Buzz Out Loud Lounge: Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook?
Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook?
by alchemistmuffin - 12/18/08 6:04 PMThis is something that has me boggled for long time.
On Apple's Notebook Event in November, they stated that Netbook market it way too small.
However, I've been thinking, have Apple already entered the Netbook market by introducing the MacBook Air?
Essentially, a MacBook Air is a netbook, but with regular size keyboard, regular size LED Display, but with no optical drives (SERIOUSLY, WHO USES BLANK DVD'S FOR BACKUP ANY MORE, OR EXTERNAL DRIVE, THEY CRASH INSTANTLY WHEN THE POWER GOES DEAD....) one USB port (who attaches external drives, they're worthless in the feature, and no one with laptop uses extra hardware while on business trip) a Mini-Displayport (it's going to explode folks, more Mini-DisplayPort device at CES) and one headphone jack. Basically, it's the ULTIMATE NETBOOK. (all the other ones, the Dell Mini-note, ASUS EeePC, are CRAP, CRAP, CRAP! and doesn't run Vista, which should be required by now!)
But some have told me MacBook Air is not a netbook.
What are your takes?
I'll go with no. And share...
by R. Proffitt
- 12/18/08 6:08 PM
In reply to: Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook? by alchemistmuffin
I bought the Acer Aspire One. It's very impressive for the buck.
So far it runs all that we threw at it. Even an online game that will not run on a nice machine with a dated video card (the old Nvidia fx5700.) But the Aspire ran it once I figured out how to enable PANNING in the display driver.
Still working on backup of the OS but it's a non-issue as we have an HP USB 2.0 DVDRW drive.
Bob
Keyboard on most of Netbook: way tooooo horrible to use!
by alchemistmuffin - 12/18/08 6:13 PM In reply to: I'll go with no. And share... by R. Proffitt
I have a friend who uses that notebook. I tried it out, and MY GOD, THE KEYBOARD WAS SOOO CRAMPED
It's light, small, but Keyboard is horrifyingly bad!
I think, in my opinion, MacBook Air solved the keyboard problem in Netbook by implementing a FULL keyboard, which I CAN type....
Not at all
by Nicholas Buenk - 12/18/08 6:45 PM In reply to: Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook? by alchemistmuffinIt is what is called a ultraportable. With high powered CPU, a 13" screen, and a tiny expensive 1.8" hard drive. It's CPU alone costs $300 from intel which is as much as some netbooks.
I'd say the iPod touch is a lot closer to a netbook, a cut down slow computer that does basic web and email. Likely if apple were to make a netbook they'd base it on the iPhone rather than mac.
Netbooks make you want more...
by DKhoji - 12/24/08 5:20 AM In reply to: Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook? by alchemistmuffinI've wondered about this too. A friend of mine who just got a good job at an IT firm in Norway really wanted to have a netbook and asked for one from her boss. He got her a MacBook Air instead -- she can't say she's unhappy since she's a Mac user.
I have an MSI Wind and for what I paid for it, it's outstanding. My main reason for choosing it was the excellent screen and the real keyboard, which makes real touch typing possible and has the keys in the right places (even the 10" eeePC has the right shift key so badly placed that touch typing is completely impossible). The problem with it, however, is that it's so practical and so easy to carry around that it makes me want to do more with it than is possible. Its main failing is the very weak processor, which can't handle flash sites at all, or not so that they make any sense.
I have it dual-booting XP and Ubuntu Linux and it runs both very well. Over Christmas I also want to try installing Mac OS X on it, which it allegedly runs better than any other netbook, making it faster than an old G4 PowerBook, allegedly.
The bottom line, however, is that I really want more than it can deliver. At the moment the sweet spot is probably the Lenovo X200, which hardly weighs more than the MSI Wind and is a real notebook:
http://gizmodo.com/5025193/hands-on-lenovo-x200-tiny-cheap-means-business-but-forgot-the-trackpad
hell no
by bryguy178 - 12/24/08 2:33 PM In reply to: Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook? by alchemistmuffini wouldn't pay $1800 for a frickin netbook although the macbook air has similar specs to a netbook.
No way that an Air is a Netbook
by minimalist - 12/25/08 10:35 PM In reply to: Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook? by alchemistmuffinits an ultra-portable which is all about thinness, lightness and with business level performance that runs intensive native software. Price is not an object. An ultra-portable is almost the polar opposite of a netbook in my mind.
To me a "netbook", in the purest sense of the word, is a device that is small, cheap, with a small amount of flash memory and primarily concerned with about web-based computing. Its a cloud device or a web appliance. So in a way a lot of smart phones and media players are closer in spirit to a "netbook" than are the small machines being sold under the name with XP on them and big hard drives.
Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook?
by wizkids32 - 12/26/08 2:54 PM In reply to: Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook? by alchemistmuffinNope it is too big I think that the screen needs to be 10 inches or less then it is a NetBook.
Problem: Anything 10 inches or less is not even a computer
by alchemistmuffin - 12/27/08 11:23 AM In reply to: Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook? by wizkids32My take on Netbook: It has to have the same size display and keyboard.
Let's not forget, the new NetBook Molly Wood has is beautiful, but it's not a computer. in fact, all netbook currently sold is not even CLOSE to computer.
My Requirement for Netbook PC
It has to be sold for about $500-600 dollar.
Must have Windows Vista (NOT XP) Home Premium, or Business, not Home Basic, or Ultimate
No optical drive (IE: no Blu-Ray, no DVD ROM Drive, NADA)
Have same display type as regular notebook
Have same keyboard size as regular notebook
Trackpad must be large
No Built in Webcam (Apple have plans on filing patent so ONLY Apple can put any Webcam built in on notebook)
SSD of 128 GB.
Have support of ALL wireless type
HP Mini-Note, ASUS, all fails, because they do not meet MY requirement for perfect NetBook.
MacBook Air perfectly qualifies as NetBook, since it has same keyboard and display size as regular notebook, have sophisticated OS (IE: Mac OS X) and supports all Wi-Fi signals.
I have to say, I've seen LOTS of NetBooks in the wild, since I've seen SO MANY MacBook Air around where I live.
what you just described already has a name: "ultraportable"
by minimalist - 12/27/08 6:27 PM In reply to: Problem: Anything 10 inches or less is not even a computer by alchemistmuffinthe thing that distinguishes "netbooks" from notebooks is the fact that that netbooks are small, cheap devices designed for (mostly) personal use and which have only the components they need to have to access and use the web.
there's no such thing as "ultra-portable"
by alchemistmuffin - 12/28/08 12:36 PM In reply to: what you just described already has a name: "ultraportable" by minimalistHere's a thing...
First, there's no such thing called "ultra-portable"
there's only two type of notebooks: A Regular notebook, with full on DVD, etc
And there's netbook, all ready for the web
Apple touts MacBook Air as "ready for the air" meaning, it's fully going to be used on things that require high speed wireless internet. That being said, I now believe MacBook Air is a netbook, a expensive, but the ideal netbook.
I think the marketing departments at Sony, Apple, Dell
by minimalist - 12/28/08 8:29 PM In reply to: there's no such thing as "ultra-portable" by alchemistmuffinToshiba and Lenovo might disagree with you.
As a category, "ultra-portables" are very real and they are designed for the business users who travel a lot and need a light machine with higher standard of power and storage than a web surfer needs.
And more importantly
by Nicholas Buenk - 12/30/08 2:07 AM In reply to: I think the marketing departments at Sony, Apple, Dell by minimalistThey're built from a different class of components.
Let's look at Intel retail prices. A 1.6 ghz Atom is $40. A 1.6 ghz low voltage core 2 duo, a much faster CPU, $300! Also netbooks have a small 9" screen typically, also a cheap component. Plus a flash drive instead of a hard drive, more savings.
A netbook is as much about ultra low cost components as it is about small size.
Ultraportable is all high end parts. That are compact or low voltage too adding more to the price.
I almost think term "Netbook" is more about an attitude
by minimalist - 12/30/08 5:03 PM In reply to: And more importantly by Nicholas Buenkthan it is descriptive a class of small laptops with munchkin keyboards.
The attitude is essentially this: Use only what is absolutely necessary to make a devices that handle specific web-based tasks (surfing, web-apps, social networks, chatting, etc). In this way, smart phones, iPod Touches and even Archos wifi enabled PMP's devices are just as much "netbooks" as are the Eee PC's.
But the high end Sony, Apple and Lenovo ultra-portables are much more about business concerns, balancing performance with lightness and getting work done on the go with as few sacrifices as possible. A netbook does not need the latest and greatest graphics chip or GB's of RAM or LED backlit screen or illuminated keyboards.
Air not a Netbook
by mcharge - 12/29/08 4:16 AM In reply to: Does MacBook Air considered a Netbook? by alchemistmuffinThe MacBook Air isn't a netbook for exactly the reasons you stated, its got a regular size keyboard, screen etc. Netbooks have to be smaller than 10" and have a smaller form factor.
The lack of features in the air is both a blessing and a curse, take it how you will, the MacBook is perfect for me.
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