I’m biased both ways–not only am I the screwdriver guy once the warranty’s out, but I’m also a big enough guy that I don’t really notice the difference between a 9.5lb. HP and a 7lb. Mac in my shoulder bag. =P
Which 9.5lb HP would that be? The one linked on the first page is 7.8 lbs.
Oh. That’d be the one I had in 2006, which model number I forget, but it was a 17" original Core Duo with a freakishly huge battery. I see the equivalent model of today (the HP Compaq 8710p) is down to 7.55 lbs, although mine had a 12-cell battery so that probably accounted for most of the weight difference.
Speaking of Apple being stuck in their ways I’m curious as to why Apple’s ~$3000 flagship laptop doesn’t have a numeric keypad. It’s not like the real estate is insufficient. I’m sure their vaunted design team can come up with a solution. Sure, I’ve made do without keypads in the past, but it’s pretty much standard now on 17"+ laptops.
Y’know, now that you point it out, that is odd. My guess is that some of the vertical thinness is because they don’t have the extra PCB/membrane switches for that and can cram a few more cable/air ducts in that space on either side of the keyboard.
Word on the street is “the Bay” “blue letter edition”.
I wouldn’t be surprised though if Microsoft was going spreading fake virus reports on the torrent sites. If I was in their place I know I would.
I think I used to find viruses in just about every pirate torrent I got back in the day. It’s mostly part of the territory (and mostly in the installers/keygens).
Oh shit. Microsoft just fanned the flames by releasing the second installment of this series of ads.
Actually, it is a smart strategy. Because while Apple doesn’t sell sub-$1,000 laptops, they do sell a lot of laptops to incoming college kids. I vaguely remember Apple themselves touting themselves as the most popular laptop on college campuses recently.
Just because they don’t compete on price doesn’t mean they don’t compete for the same market. And Microsoft is showing that you can get a lot more computer for a much better price by going with a Windows-based PC.
Now I’m just amused because I suggested the HP HDX series upthread. =P
I wasn’t being sarcastic, actually. although, now that I read my post, it comes off that way. 
I agree with you completely.
The second ad is not as interesting. The thing that jumps out at me is that he was looking for portability, and he ends up with a 1.7 inch thick, 7.1 lb, 17" laptop. The thickest MacBook is 1.08 inches, and they all weigh between 3 and 6.6 lbs. That’s one of the features that make them “so sexy,” Giampaolo.
No one who’s looking for “portability” gets a 17" laptop, period, unless they grew up with older laptops and anything under 10 lbs is “portable”. (Personally, I’m in the latter category. My wife’s in the former, which is why she has a Dell Mini-9–now THAT’S portable.)
Agreed. That’s why I bought a 13". It works for what I need it for: hauling it around in my backpack. I could go fr something lighter, but the textbook-sized form factor is just right.
Wow, that thing is small! I’d be worried about my fat fingers mashing the keyboard. Looks handy, though!
My wife was looking at a MacBook Air but they still haven’t worked out the heating problems with that small a form factor yet, at least judging by the demo models at the Apple Store. I wouldn’t mind seeing Mac come out with something like the Mini9 though, with an Intel Atom processor and 9" screen, because the biggest problem with the Mini9 is that it is ugly as sin (but the trade paperback form factor is just right).
Well, the HP 17" is portable in the sense that it’s easy to carry to & from the car. 
More along those lines, from (an editorial in) Newsweek:
Mac-chic – another casualty of the poor economy, I suppose.
I read that this afternoon, fantastic article and covers almost all of the points we did in this thread about how Apple just doesn’t get it.
I think a more appropriate analogy is that:
Macs are BMWs.
PCs are BMW internals (drivetrain, platform, suspension, etc) clad in Kia body paneling and Kia cabin interiors, for Toyota pricing.
One thing about that article that raised my eyebrows… when talking about Windows 7 the writer states:
Uh… :looks at bottom of screen:… hasn’t this “taskbar” thing been around since '95?
The one in Windows 7 is actually pretty seriously redesigned in terms of functionality, maybe that’s what they were trying to convey.