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"Absolutely astounding" on by gkantz
Pros: Screen, weight, battery life, design
Cons: No optical drive, but SO WHAT?
Summary: Before I say anything about the MBA, for those of you who don't have one or never used one, GET OFF THIS FORUM. I have had it with people who like to express an opinion before they've seen the product. What's worse is how many of you have rated the machine so low before seeing it. So get out of here!
Now, the Macbook Air is NOT for everyone. It should not be considered a primary notebook. It is a true subnotebook in every sense - few ports, no optical drive, etc. But consider the following. It does have an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and at 1.6 GHz in a machine this small is not too shabby. The screen quality is better than any subnotebook I have ever seen, and it is soooo thin and light that it is a joy to carry around. I've gotten more than 4 hours of battery life on it as well. I like the Remote Disc feature - it works great with my iMac and I have had no problems. But buy the $99 superdrive - it's so small and light it'll fit into a case easily.
Oh yeah - I'm running WinXP in Parallels on this thing and that works great as well, so if anyone wants to whine about performance, forget it. Look, it's not my MBP. But once you realize what it is for (a road warrior's dream) you'll accept it as the best subnotebook available.
Apple has another winner here. Period. -
"Be realistic. This is not a desktop replacement" on by heyhowie
Pros: Size, weight, function, sturdy, decent battery life
Cons: processor a bit slow
Summary: The problem with people who are commenting about this laptop is they complain about functions to that of a desktop replacement.
People must keep in mind that the main reason laptops were invented was for those that need a PC while on the road for business or school. If you truly see the intention of the mac book air is for those that have to lug a laptop everyday for work purposes. It's not a tool to watch movies, listen to music, or any other entertainment function. No, it's to be efficient and have a way to be productive.
I primarily bought this laptop because of travel for work. My last laptop was close to nine pounds and just became a pain to caring this from location to location. I can't even feel the mac book air when strapping it over my shoulder.
If you need a solid, light, and sexy version of an IBM thinkpad then buy this. Video games, movies, music, and entertainment fanatics should look elsewhere.Updated
I've said this to many people that this is not a multimedia toy. Be realistic in what you are buying this for. It's a device for business travelers and those that need to do work. If you want to watch a movie, meaning making it a multimedia device .... wake up.
Imagine the benefits. If you have to lug a slew of books in college and have one less thing that doesn't weigh a ton. More importantly to those business travelers that fly 3 to 4 times a month. This is godsend when slugging it on your shoulder from airport terminal to terminal. -
"the macbook air has all the normal mac features with a bold design that doesn't work." on by mfed1089
Pros: slick. works like a laptop. nice screen. full keyboard.
Cons: only 80 gb memory. no disk drive. too bold. not needed laptop.
Summary: This laptop is not meant to be a main computer. THIS iS NOT MEANT TO BE A MAIN COMPUTER. Why?
To start, the computer has only 80 gb of memory, unless you buy more overpriced memory. 80 gb is the equivalent to a big ipod. Its terrible for a college student who will be storing music and movies, essays, term papers, and presentations. Only buy it if you plan on listening to music all day and not doing any work.
The laptop is light which is good, and has a full keyboard and is very nifty with the track pad but thats all for the new and good.
There is no replaceable battery. Don't overlook this. DON'T OVERLOOK THIS. For college students this is a disaster. The computer may not be 2,000 bucks but its still 1,800. Thats a pretty penny for a battery that isn't replaceable. College students who have this computer a few years down the line, will be without a computer for weeks after they send it in to the mother ship for a new battery. This is terrible for exams, papers, or any college deadlines and eliminates any sort of longevity.
I respect the stylistic choice and technological endeavor to have a diskless computer, but its too soon an idea. The macbook air is meant for travel. Why else would it be so light? But what do the majority of travelers do while traveling? They watch movies. This defeats the purpose of the macbook air because dvds aren't usable for the air. Thus the user will be forced to buy a movie off itunes from a limited selection. Here is an example of corporation like mac moving their iron hook around society. The user will be stuck spending more money on mac to pay for more memory, a new batter, and entertainment. With this computer mac trying to monopolize the market, forcing the consumer to rely on mac for all of his needs.
The macbook air is not a terrible piece of equipment by any means. But it's not a computer. It's a toy.
I urge college students not to waste their parent's money on the air. It's not a good choice for college. The regular macbook or macbook pro are much better machines for college. However, those who go on frequent business trips, the macbook air is a nice addition to the home computer. -
"Super cool but no thanks" on by mpfinneran
Pros: Slim design, flash drive
Cons: Missing features, price
Summary: The MacBook Air is undeniably very cool, with its ultraslim design, forward-looking flash memory option and nifty new track pad. But the price, and the "missing" features that I don't need to list here (everyone else already has) add up to a non-starter for me. I like a nice small laptop but how many of us really need this one considering the cons? If you're an early adopting image-conscious corporate exec on the move, go for it. I'll stick with my black MacBook.
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"Great Form, lousy Function" on by nutjob
Pros: It looks pretty
Cons: Slower than my 2 y.o win-amd laptop
Summary: Just ran some specs with a new Macbook Air and my current 20 month old win/amd Compaq laptop (for which I paid $1k) is faster at almost everything (except loading). Plus I can easily attach it to a variety of projection and TV systems for presentations (which you can not with the air unless you purchase and carry a variety of adapters.
I get cd/dvd from a variety of people (even Apple gave out CD's promoting the air) how do you play them over a closed network?
My laptop is 23 ounces more in weight (excluding power cord/adapter). I traveled 189,000 air miles over that last two years, so weight means a lot to me. But function is more important.
The Air does have nice touch pad features and whiles feeling light, still feels sturdy.
This a a great machine for a well-to-do college student while walking across campus but for a frequent fliers this machine is not practical or even useful.
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