books

Over the course of the past week, I decided to wait before making my final decision on whether or not I believed Apple's new MacBook Air would be a success or not. After evaluating the state of the ultraportable market historically (poor) and the specs Apple is doling out with this device, it seems almost too obvious that very few people will be willing to buy this junker.

Let's face it--the MacBook Air is nothing more than a gimmick to make people believe Apple is a trendsetter that knows the best way to bring "cool" products to the masses. But what everyone seems to forget is that this company already has a slew of "cool" products and there's no need for something that's underpowered and overpriced.

Suffice it to say, the MacBook Air is nothing more than a toy that has no promise and will flounder in stores. Why you ask? It's simple.… Read more

According to AppleInsider, the next version of MacBook Pro will be equipped with the same multitouch trackpad as the one on the MacBook Air.

Though this move is about as unexpected as the rising tide, it will be more interesting to see if their claims that the units will appear in a few weeks turns out to true. The new portables will also be based on Intel's latest Penryn processors.

(Source: Crave Asia)

The Macalope knows the MacBook Air isn't perfect, but the amount of silly punditry it's attracting is seriously out of control.

First, did you know that the MacBook Air Lacks Features, Analysts Say (tip o' the antlers to the Rat Boy)?

It's true! And, according to squirrels, it lacks delicious nuts!

Well, pardon the Macalope for saying so, but dur-hey. He'd have to scroll through keynote again, but he's pretty sure that you don't need analysts to tell you that it "lacks features" because Steve Jobs actually said so. That "lack … Read more

Is Apple's PR wearing thin?

Sure, there was the MacBook Air and the buzz around "thinnovation." But wasn't that--pun intended--too "thin" for a big media splash, especially compared with past years? Now that MacWorld is over, pundits are reviewing Apple's PR efforts, and when the expectations are so high (and a company is so good at it), it is not too surprising that some are disappointed with what they've seen this year. Frank Shaw, a PR professional at Waggener Edstrom, Microsoft's lead PR agency, is one of them, and you have … Read more

The new MacBook Air laptop has one killer feature, the non-removable battery. Killer as in deal-killer. As in why would anybody use a laptop that has to be shipped back to the vendor to replace the battery? It boggles the mind. Here's why.

Have any sensitive files on your computer? Files you'd rather other people not see. Many of us do. Do you like the idea of your sensitive files sitting in a package on a UPS truck? Or being in the hands of a company Apple sub-contracted repairs to? Of course not.

Remembering to remove all the … Read more

I really enjoy Web-based comic strip tools. I once had ambitions to be a comic illustrator, although I lost interest about the same time I discovered video games. I still enjoy a good doodle here and there, which is where sites like Toonlet can offer a great deal of fun for the creatively inclined. Toonlet is a comic strip builder. We've covered several others like it before, although it's somewhere between that build-your-own Simpsons character maker and Mr. Picassohead. You're given a wide (and I do mean wide) array of body parts to fit together, letting you … Read more

When I saw the MacBook Air in person this week at Macworld Expo, I was having a hard time figuring out what about it seemed so familiar. Then I remembered. The G4 Cube. "Overpriced and underconfigured" were the words we used to describe it in our review in 2000, and many of the same complaints could be applied directly to the MacBook Air.

Where the Cube had no PCI slots or additional drive bays, no standard audio input or output jacks, and wouldn't accept full-length graphics cards because of its diminutive size, the Air has no Ethernet … Read more

Less than three days since the MacBook Air's debut, companies are working furiously to come out with accessories that will most certainly deluge the market in coming months. So even though Belkin's sleeves and cases aren't exactly revolutionary, they score points for being so quick out of the floodgate. In fact, Belkin's already got a whole new line on its site, with options for color, leather, neoprene, straps, and fasteners, for $40 or $50. It's unclear when they'll be ready for delivery, however. So if you want some faster--and cheaper--you can always opt for &… Read more

In the "why didn't I think of that" category, an enterprising couple of media types (Web designer Jona Bechtolt and freelance science writer Claire L. Evans) were so knocked out by the Steve Jobs Macworld keynote that they decided to create and market a laptop case for the new MacBook Air--based on the simple manila office envelope Jobs pulled his new laptop out of on stage.

The AirMail is little more than a simple Web site and a prototype photo right now, but the designers promise to start shipping the handmade bags in about two weeks--when … Read more