Why we should not be enthused with the MacBook Air

Recently, many of the people I have met and have discussed Apple products with have been ecstatic with news of the MacBook Air. And I can't help but always advise them against deciding to purchase it. I will try to illustrate why it is one of the most unsuitable laptops for those of us who are not yet in an environment of Wi-Fi networks and hence making do without the use of CDs/DVDs.

No LAN port: Can you imagine that? In India, and more so in the state of Arunachal, the availability of Wi-Fi is not so great, to understate it gently. And this means, either you have to invest in one of the Wi-Fi routers in case you are content to use your Air at home; but then, isn't the Air supposed to be ultra-portable and meant to be carried around?

No CD/DVD Drive: Are you kidding me? In this part of the world, that would sound the death knell for a laptop. With movie watching the primary usage of the laptop for the student population, the CD is the ubiquitous mode of data-transfer. And while the USB drives have made a good appearance, they are obviously not the cheapest storage option compared to DVDs available for 20 rupees. This would have been ok if Wi-Fi was available everywhere, but then..

Lack of a user-replaceable battery: The battery that comes with the MacBook Air is attached to the unit. In other words, when the battery conks out, then the only option will be to send it to the Apple factory to get it fitted with a new battery! Which is exactly what I am most unwilling to do with all the data on my comp not to speak of the pira**d softwares.

In all, it is not a bad product for where it was manufactured, i.e. countries with adequate Wi-Fi networks and stuff, but, for us, here, well.. not right now please.

Biting the Apple

I have been a tech-geek for as long as I can care to remember, and one of the things you will notice about us is our idolizing of the Mac as the revered god of all things 'computerial'. This week saw the launch of the new MacBook and MacBook Pro. But frankly, the newer models lessened my intention to one day own a Mac. The 'new' Macs to me seem more like one of the zillions of laptops running the standard MS Windows or some derivative of Linux OSs.

The fine line between Apple and others, I believe, stemmed from its refusal to lean to the masses. While the rest of the world went after an array of models concentrating on various configurations to suit every type of computer user, Apple had just 3 models of laptops (MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro – as of before the launch of new models earlier this week), with 2 options in each of them. What this did was to build in an identity that we could relate to, something I call, Mac-like. Their design philosophy was based on the minimalistic, and the serene white panels all over their models. The colour was reserved only for what was displayed on the screen.

Also, the obvious close integration between their hardware and software made the Macs what they were - Macs.

Going to the masses has brought in enormous popularity for Apple, not least because of the universal iPod. However, this has come at the cost of pandering out to the common masses and the quality we always have associated with a Mac has taken a beating. Recent customer complaints which are only growing in number is testament to this fact.

Now it does not even seem worth taking the new MacBook which comes loaded with great graphics and features, which are exactly what is touted by so many others.

But the point of this post is, I did not dare buy the Mac when I was younger, because they command a significant premium over the regular laptops and I would be spending my parent's money on it. And now when I am getting to the point where I can decide on one or two things where I do not have to be hard on my money's worth, Macs are no longer Macs (sigh!)

Second Life

Is that the name of that online app? Sorry, unintended similarity there. What I wanted to refer to is just the fact that my second coming is on the anvil. I can positively feel it rising inside me. That hunger I had during my childhood days to lay my hands on as many books as possible (collecting actually, 'cos i am a crab and that's what crabs do as i have been told).

This has been triggered by the recent reading renaissance observed by my flat-mate and his unabashed love for fantasy novels (the LOTR kind). While I had built up this opinion that reading them was a waste, I cannot help but marvel at how can someone (he is older than me) still have the patience to read through it? It set me thinking a lot.

I still remember having read nearly all the classics by the time I was in the seventh standard. And it always bothers me; Is that the reason for the current lull in my reading life? The fact that I had read all these tomes at such an age and hence undergone the process of leafing through great books without having gone through enough in life to be able to understand and relate to it. Or should it be the other way round that everything in life that I encountered has been tempered by those readings?

These thoughts have been with me for the last few years, but today I hit upon the solution. These are philosophical ramblings, and no amount of pondering would be enough to generate an answer. So the best thing is, read on; but only when you enjoy it, don't think of forcing yourself to fall asleep with a book clutched in your hand with only the second page reached.

I am off to buy one! and thanks for all of you who visit once in a while, 'cos I believe having to write makes you need to read! and for that i say thanks, again. cya all in a while.