smell like old testosterone and grape.

The new laptop is cool, but I thought the best thing is the new video rental service. For 3-4 dollars, depending on how long the movie has been out, you simply download the movie file to your computer. You have up to 30 days to watch it, and then it is supposed to just expire and disappear. However, if you start watching the movie and then pause or stop it, I think you have up to 24 hours until something bad happens. I'm not clear on this. On the other hand, Apple claims the movie can be watched as many times as you want for thirty days. Correct me if I'm wrong about this part.

If you are like us, we take a laptop camping to check email, internet, and so on. But we also used to rent a couple of movies to watch. So this was another trip to BB, which I looked forward to like a colonoscopy, and I never cared for the mail service, NF. BB was pushing close to $5.00 per movie, not to mention time and gas to and from.

The other really cool item is the AppleTV. Even though I wired our house for cable, we have never had or wanted it, because I refuse to pay for a service that has commercials, and for the most part is garbage. You are forced into "packages", just not for us.
The AppleTV is just the solution for us. Attach it to a TV, and you rent movies using a menu screen just like some of the finest Holiday Inns. Same price. Movies on demand.

If I can convince the Mrs. that we absolutely need this 230 dollar device, a minor miracle will have occured.

BTW- anyone who bought an earlier than this weeks anouncement AppleTV, will be able to upgrade their units by some software to be made available in the next coupe of weeks.

I am so happy, and if you can, imagine me making all sorts of turkey noises of delight!!!

Jonathan

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by crazylev

However, if you start watching the movie and then pause or stop it, I think you have up to 24 hours until something bad happens. I'm not clear on this. On the other hand, Apple claims the movie can be watched as many times as you want for thirty days. Correct me if I'm wrong about this part.

The AppleTV is just the solution for us. Attach it to a TV, and you rent movies using a menu screen just like some of the finest Holiday Inns. Same price. Movies on demand.
Jonathan

You only have 24 hours in which to watch it. So once you start, while you can stop and start at your leasure, you only will have it availble for 24 hours from the point at which you start watching. It will be interesting if they modify this parameter as time goes on.

The other thing is with Apple TV, you can move the delivery point of the program. Say you are watching it on TV and you stop it prior to its ending, you now have the ability to move the program to an Ipod or to your Mac to finish the viewing.

Obviously you need a network hookup for the Apple TV so its usability is only as good as your ability to get a connection.

I'm using a Slingbox which for all intents extends my home satellite DVR system to my laptop, provided I have Internet access. This costs about half of the Apple solution although it won't allow connectivity to my Ipod. We used this for the first time in Novemeber, watching the programming through my home satellite in the Airstream while using the WiFi provided at a Tennessee campground.

Jack

[Silvertwinkie]

Well, now that it's out, looks pretty slick, but at $1800 for the solid state storage.....Jack's right, you get a heck of a lot more out of a MacBook or Pro line.

The rental part was on the gossip sheets for months...from what I gather, the software engineers started puting in code between 3-5 updates ago and someone found the video rental code and announced it.

As for iTunes and video rental, it's a solid business plan that most are starting to do. IMHO, outside of the portability, it's about the same as going to a Blockbuster Store. Currently I have Netflix and am fairly pleased with it and the price per movie is significantly less given the fact I get about 12 or more movies a month. Netflix is starting to do online rentals, but it's a PC only game right now.

[crazylev]

Yes, you need a wireless network (wi-fi) to receive the stuff on AppleTV.

And I think that I was wrong about how many times you can view a movie:

"Once you've started to watch the movie, you have 24 hours to finish watching the movie (even if you start watching before the download is complete). You can watch the movie as many times as you want within this 24-hour period." as quoted by Apple

I had originally thought it was as many times in 30 days. So if it it is a two hour movie, you only can watch it 12 times!!!

We have an old (5 years) Sony twenty something inch tv that just has coax cable connector for our rabbit ear antenna, s-video(?) and the red, white, yellow RCA connector thing-a-majig.

High definition is what is hot and for that you need an HDMI(?) port and cable to get that from the AppleTV.

The cost of living is going to go way up, as far as I can see.

Jonathan

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by crazylev

The cost of living is going to go way up, as far as I can see.

Courtesy of the Dover brothers -- Rip & Ben. I was amazed there was not more objection when Congress gave the internets to the big companies ... just over a year ago? Here it comes:
Time Warner to test metered Web use | Tech news blog - CNET News.com
The Associated Press: Time Warner Links Web Prices With Usage