Lenovo has some funny-ha-ha times at MacBook Air's expense

Funny concept, Lenovo -- manila envelope stuffing was just ripe for a demonstration of what all you typical MacBook Air user is going to need on hand -- but we've gotta dock a few points for the shortage of Yael Naïm in this X300 mockumercial. Let it be known that we take our fake commercials based on real commercials based on sexy product war very, very seriously around these parts. Video is after the break.

[Thanks, Lee M]

[mike @ Apr 30th 2008 8:40AM]

EPIC WIN!

[Lex @ Apr 30th 2008 8:43AM]

not

[James L @ Apr 30th 2008 8:45AM]

is so!

[Rususeruru @ Apr 30th 2008 8:49AM]

Agreed.

[JAx2000 @ Apr 30th 2008 8:51AM]

Meh. If you can't beat em, mock em.

[darkstar @ Apr 30th 2008 8:53AM]

at the end of the day, nobody knows about the lenovo. everybody i know still wants that stupid mba. you gotta admit apple has some good marketing!

[LondonConsultant @ Apr 30th 2008 8:56AM]

Thinking outside the envelope....

[a proud ThinkPad owner]

[Daniel Steinberg @ Apr 30th 2008 8:58AM]

Not really though. The point is that you don't need all that crap 95% of the time. I only need more than one usb port when I'm working at my desk - when it would be just as easy to plug in a hub with my scanner, cd/dvd burner, etc already attached. If you ask anyone when the last time they used a cd/dvd in their computer, they probably can't remember.

The short of it is that you could hypothetically put all the crap into that envelope because you "need" it, when you really don't. I've worked with both computers and the difference is huge, the X300 is ugly, runs Windows and feels like more of the same - not to mention that it's relatively fat compared to the Air. The MacBook Air is gorgeous and runs OS X. Clearly "business" people will go for the Lenovo while those with taste will go for the Air. I don't think you can argue that the Air isn't beautiful and provides everything most technologically savvy people know they actually need.

[AutoTom @ Apr 30th 2008 9:03AM]

is not, that laptop is god awful-ugly

[sockatume @ Apr 30th 2008 9:12AM]

"Meh. If you can't beat em, mock em."

Or in this instance, do both.

[Brainwav @ Apr 30th 2008 9:14AM]

Because, no one with taste might like an understated matte black finish, over a guady glossy white with blingy Apple light? Yeah, makes sense.

As far as needing the components... you're right on the optical drive, I suppose. I haven't used the DVD drive with my Thinkpad T43 for a while (I keep an extra battery in its slot), but if I need it, it weighs all of 3 ounces and fits nicely into my bag, instead of a big 'ol USB one.

[dj-kenpo @ Apr 30th 2008 9:15AM]

daniel, if you're just mildly technology saavy then sure the MBA is fine.

for those of us that are ACTUALLY tech saavy, the MBA doesn;t run 3ds max, games, and I can't fuckign program micorchips on a mac.

by tech saavy I assume you mean clicking buttons in photoshop and using safari.

I'd take the x300. I find silver fuckign ugly.

[Rich @ Apr 30th 2008 9:32AM]

dj-kenpo

Who would buy a MBA for games 3D etc etc? its really not its target audience... in fact who would buy a mac for games full stop.

All the Road Warriors that I know (to whom this laptop is very appealing) have no need for games, 3DS max, or "programming the microchip". They need balance sheets, graphs, powerpoint and email in a light as possible case. It'll do nicely.
No need to alliterate your post with disguised expletives... its not cool and its not clever!

[Rich UK @ Apr 30th 2008 9:33AM]

Oh yeah and great send up advert!

[Chris @ Apr 30th 2008 10:08AM]

"I find silver fuckign ugly."

Minus rated for having bad taste. Also, it's spelled "fucking."

[morcheeba @ Apr 30th 2008 10:38AM]

@dj-kenpo - you're missing some points in your argument. Both are great computers, but they both have the same integrated graphics and the Air has a 50% faster CPU. Photoshop and 3DS are both professional programs... but, honestly, there are better computers to run these programs on. Rich got it right - that isn't the target audience of either computer.

[erik @ Apr 30th 2008 10:50AM]

I have a Macbook air and I'm able to use cubase for WAVE audio editing with no slowdown (24 + tracks) as well as play Halo with a decent framerate on max resolution. It is nice and light but durable, I can take it anywhere without feeling any compromise. It honestlt has surpassed my expectations.

[jperry @ Apr 30th 2008 11:34AM]

Heh...I guess you could classify me as an Apple fanboy, but I do have to admit, I laughed pretty hard at this.

Sometimes one needs to take time to laugh at oneself.

[Brian @ Apr 30th 2008 11:39AM]

@Daniel Steinberg -

Well, fanboy, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so yes we CAN argue that the Air isn't beautiful.

[Michael L. @ Apr 30th 2008 11:43AM]

"If you ask anyone when the last time they used a cd/dvd in their computer, they probably can't remember."

...Wait, what? Are you REALLY basing your whole post on the "fact" that "Apple users don't need peripherals, because they make their MBA set-up too ugly and fat"?

Seriously.

Get your fanboy-hat off, and look further ahead than all the Apple commercials specifically engineered to make you think you don't need anything else than what their products can offer you.

Alternatively, just stop posting here. Or, be a monk! I heard they live exceptionally simple lives, free of add-ons and life necessities. Perhaps something to consider, Mr. IDontNeedAnythingElseThanAHatAndAPairOfShoes? ;)

[Mark S @ May 1st 2008 5:16PM]

To Daniel Steinberg,

You can say the mac looks good, you can even say it looks better than the x300, but to insinuate that the mac has anything to do with being tasteful is absolutely rediculous. Its bling at its worst.
I literally cant believe you said that. Probably the most off-base post I have seen this year.

[Geir E @ Apr 30th 2008 1:17PM]

A fun ad that does what apple is so good at. Mock the competition.

I am a fan of both Thinkpads and the laptops from Apple, and my next laptop is a macbook pro. just so that is clear.

[krazygoat @ May 1st 2008 12:03AM]

Umm, so there is no 3D Studio Max for OS X. who cares most studios use Maya and we find Maya runs better on our Mac then it did on our PCs. Also there is no Shake for Windows which is still the most popular compositing program for high-end digital FX. Rhino is coming to the Mac and even old holdouts like Solidworks is coming to Mac OS X, why, because people who want to get work done are tired of dealing with Windows crap.

I worked in IT for many years and Macs always had much lower TCO. The MBA is a niche market project for wireless road warriors. What is funny is Lenovo thinking you need all that crap hooked up onto your computer to work. This is the kind of thinking that keeps serial ports, ps2 ports and other crap wasting space on the system. One thing I agree that Apple could have done better was have a slot for either a battery to DVD drive to reside in, but not sure how they would have made it fit. Things are very tight in there.

[Conor Maher @ Apr 30th 2008 2:02PM]

ahaha Go Lenovo \o/

Apple just got bitchslapped

[Liam @ Apr 30th 2008 2:05PM]

See, i use Apple computers and i use my DVD drive on a very regular basis. Couldn't really cope without it to be honest. But as stated its obviously not something its built for. Although apple did get mocked years ago for getting rid of the floppy drive and implementing cd drives and we know how that went. Guess we see how this fares...

[LongshotX @ Apr 30th 2008 2:27PM]

Play this on a TV ad. I'd love to see the reactions to this.

[namire @ Apr 30th 2008 2:29PM]

[quote:Daniel Steinberg]"Not really though. The point is that you don't need all that crap 95% of the time. I only need more than one usb port when I'm working at my desk - when it would be just as easy to plug in a hub with my scanner, cd/dvd burner, etc already attached. If you ask anyone when the last time they used a cd/dvd in their computer, they probably can't remember."[/quote]

You don't need your penis 95% of the time either but you would want that to be a USB accessory that you would only plug in when you needed to have sex. The idea is to be prepared.. lurk moar. plz. or become an hero.

[Tehseen @ Apr 30th 2008 5:14PM]

Damn that Thinkpad looks sick.. Only thing Apple did right was the iPhone

[David @ Apr 30th 2008 7:26PM]

That FOOL! He's gonna scratch the top of his Macbook treating it so recklessly. *cringe*

[Dexter @ Apr 30th 2008 8:14PM]

I have a MacBook Pro...I love it...OS X is great for chatting, surfing, e-mail and music, but I also love that I can run XP on it (yea, I said it: XP...screw Vista!) with XP I perform network management (I work in a Wintel shop), play a couple games that the graphics card can handle, office stuff (I hate Mac's version of Office), website dev, tune my car, and chat/surf/email. I would say I use OS X the majority of the time when I don't need to get a whole lot of work done, but I do thoroughly enjoy it.

I like OS X, I even have begun to respect Apple more because of a recent incident with my iPod and me getting a new free one outside of warranty...

but I absolutely HATE fanboys who only regurgitate Apple propaganda...and these people are the reason why I was hesitant to even ever own a Mac. Yea it's nice that Mac's are pretty, but I don't care, I don't buy a computer as a fashion accessory, I buy them to use, not to show off or belittle other people because they aren't part of the Mac club.

[Citrico @ Apr 30th 2008 8:28PM]

I have a friend, she runs a Mac. She wants a laptop, though nothing really spectacular. She looked at the Air, declared it to be completely useless, and went for a regular MacBook. She figures things like more USB ports and an optical drive are actually pretty necessary. Go figure.

According to the fanboys it would be great for her. Unfortunately, they've bought into the hype so much they've forgotten what it's like to be a regular user.

[Alan @ May 1st 2008 6:46PM]

Agreed.

[Grandalf @ Apr 30th 2008 8:40AM]

That was pretty amusing :)

[clak @ Apr 30th 2008 8:54AM]

Very funny, but if it don't run OS X, I ain't buying it.

[rock99rock @ Apr 30th 2008 9:34AM]

Didn't you hear clak? Just about everything runs OSX if you try hard enough. And by hard enough, I mean pop in a disk and install it.

[Flashpoint @ Apr 30th 2008 1:09PM]

My Lenovo X60 doesn't fit in an envelope like the MBA but its completely better in everyway.

To compare the Lenovo to an MBA is like comparing "the wheel" to chrome 22' rims.

[Benson @ May 1st 2008 7:27PM]

Yeah, I want 22' rims, too!!!
... on my heavy strip-mining excavator, I guess?

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Apr 30th 2008 8:42AM]

This far outdoes the macbook air advert although the x300 still looks a bit too big.

[Pochi @ Apr 30th 2008 9:27AM]

"the x300 still looks a bit too big"

The MBA is big as well.

Check out a Dell Latitude X1. That was small.

[HugoCastano @ Apr 30th 2008 8:42AM]

And once again Macbook Air is pwned

[Snitch @ Apr 30th 2008 12:26PM]

So do people walk around with Printers & peripherals all the time, lol. This machine gives people what carrying 3 separate batteries will give you so you won't have to carry anything & people still complaint. The add also forgot to mention how the Lenevo Cost about $800 more.

[bart.rijksen @ May 1st 2008 5:19AM]

Lol man, i never use a disc drive, or more than one usb port. I don't get why people are complaining about the lack of ports, or the user exchangeable battery.

[Canada's Own Falcon @ May 1st 2008 12:13AM]

@Snitch
Hang on a second, you're telling me you don't carry around a USB key, or you're telling me that you can quickly plug in that SD card from your digi cam to your laptop, or into that hotel's internet without peripherals... BS!
I have a nice big 16GB SD card that won't fit in my Dad's MBA without an extension cable (yeah, it's a credit card style) but... it fits perfectly in my HP laptop with no accessories.. Heck, I can even take that SD card out of my camera and plug it directly into the laptop, no accessories needed, AND my 15.4" HP laptop gives me about 5 1/2 hours of battery life, AND plays Crysis at a decent frame rate.

Yes, I do Photographic editing on my WINDOWS laptop.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.
The MBA has a target audience, it's small, but it exists. Does that make the MBA a be all-end all laptop. NO!
Does it make it a decent laptop that some people will buy, yeah, of course. If you only want to do word processing/email, and have to carry it around, yeah, I'll admit it's a great laptop. Lawyers, Real Estate agents, or insurance agents that do house calls, etc... all great candidates for purchasing an MBA. Most other people... Not so much, it just won't do/handle what most family computers (I-Mac/generic windows desktop) will do, that's handle abuse from being on for 10+ hours a day, and having kids pounding on it, or being used in an environment where it's supplies just don't meet what is required from it.

And to the guy who asked about the last time we used a DVD/Rom drive, I can honestly say, today, when I was playing Crysis, I need to have that DVD in the drive to play. Or yesterday, when I installed a new piece of software, and last week, when a friend of myne wanted a bunch of pictures I had taken, I burned them to a dvd, and gave it to him.

[Homeboy @ Apr 30th 2008 8:45AM]

Lolz, that was hilarious! Total pawnage even though they could have rubbed it in a little more.

[MRCUR @ Apr 30th 2008 8:43AM]

Absolutely fantastic!

[techFTW @ Apr 30th 2008 10:44AM]

Agreed! Job well done :D

The X300 is everything the Macbook Air should have been (well... bar looks but i thas inner beauty :D)

[swingin' dick hero @ Apr 30th 2008 8:46AM]

Haha, that's one good kidneypunch.
Though I would miss good looks and OS X (without hassle).
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't buy an Air either.

[Fernando @ Apr 30th 2008 8:46AM]

It was all funny until he opened the screen on the 300 and it was running Vista. (sound of horns followed by Bob Barker saying "Oh that was so sad")

[alex @ Apr 30th 2008 10:23AM]

That's a good one. Admittedly, IBM thinkpads are some sweet looking hardware, but I wouldn't run vista if they paid me a consulting fee. We should start separating our hardware from our software and leave it to personal preference. It's a pity to have such a nice machine tarnished by the fact that its operating system is the computational equivalent of bovine excrement.

On the other hand, we shouldn't compare this to the macbook ingraciously. Sure it's got a built-in DVD drive, but it's a fallacy to believe you'll never hook up an external device to it. Additionally, that mess of wires and cables in the video is just a bunch of nonsense. It's like three hubs to connect a single external drive.

Finally, we should give the nod to the macbook because it is a pioneering design and a totally different concept. On an airplane I would much much rather have a macbook air than this device, seeing as I would most certainly have no need for a DVD drive, (yes, even for watching movies).

Not to mention, it is absolutely 100% guaranteed that the research and development that led to the macbook processor most certainly went into the design of this machine's processor as well, so without the macbook this machine would be just another X series.

Now let's just wait and see which palmrest will start to peel first.

[Seanross @ Apr 30th 2008 12:12PM]

I guess you right about the movies issue, now that I think about it. I really don't use CD's although I guess a drive would be handy. But I mostly download all my media (Movie & Music) Only thing I ever hook up via the USB port is my iPod (I shunned them up until the iPod video) and my treo and maybe a mouse on rare occasions. My only gripe about the MBA is the size of the SSD, but those will get bigger with time.

But I happen to like windows, OSX is ok i guess, just need more time with it