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"the macbook air has all the normal mac features with a bold design that doesn't work."
3.0 starson by mfed1089Pros: 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.
- 5 replies to this review
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I disagree with your choice of not recommending this great laptop for college students. Did you forget that college students have two major breaks per year where they can make repairs on their computers if desperately needed? This helps with replacing the battery three or four years down the line when some students may already be done with school. The only major concern for students would be any necessary repairs that could occur because of the 1st generation manufacturing of the Air.<br><br>I think this is the perfect laptop for college students, who are on the go constantly, and want a laptop with reasonable specs and saves greatly on space and weight in your bag. It is easy to carry the Air to all of your classes and it has plenty of battery to last you on and off all day. I've had plenty of tests, papers, and group projects with the Air and so far it has been nothing short of a life-saver.
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CNET readers look to user opinions to find out how a product compares to the manufacturer's claims. Your complaints about the feature set are of no use to such readers.
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If the disk size is a real problem, then store your iPod meusic and photos on a USB hard drive. They are now really portable (about the size and weight of a Palm) and enormous. I've just got one to complement my Air with 320GB.<br><br>With 120GB of music on my iPOD it causes a problem for any ultraportable laptop's installed hard drive.
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Perhaps mfed is confusing the hard drive size with installed memory (yes, contrary to what he/she said, there *is a hard drive in the $1800 model).<br><br>It can play DVD's and CD's from an external USB drive. And there is an Apple drive available for $99 that is small and light and gets its power from the USB port, so if you need it on the road, it should travel well. I don't have one. I've just used my old Sony USB DVD/CD drive so far. The Sony drive doesn't play well with others on a USB hub, but then I don't need an optical drive very often. <br><br>I do agree, I wouldn't buy one for a college student. It's not upgradeable. The 80 GB hard drive is too small, and the lack of gigabit ethernet is problematical for me. And the lack of a user replaceable battery will likely prove irksome. It isn't my only computer, it's what I take with me when moving around. But for what it is, a very light, fully functional computer with a full sized display and keyboard, and a very nifty track pad, it's lovely.
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What did you think Apple was going to sacrifice to get rid of 2 POUNDS? This is not for kids (big or small) who want to watch dvds or listen to cds all day. This is the lightest, EASIEST to carry and use laptop at this moment. THAT's all, folks. If you WORK extensively on your laptop, i.e., lug it around, write, study, take notes, it doesn't get any better than Air. The battery can be changed at any Apple store, no need to "send it off". As for everybody complaining about 1 USB port, get a dongle if you must, for crying out loud!
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