The author also mentions that he just had a supercharger installed on his Lotus. He's not "normal people". He obviously has a lot of disposable income and the desire to spend it on expensive toys. There's nothing wrong with that; the MBA was designed with him in mind. If I had that kind of spare cash, I'd get one too - right after the supercharged Lotus.
For once, even as a linux fanboy, I must say the Air isn't a BAD value. Its priced at $1799 without SSD and I mean that isn't outrageous or anything considering its a decent laptop with Mac's flagship OS (which I would never call bad, only overpriced) and a solidly beautiful design. Perhaps its not worth every penny, but its definitely an ok value.
Now as for the SSD version...I'd have to rethink that a bit.
And of course, normal people buy solid computers that fit their need without that extra oomph to the form factor, probably for a cool $1000 or less. And they install linux to save money if they're smart ;)
Expensive toys... like the iPod? Apple has never marketed to the kind of "normal people" you're talking about.
They've marketed to people with designer homes, designer clothes, and designer children; college students (working ridiculous hours at high-paying jobs but with no high-charging commitments such as a mortgage); and schools (who have large sums of government money and a strong desire to use it for anything other than improving learning quality).
Additionally, the Mac v PC ads appeal to hipsters, the same people that buy $300 pairs of jeans, and soccer moms, the same people that buy $30000 minivans.
The inexpensive Apple products are just things to buy for your children, your relatives, or your spouse to integrate them into the Apple fold. When those kids grow up, they'll buy [the expensive] Macs as well. It's a loss leader in the same way that Adobe feigns interest in copy-protecting Photoshop--when the people that crack it hone their skills and start actual graphic design careers, where else will they turn for official, licensed on-the-job software?
derefr,
Unfortunately, you are either jealous and letting that affect your judgment or you completely fail to understand that there are real-world reasons to own a Mac. I bought a Mac because I wanted a system that is designed rather than evolved, comes with software I actually want to use (iMovie, Garageband, iPhoto), is secure, and not a target for viruses/spyware, and can occasionally play my Windows video games and host my Windows development environment.
The reason I switched my mom, inlaws, brother and sister to Macs is because I got damned sick and tired of being their IT Helpdesk every other weekend -- diagnosing problems, rebuilding machines infected with spyware & viruses, installing patches and fixes, etc. I've got better things to do with my life such as making original content (music & video) with the computer. However, some people just enjoy farting around with settings. That's not me.
Those commercials appeal to me: a 40-year-old guy wearing $17 Wrangler jeans and a t-shirt from Target. You know why? Because they bring out the defensive XP fanboys such as yourself. We laugh at the commercials, then we laugh at you. Now run along.
Don't you have some patches to install or something to update?
I'm sorry for coming off as an "XP fanboy"--I didn't mean to sound negative with anything I said. I fit into at least three of the groups I mentioned, currently am on my third iPod, and am thinking of getting the very Macbook Air I'm talking about. I love OS X, but that has nothing to do with my argument. I know full-well that I'm in the upper-middle class, and you probably are too--you've just chosen, like most enthusiasts, to spend your money on technology rather than fashion.
The fact that Apple has a successfully viral strategy in using their more inexpensive products (such as the Mac Mini) to guide people into buying complementary products (such as the Apple TV, Cinema displays, and Airport Express) and eventually fully integrate them into the "Mac lifestyle" is the mark of a smart company, and exactly what Microsoft wishes it had when it refers to a lacking "consumer experience." They probably never will as long as they don't control the hardware, though.
Of course, from the perspective of the consumer, Apple products are sometimes the "pragmatic decision." However, in all of this, I was referring to Apple's marketing department's intended market for their products and services, not necessarily the "long tail" of economic and word-of-mouth users.
