micahsaul

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: The Macbook Air is fucking incredible. It is a thing of beauty, and I would gladly own one. Please note, I said own one, not purchase one. Because, let’s face it, $1700 is a lot to pay for a computer as schizophrenic as the MBA. It’s not quite powerful enough to be your main computer, that’s clear right away. 1.6 GHz is less than the desktop I bought for $400 4 years ago. Sure, it’s a Core 2 Duo, and I realize that it’s an unfair comparison, but I get to hyperbolize a little bit. Look at the URL, bitch. On top of that, it’s only got the one USB, no optical drive, yadda yadda yadda. You’ve heard all these complaints before.

So, it’s established that this is not your main computer. And the defenders of the Air point this out as well. It’s clearly not designed to replace your MBP or your Thinkpad. No, the MacBook Air is your back-up computer. Your take-everywhere, throw-around, get-the-bare-essentials-in-a-small-package-on-the-weekend-trip-to-grandma’s computer. It’s your iPod, your internet appliance, your photo storage device. Seems to me, though, that $1700 is a shit lot more than $400, which is what I paid for my iPhone.

Now, there is a third niche that the Air could fit into. A niche that I, myself, am looking to fill. I have a Powerbook at home, a Macbook at work. I like them both, but am likely going to replace the PB with a Macbook Pro, possibly once the multi-touch trackpads make their appearance in that line. But there’s a place for a third computer. It is not my office computer, running a Mail client, three browsers, a Windows VM, Adium, TextMate, and anything else I feel like throwing at it. Nor is it my home computer, used for audio editing, Photoshop, and coding. It’s the notebook. The basic, true-to-it’s-name, notebook computer. A place for taking notes. A small, light, super portable computer which can get online and open a text editor. That is the space which the Air fills perfectly. Problem is, it’s expensive, and there’s another computer already in that space that does it a lot cheaper.

Meet the eee PC, by Asus. This is the Air’s main competitor, and it costs ~$400. Rumor has it that by the end of the year, there will be a 9″ version with a touchscreen for ~$900. Basic math suggests that 400<1700. Hell, a modded eeePC with all the extra functionality Asus left out (Draft n WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, etc) only comes to about $800. And it’s lighter and smaller than the Air. Sure, it doesn’t have that sexy industrial design, and sure the specs are paltry compared to the Air… but you don’t need those specs. The Air doesn’t have the horsepower to replace the MacBook Pro, and it doesn’t have the media capabilities to replace the Macbook. And it looks like it doesn’t have the pricepoint to replace the eee PC. Again, I admit freely that I would love a MacBook Air. It is a sexy piece of kit, and the pictures do not do it justice. You absolutely must get your hands on one to fully appreciate what a fucking gorgeous thing this bastard is. But, it’s just not quite good enough, or cheap enough, to make it worth it. Sad, that.

Coming tomorrow: Why Axiotron’s Modbook just isn’t as cool as it should be. Also, creepy fucking Nap Pods.

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