Funny how that works.
I am not really trying to mix things up too much but I do find it very interesting that the weeks prior to MacWorld everyone was saying how much they would love to see a Mac Tablet and how great it would be to finally catch up with what the PC world has, without paying $2k+ for the Modbook.
And ever since the MacBook Air was announced everyone just said how awesome it would be to have a incredibly thin and light notebook would be. No more word on the tablet or all the other things they had wished would be there.
I also found it funny with the more powerful processors in the Mac Pro’s and how that would just “get in the way” of all the other amazing things that were going to happen at MacWorld. But really most people, who don’t throw money at Apple, came away very disappointed in the whole thing. If you truly look back and see what Apple did announce, it was actually pretty sad. Updated hardware and movie rentals is all I really saw. That is something that every company does. No company would go on stage and announce a thicker and slower notebook, or a inferior desktop. Every time there is a press release it is because something is faster, thinner, lighter, or just plain better than its predecessor.
Apple is supposed to innovate beyond just making something slightly better. The fact that they don’t do that really just makes them another company.
I really look forward to the coming ~6 months when a couple companies follow suit and build thin driveless machines but they don’t sell well. The really smart companies will watch how the MacBook air does and see that it won’t sell incredibly well, especially at its current price, and they will continue to make thinner, lighter, faster notebooks at a cheaper price.
I agree and disagree with some of what you said. I too was disappointed in the keynote. Didn’t seem to have the usual apple flair to it. You say hardware updates and movie rentals is something every company does. Well I don’t think every company does movie rentals, or at least does them in the right way. While I probably won’t ever rent a movie from Apple, mainly due to my broadband speed and the fact that my current blu-ray setup is way better, it was still a good move for Apple. Good move, yes; innovative, no.
You also say the Air is just an updated laptop. While true, I disagree that it wasn’t innovative. To make a laptop that is that thin and light with what it offers, does take innovation. Apple had to have Intel make special processors for them. The also had to figure out how to make everything else fit into such a small area. That, I believe, was innovative. I’m not saying its the greatest thing Apple has come out with, or even that it is a humongous feat that no one would of ever been able to do except Apple, but the fact that they were the first (that I know of, maybe I’m wrong) to make something that small that other companies will definitely copy on some level, is innovation.
Other than that, you’re right. Not that impressive this year. And who knows if the Air will even sell that good. Not all innovations sell good.
Oh and what!?! The wireless access point with a hard drive attached isn’t worth mentioning?
sorry, but a NAS that only works with 1 application on 1 OS is not worth mentioning.
Vista backup can already back things up to a NAS and always has been able to. And a Drobo is still better than a time capsule.