Macworld 2008 Wibblings

Time Capsule: w00t! I was planning on updating my router anyway, but this makes the decision a complete no-brainer. I think there'll have to be an OS update to allow remote disk backup from Time Machine.

iPod: a $20 software update? When the same update is free for the iPhone? I guess the iPod Touch isn't selling as well as the iPhone.

iTunes Movie Rentals: Nothing unexpected.

I must say I'm very impressed with the streaming experience this year. I can pause and play without problems. Occasional picture breakup, but that's to be expected when the stream is trying to show HD content.

New Apple TV: pretty good for a software upgrade. And a price cut.

MacBook Air: what a sucky name. Looks nice a nice bit of kit, though. My MacBook looks fat! I like the backlit keyboard, and the vertical profile of the machine is probably similar to the new slimline Apple keyboards.

Looking at the Specs page - fixed RAM. This machine is not upgradeable. It's also stuck with the Intel Graphics, and a slow hard disk, as well as a grossly expensive Solid State Disk. The Solid State Disk option makes it more expensive than the 17" MacBook Pro! No audio in, which means you have to use usb microphones if you're a podcaster.

Remote Optical Drive: not revolutionary, but looks well done. The idea being, I guess, that the MacBook Air is not your primary machine; it's your Road Warrior machine. The pricing fits that profile, coming in between the BlackBook and base MacBookPro.

I like the multi-touch trackpad. I await the arrival of these features in 10.5.2. Or probably later, so that people will buy the Air first, before Apple pushes the upgrades out.

Wow, Randy Newman's song (and speech) was the most nakedly political thing I've ever seen on an Apple stage.