Syncing isn't good enough, but MacBooks are now (storage in particular). Also, hurrah for US keyboards (something I definitely agree with.)

The price compares unfavourably with the Advent 4211 (10" screen, bigger (if mechanical) HD, £20 cheaper) but it's a big name, so it might do well. (For the record: 20% or so markup on the equivalent US model, after tax.) Linked indirectly to avoid horrific Dell shop URLs.

Interesting both for the MarcoPolo app (which I wasn't aware of previously) and for the "not-faffing-with-the-API" method of updating Fire Eagle (not what I'd recommend, mind). Would be useful if I moved my Mac around.

The 9" version of the Eee has a better horizontal resolution (good for those sites that insist on a fixed 960px or so width (hi Apple, BBC.... damn near everyone)) and more SSD storage, but still has poor battery life. Also, explicit XP/storage tradeoff.

John Dvorak in spectacular missing-the-point form. He even admits that he's an old fool who shouldn't be writing about computing any more (well, that's my interpretation anyway).

One of these things is not like the other. It's the one that "had users file a bug on me to make Thunderbird’s new account dialog smaller, so they can get to the buttons."

Multitouch and some welcome speed and HD bumps (and the optional upgrades are much more reasonably priced- £30 for 250GB and £60 for 200GB @ 7200RPM for the base model) for the Pro are the main points.

"these defects are minor compared with the machine’s astounding value and functionality - and to the future trends in computing it heralds" On the Eee and Linux, sounding a bit like Charlie Stross.

Covers a lot of the same points as I did in my Air post, but in a much more coherent essay-style manner (damnit). I think he's also a bit more forward-looking and optimistic than I was, though.

Another MacBook Air sceptic, at least for his own needs. I'm not sure the iPod touch upgrades count as a Christmas present, though, given the (SOX mandated?) charge for them.

Much as I hate linking to boingboing, the picture comparison to the 12" PB is good. People thought Apple wouldn't ship a subnotebook because of the optical drive; now it's because of the screen size.

"Too expensive" "Too clumsy" "Too big" "I still think the Air is a great product, but so was Apple's Cube."

"The [MacBook Air] reminds me of [the PowerMac] Cube. Like the Cube, it's beautiful, offers little expansion capability, and looks pricey when compared to its Apple stablemates"

"the current word is that AirPort Extreme owners are out of luck when it comes to turning their AirPort Disk into a Time Capsule" but it might come in 10.5.2?

From the "how many USB devices can you cram inside an Eee" department. Tricked out with extra storage (thumbdrive & sd), GPS, Bluetooth and 802.11n. Insanity.

Formal statement saying that the "warranty void if seal broken" sticker is in fact lying, perhaps because both US and EU legislation makes such a claim legally dubious. Good news if you want to bump memory or put in PCI-e cards.

"The Asus Eee PC has brought computing within reach of most pockets, and for the price, we can't complain" Schofield likes it too, more or less.

A short review/narrative about candace's first week with her Eee. "Either I will be online 24/7 non-stop and never get anything done, or I will be able to get work done whenever, whereever, on my terms, and with little hassle."

Ars Technica review the cheap, portable, Linux-based Eee and seem to like it. It's a bit hard to tell, though, because they didn't put in a score.

The Register's hardware site notes that RM are selling the Asus Eee (rebadged as a Minibook- better name anyway) from next month. The headline price is ex vat and for the low end model, but still, not bad.

A good discussion on what Safe Sleep is, why you might not want it, how to disable it, and why Apple should have provided such a method themselves.

"memory up to 4GB" "mercury-free, power-efficient LED-backlit display and a 17-inch model with an optional high-resolution display" "built-in 802.11n wireless networking" "the ability to upgrade to 160GB (7200 rpm) or a 250GB (4200 rpm) hard drive"

Last year's model. Note that the 2GB memory that had to be specified is now standard, for example. And the HD might be slower by default on the MBP, but at least it's 50% bigger than the one in this three year old 15" PB.

I think this will be my next laptop, in December. Finally everything's upgraded. It's kind of amazing that even this time last year there wasn't enough better about a two-year-newer PowerBook to be worth it.

This could be a classic example of a self-selecting sample, but interesting anyway. I wonder what the figures are like on MacBook Pros, where anti-glare is the default and glossy an option? Probably similar. Shame Apple are unlikely to say.

"When using your portable computer, place it on a hard surface, such as a desktop or a tray." More proof that Apple doesn't think portables are for laps.

"So, to sum up. Glossy screens: bad. People: idiots. Steve Jobs: insane. This post: too long." Well, it's not, but nice of him to save me some typing.

Finally, laptop drives haul themselves over the 120GB limit. Of course, it's still ruinously expensive.