on the new macbook air

So most of the fuss in Apple Land today is about the watch, but I'm also intrigued by the new 12" Macbook Pro; I read this Gizmodo overview Apple Messed Up on the MacBook Air Again.

My vision with glasses is about 20/20 but personally I never ever notice the difference in screen resolution between my MacBook Air and my work Retina Macbook Pro. "1440 x 900 is a pitifully small resolution for modern times" seems like complete hyperbole to me, though I understand some people are more sensitive to the difference.

This new 12" thing is said to be very low-powered, and the compromises so wonky... this cartoon has never felt more true:

It's amazing what a completely adequate fulltime computer the other two Macbook Airs have proven to me for me (though disk space can be a bit tight); I guess I need to see what's going on with the keyboard and touchpad on the new model hands-on before I judge, but with the reduced processor and continuation of "thinness at any cost" aesthetic, I wonder if it is some kind of return to the netbook aesthetic...

...and that means with iPhone 6+ squeezing the iPad below, and then this kind of 'tweener system squeezing it from above... I could see the iPad line becoming the MacMini of Apple's portable technologies; there because it makes money, does some things well, and can easily piggyback on developments on its sibling systems. (I'll be enthused about a larger iPad Pro, especially if they started catering to artsy-types, swallowed their pride, and went for native support for a stylus. Swallowing their pride isn't Apple-like, but it has happened...)

And FWIW, I agree with the opinion that while it's not outside the realm of possibility but I'd be surprised if the Apple Watch becomes a gangbuster success.