Errr …. and for how long will Apple allow OSX to run on non-Apple hardware. It doesn’t take much effort to make it impossible while still allowing Macs to run Windows.
And there is endless mileage in the Apple-Mercedes, Wintel-Yugo comparison. Apple has a true brand in the personal computing space. That is why they can operate 200+ shops that set records in sales per square foot and why not even Microsoft and the ‘better’ PC makers like HP and Sony would not dare to open even one store. Reason? Who would visit their stores? And more to the point … WHY would anyone visit their stores?

Most people won’t install OS X on a Windows laptop. In fact the majority won’t ever upgrade the OS that came with their machine. People that want to run OS X will buy a Mac, not a Windows PC. Therefore a non-Apple laptop isn’t equivalent to a MacBook.

I hear a lot of people talk about “these price points”, but they’re pretty much right where they were before.

Yesterday the three MacBook models were $1,099, 1,299, and 1,499.

Today they are $999, 1,299, and 1,599.

And all three are better values than they were yesterday, the latter two significantly so.

Everyone thought Apple had to lower the consumer entry point (which they did slightly), but what they really did was lower the “pro” entry point.

It’s not always about spending less, it’s also about perceived value. Some people may have refrained from spending over $1K for plastic and relatively weak graphics. I think a LOT of people are going to see the new MacBooks as “pro” devices at consumer prices, and snap them up.

On your comments on the Air and wanting the ability to swap in a battery, the sad thing is that because Apple has not licensed their Magsafe connector (as far as I now) you can’t even get an external battery pack like APC’s Universal Battery Extender, or even a more Apple specific product.

The availability of such an option might convince a few of those who while not needing the extra battery all the time, could use the extra power when they needed to.

Heck being apple, they could probably get some company to design a sleek and sexy looking slice to go with the Air

@Dru,

If you want an ultraportable that can run OSX, the MSI Wind is probably a lot better deal than the Macbook Air.

I’m not going to get into the whole Mac (omg Ferrari! Bentley!) vs PC (lol rusty Yugo) arguments, but I would argue that the two notebooks offer similar levels of performance and portability. While Apple doesn’t currently offer a netbook option, it makes little sense to sell a notebook for premium prices ($1800-2500) when similar notebooks sell for much less ($300-600) and can still run OSX almost natively.

But, to address your other fallacies:

-The Wind keyboard is something like 92% of a full size keyboard. I’ve got the ASUS 1000H and it took a half a day for me to be able to touch type as well as on my 14″ notebook. It’s probably easier to get used to than the two-finger tap-click thing.

-My 1000H has both wireless N and bluetooth. It also has a bigger faster HDD than the MBA, which is probably the biggest bottleneck in performance (for the MBA).

“The MBA uses an Nvidia GeForce 9400M video card, the Wind uses an UMA950 chipset”

-There’s a difference between a graphics card and a chipset, but you are right. I think this is new (but not completely necessary in an “ultraportable”)

-You can very easily load OSx86 10.5 on the MSI Wind (that’s why I mentioned it in particular).

-The MSI Winds have been shipping for months. The only problem is that they are very popular, so there may be some shortages.

@ben – I see you’re comments are from the ‘Why would someone pay for a BMW, when you can have a Toyota for 1/4 the cost’ school of idiocy.

In case you haven’t noticed, the MSI Wind and the MBA are two entirely different classes of computer. Sheesh!

Just to refresh you memory:
• The Wind has a 10″ screen; the MBA has a 13.3″ display
• The Wind uses an 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor; the MBA uses a 1.6 GHz Intel Core Duo processor
• The Wind comes with 1 GB of RAM; the MBA comes with 2 GB of RAM
• The Wind uses a tiny keyboard; the MBA uses a standard sized, backlit keyboard
• The MBA includes 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1; the Wind only supports 802.11 b/g
• The MBA uses an Nvidia GeForce 9400M video card, the Wind uses an UMA950 chipset
• The MBA comes with Apple’s latest OS – OS X 10.5 (Leopard); the Wind comes with a outdated seven year old mid-level operating system (XP Home)
• The MBA has been shipping for over a year; the Wind is ‘almost’ in customers hands

Yes, the MBA costs $1799 and the Wind costs about $500. But then again, that’s about the same spread as an entry level Toyota to a upper level BMW.

I think it’s pretty sad that their “old” technology is still overpriced compared to any number of better alternatives.

I wonder what the profit margin is in those 37% of the market.

> Given today’s economic climate

Arrghhh… I am already getting tired of phrases like this

The most telling measure to me of where things are at today is Amazon’s top 10 notebook list. Its two versions of the Macbook hanging out around 7 and 8 on the list and all the rest are Netbooks (mostly Acer Aspire One variants.)

Did Apple really feel pressure to introduce a Netbook? Or did Apple just eat up more of the Netbook market by dropping the Macbook entry price to $999?

I don’t see any way that a MSI Wind doesn’t wipe the floor with the MBA at about 1/4 of the cost. It boogles my mind that someone would buy an MBA knowing that the Wind exists.

Jobs was asked about the netbook market and he said that Apple doesn’t play in “nascent” markets.

Apple’s comments during the event today were very telling about their likelihood of playing in the lower end. I believe they showed they had about 17% of the US notebook market but over 30% of the dollars of that market. High-end is their game.