Apple has already long-ago proven itself far more than a mere one-trick pony (with the Apple IIE, iPod, iPhone, etc.). And now the ubiquitous brand is back in the saddle again!
Taking a break from our usual iPhone discussion, we thought we'd take a moment to focus in on one of Apple's other recent innovations that's also taking the world by storm - the Macbook Air. Apparently, like the iPhone, the hype over the Macbook Air is a lot more than just a bunch of...well, hot air.
In our modern age's never-ending obsession over miniaturization, it comes as no surprise that when the prevailing masters of innovation - Steve Jobs and Co. - deigned to invent a better laptop they took this to mean a lighter weight laptop. Being that the whole point of a laptop is to be able to carry it around with you wherever you go, this makes total sense.
At only 0.16" to 0.76" thick and weighing in at under 3 pounds, the product of Apple's efforts, the Macbook Air, hit stores on January 29 and recent reports reveal that they've been selling out of stock every single day since then. This includes venues in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. At the latest count, stores both online and off are estimating an approximate one-week delay between the time a customer orders and purchases a Macbook Air and the time it arrives for pickup (or delivery). The last time such a claim could be made, it was for the hot-selling (and still sold out now, a year-and-a-half later, the Nintendo Wii).
Critics question whether these figures are misleading, caused more by an inadequate supply than a voracious demand, but the numbers are raising eyebrows globally nonetheless. It seems even Apple itself didn't expect such a passionate reception, and is scrambling to keep up with all the orders.
In response to the sweeping popularity of their new product, Apple has even gone so far as to post a Macbook Air tracking page on their website for prospective buyers to find out whether and where a Macbook Air can be found for immediate purchase in their (or a nearby) area.
Costing between $1,800 and $3,000 (depending primarily upon processor speed: 1.6 or 1.8 GHz) many thought the price point too high to merit these kinds of figures, but figures don't lie. It seems laptop-users are willing to pay a premium to ease the burden on their shoulders, back, etc.
Is it just the bearable lightness of Macbook Air's being that makes it so desirable to consumers or is there more to it than that? Part of the appeal has to be the incorporation of multi-touch technology, adopted and adapted from the iPhone. Another novel feature is Remote Disc, allowing users to access DVDs and CD-ROMs from their other Macs or Windows PCs through their Macbook Air.
Whatever the cause, one thing seems certain: the abbreviation MBA no longer means what it used to. These days, and for the foreseeable future, it stands not for Masters of Business Administration, but for Apple's own Macbook Air.
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