MacBook Air is Cool, but Where's the Tablet?
Here goes my first blog entry in oh, what, half a year? As for a taste of some random things I've been up to during that time (and don't worry, this entry is eventually getting somewhere related to the title..)
ModBook:
Aftermarket Mac Tablet
I've...
- Moved all the way across North America, from Seattle to Toronto, by car, and discovered there are no vegetables but french fries in some mid-U.S. states.
- Been eating Chinese food about 5 out of 7 days a week (and yes, mmm, that's a good thing!)
- Become a fan of Ron Paul like the rest of the internet... though still being completely confused by some of his positions (eliminate the IRS??)
And... (drumroll please!)
- Switched from PC to Mac (to be exact, a MacBook Pro)
Which brings me to the title of this post. I've really started to like my Mac. I'm not religious about it, I just think it's a nice computer to use, powerful and reliable, and does pretty much anything I want to do with a laptop (except run one of those oh-so-useful Russian-made flirting chat bots, which only run on Windows!!!)
The recent MacWorld 2008 had me listening closely. Back 6 months ago when I was shopping for my first laptop, I really liked the idea of a tablet PC. I love the idea of taking notes, like I would on paper, and having them saved indefinitely, easily accessible, in one place. You know, sometimes, how ideas just flow better when you're using a pencil and paper? But then you have to copy those ideas back to a computer later? Boom! Do it all at once! What could be better?
So, my dream of having a usable tablet PC, combined with the buzz about one being developed by Apple, made me wonder whether I'd be ditching the MacBook soon for something a bit cooler...
MacBook Air:
No Tablet, Still Badass
Alas, it was close but no cigar. The MacBook Air is surely a radical new product from Apple. A so-called "sub-notebook", thin and light. I'm sure new-time buyers will be happy with this laptop, but it won't have me switching from my MBP anytime soon. Especially with alternatives in the market like the Asus EEE: smaller, lighter, and (here's the kicker) 1/6th the price, AND runs Linux by default! And the ModBook, an aftermarket MacBook modified into a tablet.
Asus Eee:
Smaller, 1/6 the Price
Despite not having a tablet this time around, the MacBook Air sets Apple up to hit a home run with a tablet the next time around. I'm sure the product development is in rapid motion. Maybe they had planned it for January but missed the mark? Well, for such a world-changing product, you might as well be patient and get it right on the first shot. Good things take time.