Promotional Consideration: Nintendo DS Air
by Eric Caoili 
{ Feb 17th 2008 at 2:00PM }
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.
You don't have to try too hard to find similarities between the Nintendo DS Lite and Apple's Macbook Air -- they're both sleek, attractive devices, curves at every corner. Also, both of their designs place a heavy emphasis on their portability. And, most importantly, they both fit in an envelope!
Nintendo DS Air:
Macbook Air:
Best mail ever.
Antho70's spoof of Apple's ad doesn't have the lighting, smooth camera work, or other slick production qualities of the original, but it does, for the most part, duplicate the Macbook Air commercial shot-for-shot, replacing the notebook computer with a DS Lite. Did any of you draw this exact comparison between the two when you first saw this commercial unveiling Apple's "ultra portable?"
Would a similar campaign work for the Nintendo DS? One could argue that ultimately a system's appeal is in its games, not its visually-pleasing hardware. But hasn't the DS Lite become as much a "lifestyle accessory" as it is a a handheld console? The portable even appears in this month's issue of fashion magazine Marie Claire!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Roto13 @ Feb 17th 2008 2:24PM
Do not compare the wonderful DS Lite to the abomination that is the Macbook Air. :P The biggest selling point of the DS, IMO, is that it does what it's supposed to do, it does it well, and it does it for a very reasonable price. The Macbook Air doesn't do the minimum of what a computer needs to do. There's only one USB port so if you plug in a USB mouse, you can't plug in anything else. The battery is built in so you can't have a backup. The 2 gigs of RAM can't be upgraded. The hard drive spins at 4,200 rpm compared to the standard of 7,200. The optional alternative to that hard drive adds about $1000 to the already too high $1700 price of what ends up being a board you can use to check your email.
Honestly, the DS Lite is form AND function for a good price. The Macbook Air is just Apple appealing to the trend whores again.
I don't know why I just wrote all that out to compare two completely different things. But the Macbook Air is crap.
Pizza Pasta @ Feb 17th 2008 6:14PM
AGREED! Here, here!
Anticrawl @ Feb 17th 2008 9:48PM
Wait the Macbook Air uses a HDD? What the fuck? What kind of moron would design an ultra slim/small laptop without solid-state storage? Any hope Apple could have had for a future is gone out the window with this new knowledge I have of how stupid the engineers over at Apple are.
JC Fletcher @ Feb 18th 2008 12:47AM
Anticrawl: you can get a solid-state drive. For an extra $1300.
Brad @ Feb 18th 2008 2:01PM
It only has one USB port because the USB "Universal Serial Bus" allows for 127 devices per computer so you can add as many powered or non-powered hubs as you want to that one port and they all work.
And if you had every actually ever owned a MAC you would know that 2megs is allot of ram for the OS probably more than it needs to run comfortably since it doesn't have the MS feature creep or crappy kernel issues.
A bit of knowledge before posting stupidity goes can go along way.
- Brad
User @ Feb 18th 2008 2:24PM
How dare you compare a device used by children and teenagers for video games to a device used by business executives in meeting rooms.
JK :)
Roto13 @ Feb 18th 2008 2:45PM
@Brad: You shouldn't need to buy more hardware to get an acceptable number of USB ports, and 2 gigs isn't nearly enough to do much more than just "run the OS comfortably." That wouldn't even be nearly as bad if you could just buy more, but you can't.
And I've used Macs before. I used to do Mac tech support, ducky. Macs are like PCs for people who are too dumb to use PCs.
Frastoglegnia @ Feb 18th 2008 3:24PM
Roto13: "Macs are like PCs for people who are too dumb to use PCs."
And cheap shots are like rebuttals for people who are too simple-minded to construct them.
No one who has had actual experience working for Mac tech support would ever claim 2GB RAM is too little for a MacBook or MacBook Pro. Prior laptop iterations shipped with 1GB but recommended two for running Pro Tools and various other greedy apps. You couldn't go beyond 2GB in early iterations.
And by the way: Macs are for soundtrack composers, studio musicians and arrangers, film editors, and everyone who uses an AVID workstation professionally -- not because Macs are that different from or better/worse than PCs, but because they're the industry standard in most situations. Pros who need to work have to be compatible.
And lest you counter with the tired reminders that Avid/PT are made for PCs, too, I'll spare you the trouble and mention every fool knows that already. But you might want to tell that to post houses in LA and NYC that invested in $200,000 systems and aren't going to switch, and the clients who walk in every day expecting to work on Mac-based systems. At any rate, I'd love to watch you try.
I'll give you this, though -- the MacBook Air is a feature-starved, overly stylized, overpriced anorexic exec toy and the DS Lite is arguably the most charming, library-rich and economical game console in the world. Personally, I don't see the comparison, either.
Roto13 @ Feb 18th 2008 3:31PM
Take a look at the past marketing campaigns of the Mac. They're full of people talking about how PCs are just too hard for them to figure out, how shiny the iPod is, and how nerdy PCs are. It's ridiculous.
I really can't be assed to bother with the rest of your comment because it's blaringly obvious to me and everyone else who knows what they're talking about that you're just talking out of your ass, but I do want to touch on one thing. I did work for Mac in the past. Or, rather, the company they outsource their tech support to. It's called NCO. I also worked for them doing customer support for Xbox and the MSN web browser. That particular center was in Surrey, BC.
Frastoglegnia @ Feb 18th 2008 3:44PM
"Take a look at the past marketing campaigns of the Mac. They're full of people talking about how PCs are just too hard for them to figure out, how shiny the iPod is, and how nerdy PCs are. It's ridiculous."
If you knew anything about computers, you'd be able to distinguish between target users, professional users and marketing strategies. In the beginning, Atari and Mac computers were the two music-based computer platforms in the world -- Macs in the US and Atari in Europe. The Atari died while the Mac spread everywhere else. It's pro users and the history of music and film computer you're obviously unfamiliar with.
"I really can't be assed to bother with the rest of your comment because it's blaringly obvious to me and everyone else who knows what they're talking about that you're just talking out of your ass. . . ."
It's amusingly obvious you can't bother with anyone's comment for the simple reason you can't put work out the difference between thought and hyperbole. If you could, then you'd argue your point convincingly instead of recycling one-liners from simple-minded Hollywood blockbusters.
". . . but I do want to touch on one thing. I did work for Mac in the past. Or, rather, the company they outsource their tech support to."
Even if that were true -- and your ignorance of model specs suggests it isn't -- allying yourself with Mac tech support is as damning as with ordinary Mac users. Mac phone tech support is notoriously amateurish and only succeeds in wasting users' time. Judging from your comments here, you'd be perfect for the job.
Roto13 @ Feb 18th 2008 3:47PM
Luckily I have enough confidence in what I know to not give a rat's ass about what you think of me. *phew*
Frastoglegnia @ Feb 18th 2008 4:06PM
It doesn't matter what I "think of you" or what you think of me. What matters is that your present argument is as simplistic as it is bankrupt.
And just to clarify: When I say that Ataris and Macs were the two most commonly used music computer platforms in the world, I don't mean that PCs weren't used at all or weren't as good. But when you're talking about professional use, especially in the days long before convergence, you're talking about everyone using the same tools in order to make collaboration easier. Generally speaking, studio musicians tended to use Ataris in Europe and Macs in the US, just as many graphic designers grew up using Macs before apps like Photoshop were ported to the PC.
When you make the claim that Mac users are all idiots, you're disregarding the Mac's long-term professional base in music, film and graphic design. With Apple's emphasis on consumer machines and the interchangeability of hardware and software, that base could die out eventually. But it's still there now.
Besides, generalizing about any group of strangers -- for tech or political reasons -- is akin to ad hominem barking. If you're as savvy as you claim, then don't undermine that by resorting to user stereotypes. Brand warfare is the tech equivalent of xenophobia.
Brello @ Feb 18th 2008 4:08PM
@Roto13 (first post)
Hahaha, everything you wrote was what I thought upon reading about the macbook air. It's form over function in every way.
NetOperator Wibby @ Feb 17th 2008 3:03PM
LMAO! This is awesome, i would have never made the comparison. "A clip-on tie? Pleated pants? Not exactly what's hot on the streets. It's safe to assume that the girl only sticks around for the Nintendo DS." That made the article for me.
kazuya @ Feb 17th 2008 7:41PM
Except that the DS has a user replaceable battery, expandable memory, and an actually reasonable price point.
Oh and games.
Zing!
SephFinale @ Feb 17th 2008 9:17PM
Because we all know Apple is good at making things that play games. :D
angelbabe531 @ Feb 17th 2008 9:46PM
Lol! I feel silly for finding that mock DS commercial so funny :P
Oh, and great post Roto!
Slipstream @ Feb 17th 2008 10:33PM
Was anyone else coming to this article thinking it would be some news about the GAME "DS Air" aka [far superior original title] Jet Impulse?
Where the crap is our replacement for the so-so Starfox Armada? We need our flight-sim-on-the-go!
Feigr @ Feb 18th 2008 5:47AM
Apple products are for metrosexual fashion victims and insecure teenagers.
The DS is fun for everyone! ;)
Feigr @ Feb 18th 2008 6:04AM
Apple products are for metrosexual fashion victims and insecure teenagers.
The DS is fun for everyone! ;)
hvnlysoldr @ Feb 18th 2008 1:54PM
Pedo Alert!
Tom @ Feb 18th 2008 4:56PM
You've done it now. Mentioning DS and Apple products in one breath? NERD FIRESTORM!!!
Also, clip-on ties and pleated pants are cooler than you, but since when was cool cool? Cool.
Jonathan @ Feb 18th 2008 10:16PM
Nintendo's newest concept art. The DS Air.
http://www.counteragent.com/2008/02/18/new-nintendo-ds-design-concept-the-ds-air/
Boom!
musicallove99 @ Feb 18th 2008 11:12PM
5400 rpm standard ::cough cough:: 7200 is usually an upgrade ::cough cough::
musicallove99 @ Feb 18th 2008 11:12PM
ok everybody breath... i have to say though my mac works better than my 3 dells 2 gateways and my homebuilt. It doesn't matter to me i can still do my C++ and python on my mbpro when i'm out of the office. but i still use my windows stuff, because right now you can't live with out windows.
Maattp @ Feb 24th 2008 6:18PM
Why are you fighting about a computer and a ds lite. They have nothing to do with each other and shouldn't even be compared.
Morose @ Mar 31st 2008 10:27AM
Macbook Air: it's a laptop. It does laptop things. Word processing, web-browsing, etc. Despite being a nice-looking contraption and less cumbersome than other laptops, it doesn't really do anything significantly different from other laptops. Overall, it's just another laptop, but prettier, and more likely to get blown away in a strong wind.
Nintendo DS and DS Lite: It's a portable gaming system, it plays games, but in a significantly different way from other portable gaming systems by offering two screens and making one of them touch-sensitive. Overall, there's nothing like it, and it is less likely to get blown away in a strong wind because it has so many compelling games that people can't take their hands off it.