<br>[color:blue]You're still thinking the loss of an optical drive makes it a lesser machine.</font color=blue><br><br>I am not using the term "lesser" at all, actually. Different, undoubtedly.<br>To install software or to rebuild what's on it, the Air depends on network access and another computer ..... that's what I am referring to.<br>It is a slick add-on computer, but not a useful stand-alone ...... yet.<br><br>I also didn't "label the air a novelty", but said that it would sell because of sex appeal and novelty. <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

Sex appeal and novelty? Tell me that when I'm at a dead run between terminals trying to catch a connection or lifting my bag into the overhead compartment.<br><br>Of course it's a second machine. There has never been a suggestion the MBA would be a stand alone. Believe it or not there are many of us who have both a laptop AND a desktop machine. As for expensive? The price is the same as I paid for my Al PB two years ago.<br><br>What's with your fixation about downloading and renting? I've purchased a few apps that were downloads. Nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, I'd rather have that than a physical CD/DVD. I'd love to see more applications go this route. As for movies, I'd like to rent movies with a click of my mouse.<br><br>I've monitored my laptop use this vacation. A MBA would have done nicely. If it was my only Mac then of course it would never do.<br><br>I can imagine how someone on the go constantly would feel owning a MBA. Heaven. <br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>One of them said yesterday that their CD drive wasn't working. I replied, "Who cares?" He said he couldn't watch a DVD on the way to Salt Lake. I replied, "learn to rip them."<p><hr></blockquote><p>lol...<br><br>So, if his laptop is his only computer, which isn't unusual in this day and age, and his DVD drive isn't working, then how exactly is he supposed to rip a DVD?<br><br>DVD drives aren't going to go the way of the Dodo anymore than downloads are the death knell of blu-ray. No way a company is going to spend $2 on thumb drives to distrubute software when they can press a DVD for 50 cents, and broadband hasn't saturated enough places to make getting rid of media an option for at least another decade if not longer.<br><br>So what eckhard says rings true. The air is a fabulous add on machine. But not completely feasible as an only machine with it's standard configuration.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®

The future is in downloadable applications. Just watch. What poly says has a ring of truth to it. It won't be long before physical media is little used. <br><br>

<blockquote>Wanna bet? It would be hard to draw the line but the smallest Apple Computer prior to MBA is the MBP 15 inch. The MBA is going to outsell the MBP15 inch. I bet once the volume of delivery matches need the first three months of MBA selling will be off scale compared to the other models.</blockquote><br><br>I'm in! Put me down for $20 in your little black book!<br><br>No way will that be a big in numbers sold unit compared to the other lappies! <br><br>It is a great product, but for just a certain niche of Mac users.<br><br>$20 !! and I expect to honor the bet <br><br>Katie barring the door!<br><br><br><br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>So, if his laptop is his only computer, which isn't unusual in this day and age, and his DVD drive isn't working, then how exactly is he supposed to rip a DVD?<p><hr></blockquote><p>You don't see my meaning between the lines? I'm the boss, what I am telling my staff is they better be reading poster abstracts on that laptop. But if they indeed needed to rip a DVD there are 27 computers in the lab. Rip before you leave. But that answer actually implies this fallacy that the MBA is necessarily a second computer only. If I quit my job today I would own an MBA and nothing else. I don't have desktop machines at home. I am tethered to a desk only in the lab because of data collection.<br><br>The MBA is a computer which does not require you to own another computer. Even if I lived on St Martins I could find a computer I could borrow for the once in a lifetime install from a CD.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>DVD drives aren't going to go the way of the Dodo anymore than downloads are the death knell of blu-ray. No way a company is going to spend $2 on thumb drives to distrubute software when they can press a DVD for 50 cents,<p><hr></blockquote><p>Did I imply that BluRay was dead? Of course not. They will be used to deliver quality movies to large panel TVs for the next five years at least if not much more. I thought we were talking about computers though. Yes, wingnuts wanting their high quality porn on mobile laptops will get BluRay. All desktops will have BluRay R/W. but light weight laptops will not need it.<br><br>What is the biggest thing wrong with an MBA today? ... You have to plug it in every once in a while. How do you extend battery life? You make the MBA not move a molecule. Once solid state drives in the 128GB range are affordable (this May for $750.00) my MBA will not spin or move or emit one sound. My battery life just got a lot longer. Try putting a low tech spinning optical drive in there and I'll depants you.<br><br>I think there is one bizarre thing about how I use a computer that does not match up to the general audience. Maybe two. I rarely watch movies (I went to no old men in this country which was my first theater experience since Lion King) and I don't watch TV. (I do get the rare series like Lost and watch the whole year on a weekend.) I also do not play any computer games (except Sodoku). I read books made out of paper. So my usage of my optical drives really is zero. I will stick by my statement though that CD/DVD optical drives are as dead as the dodo. There will be BluRay drives for movies but using them as backup or transporting data they are past their useful life expectancy. They are two slow. BluRay is too slow for that. You want to rip 50GBs? Or would you rather go outside and smell the flowers?<br><br><br><br><br>

<br>It isn't my fixation with downloading or renting I'm referring to but Apple's.<br>There was more about that in the keynote than about computers. ;)<br>All this seems to reduce Apple's interest in high resolution hardcopy media, like Blu-Ray.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>I'm in! Put me down for $20 in your little black book!<p><hr></blockquote><p> You're on. I FMITGA label this post. Six months we will check to see how niche product the MBA is.<br><br>

You and I differ in that I'd never accept an MBA as my sole machine. Giving up my 24" monitor back home is very difficult. Spoiled I guess.<br><br>I honestly believe most people will consider the MBA as a second machine. <br><br>

Wow! You sure read more into the Keynote than I did. <br><br>