The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gif The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com en-us Copyright 2008 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Found Footage: Thinkpad MacBook Air parodyhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/29/found-footage-thinkpad-macbook-air-parody/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/29/found-footage-thinkpad-macbook-air-parody/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/29/found-footage-thinkpad-macbook-air-parody/#commentsFiled under: ,


There are two hot ultraportable computers on the scene now-a-days: the MacBook Air and the ThinkPad X300. Some clever Lenovo lover created this MacBook Air ad parody which points out the key differences between the Air and the X300: number of ports and an internal DVD drive (only available on some models).

Judging by pure aesthetics alone the Air wins, but ThinkPads are time tested workhorses so I wouldn't count out the X300. Either way, this parody is one of the better ones I've seen.

[via Fake Steve]
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]]>lenovolenovox300macbook-airmacbookairthinkpadx300Scott McNulty2008-04-29T18:00:00+00:00MacBook Air modded with internal 3G EVDOhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/29/macbook-air-modded-with-internal-3g-evdo/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/29/macbook-air-modded-with-internal-3g-evdo/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/29/macbook-air-modded-with-internal-3g-evdo/#commentsFiled under: ,


A brave MacBook Air owner (capitalizing on the Air's internal USB onnections we posted on previously) has embraced the wireless promise of Apple's ultra-thin notebook by installing a USB727 Verizon Aircard inside the Air. The hack involved disassembling both the Air and the USB EVDO modem and soldering it to one of the Air's internal USB connections.

Unfortunately, the hack also required removing the internal Airport and Bluetooth card (both to get the space and to use the Airport antennas), so I doubt most Air owners would be interested. Nonetheless, the end result is quite impressive and looks great. He has also started a forum thread to discuss the hack.

Thanks Amy!

Update: The hacker who put the EVDO card into the Air is not the same as the one who previously discovered the USB connections.
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]]>EVDOMacBook AirMacbookAirMat Lu2008-04-29T16:00:00+00:00MBP vs. MBA benchmarking showdownhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/21/mbp-vs-mba-benchmarking-showdown/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/21/mbp-vs-mba-benchmarking-showdown/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/21/mbp-vs-mba-benchmarking-showdown/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Bare Feats continues to pit Macs against each other in a no-holds-barred, up-against-the-wall benchmarking breakdown, and this time around it's the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air in the octagon together. And things go about as planned -- while the solid state drive in the MBA has its advantages, the processor and GPU (what little there is of it) in the MBA don't even really compare to the MBP. Sure, it's a small, super thin, super portable computer, but not only are you paying in cash for the portability, you're paying in performance, too.

This doesn't mean the MBA is a bad computer at all -- for most tasks, it'll work just fine. But complicated 3D graphics (both Halo and Unreal Tournament 2004 were tested) will be almost unplayable in games, and there will be a substantial wait, sometimes up to minutes more, for certain processor intensive tasks. If speed is a high priority (at least higher than portability), the MBA isn't for you.

I would like to see how the MacBook compares, though. It's not surprising that the MBP is a fast machine, but where does the MBA line up compared to the cheaper model?

[Via IMG]
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]]>barefeatsbenchmarkscpugpugraphicsintensivemacbook-airmacbook-proteststimingMike Schramm2008-04-21T16:30:00+00:00JPMorgan: MacBook Sales Up, PC Sales Downhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/11/jpmorgan-macbook-sales-up-pc-sales-down/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/11/jpmorgan-macbook-sales-up-pc-sales-down/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/11/jpmorgan-macbook-sales-up-pc-sales-down/#commentsFiled under: , ,

According to a recent posting on Phillip Elmer-DeWitt's Apple 2.0 column over at CNN, JPMorgan analyst Mark Moskowitz has issued a "cautiously optimistic" report on Apple based primarily on "stronger-than-expected" MacBook sales" for the quarter ending in March. According to Moskowitz, computer sales usually fall-off after Christmas, but Apple has actually had a sales increase -- albeit a small one at only 0.2%.

However, that increase is still better than sales for other PC's, which according to the report, fell 9% in the same quarter. In spite of the sales increase, there still may be other issues that have an effect on Apple's bottom line this year. According to Moskowicz, there may be some difficulty for Apple if the company is not able to deliver a 3G iPhone by Summer.

"As long as there is nothing to suggest that a summer launch of the 3G phone is not a possibility, we would expect investors to look past any near-term disappointment in iPhones," said Moskowitz in his report. The report doesn't specify which MacBook model is responsible for the slight increase in sales for Apple. But with the MacBook Air having just been released during the last quarter, perhaps it deserves the credit?

Apple will release its quarterly earnings report on April 23rd.
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]]>financialmacbookmacbook airMacbookAirsalesChris Ullrich2008-04-11T16:30:00+00:00MacBook Air Bluetooth EFI Update 1.0http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/10/macbook-air-bluetooth-efi-update-1-0/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/10/macbook-air-bluetooth-efi-update-1-0/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/10/macbook-air-bluetooth-efi-update-1-0/#commentsFiled under: ,

Today, Apple updated the MacBook Air with the Bluetooth EFI update 1.0. Apple has yet to tell in any support notes what this update actually does.

However, for those souls that are willing to download and install the latest (un-noted) updates, you can find this update in your MacBook Air's Software Update app (Apple Menu > Software Update). You can also download the 1.2MB update from the Apple support downloads website.


Thanks to everyone who sent this in!


[Update:] Since posting this story, Apple has updated the link information and has taken off the "EFI" on the title of this update. You can find the update information here.
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]]>1.0bluetoothefiMacBook AirMacbookAirupdateCory Bohon2008-04-10T21:30:00+00:00Life with the MacBook Airhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/05/life-with-the-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/05/life-with-the-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/05/life-with-the-macbook-air/#commentsFiled under: ,



It's been almost two months now, and life is still almost perfect living and working with the MacBook Air. To recap, for those of you just joining us, in previous articles I told you my reasons for ordering a MacBook Air. Then, after having it for a few days, posted a fairly well-regarded review of the new Mac.

Now, after a bit of time has gone by and I've had a chance to use the MBA on a daily basis, it's time for an update on my experiences, both good and bad. To recap just a bit more, my MacBook Air of choice is the 1.6 Ghz version with the 80GB PATA HD. I did not spring for the solid-state drive model, although I really wanted it. But even for a Mac-lover like myself, the cost was just a bit too high.

At the moment, the MBA has various applications installed on it including Adobe Photoshop CS3, the iLife '08 and iWork '08 suites, Office 2008, and it's recently been updated to OS X 10.5.2 with all other various updates applied. Ok, that's it for the recap, let's get to the update.

Continue reading Life with the MacBook Air

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]]>macbook airMacbookAirtweet-thisChris Ullrich2008-04-05T08:00:00+00:00More Apple gold for superstar athleteshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/02/more-apple-gold-for-superstar-athletes/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/02/more-apple-gold-for-superstar-athletes/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/02/more-apple-gold-for-superstar-athletes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

David Beckham recently received a snazzy gilded iPod touch from his teammates. That's nice and all, but this guy is a superstar. He needs some seriously togged out Apple goodies. With that in mind, we're offering the following shopping list:
  • The golden MacBook Pro. This sucker features gold-plated casing, a keyboard painted to match and "...your logo in diamonds." Try opening one of these at Starbucks.
  • The $39,750 MacBook Air. Twelve thousand hand-applied Swarovski crystals decorate its 24k gold casing. For forty grand, you would think you get a solid state hard drive.
  • The golden iPhone. You knew this one was coming. Unfortunately, the pricing is still "to be announced."
  • Golden "classic" iPods. Why stop at the touch? You can just as easily get your 160GB or 80GB classic dipped in gold, as well as the nano.
Here's hoping someone special in David's life reads our list and makes a purchase. While you're at it, a buffing cloth would be good, too.
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]]>ipodipod classicipod touchIpodClassicIpodTouchmacbook airmacbook proMacbookAirMacbookProDave Caolo2008-04-02T22:00:00+00:00Is the Multi-display Mini finally about to debut?http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/31/is-the-multi-display-mini-finally-about-to-debut/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/31/is-the-multi-display-mini-finally-about-to-debut/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/31/is-the-multi-display-mini-finally-about-to-debut/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Mac Mini users have been waiting a long time for a true dual-monitor solution. Sure there are a bunch of work-arounds out there that let you run more than one screen at a time but a real multi-screen solution hasn't yet been available as far as I know. (Honestly, I haven't been looking all that hard--so if there's one I missed let me know in the comments.)

Display Link has finally decided to let the mini come to the multi-display party. TUAW reader Nick tipped us off to these new beta drivers for Mac OS X.

The DisplayLink hardware supports up to 4 USB-based monitors. You're limited to Intel Macs but minis and MacBook Airs are supported. The beta does not support OpenGL acceleration so Keynote and iPhoto slide shows will not properly function.

From what I could tell from the site, Display Link seems to be sold with third party branding. The Kensington USB docking station (model 33415) for $140 is apparently the product in question.

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]]>DisplaysDual MonitorsDualMonitorsMultimediaErica Sadun2008-03-31T14:00:00+00:00MacBook Air USB hackshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/21/macbook-air-usb-hacks/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/21/macbook-air-usb-hacks/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/21/macbook-air-usb-hacks/#commentsFiled under: , ,

TUAW reader Rowan Pope pointed us to this insane MacBook Air hacking post. How many USB ports does the Air support? Apple says just one; this post says up to 7. Apparently, the Air has a few extra live USB port connections built into that thar skinny little computer. How do we know this? Because the guy downloaded developer documentation for the ICH-8 chip, which offers 5 low-speed and 2 high-speed USB controllers.

He popped open his Air and measured the voltage at each pin. He then used a hacked memory key with a modded USB extension cable (with an extra resistor just to be safe). After connecting the memory key to one of the pins, his MacBook Air system log reported a USB error. A few more tests and adjustments later, he actually got his laptop to recognize the drive. In total, he found three working USB connections plus an unused SATA controller.

TUAW is awed. Be sure to check out the other mod on this much-opened Air: a carbon-fiber bottom case. Sleek!

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]]>macbook AirMacbookAirmodsUSBErica Sadun2008-03-21T11:35:00+00:00MacBook Air: It's a good thinghttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/21/macbook-air-its-a-good-thing/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/21/macbook-air-its-a-good-thing/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/21/macbook-air-its-a-good-thing/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


America's favorite ex-con (that's Martha Stewart, not her dog Sharkey, as seen above) just loves her new MacBook Air, according to her blog. Like most MBA owners, she's "amazed" by how thin it is, and is thrilled that the trackpad "works much the same way as the Apple iPhone" -- in fact, her whole writeup reads exactly like an ad from Apple, complete with the link to the Apple Store at the end. Who knew Martha was such a Mac-head?

Although she does settle that debate about whether the book counts as a laptop or a laptop support unit: Martha still keeps her HP right next to the Air, not only because she likes to keep up with both platforms, but apparently because when aides come by her desk to work, she wants them to have choices. And we all know what choice is: a good thing.
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]]>funnyhphumoriphonelaptopmacbook-airmartha-stewartsharkeyMike Schramm2008-03-21T09:00:00+00:00Our favorite Charlie Rose caption is...http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/19/our-favorite-charlie-rose-caption-is/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/19/our-favorite-charlie-rose-caption-is/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/19/our-favorite-charlie-rose-caption-is/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Yesterday, we pointed out the story of Charlie Rose and his MacBook Air. Just in case you missed it, Charlie was walking along the Manhattan streets with his MacBook Air. He tripped and instinctively saved the Air... and kissed the pavement.

That night, he did his show with one heck of a shiner. We asked you, dear readers, to fill Charlie's thought balloon. After combing through more than 100 entries, we've chosen our favorite, which you can see above. Congratulations, Spudnuts!

The runner-ups to "iAche" include
  1. ""My Sudden Motion Sensor didn't park my head soon enough." by Geoff
  2. "Boom!" by Michael L.
  3. "It's cheaper to fix my face." by x.
Thanks, everyone (and get well soon, Charlie).
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]]>charlie roseCharlieRosemacbook airMacbookAirDave Caolo2008-03-19T15:00:00+00:00Charlie Rose saves MacBook Air, sacrifices facehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/18/charlie-rose-saves-macbook-air-sacrifices-face/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/18/charlie-rose-saves-macbook-air-sacrifices-face/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/18/charlie-rose-saves-macbook-air-sacrifices-face/#commentsFiled under: ,

Imagine walking down the street with The World's Thinnest Laptop. You stumble, and in an instant you're pavement-bound. Instinctively, you grab the laptop in an effort to keep it safe, and you do a graceless faceplant on the sidewalk. Ouch.

Now imagine you're a television personality in that same situation; a person who makes his living, in part, by inviting millions of people to stare at his face. Do you make the same sacrifice?

PBS interviewer Charlie Rose answers with a hearty "Hell, yes!" Yesterday, his show's producers report, he was tripped up while walking in Manhattan, MacBook Air in hand. He instinctively saved the Air ... and took one for the team, as it were. Later that night he could be seen on his show, bandaged and bruised like a pro boxer after a 12-round bout.

It reminds me of the time I nearly killed myself trying to save a falling iPod. We're glad you're OK, Charlie -- and we award you the Official TUAW Icepack for valiant defense of falling hardware.

Now for the fun part. You'll notice Chuck's thought balloon is empty. Suggest your quote in the comments, and we'll post our favorite tomorrow. Be nice, stay on topic and be funny. Now, show us what you got!

[via TechCrunch]
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]]>charlie rose showCharlieRoseShowmacbook airMacbookAirDave Caolo2008-03-18T11:30:00+00:00America's Next Top Model to MacBook Air: Eat a sammichhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/17/americas-next-top-model-to-macbook-air-eat-a-sammich/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/17/americas-next-top-model-to-macbook-air-eat-a-sammich/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/17/americas-next-top-model-to-macbook-air-eat-a-sammich/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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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]]>America's Next Top ModelAmerica'sNextTopModelAnorexiaMacarexiaNigel BarkerNigelBarkerTyra BanksTyraBanksErica Sadun2008-03-17T14:15:00+00:00TSA works to clear MacBook Air for flighthttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/11/tsa-works-to-clear-macbook-air-for-flight/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/11/tsa-works-to-clear-macbook-air-for-flight/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/11/tsa-works-to-clear-macbook-air-for-flight/#commentsFiled under: , ,



You may recall that MacBook Air user Michael Nygard was recently screened by the TSA (that's the Transportation Security Administration, to those who aren't in the US.) when he went through security with his MacBook Air. It would seem that the good folks manning the X-ray machine couldn't make heads or tail of what they saw on their screen. When Nygard explained that the MacBook Air was, in fact, a computer (and had that assertion backed up by a younger TSA worker) all was cleared up and he was sent on his merry way (though he did miss his flight).

The TSA is working hard to make sure you don't have to deal with this hassle. On the official TSA blog (yes, the TSA has a blog and it is pretty entertaining) Bob informs us now that he is working with Apple to get his hands on a MacBook Air (hey, Bob, just make sure you don't throw it out) for some testing. He wants to run it through one of their screening machines and see if it looks any different than normal laptops. If it does, in fact, look a little odd the image will be sent to all TSA workers in airports so that future travelers won't be bothered.
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]]>macbook-airtsatweet-thisScott McNulty2008-03-11T19:30:00+00:00MacBook Air, Mac Pro updates availablehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/11/macbook-air-mac-pro-updates-available/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/11/macbook-air-mac-pro-updates-available/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/11/macbook-air-mac-pro-updates-available/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Who says this Tuesday arrived without updates? MacBook Air users can launch Software Update this morning and find SMC Update 1.0, which adjusts the use of the (very tiny) internal fan. If you've been having fan issues with your Air, let us know if this patch knocks them out.

Also, the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT Firmware Update is available for the Mac Pro. The change this update offers is "system stability" according to Apple. How exciting.

As usual, we ask that you let us know if you have any trouble after applying these updates.
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]]>mac promacbook airMacbookAirMacProsoftware updateSoftwareUpdateDave Caolo2008-03-11T11:00:00+00:00Don't throw the MacBook Air out with the paperhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/11/dont-throw-the-macbook-air-out-with-the-paper/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/11/dont-throw-the-macbook-air-out-with-the-paper/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/11/dont-throw-the-macbook-air-out-with-the-paper/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Apple doesn't just loan review units to anyone who asks. No, you have to be pretty high up on the tech journalism foodchain in order to be entrusted with review gear from Apple (you will note that TUAW does not receive any review units from our favorite fruit company). Steven Levy is decidedly amongst those who have no problems getting their hands on Apple's latest, with lots of help from the company itself (he was one of the 4 journalists who got an iPhone ahead of everyone else). Therefore, it is not surprising that Levy would have a MacBook Air on loan from Apple, but it is surprising what happened to said loaner MacBook Air.

All was well with the MacBook Air, until Levy experienced a panic that anyone borrowing something from a huge multinational corporation never wants to feel: he couldn't find the darned thing. He feverishly traced his whereabouts and quickly ruled out thievery (he still had the powercord, so that didn't seem likely). Finally, he hit upon a theory: the MacBook Air was accidentally tossed out with the Sunday paper (if you read the Sunday New York Times you know that it often weighs in at much more than the MacBook Air's 3 pounds). One wonders if he was using one of the many Manilla envelope cases for his MacBook Air.

Luckily for Steven, Newsweek will be footing the $1800 bill for the MacBook Air, but chances are should the same thing happen to you, you won't be so fortunate. Make sure to keep an eye on that tiny laptop from Apple, there is no telling where it might end up!
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]]>macbook-airsteven-levyScott McNulty2008-03-11T07:00:00+00:00How a MacBook Air baffled airport securityhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/07/how-a-macbook-air-baffled-airport-security/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/07/how-a-macbook-air-baffled-airport-security/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/07/how-a-macbook-air-baffled-airport-security/#commentsFiled under: ,

Alternate title: The MacBook Air is a device, but it's not a "Device."

Programmer Michael Nygard is used to travel. He's got the process down, from airport to hotel. Unfortunately, the TSA isn't as prepared.

While passing through airport security recently, he was pulled aside and made to sit in the holding area. He watched as a gaggle of TSA workers examined his things, especially his laptop ...

"'There's no drive,' one says. 'And no ports on the back. It has a couple of lines where the drive should be,' she continues...."

As you've probably guessed, Michael's MacBook Air had them all baffled. Fortunately, a younger member of the team eventually arrived and explained that it's not a "device," but a computer with a solid state hard drive. It's good to know they're keeping up with this kind of thing.

Here's a warning to everyone traveling to SxSW this weekend with a MacBook Air: schedule a few extra minutes for the airport.
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]]>macbook airMacbookAirsecuritysxswDave Caolo2008-03-07T15:00:00+00:00Daily Show election center features a passel of MacBook Airshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/06/daily-show-election-center-features-a-passel-of-macbook-airs/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/06/daily-show-election-center-features-a-passel-of-macbook-airs/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/06/daily-show-election-center-features-a-passel-of-macbook-airs/#commentsFiled under: ,


The Daily Show, recently returned to full writer strength, apparently decided that the best way to say "high tech" for its March 5 Election Center feature was by getting a bunch of MacBook Airs on the set. Five of them, to be precise, arrayed before correspondents like Aasif Mandvi, Samantha Bee and Rob Riggle.

Does putting an Air onscreen automatically make these fake journalists more credible and authoritative? Maybe not... but that isn't stopping some other jokers from using them in slightly more official newsrooms.

Thanks to Kevin for the screen capture and Jesse for the Karl Rove tip.
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]]>daily showDailyShowkarl roveKarlRovemacbook airMacbookAirtweet-thisMichael Rose2008-03-06T00:05:00+00:00The $39,750 MacBook Airhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/05/the-39-750-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/05/the-39-750-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/05/the-39-750-macbook-air/#commentsFiled under: ,

If the golden iPod isn't luxurious enough for you, check out this MacBook Air. Called "Golden Age", it's got a coating of 24k gold beneath 12,000 Swarovski crystals. Each crystal was applied by hand (of course), and only 20 Golden Age Airs have been made.

That's right, you can buy one! Why not show up at Starbucks with an Apple laptop that cost nearly 40 thousand dollars? And people say Mac users are smug.

Thanks, Marco!
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]]>macbook airMacbookAirDave Caolo2008-03-05T17:00:00+00:00iPhone or Macbook Air: Which will save you the $$s?http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/05/iphone-or-macbook-air-which-will-save-you-the-s/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/05/iphone-or-macbook-air-which-will-save-you-the-s/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/05/iphone-or-macbook-air-which-will-save-you-the-s/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Scott and I were chatting yesterday about recent iPhone sales. Rumors from yesterday's Apple Shareholder Meeting suggest that the iPhone is on-target to reach its 10 million unit goal. "Of course it's selling well," Scott said. "The iPhone costs a lot less than a new Mac. Doesn't it?"

Leaving aside such silliness as $40K Swarovski-encrusted laptops, the real cost of an iPhone over a two-year contract remains high. On top of the $399 for the base unit itself, the lowest-advertised AT&T 2-year contract costs $1440 plus about 10-12% in surcharges, for a total of about $2000. The 13-inch 1.6 GHz MacBook Air? $1800.

You can save yourself some money on the iPhone side by opting for the contract-free prepaid account for only $49.99/month or even (heaven forfend!) unlocking your iPhone and using it with an existing non-AT&T account. If you really want to shop on the cheap, AT&T is selling refurbished 4GB iPhones for just under $200, and 8GB for $249.

All things considered though, if you're looking at an AT&T contract, there's not too big a difference between putting the Internet into your pants and putting it into an office envelope.

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]]>Cost ComparisonsCostComparisonsErica Sadun2008-03-05T13:00:00+00:00