Lenovo has some funny-ha-ha times at MacBook Air's expense
By Paul Miller 
posted Apr 30th 2008 8:35AM
posted Apr 30th 2008 8:35AM
[Thanks, Lee M]
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EPIC WIN!
not
is so!
Agreed.
Meh. If you can't beat em, mock em.
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!
Thinking outside the envelope....
[a proud ThinkPad owner]
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.
is not, that laptop is god awful-ugly
"Meh. If you can't beat em, mock em."
Or in this instance, do both.
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.
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.
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!
Oh yeah and great send up advert!
"I find silver fuckign ugly."
Minus rated for having bad taste. Also, it's spelled "fucking."
@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.
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.
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.
@Daniel Steinberg -
Well, fanboy, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so yes we CAN argue that the Air isn't beautiful.
"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? ;)
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.
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.
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.
ahaha Go Lenovo \o/
Apple just got bitchslapped
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...
Play this on a TV ad. I'd love to see the reactions to this.
[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.
Damn that Thinkpad looks sick.. Only thing Apple did right was the iPhone
That FOOL! He's gonna scratch the top of his Macbook treating it so recklessly. *cringe*
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.
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.
Agreed.
That was pretty amusing :)
Very funny, but if it don't run OS X, I ain't buying it.
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.
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.
Yeah, I want 22' rims, too!!!
... on my heavy strip-mining excavator, I guess?
This far outdoes the macbook air advert although the x300 still looks a bit too big.
"the x300 still looks a bit too big"
The MBA is big as well.
Check out a Dell Latitude X1. That was small.
And once again Macbook Air is pwned
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.
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.
@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.
Lolz, that was hilarious! Total pawnage even though they could have rubbed it in a little more.
Absolutely fantastic!
Agreed! Job well done :D
The X300 is everything the Macbook Air should have been (well... bar looks but i thas inner beauty :D)
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.
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")
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.
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
Love it!
Eh, cute, but I don't really agree. Got my wife one for work, and she has yet to need any of those things. We have them, but they're gathering dust. Haven't even plugged the DVD drive in yet. So... meh.
As a recent mac convert (5 years or so) I can say as of late I have been feeling the same way about PCs that I used to feel about my mac when I heard all the mac jokes of old.
Hooray to the new underdog...
Lenovo is still a bit hard to swallow, being an IBM fan most of my life.
That was awesome! I love how they try to stuff all of the add-ons into the envelope :D
Yes....that was the joke....your powers of deduction are outstanding......
you mean like a bi-sexual
Oh, man, I should NOT post before 10 AM..
Lenovo is a Chinese brand...well done!
so....?
guess where 90% of the manufacturing of the MBA takes place.
You do realize where the parts for the MBA (MacBook Air) are produced in China, right? Who cares? The Chinese are people too.
Bottom line, everyone who is anyone knows Lenovo builds the best laptops in the world. Quality abounds within the simple black body. Just take one apart.
Do you have any idea how upgradable Lenovo's are? You can upgrade the processor, memory, motherboard, optical drive, add a cell modem...Their owners manual makes upgrading a snap. Want a great cheap laptop? Buy a used T or X series and upgrade the thing. Because Lenovos are so reliable they make great second-hand laptops.
In contrast, the MacBook Air (all Apple products) are DISPOSABLE. Forever about upgrades, Stevie doesn't believe in them.
I'm happy to see people support Apple, because I think they push the envelope on style (sometimes). What I don't understand are all the Dell, Acer, HP, Compaq, etc. purchases. Those units are trash.
If you doubt me, just ask your local network/IT administrator. Most of them a Lenovo (T or X series), the rest buy MacBooks only because they can afford to throw them away and don't like the simple looks of the Lenovo.
Personally I LOVE the simple black look. I want simpler, not more elegant. I wish they'd ditch all the idiot lights (or make them more simple) but that's about it.
On the keyboard, have you ever used a Lenovo keyboard? They're a pleasure to work with. ...That said, the only thing I like better about the MBA is the lit keyboard. ...But I only want the letters to light up, I don't want to waste power lighting up around the keyboard.
...Well, that's my rant.
Right on, Brien.
I've been thoroughly impressed with my 3 year-old T43. I love the understated matte black finish and clean lines. But even more, build quality is important to me. The solid chassis of the ThinkPad models protects the mainboard and display from undue stress. As a repair tech, I saw the alternatives like Dell, HP, Toshiba, et al fail routinely from repeated stress of lifting off the desk and moving in luggage. Admittedly, I want a MacBook Pro to replace my T43 but have no experience with them.
what's funny is how many macs are made in china, and how many mac users are for a free tibet.
Its all personal preference I guess. I hate my T43 keyboard. I have a macbook pro I purchased for personal development work, but I now use it for work as well. My t43 hasn't moved from its position of being a bookend on my desk.
In my opinion I haven't used any keyboard better than the macbook pro. Unfortunately, they will probably be switched over to the macbook keyboards, which I guess the air has.
In response to the video: to each their own. Some people actually watch movies on their laptop, or use CDs. I used a CD once on my new laptop...it was just to be sure the thing would mount it. I agree 1 usb port is a bit low, but if I had an air I would just use a bluetooth mouse. that would leave the port open for an external harddrive or an iphone.
I am waiting for a revision or two of the air. It does need a better harddrive as well.
@Brien
You can do that with most non-Apple non-ultra portables. The real questions is whether the warranty will allow you to do so without voiding it.
I, for one, am happy to admit that my Dell Inspiron 1420's warranty doesn't care what I do inside as long as I don't break anything while doing it. No warranty-voiding stickers here!
"Meh. If you can't beat em, mock em."
Like Apple's PC vs MAC ads ?
/thread
That was an epic take-down :D
Nice comeback.
wicked one, my friend... absolutely wicked... and so true
Exacto!
Vista + Lenovo X300 FTW!!
At least the Macbook Air is not ugly
at least my self esteem doesn't depend on what others think of the aesthetic appearance of my computer
I don't think anyone wants an ugly computer. Let me think... Do I want a ugly flat black finish or do I want a nice looking aluminum finish... I think I'll take the aluminum finish. I have nothing against Lenovo they make good computer but there damn ugly.
@Mike
Enjoy your yellow Beatle covered in bumper stickers!
Maybe you'll see me driving around in my discreet, black, full-sized luxury sedan.
At least you'll get noticed, and maybe 5% of the world will compliment you on your car.
The guys behind that should volunteer their service to a certain number of political campaigns.
and pull hilary clinton out of a envolope?
Then you could shove her back in with Bill attatched.
im sure lenovo find the sell out sales figures funny too! by the way, they dont mention the lenovos bse spec or upgrades, interesting reading maybe there should be a parody of one click air ordering at 1 price and a 20 click lenovo order doubling the price and size of the machine.
Yes, because customization is totally awful. Who in their right mind would want to chose whats in their laptop if it means more mouse clicks. And as far as the prices are concerned, when the baseline is 1800 dollars on the MBA who would want to add anything anyways (unless they have a deep seeded hatred of money)?
And a side note: adding things to laptops does not in fact increase their size.
"Oh shit I want more RAM but I don't know if I can handle the extra inch of height...O wait I'm ordering an MBA so I don't have a choice anyways :-( "
Myspace has the spoof since Youtube removed it
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=33302009
Really funny, and it's so true...
To those who say they don't need that stuff on the MBA, that's good for you. But the point is on the Lenovo it's built in (like the video said "We don't add stuff on, we build it in". Why didn't Apple do the same?
After all the AIR's USB controller can support more ports!!! It's already capable of that, look at the article yesterday where a guy soldered on a Verizon Air Card inside the MBA. But Apple didn't put them on.... Why?
And the argument that it's Vista not Mac OSX is weak, the ad, is comparing hardware. OSX86 project could fix that gripe in a minute, let alone an XP or an Ubuntu install.
Sure you may not use the ROM drive or USB ports, but they are still nice to have, if ever caught in a situation where you need to think outside the envelope.
The ad is cute and funny. Just like the Mac Book Error.
"And the argument that it's Vista not Mac OSX is weak, the ad, is comparing hardware. OSX86 project could fix that gripe in a minute, let alone an XP or an Ubuntu install."
A minute? C'mon now.
Also OSX86 is not a realistic solution to OS X on a pc. Trust me I have done it on 4 different machines just for the heck of it and it's not in any way usable especially on Dell's with their closed BIOS. It's a hack and not a solution!
I know people who have MBAs, and they tell me they always feel like they need to be careful with it and they are going to break it, which is something Thinkpad owners never suffer from. That said, even if you find you can live without a built in drive, it doesnt mean that you wouldnt use it if you had one. I use mine all the time for ripping music, among other things. Sure, at my desk I have a USB hub and I run at least three cables out of it, but those are all things I really dont need attached all the time, like my backup HDD, PDA, Creative Xmod (really only needed at the desk because it runs my Logitech Z2300 system).
There are just some things that are good to have in a mobile system, and some that arent needed. A disc drive is needed...
Oh, and Lenovo is the only one who gets to talk about a fully wireless system, because the x300 supports WiFi up to N, WUSB, and 3G, so when these techs are fully embraced, the x300 will be the coolest guy at the party, and the MBA will be inside plugged into the wall.
Brad,
The macbook air wasn't designed for your desk and your hub. And if your friends feel like they are going to break it, its probably because they have never felt a laptop as light as it. Honestly I thought that it felt strong enough to throw in a bag without any worries but never the less, I have owned my first macbook pro for over a year, took it back and forth to college everyday and used it as my main computer and not one time did it every get bumped or scratched in anyway. It could have been a pro or an air or a piece of cardboard and it would still look the same as it did the first time I used it. Apple makes different products for different people. Its up to you and your friends as the consumer to pick the product thats right for them.
Thinkpad users never feel they have to be careful, because Thinkpad users are never Thinkpad owners. Their companies are Thinkpad owners.
I'm not a fan of the Air, but as a secondary on-the-road computer, it's compromises actually make sense. I honestly maybe use my optical drive once every 2 months and all my USB stuff (all of which I don't need on me all the time) is connected through a hub.
Also, honestly, that black matte finish and blocky design is ugly. I wouldn't be caught dead with that thing.
to bad the thinkpad still looks like shit
to bad
The external dvd drive should have been FREE with the MacBook Air considering the price charged.
The best bit was the piss-take of the indie/hipster music that accompanies every single Apple advertisement.
What do you mean Apple always uses a different song?
The best part is that only a fool would watch this and laugh at apple...
ROFLROFL!!! THAT REALLY IS THE BEST PART! LOL!
Sounds like something a fool would say...
I may be a fool but at least I understand that all companies, apple included, make certain products that are intended to work well for certain people. The I knew right off the bat that the air wasn't going to work well for me. I need the 4 gigs of ram that my macbook pro and imac put out but there are thousands of people who love these things and thousands more who want one more than anything. Its perfect for what it was designed for and there is know-one who can argue with that. It wasn't designed to sit on your desk and hook 10 USB's to it and it wasn't made to do any kind of serious animation, video, or developing on. Apple doesn't want you ripping cd's onto it and watching dvd's on it. They own the biggest music store in the world so I imagine that they probably want you to use that. If you feel trapped without a optical drive or you frequently use firewire and need more than one USB at a time... don't buy it. Most of the post on here are nonsense any way... their not shinny white... the brushed aluminum is quite attractive and they don't feel like they are going to break in your hands.
I have a MacBook Pro (2.4 Penryn), and I'm looking at buying an Air as well. I'm a recent convert, and am tech savvy (programming, as well as Photoshop and movie making, and what not), but it's based on needs. I've had the computer for a month, I used the DVD drive to install iWork and burn 60 DVDs for work. I've only had both USB ports in use once, and that was because I was too lazy to unplug the other one. I went a whole weekend without a power cord or spare battery, used the computer at least 4 hours.
The only thing I wish my Mac had was a Card Reader, though my PC didn't either, so I'm not missing much. The fact is, it may be "nice" to have a DVD drive, more USB ports, etc. etc. on the X300, but the Air takes a minimalist approach. The one time you need your DVD drive, use remote disk. If you need to do a batch burn of DVDs, you likely won't be doing it away from your desk, and in the perfect world you'd have a machine just for DVD copying and burning. The battery is long enough for a coast to coast flight, since the wireless tech will be turned off.
There is really nothing wrong with the Air, just people who think that they need all that extra stuff. Every gram (or 1/30 oz.) weighs you down, you'd be surprised. Apple made a killer product that will destroy when running Montevina processors and sporting a 128GB SSD.
Don't buy and Air, once you start to open the box, it will be exposed to the Obsoletion Radiation given off by Steve Jobs, and you will find out that they just came out with a new version that doesn't suck so bad and has two usb ports.
This whole thing really is funny and all but seriously, the X300 looks like it will rip the envelope without the add ons.
That's pretty good. The Air is a nitche product, it might be ahead of its time but for now it's an overpriced stripped down lap top.
Everyone talks about what you need and dont need.
Well does everyone know what they need and when they'll need it??
HELL TO THE NO
So isn't it great to have what you need at your fingertips?
To mac lovers, stay with your overprices, underused, O/S for zombies.
Hacked in 30 seconds... LAUGH...
Vista= Brains needed
Proud owner of a x300 ultimate vista aes encrypted running on beautiful WIMAX in Chicago...while burning a copy of a DVD
I'm a PC fan and I can't even agree with you.
#1 - Safari was hacked in 30 seconds, not OS X. All OSes stood up to the challenge on the first day.
#2 - OS for zombies? Hardly. Arguing that Vista is better than OS X is a losing battle. Microsoft even admits that UAC was made to annoy users.
#3 - Vista = Brains Needed? What the hell does that even mean? Vista is the most dumbed-down Microsoft OS ever.