I hammer away on corporate 24" inch Imacs and G5s with cinema displays all day so I really can't justify anything fancy for after hours, especially as I piggyback off a neighbor's open wifi (who knows how long that will last).

It's SO strange to go back 6-8 years ago and the big ass stocky displays. I had a 21 inch ViewSonic display and it was gigantic. Everything is so flat and thin these days. And wireless.

I will say that I have had ZERO problems with my Apple 12 inch, and would probably keep it for travel/hack purposes rather than try and resell it.

Stevie Jobs is the man.

I am headed to Apple's Boston regional office to watch this thing live on their satellite feed...
no choppy QuickTime feed for me this year

SO far its pretty neat but nothing amazing.... were only up to #3 announcement tho.

Apple today announced a free software update for its revolutionary iPhone that allows users to automatically find their location using the redesigned Maps application*; text message multiple people in one message; create Web Clips for their favorite websites; customize their home screen; and watch movies rented from the new iTunes Movie Rentals right on their iPhone. [ ...]

The iPhone software update 1.1.3 is available immediately for free via iTunes 7.5 or later for all existing iPhone customers in the US, UK, Germany and France. New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get the update for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes

*Availability and precision of Maps positioning features will vary depending on actual location.

iPod Touch customers already have the most advanced mobile web browser in the world with Safari, and now Apple is adding five more great mobile applications -- Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes. The iPod Touch software upgrade also includes new features such as Web Clips, a customizable home screen and beginning today, the ability to watch iTunes Movie Rentals. New iPod Touch products shipping from the factory will include the software upgrade and existing iPod Touch customers can get the software upgrade for $19.99 by purchasing and downloading it from iTunes.

Apple today announced iTunes Movie Rentals featuring movies from all the major movie studios including 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Lionsgate and New Line Cinema. Users can rent movies for as low as $2.99 and watch them on their Macs or PCs, all current generation iPods*, iPhone and Apple TV. iTunes Movie Rentals launches today and will offer over 1,000 titles by the end of February, including over 100 titles in stunning high definition video with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound which users can rent directly from their widescreen TV using Apple TV. iTunes Movie Rentals are priced at $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases, and high definition versions are just one dollar more with library titles at $3.99 and new releases at $4.99. [...]

iTunes Movie Rentals feature iTunes' legendary ease of use, which makes discovering and enjoying movie rentals as simple and easy as buying music on iTunes has always been. Once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to iTunes or Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 24 hours to finish it -- or watch it multiple times.

The all new Apple TV software delivers an entirely new user experience centered around iTunes Movie Rentals, allowing movie fans to rent and watch movies right from their widescreen TV, with no computer required. Users can also view photos from their computers, Flickr and .Mac Web Galleries on their widescreen TV as slideshows or screen savers, and anytime photos are updated on Flickr or .Mac they are automatically updated on Apple TV. Apple TV users can now browse and enjoy the iTunes Store podcast directory of over 125,000 video and audio podcasts, view over 50 million originally created videos from YouTube, or choose from a selection of six million songs, over 600 TV shows and 10,000 music videos to purchase directly from their Apple TV. Purchases downloaded to Apple TV are automatically synced back to iTunes on the user's computer for enjoyment on their computer, iPod or iPhone.

*Movie rentals work on iPod classic, iPod Nano with video and iPod Touch.
**Compatible with 802.11b/g/n. Based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification. Wireless video streaming requires an 802.11g/n network.

Apple today unveiled all new software for Apple TV that allows movie fans to rent movies on the iTunes Store directly from their widescreen TV, and lowered the price of Apple TV to just $229. With iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV, users can just click a button on their remote to effortlessly rent movies from a catalog of over 1,000 titles by the end of February, including over 100 titles in stunning high definition video with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound, with no computer required. DVD-quality iTunes Movie Rentals are $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases, and high definition versions are just one dollar more with library titles at $3.99 and new releases at $4.99. Apple will provide the new Apple TV software free of charge to existing Apple TV owners when it releases the new Apple TV priced at $229 in about two weeks. [...]

iTunes Movie Rentals feature iTunes' legendary ease of use, which makes discovering and enjoying movie rentals as simple and easy as buying music on iTunes. Once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 24 hours to finish it -- or watch it multiple times.

With Apple TV, users can also view photos from their computers, Flickr and .Mac Web Galleries on their widescreen TV as slideshows or screen savers, and anytime photos are updated on Flickr or .Mac, they are automatically updated on Apple TV. Apple TV users can now browse and enjoy the iTunes Store podcast directory of over 125,000 video and audio podcasts, view over 50 million originally created videos from YouTube or choose from a selection of six million songs, over 600 TV shows and 10,000 music videos to purchase directly from their Apple TV. Purchases downloaded to Apple TV are automatically synced back to iTunes on the user's computer for enjoyment on their computer, all current generation iPods* or iPhone.

Apple TV easily connects to a broad range of widescreen TVs and home theater systems and comes standard with HDMI, component video, analog and optical audio ports. Using high-speed AirPort 802.11 wireless networking, Apple TV now automatically plays all of your iTunes content without setup or management**.

Pricing & Availability

The new Apple TV software will be available as a free automatic download to all Apple TV customers later this month. Apple TV, which includes the Apple Remote, is available from the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $229 (US) for the 40GB model and $329 (US) for the 160GB model (US and Canada). Apple TV requires an 802.11g/n wireless network or 10/100 Base-T Ethernet networking, a broadband Internet connection and a high definition widescreen TV. iPod games will not play on Apple TV. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only.

*Movie rentals work on iPod classic, iPod Nano with video and iPod Touch.

Macbook Air is impressive technically but it fits in with the 17" powerbook as a kind of a white elephant, seems to be something more for blogging rich kids at the cafe or some swank design company that wants sleek wow factor for presentations. (at least the first version).

totally bummed...

so is this thing 'better' than a macbook stats-wise?

I like the Time Capsule thing... I'll get one of those.

it's actually perfect for me. i'm not a blogging rich kid, but i am in school full time as well as working full time so a lightweight computer makes far more sense to me than the somewhat clunky macbook i have right now.

i want it.

Stat wise it is running 2 gigs of ram which is way more than enough for most everyone who will own one. I believe it comes with a 1.6ghz or 1.8ghz processor which is a lower number compared to even the regular macbook but accompanied with that much ram it will blaze. Looks pretty effin sweet to me. I am currently having to have my screen replaced on my 4.5 year old powerbook. Up until this problem I have never had a single issue with the computer what so ever.

Disclaimer: Mac guy who switched to PC, so there you go

Glad to see the iPhone updated. Just added my first and favorite web clip to the home screen!

Typo21 that is awesome, I just ran the update so I have to set that up.

MacBook Air is "ahead of its time" in that in a couple years when the RAM and SSD are jacked way up but the prices go down for those items, it will make a lot more sense. I think when I see one in person I will bug out and get obsessed with the idea of getting one, but then I will remember it has significantly less features than the MacBook, much less 15" MacBook Pro I currently use, and I will realize it's not worth it -- yet.

I very much agree this is all about impact, and for businesspeople doing presentations on the road, especially in the creative industries, it will be highly sought after.

Having a battery that is NOT user-swappable kind of eats the donkey dick. That's right, it's a built-in battery.

I'm sure the little guy will serve it's purpose for a ton of users. I don't think I'll be one of them. I just purchased a new MacBook Pro a few months ago.

However, the size is very appealing. I might change my tune once I see it and place my current portable on the auction block.

The internal battery is definitely a departure historically. But hopefully it won't be difficult to get to.

i have been a mac loyalist since 1995. this new laptop sucks in my opinion and i hope all of apples future releases don't go like this. i don't like being told i can't pop a cd or dvd into my computer without adding a plug in drive on...gee that real convenient. fuck "everything digital" i want to hold a cd or dvd to read the lyrics, background info ect.

Why the fuck do they do this? They make such an awesome product only to screw it up with a simple design flaw like not being able to replace the battery without spending $100! Fuck that.


Yes. Also fuck this.

I don't think you guys understand...
the reason for no optical drive
is the same reason for no replaceable battery

SIZE

there is no place in there for an optical drive or a battery that will last 5 hours and be swappable...

"i don't like being told i can't pop a cd or dvd into my computer without adding a plug in drive on...gee that real convenient."

People said the same thing when Apple stopped using floppies...

I fully understand why the battery is built-in, and why no included optical drive. I just think, especially the battery, it turns a lot of people off. We shall see...

I can understand no drive on the "air" - but you'd think they could get a battery. Develop one if they have to. And my complaint is really about the iPod.
But another such flaw is with their mighty mouse where you can't open it to clean it properly - I just scrapped mine at work because the damn srolly ball just stopped scrolling down. Up works fine. Side to side too. But down crapped out and there's no way to open it up to clean it out.
For as great as they are Apple creates these minor design flaws that throw a wrench into an otherwise great product.

It's funny how apple is praised for great industrial design, but the same problems keep coming up (mighty mouse, etc).

The macbookair is just not for everyone. It is going to be a status symbol more than a workhorse. The battery business is bunk too.

My disappointment is that they really needed a workhorse, namely a 12 or 13" macbook pro and what we got was a laptop version of the ipod.

I honestly don't see the battery thing being a huge issue. I have never even taken the battery out of my Powerbook in the 4.5 years I've owned except when I added more ram.

The MacBook Air is amazing, but is pretty far out of a reasonable price range. That 64GB solid state drive should NOT cost a thousand bucks to upgrade. Apple really cashes in on the upgraded hardware. 80 or 64 GB, either way, is just too small of a hard drive. No optical drive to top it all off. Impressive for sure, but not for me. I'll stick with my Powerbook for a little while longer!

My $0.02.

the difference is you can fit a lot of information on a dual layered dvd...it sure as hell ain't no floppy. there has been may a time i've needed a dvd with work related files overnighted to me because there were issues downloading them from a clients ftp because of size/time. wireless networks are too unreliable in this day and age to "share" everything from user to user. and i'll say it again...fuck this intangible digital age. i still want to touch and hold my movies and cds.