The ultimate blogging notebook

Gasp . . . it's not a Mac. The Acer 8.9" notebook being sold exclusively at RadioShack might be the ultimate blogging notebook and at $99 who can argue?! You get a laundry list of features including Wi-Fi, WiMAX and 3G access, built in webcam, 160GB HD, and a multi card reader for the photos. For the mobile blogger there really isn't much more you could want. With the cell connectivity you can blog from grandma's house, or from the park, or . . . well you get the idea. So what's the catch?!? The $99 price tag is really $1,539 before tax [GASP!!!]. See when you get the Acer at $99 you are also signing up for a 2 year AirCard contract with AT&T. 2.5hrs of power really isn't all that much, and the RadioShack website seems to neglect the conditions needed to yield 2.5hrs . . . chances are good it's not with the 3G turned on.

If you're in the market for a subnotebook and don't need the 3G access, I say save the $300 and get a new Macbook instead.

Checkout Ryan's post from November. He also had a runin with an Acer.

Hey Apple, The Netbook Train is Leaving the Station

On a trip to the local Costco earlier today, I saw quite a clamor. No, it wasn't just the checkout lines stretching back half the store (didn't anyone get the recession memo?) It was people of all ages checking out the HP 1000 Netbook. After waiting a bit to play with it, I've got to say, it's a solid computer - for what it is. I think 75% of the people playing with it may have thought they were using a full-blown laptop miniaturized, and for many of them, it may have been just that. If you intend to simply surf the internet, check email, and write some word documents, (which is still all many people need to do) then you may never notice the underpowered Atom processor.

Personally, it struck me as the ultimate blogging tool. The ability to throw something under 3 pounds into a bag and go, is impressive. If it had 3G wireless connectivity built-in, I may have even pulled the trigger. Are you listening, Apple? This is a product, actually a whole category of products, that are starting to gain mainstream traction, and there isn't an Apple-branded option to be found. The HP Netbook had a solid, but not MacBook Pro solid, feel. The fit and finish, again, not up to what you would expect from Apple, was still significant.

The days of selling an $1100 laptop as an entry level computer are over. Having 80% of the functionality in something at 40% of the cost, and 50% of the weight will appeal to many.

Apple's reluctance/delay in making a splash in this market category could be the biggest under-reported story to the company's future.

TDL Live Halloween Special

Yes, it's time for our weekly look at Apple news and rumors from around the Apple world. And, it's also time to get a little spooky with our Halloween Special. What makes it special? Pumpkins. And smoke. Lots of smoke. Enjoy:

TDL Live This week: (10/20-10/27)

Get your Tuesday started right with this recap of Apple news and rumors:

Top 5 things disappearing from the Mac

With the new MacBooks revealed, and a few people here at TDL being riled by the loss of firewire on the MacBook, we figured it was a good time to look at our top five features/concepts that have disappeared, or are beginning to disappear from Apple products. Here they are, in no particular order.


5. Simplicity. The once so-easy-grandma-can-do-it iPhoto has become a patchwork of menus and heads-up displays. We're not saying these aren't improvements, but if you want to make an Adobe Elements competitor, do it. Don't eliminate the simplicity that's brought so many people to Apple products. And don't even get us started on what's become of iMovie.


4. Firewire. Sure firewire's still hanging on, but it's nowhere to be found on the new MacBook, and firewire 400 ports have disappeared from the Pro models as well. Millions of DV and HDV cameras use firewire exclusively for connectivity. Many of those cameras were sold to people buying into Apple's digital lifestyle pitch. Sure people now use a lot more cell video, flip cameras, and still cam video capabilities, but there's still millions of people with Firewire devices. Manufactured by companies who would've probably opted for USB to begin with, if not for Apple (and to lesser extent Sony) championing the connection. Any way you slice it, it's sad that a five year-old iBook, or even older Powerbook is better equipped to edit DV video than the newest MacBook. Why even put iMovie and iDVD on these machines?


3. The Apple Key.Perhaps the least important change on the list from a functionality standpoint, but from a lineage and marketing standpoint, we hate to see it go. Having people use the name of your company every time they give a shortcut: brilliant. Despite the "start" button, no one will ever say press Microsoft-N to open a new window.

2. Cutting-Edge Disc Support. There was a time, not so long ago, that creating DVDs was only the work of the big studios. Then a little computer company came along, and decided to change things. Apple was on the cutting edge when it introduced the superdrive, and iDVD/DVD Studio Pro. Suddenly any average Joe who could pony up for a Mac tower could author and burn their own DVDs. Now, Blu-Ray is the talk of the town. Rather than sit on the cutting edge, allowing Mac media creators to unleash the power and flexibility of this format, Apple has decided the "complex" nature of licensing the technology means it isn't worth it. While far less innovative computer companies have been able to figure it out, and despite the fact Apple can create a laptop out of a block of aluminum, licensing is just too difficult for them. Then again, when Apple introduced the Superdrive, there was no iTunes music store, let alone HD video downloads. As Apple expects you to get all media from the iTunes store, perhaps that makes them a little more hesitant to support a competing HD format like Blu-Ray.


1. Common Standards Support. To call Apple a supporter of standards can be a stretch, or an understatement depending on the subject at hand. When it comes to things like wifi and h.264, Apple has been a champion of common standards. When it comes to ports, especially for displays, it's a mixed bag. Apple Display Bus: non-standard. VGA: standard. Apple display connector: non-standard. Full DVI: standard. The latest announcements brought a new connector to the world: the mini DisplayPort. While the display port may indeed catch on in the years to come, it seems silly to switch ports simply because it's smaller. Technically, there's nothing this port does that can't be done by HDMI. And let's not forget there are millions of VGA/DVI monitors out there. Monitors that will now require an expensive adapter to be used with Apple's newest products. If you don't like the connector though, wait a few years: it's bound to change again.

Notebooks Announcements

Well the Spotlight on Notebooks announcement just ended and we came up with a quick list of the good and the bad.

Things We Love

-The new eco-friendly aluminum enclosures. White plastic was so 2001, and the iMac like black border looks surprisingly good.

-Multi touch trackpad has us excited, but we wonder if "switchers" will miss the mouse button?

-The Revenge of the Graphics Card! Macbook users can play games too! Now we just need some games.....

-User replaceable hard drives all around.

Things We Hate

-Where is the affordable pricing that was rumored for so long. The $999 Macbook is last years gimped model. Kinda like when Apple sold a $799 Snow iMac G3 after the G4 was introduced. No one will want this model.

-Pricing all around was poor. $899 for a display, even one with snazzy Mag-Safe connectors is too much in today's economic climate. The base model of Macbooks went from $1099 to $1299. Somehow Steve decided this was a $700 SAVINGS?!?!

-The lack of options for Bluray or HDMI. Despite what Apple may think, these technologies are mainstream. Steve mentioned licensing issues with Bluray in his Q&A. HP and DELL has managed to work it out.

Overall we'll give today's announcement a C+, but we get the feeling Apple is slightly out of touch with today's consumer when it comes to pricing. Are they now the John McCain of computers? Steve doesn't own seven houses right? Or does he.

Is Apple Tone Deaf To The Economy?

With today's announcements, the price for the low-end new MacBook increased $200. Increased. In recent days, analysts have expected a low-cost option from Apple. Something in the $800-900 range to stoke demand, and open new markets. Given the global economic situation, it would seem to make sense to offer something more attractive at a lower price for consumers.

Instead, Apple is keeping around the old Mac Book at $999. You can buy last year's model for more than analysts expected the entry point of the new one to be.

The only saving grace here is there's an old saying it's always easier to drop the price. I would expect to see a price drop on these units before the holidays. Otherwise, Apple will be squandering a chance to open an entirely new budget market. Then again, maybe that's not where they want to go at all.

The Obligatory Apple Store is Down Post

Title says it all, as the kids say. Well, the kids in 2006. At any rate, the Apple Store is now down, so it looks like, gasp! something could be announced today. Don't forget we'll have a live video recap at 2PM ET /11AM PT

While We're Waiting For The Apple Announcements

Looking for something to tide you over until Apple announces the shiny new products of the day? Well, here's your chance to get caught up on all our logical, and illogical (Apple Store within a Store at Walmart) prognostications for today's announcements and beyond:

Just a few hours to go

Apple's latest stop-the-tech-world, we have something to say event kicks off at 1PM ET /10AM PT. We will have live reaction and take your iChats (tdllive) at 2pm ET.

Whatever Happens Tomorrow, the Air's Days Are Numbered

Will the "brick" revolutionize laptop production? Will it dramatically lower prices? Will it simply be an incremental upgrade to existing MacBook line? Whatever we see tomorrow, one thing is increasingly clear: The MacBook Air's days are numbered.

That's not to say there's anything inherently wrong with the Air as we know it today. The fact is though, at some point, (perhaps even this week) the features, weight, and thinness of a full-fledged Apple laptop with DVD drive and full array of ports will rival the portability of the Air.

Apple has previously patented a system of folding ports, which would seem to address the issue of offering more peripheral functionality in a smaller space. And at a time when the 1.8" drive used in the iPod is being produced at up to 250GB, and the cost of solid state drives continues to fall, there's no reason a full-features MacBook can't be thinner than it is today.

The MacBook Air is a transitional product, It is able to fill a gap in the product lineup until technology catches up, and allows for far more computing versatility in a smaller space. It's demise might just be a lot sooner than any of us realize.

Dither Me This: Apple Settles Display Lawsuit

As first reported by Appleinsider.com, Apple has settled a lawsuit brought by two photographers, regarding Apple's claim of millions of colors on the MacBook and MacBook Pros. So how many colors were there? Can't we just count them? Well, yes and no.

Essentially, the suit claims Apple reached the millions of colors through a process called dithering. Essentially, pixels next to each other that were two different colors could be used to give the look of a third, separate color.  No big deal, you say? Well, it can be to a photographer, which is probably why this wasn't thrown out.

Color accuracy at the pixel level is an essential for a professional photographer. Admittedly, I've never looked at a photo, and pointed out a flaw in a single pixel, but I see the point.

What does this mean to you? Well as a class action suit, this case may very well end in some sort reparation to all MacBook and MBP buyers. Don't quit those day jobs just yet. If history is our guide, this will most likely end with a discount on Apple hardware/software. Hmmm... Aperture anyone. Our prediction: a $50 off Aperture coupon. You heard it here first.