They're fast. West coasters would probably say "super fast". But while there's no doubt that these little puppies are quicker than Linford Christie's lunchbox, I can't really see that they've got anything over on the large number of Intel Core Duo machines that I saw last week at CES. No surprise of course, because they're all running the same chipset.
The iMac looks, well, just like the iMac G5 and the PowerBook - sorry MacBook Pro - is very much in the mould of its predecessor, but a little thinner. For those who haven't got the best part of two grand to splash out on a MBP, I imagine the iBook will become the MacBook non-pro in time (and it seems unlikely that we'll never see the eMac again).
I never trust the stats we're spun at presentations like this, and I don't imagine most users will actually see the 2-3 times speed advantage that Apple are claiming. It'll be increased for native applications, but by a lower magnitude. Things will probably be similar for the MacBook - Apple are claiming up to five times power - but then this is a generation at least ahead of the PowerBook. And then there's the question of how optimised demo machines are, and what they're being used for. For example, Steve Jobs made a play during his keynote on how quick Safari was on the new system. Great, Steve - but wouldn't the speed of your web browser really depend on the speed of your web connection?
Interestingly, more than a few people I've spoken to on the floor were a little underwhelmed. Of course, a large number of Mac fans have wet themselves over the new machines, and for good reason: they're sleek. There is no doubt that the Powerbook was in need of an update; and no doubt that the move to Intel has been quicker than expected. But Apple's knack of cranking up the expectation levels of late has left people wondering why they didn't see even more.
I'm in agreement: over at CES everyone was talking about entertainment PCs, downloadable content, the connections between devices. I expected to see content announcements here (movies?); a Mac mini that was worthy of media hub status; more focus on the home. We didn't. And then there's the iPod shuffle, the black sheep of the white family, which is being quietly ignored by in favour of the flashier nano.
Of course, plenty of people said the opposite (though being at a Mac show, it's like talking to a constituency of party workers). But maybe Apple's just a victim of its own success: they've left us wanting even more.
