More "MacBook Air" evidence wafts by

Sure, all will be revealed tomorrow, but rather than twiddle their thumbs, the Apple curious are scouring the internet for further evidence of the MacBook Air. A certain tipster named "byrd" searched for "macbookair" on Dogpile and found a Google ad listing up top, which redirects to the MacBook page of the Apple Store. Meanwhile MacDailyNews reader "mango" tracked down the macbookair.org domain name and found that it is indeed listed under Apple -- the Whois domain name lookup won't show any info on the .com or .net versions. Obviously these are pretty minor details that don't say a lot in themselves, but the more of these that pile in, the more we're inclined to believe in a magical ultraportable from Apple tomorrow that will fulfill all our wishes -- we're suckers like that.

[Thanks, byrd]

Read - MacDailyNews domain name lookup
Read - Dogpile search results

[broli @ Jan 14th 2008 3:08PM]

You think this will be sold for 100$?

[jeti @ Jan 14th 2008 3:30PM]

With a four year subscription for EDGE services.

[rlynd3 @ Jan 14th 2008 6:43PM]

Others have seen it too, just bringing it to the front. Would have saved me time.

By the way, www.macbookair.com redirects to:

http://www.apple.com/?Will+We+see+a+MacBookAir+on+Tuesday?

[hijk @ Jan 15th 2008 2:33AM]

All those macbookair.* address were registered by the MacRumors Crew:

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/01/14/macbookair-com-clarification/

Apple doesn't register every product as a url.

Enjoy the keynote!

[mrhammerstein @ Jan 14th 2008 3:10PM]

thanks for the update of nothing. glad you wrote a post about it.

[Constable Odo @ Jan 14th 2008 3:30PM]

Who cares if it's an article about nothing. Seinfeld existed for years doing shows about nothing. All that matters for the time being is keeping up the hype. If they want to cover Steve Jobs changing into his turtleneck or taking a dump, then that's okay, too. Anything to keep up the Apple buzz.

Everything will be revealed tomorrow when history is made. All power to the MacBook Slim or MacBook Air or whatever they're calling it.

[SteveMB @ Jan 14th 2008 3:44PM]

"history is made"

You're kidding me right?

[Neeko @ Jan 14th 2008 3:10PM]

OK so why is a ultrAportable MAC such a big deal. Besides the Iam a MAC fanboy and love/buy everything MAC.

Weve got a ton of these already out and working fine. Unless APPLE adds some new never before seen tech to this laptop...YAAAAAAAAAAAWN

[Derry Quinn @ Jan 14th 2008 3:15PM]

Why NEEKO do you spell Mac in Capitals? Is it because you are slating them off before trying them, NEEKO?

[iPriest @ Jan 14th 2008 3:23PM]

You really think Apple will release another ton-of-these laptop?

There were tons of phones already available before the iPhone. Still Apple raised the bar of what a real phone should look like and how it should work. Expect a lightweight laptop that again will show the industry how such a device should be made!

[Neeko @ Jan 14th 2008 3:34PM]

I wasnt saying it nots a interesting idea. what iam questioning is the high importance everyone is giving this. But hey i dont buy Macs so what do i know.

@Derry Quinn does it really matter what i put in CAPS? And for the record i work at a Brand marketing company that uses MACS exclusively.

[rip @ Jan 14th 2008 3:41PM]

Well, yes, there is a difference between Mac and MAC.

Mac implies a Macintosh computer from Apple.

MAC implies MAC address, a networking term.

Besides that, a Mac from Apple isn't an acronym, so why would you think it should be all capitalized?

[Zak @ Jan 14th 2008 4:38PM]

It matters because MAC is an acronym. It stands for Media Access Control. Mac is not an acronym, it's short for Macintosh, which is a proper name, which is a noun. That's why it's spelled Mac and not MAC.

[Denver_80203 @ Jan 14th 2008 5:36PM]

I call it MAC because it pisses you fanboys off. Kinda like the M$ bullshit.

Actually I don't but when I see NEEKO being a dweeb like that I want to.

[Denver_80203 @ Jan 14th 2008 5:38PM]

guh... Derry was the dweeb,
Neeko the innocent by stander,
myself the red faced typo moron.

[Tony Bowman @ Jan 14th 2008 3:11PM]

http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/12251/13275/Steve-jobs-keynote-speech-leaked.phtml

supposedly the Stevenote was leaked on Wikipedia. take it with a grain of salt, but everything seems right in line with the plausible rumors.

[decypher44 @ Jan 14th 2008 4:15PM]

Might be fake, but if it is, then some people have WAY too much time on their hands.

[OctaneZ @ Jan 14th 2008 4:23PM]

The Mac Pro line got refreshed last week, so I have to say this is a no go.

"Product Refreshes
- Refreshing Mac Pro and Mac mini today
- Mac Pro now with Penryn!"

[cronick @ Jan 14th 2008 3:11PM]

A little BYRDie told you???? LOL

[John @ Jan 14th 2008 3:12PM]

Or just suckers. In general.

[Kris @ Jan 14th 2008 3:13PM]

The first item is easily explainable as the ad engine can extract common words from a search term.

[Jeff @ Jan 14th 2008 3:14PM]

I doubt those images... the wallpaper is from Tiger - Apple would be using Leopard in promotional images.

[jx @ Jan 14th 2008 3:17PM]

um, if you search "macbooknano" you get a link to the official apple store or "macbookred" or pretty much anything else with macbook in the title.

[Todd @ Jan 14th 2008 3:20PM]

"...who ever smelt it, dealt it!"

[TK @ Jan 14th 2008 6:15PM]

...whoever made the rhyme, committed the crime...

;)

[xbit @ Jan 14th 2008 3:22PM]

Who cairs?

[borncliche @ Jan 14th 2008 4:28PM]

nicely done....;-]

[George @ Jan 14th 2008 3:27PM]

Found this one too:
http://www.mac-air.com/

[adamissimo @ Jan 14th 2008 3:35PM]

What an awful name. I think they should call it the Apple AirBook.

[deadlock32 @ Jan 14th 2008 3:39PM]

unless its a mac book PRO air, I wont care... so kiss my derriere... while i site on my chair... brushing my hair... at the county fa-- [trails on]

[SteveMB @ Jan 14th 2008 3:43PM]

Wow, that is a stupid name for a laptop!

[wootman @ Jan 14th 2008 3:44PM]

i am OFFICIALLY calling a smaller macbook with 3g!

[Matt @ Jan 14th 2008 3:51PM]

Why would Apple release a mac with 3G? It doesn't appeal to their consumer customer base. Most people who use EVDO or otherwise try to use cellular technology to access the internet are businessmen and women who all use their Dell or Lenovo/IBM laptops that are supplied to them by their company.

[wootman @ Jan 14th 2008 10:17PM]

because i want it to be true.
T_T

[Heffer @ Jan 14th 2008 3:47PM]

C'mon everyone, quit kidding yourselves.

"Something is up in the Air" is a reference to the new iPod Invisa that will be announced tomorrow.

[MattJ @ Jan 14th 2008 3:48PM]

It seems unlikely that Apple would actually add a new product line. I think it's far more likely they're going to replace the entire macbook line with the "air" model. My bet is that they are just going to force the current macbook model into a smaller aluminum footprint such that it's extremely thin.

If you look at the keyboard designs they've released and the direction the iMac has gone over the past several years, Apple designers obviously think "thin is in" and are probably still committed to their aluminum + glass designs. The MacBook (and Mac Mini, which probably not a priority) is behind when it comes to this design standard.

They'll release new MacBooks, less than an inch thin, aluminum based and hopefully that will be bundled with a better designed remote, perhaps (but unlikely) some type of blu ray option, accessories that match the color options (ie a black magsafe cable for black macbooks).

I'm curious as to whether they intend to discontinue the mac mini any time soon or intend to place any focus on the Apple TV.

[w @ Jan 14th 2008 3:49PM]

lulz... a tablet mac? NOOO WAY!!! who knew?

[thabenksta @ Jan 14th 2008 3:57PM]

Don't mean to be a party pooper, but macbookair.org was registered after the rumors started to fly. Plus why would apple secure that domain, when they don't even own macbook.com.

As for the ads, there's also a best buy ad for macbook that is displayed. That tells me that it sees the word macbook in macbookair, not that apple is already buying adspace for macbook air.

Overall I don't think that Apple would have such a big release when they can keep riding the success of the iPhone. I'll be happy with an incremental macbook pro upgrade, and some details on the iPhone firmware

[DrXym @ Jan 14th 2008 4:08PM]

Apple used to produce quality kit. These days it seems they're more style over substance and quite expensive too. I wonder what flaws the new model will have. Its predecessors managed overheating, expanding batteries, melting power jacks and yellowing cases.

[stinoR @ Jan 14th 2008 4:21PM]

Air is not a bad name, i'm only hoping for some aluminium in the air :p

[Luke @ Jan 14th 2008 4:09PM]

http://www.macbookairblog.com/post/23698665

[pragsdale @ Jan 14th 2008 4:09PM]

macbookair.org is not listed under Apple. It was registed on the 11th by someone in London: markmonitorglobal.com. Do a whois and you'll see this.

[John Bell @ Jan 14th 2008 4:14PM]

Hmm. The Dogpile results don't mean a thing; if you type in Macbook, it returns a Mac Store result as #1. For instance, try "macbookcrap" or "macbookyay".

As for the Whois results, I'm skeptical. The SanFran address is registered to MarkMonitor, a domain registrar, the others protected by a no-ID guard address, so why would Apple bother with .biz, .us, etc.?

All this is not to say there's no MacBook Air - who knows? But this is hardly "evidence". C'mon, Engadget - I expect better cynicism from you.

[Matt @ Jan 14th 2008 4:19PM]

"Something in the Air" probably refers to Apple committing to wireless USB to replace the ports on the new macbooks. I wonder if that implies there's some type of port replicator or docking station required. I think the collapsible ports that Apple patented a while back are too ugly for their designers to try to use.

[Chase @ Jan 14th 2008 4:26PM]

http://i5.tinypic.com/87a7fr4.gif

It's a definite!

Someone already posted the page above, but here it is again...
http://www.macbookairblog.com/post/23698665

[Luke @ Jan 14th 2008 4:36PM]

Yeah, I posted about this a minute ago.

But Apple has, in the past, let out fake shots to lead us off.

[Luis @ Jan 14th 2008 4:46PM]

Bullshit... SSD's come in power of 2 sizes... not 60 or 80 GB

[trampas @ Jan 14th 2008 5:19PM]

Some peculiar things about that Air pic. The text under the cinema displays doesn't match current store. Plus there is a lot of space between the display section and the next row of customization. Should already be seeing the horizontal line separating the adapter (or similar) section.

[Chase @ Jan 14th 2008 4:40PM]

Do they allow video cameras in the keynote? They obviously allow laptops and they have wifi in there... Someone should stream it live (for free!) on the website ustream.tv .... I just found it. It's pretty cool. And I really want to watch this live rater than keep refreshing the page, lol.

[oshean @ Jan 14th 2008 4:51PM]

View synergypi's signature. Is he bluffing?

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6327136