The rumors were true. The MacBook Air, announced by Steve Jobs yesterday, is the thinnest computer ever. Something tells me it’s is going to be a big seller this year.

Starting at $1799, the Air is so thin it can fit inside one of those yellow envelopes (pictured to the right). It’s tiny, and it’s a full-featured Mac. Well, almost full-featured.

To fit a computer into that tiny package, some compromises were made (as usual with ultraportables).

• Few upgrades available
• Internal Lithium-Polymer battery cannot be swapped-out at will
• No optical drive. You can (and will want to) purchase a $99 external DVD burner. There’s a feature that allows you to “borrow” the drive of another PC/Mac via Wi-Fi, but you really should pay the extra $99.
• Lack of ports. There is only one USB 2.0 port, a micro-DVI port, and a headphone jack
• Internal speakers are mono

Other than that, this is a real cool computer.

• The Touchpad responds to several iPhone-like gestures (pinch to zoom, etc).
• It weighs 3.0 pounds, and is only 0.76 inches thick.
• It has a 13.3 inch display and full-size keyboard (no dedicated numerical keypad, though)
• 802.11n
• 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo (or optional 1.8GHz)
• 2GB of RAM (only option available)
• 80GB Hard Drive or 64GB SSD (no higher capacities for either)
• Onboard Intel GMA X3100 graphics
• 5 hours of battery life

If you need a thin and light laptop, and can deal with the limitations, this is the computer for you.

Further Reading

• MacBook Air: Holding my breath
• MacBook Air’s tradeoffs
• MacBook Air: Thinning My Expectations

The Ultimate MP3 Player doesn’t exist yet. It’s the second-generation iPod Touch.

Apple needs to fix the current bugs, and add some new features. Namely,

• A volume switch on the device. Using the touchscreen to control volume can’t work too well.
• The ability to download and subscribe to podcasts over Wi-Fi.
• Flash support for Safari.

Here’s how I want the “Ultimate MP3 Player” to work:

• You plug the device into an AC outlet, so It’s charged when you need it.
• While it’s plugged-in, it connects to your Wi-Fi network. It would repeatedly check to see if any of your subscribed podcasts are updated, and download them. So you have all your podcasts on the player, as well as it being fully charged.

I don’t load new music onto my current MP3 player anywhere near as often as I put new podcasts onto it. Forget Wi-Fi sync, I want a device that can download podcasts itself.

Get going, Apple!

Most computers tend to last only 2-3 years. It’s an annoying fact, but that doesn’t make it any less true. My previous computer was a Compaq Presario, which lasted about three years. My current machine, a Gateway 835GM, has been kicking since a few days after the release of the sixth Harry Potter book (July 16th 2005 for the uninformed). How much longer will it last? No idea. At random times (read: the worst possible moment) everything locks-up, and then goes blank. It’s been happening for a few months now, and my attempts to pin-down the problem have been unsuccessful. Who knows how much time is left until it quits.

If you spend a week reading my articles, you’ll likely come to the assumption that I’m a big Apple fan. You’d be right, though I haven’t used any of their products for more than ten minutes at a time. I get Macworld from the library, I read Apple news online, and I’ve read several books about Apple and their products. I don’t have a Mac yet, but I definitely want one. Why, besides being totally obsessed with Apple products (a.k.a. “The Pinnacle of Innovation and Design”)?

First of all, Windows sucks. I’ve been using Windows since before XP was around, and it wasn’t very good. XP came out, and it was more stable and a little easier to use. Nowadays, Microsoft is marketing the heck out of Vista, and I’m thinking “How stupid does Microsoft think we are?” Vista is at least a step backwards. Vista is basically Windows XP with some security patches, a new interface, and more versions. The new “cool” interface may look cool, but from what I’ve seen it definitely hinders usability…and performance. Buy an OS with higher (like double) minimum spec requirements so I can have translucent window borders? No thanks.

In the hardware area, things aren’t much better. New PCs generally have Vista preinstalled, and you run into the problem of your computer self-destructing in two years. Throw-in bad tech support, device conflicts, malware, and the headaches start.

Some people will tell you that Macs have “compatibility issues.” Well, Vista definitely has “compatibility issues.” Only a third of software that runs on XP will run on Vista. You’ll need a new secuity suite for sure, and countless other apps won’t work. Meanwhile, Macs are becoming more and more adept at running Windows apps. Parallels Desktop and VMWare Fusion allow you to run Windows applications in the Mac OS. That’s right, they even appear in the dock. How is that possible? Now that Macs have Intel chips, it’s a lot simpler to run apps in a “virtual Windows playpen.” Before, virtualization systems had to emulate the chip as well. Of course, some programs won’t run in a virtual state (3D games for example). That’s where Apple’s Boot Camp software comes in. With Boot Camp, you can have an actual copy of Windows installed on your Mac. You can turn off your Mac, and restart it in Windows so you can play Need For Speed or whatever processor-intensive program you need to run. And get this: Vista runs faster on Macs than on any other PC on the market. The Vista Upgrade Adviser even scores iMacs higher than any other non-Apple machine. So…wait…how high would a Mac Pro score?

I think all of the above is enough reason to go Mac.

Will we all use thought-controlled computers in the future? I think not…

Thought-based input would be cool, but there’s no way it would work. Sure, you have some early attempts, like the Project Epoc game helmet, but there’s no way you could write an email/blog post/book/etc with your mind. If the text you’re putting onscreen comes directly from your mind, hmmm… I should get some more coffee you will likely have unwanted thoughts mixed-in.

Obviously “mind-reading” computers aren’t a good idea. Now, what was that I was going to write next? Hmm…. What was it? Oh, yeah… Voice recognition systems aren’t much better. Suppose you’re dictating to your computer (which sounds like fun). Someone walks into the room and says “you haven’t saved that yet? Be careful not to close the window.” You lose an hour of work that you forgot to save. After all, it’s much easier to save your document by pressing Ctrl-S than by saying “File…Save.”

I’m not bashing dictation software, but merely pointing out that it does have some downsides. As for thought-input? Forget it.

The iPhone…what exactly is it? Is it a phone? Is it a portable web device? Is it an iPod? It’s all of those, and then some.

Apple has given us a device that shows us a glimpse of the future. What lies ahead? Only Apple knows, but I can hazard a few guesses.

iPods

The iPod’s current “clickwheel” navigation system has been proven to be intuitive and easy to use. It’s one of the features that placed the iPod ahead of the pack. Could Apple be contemplating replacing the clickwheel with an iPhone-style touchscreen?

People have been clamoring for a widescreen video iPod. The iPhone is not that iPod. It is too expensive and, well, it’s a phone. The current iPod lineup includes the 30-80GB iPods, the smaller flash-based iPod Nano, and the screenless iPod Shuffle. The full-sized iPods can play video, while the others can’t. Could Apple replace the hard disk-based iPods with a new iPod model featuring a touchscreen? It’s possible.

I doubt that Apple would totally kill-off the clickwheel, but they could remove it from the video-capable models. Could they go beyond that and introduce web surfing features to the iPods? Who knows, only time will tell.

iComputers?

This may be wishful thinking, but I sure hope it isn’t. Though we may not see it in the next ten years, I think it’s inevitable that we’ll eventually have a pocket-sized computer.

For those who don’t mind Windows, there’s already the OQO. This gadget is a full-featured computer with a 1GHZ processor, a 60GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and a 5-inch 800×600 display. Though it’s a bit big, it’s a real computer you can almost fit in your pocket.

Why should Windows users have all the fun? I’m sure Apple could build something like the OQO, only smaller and better. The iPhone runs on a scaled-down version of OS X, so it’s the first step. With their MultiTouch technology and their technical expertise they could do it.

I don’t think this idea is too far-fetched. Today’s technology may not allow an iPod-sized Mac, but I bet it will eventually. In a few years, there will be a shift in the way computers are used. I think that we’ll all carry computers in our pockets one day. We’ll keep a monitor, keyboard, and other peripherals at home along with an external hard drive for storing less-used files. You’ll just plug your computer into a docking station and enjoy the benefits of full-sized input/output devices. Oh, and we’ll have 5MB/sec wireless data services for reasonable prices. Heck, while I’m at it, Apple’s Mac OS will be the mainstream operating system and Mozilla Firefox will be the dominant browser.

Pocket computers may be 10-20 years away, but I think we may be getting a touchscreen iPod sometime much sooner.

It’s out. The new iMac is here.

Pretty cool isn’t it? The design is the same as the old version, though it’s silvery instead of white, and it looks a little thinner. The color’s nice; it’s not in-your-face METAL, but a subtle aluminum-type effect.

The base machine is $1,199 with a 20-inch display, a 2GHZ Core 2 Duo, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, an 8x SuperDrive, and a decent video card.

There’s another 20-inch model and a couple 24-inches. Take a look at the options.

The Tech Specs are looking pretty good, and you’re getting a lot more for your money now. If you’ve got enough dough to spend, you can get up to terabyte of internal hard drive space, 4GB of RAM, and a 2.8GHZ Core 2 Extreme. What will that top-level model run you?  $3,449.

The new iMac looks good, and it’s pretty powerful.

The Zonbu Zonbox is a $100 computer with 512MB of RAM, 4GB of flash storage, and an “Intel-compatible ultra-low power CPU.” The 4GB of flash memory is just for storing your software, as the device is useless without a $15/month subscription that nets you 50GB of storage on Zonbu’s servers.

The box is marketed as “environmentally friendly”, “hard to break”, and “The PC of the Future”. Yeah right. This thing is several steps backward from modern computing. Seeing as all your files are stored halfway across the web, you have to wait for them to stream over to your Zonbox. Unless your some sort of odd person who just surfs the web, and edits some text documents, the Zonbox isn’t for you. It can’t really do anything involving large files or serious disk activity. So you can forget editing video or recording podcasts.

Running linux, the Zonbox looks fairly user-friendly, and as Zonbu states on their website “Its compact and sturdy structure allows it to take the occasional knocks kids can deliver. And since Zonbu software is unbreakable it can handle stray keystrokes from little fingers, too. In the worst case scenario, just reboot Zonbu and it repairs itself.” The thing has no moving parts, and most of everything is stored on a web server somewhere. The thing’s tiny, about the size of a Mac Mini (a much better value by the way), and it lacks any moving parts or noise-making fans.

I think it’s only practical application is a web appliance. You put it in your kitchen or garage so you can check your email, look things up on Wikipedia, and keep an eye on news headlines without running over to you normal computer. The Zonbox is a really cool product, but it’s really only going to be useful for the following applications:

• Use as a web appliance.
• A main computer for someone who just surfs the web and edits text documents.
• A mini computer for a summer home or something.
• Businesses that require computers for checking up on company websites/databases (like libraries and bookstores).
• Cheap computers for internet cafes.

There are plenty of things the Zonbox is good for, but don’t confuse it with a normal computer.

Apple has released their new MacBook Pros with LED-Lit displays, and Santa Rosa chips. You can view Apple’s press release here. Take a look at the specs for the 15-inch $1999 model, the one at the bottom of the MacBook Pro line:

• 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440-by-900 LCD display;
• 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
• 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
• 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 128MB GDDR3 memory;
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
• built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
• built-in iSight video camera;
• Gigabit Ethernet port;
• built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
• two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;
• one audio line in and one headphone out port, each supporting optical digital audio;
• Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard;
• the infrared Apple Remote; and
• 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.

That’s pretty good. You can get a lot more for that $2000 now. Just upgrade the hard drive up to 160-200GB and you’ve got a great laptop.

Apple, it seems, may be the first computer company to readily offer laptops with LED-backlit displays. While they haven’t confirmed it yet (do they ever confirm anything?), there is a good chance.

What’s so great about that? LEDs last a heck of a lot longer than the fluorescent bulbs currently behind the screens. If implemented right, they offer much better colors than conventional LCDs. Today’s LCD monitors tend to have washed out colors due to the backlight. LED-lit LCDs can put an end to that irritating problem.

There’s speculation that Apple will announce the updated laptops (if they are planning them…) when Mac OS X Leopard is released. Makes sense to me.

One keyboard to rule them all. The Optimus Maximus keyboard is probably the ultimate keyboard. It’s price tag will be pretty ultimate as well… $1536. I know what your thinking. It’s probably something like “What?! Why the heck would I pay $1536 for a keyboard?” It’s not just any keyboard. Every one of those keys on it is a tiny OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display. Why would you want that? Suppose you’re working in Photoshop, the keys can update to show keyboard shortcuts that you may find useful. Like the “d” key can show an icon representing the “default colors” command. Or if you’re playing a game, wouldn’t it be easier to play if you knew at a glance which key activates your grappling hook? The Optimus Maximus can do all that and more. Want to type in a language like Russian or Japanese? The Optimus can remap the key images so you see the correct characters. $1536 is still a little excessive…especially since the OLEDs may burn out after five years. The Optimus Maximus will be available November 30th.