Apple iBook Key Lime Special Edition 12.1 in. (M8245LL/A) Mac Notebook

Okay; I've seen a few epinions pop up recently about the iBook.

I have to say, I thought the net community was a little more enlightened than what I see here.

I can't believe so many people are letting the color - or more specifically, the 'sissy' color - shape their perceptions so.... easily.

Industrial design is a tightrope. If you want to try something new (really, truly new), it's almost impossible to get it made, from the designer's standpoint. All manner of obstacles stand in your way, between approvals, narrow-minded individuals, and (my fave) focus-groups.

The fact that Apple managed to produce something so completely different from the other slabtops gets them a lot of points in my book. It's something. Even if it sucks, they're at least trying new things, and this is important to the whole industry.

As for the iBook itself, I own an iBook SE. I hadn't seen the Dvorak article before I bought it, nor any of the storm of 'iBook is for girls' articles. I guess I should not be surprised. I've had nothing but compliments about it. People freak out over this thing. It's the #1 selling portable, and there's a reason for that. The guy who wrote the previous epinion even noted this - despite his obvious homophobia. It's a hugely popular laptop.

They aren't slow - it matches my G3/400 on my desk handily. It comes with 64MB RAM - not a lot, but plenty to surf with. Remember it's a consumer device; a lot of people are mad that it isn't a PowerBook, and all I can say is... buy a PowerBook. That's the problem with a lot of these reviews. They're written by hardcore geeks, who don't necessarily understand that less can be more.

And yes, it does help you pick up chicks. It's true, guys. You take one of these to a patio, and suddenly you're everyone's best friend. It's a lousy reason to buy one alone, but hey, it's a nice perk, too.

So for all the other iBook owners out there: you don't need to defend anything. It's a brilliant design, a great computer, and people who think you're less of a man for using it are generally not fun people to talk to - on any topic.