For over 20 years Apple fanboys and enthusiasts have congregated to an annual event known as Macworld Expo. As a lover of Apple products myself, I have attended the expo the last two years and will be sharing my experience at Macworld 2009 here at Notebooks.com. You may have heard that Apple recently announced that Macworld Expo 2009 would be their last. Apple does not organize the event so this does not mean it will be canceled, but without them does that mean that expo is done for? Will fanboys weep in the streets the first full week of January each year? Not anytime soon.

The last few years have been great for Apple. At the beginning of each year they have kicked things off with CEO Steve Jobs unveiling something new such as 2007′s huge introduction of the iPhone. I did not attend the keynote, but I did get to check out the expo hall that year. I was amazed at the size of each hall (the expo occupies not one, but two of the Moscone Center’s huge expo halls) and the number of big name manufacturers and well known software companies that were present. I was equally excited to see a variety of unknown vendors peddling iPod accessories, Mac related gadgets, and Apple apparel. Don’t forget about the “show deals”. Some were posted and others you had to ask for, but you could get a nice little discount on things by taking advantage of various deals that were only available during Macworld.

I would have to say that the most awe inspiring part of the expo hall is when you approach the Apple booth. Gargantuan in size, it dwarfs all other booths at the expo and can be seen from almost anywhere in the hall. A giant black cube of sorts with action happening on all four sides. Dozens of new products displayed along the outside edge and two theater like areas for demonstrating software to the buzzing crowd on the inside. Mac Geniuses are there in force, available to answer most any question. This is all capped off of course with a giant, white hot glowing Apple logo.

Sounds cool huh? How can greatness like this every be experienced again if Apple chooses to pull out of Macworld? Will all be lost? Of course not. Why? Because Apple replicates this experience each and every day at a place they call the “Apple Store”. Although scaled down a bit, the retail store doesn’t require a pass to get in and is conveniently located in most major cities. Products to play with… check! Big screen with demos and Mac Geniuses at the ready…. check! Glowing Apple logo prominently displayed … double check!

You might also say “What about the keynote?”. Sure, the keynote is a great kick off to the expo, but once its over its really everything else that keeps the crowd moving along during the 5 day event. The previously mentioned vendors, the educational user sessions, and impromptu meet ups is where the fun stuff happens. The time I spent at the Apple booth pales in comparison to the time I spent exploring the rest of the expo. Would I miss Apple if they were not there? Sure. Would I stop attending? No way. Most who attend the expo have already purchased an Apple product in the past and are there to learn from the experts, play with new products, and bask in the glow of the community… not a backlit logo.

I sincerely hope that Macworld continues to be a place for debuting new products, asking questions, sharing answers, and rubbing elbows with others who enjoy all things Apple. I am looking forward to meeting new people and seeing new things at this year’s Macworld. WIll you be there? Have a product that you want featured on Notebooks.com? What are your fondest memories of Macworld?

Does Macworld need Apple? is a post by Adam Helweh from Notebooks.com.

I just snapped some pics of the the LapDome at MacWorld. The LapDome is basically a tent for your laptop so you can use it as your ‘outdoor office.’ I think they jacked the mini-display tents from REI and relabeled them as laptop shades, but whatever…

According to their site, there are just too many women in this world who are putting a pool towel over both their heads and laptops to fight glare.The LapDome costs $79 and if you want to order, or just see what the Internet looked like in 1994, visit LapDome.com.

LapDome…A Tent For Your Laptop is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Rhino Skin introduced a new anodized aluminum case for MacBoks at MacWorld. The case is like a laptop sleeve on steroids. It’s super tough, but there’s zero room for accessories.

I like the idea of the Rhino Skin, but I don’t like how the MacBook just sits in it and isn’t secured to the case in any way.

The Rhino Skin Aluminum case for MacBooks will cost $149.

Rhino Skin Aluminum Case for MacBook is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Andreas Haas, the CEO of Axiotron and inventor of the ModBook, showed Notebooks.com the latest version of the Modbook, which has a mirror finish and a new application called Axiotron Quick Clicks, which makes it easier to enter commonly used key combos.

Quick Clicks is a neat little application, with different layouts you can use depending on what type of application you’re working with. Axiotron will provide free upgrades to ModBook customers as Quick Clips is refined.

Now that the ModBook is shipping, Andreas says his team is already experimenting with other form factors. His customers are requesting more power, better graphics and more storage-everything the MacBook Air lacks. He isn’t ruling a ModBook Air out completely though and will listen carefully to customers’ demands. Axiotron engineers are also considering a 15-inch ModBook Pro.

ModBook Quick Clips Demo by Andreas Haas, CEO of Axiotron is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Here’s the first MacBook Air ad, with the tagline “the world’s thinnest notebook.” The commercial shows how the MacBook Air can fit inside an inter-office envelope, but doesn’t show a single other feature.

I generally like simple ads, and I think this one will be effective. I do hope Apple follows up with some ads that highlight some of its features, like it did with its iPhone commercials.

MacBook Air Ad is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

A couple of hours after posting some pics and videos of the MacBook Air at MacWorld I got a text message alert that my wife had just updated her status on Facebook to “…secretly hopes Xavier gets the MacBook Air.” Not wanting to disappoint her, I headed over to Apple.com and ordered one, which should arrive in a couple of weeks.

There are more computers and gadgets clogging my home office and living room than I can count, and I hear about this problem on a daily basis. It takes a LOT for my wife to actually encourage me to pick up a new device. Now she didn’t exactly force me to buy a MacBook Air, but any hint that she wants me to buy a gadget is a far cry from her usual reaction when I even suggest that I’m going to add to my stable of electronics.

Like I mentioned before, I don’t consider the MacBook Air an ideal primary notebook for power users, but it will make a fine secondary MacBook in our household. I do all of the heavy-lifting on my MacBook Pro and the various PC notebooks that float in and out of here.

I think she wants the MacBook Air even more than she’s letting on. About five minutes after the MacWorld keynote she called me while I was in line in front of the exhibit hall. She asked me if I was going to be getting a MacBook Air. I rushed her off the phone because I was sure she was calling to warn me against buying one and I hadn’t made up my mind yet. I didn’t feel like having a ‘discussion’ about a computer I wasn’t even sure I was going to buy.

This morning I wrote that I ‘might’ get one of these, but there were a lot of things that I didn’t like about it. There are two primary reasons why I decided to order one this afternoon. The biggest reason is because my wife wants one. The second reason is because the MacBook Air is sexier than any other notebook on the market.

I was one of the first to buy the Titanium PowerBook G4 when it was launched seven years ago and when I brought it out in public jaws dropped and people crowded around me and begged to touch it. I’ve never had a similar reaction to ANY other notebook since then, but I have a feeling the MacBook Air will draw a crowd.

I didn’t bother to consider my wife’s point of view on the MacBook Air until I got her Facebook status update. But then I started thinking about how this new Mac will appeal to women. It’s slim enough to throw in a purse, is stylish and has very few cords, which creates clutter.

The new MacBook Air is going to be a hit amongst my wife’s peers- professional women who are sick and tired of lugging around ugly a** notebooks. The AC adapter for my wife’s new work computer (Compaq 8510w) weighs 1.54 pounds, which is more than half the weight of the MacBook Air.

In case you’re wondering, I ordered a pretty stripped down version of the MacBook Air with a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 80GB hard drive. I added iWork ’08 and the optional USB/Ethernet adapter. If you are going to get the MacBook Air, I’d suggest going with the 1.6GHz/80GB combo. The 64GB solid state drive is $999 extra, which is too much for at least 99.9% of users to justify. The 1.8GHz processor is $299 extra and most users won’t be able to tell the difference between it and the 1.6GHz processor for the tasks they’ll be performing on the MacBook Air.

I Love My Wife ‘Cause She’s Forcing Me to Buy a MacBook Air…. is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

A couple of hours after posting some pics and videos of the MacBook Air at MacWorld I got a text message alert that my wife had just updated her status on Facebook to “…secretly hopes Xavier gets the MacBook Air.” Not wanting to disappoint her, I headed over to Apple.com and ordered one, which should arrive in a couple of weeks.

There are more computers and gadgets clogging my home office and living room than I can count, and I hear about this problem on a daily basis. It takes a LOT for my wife to actually encourage me to pick up a new device. Now she didn’t exactly force me to buy a MacBook Air, but any hint that she wants me to buy a gadget is a far cry from her usual reaction when I even suggest that I’m going to add to my stable of electronics.

Like I mentioned before, I don’t consider the MacBook Air an ideal primary notebook for power users, but it will make a fine secondary MacBook in our household. I do all of the heavy-lifting on my MacBook Pro and the various PC notebooks that float in and out of here.

I think she wants the MacBook Air even more than she’s letting on. About five minutes after the MacWorld keynote she called me while I was in line in front of the exhibit hall. She asked me if I was going to be getting a MacBook Air. I rushed her off the phone because I was sure she was calling to warn me against buying one and I hadn’t made up my mind yet. I didn’t feel like having a ‘discussion’ about a computer I wasn’t even sure I was going to buy.

This morning I wrote that I ‘might’ get one of these, but there were a lot of things that I didn’t like about it. There are two primary reasons why I decided to order one this afternoon. The biggest reason is because my wife wants one. The second reason is because the MacBook Air is sexier than any other notebook on the market.

I was one of the first to buy the Titanium PowerBook G4 when it was launched seven years ago and when I brought it out in public jaws dropped and people crowded around me and begged to touch it. I’ve never had a similar reaction to ANY other notebook since then, but I have a feeling the MacBook Air will draw a crowd.

I didn’t bother to consider my wife’s point of view on the MacBook Air until I got her Facebook status update. But then I started thinking about how this new Mac will appeal to women. It’s slim enough to throw in a purse, is stylish and has very few cords, which creates clutter.

The new MacBook Air is going to be a hit amongst my wife’s peers- professional women who are sick and tired of lugging around ugly a** notebooks. The AC adapter for my wife’s new work computer (Compaq 8510w) weighs 1.54 pounds, which is more than half the weight of the MacBook Air.

In case you’re wondering, I ordered a pretty stripped down version of the MacBook Air with a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 80GB hard drive. I added iWork ’08 and the optional USB/Ethernet adapter. If you are going to get the MacBook Air, I’d suggest going with the 1.6GHz/80GB combo. The 64GB solid state drive is $999 extra, which is too much for at least 99.9% of users to justify. The 1.8GHz processor is $299 extra and most users won’t be able to tell the difference between it and the 1.6GHz processor for the tasks they’ll be performing on the MacBook Air.

I Love My Wife 'Cause She's Forcing Me to Buy a MacBook Air…. is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Here’s some serious one-of-a-kind bling for your iPhone. These iPhone cases are made out of gold carbon fiber leather. The Case-Mate CEO was trying to explain the process of how the gold is woven into the carbon, which is some how bonded with the leather, but I was too mesmerized by the sparkling diamonds to pay too much attention.

The one on the left is studded with 3.5 carats of diamonds and is worth about $20,000. The one Case-Mate showed me is the only one in existence. Instead of selling it, the company is giving it away in a random drawing at MacWorld. Stop by their booth if you’re in town to enter.

$20,000 iPhone Case: 3.5 Carats of Diamonds, 15 Grams of Gold is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

When Jobs said the MacBook Air was thin, he wasn’t kidding. I spent some quality time with a MacBook Air and snapped this pic of my iPhone next to it. The base of the MacBook Air, which holds all the guts and brains of the laptop, is actually thinner than my iPhone!

The MacBook Air makes my MacBook Pro look HUGE.

To check out more pics or view the video I shot, check out this post: MacBook Air Hands On.

MacBook Air: Thinner Than an iPhone…kinda is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

I just spent about 30 minutes playing with a MacBook Air at MacWorld 2008. The MacBook Air is impressively thin, but Apple’s asking users to make too many trade offs. Check out the quick video walk-through and photos below.

There are tons of sites, including Apple’s own, that praise the MacBook Air to no end, but I found several flaws that will keep me from recommending the MacBook Air as a primary notebook for most users.

The MacBook Air will come with a 1.8-inch 80GB hard drive that spins at 4200RPM. This is just too slow and small for a lot of users. While the MacBook Air is not being positioned as a multimedia powerhouse, Mac users will of course load up them up with movies and music. With just 80GB of storage, I expect to see a lot of MacBook Air users lugging around external drives.

4) External Optical Drive

To win the thin contest, Apple did away with an internal optical drive on the MacBook Air. That’s fine for a lot of users, but if you really do need an optical drive on the road you should get a notebook with an internal DVD burner. External optical drives are clunky and its easy to forget them at home. What’s worse is the external drive will probably need to be plugged directly into the MacBook Air to draw enough power, which means you won’t be able to charge and sync your other USB devices at the same time.

5) Steve Jobs Comparing it to the Sony TZ Series

During the keynote Steve Jobs kept comparing the MacBook Air to Sony’s TZ series. He didn’t mention that the Sony TZ series has an internal DVD burner and can get up to 12 hours of battery life. Or that you can order the TZ series with a 64GB solid state drive AND a 250GB hard drive. The Sony TZ also has a full compliment of ports and plugs including three USB ports, a FireWire port, ExpressCard slot, Ethernet port and more.

There are plenty of flaws with the MacBook Air, but I’ll probably end up buying one as a secondary notebook. If you’re looking for cool, the MacBook Air is for you. If you’re looking for mobile performance take a look at the Sony VAIO TZ series.

update:

6) $$D Drive

The solid state drive is a $999 option! I know it’s a premium option, but the SSD adds 55% to the base price.

Here are some pics from MacWorld. This thing is indeed incredibly thin. The base of the MacBook Air is actually THINNER than an iPhone. The MacBook Air makes my 15-inch MacBook Pro look big and clumsy in comparison.

MacBook Air: Hands on at MacWorld is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.