Me: "Finally. Got my MBA!"
You: "Really??? From which school?"
Me: "From Apple."
You: "What?!?"
OK… Now that the joke is over (sic), let's get serious :) ! By "MBA", one should understand "
MacBook Air", of course ;) ! And by "joke", one should get that… I still haven't ordered what will be my next Mac :/ ! I know, I know, I owe you some explanation. But let's start with a "quick" sum-up of the previous episodes…
In December '05 (ouch!), I "gave" my old+beloved Power Macintosh G3 (B&W) to my sister (snif…) I was pretty sure Apple would release some new, amazing, Intel-based laptop as soon as January, during Macworld '06; and of course, I was plain right (sic). *BUT* I didn't plan them to only release a 15" model… Yep, their new MacBook Pro indeed was a-ma-zing; but I was ready to buy the "small" version, the follow-up to their great PowerBook G4 12". I wanted something I could grab+carry everywhere I'd go (read: at work too). So, I then decided to wait for Apple to migrate their entire offering so that it's 100% Intel-based. (Note: This waiting has only been possible thanks to my dad buying a new, Intel-based iMac in February '06… Without that, I would have failed waiting for so long, that's for sure!)
When Apple introduced its new MacBook line, it also took me a while to decide… that it wasn't good enough for me :( ! The size+weight were great, but the graphics chipset was too limited. As a user, it was OK for me: I just use my Mac to browse the Net, send e-mails, and above all… to (X)code. *BUT* I wanted my new machine to fully handle Leopard's forthcoming Core Animation technology; not as a user, but as a developer who crafts apps for some other users. Argh! I then waited for some more, hoping I wasn't the sole customer to expect a small, yet powerful Apple laptop ("Hi Japan!") Later on, some evidence (yes, patents) appeared that Apple was working on such a beast. Till Macworld '08…
So less than a week ago, Apple completed its, ahem… already-complete laptop offering (sic) with MacBook Air… I was once again A-right and almost choked while listening to Steve, announcing its specifications ("OMG!") *BUT* when I calmed down, I realised it alas wasn't the dream machine I was waiting for :( ! I'd like to apologise for those 2 years of soft "complaints" and doubts, but please let me explain you why…
In September '07, my employer abruptly ended my contract for, ahem… economical reasons after 6+ years of loyal devotion. (Life is hard when huge benefits are coming quarter after quarter, isn't it? But sorry, I digress…) Since then, I'm working on building my own software company (hint, hint) *from home*. I'm however still 100% sure to want a laptop, even though I'm not as mobile as I used to be. Yes, if I look back at the previous months, I could have lived with a desktop: I wouldn't have taken my laptop with me in Iceland, and I nicely handled my egyptian trip w/o one either. *BUT* I probably would have planned some more stays in the French Alps if I could have brought a laptop with me! I would also have found some occasions to enhance a couple of visits here and there thanks to my new mobile friend, etc.
But why not MacBook Air? I do plan to go on watching my DVDs. I still prefer listening to CD-quality music (and I own 500+ CDs I'd rather like to *use*.) I'm not that fond to put 1699 € into a great, but somewhat limited laptop (1.6 GHz?!? 80 GB?!?) when I could grab something way more powerful for less money (iMac) or for just a bit more (MacBook Pro). And since I still plan to bring my Mac with me, you know what remains… So yes, I'm gonna buy a Mac soon. Yes, it will be a laptop. No, I'm not A-OK to put 1699 € for MacBook Air. And after waiting a couple of years, I also think I can afford buying something a tad more pricey than MacBook ;) !
Conclusion: Today is almost historical 'cause I'm now pretty sure to end up buying the next revision of MacBook Pro! I can't wait :) !
Labels: apple, mac
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