Report: Apple Orders 380K Sandy Bridge MacBook Airs

Though it is a shame that Apple has a gimped touchpad driver in Windows. The touchpad in OS X and Windows isn't even comparable.

* size

* weight

* screen resolution

* nvidia graphics in the air supposedly perform better than the intel graphics in the mbp

* air uses core2duo, pro uses corei5/i7 (would change with hardware refresh)

* i have heard (unsubstantiated) that the mbp can get fairly hot, while the air seems to remain a bit cooler.

* hard drive and ram are user replaceable on the mbp. not so in the air.

* air comes with onboard ssd (default build). mbp does not (upgradeable)

* mbp has firewire, thunderbolt, sdxc reader, superdrive, backlit keyboard

If (when) the air does get a hardware refresh to include the i5/i7 series processors, I do wonder where that leaves the 13" mbp model.

From a market segmentation standpoint, I don't see why two models that are so very similar continue to be offered. I can see why they still offer the non-pro 13" macbook (low end / entry level), and the larger pro models, but the 13" air and the 13" pro offer a potentially confusing choice to customers, and I would think this is a bad thing -- the "i can't decide so I will get neither" syndrome. Perhaps apple is waiting until they get thunderbolt onto the air before killing off the 13" pro.

In addition to segmentation, I would think it is advantageous to apple to prefer 'sealed' machines like the air, ipad, iphone, ipod, etc. These sealed machines put you on a faster upgrade cycle, because you have to refresh to replace or upgrade the ram/hard-drive. I would think this forced early upgrade cycle, along with the lean towards more utility computing, would move apple in this direction.

I am sure apple has historical metrics to support their offerings though, having had similar models offered in the past. So I am probably just 'talking out my ass' on the market segmentation issue....

note: edited for formatting

DRM is like those websites which forbid you from right clicking on a picture, and incidentally break tabbed browsing. It's a stupid idea in principle to give someone else control over my computer so they can forbid me from doing something.

I understand why they want it, I don't understand why I want it.

Consider the present: text arrives on your computer, you can copy it, paste it, edit it. Unless you have Microsoft Office DRM modules, then the document author decides what you can do with it and to whom you can email it. Consider the future: Every email, document, website, video stream becomes an extension of the sender or author and your computer is reduced to a dumb view-only device.

Also, there's the argument that the current state is (people who pay, who are hassled by DRM) and (people who don't pay, who avoid the DRM hassles).Criminals get the better experience, people who pay get things they practically can't backup and use on other devices or sample to quote, even in jurisdictions where they have those rights.