You Can’t Be Too Rich or Too Thin

January 18th, 2008

by John Jacobs, Director, Notebook Market Research

That’s not the exact quote from the Duchess of Windsor, but it’s close enough when talking about the latest and greatest notebook PC that Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced this past Tuesday at MacWorld in San Francisco. The MacBook Air, or MBA if you prefer, weighs in at just 3 pounds (1.36 kg). So, how does it stack up against the competition? Well, let’s first identify the competition. Jobs compared it to the Sony VAIO TZ which has an 11.1″ 1366 × 768 LED-backlit display. We could also add the Asus WS (11.1″ 1366 × 768 LED-backlit display), Fujitsu Lifebook B6220 (12.1″ 1024 × 768, touch-screen display), Toshiba Portege R500 (12.1″ 1280 × 800 LED-backlit display), Dell Latitude D430 (12.1″ 1280 × 800 display), HP Compaq 2510p (12.1″ 1280 × 800 display), and the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (12.1″ 10524 × 768/1400 × 1050 display).
 
Apple is not alone in the use of an LED-backlit display for an ultra-portable notebook PC. But they are alone in doing it in a package that is so thin it will fit in a manila envelope.
 
I am certain I missed a few models and brands, but the point is to illustrate that Apple is not entering territory that is not already well-traveled. Many of the notebook PCs listed above offer SSD (solid state drive) options, weigh within a few ounces of Apple’s offering, have an integrated optical drive, more USB ports and an Ethernet connector. With the exception of the X61 ThinkPad, NONE of the other offerings have anything faster than a ULV (ultra-low voltage) 1.33 GHz dual core CPU. Sure, Apple has style and design, and that has come to be expected from them. But what they have this time that a lot of the competition in this space does not is a fast CPU. You can get the MBA with a 1.8 GHz dual core CPU.
 
Historically, one has had to sacrifice performance for portability. Apple doesn’t think you should.
 
And as for the detractors who complain about the lack of an Ethernet port or integrated optical drive, I posit the following questions. How often do you use your ODD? How many of you have WiFi in your office and/or home? Need that Ethernet adapter? Apple will charge an extra $29 for it. Need the ODD? Add another $99. My point is that I do not think Apple is targeting this product at high-end consumers, but rather at mobile professionals. Fortunately, I am not on the road as much these days as I was a few years ago. But even at 6’5” and a fit 215 pounds, I would quickly swap my 5.5 pound MacBook Pro for the 3 pound MBA. Trust me when I say that a couple of pounds makes a big difference when you’re lugging a computer bag through numerous airports, train stations and taxis across multiple countries and continents.
 
Am I an Apple “fanboy”? Yeah, pretty much. Do I accept their messaging and buy all of their products as soon as they are launched? Not a chance. Would I buy an MBA if I spent more time traveling? In a second. Or at the very least I’d try to get my employer to foot the $3,000 plus price tag for the faster CPU and SSD option.

  1. One Response to “You Can’t Be Too Rich or Too Thin”

  2. By Kazu Kitagawa on Feb 6, 2008 | Reply

    Dear John
    Yes, it is realy eye catching product.
    But, I did not even think of that you macho care 3 pounds difference. Ha, .. The spontaneous response of my colleague was all the same ” Is that robust enough?”. Since we are working for a panel compnay, so we do not want many panles are returned from the field as defective panel..

Post a Comment