

Windows Laptop Makers Can’t Catch Up to the MacBook Air  - uladzislau
http://www.pcworld.com/article/237992/windows_laptop_makers_cant_catch_up_to_the_macbook_air.html

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iamelgringo
I've been using a Dual core Atom Netbook as my portable computer for 3 years.
120GB SSD, 9 Cell Battery, 2GB RAM.

Total Price: $450.

Granted, not sexy looking at all. Not particularly thin.

Runs Windows 7 Ultimate like a champ. The only time the low processing power
ever bothers me is when I'm unzipping large files.

It's cheap, made of plastic and plastered with stickers. I carry it in my man
purse, and bounce it around with me pretty much everywhere I go. I've been
doing that for years.

Everything is backed up to DropBox. It's so cheap as to be disposable. If it
breaks, I don't care. I'll buy a new one. I have a full set of USB / Network,
VGA ports, and I don't have to worry about buying extra dongles to connect
things to a projector. The little brute has been stable as a rock. I can't
remember a single crash in 3 years.

It has enough battery life for me to be able to Code from Barcelona to SFO on
one charge, and I typically charge the little beast about once or twice a
week.

Yup. PC makers just can't keep up.

~~~
thaumaturgy
Meanwhile, my main system is an Apple laptop which is not much older ... and
my OS is now two versions out of date, since Apple stopped supporting it. The
set of software I can run on it is becoming more and more limited, as more
developers give up supporting my terribly antiquated operating system and
hardware, and move on to the current thing.

This is the third time this has happened to me.

I don't care if PC makers can or cannot keep up with Apple. All I know is,
this is _my_ last Apple.

~~~
sandGorgon
Install Ubuntu - surprisingly, they now make images which are designed to be
installed on macs

[http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/11.04/release/ubuntu-11.0...](http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/11.04/release/ubuntu-11.04-alternate-
amd64+mac.iso.torrent)

~~~
thaumaturgy
Unfortunately, my laptop (model posted above) uses the older style ADB-
connected trackpad, and the Linux drivers for it are poor, to say the least.
I've considered updating them, but honestly haven't had the time, and since
I'll replace this thing soon anyway, I probably won't bother.

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cubicle67
There used to be a saying about MS; that it took them three goes to get a
product right

I was thinking about Apple products, and I think perhaps they deserve this
now. Each new (1st gen) product from Apple is a bit short on features and a
bit expensive, but they have commitment. 2nd gen is a decent product, and 3rd
gen has typically been great. [Cases in point: iPhone, iPod, MacBook Air,
Apple TV (3rd gen still to come)]

The difference (between Apple and HP et al) comes down to commitment to a
product. Apple (like MS) gear them selves up for the long haul; they expect to
spend lots and take years to achieve their vision. Other PC manufacturers
(speaking very generally here) seem to have a bit of a half arsed shot at
something and kill it if it doesn't fly.

~~~
mixmastamyk
I think you're speaking of the late 90's MS, they seem to have lost much of
that edge.

Apple does something a bit different. It starts slow, getting the core
features right and then builds on them. It doesn't pile on features, they are
added slowly only as they mature.

Of course it also drives demand for several years, a very profitable formula.

~~~
tluyben2
It's what all startups (here) should follow; make a MVP and if it works
perfect it. Normal practice you would hope, yet it isn't; comments here and to
the article directly are too techy. The 'public' wants the air because it
looks great and is easy to use; they don't care about 'power'. Don't take it
from me or the article writer; just look at the sales. People who would
normally not consider spending $1000 on a laptop _are_ buying these, I can see
it around me; men and women, computer illiterates a lot of them, went from
300-400$ netbooks to the latest air. No-one knows what processor or memory
they have, they are light, just work and are 'much easier than Windows'
(between quotes, because I don't find either one particularly easier or harder
than the other one; just a matter of getting used to).

People who talk about 'better specs', 'only a few inches thicker but twice the
cpu power', 'does have a dvd drive' are tech or at least into computers; most
people are not, they _don't care_.

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mhb
_...and Apple has booked solid all the lathes capable of carving a laptop body
out of a single block of metal._

This sounds crazy not least of all because they use milling machines to make
cases and not lathes. But I'm willing to be educated.

~~~
jdietrich
The line is remarkably blurry. There's a modern breed of "multiaxis machine"
which are capable of both milling and turning. Nobody really knows what to
call them, I imagine because they have more in common with industrial robots
than a traditional machine tool. Lathe is probably the wrong word for the type
of machine in question, but milling machine isn't that much more accurate.

I can confirm that there is a global shortage of certain types of CNC
machining capacity. CNC machining is much less common than you might imagine
in volume production. It's an expensive process that designers are usually
desperate to avoid. Apple raised the bar for fit and finish with the Unibody
Macbook and rather caught the rest of the industry on the back foot. A lot of
designers and engineers still just don't see why you'd manufacture a housing
in such an expensive and convoluted manner. Laptop OEMs are certainly not
equipped for it, presenting substantial logistical problems.

~~~
mhb
Thanks for the info.

Just regarding the minor point of nomenclatural pedantry, this video (in last
half of <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OOtuftGO1U>) shows some machining of
the case and I would say that what they are using is indisputably a milling
machine.

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anigbrowl
He's spot on with one thing: manufacturers shouldn't let their customers tell
them what to build. The general public usually doesn't know what it wants
until it has already appeared.

~~~
SoftwareMaven
I agree. You learn about your customer's pains, then build a product to ease
them. Asking your customer what features they want is lazy product management
and gives you " me, too" products.

~~~
JamieEi
Yet it still happens all of the time at big companies.

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ImprovedSilence
So ive always been a pc guy. But more and more lately ive been playing around
with linux distros. It's about time to get a new laptop, and ive been looking
around the market causually for a bit. i really want one with only linux
(system 76 looks kinda good). but the more and more I look around, the more
i'm drawn to macbooks. they are just SO.FUCKING.SEXY. Their case is perfect.
the gui looks incredible. they just work. im pretty much to the point where im
going to have to build my own to get what i want, or buy a mac. and its going
to be hard to find any kind of case thats as sexy as macs, mostly cuz nobody
makes anything like it.

pc companies, listen up. I want linux, on an ssd, in a case that SEPERATES
itsself from all your other plastic junk, IN A GOOD WAY. dont be average, dont
be consertive, do be a perfectionist. dont try to please everybody. I think
this is macs biggest weapon, they dont try to please everybody, they build
what steve wants. tfa hit the point perfectly with the hp calc comparisson,
and i feel the same way. fucking grow some balls. this goes for cell phones
too. Fuck I hate motorolla.

~~~
r00fus
Samsung Series 9 are damn sexy but they don't come cheap. For Linux, a Macbook
might just make more sense.

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51Cards
I mostly agree but I also think it has been done. You couldn't give me an Air
for free and get me to give up my Sony VAIO Z. I also have a VAIO TZ here
which was way ahead of the Air in its time. To me Sony is one of the few
companies building truly innovative PCs but unfortunately they aren't moving
enough volume to make them really price competitive at the low end. When you
buy them fully loaded they are often slightly cheaper than a high end Macbook
(with Apple's killer upgrade prices) but they just don't compete mass market
wise in the cheaper price ranges.

~~~
SwellJoe
I know it's not the point of your comment, but I'll point out that one of the
major reasons I don't buy Apple products is how uncomfortable I am with the
idea of Apple having more control over the tech industry...I simply don't
trust them to do right by consumers when given a very strong market position.

Sony is one of the few hardware companies that I trust even less than Apple;
actually I have a pretty strong dislike for Sony, not merely distrust. So, I'd
be more likely to buy an Apple product than a Sony product if all other things
were equal (and all other things aren't equal; Sony products look pretty ugly
to me, while Apple products are beautiful).

------
Anti-Ratfish
> one of the main reasons people don’t buy a Mac these days is because they
> can’t buy one for less than $1,000, pricing your Mac alternative well above
> that price doesn’t do you any favors.<

I'm not in the US, but isnt the Air $999? Not much less than 1k, but an odd
statement considering the focus of the article. Am I missing something?

~~~
mixmastamyk
Starts at $999, the one you want is always more. Also, tax isn't included in
US prices, so you're looking at ~$1080 + possibly shipping minimum.

------
keeperofdakeys
I personally have a Samsung Series 9. Besides the price tag and battery life
(about 3-5 hours), I am happy with it. Unlike the Air, this thing has quite
good linux support (the graphics work, but could be better; this is true of
all sandy bridge computers). I know someone who used to run linux on his Air,
but he gave up after all the crashes. These were related to his Broadcom
wireless card, I believe. I used to have a Broadcom in my computer, it worked
but I replaced it for a card with dual-band support.

On an Air, a lot of components (like ram and ssd) are soldered on the board.
On the Samsung, they are easily replaceable. In fact, I have already put in a
new wireless card and added more RAM. It comes apart easily with a Phillips-
head screwdriver. In the future, I will probably upgrade the SSD (it has 128GB
at the moment). A new 'msata' standard has emerged from all these Ultra-
portables, which use the pcie plug.

~~~
Tichy
You can upgrade the Air easily, too: just buy a new one. Hey, it is just 1000
bucks. Apple is training us to be good consumers.

~~~
ja27
And you could probably sell the old one for $800. Recent Apple hardware holds
it's value pretty well. The guy in line behind me for the iPad 2 launch just
sold his iPad 1 that day for $100 less than he paid. So his net was paying
$100 for a year of iPad 1 use (minus network fees and tax).

So when will Apple introduce hardware subscriptions?

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rdl
I love my Air (and my other Apple products); aside from excellent hardware and
software, one of the big advantages for me is that there are Apple retail
stores all over -- I can walk in and have a pretty consistently good
experience (buying accessories, or getting service, or buying a replacement if
necessary); far better than any other computer retail store or mail order
process.

For a company, being able to fairly easily get ~30 correctly-configured
machines instantly is great too -- with Dell, I'd be stuck waiting until they
build and ship, and with HP or other vendors, trying to find a store which
stocks them.

~~~
jbellis
Really? My experience with Apple stores has been so consistently terrible
(long wait times WITH an appointment, techs that can't do anything but send it
away for a long wait) that one reason I'm going back to a Thinkpad is the
overnight mailers Lenovo drops off when you need something fixed.

~~~
rdl
Where do you live? In SFBA, the Palo Alto University Ave store has
consistently been amazing; if you get a business account, service is globally
even better.

The PA-U store has done fixes up to basically replacing entire just-out-of-
warranty machines for me. I've had same-day repairs, and at worst, 3 day mail
away, but usually overnight fixes. A lot of it comes down to how you engage
the staff -- being an easy customer (having done all the checks, being really
polite, etc.) helps. One big plus is having everything already backed up, so
it's ok for them to wipe/replace drives if they need to.

My only complaint is that some markets don't have Apple Stores yet, especially
internationally.

Thinkpad service is the one other kind of service which is good; their
contract support outside the US is superior to the Apple international
support. Unfortunately they don't sell a full line, only laptops (at least,
their desktop products are pretty weak in comparison).

On the purchasing side, though, Apple wins hands down. Lenovo is painful
because there are 25-50% discounts periodically, so you feel you're being
ripped off if you don't buy during those times. And, website without a lot of
the options (e.g. you couldn't order a QXGA R51 online, only through the
phone), etc. And no good retailer stocking anything but ideapads in person.

------
mikhael
has anyone else noticed horrible dithering on the new macbook air's screen? i
will say that i absolutely love the machine otherwise, but - especially when
e.g. watching a movie - i find this problem terribly distracting and have even
thought about returning it as a result.

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gte910h
The air also runs windows great

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krakensden
They're still pretty hamstrung by Windows- they can never innovate or
differentiate in software, Microsoft won't let them.

~~~
IanDrake
I don't understand your comment. I'm typing on a MBA running Windows 7 like a
champ...what is it about Windows that's causing the problem?

~~~
krakensden
I mean if you're HP, your Windows 7 is always going to be just the same as
Dell's Windows 7. If Apple decides that they can use a new scheduling
algorithm to better exploit current hardware, they can do that. Acer and Asus
have to wait for Microsoft to release a patch or roll out the next version of
Windows (in... N years).

I'm not taking the position that Windows 7 is so intrinsically terrible that
it can't support the 'ultrabook' category, just like you're not supporting the
position that it couldn't be improved upon.

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xtrimsky_
I have a macbookpro and a dell, well I prefer my dell

~~~
Anti-Ratfish
This is about the Air, different product line.

