No so good Bill Gates:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/04/technolo...dpc&oref=slogin

Yeah - read a similar (same?) review in the Guardian online.

Completely offtopic - has anyone else found that since the NYTimes redesigned their site it takes just FOREVER to load? Each time you go to a new page?

Can't be bothered to look at it much any more - just not worth the wait!!

Pretty much spells out everything I thought the Origami thing would (or wouldn't) be. If I needed a small computer I'd choose a 12" iBook over one of these (or similar Windoze lappy if you can't get by without Windoze)

And on the flipside, I just had the entire staff body of my language school oohing and aahing over a new Mac Mini.

Don't forget Pogue is one of the original Mac fanbois, so I wouldn't read too much into the article. Much like Walt Mossberg, who *always* seems to pop up in Stevenotes raving on how good this or that is from Apple.

On the other hand, if someone like Cnet posts a good review on an Apple product, I'd take notice. They generally hate Apple! Just like when Paul Thurott posts something bad about Vista :-)

Pogue and Mossberg are both immensely respected tech writers. I doubt either of them would have been able to hold their audiences or jobs as long as they have if they were rabidly pro-Apple.

Pogues NYT columns are mostly about non-Apple products. He frequently raves and gives full marks to worthy non-Apple gadgets.

The question missing from this article (to me at least) is : WHY doesn't it have a camera and microphone built in so that you can use it as a skype phone?

True, but I have rarely ever seen or heard of them bagging an Apple product. And Apple have released some dogs in the past ie MDD Powermacs - the noise from them was disgraceful, even after the fix. The build quality of the first TiBooks. The bug ridden release of iMovie 3, then iMovie 4, then iMovie 5.......

Both are great writers, but both are always mentioned by Steve when reading of glowing reviews of the latest Apple products. Just doesn't sit that well with me!

lavo, you may be right. Or maybe the bug ridden release of iLife software *still* left any comparable software in the dust.

And I do remember at least one valid negative comment made by Pogue about the original TiBook, something along the lines of "and it really wasn't a good idea enclosing your wi-fi antenna in a solid metal cage"!

You're right about Steve's selective mentions. When Dvorak comes out with a glowing comment about Mac then everyone will have to agree there's no better product on Earth.