Okay, admittedly it has only been out for a week, but I’m not feeling the blogosphere love for the MacBook Air. Usually, when Apple has a hit product on its hands, the early adopters go gaga for their new toy and can’t help but spread the word to the world. Normal humans read what the early bloggers say and follow suit, kinda like how reviewers can help make or break a movie. In many ways, Apple plans for this viral effect and it is actually baked into their marketing spend.
But I know they must be asking the same thing I am today. Where’s the love for MacBook Air?
Engadget hasn’t had a story in over a week, the Technorati bell curve has bottomed out and even Alexa shows slowing traffic to Apple.com.
I’m going out on a limb here. As much as I love Apple, I think they’ve violated my 2nd rule of Apple-Style marketing (you can read all 5 here for free.) "Never be first to market." Apple was hellbent on producing the world’s thinnest laptop but there is no research pointing to pent-up demand for a super thin laptop. People want lighter, cheaper, more powerful and better battery life. But they focused all that great Apple energy into "thinnovation" and this isn’t what the market was asking for. Consequently I’m not sure it is going to net Apple the rewards they seek. They did this before with the Cube and with the Newton. And we all know how that turned out.
Do you think the MacBook Air will go the way of the Cube? Would you make it your Valentine?
I’d love to hear your answers. Next column: my theory behind the real goal of MacBook Air.
Well…here’s I responded to the Macbook Air.
I’ve been a PC/windows user since my 540mb notebook with win 3.0. A dell notebook user for years. I’ve been thinking I would switch to MAC….waiting, waiting, thinking, waiting. The Air was introduced…I bit hard. Love the look, the design is perfect, full keyboard, smallish screen…the processor specs and HD are actually ahead of my three year old dell. Mostly I write, create a presentation here and there, listen to music, surf, email. It’s perfect. I subscribe to many blogs, read extensively…it does seem that apple fan boys and techies are hating. The price, small storage, blah, blah. It’s perfect for me and the people I know don’t know gigs from figs…it’s a nice machine, wafer thin, beautiful screen and cool too. Who knows how many Apple will sell…every day people who see mine or pick it up go ooooouuuhhhh and ahhhhhh. My two cents.
Thank you Ken for your comments. You are the first person I’ve communicated with who has one. You said you were waiting to move to Mac. What was the single most important reason you chose MacBook Air? I’m just curious. Thanks, Steve
Thank you Ken for your comments. You are the first person I’ve communicated with who has one. You said you were waiting to move to Mac. What was the single most important reason you chose MacBook Air? I’m just curious. Thanks, Steve
Do Apple really need to be loved anymore ?
I don’t think so… Ok all teir marketing plans is based about fans love but it’s a new era for computing, Apple is not anymore in trouble on computer market.
I think fans are not so brainless-lover than the Apple-communication-Plan would make them to be : to help (love) Apple for not to disappear from market is one thing, to make them dominate it is another thing. Is Apple in bad health ? Sure no.
MBA is “perfect”… as Apple usuaslly say about its products, so : do perfection need to be loved ? I’m not sure, everybody love perfection.
Do the “I’m a Mac” man is really loved ? Not sure… Maybe the “so perfect – so smart – so better – etc ” (and so far from human) macintosh flavour is its worst enemy.
In fine, may be Vista really to be loved : not perfect but more than I can read and maybe so human…
Do Apple really need to be loved anymore ?
I don’t think so… Ok all teir marketing plans is based about fans love but it’s a new era for computing, Apple is not anymore in trouble on computer market.
I think fans are not so brainless-lover than the Apple-communication-Plan would make them to be : to help (love) Apple for not to disappear from market is one thing, to make them dominate it is another thing. Is Apple in bad health ? Sure no.
MBA is “perfect”… as Apple usuaslly say about its products, so : do perfection need to be loved ? I’m not sure, everybody love perfection.
Do the “I’m a Mac” man is really loved ? Not sure… Maybe the “so perfect – so smart – so better – etc ” (and so far from human) macintosh flavour is its worst enemy.
In fine, may be Vista really to be loved : not perfect but more than I can read and maybe so human…
The Air is a great example that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. The Macbook Air apparently isn’t the ideal computer for any of the reporters and bloggers, which is why they are dissing it so much. But it’s perfect for the wireless 25 year old.
The complainers say it’s missing this port and that thing–which are important to the power user. But the ideal persona isn’t a power user; she’s a proficient user with wireless everywhere. She doesn’t use a data projector, she doesn’t change the battery on long flights, she doesn’t have a broadband card, and she doesn’t need a dozen ports; she is wireless all the time (at school, at work, and at Starbucks) and connects to her USB hub at home.
The Air illustrates the value of a clear persona. It’s not for everyone but it is quite appropriate for some.
The Air is a great example that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. The Macbook Air apparently isn’t the ideal computer for any of the reporters and bloggers, which is why they are dissing it so much. But it’s perfect for the wireless 25 year old.
The complainers say it’s missing this port and that thing–which are important to the power user. But the ideal persona isn’t a power user; she’s a proficient user with wireless everywhere. She doesn’t use a data projector, she doesn’t change the battery on long flights, she doesn’t have a broadband card, and she doesn’t need a dozen ports; she is wireless all the time (at school, at work, and at Starbucks) and connects to her USB hub at home.
The Air illustrates the value of a clear persona. It’s not for everyone but it is quite appropriate for some.
I think the primary reason there is no love for the MBA is due to the fact that early adopters are waiting for the “real” product to come out at the “real” price point. Apple has done the unthinkable and alienated the early adopters with the Iphone pricing fiasco and the Ipod Touch apps. I think the fans who usually drive the viral presence are a little hesitant to pay a premium just to provide feedback on feature requests (only to pay again once Apple releases those updates)
I am writing my entry on the MacBook Air this weekend after just yesterday getting it (the 1.8 with SSD drive models just started arriving).
I think the previous comments describe why there is no critical mass of bloggers for the Macbook Air: The product wasn’t designed for them. It was designed for people who feel that the size and weight are the true value proposition. Saw a great analogy on another blog that the Air is like a two-seat sports car, not every one likes the Miata or the BMW Z3 series, but, they sure manage to sell a lot of them, right?
I went from Mac to PC in 2000, and MBA is making me switch to Mac once again! And I’ve talked to several people that never were into Mac, but are now making the switch as well!
If Apple’s going to double it’s market share (as Gartner predicts) it’s not going to happen by selling another laptop to existing users!
I’ve used a Toshiba Portege R2000 (small, very sexy) for the last 4 years. Bring it everywhere. Never use Ethernet. Leave the DVD back home. Don’t need the ports. BTW, gets lots of wows at airport sequrity š
I don’t know what the Apple crowd is on about. It seems that everyone think that all of Apples products should fit just their needs. Ever heard of other people? Different needs? Strange… but it seems to be a Apple thing?
Hey steve. i don’t know why blog posts of the mba are down, maybe more people are shortening it to MBA instead of saying ‘mac book air’? Strange. There are lots of videos on the mba – spoofs of the commercial and the like, there is a also a movie on how to replace a macbook air battery from ipodjuice.com on youtube and this website.
thanks. L
I totally agree “C.”
I also think that Apple made wrong to use its traditional internet-PR methods here. I was hoping that Apple would focus more on one target group than launching the Macbook air into a “public computer” because it isn’t.
The whole computer is a quite niche product by Apple and they should focus more on the students and people whom want’s to be on “the fly”. Maybe Apple has to give the heavy users some specific information that fits them to create a positive word of moth marketing for the Macbook air.
Maybe Apple should try to re-think the marketing strategy concerning Macbook air, and base the marketing on always asking them the question (WHO?)
/O
I think that the Mac Book Air is a failed product.
Here are the reasons why:
1) (I agree with Steve)Theres no market research showing demand for it.
2) Hardware should be better.
3) I don’t think most people realize that the mac book air is part of the lower end mac book line. Most people compare it to the pro machine and wonder if the speed, memory, and functionality trade-offs are worth 2.4 pounds.
Apple needs to market to consumers and not followers of the Apple cult. (I am almost a member of the latter)
The problem of this MBA is that it ‘s focus on people that want a specific usage of a mobile computer. MBA is too expensive for most of these people. The MBA is thin, ok… it’s lighter, great ? but it still large.
This mac is for agencies directors who need to improve their public image. It seems that Most of the people who need an ultraportable will look at the Asus EeePC, not the MBA (EeePC is 5x less expensive). The EeePC cant read DVD… as the MBA. OK the Linux EeePC integrated system is limited but it can run Windows xp and in most cases, these users doesn’t need so much. So, leopard OS is too much and/or the MBA Hard is not enough.
So, the vision with the Apple product on the desk, the Apple product in hands, and the Apple Product in pocket (and beyond ? the Apple product in the head ?) is over. It’s time for interoperability (why iPhone still so closed…)
Steve, I think you hit the nail right on the head with this. I loved my 12″ powerbook, and was salivating over the idea of that exact form factor with half the thickness.
Then the MBA came out, with it’s HUGE bezel (I know they need a bit extra for the iChat cam, but wow), and it’s random asymmetric shape (which I know is needed for the engineering to work), and I was no longer drooling. I think they over-thought this one, rather than sticking with what they knew already worked.
Today still, I’d run out an buy a new 12″ MacBook Pro/Air, if it were half as thick. I don’t need a 13.3″ screen (but I’m sure that’s due to economies of scale), but I want it to be small and light, no as skinny as Kate Moss. Enough with the Mac-anorexia!
Follow up to the question – why switch now and why mac?
A: I bought the iphone….love it. My daughter in college uses a mac and raves. Most of what I’ve read and heard, people like em, not so much with windows. My thought, if I’m going to spend dough on an upgrade (my dell was 3 years old), I thought I would move to mac and see what the buzz was about. Because it was super slim, etc., icing on the cake. I’ve had it for three weeks now. Love it, got fusion working for the windows apps that won’t run on OX and all is well. I’m happy. In fact, every time I pull it out, it’s so thin and cool…compared to my last brick…I smile…that’s worth something extra. Also, one more side benefit, I think mac has momentum in the market, I’m a real estate sales manager, over time more and more of our agents will switch…as they do, I’ll know the in’s and out’s of set-up, etc. Now I know tips and tricks for both.
kb
excuse the typos/grammar….I’m on the run.
Hi , i’d like to read what you said about apple air notebook . Yes , I’m quite agree with you … I think Mac is just as innovative as you praise them to be, but don’t underestimate Lenovo. They are pioneers in architecture and engineering. I own a ThinkPad and I couldn’t be happier with it. What it comes down to is how and what you use your computer for. If you are a casual user, then Mac is definitely the way to go. However, if you are a computer programmer like I am, or need the flexibility and compatibility of a PC, then Lenovo is your best bet. So , there’s one question that who loves Mac Air , people love this new ultra thin notebook because of design.