Traveler 2.0

Mac vs. Windows Laptops

I recently did some price comparisons between Mac and Windows laptops. I was curious to see if there was any truth to the old concern that Mac laptops are more expensive than similar Windows models.

Guess what? In several cases, Mac laptops are less expensive than Windows models with similar configurations. You can read my full report at PCWorld.com.

One example: a Dell XPS M1330 I configured online cost $1308. A MacBook with pretty much the same specs cost $1299. Not a big difference, but one worth noting if you still think Mac computers are too expensive.

So let's recap, shall we? On the one hand, we've got the bloated Windows Vista and all its viruses and spyware and mysterious crashes and the obnoxious User Account Control. On the other hand, we have the Mac OS X Leopard, whose developers have thought of clever interface design touches you and I didn't even know we wanted, but do. Add to that Mac laptops that are priced equivalently or less than Windows laptops. Is there any wonder why people are moving to Macs instead of being forced into a shotgun wedding with Vista, now that XP is off the market? And with applications moving to the Web, will there really be any good reason to buy a Windows PC two years from now, when the next Windows version is due?

HP's Mini Notebook Gets Mostly Good Reviews

Hewlett-Packard is the first major U.S. computer maker to release a mini laptop to compete with the wildly successful Asus Eee PC.

HP's 2133, an ultra-light, small, and low-priced portable (about $500-$750), was unveiled Monday. Here's what some reviewers have said:

PC World's Darren Gladstone: "Right off the bat, the 2133's a looker. The aluminum casing makes the little laptop feel more substantial that its Asus competitor--and it is...This laptop also happens to be a feature-heavy mini-notebook offering everything the Eee does (this includes three USB slots, an ethernet adapter, an SD card reader, VGA out, a Webcam, a microphone, and integrated Wi-Fi), then tops it with a PC Express card slot. Surprisingly, the speakers also do a fairly impressive job making music sound like it's coming from something larger than a pint-sized PC. In short, the 2133 offers plenty of flexibility."

Gladstone appreciated the laptop's nearly-full sized keyboard. But he didn't care for the laptop's performance and its lack of an Intel processor.

CNET.com rated the HP laptop 7.5 out of 10 (very good). Pros: The 2133 is inexpensive, solidly constructed, stylishly designed, and has a comfy keyboard. Downsides: Weak performance, so-so battery life, small touch pad, the lack of Intel's new Atom CPU (optimized for mini notebooks).

Laptop magazine gave HP's 2133 four out of five stars and an Editors' Choice ranking. "While it's somewhat bigger and pricier than other mini-notebooks, the HP 2133 Mini-Note offers a few features that the others don’t, including an adult-size keyboard and a design more suited to business users. If all you need is a low-cost laptop that can run Windows, you may want to wait for the 9-inch version of the Eee PC. But if you require more from your mini-notebook and don’t mind paying for it, the HP 2133 Mini-Note delivers the goods."

Are you itching to buy one? You might want to wait to see what Dell does. The company is said to have a competitive ultra-portable laptop in the works, according to Engadget.

EBay: Seller Beware

In a recent column for PC World, I described my misadventures attempting to sell my Sony VAIO laptop on eBay. (Quick recap: In two instances, my auction ended because of fraudulent buyers. I came thisclose to losing the laptop and the money I had received for it.)

Since that article appeared, I've received over 50 e-mails from others who have been the victim of buyer fraud on eBay.

Here are just two excerpts:

> "A friend of mine shipped his laptop internationally, the buyer paid, and then the buyer told PayPal that he never received the laptop. PayPal took back the $600 the buyer had placed in my friend's account despite there being proof that the laptop was shipped. PayPal offers seller protection insurance, but my friend didn't have any. He was out a laptop and the $600 he received for it."

> "My boyfriend tried 6 times to sell his top of the line Alienware laptop during November/December on eBay…We received fraudulent buyers using other people’s credit cards, fake PayPal e-mails saying that ‘you need to give PayPal the shipping number before they’ll put the money in your account,’ fake eBay emails, etc….

It was even worse for me because I was the one doing the listings and I had to redo them multiple times. And sometimes, eBay didn’t reimburse us for the canceled listings. We ended up keeping the laptop. It wasn’t worth it to try to sell it anymore."

I knew fraud was a big problem in the e-commerce world. But the horror stories I've read in recent weeks has truly been eye opening.

If nothing else, I want to make this point: Before attempting to sell online an expensive item like a laptop, carefully read the seller protection policies of eBay and PayPal. For instance, if you ship to countries outside the U.S., U.K., and Canada, PayPal's Seller Protection Plan doesn't currently cover you. I didn't know this, because I hadn't bothered to read all the fine print.

On an unrelated note: After my first column appeared, I was interviewed about my eBay experiences and the lessons learned on WCBS radio's Dishin' Digital program. Below is an audio clip of the interview.

MacBook Air Multi-Touch Trackpad Coming to MacBook Pros?

Okay, one more post on the MacBook Air and then I'm done (at least for now).

AppleInsider reports today that the Air's multi-touch trackpad is expected to be added to MacBook Pro models in the next several weeks. If you missed the hoopla regarding the trackpad, with its iPhone-like pinching, take a look at the video below. And if you're planning to buy a MacBook Pro soon, you might want to wait.

MacBook Air: Light, But Heavy on Limitations

Apple's product announcements often have a strangely hypnotic effect. Press, analysts, and fans applaud long and loudly with each wave of Steve Jobs' wand during his Macworld presentations.

Admittedly, I am not immune to Steve's spells. Yesterday's MacBook Air announcement, though largely anticipated, still quickened my pulse.

But today is the morning after. My equilibrium restored, I have studied the MacBook Air's specs. And while I believe the sleek, ultra-thin laptop could be a strong seller, its limitations should give anyone pause. Mainly:

> Only one USB port. This isn't crippling if you plan to use the laptop primarily during travel. But if you want a Mac portable to serve as your office computer, too, this is a deal killer.

> No built-in optical drive. Yes, Apple has announced a software program called Remote Disk that lets you wirelessly cop a ride on a nearby CD/DVD drive. Yes, you can add an external CD/DVD drive via the USB port. Nonetheless, I'd prefer an ultraportable with a built-in optical drive for burning backup discs, watching DVD movies on long plane rides, and so on.

> No way to expand the memory beyond 2GB. How long will 2GB be sufficient? Not as long as you'd like, is my guess.

> No FireWire port. So much for using the MacBook Air to import video from your DV camcorder (unless you're using a Flip or other USB Web camcorder with USB 2.0 connectivity).

> No Ethernet. Some road warriors prefer the security of a wired connection.

> No way to remove the battery. I know: You can't remove an iPod or iPhone battery either. Still, not being able to swap out a spent laptop battery for a fresh one when traveling? This is another example of Apple's design aesthetics winning out over user convenience. 

Of course, most of these limitations could be solved with accessories, such as a MacBook Air docking station. In fact, there's already a rumor buzzing about such a product from Apple. And I will withhold judgment on the MacBook Air until I get my hands on one. My guess is that it would make a nice second computer for someone who's on the go constantly and can live with all the limitations.

Apple Announces MacBook Air

As some predicted, Apple has just announced an ultraportable Mac, the MacBook Air.

Details are still coming in, but here's the gist: The new laptop features a full-size, backlit keyboard; a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display with iSight video conferencing; and a large trackpad that supports iPhone-like gestures such as pinch to zoom. The laptop will come with either an 80GB hard drive (the same one that's in the iPod Classic) or a 64GB flash-memory drive. Pricing starts at $1799 and the computer will ship in two weeks. More details later.

What Not to Give for the Holidays, Part I

The Web is buzzing with holiday gift-giving guides for gadget lovers. I'm guilty of adding to the glut myself, with my recent "Head-Start Holiday Gift Guide" and "Gadget Gift Ideas," which recently appeared on PCWorld.com, Washingtonpost.com, and other sites.

And now for something a little different: The portable electronics you should not buy as holiday gifts. Here are two to get the ball rolling (with more coming in subsequent posts):

>  iPod Touch--not for outdoors types. Apple's iPod Touch makes a great Internet tablet for around the house. It's a slick pocket video and audio player. But if your sweetie is an avid jogger, cyclist, or powerwalker, this is not the iPod for him/her.

In my experience, it's been a pain to switch playlists on the iPod Touch while running. To make matters worse, the screen often switches orientation on me when trying to change playlists while in motion. One second I'm in landscape mode, the next in portrait. It's just too much work. 

Instead, for exercising, I recommend an iPod Nano (list: $149-$200). Even better, give them a Nano, the Nike + iPod Sport Kit ($29) chip (which calculates your distance, pace, time, etc.), and a pair of compatible Nike running shoes ($80-$120 or so). You'll still spend less than you'd have spent on an 16GB iPod Touch (which is about $400).

> iPod Shuffle. The Shuffle's biggest assets are its low price ($79 for 1GB) and ultra-compact size. And I can see its usefulness for someone who only wants to listen to podcasts, or one type of music, on the go. But because the Shuffle has no screen, users have to create one long playlist for all their music. And that's a pain for anyone who wants to switch music styles on the Shuffle. Also, my Shuffle has never gotten along with Windows Vista. In fact, I've had so many problems syncing my Shuffle with my Vista PC, I've stopped trying. My advice: Skip the Shuffle.

A 'Bullet-Resistant' Laptop Backpack

Just learned of the 'bullet-resistant' backpack from MJ Safety Solutions. The product's makers claim the backpack offers protection from gun and knife attacks. The $195 backpack--which includes a padded laptop compartment--was created to protect students in the post-Columbine era.

I find this product ingenious and exploitative, comforting and discomforting, all at the same time. Take a look at the company's YouTube video below. What's your opinion of this product?

Inexpensive and Ultraportable: The New Power Couple

Until recently, the words "inexpensive" and "ultraportable" had never been introduced to one another. Never even occupied the same paragraph, much less the same sentence. These days, the two are cavorting shamelessly all over the Internet. And they're getting lots of attention.

I'm talking about the 'One Laptop Per Child' XO laptop, which is being sold to U.S. and Canadian consumers only until Nov. 26. For $400, you get one of these green & white laptops, and another is sent to a child in a developing country. The Linux-based laptop offers some impressive technology considering its price point. And it's earned raves from The New York Times, Laptop magazine, and others.

I'm also talking about the Asus Eee PC. It's $400 and also Linux-based, but without the XO's noble intentions. The lightweight (2 pounds) Asus Eee is earning mostly good reviews from CNET and others for offering a full set of laptop features at a bargain price. It's already got its own unofficial blog, eeeuser.com. (See the video demonstration of the Eee PC, below).

Power users will find much to dismiss with these lightweights, of course. And they don't run Windows, though an Eee model due next month reportedly will. That said, it's heartening to see truly ultraportable laptops becoming available at reasonable prices.

Compare, for example, the FlipStart, a tiny Windows portable. The FlipStart costs $1,500 and has received all sorts of catcalls. A PC Magazine headline summed it up: "FlipStart Needs to Be Stopped."

In any event, I'd willingly pay $400 for a rugged, lightweight laptop that's:

> Comfortable to type on (the XO and Eee have cramped keyboards);

> Has a screen that can be read in bright sunlight, so I can take my work outdoors on a beautiful day;

> Runs for at least five hours on a charge and can be quickly recharged;

> Has the necessary software for easy e-mail, full Web browsing, and word processing.

Based on the reviews I've read, the XO laptop comes the closest to meeting all those criteria. But reviewers all say the XO keyboard is meant for a child's fingers, not an adult's.

And so, I'll bide my time. Or, at the last possible minute, I'll place my order for the XO laptop. Which is, come to think of it, a perfectly childish thing to do.

Ultraportable Mac Coming in January?

Is an ultraportable Mac in the works?

AppleInsider and other sites have been batting around this rumor for months. According to the latest buzz, Apple is due to announce an ultraportable Mac at the January Macworld show in San Francisco.

If true, it'll be deja vu to some degree. And it'll be about time.

Apple's first ultraportable effort was, if memory serves, the PowerBook Duo. Introduced in 1992, these lightweight PowerBooks--about 4.2 pounds--were fairly limited on their own. But when connected to a DuoDock, they were transformed into full-featured Macs. (Take a look at the vintage PowerBook Duo TV ad, below).

At any rate, Apple hasn't offered an ultraportable since the 12-inch PowerBook was discontinued a few years back.

I'd love to see a truly ultraportable (2.5 to 4 pounds) Mac. The ultraportable segment of laptops could use an Apple infusion. Sony currently rules the segment, at least in terms of design. Its Vaio TX series are gorgeous computers weighing under 3 pounds. But they're too pricey. And, at least in my experience, slow.

Apple could redefine the category, as it has redefined cell phones with the iPhone. But will an ultraportable Mac be affordable? Apple's PowerBook Duo 210 cost $2250 (U.S.) when introduced in October 1992. Adjusted for inflation, that's over $3230 in today's dollars.