The MacBook Air is the Biggest Test Yet for Cloud Computing

I can't remember a product since the G4 Cube that has stirred up as much polarity in the Mac community as last week's release of the MacBook Air (MBA). It's either adored or derided. There's no in between. This is not only evident from what I read online, but also in conversations with colleagues and friends.

While some are very excited to finally have a thin, three-pound Mac they can tote everywhere, others are far more cautious. Pundits like Leo Laporte and crew, John Gruber and thousands more cite the following MBA shortcomings: the small hard drive, the price, the omission of a built-in Ethernet port and optical drive, the irreplaceable battery and even the exclusion of a Kensington security slot. Others correctly point out that the Air requires more compromises than notebooks in the same class made by Dell, Lenovo and HP (our new client).

However, now that the news has been out a week and I've had a chance to reflect on it, I believe the debate here is actually broader. Take a bird's eye view and you will see what is shaping up to be the biggest and most public test yet of consumer mettle for cloud computing and remote data storage.

As we become more dependent on technology, people crave small and thin computers and mobile devices. They want to travel light, yet still remain as productive as they can at home or work with a desktop. This will require that manufacturers rely more on "the cloud" (e.g. the Internet) and local area networks, rather than on-board hardware to do more of the work - at least for now. That's the compromise we make with any lightweight device. I can't edit photos on a phone, but it's conceivable that one day I will be able to through say Picnik or an online version of Adobe Photoshop.

Apple is planning for the future where cloud services help consumers mitigate the sacrifices of size and weight. In launching the MacBook Air, Apple deliberately created a new notebook that tests our mettle for remote data storage - be it on the cloud or a local network.

Steve Jobs talked about this explicitly during his Macworld keynote by showing how the network attached storage/computers and wireless movie downloads replace what DVDs to date have managed. However, he went even further by creating a new category of computers that sits between the MacBook and MacBook Pro - both of which offer a full array of ports, drives plus more oomph, not to mention poundage.

So the success of the MacBook Air is really dependent on much more than just Apple and its marketing mojo. It's about the network. The question is this: will the benefits of mobility outweigh any privacy or data availability concerns that consumers may have to deal with by leaving some data either on the cloud or the local network? It will for some, but just how many is anyone's guess.

The success or failure of this product is important to watch because it's a harbinger of just how much appetite consumers and business people have for cloud and remote data storage. Much more than Apple hangs in the balance here. Google and Microsoft - each of which takes a different approach to web services - will be watching too.

Comments

[Gerald Buckley]

Isn't it fun timing for Apple to be launching this device right after Gates' "Cloud" speech at CES. The timing couldn't be much better... unless Schiller stood up in the CES audience ala "The Prestige" and stole the show with a "And we have just the thing you're looking for across the street."

The early adopters are going to scrape a LOT of knees, invent a lot of workaround solutions to suit their wants and at the end of the day show us all "Hey, look ma, no safety net." *IS* indeed going to play out just fine.

The systems engineer lurking inside of me can't resist wondering how you do a DVD startup in case of emergency... (I hear NetBoot is possible... assumes there is another properly config'd Mac nearby on standby). THAT could be a ugly bugaboo. But, Apple tends to think of these things. Could be a rabbit in the hat yet.

All in all I think we're ready for cloud computing, storage, etc. (Look at all the startups gravitating to Amazon's S3 for crying out loud. Makes sense the consumer space is headed there too.)

[Graeme Thickins]

This is so right-on, Steve. "Air" and "Cloud" -- what better marriage could there be? Once again, savvy online consumers will take businesses kicking and screaming into the future. Remote storage is just getting started. And so many of these "consumers," we have to remember, are small business people, too.

regards,Graeme

[Michael Biven]

Wouldn't this be actually the second biggest and public test for Cloud Computing from Apple? With the first being the iPhone.

[Steve Rubel]

Michael, I would argue they are different. Everyone knows an iPhone can't do it all - yet. People have different expectations with laptops. They expect to carry around all their MP3s or photos, for example. If you have a big music collection that's really impossible with the Air. Some stuff will need to remain back at the ranch or in the sky.

[David Weiner]

In concert with the iTunes/iRentals announcement (not to mention the Netflix news) the need for huge hard-drives is disappearing just as rapidly as the innovations are appearing. Unfortunately, cloud computing is still a few years ahead of mainstream adoption... look at RSS use for crying out loud.

[Christian Scholz]

Wouldn't we need better network access first? At least here in Germany my experiences are not that great. Either it's expensive (EUR 50,- for a flatrate) or it does not work (or both).So while the first adpoters might have some successes (but even these are limited e.g. on the train) mainstream adoption really seems to be way in the future. It's even hard to find some public wifi connection (here in Aachen we have 1 place I think).

I ordered an Eee now (which is maybe even more about the cloud) and I am wondering how that works out for me (but it's mostly for being able to blog in a cafe etc.).

I agree though that in some future we will be connected all the time and all this comes true. Additionally of course hardware will improve and laptops can be smaller and smaller even if no cloud computing happens.

[Paul McKeon]

I would agree with this senario IF Apple had included integrated mobile broadband with the MacBook Air -- without it the notebook actually offers less connectivity than an iPhone and isn't that pretty critical to cloud computing in a practical sense?

[Marcos El Malo]

Steve, I think you're 100% right about the Airbook being the leading edge of this trend. Really, it's just thin clients + internet. I sort of agree with Michael Biven (above) that the iPhone is Apple's first cloud client, even if it's not what one would use for writing, etc.

I'm a little surprised that Apple hasn't revamped (dot)Mac to give the iPhone and the Airbook more utility. Apple could even outsource (dot)Mac to Google.

As far as people either loving or hating it. I think it's just the lovers and haters that are so outspoken. I'm one of those in the middle. It's cool and all, but I'm still sort of meh. It's more the price than it's other disabilities that turns me off, beautiful as it is.

I'm not one of those that was disappointed by the keynote, either. It was OK as keynotes go. Over the years I've learned to ignore the rumor sites. However, I was hoping for something like the Asus eeePC from Apple. I'm typing this on my trusty 12" Powerbook, which is not thin, but which has the small form factor. Something the size of a DVD case with OS X would make me VERY excited. I'm waiting to see what Asus comes out with next before buying. (And I suppose I can install a linux distro and skin it to sort of look like OS X. I'm not going to go the hackintosh route however.)

[Drivers Poll]

The success of the MacBook Air is really dependent on much more than just Apple and its marketing mojo!

[Justin]

Maybe the real test will come from lower tier linux portables like the Everex CloudBook or ASUS Eee PC. With the CloudBook you get a linux distro completely tweaked for cloud computing.

[Drew Beatty]

I still wonder about the future of cloud computing. With storage getting cheaper and better, but network access getting more and more squeezed (the pipes are getting blocked, I suppose), is this really a viable alternative?