[mythtv-users] OT - Mac Advocacy, was; Which SVN?

[Matt Emmott]

On Mon, Mar 10, 2008 at 10:24 PM, JS Boyd <mythtv at futures.com> wrote:

>
>
> >
> They were not exactly first both the EEE PC and the OLPC XO use
> non-volatile solid-state memory as disk drives. And both are
> substantially less expensive than the Macbook Air.  There will be a
> whole lot of solid state based laptops real soon now and they'll cost a
> lot (a whole lot) less than Apple wants.
>

Apples (no pun intended) to oranges. The EEE PC and XO are both involved in
the "race to the bottom" as one Sony executive recently described it.
They're after the cheapest segment of the market, the sub-$300 laptop. SSDs
have been an option with Dell Latitudes for over a year now and really
aren't /that/ expensive, all things considered.

I believe Apple sells something like 80% of all flash-based memory produced
these days, so their profit margins are probably EXTREMELY high. The rest of
the world comes down but Apple will keep its price points for a very long
time. They don't care if anybody else sells a laptop for less than Apple
wants, because they're not Apple. That silver logo can guarantee a 20-40%
premium over other brands and keep Jobs' tidy 50% profit margin alive.

I've used a Macbook Air; a few coworkers have them. The thing really is
amazing to pick up and hold. It feels like a mockup and not a real computer
- There was an article on Engadget yesterday where an MBA owner missed his
flight because the TSA didn't believe it was a real computer, and I can see
why. Using it however is a step above miserable, at least from my
perspective. It's sluggish to boot and has almost zero expansion capability.
Would I take one on a road trip if offered? Hell yes!

Anyways, slightly back on topic, Apple owns the wow factor by producing very
solid products one or two steps ahead of their time. I bought my Mac Mini
for Myth and OSXBMC testing, and am very happy with it (5400RPM drive
notwithstanding). It's the Honda Civic of computers - It's cheap, it works
well, and in six months I'll be able to sell it for very close to what I
paid for it. It's ironic that in this regard Apple owns the low end of the
PC spectrum.
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