Filed under: Cult of Mac, Odds and ends, MacBook Air
America's Next Top Model to MacBook Air: Eat a sammich
Wow. Things are going off the rails at America's Next Top Model. First they dump Twiggy, and now this: Nigel Barker (aka "the cute photographer judge") thinks the MacBook Air is looking a bit on the anorexic side. In an interview with Joanna Stern of laptopmag.com (who knew they interviewed fashion photographers!), Barker claimed that "Skinny is no longer so important". Right. Remind me again why not a single "plus sized" (aka underweight versus seriously underweight) contestant has made it to the finals.
According to Stern, Barker suggested the MBA "chunk up a bit" with a DVD drive and some USB ports.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Corey said 4:37PM on 3-20-2008
chunk it up with a DVD drive and usb ports? wouldnt that make it an aluminum MacBook?
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Paul said 2:35PM on 3-17-2008
It's a little early for April Fools' jokes, don't you think?
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kristin said 2:57PM on 3-17-2008
Uh, like, yea. Get your facts straight. ANTM did not, like, dump Twiggy. Because of the rushed schedule to get the new season out of the door (ala writer's strike) and the show moving back to NYC (from LA), there were scheduling conflicts with Twiggy's availability. She's be back.
What, like, blows me away the most is that Twiggy actually had something in her schedule...
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Aron Trimble said 2:58PM on 3-17-2008
For serious, why do they even toy with the "plus sized" models. At the end of the day they never make it - total crock! Especially how emotional Tyra got when she did that special on her show...
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Gary Lee said 3:14PM on 3-17-2008
seriously . . . there's always something to complain about but i guess greatness is achieved while striving for perfection!
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Nathan Black said 7:08PM on 3-17-2008
striving for perfection or starving for perfection?
Macfan said 3:45PM on 3-17-2008
Wow, someone who doesn't understand aesthetics in modeling? Maybe it takes less intelligence than previously assumed.
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Seth A said 3:48PM on 3-17-2008
It boggles my mind that people continue to compare this to laptops with drives. Is everybody missing the point of what this is supposed to be? Yeah, sure there are flaws, I can accept the complaints about USB ports and wanting a smaller screen size, but the drive thing is getting old. If you want a machine with a drive, get one of the other MacBook offerings, its not that difficult. For years people complained that Apple offered no driveless computer, and now they are complaing about the one that is offered. This is not supposed to be your only computer, it is supposed to be your travel computer with the assumption you would have an iMac or something else. With that said, I wouldn't buy one, because its not right for me, it has its market, Apple wouldn't release a product if they didn't think they had a market to sell it too. Grr, I am so angry. Lol.
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Kevin said 3:50PM on 3-17-2008
"Thing are going off the rails" - you mean "Things". Still haven't cracked that Proofreading 2.0 hack.
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thethirdmoose said 8:22PM on 3-17-2008
Ya mean you've never heard of the popular band Thing?
just kidding
Whiplash said 3:52PM on 3-17-2008
"Skinny is no longer important" .... only since Tyra got fat in the thighs.
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Mystic said 4:08PM on 3-17-2008
Then get a MACBOOK! I swear to god people are idiots.
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starkruzr said 4:15PM on 3-17-2008
Hear hear, ANTM :) What would have been REALLY nice is a machine that actually had a smaller FOOTPRINT. Who gives a crap about thin? Why is thin important? Weight is important. FOOTPRINT is important. Thin is not at all important; it just looks "cool."
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Matt said 5:09PM on 3-17-2008
Kevin said...
"Thing are going off the rails" - you mean "Things". Still haven't cracked that Proofreading 2.0 hack.
dude, lame.
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lane said 5:46PM on 3-17-2008
Well I guess you're the winner big speller!
qwert said 6:11PM on 3-17-2008
add a DVD drive?
dont mind
add USB ports?
yes. definitely
add Firewire?
yes. definitely. USB is fine for stuff like printers and mouses (thats wy there beed to be som many of them), but for storage, nothing beats firewire.
add Ethernet?
yes. definetly. Not everyone has wireless
and get rid of the fucking saucer shape.
meh, im bored and tired ;)
qwert
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Rhys said 8:00PM on 3-17-2008
@Seth A - Hurrah! Finally somebody else sees the entire point of the MacBook Air! I bet that most the people slogging the MBA have never seen one in real. It's pretty amazing how thin it is.
Smaller screen? Why the hell would you want a SMALLER screen?
Oi, I think I saw a chunkier MBA with an optical drive and more USB ports... an aluminum MacBook.
@starkruzr - Thin isn't important? It is when you're carrying lots of documents around with your laptop too. If you're so worried about the footprint go buy a PDA. Still takes notes and does email.
Seriously though... don't people realise that companies with a reputation to uphold actually do their research and thoroughly think about what they are creating. I'll put money down that they had a 3-hour debate about how many USB ports they should include when they were designing the thing. They don't just draw it up and hand it over - "Yeah that'll do."
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geochick said 10:27PM on 3-17-2008
If you want a second machine that is light enough to slog around without the bulk get an MBA if you want ports and DVD drive get a MB or MB Pro. Heck! I'm all for making this thing smaller and lighter in my hands and wallet. Lose the keyboard and touch pad thing make the whole screen standard paper size or smaller and touchable like the iPhone. Now that I would love to see. The MBA doesn't need to eat a sandwich IMHO it needs to go on a long fast and lose some pounds.
As for the models on the show its nice to see some variety regardless of who wins. In the real world people comes in all shapes and sizes. After all humanity is naturally diverse not as homogeneous as some of us might like.
Can you imagine if Apple just made one computer model or one iPod model? Hooo oh my, I have to get some Zzzzzzs. Thinking bad thoughts :-)
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Josh* said 11:07PM on 3-17-2008
Way to completely miss the point of the MacBook Air, whoever you are.
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Josh* said 11:09PM on 3-17-2008
That is, whoever suggested it "chunk up a bit". They clearly have no idea what's going on, in fact why even credit their ignorance?!