Aaugh!

Still no MacBook Air!!

99% of the free world (and even most parts of the non-free as well) believed today to be the date new MacBooks were arriving.

Nope.

Steve Jobs said OSx Lion would be coming in July to the Mac App Store, and "experts" all speculate that the MBA will be released alongside Lion simultaneously. Well, I guess we have up to another 16 days of waiting left!

Although, MIC Gadget is saying it could be as early as tomorrow!

Let the false hopes rise again!

(images from Google images)

When to buy a Mac

dealnews, a 9to5mac partner site, says that Macs become cheaper after the day (and even the same day, apparently) that they are released.

obvious blog post is obvious.

Ok, so what does this really mean? That I can buy an electronic product for less if I am willing to wait a little bit? Well, isn't that the case for all e-goods, outside of limited quantity, high demand items, especially the ones that will never again be released? The only example I can think off the top of my head is the Super Mario game for Wii that was limited edition. And we all remember the days of sky high eBay auctions for the Xbox360 and PS3.

So dealnews posts 4 examples. The MacBook Pro must have had a promo the same day they were released. Ok, I'm sure I would have been in on that one.
Next, the iMac went down $100 one week later. Well, in that case, I'm sure Apple would have (not sure if they actually did) refund the difference somehow, since it was only one week. I recall instances of Apple doing this for iPods and such.  Third example is the iPad2 dropping in price, a whopping $10!!, a little over three months after launch date. Whoo. Hoo. And the last example, which is most applicable for me, the MacBook Air, dropped what looks like $40-50 one day later, and another $100 or so about six months later.

I'm going to ignore the first three, because they seem irrelevant.
The price drop for the MBA a day later, again, I'm sure a refund/credit can easily be attained. The $140ish price drop SIX months later? Well, sure, money is money. (Obvious = obvious, again.) But I'm NOT going to wait six months to save on a "new" product, because then I get caught in a bigger predicament. Six months after a product is released, you get caught in between.

Do you get the "new" product six months after release at a discounted price and risk becoming the owner of an "old" product less than a year after the purchase? Or do you wait for the "new new" thing, and then start this cycle all over again?

Clearly, you are either in a permanent predicament (if you base your purchases according to articles like this one from dealnews), or you just go and buy what you wanna buy, when you wanna buy it.
Sure, you should be diligent and do your homework, like knowing release date cycles, but don't wait simply to save, cause then you'd just wait forever. No one wants that.

So when should you buy a Mac? When you want one.

Amazon plans on releasing a 9" tablet this Fall

WSJ reports that Amazon will indeed release a tablet to compete with the iPad this fall.

The article continues to say that the tablet will run on Andriod (duh!) and will have a 9 inch color LCD screen (nice!). That sounds perfect for my digital comic books! There will not be a camera, but should have hopefully has all the other bells and whistles (browser, app store, etc).

The only question I have is:

Is it really gonna cost $500? Tom'sGuide thinks so. "the Amazon tablet is likely to be considerably more expensive and hit the $500 mark for a Wi-Fi only version."

Depending on the price, I think their new tablet really makes a lot of sense.
Amazon actually creates a product that I think finds the perfect niche. How many consumers will realize it, I'm not sure.

I am of the crowd that thinks an iPad is a bit too much. Its a little too flashy for my tastes, has a little bit too much of the "hey, look at me!" vibe going on. Don't get me wrong, I love Apple and I think the iPad is an amazing device, but at $500, its just too much. And since it is such a nice product, I can't really treat it the way an e-reader can be treated. I would have to be so careful not to scratch the screen or the casing. Yea, I can get a case for it and a screen protector, but that's the point! I don't want to HAVE TO get all of those things.

The Kindle has no versatility. It's black and white. But it's great at what it does: read digital books. But that's it. I was silently hoping for a Kindle Color, like the Nook Color.

I wanted to like the Nook Color. I wanted to buy the Nook Color. But it just seemed to lag a little too much, and I learned that the NC works best if rooted. I'm not opposed to jailbreaking/hacking items, but I like products that are good enough without tweaking. So for now, I'm staying away.

So if the iPad is too much, and the Kindle and the Nook Color is not enough, then Amazon has a real good chance of capturing the sweet spot, they fill the gap.
Again, as long as it is priced right.

I'm hoping for a max MSRP of $295.

(image from Google images)

Should I get the new MacBook Air?

I've been looking forward to getting the new MacBook Air for a while. I've wanted a sleek, portable, lightweight and attractive laptop for even longer. Ever since the days when Sony's Vaio was the only one out there. I settled on the 13" unibody aluminum MacBook when it first came out, bypassing the MBA since it lacked an optical drive and was hundreds of dollars more expensive than the MacBook.
Now that my MB is more than just a few years old and the MBA dropping to a nice $999 entry level price, I'm very intrigued. Rumor has it that it will have an even lower price point, but no one is sure that will happen for us in the US. Well, if it does, that just makes it a no-brainer, doesn't it?!

Nah, I'm just not sure if it makes enough sense. I'm not convinced that its anything more than an accessory for me at this point. Granted, I would use it more than the iPad (if I owned one), but I don't really need it, do I?

Let's see.

Pros:
- Backlit keyboard, at least according to Macrumors (my MB was one of the first ones, so it lacks the backlit keys. Grrrrrr..)
- the ultimate Ultraportable (PC World has a great piece on this new class of laptops that is to take the world by storm)
- new, so a product of envy (until it becomes "old" when the newer one comes out)
- I just love Apple product so much!

Cons:
- $1000ish out the window
- that's it.

Other factors:
- I've wanted to partake in the yearly Apple Back to School promo, where every Mac purchased nets you an iPod touch, so I waited on it. When they finally announced it this year and said that the promo is that you get a $100 iTunes/ App Store card instead, I was bummed. But that $100 GC should still net me about $70 on eBay! Plus the $50 off for the discount, that means I get a $999 MBA for around $879+ taxes/etc.
- I sold a 16GB iPad2 that I got as a gift, and intended on spending the proceeds towards another Apple product. If I don't get the MBA, it will be hard to announce that I sold a gift and simply pocketed the cash. Plus, if I don't do anything specific with the $, it will feel like I lost an iPad..
- Getting a MBA could render my current MacBook obsolete. I could just sell it though..

It really does just come down to a matter of money. Yea, the economy sucks. Yea, we're in a recession (are we? still??) Yea, saving is important. But is it SO important that I should deprive myself of a shiny new toy? I just don't know yet.

I told myself, and my lovely adorable girlfriend that I will wait for the final specs of the MBAir to come out before deciding, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get one no matter what. It will just be a matter of whether or not I sell my current MacBook, since having two Macs seems wasteful.

What I would REALLY love, is if the new MBA was like the Asus EEE Pad, the tablet that's also a laptop. Think: iPad with a detachable but form fitting keyboard!
O wait, that's already been done.

But maybe it will be better if it's OEM and not a third-party add-on! And I'd rather it be a MacBook that's got a touch screen with apps, rather than simply a iPod touch plus a Mario Super Mushroom. I like apps and all, but I enjoy the full functionality of a regular ol' computer.

Sigh.. Just a few more hours to go, a MacBook Air review is probably on the horizon!

iPad or Nook color or tbd Amazon tablet

Tom's Guide reports that Amazon is planning on releasing their own Android tablet to compete with Barnes and Noble's Nook Color.

They say that " the Amazon tablet is likely to be considerably more expensive and hit the $500 mark for a Wi-Fi only version". 


$500?!!

So I'm a Apple fanboy, but why would anyone choose it (even though I have no idea what the Amazon tablet specs will be) over an iPad if it costs the same? And why would those who are deciding between the Nook color ($249 MSRP and that can be rooted aka jailbroken, to get android apps) and this choose something that costs twice as much?

I have stayed away from the iPad since I have an iPhone, a MacBook, and soon (!!) a MacBook Air, but recently, I've begun considering the Nook color to assist with my rediscovered fascination with Spider-Man comics. Have not yet pulled the trigger on it as a comic book reader, but it IS on the radar. I would prefer an Amazon product to BN, but not for twice the price.

A more in depth review will/may follow in the next few days.

We'll see..

Bad Ass Watches

I've been a collector all my life; from baseball cards and comic books to Banana Republic everythings and time pieces. Too bad So sad, my hobbies are getting more expensive..

I love watches that exude quality and elegance, that do not shout "look at me, I'm a Rolex!" No one likes a showoff, don't be that guy. You're (probably) young. You're (hopefully) successful. You don't need to rub it in other people's faces. BUT, that doesn't mean you can't treat yourself.

Here are a few favorites:

Cartier 21 Chronoscaph $3000-4800:  Perfect for the casual outing, but pairs just as well with the suit/tie.

Graham Swordfish Chronograph: $6000-10000: A big boy version of the Cartier.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Chronograph $15200:  The leather band makes this watch perfect.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Mysterieuse LV115 $265000.oo (?!) - Wow.

Ok, so they're all a bit pricey, here's one that won't break the bank:

ESQ (by Movado) Stratus ($450):  The look of a Breitling, at a fraction of the cost.

And of course, the requisite BR item:

Canvas/leather Banana Republic watch that I found on eBay for $7!

If money were no object, I'd own 'em all!

What should I wear to a Wedding?

Summer/Spring Wedding:

You should find out the colors the groom and groomsmen are wearing. You SHOULD NOT be wearing the same color ties if you can help it. It won't be the end of the world if you do, that is, unless you are dealing with Bridezilla! 

I was the best man at a wedding recently, so I had no choice in my attire, but if I did get to choose, this would have been what I would have worn to the wedding:

Tailored Chino Suit

Tailored Chino Suit Pant

I wouldn't want to wear the suit pants if I didn't have to my girlfriend doesn't make me, but the matching pants seem like the best bet anyway. Currently, the suit is $149 (down from $250) and the pants are $99 (down from $130) on bananarepublic.com. 

For a shirt, you can go with the standard (read: safe) plain white shirt:

BR Monogram white poplin dress shirt: ($127)

Or something with just a little flair:

Slim fit non-iron lavender (sweet lilac) striped shirt $69 (down from $79):

Two tie choices:

BR Monogram floral cotton tie ($69):

Or the textured solid silk tie ($59):

Socks (brown, argyle $10):

Shoes ($140):

The Asher Penny Loafer:

Belt $39 (down from $49)

Slim Leather Belt:

So you end up with a clean look, like a crisp $100 bill (though it will clearly cost you more than that!)