Everybody is talking about the new Macbook Air notebook. It costs $1799+. Is it worth it? How much would you pay for a notebook? I definitely would not pay that much. I mean, it’s cool and the new thing, but something new will come out and it won’t be cool anymore. Just like we thought RAZR’s were the new, best thing and then an iPhone came out. Don’t get me wrong, I love new things too but not for that much money.

It costs more than an ordinary notebook and regular laptops are even better. They cost more because of the new ultra-slim style. Cons also include that this notebook is an optical drive. If you want to install new software, rip CDs to iTunes, watch DVDs, or burn data to disc, you need to either purchase the $99 Apple MacBook Air SuperDrive, which connects via USB, or use the new Remote Disk feature to “borrow” the optical drive of another computer on your network. So, I guess what I am trying to say is that it costs even more than $1799 because you have to buy all this extra stuff for it even to work. Do you disagree? We want to know!

~Hope

Rika’s Thoughts:

I wouldn’t buy it either- but with a few simple adjustments (including a price adjustment!) I think this would be a good tool for students. It wouldn’t take up much space, it would be convenient, and it would be light. There are all the qualities students. Apple could be onto something!

In the next ten years, classrooms will be changed completely- there’s no doubt about that. One of the things that will change how we learn is the Tablet PC. The Tablet PC, created by Pen Computing and popularized by Microsoft, may be the piece of technology that replaces textbooks and white boards. Write notes and then with a swift press of a button turn those notes into typed up ones- very handy for taking notes quickly and neatly. Instead of bulky textbooks, students could just use one Tablet PC instead. It gives them the capability to scroll through pages from their textbooks like an ebook reader. Recently, universities have been using this as a replacement for a whiteboards, too. Having a nifty little device that not only reads textbooks, has all capabilities of a laptop, AND allows students and teachers to interactively manipulate the same image only makes a better learning environment.

In the classroom, this is definitely an invention that has the power to revolutionize education.

-Rika

We have a whole page about the iphone because it was a pretty good device- motion sensors, tilt sensors, and especially the awaited for touch screen. So you think that Microsoft would step back and let Apple have all the glory? Of course not! What they put on the table was…. a table! Not just a table, but a touchscreen oriented computer table! This new product is expected to hit shelves sometime in 2008, but don’t get excited. Microsoft’s price for this huge computer table better known as the Microsoft Surface is about $5,000 to $10,000 per unit. Not exactly what you call cheap, but Microsoft says that in about three years they’ll be able to lower the price.

With it’s touchscreen ‘concierge’, incredible multi-touch screen, wi-fi and all the cool stuff that comes along with this product including media viewers and such, this computer/table is pretty cool. Will Microsoft make history with this invention? Only time will tell.

The Microsoft Surface; picture from Wikipedia

Now, since the surface computer isn’t out yet, this section is pretty small. Check back later when I’ll add more!

~Rika

P.S. If you have something to add to this leave a comment.

On June 29, 2007 the iphone launched. Like a rocket going into the universe of phones, the iphone, expensive, sleek, and waited for, Apple’s prized product swept across America. 270,000 iphones were sold in the first 30 hours that it hit the shelves!*
Apple isn’t perfect. And neither is the iphone. They made a few mistakes, some of which is the lack of a memory card slot, the ability to send instant messages, voice recording, voice dialing and some other features most other devices have, but a couple other mistakes are the use of AT & T network, and those of us with different networks may not want to sign a 2year contract with them. Also, the iphone’s hands-only touchscreen may pose a problem to people in colder climates who can’t use the touch screen with gloves on. Another negative fact is that Apple used AT & T’s EDGE network instead of AT & T’s 3G/HSDPA network is criticized because EDGE is slower than 3G. Also, the camera takes still photos only, but that doesn’t matter as much.
Despite these setbacks, the iphone has a bunch of great features, too. The music layout differs a little from the ipod, but is pretty much the same- you can still watch videos and TV shows, too! A nice addition to the iphone is a proximity sensor that shuts off the display and touchscreen when the iphone is brought near your face so that you don’t accidentally click something while calling someone. This feature also helps to save the battery. Now, as I said before, the touchscreen only reacts to your finger’s touch. So if it’s in your pocket it won’t accidentally call someone. Another cool aspect of the iphone is that when you are listening to music and you receive a call, the music turns off. When the call is finished, the music starts right up again.
‘How much would you pay for a phone?’ Is the question I think Apple decided to push. But, with built in Wi-Fi with a Safari web browser and email capabilities, it seems more like a computer than a phone. Before the iphone, most people would probably say $600 was too much. But if I asked you “how much are you willing to pay for a PDA-type phone with email, internet, still-pictures-only camera, touchscreen, and that looks awesome but doesn’t have voice dialing, 3G support, a memory card slot, voice recording or instant messaging?” What would you say? Would you say $600 or more? If I told you it was from Apple would that change your answer? Of course it would. If I told you it was Apple’s creation most likely you would up the price you’re willing to pay at least a little because you trust them. But, most of us would still say less than $600. So, the iphone really isn’t worth spending you’re hard-earned dough on yet- keep saving it until the prices go down.
The iphone is a great piece of technology. It has its flaws, but all in all, it’s a pretty cool device. Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to post a comment at the bottom of this page.
Did I get a fact wrong? Or do you think that something could be explained better? Send us your revisions by posting a comment! *Sales information from Wikipedia
I learned of the iphones features and such at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphone