Looks like the good folks at Apple have a plan.  I'm not an Apple user, but I have to admit that they are working hard on re-defining "coolness" in the industry.  I'm actually tempted by the iTouch.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8U6GKH80&show_article=1

Something To Do At 3:00AM 

Wow! How cool is that! Here is a video showing it.

http://www.breitbart.tv/html/30004.html

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi

The processor is slower than the one in my macbook pro (core duo 2.13ghz).  However, this laptop will, under the right circumstances, get you sexual favors simply because it's so "in vogue"

Quote - The processor is slower than the one in my macbook pro (core duo 2.13ghz).  However, this laptop will, under the right circumstances, get you sexual favors simply because it's so "in vogue"

I'd rather have chocolate!  :lol:

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi

Yeah, and I can just imagine the type of people that will buy it...

Oh jeez, what a laugh..another "beta" VCR group of tech wanna be's !

Apple must be laughing their heads off at this one.all the way to the bank.

uh... okay.... I've worked in the TV industry, as a tech, still do tech work on the side, for the right customers..... and I still have Betamax decks (that work, and that I still use).  Why?  Because I know what works.
as for the superthin laptop.... i use Macs as well as PC (although lately I'm cruising the internet looking for catapult plans so that I can send the Microbox into the atmosphere), and I can see a use for them, mostly business travellers, and the supra-chic.  Convenience is the key, style is the lock!

Meh, laptops are so 20th century :p

I want one of these

This too... :)

.

Yeah, no one uses optical drives today, they download everything.

Okaay....

It's that kind of thinking that's the reason it took years for Apple to figure out that yes, people do actually like (and use) more than one button on a mouse.

I wouldn't buy one of these.  Partially because of the no opitical drive issue -- but mostly because I don't plan on going the Apple route at the moment.  Apples aren't compatible with 85% of what I do on a computer.  I'll still admit that Apple makes quality stuff -- including their OS.  It's just that most of the rest of the world doesn't go with that format.  And compatibility is a huge factor.

The iPhone is too expensive for the value that it offers, IMO.  And the iPod is proprietary + it's incompatible with 64-bit.  I'm still tempted by the iTouch -- maybe.  One downside being that the iTouch is likewise incompatible with 64-bit.

Apple is obviously striving hard for the "coolness" factor......and that's gained them a solid market.  But they aren't the workhorse of the computing world.  Certainly not outside of the realm of 3D & graphics.  And even within that realm -- they're still a minority: although far better represented there than they are elsewhere.

However, if MS insists on continuing to shoot themselves in the foot -- all of that could start to change with time.

"Coolness" doesn't sell things to me.  It hasn't in years.  Utility does -- but not "coolness".  In fact, if something's widely considered to be "cool"......then I tend to be predisposed to dislike it.  In my observation, "cool" is often a synonym for "shallow".  Or even for "empty".  I'll grant that Apple's products aren't "empty" -- but I think that some of the stuff -- like the iPhone -- is overhyped for what you actually get.

Something To Do At 3:00AM 

Seems it's best use would be for business travel. I wonder if such a slim machine would be helpful in getting you through an airport inspection faster?

My brain is just a toy box filled with weird things

Quote - Seems it's best use would be for business travel. I wonder if such a slim machine would be helpful in getting you through an airport inspection faster?

I do a lot of business travel.  No it would not.  You'd still have to take it out of whatever you're carrying it in.

Quote - ... this laptop will, under the right circumstances, get you sexual favors simply because it's so "in vogue"

ahahhahahha It so true! ^^; Show a picture of an okay guy to the ladies, and you'll get an okay response. Show another picture of the same guy with an Apple product, and his hotness factor shoots up! lol! I've been tempted to spoof this phenomena by doing a pin-up of a nearly nakkid M3 laying suggestively on top of a pile of Apple products. hahahhahahahhahahaaa -^ bB

I'd be afraid of loosing it, like I do my sunglasses all the time...

Friends don't let friends use booleans.

I believe I'm right in saying that a member in the Cinema 4D forum did the promotional artwork for that product as well as a few others.

PORTAL

" The machine doesn't come with a built-in optical drive for reading CDs and DVDs, a feature Jobs says consumers won't miss because they can download movies and music over the Internet and access the optical drives on other PCs and Macs to install new software. They can buy an external drive, however, that will retail for $99."

Gotta love Jobs telling people what they need or don't need, rather than letting the consumer tell Apple.  There's a reason there are far more PCs being used, this is one of them.

Downloading content is terrific, but people like to store files and play content from DVDs.  Maybe they want to rent from Blockbuster rather than purchase from Apple.

The product looks good as an on the road computer, but it will be a very pricey option.

Quote -
Gotta love Jobs telling people what they need or don't need, rather than letting the consumer tell Apple.  There's a reason there are far more PCs being used, this is one of them.

Downloading content is terrific, but people like to store files and play content from DVDs.  Maybe they want to rent from Blockbuster rather than purchase from Apple.

The product looks good as an on the road computer, but it will be a very pricey option.

Jobs has always told apple users what they need or don't need.  And he doesn't really care what the customer wants.  If he did, we would have the option of a 12" MacBookPro, a MiniTower, and decent video cards for all of our Macs.

This product was not designed to be someone's primary computer.  It was designed for people who already own a desktop & want a light portable.

Yeah, it is expensive, but look at the engineering that when into this puppy.  A specially shrunk CPU, and all of the other reduced size goodies add up.

If I had bought a MacPro last year instead of my MacBookPro, this would be my laptop of choice.  I suspect I will not be alone in this.  I know that when I replace my laptop, I'll be getting one of these.

It would be a great machine to have for travel, but it's too pricey for my budget.

It's interesting that the article calls $1799 competitive.  Maybe for the slim size, but similar laptopt (power wise) with 80 GIG HD's can be had for over $1000 less/

I have a pretty new macbook, and it's only 1/4 inch larger than the new one, but the edges are the same. It's a nice machine- and I am very happy with it! :)

I have 2 optical drives on my desktop. I've used one of them 2 times. Never even opened the 2nd one. OK, that's not true, I forgot that I ripped a bunch of CDs....so, there is still a use for CD and DVD drives, but not much. Once I've finished that task, I have no use for them at all. My laptop DVD drive was used when the IT people installed windows for parallels (another useless thing:P )

The Mac isn't likely to be betamax any time soon. At my university, as I walked past the medical library to go home, I saw 5 laptops. All were macbooks. I read somewhere that over 50% of students at major universities use mac. Those people will be taking their preferences with them when they graduate.

I am a C++ developer who started writing windows software. I now only use windows when I have to struggle to get my standards compliant source to compile on microsoft's highly outdated compiler.

OS X isn't perfect, but I spend 0 time hassling with settings.

Jobs knows what he's doing.

Quote -
The Mac isn't likely to be betamax any time soon. At my university, as I walked past the medical library to go home, I saw 5 laptops. All were macbooks. I read somewhere that over 50% of students at major universities use mac. Those people will be taking their preferences with them when they graduate.

And everyday after graduation consists of endless frat parties.

They may prefer their Macs for person use, but out in the real world, especially in business?  Good luck.  I deal with a large number of different companies, government (local to national)  and the like and I have yet to see any signficant number of people porting around their employer-bought Apple laptops.  Oh, they exist, no doubt, but not in any number.

And Jobs isn't making any friends out in that rather large purchasing sector with the "I tell you what you want" philosophy.

I've seen only one Apple machine in use by any of the major engineering companies that I've worked for over the years.  And that singular Apple was being used strictly for graphics / advertising purposes.  Basically it was a Photoshop box -- purchased on the whim of a lone woman who thought that maybe the company needed one.

I have never seen an Apple machine being used in techincal engineering applications.  I'm not saying that it doesn't happen -- but I am saying that in the industries that I've worked for (which are many) Apples are unknown.

However - as I mentioned earlier, if MS insists on continuing to attempt to force its users in the directions which are hinted at by Vista: then MS might one day find themselves in the same position relative to their own industry as the position that General Motors is in today relative to its industry -- gradually chipping away and losing their purchasing base one customer at a time.

Something To Do At 3:00AM 

Quote - I have never seen an Apple machine being used in techincal engineering applications.  I'm not saying that it doesn't happen -- but I am saying that in the industries that I've worked for (which are many) Apples are unknown.

This gets at the heart of those stupid commercials.  The Apple guy is cool because he can make amateur photo albums.  Ooooooo!  Meanwhile, the PC Guy is supposed to be a useless nerd because he does things like spreadsheets and calculations...you know, things that people actually use computers to do.

The Air is a perfect example of Apple's advertising: light, wireless, with nothing capable of being plugged into it (except that one USB port) plugged into it...it's meant for the guy sipping a mocha frappacino cruising the net at Starbucks and looking cool with his shiny toy with the iPod hooked into it.  He's on the cutting edge: he doesn't need a computer to actually, you know, work.  That's what nerds do.

Hm, I don't look at a products value by watching TV commercials, I look at the product itself. OS X is based on BSD, which is unix....which is pretty geeky. Honestly, from a geek's perspective, OS X is about the best of both worlds. A rich OS environment with a very comfortable UI that actually has major application support.

Or you can hang with the frat boys and watch TV commercials while you guzzle your beer:P

Heh -- I am chained to a PC for 12+ hours a day during the average work week.  Years ago, back when I had the time to play video games  -- the PC was largely a toy.  But now: the PC serves as a toy only about 5% of the time -- if that often.

Something To Do At 3:00AM 

Quote - Or you can hang with the frat boys and watch TV commercials while you guzzle your beer:P

In the places where I work: there ain't a whole lotta guzzlin' of anything going on -- except perhaps coffee (for those who like it) or soft drinks.  And the "commercial watching" consists of annoying pop-ups on the web.

Some of my co-workers do regularly go outside in the cold to smoke, though.  One of them even has an iPod that he takes out there to smoke with him.

I have to admit that a couple of my co-workers always walk around looking like they are wearing elaborate life-support systems.  Mp3 players with headphones and wires hooked up everywhere they go -- one of them walks around with an iTouch strapped to his arm all of the time..  Not too many years ago they would have been laughed at -- but now it's more-or-less become an accepted norm.

Still no Apple computers around, though.  Lots of iPods in evidence......but nothing (zero) with an Apple on it sitting on the desktop.

Something To Do At 3:00AM 

Quote - Hm, I don't look at a products value by watching TV commercials, I look at the product itself. OS X is based on BSD, which is unix....which is pretty geeky. Honestly, from a geek's perspective, OS X is about the best of both worlds. A rich OS environment with a very comfortable UI that actually has major application support.

That's what bugs me about the commercials.  I'm not denying that Apple makes a good computer: people including my sister, who are know and use computers (mostly PCs) everyday, have Apple laptops.  The problem is that they don't advertise that fact very well at all.  Just about their entire selling process is based on looking cool, glitz over substance.

To put it simply, Apple doesn't provide me, a computer-literate heavy user (at both work and play) with any explanation as to why I should switch over beyond "You'll be cool".  If they can't be bothered, I can't be bothered with them.