At least, not as netbooks are seen in the Windows space. While this is a growth area for the industry, it is not a profitable area. The margins are very small, the hardware (at least the three I played with) seems cheap and lacking in durability, and the screens and keyboards are small enough that usability is an issue. That seems to be outside Apple's game plan. Netbooks' biggest charm is that they are cheap, but only in their upfront cost.

Apple's ultraportable is the Macbook Air, which is a nice piece of kit.

IT? because I don't get IT when it comes to netbooks ...

Isnt someone missing the point here?

Apple have very privledged relationship with intel - to the point at which they are early launching Intel products or getting their own versions made for them.

How does the new platform pose a threat to the MBA? Nothing is stopping a current manufacturer making a copy now.

Presumably Apple if they so wish will be able leverage the new platform before most of their competitors.

i just lost the game!

you all know the game, right?

you know what you must do.

SPREAD THE WORD!

Had 2 mac's for a few years and to say I am underwhelmed is generous. The initial costs are not justified, upgrades are limited and very expensive and repair costs are ludicrous. The OS is fine as long as you never want to play another game with graphics above a Wii and want to pay full price 5 years after release.

Although the wet-knickers fanboi's love to tell you how wonderful it is you still have to defrag (tools not included), repair and verify the drive, install an anti-virus and suffer Apple's fix-one-break-one updates.

I wanted to be impressed but Apple still have a long way to go.

Save your money.

... that Macs are nice bits of kit and very attractive.

Now were a price drop to happen I am sure they will look more attractive and nicer.

Personally I'd like to see a MacTablet (or is that a Mactablet?)

As much as I like my brand spanking new MacBook, I would have appreciated it being a little cheaper. Gits.

Mac OS X continually defrags your drive dude. So you had trouble using a Mac, because you didn't know how to use it.

Makes sense.

I question whether you actually ever owned a Mac or are just a troll.

Shouldn't the title of this article be "Apple considers reducing The Mac Tax"?

For my travelling I need a 12" laptop. It doesn't have to be thin but it needs to be lighter than the iBook. With a hand luggage weight limit of 5kg, 2.26kg (5lb) is too heavy. I need a 320GB Hard Drive and all the usual ports (Ethernet, USB2, Firewire) and wireless. Such a beast doesn't exist in Apple's line-up at any price, so I won't be "upgrading" any time soon. I love OSX but there's a distinct lack of choice in hardware.

The classic Netbook is small, low powered (in both 'leccy and computing grunt) and designed to be used as an appliance for cloudy apps.

Both Linux and Windows (apart from V****, obviously) are eminently suited as the OS, by dint of the ability to turn off the eye-candy and cruft, providing the bare minimum of features to run a browser and service the cloud apps served within it, making the most of the sub-par hardware underneath.

What's left if you turn off the eye-candy and cruft in MacOS..............?

The Oilskin and Sou'wester please. I'm expecting to be pelted with rotting, but partially nibbled, fruit on the way out.