The Apple Event Effect

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There is a phenomenon that occurs, roughly every 3 to 6 months. It is an Apple event. Apple traditionally has a keynote event in January, an iPhone event in June, iPod event in September, and now Apple has hosted a Back to Mac event. Yesterday, Apple announced new iLife 11 software, highlighted future Lion features, and new Macbook Air models. After watching these Apple events, I experience a very similar reaction. "I WANT that!" Yesterday was no exception. After watching the iLife 11 demos, my reaction was, "I WANT iLife 11." No harm in that. The software costs a mere $49. After watching the Macbook Air presentation, I immediately responded, "I WANT a Macbook Air" The problem with this is the cost. I would opt for the 13"with the 128gb storage and then throw down an additional $90 to upgrade to 4GB of RAM. Even with the student discount, that build will set me back a cool $1,339. I spent the rest of the day analyzing, stewing, debating, comparing, reading, and ultimately trying to find a way to justify this computer. I read a great article by Marco.org, (click here) that did a great job at putting a lot of my thoughts down in writing. Since I am 2 months away from graduation, my computer needs/usage may change drastically. Will I need a ultraportable Macbook Air? Would a powerhouse, 15" Macbook Pro be the way to go? How about settling down with the 27" iMac? Or maybe I should just keep on trucking with my nearly 3 year old white Macbook. Ultimately, I have had to step back, relax, and let my initial appetite for new Apple products assuage. I think I'll give it a couple months to settle and come back to this decision in January.