04-21-2009, 12:37 AM
Robert M wrote:
C(-)ris,
What am I missing here? A Dell Mini 9 is a scaled back notebook computer. A Macbook is a notebook computer that isn't scaled back. Of course, they're going to be a bit different, aside the Macbook being an Apple produced Mac. But, to say they are nothing alike is ridiculous.
Robert
Yes, it's different. Apple's industrial design appears to be mostly style-oriented, visual, status-driven, or aesthetic, but that's misleading, it's different in a multitude of small but important practical ways. Apple will never cripple a keyboard the way Dell did. The Dell Mini 9's keyboard is decent considering the size constraints, but is merely acceptable, not superior. Apple is uncompromising in other small ways, as well, that the user experiences on a daily basis. It's not just Dells, the distorted miniature keyboards of the current cheap netbooks stands out as being among the most problematic things for companies like Apple to adjust their standards to develop a solution for. I'd be curious to see what Apple would do with that amount of space.
I agree that to say they're "nothing alike" is foolish. Of course they're alike, they're both computers, they are portable, they have a battery, etc., but that's about it. The comparison doesn't go far beyond the fact that they're both computers. A Kia and a Saab are both cars, too. Each has four wheels, and a steering wheel, brakes, etc., and run on gasoline. Therefore, they are alike. But the differences are compelling, too.
richorlin wrote:
The keyboard isn't THAT small. The photo is screwy.
Yes, it is that small. The photo is accurate. The apostrophe key is nuts, I agree. The keyboard layout is barely tolerable. But cute enough and cheap enough to accept. No one pretends otherwise, it's not the Mini 9's strong suit.
I have a Dell Mini 9, I'm happy it can be customized to run Leopard, but it's a substitute and a novelty, not in the same class as Apple's hardware. I don't expect Apple to compete down at this price and quality level, so I don't expect a cheap Apple netbook, but imagine theyll introduce something for $500+ that will capture attention and develop a new category or a new market, building on their success with other portables like the iPod and iPhone. And I hope they ignore the Dell Mini, so we can keep screwing with them!