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Commodore SX-64 vs MacBook Air

regmedia.co.uk — A feature comparison between a Commodore SX-64 and the new MacBook AIr

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  • TunerPrep, on 01/21/2008, -8/+124dang. I almost have a setup as good as the Air...
  • Dokument, on 01/21/2008, -28/+10Hey. at least now i can see my keyboard. that is an improvement..
    • jasmin888, on 01/21/2008, -1/+14Great post, I was just about to get that commodore, now I know there is something better out there.
    • chingy1788, on 01/21/2008, -0/+7IBM thinkpads had a little LED light ont he top of the monitor shining onto the keyboard...
      i kinda missed that with my newer fujitsu S2110
    • sleepwalkers, on 01/21/2008, -0/+9Yeah, but the Commodore still has way more games.
  • dynacrylic, on 01/21/2008, -22/+163You forgot the air: "fits in an inner office envelope".
    • truspect0r, on 01/21/2008, -5/+69And the ThinkPad X61s
      http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/2202114869_e3a ...
      http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2132/2202905812_2fc ...
      • cleverboy, on 01/21/2008, -0/+27Jesus. I hope laptop envelope stuffing isn't the new "geek-cred" penis shot.
        You watch the Macbook Air commercial, and the act of pulling it out is clearly porn.
        • dood, on 01/21/2008, -0/+7Will it stuff?
          :( I'm so very sorry for what I may have unleashed.
        • iChainsaw, on 01/21/2008, -1/+2great, but will it fit in an envelope?
      • aquadude, on 01/21/2008, -6/+4How do we know that isn't just a MacBook Air in the second picture? Hmmm?
    • DiggzDE, on 01/21/2008, -0/+15which makes it all the more easier to steal from your coworkers. :)
    • firebhaal, on 01/21/2008, -1/+19macbook air won, it says right there in the table @_@
    • UtopiaInTheSky, on 01/21/2008, -1/+17My ThinkPad T30 which is 10 years old also fits inside a manilla envelope. I tested it after I saw the MBA advertisement.
      • fluxion, on 01/21/2008, -0/+1unfortunately my T61 does not. ive never felt so ashamed
      • sinembarg0, on 01/22/2008, -1/+1You must have a ***** huge manila envelope. The T30 is one large beast (I've got one, and there is no chance in hell of it fitting in a manilla envelope, its like 1.2" thick.). Maybe you're talking about the X30, which I would believe because the X line crazy small like that. My x24 could easily fit into a manilla envelope. Also, a T30 is not 10 years old, I think it's around 5 or 6 at most.
    • techweenie1, on 01/21/2008, -3/+3Neat-o
    • Zippo, on 01/21/2008, -14/+6IBM needs a new designer... ThinkPads are incredibly fugly - their design has barely changed in over a decade.
      • khellendros1984, on 01/21/2008, -4/+12IBM isn't in charge of that anymore. I like the fugly design. It's a reminder that I'm using stable hardware that's not just glitz.
      • ScottyMcBaggs, on 01/21/2008, -1/+10Uhhh my T60 looks like a regular laptop to me. Besides, usability is what really matters, and they have awesome keyboards and sturdy designs.
        • popfrogs, on 01/21/2008, -0/+6Well said. I had a T60 for a few weeks, loved it. The keyboards are probably the best ever put in any laptop, they feel rock solid. The price, like the Air, is higher than usual for comparably equipped laptops, but 4 years later you'll appreciate what you paid for it.
      • Light11, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2yes they are ugly but they are sturdy and are perfect for any joe business person because they work.
      • Ataxia2008, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4***** off with your pansy macbooks. IBM/Lenovo have fairly good specs for the price, a sound metal shell and an excellent keyboard.
    • R031E5, on 01/21/2008, -0/+8Damn
      http://foxtrotproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/ ...
    • teh_techie, on 01/21/2008, -0/+7I think you mean an "INTER-office" envelope...
    • skyshock1, on 01/21/2008, -1/+5Yep, so you can mail that flimsy sucker right back to RMA when it breaks.
  • andrewcsayer, on 01/21/2008, -2/+268But if you included a tape drive, game on.
    • nullr3, on 01/28/2008, -0/+0And throw price and The most sold computer ever and the commodore would own
  • mooboy322, on 01/21/2008, -4/+154damn, i thought my commodore SX-64 was going to be the best machine on the market for years
    • rkho, on 01/21/2008, -13/+6Steve Jobs comes in: "That's technology."
      Violet Blue grabs him on the arm and asks for a picture.
      Steve says: "THAT would be rude."

      Steve jumps off the building and is seen flying off using his Macbook Air wings.
      • SniperZero, on 01/21/2008, -1/+8Haha, I think he would look better riding one like silver surfer from fantasic4 :p
        • Dested, on 01/21/2008, -1/+2Oh not the silver surfer from sanford and son? Thanks for the clarification.
          • drakenlot, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2He was only making sure you don't think of some old guy surfing. No need to be rude about it.
          • Ataxia2008, on 01/21/2008, -0/+1TBH if you're reading the comments on Digg, It's a good chance you know who the Silver Surfer is...
  • badassninja, on 01/21/2008, -8/+104I really don't need back lit. That's why God invented the little tabs on home row.
    • mitrovarr, on 01/21/2008, -4/+86Not to mention that on a laptop, the screen is directly above the keys, which illuminates them anyway.

      But I guess it helps if you're in complete darkness, with a dimly lit screen, and you desperately need to type, but don't know how to touch type, it could kind of help.
      • r3zonance, on 01/21/2008, -25/+5Whilst the screen will illuminate the keys, the amount of light given off by the screen, compared to the still dark keyboard, you can't really see the keys without the intervention of another light source "directly" on or underneath the keys.
        • AnthonyA7, on 01/21/2008, -6/+22What the ***** are you talking about?
        • adooga, on 01/21/2008, -1/+28"What the ***** are you talking about?"
          He doesn't know, he's copy / pasting from apple.com
        • FlyingSpaghetti, on 01/21/2008, -1/+3Dugg down for using Whilst.
      • h4ppydotcom, on 01/21/2008, -2/+15Actually, I was wishing the other day that my VAIO had backlit keys. It's the only feature on the Air that I envy.
    • cozmoz365, on 01/21/2008, -5/+12Just out of interest what is a Mac user gonna be doing in the dark anyway to need the keys lit up other then watching porn????
      • 0xFEEDFACE, on 01/21/2008, -13/+5Typing on an international flight.

        Typing outside at night.
        • sl123000, on 01/21/2008, -2/+3Mac users go outside???? NO!!! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!?!?!?!
        • runit89, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2most computer users these days should be able to type without looking at the keyboard.. i rarely ever look at my keyboard and the screen itself offers enough brightness to illuminate the keyboard but its just the flashiness that attracts ppl
          • vornan19, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3I just like watching my fingers dance!
      • Chirp08, on 01/21/2008, -5/+1trying to find the ***** volume key is the only time ive found it useful. meh, I never use the backlit feature, its kinda annoying if anything, even when I do use it, its by accident, and i set it on the lowest setting.
      • cyranthus, on 01/21/2008, -0/+33mac users dont watch porn... their computer is their porn.
      • teh_techie, on 01/21/2008, -0/+6You don't need a keyboard to watch porn... trust me...
      • edwartica, on 01/21/2008, -0/+7Cybering after their mommy told them to go to bed.
      • mishu, on 01/21/2008, -1/+3a backlit keyboard is very useful when DJing/gigging with yer laptop.
    • Gravey9, on 01/21/2008, -4/+3God?
      • badassninja, on 01/21/2008, -0/+7It's a joke awesomeo 5000. Like in willy wonka, " If the dear Lord had intended us to walk, he wouldn't have invented roller skates.
      • schlottj, on 01/22/2008, -2/+0its more like a reference to how stupid god worshipping sheep are, they all seem to think god put everything in its place

        "god put dinosaur bones in the ground so we'd have something to find when he gave us excavators"
    • calon9, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4The more bottom-up lighting on me as I sit in darkened cafes, casting long ominous shadows across the wells of my eyes as I plan world domination (or surf digg), the better.
    • strangewill, on 01/21/2008, -1/+1Who the hell looks at their keyboard while they type?
    • nullr3, on 01/28/2008, -0/+0Lets face it if Mac users knew about the tabs on the home row they would have enought common sense to see how overpriced macs are
  • Fadakar, on 01/21/2008, -31/+2Come on guys, as if the check mark wasn't enough. That beast has firewire.
  • brawr, on 01/21/2008, -44/+5I see what you did there.
    • Revolution101, on 01/21/2008, -0/+34quite possibly the worst "i see what you did there" i have ever seen.
    • Narwaffle, on 01/21/2008, -0/+170/10, you're not even trying.
    • adooga, on 01/21/2008, -0/+13No-one really says that anymore anyway.
      Now we just assume that most of the time, you've seen what was done there.
  • an8kid, on 01/21/2008, -3/+35I wonder how my old amstrad works in comparison...
    It runs of several 9v batteries.., and it accepts 5 1/2" floppy disks...
    I think i win... !!!!!
    • banmaster, on 01/21/2008, -1/+5My god, I had one of them.
      I thought I was he only one.
    • AdmiralKarelia, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3Accepting 5.25" floppies as a storage method is like accepting human feces as legal tender.
  • Artemis11, on 01/21/2008, -48/+9This....wasn't really funny.
  • retzed, on 01/21/2008, -11/+442Hmm, both useless, one skinny.
    Kinda like Paris Hilton and Rosie O'Donnell.
  • chetanthaker, on 01/21/2008, -1/+46Floppy drive FTW for the Commodore
    • ajchavar, on 01/21/2008, -16/+47bury me
      • kryptocaine, on 01/21/2008, -22/+4you assholes
        it was a simple request and you all had to be jackasses about it and digg him up
        this is why people die
        /toilet rant
        • teh_techie, on 01/21/2008, -0/+9There, I just helped both of you. ajchavar down, and kryptocaine up...
    • Tishiablo, on 01/21/2008, -4/+11What's a "floppy drive"?
    • Chirp08, on 01/21/2008, -1/+3you cant even fit one HD IMAGE of porn on a floppy drive these days haha
      • teh_techie, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2That's ok, I'd rather have more lo-def porn, than less hi-def. Quantity over quality in this case.
  • Murrabbit, on 01/21/2008, -0/+70The commodore has the distinct benefit of being retro.
  • DCUK, on 01/21/2008, -5/+220I still have more games on my CSX64 :)
    • r3zonance, on 01/21/2008, -32/+3There is still probably more commercial (and playable) games on the C64 than the PC, what's your point?
      • Agrabah, on 01/21/2008, -0/+25Lol, fanboy. Someone strike a nerve did they?
      • Asrrin29, on 01/21/2008, -5/+2I think that WAS the point fanboy...
    • astrosmash, on 01/21/2008, -1/+9Incidentally, tonight I just fired up my old C64 emulator on my MacBook to play "Space Taxi" and "Great American Cross County Road Race".
    • Chassit, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4Blue Max FTW
  • krete, on 01/21/2008, -13/+58The Macbook Air is really light, really expensive, and really nothing special. If you're considering getting one, I'd say consider a regular Macbook, which is way cheaper, still really light, and has a CD drive.
    • deadnoob, on 01/21/2008, -3/+33nooooooooo *****.
    • digggggggggg, on 01/21/2008, -3/+21They cut down on so many features on the MBA that the price tag of $1800 baseline really isn't worth it anymore. I can't imagine anyone claiming that it's a good value for a product.
    • jenrzzz1, on 01/21/2008, -3/+12For the price you can get a refurbished MBP
    • astrosmash, on 01/21/2008, -8/+5But what if I'm in the market for a sub-notebook?
      • IndigoMoss, on 01/21/2008, -1/+11Then look else where. It's about as much of a sub-notebook as the any other notebook. It's thinner, but it's not any smaller.
      • micro506, on 01/21/2008, -2/+10Asus EEEEEEEEEEEEE
        • TacticalPenguin, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4dammit you beat me to it
        • BryanJK, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4I'd get one if the screen was bigger, it looks like a toy laptop with the tiny screen in a huge square :3
          • FatLoser, on 01/21/2008, -4/+2Mac fan: I want a sub-notebook, that's why I choose the elegant, road warrior MBA. It may not have a bunch of overhyped and generally useless features, but its size makes up for that.
            Reason: It's overpriced, some of the missing features are really missing necessities, and with a 13" screen is not even a true sub-notebook; it takes up just as much practical space as any other 13". Get an EEE.
            Mac fan: EEE's are too small! Look at the screen, it's too little to read anything on!
        • astrosmash, on 01/21/2008, -3/+6The Eee is a toy.

          Have you ever seen one in person? It's a piece of junk.
          • stevecole, on 01/22/2008, -0/+1As a delighted Eee owner, I had to click that little red "Head up your ass" button over there.
    • nogami, on 01/21/2008, -5/+14Apple kinda flubbed this one.

      Macbook Air - Rather than make a thin fullsize computer, they probably should've made something more like OS-X on an EeePC sized system (not quite as thin, but smaller).

      iPod Touch - Well, we all know this - they screwed over their loyal early adopters bad.

      Apple TV - At least it enhances their revenue stream

      iPhone - At least it enhances their revenue stream
      • Vaelkar, on 01/21/2008, -7/+2I'm lost, what's wrong with the iPod Touch? Better to know now, before I go down and buy one.
        • modnar, on 01/21/2008, -0/+6It's just that they're making it cost $20 for people who already own the iPod Touch to get the software update which includes a bunch of cool apps. It's included free when you buy it new, though, so don't worry.
      • IndigoMoss, on 01/21/2008, -2/+6Seems like a bad way to start off the year for Mac fanboys. Well, at least you had some kind of updates. I'm still waiting on my God damned Vista Ultimate Extras!
      • DaMacGamer, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3At least iPod Touch owners only lost $20, I got screwed over $200! (well $100 really, after that rebate thing).
        • daborg, on 01/21/2008, -1/+3You got screwed? Oh, you mean you bought a product at launch date which later got lowered in price. Yeah you're right, that never happens.
          • DaMacGamer, on 01/23/2008, -0/+1I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I'm just saying that it shouldn't happen in (which really is) no time at all. In fact, that was the whole reason the did the rebate.
    • jmskyrocket, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2consider buying a pc
  • antiorblkflag9, on 01/21/2008, -31/+11Everyone is bitching about the Mac Book. While there are some flaws like the replaceable battery, it is a marvel in engineering. Being able to create the motherboard that small and a computer that thin is fairly incredible.
    • digggggggggg, on 01/21/2008, -0/+15Look, I'm a huge Apple fan and even I think that the MBA will be a flop. Minimalism is one thing, but the MBA has cut down on so many features that it's not really worth it anymore. I can think of many different situations where I would want an ethernet port, more than one USB port, and a firewire port.

      If it was $500 cheaper, it may be a good deal.
    • zeptobyte, on 01/21/2008, -3/+18Yeah, sure, the engineering is impressive. That doesn't stop the thing from still being totally worthless.
    • SIRBERUS, on 01/21/2008, -0/+12So are many concept cars... but marvels as concepts are interesting... marvels as consumer products result in humor.
    • retzed, on 01/21/2008, -0/+9Is it's thincredibility really worth $1800?
    • badjoke, on 01/21/2008, -0/+7Yes it's cool, but it isn't worth $1800-$3000. Many options are lacking that should be standard.
    • UtopiaInTheSky, on 01/21/2008, -1/+16A marvel in engineering for whom? Certainly not Apple. Intel, maybe. They cut the processor size down by 60% which is impressive for them. Apple did nothing except remove "crucial" features of a laptop in order to reduce it's thickness. They removed the DVD Drive... Wow, an engineering marvel. Give me a break.
    • Philluminati, on 01/21/2008, -1/+4It's thin but it's still a big ***** laptop if you ask me.
    • tupperbacharach, on 01/21/2008, -0/+9***... it is a marvel in engineering. Being able to create the motherboard that small...***

      I think you will find these motherboards to be a tad smaller than that of the Macbook Air:
      http://gumstix.com/platforms.html
      And even smaller:
      http://www.picotux.com/


      ***... a computer that thin is fairly incredible.***

      The Macbook Air is not "the world's thinnest laptop." That award goes to the Intel Mobile Metro which is 0.70" thick (and has more features).

      Furthermore, as far back as four years ago, Sony sold the Vaio X505, which some say was only 0.02" thicker than the Macbook Air, while others say the X505 was 0.03" thinner. Guess we'll have to get out are calipers on that one, but Apple certainly lags way behind in the Ultra-Slim laptop category.
      • burningmanstan, on 01/21/2008, -0/+1The x505 was also carbon fiber and way lighter than the air, only 1.85 pounds. I don't care how thick a laptop is as long as it is light. 3 pounds of aluminum is not revolutionary in any way regardless of how thin it is.
    • FredFredrickson, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4Last time I checked, I buy computers for functionality, not for how much of a "marvel in engineering" they are.
    • dan222555, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2The motherboard in a normal laptop isn't what makes it thick. It's the optical drive and various other components---all of which apple removed to achieve the thinness. Taking ***** out to make something smaller is hardly a marvel of engineering.
  • egthareal, on 01/21/2008, -13/+145A long time ago I wanted a midget to do all my personal tasks. Then I got an iPhone. Then I wanted the air to replace the iphone and the midget. But, then I noticed that the air was no better than my iPhone midget man. Anyways I guess what I'm saying is that if the chargers had a midget on the team, then they would've won today.
  • Jenadae, on 01/21/2008, -15/+1/breath
  • SenatorChubby, on 01/21/2008, -6/+18The platform that Apple is using here is an obvious step towards the "SAS" software as a solution idea where more and more technology will be geared to be less hardware dependent. Eventually all the software you will ever need will be online and all your music, photos, etc. be stored on one main hardrive in the home or office. Seems weird now, but in a couple of years this is where we'll be.
    • iamnot, on 01/21/2008, -3/+6Unfortunately your lucid and inteligent comment will languish here on digg.

      I agree with you however. The MacBook Air is not an underfeatured laptop, but a very powerful and feature-rich dumb terminal. We'll all be using these in the future to access not only remote data and media, but also to access more powerful remote computers via a Remote Desktop style applications for heavy computation. Imagine a seamless solution where you might have dozens of computers available over the wireless network and each automatically queues tasks that you initiate with your client. To you it will be one system with all the data and power you could utilize. That's the future that the MacBook Air points towards. On digg however, there is no understanding. Only "OMG can I has DVD!"

      64 remote computers is enough for anybody.
      -Some future idiot
      • pathy, on 01/21/2008, -0/+5After all, we're living in the future, right?

        It's not as if, crazily, we might not be able to access everything over the net right now.
      • praisethelard, on 06/06/2008, -0/+5I think $1800 is a bit much for a dumb terminal.
    • xcaliber133, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3Allow me to summarize for all those Diggers which the above posters feel to be so ignorant - We will be back to where we were in the 80's. Interesting to see Mac supporting an ideal which they opposed when IBM lead the charge. I don't find it surprising at all actually - 'Mac; leaders of innovation'.
    • FredFredrickson, on 01/21/2008, -0/+5You mean in a few decades.
  • phibit, on 01/21/2008, -6/+14Took me a second to get the point of that table, but damn that was pretty funny.
    • simg, on 01/21/2008, -0/+5Before I read TFA, I thought Commodore were making a comeback with a 21st century Commodore 64.
      That would be cool.
      And, if it happens, Commodore will owe me millions for the idea ... :)
    • phibit, on 01/26/2008, -0/+1My comment just got jacked, son!
  • vango, on 01/21/2008, -6/+33it's funny cuz its true
  • j4200, on 01/21/2008, -7/+39For those who didn't get it, this is a stab at Apple's marketing techniques. Rather than compare against current generation competitors, they release test specs against dated machines.
    • PurpleSfinx, on 01/21/2008, -7/+3Thanks for explaining it, I didn't get it. However, why does Macbook Air win if it doesn't have most of those features anyway?
      • daveseibert, on 01/21/2008, -0/+10Just......try not to think too hard about this, OK?
    • Mycael, on 01/21/2008, -2/+1It wins becasue it has one thing the commodore doesn't and even that isn't importnat. They should of put most of the stuff the Air has into the MacBook
  • skeletorcares, on 01/21/2008, -24/+11why do you all hate mac so much? oh yeah. cuz they suck. kudos.
    • badjoke, on 01/21/2008, -3/+7Maybe that one does. General statements are never accurate.
      • harpreetgiani, on 01/21/2008, -7/+3I see what you did there
      • skeletorcares, on 01/22/2008, -1/+1'General statements are never accurate', is a general statement.
    • skeletorcares, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3Nah, you're right. If you consider 'shiny' as not sucking, I can see why you'd say that.
    • scrappyvintage, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4I'll never EVER buy a boxed desktop. But a laptop, I'd still buy an ASUS. Sorry Stebo, you'll never gain a customer in me.
  • rankftw, on 01/21/2008, -12/+9commodore ftw, apple ftl!
  • indorock, on 01/21/2008, -19/+10I...dont....get...it....
    At first i thought "oh it's sarcastic haha" since all those are things the MBA does not have, EXCEPT the back lit keyboard. So it's sarcastic save for one item. Is this new 2008 brand of parody?

    Edit: i see now. the checkmark only applies to the keyboard. Forgive me i just woke up literally 5 mins ago (yeah i check Digg upon waking up, big whoop, wanna fight about it?).
    • LocalDocal, on 01/21/2008, -1/+17Why fight? Apparently, you check your favorite websites for updates before you brush your teeth. Your life is sad enough without adding a beating to it.

      Sadly, this makes the two of us.
    • studdenfadden, on 01/21/2008, -9/+1Checking digg when you first wake up is no reason to fight you; however, waking up at 4am is.
    • banmaster, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2Well they should have actually included the Commodore's built-in disk drive. If they'd have done tha it would have been a draw.
    • adooga, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4Best you go back to bed, the day's not quite ready for you yet.
  • geekcantina, on 01/21/2008, -6/+5This is a cool comparison :)
    Well, you can't say, that this isn't true ;)
    • FredFredrickson, on 01/21/2008, -1/+5I can say you don't know how to use commas!
  • bobbagoose, on 01/21/2008, -15/+4They may as well have done a feature comparison of a potato vs MacBook Air. The result would have been the same. This is lame.
    • macdaddydwj, on 01/21/2008, -0/+5the potato would have been funnier
      • popfrogs, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4Potato would win based on its usefulness in culinary preparations. You can eat a potato about 150 ways. The Air...well, it's not edible at all. And a potato can power a clock. The Air can't power anything on its own.
  • JoshuaH, on 01/21/2008, -1/+87Does this thing have copy and paste, or will that be included later?
    • adooga, on 01/21/2008, -0/+34You can purchase it as an external unit which looks super sweet next to your external CD drive. It has awesome rounded edges on it, so cool.
      • Memitim, on 01/21/2008, -1/+4But can I get it in a variety of colors that I would never otherwise have in my house?
    • mcgarry83, on 01/21/2008, -0/+15After you buy all the external units you'll need to be productive, the whole laptop will actually be outside the case, sprawled out on your desk looking like FSM.
      • Mycael, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3HMMM NOODELY
      • MrSunshine, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3It will look like a C64 with external disk and tape drives, a joystick, a monitor and a 300 baud modem.
  • fnnn, on 01/21/2008, -15/+8I went to an Apple store today to check out the Air. That machine is amazing. It's so thin I couldn't even see it sitting there on the counter.
    • liltbrockie, on 01/21/2008, -0/+11maybe you need to get some glasses?
    • tbob19, on 01/21/2008, -0/+12Which button enables the cloaking device?
      • gamerzworld, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2Unless it is a external cloaking device.....I would say no.
    • IndigoMoss, on 01/21/2008, -1/+3Sort of like Nicole Richie standing sideways?
    • Mycael, on 01/21/2008, -0/+0... not in shops yet.....
    • popfrogs, on 01/21/2008, -0/+5I see your availability joke even if nobody else did. :)
    • scrappyvintage, on 01/21/2008, -0/+1That is amazing, I went to a kinkos and saw a non-operative sheet of paper on the counter, and it was totally amazing too! I barely even noticed it sitting there!!
  • redfox2600, on 01/21/2008, -0/+63You're wrong the Commodore 64 is the better machine; it can be used as a paper weight, an anchor and can stop a bullet.
    • IndigoMoss, on 01/21/2008, -0/+6Plus it has some rad games like Space Taxi.
    • synchestric, on 01/21/2008, -2/+9The MBA can save trapped businessmen, stop nuclear meltdowns, help housewives bring cheese and crackers to the guests and keep villains from destroying the world.
  • utahnkid, on 01/21/2008, -16/+7This is a compliment, right? Showing how far computers have come, and the obsolescence of once popular features? How funny would it be to see some guy transported from the 90's flipping out over the absence of a 5 1/4 floppy drive, 56k modem, parallel port, and serial port in a modern computer? Well this is exactly the same thing.. Some of you guys act like cd drives and ethernet ports are somehow going to be here forever and be the first technologies ever created to escape obsolescence.
    • studdenfadden, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3Why do you think hydrogen powered cars will not catch on for at least the next couple decades? %99.99999 of gas stations do not sell hydrogen. Incompatibility with the majority is not a good feature and will damn any new product, no matter how good, to obscurity.
      • chinolofus, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2the floppy drive was replaced by the cd/dvd drive before the cd/dvd will become obsolete there needs to be something to replace it. what storage device can currently replace it? memory cards are too expensive to be used as back up. multiple hard drives are to bulky and confusing for the average person to be used as back up. cd and dvds only cost a few cents...for now they arent going away for awhile.
    • KayinNasaki, on 01/21/2008, -1/+13You're right, why would the air need a CD/DVD-drive? It's not like theres any games for the OSX.
      • utahnkid, on 01/21/2008, -7/+3Haha whats even funnier is to imagine anyone over 20 complaining that they wouldn't buy something because it couldn't play their video games... The vast vast VAST majority of people have never/will never use their laptop to play video games. Thats like bashing a Ferrari because you can't go off road in it.
        • gpw11, on 01/21/2008, -0/+10haha whats even funnier is to imagine anyone under 80 stating that they wouldn't buy something because it's a few inches thicker and a few pounds heavier... The vast vast VAST majority of people have never/will never find enough added utility in a light weight/thin laptop to offset the loss of features and increase in cost over the competition. That's like bashing a Ferrari because you bought a Toyota Echo....for twice as much.
          • IndigoMoss, on 01/21/2008, -0/+5Now that is a rebuttal. High five!
      • MrSunshine, on 01/21/2008, -1/+1I thought all games can be downloaded using Bittorrent?
    • FredFredrickson, on 01/21/2008, -0/+6And you're exactly the type of imbecile who Apple hedges their bets on these days.

      "Oh sure, optical drives are SO 2007. I only change my mind about how obsolete things are when Apple tells me to."
    • scrappyvintage, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3Wee-Yoo Wee-Yoo Wee-Yoo. . .FANBOY douchebag alert. Doesn't know what the ***** he's talking about and would suck off Steve Jobs (or anyone named steve) if given the opportunity. . .
  • gizzymo, on 01/21/2008, -12/+6I wish to God people would cop on, the Macbook air a a new line of laptop for a specific type of user. The very fact that there are other lines of Apple laptops available, shows that this laptop is not meant for everyone!
    • Surkit, on 01/21/2008, -2/+6Damn straight this is meant for people who have a lot of money, A home apple and a network of hard drives and airports, like Steve Jobbs and Kevin Rose. Wait, strike Kevin.
    • banmaster, on 01/21/2008, -8/+10Get ***** you sad apple apologists!
      You'd buy a shiny dog turd so long as it has a glowing apple logo on it.
    • KayinNasaki, on 01/21/2008, -3/+9the Mac Book Air is for people with to much money who's only use for a laptop is to watch DVDs on airpla~ Oh wait nevermind.
      • utahnkid, on 01/21/2008, -11/+4Yeah good call. What are we possibly going to do without a DVD drive? Its like we need some way of watching movies without discs.. Some file format you could "download" over the "internet" with the help of some futuristic "digital marketplace".. Haha knowing those dorks at Apple they would call it like "iTunes".. They put that "i" before everything it seems like.. What concerns me more is the absence of a floppy drive. Hello Apple! How could you possibly call that thing a computer without a floppy drive??
    • adooga, on 01/21/2008, -1/+12It's for people with lots of cash, no CDs, no DVDs, one USB device, who are never away from home for longer than 5 hours and have a manila envelope.
  • logicbus, on 01/21/2008, -10/+29Did anyone else spend a minute thinking that the check mark meant the MacBook Air had all those features?
  • cl2yp71c, on 01/21/2008, -0/+65A spec sheet doesn't prove anything.
    We all know which has better games. :-)
  • neseus, on 01/21/2008, -17/+8odd.. people were so mad when apple starting leaving floppy drives out... now you're all mad about leaving out optical drives. get over it, if someone didn't leave it out we'd have it forever. time to innovate.
    • Aitese, on 01/21/2008, -1/+15They left that out in favour of the next emerging technologies...the CD drive and the USB port. This device has no alternative to the CD...just a convoluted way of accessing a CD drive on another machine. That's not innovation.
      • Philluminati, on 01/21/2008, -2/+2You say that now, but if you could ram a CD / DVD into your "Time capsule" then I don't know.

        It seems like a very bold step. Only time will tell if it created a headache for their users or if it says a trend of removing it all together.
        • KayinNasaki, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3Time will only tell that the Mac Book Air is an entirely unimpressive device that, while not terrible, is certainly in no way ground breaking.
      • neseus, on 01/22/2008, -2/+1yeah you need to watch the keynote.. transferring data via USB and wirelessly (which, consequently, is the big selling point for the MBA) has become more popular than optical drives.
    • KayinNasaki, on 01/21/2008, -1/+9By the time disks got phased out, CD-Rom drives had become the standard for software distribution.

      But hey, it's not like theres any games for the dvd drive to use anyways.
    • AnthonyA7, on 01/21/2008, -0/+11Except we use optical drives all the time. DVDs, games, and commercial software of any type only comes on a CD.

      With no optical drive, what are we left with? USB? Yea right. Network install? Good luck- you're ***** out of ethernet ports too. Better pray there's a wireless ap nearby...
      • Aggaman, on 01/21/2008, -4/+4Any desktop mac can create an ad hoc wireless network. You can then use its drive to install software. And can you please explain why on earth you would want to play a game of the type that requires the disc to run on an ultraportable?
        • IndigoMoss, on 01/21/2008, -1/+5Or I could just put the CD in the drive and install.
      • daborg, on 01/21/2008, -4/+2"Except we use optical drives all the time."

        Um. No we don't. Hardly ever, actually. I think it's great they finally got rid of it.
    • fluxion, on 01/21/2008, -2/+1hating on macs is fun, particularly when making fun of the ridiculous prices. but leaving out optical drives in smaller laptops is nothing new, and nothing apple invented. and they are in fact capable of installing software of cd's, etc, you just need to use an external drive. big deal. need to tote around your cd collection? put it on the laptop in digital form. need to install software? install it BEFOREHAND. play games? WHAT GAMES. LOL.

      anyways, it's no big deal. make fun of the other stuff.
  • DwightSchruter, on 01/21/2008, -0/+7Heck yeah i'd pay double the price for half the hardware and a cool design...but what do you do when somebody tries to steal it from you? You can't hit 'em in the face like you do with the commodore = Commodore > Air
  • Neorio, on 01/21/2008, -10/+3The MacBook Air can nicely emulate the Commdore 64 several times over as well.
    • sirdaz, on 01/21/2008, -1/+6Fanboys can have a laugh too you know..
    • GeyserShitdick, on 01/21/2008, -1/+4Well I could probably just buy several C64s off eBay for less than the price of an Air.
    • khellendros1984, on 01/21/2008, -1/+4Neorio: FAIL.
  • superkendall, on 01/21/2008, -5/+9This is a funny comparison, but would have been even funnier if it labeled the Commodore as winning - for it's exactly all the same arguments against the Air we see today, which ignore the good features of the Air and the reasons why you might leave the SX specific features out of a laptop.
    • mitrovarr, on 01/21/2008, -0/+10What good features? It's a very expensive stripped-down extra portable laptop. It's not a new concept, nor is it one that has ever been particularly popular. If Apple did anything particularly new or notable in this implementation, I don't know about it.

      I've seen tiny computers for years, many smaller than this, and they've always been a niche product. Laptops are small enough for most people already, and they're not willing to double the price to halve the weight (with some features lost to sour the deal even more.) If anyone's going to change this, it's not this thing, it's the EEE pc. People don't expect or really desire full computer performance from these things, they just want them for a few functions, and they want them cheap.
      • Aggaman, on 01/21/2008, -3/+3Yes, it is a niche product. Ultraportables are a niche product. I congratulate you on your stunning insight.
    • LeeSoong, on 01/21/2008, -0/+5SX-64 Disk Drive √ winner!

      Many Ultra portables come with an external USB DVD drive, included.

      Apple charges you another $99 for a DVD drive:
    • FredFredrickson, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2The MacBook Air is an expensive hood ornament for Mac fanboys.
  • safetybuzz, on 01/21/2008, -4/+1ha!
  • gbarberi, on 01/21/2008, -3/+9My current laptop doesn't have an optical drive and I've managed without it. I use it for mobility anyway and I can emulate a drive with Daemon tools.
    However, the Macbook air still lacks some necessary ports like ethernet. Most importantly, for "on the road users" which I thought this laptop was meant for, is that it lacks a user replaceable battery. Because of that, I have no idea what type of user this three pound laptop is directed at.
    • CrimsonBlur, on 01/21/2008, -0/+6Yeah, the lack of a replaceable battery perplexes me as well. Ultra-portable devices are meant for people that are constantly on the go, or at least people that always want their computer with them for whatever reason. There are not that many opportunities to charge your battery when you're not at home or at work, so what do you do when you run out of power?

      It isn't like an iPod or iPhone where you can easily go an entire day without recharging, it only has 5 hours of battery life, and if you're doing any actual work I'm sure that number is lower. I'm a little confused about who the air is targeted at, because it can't be people that are constantly on the road, and it's too expensive to buy this instead of, say, a MacBook just for the portability. Of course, I didn't really understand who they were going to market the iPhone to either, and that ended up selling like hotcakes, so who knows?
      • daborg, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2It's aimed at people who like having nice things that work great and are ultra-sexy. That's why the iPhone sold like hotcakes and why this will sell like hotcakes. People like nice things and will pay extra for it.
    • FUR10N, on 01/21/2008, -2/+3how is daemon tools going to help you read a CD if you don't have a cd drive?
      "Oh look I created a virtual drive on my laptop, now I got to figure out how to fit this non-virtual cd into it." You are aware that that is what you imply you are doing?
      • sl123000, on 01/21/2008, -1/+2Bittorrent + Usenet are your friends.
      • gbarberi, on 01/22/2008, -0/+2I store images of CD/DVDs on a Terabyte network drive.
        As for everything else: MP3s and AVIs
    • neseus, on 01/22/2008, -1/+2ethernet?! i have never used ethernet on my MPB.. never once. you fell asleep in 1999.
      • winterorchid, on 01/22/2008, -1/+2At work I plug in my laptop to print/access files. The unsecured wireless is only good for internet.

        Get a job.
      • neseus, on 01/25/2008, -0/+1lol... ouch. yeah i'll get a job with outdated technology. congrats.
  • cozza, on 01/21/2008, -0/+18Here's the article that pic was from to put it "slightly" more in context:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/20/tob_commod ...
    • dArt8, on 01/21/2008, -0/+1"Are portable computers that much better off today? To answer that, we'll take a modern portable computer completely at random and compare.
      The wheel has landed on the MacBook Air. "
  • Philluminati, on 01/21/2008, -3/+4That commodore not only runs Linux but Compiz as well.
  • geksi, on 01/21/2008, -5/+1lol that was funny
  • joker1972, on 01/21/2008, -11/+5APPLE SUX
  • fillmanoz, on 01/21/2008, -0/+12Now look here all of you smart people. I wrote my engineering thesis on a Commodore Sx-64 after lugging it between university and home many times. It was such an improvement on my original C64 and actually used floppy disks instead of cassettes. The printer setup was a pain and I eventually used a terminal program to squirt the text over to a Mac Plus to finish the project in Word 1 point something. The great thing about the SX64 was that Commodore never made the second floppy drive adapter and that left just enough room to stuff a sandwich in the gap for a complete portable computing unit. Try that with your Mac Book Air!
    • MalkyMalc, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2What about a Calzone? Or a Crepe?
      • fillmanoz, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2Not as filling. A BLT fitted perfectly in the gap.
        • cosinezero, on 01/21/2008, -0/+4Though the best is that you can fit your spare floppies in there - like it was designed that way - RIGHT NEAR THE CRT'S MAGNETIC COILS.
  • taizoshiozaki, on 01/21/2008, -3/+2You guys will enjoy this book:
    http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Spectacular-Rise-Fall-C ...
  • binary1, on 01/21/2008, -5/+1LOL!
  • one0them, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3This is what rigg.com gets for rigging their engine to favor apple related keywords.
    • jkaechler, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2HEAR! HEAR!

      I wonder if they have a separate server just for the "APPLE" section of rigg.com.
      Welcome, legions of drooling Apple FanBoyz!
  • iridescence, on 01/21/2008, -0/+3taken from: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/20/tob_commod ...
  • senatorpjt, on 01/21/2008, -3/+1The SX64's battery isn't user-replaceable? I find that hard to believe, considering that battery technology at the time didn't provide very long life. It was probably a lead-acid battery. (I know the battery in my Mac Portable was a lead-acid battery).
    • cosinezero, on 01/21/2008, -0/+14SX-64 doesn't have a battery, period.
      • justice7, on 01/21/2008, -0/+5i suppose if you were ON acid .. you might think it does; or swear there's a giant crab trying to eat you.
    • fluxion, on 01/21/2008, -0/+2that ad with the dude chillin by the pool on his c64 sans power cord is misleading i know
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