Hmmm,

Apple doesn't really have a response to this - unless maybe you'd count the iPod Touch. I suppose it's a question of what exactly can you do with that Linux? What apps are available that don't drive the cost up above a mac?

I guess it depends on how far they are willing to go. Depending on what you are needing you can go with Open office for office productivity. If you business or school has web apps then that isn't a problem. There are probably free apps out there that can do as much if not more than any of the proprietary apps. Just depends on how far you are willing to go to learn new skills and part with the big boys.

There are buttloads of apps for linux, some of which are quite good and comparable to their Windows or Apple equivalents. Some are similar in functionality, but not so easy to use. So, yes, Linux is finally a decent budget substitute for Windows or OS X. Of course, some Linux apps still require a high geek quotient, but the apps a typical person is most likely to use are there and sufficiently polished.

I wish Apple had a laptop for this niche. Yes, the Airbook is beautiful and yes, I lust after it. But I really want the smaller footprint of the Mini Note or the eeePc. I'm holding out for the next refresh of the Macbooks to see if they offer anything because I really like OS X. Failing that, I'll go with an Asus eeePC, HP Mini Note, or similar.

I like the idea of a ultra small notebook. There are times it would be handy to have such a computer. But if the battery life is not far superior to the MacBook Air, the advantages and disadvantages of this HP would not make it a worthwhile purchase even at its $499 price.

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algr wrote:
Hmmm,

Apple doesn't really have a response to this - unless maybe you'd count the iPod Touch. I suppose it's a question of what exactly can you do with that Linux? What apps are available that don't drive the cost up above a mac?

Most Linux apps are free and open source, so if you include the price of additional software, it will skew the numbers MORE in favor of the Linux machine, not less. No Linux user is going to pay for Microsoft Office, for instance.

I agree that this does not compete with the MacBook Air, really. I haven't compared the specs to the EeePC, which is cheaper. It looks like a nice system, though, and I'm surprised by the high resolution of the screen. 1280x768 is not bad at all.

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Guest wrote:

I agree that this does not compete with the MacBook Air, really. I haven't compared the specs to the EeePC, which is cheaper. It looks like a nice system, though, and I'm surprised by the high resolution of the screen. 1280x768 is not bad at all.

I can't speak for other people, but in my case, it _does_ compete directly with the MBA. I am looking for something small--tiny, in fact, and the MBA is one of the options--albeit at 3 times the price of the other books I'm considering. The only advantage that the MBA gives me is the familiar OS X environment--however if I'm going to have a secondary computer for ultra-portability, this is less important to me than the OS--my wife's eeePC is quite impressing me!

-Jon

I recently bought an Eeepc, its biggest downside is the 7 inch low res screen. The new ones will sport a 8.9 inch screen with 1024 resolution that will be better. I only bought this for its tiny size and weight and $499 price tag. I am using the stock Linux on it.

This is no way a replacement for my MacBook Pro that also runs Windows XP in VMware. The MacBook Air is far more useful than an EeePC. But as much as I love the MacBook Air, I still bought the EeePC. Wish Apple produced a computer in this range of size, and I would be willing to pay a bit more for it.

In the next year with all the ultra portables coming Apple may need to respond with a product.