The other day a friend proclaimed that the laptop is the new desktop, and the smartphone is the new laptop.
Laptops, once the defining symbol of mobile computing, are now pretty much just a "computer" in most peoples' eyes. In the geek communities there's some buzz around ultra-mobile machines, but to me they're a solution to portable computing like the Segway is a solution to walking. It's too big for your pocket, and if you're going to carry around a bag anyway, there are plenty of lightweight options that don't require tiny screens, cramped keyboards, and compromises in performance and connectivity.
So what will happen when we all carry around mobile-broadband connected, high powered devices in our pocket? Media folks love to speculate on the advertising opportunities available to brands in the mobile space, but that doesn't feel like a totally viable option. Studies have shown American consumers view the phone as a very personal device, and any type of ad intrusion is unlikely to be welcomed with open arms. Nielsen reports that only 9% of people agree with the statement that advertising on their cellphones is acceptable, while 31% say it's acceptable if it lowers the bill (source).
I think the real game changer will be in how people interact with each other and in the ways they share and access information. And for brands, that means that 'being part of the conversation' will take on a whole new level of importance.
I can see a world where people are connected via social networks, but not via a web interface in their browser, but via apps that are seamlessly integrated into their phones. Social networking will evolve to be more, well, social. People will be able to instantly friend each other simply by pushing a button on their devices, or perhaps by simply touching their phones together, almost like a digital handshake. No need to take down names, search for them on Facebook the next day, and click 'add'. It will be much more human.
And with that seamless integration of social networks into real life, the opinions our contacts have of various products, services, etc. will be with us 24/7. If your brand has a bad rep, expect everyone to know about it.
I can also see a world where customers shopping at their local brick & mortar can instantly access reviews and price comparisons, and even make the purchases via their phones. This will create a whole new level of competition in terms of price and product quality which could have dramatic effects on consumer habits. Participating and managing this conversation will take on a whole new level of importance, and social media, blogosphere outreach, and word of mouth / grassroots will be leading the way.
All of this is already happening to some degree, but as mobile platforms open up and UI's evolve, it will not require cumbersome T9 typing into mobile web browsers to accomplish. It will be as second nature as simply making a call.
My phone and I look forward to meeting you in the future.
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This MacBook is a great upgrade all things considered. I am a longtime Mac user and have used them for everything from graphic design work to simple college papers. I recently upgraded to this Mac from an Ibook G4. If you are intending to use this Mac for heavy graphic design and professional video editing then it may not be for you. I would like to refute a few of the bad reviews people have given.
1.) There is no firewire - This is apparent by simply looking at the laptop and thus if you use firewire often then don't buy it, this will save some time returning it. Many average users do not need firewire and transferring files from an old Mac is still very easy with this new MacBook.
2.) Some have said the screen has a bluish tint or washed out look - I have not yet run into this problem. Make sure your display's color settings are set to LCD color and you will have deep blacks and crisp whites. The colors in this display are clearly vibrant and the new NVIDIA graphics card ensures that your images look beautiful.
3.) The glossy screen problem - Yes, the screen is glossy, but a simple adjustment of your viewing angle is all that needs to be done in order to lose the reflections. This also aids in the vibrancy of blacks and whites. Using the MacBook outside seems to give off more reflection so if you plan on using it outside you may want to purchase a matte screen film. However, I have not had major problems with reflections.
Overall this MacBook is solid upgrade for the average Mac user. So, you average Mac users out there, the pros of this Mac far outweigh the cons.
i bought this mini laptop for my dad and am trying it for first few days and it is incredible! the small little toy can do all the wonders of regular laptops/desktop.. even computationally intensive programs work reasonably fine with this.
pros: inexpensive, cheap, light-weight, can fit in a small front pocket of your back-pack, long battery life, huge memory (160 gb) with 10 gb online backup, long lasting battery (they claim 5 hours, mine worked for 3.5 hours - if you want go for the new 9 hour battery life netbook!), multi-touch enabled touchpad (i hate my dell touchpad now, where i have to use side strip for scroll instead of whole screen with 3 fingers in this mini netbook!), comes with sleek laptop sleeve, inbuilt webcam and microphone which actually works!
cons: small screen (of course- but they tried to fix it by giving options of bigger screen sizes, where you can just swivel your mouse cursor up and down and thus can go to different segments of the screen, not great but hey.. it works!), terrible keyboard size (i'd highly recommend keeping an inexpensive usb keyboard at your home / workplace if you are planning to use it regularly for hours -- i am getting good at the mini-keyboard day-by-day but i have a feeling i can't go 60 wpm on this inbuilt keyboard!)
all in all, full functionality with good value for money-- if you are not into very demanding applications and want to travel light and use this computer primarily to give presentations on projector and at home/work have additional LCD screen with external keyboard and mouse, you don't want to spend even 500 bucks on 14.1 inch laptop!
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