"Very cheap Macbook Airs, if you will. Similar specs, I am sure"

You shouldn't be. The specs aren't similar between an Air and a netbook at all. I'm not saying the Air is worth it, just that the specs are not "similar".

"It is leaving potential users with few options: buy a real mac, or go without."

Horrors! Kind of like Microsoft leaving me few options: buy Windows 7, or go without. I mean, doesn't every company leave you "few options"? After all, you can buy their product or go without, right?

Apple has zero history going after the Hackintosh community. Unlike the RIAA or record labels, Apple has never sued grandma because she had the wherewithal to build a Hackintosh.

Why the change now (assuming the rumor is true)? I don't know, but I suspect it's a proactive change in anticipation of Psystar's next move, which would logically be to start selling "netbook Macs".

The sarcasm, Tom, you missed it. Of course the specs are different.

Also, I was attempting irony with the option comment. I just wanted to bring light to Apple's unwilling attidtude to release lower priced laptops.

Drats! I recently bought a netbook to try to get a hackintosh going.

I wonder if I can also set it up on my cheap Acer laptop.

A main reason why Macs works so well is that the OS doesn't have to contend with gazillions of different hardware configurations. If you're building your own rig, you might as well go windows where they at least try to support the equipment you're using.

As long as you stay with Leopard you're fine. You know the old adage, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I've sat next to Air's with my lil' Dell Mini 9, and I can honestly say performance was just as good, despite the almost 10x higher price tag.

I think you cant compare a computer with a mac, i am not a mac lover but i believe are good machines with excellent quality hardware, the os is against distractions, pc i believe is a flexible tool but you become a slave of upgrades of hardware and softwre, in the mac you dont need to be an it entusiast you just get along with the software.
Another little detail, the cost of a pc can be cheap a clear example is a laptop with vista and a good brand as toshiba for 500£ that will do all you need to do, but after a year ram upgrade for about 60 £, maybe a couple of visits for virus repairs or bugs into the software by the end of the first year you will be around 900 between all the needed software and extra parts, guess what? you are at the same price range of a mac that will run smooth and not even asking you for further upgrades.
The only trigger that will make you choose the pc in 80% of the cases is the gaming experience.
I WANT TO WORK I GET A MAC!