Envy 133 and MacBook Air duke it out in the flesh

Sure, we've sized these two up theoretically, but how well do Voodoo's Envy 133 and Apple's MacBook Air get along when sharing the same meatspace? There are certainly some striking similarities -- both have gargantuan trackpads, for instance, but Voodoo has taken things in an aesthetic direction all its own. We just hope these two decide to be friends instead of mortal, cake-cutting enemies.

[Mike Bertolino @ Jun 10th 2008 10:13AM]

go mac!

[AC @ Jun 10th 2008 10:16AM]

Go Envy!

[Matt @ Jun 10th 2008 10:16AM]

go banana!

[peekinde @ Jun 10th 2008 10:22AM]

GO GO POWER RANGERSSS NAHHH NAHHH NAH NAH NAH

[Pochi @ Jun 10th 2008 10:24AM]

Go away!

[Tim Brown @ Jun 10th 2008 10:30AM]

Go Go enGadget Copter!

[imacmatt09 @ Jun 10th 2008 10:33AM]

I prefer Mac's but the clear winner here is the Envy. All the MBA's got on it is looks.... plus it cuts cake.

[Blaine Oliver @ Jun 10th 2008 10:47AM]

So our options are blunt clever or meat knife?

[SeeScottRock @ Jun 10th 2008 11:47AM]

Isn't there another nah in the power rangers Song?
I was alive then so i should know!!!

P.S. Blue ranger got the shaft, everyone knows he was more fit to lead than the red ranger...

[Mam00th @ Jun 10th 2008 12:03PM]

Of all of those reply, the winner is ...

TIM BROWN!!!

You made me lold!

[Mam00th @ Jun 10th 2008 12:04PM]

replies....

EDIT FUNCTION PLZ

[Mam00th @ Jun 10th 2008 12:05PM]

I would kill for an edit function...

[Kool Karlo @ Jul 4th 2008 4:20PM]

Esquire put it best when their tech reviewer made a comment comparing a high end PC laptop running on Vista with a Ferrari with square wheels.

[Decoy @ Jun 10th 2008 4:05PM]

Now I've read Clak I'll never go Mac.

[MadMike @ Jun 10th 2008 10:15AM]

Intel graphics != marginally acceptable. I don't get it. They make such good processors and have made strides in the market place being the defacto leader since the introduction of the Core architecture and AMD choosing the way of the Motorola and Palm (piss poor business decisions). But Intel's graphics suck, horribly.

[TomWBrowning @ Jun 10th 2008 10:20AM]

I read that != as meaning that they are acceptable, rather than marginally acceptable. For some reason my brain thinks marginal is a negative. I must have high standards, ha.

[Evan @ Jun 10th 2008 11:34AM]

In programming, "!=" means "not equal to".

It would have been fine to say "Intel graphics != acceptable". However "Intel graphics != marginally acceptable" translates to "Intel graphics are not marginally acceptable". If they are not marginally accaptable, what are they? "very acceptable"? The statement could mean either better or worst than "marginal".

[wickedpheonix @ Jun 10th 2008 11:40AM]

they're working on it - go google Larrabee and the new integrated graphics that are coming with Montevina.

Besides, you can't expect too much from integrated graphics anyways purely on size - look at the graphics chip on a motherboard, it looks just like the CMOS chips and northbridge/southbridge chips, maybe a little bigger, and no heatsink. Then look at the nVidia/AMD boards - collosal, easily ten times the size, and with humongous heat sinks. Honestly what did you think was going to happen?

[MadMike @ Jun 10th 2008 11:55AM]

okay, then

Intel_Graphics < Marginally_Acceptable

or in layman's terms: Intel Graphics sucks donkey balls.

I don't care about power consumption or heat. They made a product that couldn't handle the most basic of tasks in Windows XP, let alone vista. Sure, it was low power and it didn't put out a lot of heat - but it didn't work either. I have this brick, it doesn't put out heat and doesn't use any power and it doesn't display graphics either. Just like Intel Graphics.

A fail is a fail. They failed.

[Matt @ Jun 10th 2008 10:16AM]

Um... does anybody here speak Freedom?

[MadMike @ Jun 10th 2008 12:06PM]

Freedom. There is no such thing. Go to any country, any country. From the most Red/Blue state in the US to the most communist society and try taking a dump on the side of the road. They will punish you, some MUCH more severely than others. China will beat you senseless and probably throw you in a torture chamber of a jail for 10 years, California will fine you into bankruptcy, classify you as a sex offender, throw a tracking bracelet on you and not allow you to move within 100000 feet of any child in the country.

We have 0 freedom. Say a guy is robbing your house and you shoot him, you go to jail, the news classifies you a right wing white supremacist Nazi apologist and you lose your job, your house and all your money.

You meet a girl in a bar, have a few drinks each and take her home and seal the deal. The next day, she feels guilty and like a slut, she says you raped her and you get arrested, get classified as a sex offender, get a permanent tracking bracelet, get fired from your job, lose all your money, get chemically castrated and you can no longer move within 100000 feet of any child in the country.

You go to Taco Bel in NYCl, eat a few Gorditas and need to fart. You fart in the general direction of anyone who is Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Black, Asian, Latino, etc... and you get arrested for a hate crime, get labeled as a right wing white supremacist nazi apologist and you lose your job, money, wife, kids.

Freedom, HAH. You can't even buy a DVD and watch the same movie on your iPod without paying another $10.00. We have no freedom.

Hell, try buying a product that has directions and accepted uses printed on the product's container. If you use it in a manner that isn't listed, even if its not illicit, you can be fined AND go to jail.

WE HAVE NO FREEDOM. We are royally F*CKED. And going to hell in a handbag.

[tydei8 @ Jun 10th 2008 12:52PM]

How in the world do you know the different forms of punishment one will receive for taking a dump on the side of the road in various countries?

[GenBanks @ Jun 10th 2008 12:59PM]

If you want total freedom, move to Iraq, Afghanistan or Somalia and do whatever the hell you want. Let's see if you survive.

Our understanding of freedom in the west is not 'total' and was never understood to be that way. It is freedom within your own private realm. You can exercise freedom but you cannot exercise it in a way that impedes the freedom of others. So no, you can't drive drunk at 100mph on the wrong side of the road. That's because you would be risking other people's rights, and that is something you do not have the freedom to do.

[MadMike @ Jun 10th 2008 3:45PM]

@Tydei8:
I've never been arrested for it, but went on a PA FOP sponsored bus trip through wine country in California. But, the bus didn't have a bathroom and I needed to do #2. So I went in a bush just as a CHP officer drove by. I had to listen to a 10 minute tirade from the officer on what would of happened if 20 of my buddies didn't flash their badges at him. Never been to China, but from what I heard what happens if you spit gum on the street, I can only imagine the horrors that would ensue if one were to defecate on the street.

@GenBanks:
I was being facetious. Except the whole lack of fair use with media and the Canadian government wanting Copyright police that can search your laptop, cellphone and iPod for copyright infringement.

[Matt @ Jun 10th 2008 3:57PM]

Sorry, @MadMike, but I would gladly live with small rules of order in exchange for the broader freedoms a civilized society affords.

I'm really not sure if you were being serious with your i-can't-take-a-dump-i-have-no-real-freedom argument, but briefly: If everyone could simply defecate on the side of the road, the high level of sanitary conditions we have come to enjoy in this country would quickly deteriorate. Disease would become rampant. Not to mention the smell. (You think it's bad when crap is confined to the sewers??)

[Bizzell @ Jun 10th 2008 10:23AM]

404 Not Found

[ryan @ Jun 10th 2008 10:24AM]

Why does it have a giant track pad if it doesnt have multi-touch?

[TomWBrowning @ Jun 10th 2008 10:35AM]

Apparently it does. Multitouch = wave of the future, clearly.

[goodstuff @ Jun 10th 2008 10:55AM]

Actually it does. Thats what the video said

[Deed @ Jun 10th 2008 10:41AM]

I think they already stated that the Envy has multi-touch.

Also the Air's the only one that's good for cake-cutting because of its illusionary aggressive tapering. I wonder how thick it would look if it didn't have that misleading taper, though?

[MadMike @ Jun 10th 2008 10:25AM]

Clak,
What's with the Ponies man? Bestiality fetish? They make drugs for that.

Anyway yes. Mac for Mac OS X, PC for Winblows or Linux. Mac OS X has its distinct advantages as a daily use OS. For everything except gaming, I use Mac OS X. XP is useful for business connectivity and gaming. My gaming PC and my work PC run Win XP Pro.

Linux is great for research, coding, servers, getting into 'trouble', etc... I use Gentoo for all of my unsavory activities. I got this signal generator for linux one time, that plus $10 of parts from the Granger catalog and every car alarm for 3 blocks was going off. :-)

[Everywhere Boy @ Jun 10th 2008 10:37AM]

That Envy is the first Windows 'book that I've wanted in a while. Depending on Uk prices (If it's even going to be available in the UK) I may get one. Would complement my Air very nicely.

[PEZ @ Jun 10th 2008 10:46AM]

Here is the way I see it....


See?

Its all what you want for an OS at this point.

[ecobore @ Jun 10th 2008 10:37AM]

I don't Envy anybody who is forced to use Microserf!

[Lamp @ Jun 10th 2008 10:42AM]

Yes, all microsoft users are forced to use their OS.
Bad ecobore,
you smashed my dreams of peace.

[v1nce @ Jun 10th 2008 10:40AM]

go away with your bobo's laptop

[Lamp @ Jun 10th 2008 10:38AM]

Wow, I'm impressed.
No mac vs pc yet.
Will there finally be peace?

[imacmatt09 @ Jun 10th 2008 10:43AM]

The reason for that is because the MBA sucks. Envy is better. Everyone knows it. Yes I'm a Mac user but I would probably buy the Envy before a MBA. But if I had $2000 to blow I wouldn't waste it on an underpowered machine.

[Lamp @ Jun 10th 2008 10:49AM]

No, I definitely agree.
Its ridiculous the amount of money Apple asks for the air while sacrificing so much hardware.
I dont understand how anyone justifies buying an air when the mpb is a fraction more expensive, only a fraction thicker, and far surpasses the airs capabilities.

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 10th 2008 12:42PM]

Well the Air's actually OK now that they've got past the build quality issues. I must say the Envy's nicer though from an aesthetic point of view - it just looks more chiselled and defined.

*gushes*

As for OSX vs Windows, both have good and bad points.

*shrugs*

[Astrostream @ Jun 10th 2008 10:47AM]

@ Clak:
I totally agree with you. I won't buy any non OSX computer.

[Lamp @ Jun 10th 2008 10:45AM]

I agree.
I have nothing against windows, I have used it all my life up to about a year ago.
OSX just seems so pure compared to xp now, i really dont know how to explain it.
I still use xp too, for gaming and such, as OSX cant do everything.
But as a daily OS I doubt I could ever get used to using xp again.

[ijyt @ Jun 10th 2008 10:46AM]

Ooh, I so want the Envy to come out in Europe.

[directive0 @ Jun 10th 2008 10:48AM]

They make bestiality pills?

[Michael Kontaxis @ Jun 10th 2008 10:32PM]

I prefer OS X over Windows, but the lack of it certainly isn't a reason "they" won't buy it. Windows has 92% marketshare, so obviously its not stopping too many people from buying OS X-free computers. So while you can say that its lack of OS X makes it useless in your eyes, in the eyes of the majority of people, that doesn't make a difference.

[sandwichman @ Jun 10th 2008 11:05AM]

Voodoo's site [www.voodoopc.com] has a PDF up about the envy.

Highlights:
-.70 inches thick
-weighs 3.373lbs with ssd
-1.6ghz or 1.8ghz Core 2 Duo
-64gb ssd or 80gb hard drive
-Intel graphics
-multitouch trackpad
-backlit keyboard
-claimed 3:45 of battery life
-1 USB port and 1 "e-SATA / USB 2.0 combo"- not sure how that works out
-expresscard slot
-HDMI out
-no XP option (vista only)

Looks interesting.

Here's hoping that it's not even more overpriced than the Air (not that I could ever afford either of them, anyway).

[wickedpheonix @ Jun 10th 2008 11:43AM]

Well the Air has better battery life, soooo.... choose your necessary evil: non-replaceable battery but with high battery life (quoted: 5 hours), or replaceable low-power batteries (quoted: 3:45 hours).

[Chris @ Jun 10th 2008 11:22AM]

I'm a recent convert. I switched about 4 years ago after using Windows exclusively since version 3.1. I still have to use Windows daily at work and I don't hate it but I do wish we could use OS X instead. That'll never happen though. We are still using XP and I don't think IT has any plans to switch to Vista. That's fine. As a CAD user, any decrease in performance is a detriment.

Windows just seems to not have the attention to detail that OS X does. OS X IS clean. Just compare the OS directory structures of Windows and OS X. Why are background images in the Windows folder along with system files? The hosts file is in \Windows\system32\drivers\etc. That makes no sense! When you install 3rd party software in Windows things become even more disorganized. Not so in OS X since programs are stored in bundles. I think programmers like Microsoft because they aren't made to follow any standards.

[Evan @ Jun 10th 2008 11:28AM]

Not me, I bought my Mac (regular MacBook, not an Air) to run Windows on! The eurgonomics of the hardware is independent of the operating system:

- Mac's large track pad - I just couldn't bare to use the puny trackpad on my Dell laptop after experiencing the large and perfect sensitivity of Apple's trackpad! So, I'm very pleased to see another manufacturer put a good sized trackpad on their laptop.
- Mac's balance - the battery's weight is near the front which makes it more stable and wobble less!!! I can even use it on my legs at an angle without it threatening to tip backwards like the Dell.
- Mac's smooth underside - it slides effortlessly into my backpack while the Dell's protuding rubber feet would often get caught on something.
- Mac's air vents are at the hinge - it doesn't complain when I put it on a blanket while the Dell's fan would rev up to full blast whenever it came in contact with anything other than a hard flat table surface.
- Mac's quietness - it's fan rarely runs fast enough to hear while the Dell's fan was always changing speed and making a fuss.

The thing I don't understand is, how hard is it for other manufacturers to make a laptop with a smooth case with the battery and air vents in the right place?

[WarMouse @ Jun 10th 2008 11:32AM]

Internet explorer != windows.

I personally can't stand OSX. I find everything to be needlessly turned into something confusing, that's supposed to be "helpful."
Like instead of easily having the "file" or preferences menu attached to a program, moving it away from the program, so it sits up on the top left, taking up where there should be apple's version of a start bar? Why make something more complicated than it should be? Why make everything visual, when it ends up becoming less efficient or convoluted? Why not just have a regular desktop to place things on, instead of the oversized interactive menu at the bottom of the screen which takes up extra space? Why not just have very easy to use max/minimize buttons on every program?
--------------

To each his own---but it's not as simple as "once you go Apple, you never go back." I really enjoy the ability to customize everything, and I often find it harder on Macs. Personal experience, though.

My point isn't that OSX is incapable of these things; everything I listed, Apple has its own version of. But they seem to take something simple, give it a few extra colors and a smooth animation, add a few limitations and inability to customize, and then they brand it as "simplicity."