Don’t get me wrong, in the main I celebrate Apple Computer just like the next Apple fan but this relationship seems somewhat tempestuous. Here’s why…

Apple innovate, produce fantastic looking hardware and no-nonsense, streamlined and ultimately incredibly user-friendly operation systems. I’ve owned a mac since the LCIII many years ago and have always looked forward to the next Apple product launch. In years gone by some have been groundbreaking, forward thinking and worth the hype. The ‘Wallstreet’ Powerbook was one of the real milestones in Apple’s laptop portfolio as was the Titanium Powerbook. They both offered real advances in power at the time coupled with great fresh looking designs.

Then the G5 blew people away with it’s supercomputer power and speed. However this couldn’t be translated into a laptop and hey presto, PowerPC was ditched in favour of INTEL. From hereon things get a little weird at camp Apple.

A professional laptop the ‘MacBook Pro’ was launched. Whilst sporting the speedy INTEL chips it looked exactly like the old Powerbook G4 model. Not impressive. Worse still at launch virtually no native software was running on the new Mac Intel platform. By the time Adobe had got their act together Apple had launched the cheaper and more attractive MacBook range. Sure, the screen was smaller, the connectivity slightly less, the speed down a bit – but in reality the MacBooks offer almost identical computing power for a much lower price.

So things became less groundbreaking and more about tweaks and hype.

Take the next big Apple launch – the iPhone. Yes, the GUI is awesome but in reality the device is poor in comparison to say the Nokia N95 8GB. No GPS, no 3G, no MMS, no video, poor input method via touchscreen, poor phone audio and appalling camera. So herein lies the point where Apple really slowed down in ‘wowing’ their hardcore fans of yesteryear. The iPhone sells off the back of the iPod hype and has been a success in terms of a first launch into the cellular market but offers nothing new apart from the GUI which other firms will be quick to emulate and better.

Then we have the MacPro – expensive, fast but only really suited to those in 3D or Video. The iMac again, like the MacBook, offers comparable specs for a cheaper cost. Underwhelming.

So what’s HOT in Apple’s current portfolio?

Well when I heard that a small, professional notebook was going to be launched I genuinely thought that this could redeem my previous disappointments with Apple. Remember the 12″ Powerbook? i.e. Power in a tiny package? I thought Apple would do something like that but apply it to the current MacBook line.

And so the MacBook Air. Thin, light….and…..erm…thin and light.

The MacBook Air is once again more a product of hype than of substance. I can do without the optical drive, not a problem. I don’t REALLY need Firewire although it’s an omission that will disappoint some. The screen and keyboard are great. But 80GB hard drive? That’s a step backwards. Worse still the USB port is tucked away under the machine via a flap so many items simply won’t plug in especially 3G dongles…ouch. And the price. It’s too expensive.

What Apple should be doing is slimming down the MacBook but offerring decent HD sizes and RAM options. Then providing a radical and exciting design for their ageing MacBook Pro as well as BluRay and 3G.

Oh well – I guess I’ll have to wait until the next Keynote!