Macbook air
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Woz strikes again: disappointed by iPhone, wary about MacBook Air and Apple TV
We'd say 2007 was a pretty big year for Steve Wozniak, what with Kathy Griffin, an Epcot animatronic, some widely covered Apple sentiments, and (honor of honors) an Engadget interview to top it all off. Turns out he's not backing down in 2008, and spoke out at a Sydney press conference with some fairly constructive criticism for some of Apple's brightest stars. He expressed concern over the 24 hour limit for iTunes movie rentals, and doesn't see the Apple TV taking off just yet, though he sees it as a "good indication of the future." Woz was less kind to the iPhone, saying he was "really disappointed" at the iPhone's introduction, due to the lack of 3G. He's still a fan of the phone interface, particularly the browser, but he's miffed about those speed constraints. Finally, he likes his MacBook Air, and he's currently attempting to see if he can make it his single laptop, but the shortage of ports and lack of disc drive and removable battery are making it difficult. We really couldn't have said any of it any better, Woz. [Via The Inquirer]
MacBook Air selling out left and right?
It's hard to tell whether the MacBook Air is selling way beyond Apple's regular expectations or whether they just didn't make that many units (there's a difference, after all), but as Ars Technica points out, a cursory glance to Apple's MBA stock-checker shows the majority of Apple stores are plum out. Of course, the Cube sold pretty well in the early days too, only time will tell whether the machine actually has staying power. Something tells us Steve will have a thing or two to say about the Air's sales later this week, though.Read - Ars points out the MBAs are oft sold outRead - MacBook Air retail stock-checke
MacBook Air patent is mocking you
It's no secret where this little bit of patented know-how ended up. Apple's little port door for the MacBook Air is one of those design elements of legend that could one day go down next to MagSafe and the Click Wheel in the annals of Apple history -- even if it's near impossible to use without picking up the computer. So it's a little ironic that even the dreamer that drew up this patent couldn't imagine a mac without FireWire, Ethernet and a pair of USB ports. Oh Steve, you ask so much of us.[Via SlashGear]
MacBook Air trackpad settings video included in System Preferences
Among the delightful tidbits taking up precious space on the MacBook Air's slender hard drive or SSD, you'll find this very handy video guide to stretching, zooming, scrolling and rotating using the power of human touch. It's tucked away in System Preferences under the Keyboard Trackpad tab.It seems a little silly to animate a guide like this, but I'll admit that I found myself more likely to try the finger moves after watching the demo. No doubt the upcoming multitouch-equipped MacBook Pro machines will feature a similar guide for the perplexed.
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]
But, there is one less thing... dealing with Front Row without a remote
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Using_Front_Row_on_a_MacBook_without_an_Apple_Remote'; The MacBook / MacBook Pro update wasn't "major" but it brought about some changes to the Apple line of notebooks. However, one feature that the new 'books are lacking is the inclusion of an Apple remote. The Apple remote is now a $19 accessory. Currently, the only computers that Apple is including the remote with (as standard) are the iMac and Mac mini. You can still use Front Row (Apple's media management application) without a remote. To start Front Row, just press Command + esc on your keyboard. You can also launch Front Row by clicking it in your applications folder (if you are running Mac OS X Leopard). To navigate through the menus, just use the arrow keys on your keyboard. What do you think about Apple not including the remote with their line of notebooks? Sound off in the comments!
ColorWare does the Air
Macs, in general, have always been works of art compared to their rivals, and the MacBook Air is a pinnacle achievement in the line of lust-worthy Apple computers. There's just never been a lot of color choice in the Apple's lineup. For the audacious souls who choose to express their personality through their hardware, ColorWare has been making Macs (et al) into vibrant articulations of individuality for 8 years. And now they'll deck out your Air, too. ColorWare recently announced the inclusion of the MacBook Air in its line of color-modded machines. Starting with a sleek black, the pigmentation possibilities branch out exponentially when you consider there are 34 other colors that can be mixed and matched in whatever combination best describes your individual taste. You can choose a metallic or solid type of color for the high-gloss, scratch-resistant, polymer-based coating. For a lot of us – well, me anyway – I'm pretty happy with titanium and white as I've never needed my computer to be a distraction in and of itself. I have enough applications designed for that purpose. But I know there are more than a few people excited about a black MacBook Air, probably even a few tickled about the pink option and many more in the spectrum between. You can send in your current machine ($500+) or buy one ready to go ($2568+). You can even play with the possibilities before you make the leap.
A MacBook Air and an XO walk into my office...
It may sound like the intro to a joke that would only be funny at WWDC, but for a few minutes this afternoon I had both a shiny new MacBook Air 1.8 SSD and a not-so-new but still cute as a button XO laptop hanging out at my desk. If they were high school kids in a '50s movie musical, one would be nicknamed "Peewee" and the other one would have to be called "Slim."The MBA is moving on to its permanent home soon (the owner will be getting it next week, once we've -- ahem -- done our due diligence in testing), and the XO is on loan from iTransmogrify developer Joe Maller. It seemed like the thing to do in the presence of these two pieces of 21st century tech, each desirable in its own way, was to take a few snapshots for posterity.%Gallery-16467%
Apple patent hints at "advanced multitouch," iPhone copy / paste
Although the MacBook Air's multitouch trackpad is pretty nifty, it looks like Apple has even grander plans in store -- a recent patent filing describes the MBA's current features as "Basic Multitouch" and contains descriptions of "Advanced" touch operations like system control, file management and browser navigation. While the filing details using a combination of the thumb and two fingers to cut, copy and paste -- something that seems awfully relevant to that little iPhone thing Apple sells -- what we're most intrigued by is the description of the "side pinky swipe" to control system functions like volume and screen brightness. Since the side of the pinky produces a different shape than your fingertip on the touch sensor, the system can automatically recognize it, making it ideal for quick adjustments -- we're already dreaming up lists of macros to trigger. Of course, there's no telling if and when we'll ever see this stuff in a product, but it's probably not a coincidence the iPhone, iPod touch, and MacBook Air all use the same Broadcom touch controller -- let's hope those long-awaited new MacBook Pros join the club, eh?[Via AppleInsider, thanks Kiwi616]
Apple and the imminent death of HD DVD
Time is running out for Toshiba and friends; the high definition format wars are almost over now officially over. HD DVD hasn't found the footing it needed to earn the support of retailers and studios alike, and it seems that Sony's champion, Blu-Ray, is going to win the day.So what does that mean for Apple users? Several years ago, Apple latched onto Blu-Ray as a format, but aside from an MCE Blu-Ray drive, we still haven't seen HD media used in any of Apple's products. There have been plenty of rumors (aren't there always?), but whether it's because they want to sell HD content in iTunes or for some other reason, a Blu-Ray drive to replace the SuperDrive hasn't happened yet.Which leaves us wondering: now that we've seemingly got a winner, will Apple step up with the Blu gear? Of course, the MacBook Air doesn't even have a drive, and we're sure Apple would love to have content distributed only through iTunes and Apple TV. But surely consumers still have a need for physical media -- will Apple now take advantage of its early-advocacy position on Blu-Ray and update the hardware?
Nintendo's DS Lite retrofitted into MacBook Air ad
It's hard to deny that Apple's MacBook Air advertisement is pretty catchy, and while the DS Lite doesn't exactly pull off the whole envelope exit quite as elegantly as Cupertino's latest lappie, it doesn't do a half bad job representin'. In the spoof waiting for you after the jump, you'll see a black DS Lite retrofitted into the MBA spot, and while the text, lighting and overall smoothness isn't on par with the original, at least the music is spot-on. Click on though to see for yourself.[Via DSFanboy]Update: Psh, thanks for pulling the video, YouTube and / or user. Well, trust us, it like totally existed. ... Ok, looks like we're back. Thanks EspadaUno.
Colorware attacks MacBook Air with crayons, comes out with 35 flavors
It was absolutely inevitable, and now it's arrived: you can get a MacBook Air in any color you choose thanks to those paint huffers over at Colorware. The big draw here is probably going to be the all black version -- for rugby fans and those PowerBook 2400c users out there that never stopped believing -- but not only do you have 34 other color options, you can also customize the laptop part by part with whatever combination of colors you choose. The bad news is that the base cost is $500, plus $50 per customization, so you're going to have to take a long hard look at you child's college fund.
Promotional Consideration: Nintendo DS Air
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_DS_Air'; Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.You don't have to try too hard to find similarities between the Nintendo DS Lite and Apple's Macbook Air -- they're both sleek, attractive devices, curves at every corner. Also, both of their designs place a heavy emphasis on their portability. And, most importantly, they both fit in an envelope!
MacBook Air owners, c'mon out for the talkcast Sunday night
Last week's talkcast featured Tod Maffin of the CBC, some interesting technical challenges, and the debut of our Yahoo Live video simulcast -- an experiment we'll be trying again as soon as I get some additional upstream bandwidth. Thanks to Tod for a lively evening and an unflappable demeanor. Download direct, listen in your browser or subscribe to the TalkShoe feed in iTunes. Join us again on Sunday night for our next live show, 10 pm ET, where we want to hear from you -- specifically, the new MacBook Air owners among you. Is it everything you hoped it would be? Are the design choices / limitations of the world's sleekest laptop beginning to make themselves felt? Join cohosts Christina Warren and Chris Ullrich for the MBA chat and a review of the week's top stories. As always, you can join the conversation on TalkShoe either with or without an account by using the shiny new browser-only client (no downloading required and no registration needed). Just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. You can also listen in on the Talkshoe page or call in on regular phone or VOIP lines: dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077.
Lenovo X300 vs. Apple MacBook Air... Fight!
As long as Lenovo is drawing a direct comparison between their own X300 and the MacBook Air, we thought we'd go ahead and put them side-by-side for you. So dear reader, how do you define perfection?
Putting the Apple Store geniuses to the test
Challenging customer service folks in retail stores is pretty much shooting fish in a barrel-- sure, Apple claims to have a great retail environment, but if those Geniuses are getting paid as little as I was when I worked in retail, there's no real reason for them to know the difference between the Apple ][ and the Apple //e (that's what you have TUAW for).Still, Laptop's writeup on their trip inside the Apple Store is pretty entertaining anyway. The Genius confirms what we all knew about the Macbook Air (it's a "supplemental computer, like, if you already have a desktop at home"), and messes up some specifics on HD-DVD and processor speed and size. My own Apple Store experience wasn't much better-- I had to explain what a KVM switch was (to switch between my Mac mini purchase and my gaming PC). But just like Laptop's experience, my person was helpful and quick, and what more can you really ask from a retail experience?Long story short, do your research at home, and show up at the Apple Store (or the Best Buy, or the Circuit City, or wherever) only when you know what you really want to buy. The guys and girls with nametags on at the store know a lot about how to sell stuff, but they just don't get paid enough to make your choices for you.
How would you change Apple's MacBook Air?
Ah, the MacBook Air. Quite the expensive piece of kit, but if you're one to pay a premium for design, chances are you may not mind. Apple's latest ultraportable is certainly one of the most polarizing products to emerge from Cupertino in quite some time, as it makes no apologies for throwing utility to the wind in favor of absolute sexiness. After Stevie J's keynote at Macworld 2008 concluded, many were left wondering why Apple didn't (re)introduce the compact MacBook Pro, and while this little bugger did indeed demand a double take (for a couple of reasons), the initial excitement of such a minuscule machine was quickly deflated after taking one solid look at the specifications. Make no mistake, the MBA has quite a bit going for it. Three pounds, ultrathin, oodles of attractiveness, a LED-backlit display and a trackpad worth drooling over. But for all the things this device is, it seems that folks are honing in on everything it isn't. During our time with the unit, we found plenty of reasons to love and hate it, but folks looking for an impressive showing at the benchmark marathon won't find it here. We already heard quite a bit of ranting when we polled you dear readers and asked if you were plunking down the $1,799+ that Cupertino was demanding, but now that the MacBook Air has shipped to early adopters and has landed in Apple stores everywhere, how would you owners go about changing this hot hot hunk of aluminum? Integrate a user-serviceable battery? How about the ability to upgrade your RAM? Would you toss in an option for built-in 3G? Beyond the typical hopes and dreams, we're also curious as to how you actually will change your MacBook Air. Got an eye on a specific USB hub? Springing for a Bluetooth mouse to keep that sole USB port open for more critical tasks? We're absolutely positive the choices are endless, so don't be shy -- here's your chance to tell Apple how you really feel about its tiniest laptop ever.
Here come the MacBook Pro mockups: get yours in before it's too late
It was inevitable, Apple's got a bit of a new laptop design direction in the MacBook Air, and nothing's going to stand in the way of the hordes of MacBook Pro Photoshops to follow. This one here is from spicu, and we're afraid it leaves some proportionality "to the imagination," but it's as good we've got so far. Think you can do better? Submit yours to contests at engadget dawt com with "MBP mockup" in the subject and we'll get a little gallery going. Optimists have Apple launching an update in February, and while that rumor might be a tad sketchy at the moment, there's no better time than the present to make a bid for Photoshop greatness. Optometrists think you shouldn't look at the computer screen so much. Oh, and there's nothing up for grabs for the best mockup, only pride.
MacBook Air with SSD tested: performance boost nowhere to be found
We've definitely been curious about the difference sticking an SSD would make in the MacBook Air's otherwise average performance and battery life, and it looks like the answer is a resounding "meh." The crew at Ars Technica ran an SSD-equipped Air through a battery of tests, and found that while the increased random disk read / write speeds and slightly faster processor led to a minor overall speedup and less pinwheeling, the dramatically lower sequential read/ write speeds of the SSD made things essentially a wash. What's worse, battery life -- where the SSD should have shone -- was decidedly mediocre. Ars was able to coax the SSD model in to lasting 29 minutes longer than the HDD version they tested, but on average the SSD-equipped MBA didn't have the juice to last any longer than the HDD model, getting to about 2 hours and 31 minutes before petering out. All said, Ars says the extra $1300 for the SSD MacBook Air just isn't worth it -- but c'mon, you know that's not stopping the people who are buying Airs in the first place.[Via Digg]
TUAW Reviews the MacBook Air
As you probably know, I'm one of the people who, upon first opportunity after the Macworld Keynote ended a few weeks ago, exited the hall into the lobby of Moscone West and immediately ordered a MacBook Air -- the 1.6 Ghz version with the 80GB hard drive, to be exact. I've already spelled out my reasons for ordering one and you've all had a chance to comment and otherwise make your views known, good or bad, regarding my decision. Now, after waiting for Apple to ship my MacBook Air to me, its finally here and in my hands. In fact, I'm writing this very review on it. So, now that it's here and I can examine it more closely, use it and otherwise put it through its paces, does it live up to my expectations? Will I really miss not having Firewire or more than one USB port? Will the MBA become my notebook of choice or now that I can actually use it, do I regret ordering? For those answers, and more, read on.Size and WeightFirst, let's talk about what many people (particularly Apple) are talking about: how thin and light the MacBook Air is. At 3 pounds and .76" thick, the MBA is the lightest and thinnest notebook I've ever used and for me, the weight in particular was a major deciding factor in getting the MacBook Air. Now that I have had a chance to carry it around in my bag for a day or so, I can say the lack of weight makes an even bigger difference than I originally thought.To be sure, nobody has ever called me small or weak in the past so its not that I can't carry a couple extra pounds around in the form of a notebook and associated peripherals. Its just that if I don't have to, why should I? The MBA being this small and light and still feeling solid and very usable makes for a winning combination. And let's not forget that the MBA's power brick is very small and light as well. The power brick for the MBA is even smaller and weighs less than the one used by the MacBook, so that makes a difference too, especially as I'm used to carrying the giant brick for the MacBook Pro. If you still can't imagine how little 3 pounds is or how really small the power brick is, head to your local Apple store and heft one for yourself. Then, go pick up a MacBook Pro. The difference is pretty amazing...
