Handheld Learning - learning with mobile and ubiquitous technologies

After much speculation of what might be announced by Apple at this years Macworld it was a little underwhelming with the main new product being the Macbook Air, effectively a skinny version of the Macbook. Our hopes for Apple's entry in to the MID or ultra-low cost laptop category once again dashed.



So here's what I like about the MacBook Air:

It's got the bling factor that all Apple products have these days and certainly something that will make Vaio owners finally put their laptops on eBay for. Compared to the existing MacBook range it's lighter and easier to carry around (but we'll come back to this point later). It has an implementation of the multitouch interface as introduced with the iPhone/iPod Touch (but not on the screen so I'm not sure I like this as much). It also doesn't come with an operating system that forces its owners to use a single designated ISP to gain access to the Internet

Here's what I don't like:

It's thin but it's too big, it's light but at 3lb's it's not light enough, it has no touchscreen/tablet capability, no firewire interface and at $1800 for the HDD version and over $3000 for the solid state version it's eye-wateringly expensive!

As a Mac / iPhone user myself (although I pretty much use everything) what I'd really like to see is Apple come out with a MID product that is bigger than the iPhone/iPod Touch, perhaps with a keyboard, something that would take on the UMPC's or even the Asus EEE PC. In the education sector which is, at least in the UK, sliding towards 1:1 access it is vital that Apple have something in this category to grab a slice of the market. I guess we'll have to keep waiting.

Do I want an MacBook Air?

Of course, but then I'm a geek  but I already have a 17" MacBook which is great as a laptop and sits fine in my backpack, I just need something in between that and my iPhone for when I'm on the move. Kids need something that is less than £300 - an iPod Touch with video camera, mic, speakers and enlarged screen would go someway to achieving this. If it was running an Intel processor (as has been suggested for future versions of the iPhone) then presumably we would also see existing Mac apps migrating.

Here's hoping...

More info here:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/

I agree with your assessment in terms of portability, price etc, but then again the education sector was probably the very last thing Apple had on their target audience list for the Air. This is a shiny presentation tool and plane-using corporate creative directors' machine, not a competitor for the OLPC, don't you think?

My main reasons for probably not getting one (although I've been waiting for this to replace my PC laptop - it's going to be the plain old Macbook 13" for me now):

- You can't change/replace the battery.  Needs to go back to Apple for that.
- One USB port, meaning I have to carry a hub with me most of the time. And no ethernet port - believe it or not, I don't have WiFi at home, so that's another ugly adapter plug for me.
- Although I don't really mind not having an optical drive, I find it intriguing that they point out how great the screen is for watching movies. That's digital movies you bought from the iTunes store, presumably.

But then again, there's that beautiful multi-touch trackpad...!!

Wolf.

Having held one now, I can say that I am changing my mind....