tech

Several people (including my buddy Jacob) have posted lists of the supposed failures of the MacBook Air, Apple's latest offering in the notebook computer market. I didn't listen to any of the naysayers. I bought a MacBook Air.

I was surprised how many times I heard comments like "If it had a 15+ inch screen, I might get one" or "I can't live without a DVD drive/high end graphics card/ethernet port..." I couldn't disagree more with these sentiments.

First, the videos, images, ads and specs don't do this thing justice. Sure, you can fit it in a manila envelope. But you could do the same with the 12" PowerBook. I still wasn't prepared for just how small and light this thing is.

Imagine taping two single subject spiral notebooks together. That's how big this laptop actually is. At the thick end. And that's about what it weighs, too.

For all the space savings, Apple didn't skimp on keyboard size. The keyboard is identical in almost every aspect to the Apple bluetooth keyboard I've been using on my desktop for several month. Well, they added backlighting. But other than that it's identical. That means it's comfortable, the keys are well spaced (unlike most ultraportables), and they have pleasant, albeit light, feedback.

The trackpad is amazing. It's about twice as wide as any touch pad I've used in the past. Apple's multitouch implementation is evolving, and I love the results. It zooms, drags, scrolls and swipes effortlessly. And did I mention how huge it is?

Despite all the fuss about the lack of ports, connectivity is not an issue for me. I think Apple has covered all the essentials with the three available ports. The wireless is good enough that I haven't needed an ethernet port. I haven't yet thought "I wish this had another usb port on it".

Should it have more than one usb port? maybe. But I wouldn't use it. On my desktop computer I plug a bluetooth adapter, my uninterruptible power supply and my wireless mouse receiver into the USB ports. Sometimes I add a flash drive or an external hard drive to that list, but not too often. With my laptop, I don't need any of those (built in bluetooth, battery, etc). I can't see needing to plug more than one thing into this guy at once.

I know that two days isn't the longest trial run, but I haven't needed an optical drive yet. Come to think of it, I can't even remember the last time I used the optical drive on my desktop computer to do something other than rip a CD or watch a movie.

I remember a computer I bought several years ago. It didn't have a floppy drive, or even a place to put one. At the time that was a fairly bold proposition. My roommate scoffed, saying that I would surely need to read a floppy at some point. He couldn't have been more wrong. I haven't owned a computer with a floppy drive since then.

Perhaps the MacBook Air is the beginning of the end of CDs?

Update: I couldn't remember my Apple account password to log into their website and download Xcode, so I just used the "remote disc" feature for the first time to install Xcode from the leopard DVD. And I have to say, it's pretty slick.

The internal battery could be a bit of a hassle. That means I can't take a second with me and swap it when the juice gets low. It also means a bit more trouble once the battery starts going bad and needs replaced. Luckily Apple will offer affordable replacements, and it turns out that the batteries are quite easy to get to if you want to mess with it yourself.

I got the non solid-state hard drive in my Air. Honestly, I couldn't justify spending an additional $1000 for the upgrade. This means I have an 80 gig hard drive. 80 gig seems a bit small, compared to the terabyte monstrosities available for desktops. And it would be small, if I needed to store my entire music collection, or all of my photos, or backups of every DVD I own. But I don't need to carry all that stuff with me. That's why I have a desktop computer. In fact, after I installed most of the software I need (with the exception of CS3, since I've gotta buy a new license), it was sitting at about 25 gig used. I ran Monolingual, and I'm back to 64 gig free—approximately 11.5 GB used. Since I'm not filling it up with a bunch of media, that will be more than enough.

The "low" processor speed (1.6/1.8 gHz) is actually a bonus. I have a 3.2 gHz core 2 duo sitting on my desk at home. When I first read the specs on the Air, I was worried about the low processor speed. So I started paying attention to my desktop's actual speed. It turns out that my desktop almost always throttles the CPU to under 1.4 gHz. If my desktop can handle all the abuse I throw at it without breaking a sweat, I can't imagine needing more than 1.4 gHz for most things I would do on a laptop...

Granted, this laptop isn't as full featured as a MacBook Pro. But it addresses a completely separate need. It doesn't make a good first computer, and it isn't the right computer for an always-on machine. Most of the people complaining about its lack of features would be better suited to a PowerBook. I would argue that none of these people fit the MacBook Air's target market.

In short, the MacBook Air is a great second computer. I wouldn't use it for my primary machine, because I ask a lot more of that computer. I love having a desktop with a giant monitor, a DVD drive and close to a terabyte of internal storage. But this computer isn't supposed to sit on my desk, it's supposed to stay by my side. It's supposed to fit in the glove box of my scooter. It's the perfect ultraportable computer for me.

hey kids, i hope the campout was worth it. one of you should show me your iPhone when you get a chance, because it might change my mind about how crazy and obsessed all you fanboys are.

well, prob'ly not. but i'd like to see it anyway.

Computers make everything better. Today I learned about the role of computers in genealogy and family history research. Computers make it easier for an ordinary user to take up genealogy as a hobby. There are teams that study the research strategies of professional genealogists in order to better automate the search process for amateurs. Other teams focus on processing and digitizing existing records. The omnipresent nature of computers adds a huge potential for unnecessary complication if used for evil. But when used for good, computers make the user interface easier, they make programs flow

Venture capital seems to be the most expensive sort of capital out there. True, they expect monetary return for their investment, and this can come at quite a cost. But the power they have over the startup company might be an even higher cost. The highest of these costs is probably the "CEO eject button."

Brian Regan points out that Pop Tarts® are the culmination of our impatient society. In addition to the traditional toaster-centric instructions, they have microwave instructions. Who is so busy that they don't have time to toast a Pop Tart®? Who needs to be awake and out the door in seconds? I would ask who doesn't? Who can afford to spend more time on something as trivial as a Pop Tart®? Microwaving is almost always better.

When the question of inappropriate use of technology arises, one must consider whether this question already falls under currently established policy. For example, a teacher in a classroom may wish to limit students' access to wireless internet in order to prevent inattention. The problem here is the use of the connection rather than the existence. When used appropriately, an internet connection can and will enhance a classroom learning experience. However, it can be--indeed, often is--used inappropriately. But the same argument can be applied to more traditional reading material.

I've been pondering what it is that makes a person a geek. It's definitely an identity. But is geekiness inherent, or is it acquired? Which came first, the chicken or the easter egg?

It's interesting that most geeks can point to one or two events that sealed their geekdom. That seems to be an argument for "nurture" rather than "nature". For me, it was when my family bought our second computer when I was 10. Because my dad had a new computer to use, I was given nearly total control of the old one. It was that moment that sealed my fate as a computer nerd. I learned to use MS-DOS from the command line, because that was all there was. My father helped "educate" me by messing with the computer. I found out about the autoexec.bat file because one day I booted the computer only to see, in four inch high ASCII text art, the words "Justin is a dork." So I learned how he did it, and I changed it to "Justin is so cool!", or something a little more flattering. Perhaps I should have left the original statement, since it was more true than I could have known.

A recurring theme in the short history of modern computing is the response to innovation. Innovators get the shaft.

Alexey Pajitnov, the inventor of Tetris, didn't receive any royalties for his game until 1996. Because VisiCalc wasn't patented, its developers earned a pittance compared to the copycat 1-2-3. The operating system that formed the basis for MS-DOS was purchased for far less than it was worth. Microsoft turned around, with very little work, and licensed it for millions. IBM's open architecture was copied and capitalized upon by enterprising clone makers, soon pushing IBM from the market.

The story of the computer industry is, at its heart, a story about a couple of kids in a garage. All of the big stories seem to have humble beginnings. Gates and Allen got their start writing BASIC for an unlikely hobbiest home computer. Wozniak and Jobs built a PC in a wooden case. The vast empires built by Apple and Microsoft didn't start with grandiose corporate visions and vast multinational leanings. They started as a good idea to fill a niche that most people didn't know existed.

The computer industry is, indeed, a market for individuals, an industry for underdogs. The availability of information and the neutrality of the medium with which to distribute it provide a nearly level playing field for all contestants.