Friday, December 12, 2008

Why Apple's Answer To the Netbook Won't Be Just Another Netbook

I have a MacWind, converted from the 10" MSI Wind Dave the Mobile Warrior helped me with.  He has one too although he's not too wild about it anymore.  I like it but there's nothing like working with a real Macbook.  

More than that, after using the MacWind for a month, I realized Apple is not likely going to follow what everyone else is doing.  NOT just another netbook to run OS X.  Why?  Before I get into it, I really would like to hear from everyone about about.  Particularly other folks with a MacWind or MacEEE PC.
  • Keyboard.  Imagine how little those keys are going to have to be now that Apple has gone completely with the new layout first seen in the Macbooks.  
  • Small real estate.  One of the great experiences about using a Mac is the great resolution and the desktop.  On a 6-8" (I'll go on record now to say Apple will not come out with a 10" netbook) LCD screen, it's just too small.
  • Battery life.  I get 4.5 hours running OS X on the Wind.  That's with a 6-cell battery.  Heavy stuff.  Not Apple's style.  Form is a very import equation in Apple products and designs.  Jobs will not allow any part to protrude.  Heck, it even isn't going out on a limb to say Apple's answer to the netbook will not have a user-replaceable battery.  
  • Slow processing speed on the Wind.  I mean I can use it for everyday work just fine.  The Wind is a huge upgrade from my Powerbook but it's not Macbook or even Mac Mini fast.  Jobs will not tolerate folks from the blogworld or media to say how slow it is.  
Battery life.  Performance issues that may arrive from running a full-sized OS X.  Display and interface issues.  It's looking less and less like a Macbook Nano and more like something else.

Next post:  How Apple Can Make a $500 Mac That Isn't Crappy (I have a feeling there will be an "i" in front of it)

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