I think this is all about product placement and timing. Jobs wasn't satisfied with the (r)evolution of MBA until recently, then held back until just before the holiday shopping period to put out this newest toy.
(Toy, of course, being my male way of saying technology.)
I have a friend who works with Adobe and has a lot of knowledge of where computers are placed within an organization. It's his belief (and it makes a lot of sense) that MBA is directly targeted at managers. It's a fully functioning computer, but ultra-portable. Enough to stay in touch, do the occasional touch up on an underling's work, but ultimately just a basic computer. It's the drones who get the MBP's etc to do the 'heavy lifting.'
And, to pull from the now closed thread, I think the battery time is less important in a machine like this. Not to say it doesn't need a bump in power, but as a tool directed at management, it's not the bottom line, so to speak. Any battery talk, IMHO, has to be the compromise within Apple. It's that aspect that the managing crew doesn't really care about as much (since they don't use their computers nearly as much in general) but other members of the purchasing public desire. A student, for instance, needs more than three hours to compose that deadline essay while sitting in the cafeteria.
Therefore, I suspect this is just an evolution of a great machine. Some enhancements, potentially even more portable, and a small bump in battery time. I believe it's critical, though, for Apple to continue to position this as the "manager" machine; it has to be capable *enough.* To expect anything extraordinary, I think, is unrealistic.
I think this is true, but as I said in my original post I think you're ignoring the other part of the MBA market - girls. I think there's perhaps a little sneering at the girly desire for a machine that is cute, small and portable - but I will be honest. This is the reason I originally bought an MBA. I wanted a laptop I could put in a designer bag and carry.
I think a lot of the MBA market are girls that primarily Facebook, download iTMS content and write papers. This part of the market doesn't understand anything about discrete/integrated GPUs, and just wants it to last longer.
I just don't think Apple will ever find success in their MBA by only targeting managers. There aren't enough of them.
As for a previous comment about Jobs supposed slow evolution into a money-hungry corrupt old man, I have to disagree. I, personally, don't see any difference in Jobs' values. I think his brush with death has whittled further away at his patience - in his words, he knows to "turn the volume up" louder now. But I don't see any difference in his principles.
Remember, this is the same man that crippled the original Macintosh by not giving enough RAM.
