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As a result, when Apple came out with a notebook that was smaller and lighter than its previous models, and which compromised on such features as processor and memory in order to hit a price point below $1,000 (which, for Apple, qualifies as less expensive), it was important that Apple reassure its customers that the company had not created a netbook.
Of course, it's hard to define something as a netbook when there isn't really one definition. Personally, I tend to see netbooks as notebooks that are under 4 lbs., have displays that are less than 12 in., and that are reasonably inexpensive. Under that definition (assuming that $999 is "reasonably inexpensive" for an Apple product), I might classify the new Air as a netbook.
However, at least one other company would agree that the new MacBook Air isn't a netbook. When Microsoft came out with Windows 7, it included an iteration called Windows 7 Starter, which was aimed at netbooks. In order to keep the lower-priced Starter out of the majority of PC systems, Microsoft was strict about the specs of the devices it could be loaded onto. This meant displays no larger than 10.2-in., up to 1GB of RAM and a maximum 250GB hard drive (or 64GB SSD). |
