Mossberg: Lenovo X300 Has More Features than MacBook Air, Less Sexy
Mossberg: Lenovo X300 Has More Features than MacBook Air, Less Sexy
by , 10:15 AM EST, February 22nd, 2008
The grand poobah of tech journalists, Walt Mossberg, has spoken: Lenovo's subnotebook ThinkPad X300 has more features than Apple's MacBook Air, but the Air is the sexier and thinner of the two models. This pronouncement comes in Mr. Mossberg's full review of the X300 for the Wall Street Journal, which also serves as a direct comparison to the Air.
In his review, he added that Mac OS X is a better operating system than Windows XP or Vista, and that the bundled software included with the Air is better than its Windows counterparts. Oh, and the Air is thinner, cheaper, and weighs less.
Despite the above caveats, Mr. Mossberg concluded that the Lenovo X300 is a "notable engineering accomplishment," in part because the Chinese company managed to fit a DVD drive, an Ethernet port, more USB ports, a replaceable battery, and a cell phone modem inside the unit.
Accordingly, Mr. Mossberg told his readers that, "If you're happy with Windows, can afford the price tag, and value the many ports and connectivity options Lenovo has packed in, the thin and rugged X300 is a great choice."
Implied would be that if those things aren't true, then the Air is a better choice. We should also point out once again that Apple is getting the nod on price, something that used to never happen.
The above link is a permanent link to the review, which requires a subscription to the Wall Street Journal. You can access the review for free on Mr. Mossberg's home page until he writes a new column.
Observer Comments
Obviously, if a reviewer comments that something is "great" only if certain things are true, then it is implied that the only other choice must be the MacBook Air.
"I was thinking about getting radial tires, but they were very expensive" Bob says.
This implies that Bob instead bought 4 MacBook Airs, as they are the only answer to a conditional statement.
The Air is a better choice than the Eee PC, because it is faster (I know they're not in the same class, the $1500 price difference makes that clear, but I am illustrating a point). Ignore the obvious fact that there could be multiple solutions for a problem, and assume that the MacBook Air is the best choice, every time.
QuoteTrying reading that article again.....he pretty much says the X300 is the better machine and that the MacBook Air is for the amateurs, which is what Apple is always for.
QuoteUnless you going to have a romantic relationship with your laptop, which I guess some folks do, why does this matter in the least bit. But I guess anyone who buys apple products are probably as shallow and empty as the products themselves.
Aside from the absolute childishness of such remarks, these readers really miss the point that Mossberg makes: Different people value different things and it's great to have options.
By the way, that "amateur" market that you belittle is leading Apple to impressive marketshare gains compared to PC manufacturers. I am not suggesting that Macs will dominate the computer landscape but Apple is adding users at a faster growth rate than the industry at large.
Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:47 pm Subject: it's about stupidity
Sun Feb 24, 2008 11:10 pm Subject: It's a simplistic response but...
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