It’s the same old, same old isn’t it?  Every time a new year rolls around, the world is filled with promises of people who will make this the year they lose weight, get fit and get healthy - so I’d hate to be the only person, not making that resolution!

I’ve not been on a plane for a few months now, but the one thing I always liked about flying was that you knew you were pretty much guaranteed an hour or two (or three or four) of peace and quiet.

Admittedly there are sometimes rowdy passengers or kids or whatever, but on the whole it’s a nice quiet place to be - apart from those annoying announcements the cabin crew are forced to do over the loudspeaker, which can get a bit annoying.

But once I’m buckled in, iPod on and book opened then I’m a happy camper until it gets to landing time and everything has to be packed away.

Steve Jobs’ MacBook Air unveiling has met with mixed responses - from those who think it’s the best thing ever (and would have thought that about practically anything Steve Jobs had unveiled) to those who don’t quite see the point (me included).

Yes it’s an amazing piece of engineering, and shows the massive clout Apple have within the industry when they can persuade Intel to go back to the drawing board to redesign their Core 2 chips, but to me it seems like there are too many other compromises to make the Air seem a wise purchase at this time - unless you really need to send a laptop through the post in as thin an envelope as possible.

Oops-a-daisy, seems the MacBook Air was indeed a reality!

Yes, it’s light and thin and shiny and all things good - but it just doesn’t appeal to me.  I think I might be ill, it’s the first gadget to ever become available that I haven’t instantly wanted and thought I needed!

I can see the point for people who have to carry a laptop with them everywhere, as the lightness and thinness will surely win them over - but the fact the screen is still reasonably large (certainly a lot larger than the pre-Keynote rumours had us believe) means it’s no easier to operate on a packed train or bus.

Next week is going to be an interesting one for Apple fans as it sees the start of the MacWorld 2008 Expo, which opens with a Keynote address by head honcho Steve Jobs.

Whenever Steve puts in an appearance you know there’s big news a’coming - new iPods, the iPhone, etc - so the rumour mill starts churning out all sorts wishlists.