MacBook Air gets smothered in Swarovski crystals, loses innocence

For whatever reason, products designed in Cupertino have a strange attraction to precious coverings -- ones created with gold and diamonds, namely. Nary a month after Apple's thinnest laptop ever started shipping out to eager early adopters, over 8,000 Swarovski crystals have somehow found their way onto a totally helpless MBA. We wish we could say it was defaced and stripped of its soul for a good cause, but sadly, it wasn't.

[Via Crystal Icing]

[webon @ Feb 27th 2008 3:52AM]

Whoa nelly!

[Blackster @ Feb 27th 2008 3:59AM]

so, it weights now double? what a gain! *g*

[James @ Feb 27th 2008 4:05AM]

Just goes to further prove that a laptop like this is meant for the person who prefers style and "wow factor" before any sense of usefulness.

This laptop actually makes me glad that I'm not filthy rich.

[Kizorblade @ Feb 27th 2008 4:12AM]

How does it prove anything? I've seen plenty of other things covered in shiny gems (a waste really. It makes things look ugly)

[Brian @ Feb 27th 2008 4:14AM]

I too wish I was filthy poor. ... sigh.. one can only dream..

[James @ Feb 27th 2008 4:16AM]

How often do you see a Lenovo laptop covered in Swarovski crystals??

Not bashing Apple (I own a lot of Apple products), just saying that the MBA is strictly style before anything else.

[LordFarkward @ Feb 27th 2008 4:32AM]

"How often do you see a Lenovo laptop covered in Swarovski crystals??"

never, though at the same time i've never seen anything covered in swarovski crystals. so... does that make your point moot?

[Grant @ Feb 27th 2008 5:25AM]

i once saw an obnoxious girl with a cellphone completely covered in pink crystals.
then i punched her in the face.

[Abuzar @ Feb 27th 2008 6:20AM]

If I saw Paris Hilton, I'd punch her too.

[fraz @ Feb 27th 2008 7:16AM]

@Grant - you, sir, made my day :)

[Will @ Feb 27th 2008 10:39AM]

I don't disagree, but why would somebody buy it for its style and then turn around and change that style that they bought it for. This is stupid.

[TJF @ Feb 27th 2008 2:32PM]

Isn't the thing going to tip over now every time you open it because it's top heavy? Style only indeed.

[Alex Kirby @ Feb 27th 2008 4:17AM]

The whole point of the Air is that it's ultra-portable. Would you really pay a fortune to make it useless?

[Nubaeus @ Feb 27th 2008 5:47AM]

It's already useless, except for a paperweight.

[ClarkyCat @ Feb 27th 2008 6:35AM]

But it's only heavy enough to hold down approximately 3 pages, so it fails in that regard too.

[prateeko @ Feb 27th 2008 4:19AM]

Shouldn't be too hard getting people who pay too much for a laptop to pay too much for an ugly ass mod...

[asphixiated @ Feb 27th 2008 4:43AM]

if it so can be called a mod

[effzehn @ Feb 27th 2008 4:49AM]

Excuse me, but this is fugly.

[blaze @ Feb 27th 2008 5:01AM]

Fugly with an uppercase F!

[Ellianth @ Feb 27th 2008 11:27AM]

The air is ugly too so what does it matter?

[jhon mark @ Feb 27th 2008 5:24AM]

is there a raffle for that gadget to anyone can get that for free????

[Elora HRanma @ Feb 27th 2008 5:49AM]

Don't fix something that ain't broken, I was told...
Turning something beautiful but useless into something awful AND useless is somehow against that, right?

[PJK @ Feb 27th 2008 6:15AM]

I'll mess you up, then what man will want you , NONE! You scab faced whore of a macbook!

[BigBloke @ Feb 27th 2008 6:34AM]

This is just sooo wrong! I mean using Swarovski crystals is just like, so cheap.

Now if they has used pink diamonds, then we might all have something to go wow at...

[ShadowMaker @ Feb 27th 2008 6:45AM]

I think If you put this in an envelope you need to upgrade the insurance.

[turn_self_off @ Feb 27th 2008 7:19AM]

its interesting how "normal" it looks ones you cover the gray surface and apple logo with mostly black...

still, i guess apple is one of the few that get away with selling a "gray box" these days ;)

[Ebers @ Feb 27th 2008 7:14AM]

Looks like Swarovski tried to polish a turd but vomited all over it instead.

[WickedEast @ Feb 27th 2008 4:48PM]

Swarovski didn't do it. CrystalIcing.com did it.

[Soren Christensen @ Feb 27th 2008 8:07AM]

Dear god that is ugly

[fanman @ Feb 27th 2008 8:15AM]

How vulgar

[frankXchange @ Feb 27th 2008 8:19AM]

Wow, that's like Paris trashy...er...classy.

[Jonathan Allen @ Feb 27th 2008 8:56AM]

Dear Engadget:

Please stop covering gadgets covered in Russian glass; this isn't news.

[Backlin @ Feb 27th 2008 9:47AM]

With the light weight of the MBA and all of those sharp crystals, this thing can be a pretty deadly weapon.

BAM!

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 10:08AM]

Boom!

[Feldwebel Wolfenstool @ Feb 27th 2008 10:30AM]

Swarovski crystals sell for a NICKEL a pop.

[tb @ Feb 27th 2008 12:32PM]

ugliest laptop ever
why do stuidly rich people have no taste?

[Tony the Troll @ Feb 27th 2008 12:48PM]

It's not just a Ho-Mac. It's a cheap Ho-Mac!

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 12:52PM]

Why not just write your name in l33t on the front? That way your fashion can be as hopelessly dated as your hardware in 2 years!

[Brian Sexton @ Feb 27th 2008 12:56PM]

I think I am going to have to pass on the MacBook Tacky.

[Fruition @ Feb 27th 2008 7:03PM]

"We wish we could say it was defaced and stripped of its soul for a good cause"

Wait, Macbooks can't have souls. Only beings which have souls can create other beings with souls, and I'm fairly certain Steve Jobs doesn't have a soul. Thus, the Macbook cannot have a soul.

He doesn't have a heart either, as evident here:
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=186

[GoonieGooGoo @ Feb 27th 2008 7:20PM]

this is the perfect laptop for Paris Hilton.....

Which is about the level of intelligence someone would need to be to buy the lackluster MacBook Air anyway....

[charlie hedbring @ Mar 5th 2008 8:14AM]

Hello? Dell's x300 has been around for years: 1.4Ghz, 80gigHD, 640meg-1gig RAM, ethernet port, 3 USB ports, wireless, removeable battery, and 2.8lbs, almost 1/2 the cost. Wow Apple, where you been dude?

[Javier @ Mar 6th 2008 5:48AM]

I think customize your laptop it's a great idea, but not in that way... Laptops are always in 'movement' so we need protection with style, something to protect form scratches, even to express our self, that is why I create this stuff http://www.designdecals.com/index_eng.htm
I hope you like it!! Coments are welcome!!

Greetings form spain

[John D @ Mar 15th 2008 11:16AM]

I don't think I'd trust any company who does their business from a blogspot site.