“The MacBook Air isn’t designed to be a desktop replacement system, and it doesn’t have desktop-like specs, unlike the MacBook Pro (see Tom Yager’s review, “The best notebook you can buy”) and other 2.4GHz-plus Core 2 Duo laptops on the market,” Paul Venezia reports for InfoWorld. “Could I live without a bevy of ports and a DVD drive? Could I use the Air to do real work?”
“In order to find out, I bought one and used it to write this review. In many ways, the Air has caused me to rethink some of my preconceived notions about what I need from a computer (see my “Deep End” blog post on that topic),” Venezia reports.
In an age when you can still get a laptop with a parallel port, Apple has created a laptop with no legacy ports, even deleting FireWire from the specs. There’s also no built-in optical drive. Many reacted to this with disdain, decrying the lack of an internal optical drive, fixed RAM, and limited ports as being too limited and artificially handicapping the system. I’ve come to realize that I don’t think that’s the case at all. When I thought about it, I don’t really need any of those things on a daily basis, and when I do, it’s rare. Perhaps desktops need lots of ports, but not laptops — not any more. In a time when I can buy a 16GB USB2 flash drive for under $80, why would I bother to carry DVDs and CDs? If I don’t use those, why do I need the drive? If I need to transfer files between systems, I can use wired or wireless Ethernet, or that USB flash drive. – Paul Venezia,, “The MacBook Air finds its Nietzsche,” February 10, 2008
“It’s unfair to classify the MacBook Air as a laptop. It’s not, unless you’re Mini Me. It’s an ultraportable,” Venezia reports.
“I figured the best place to work with the Air would be a coffee shop, which is essentially its native environment. Within five minutes of sitting down and joining the free Wi-Fi network, one of the three people that had been eyeing me came over and said, simply, ‘Wow.’ The other two then came over and after five minutes of the Air being passed around, hefted, and turned over and over, the general consensus was still ‘Wow.’ One woman brandished a Dell Latitude like a dirty diaper and announced that it was time for a change,” ” Venezia reports.
“The MacBook Air is not perfect, but it sure is attractive and functional. If you’re looking for a desktop replacement system, get a MacBook Pro. If you’re looking for a basic laptop, get a MacBook. If you’re looking for supreme portability and more than reasonable performance, definitely get a MacBook Air,” Venezia reports.
Full review here.
“It’s unfair to classify the MacBook Air as a laptop. It’s not, unless you’re Mini Me. It’s an ultraportable,” Venezia reports.
That’s a valid and fair distinction and one that many critics here and elsewhere have overlooked.
A colleague said the MacBook Air felt like an iPod, it’s that different from his MacBook Pro.
At least some people are starting to get what the Air really is.
In the years/months to come hopefully we’ll stop writing about the Air in terms of the sacrifices you make for portability but more about other models (including Macs) and what you sacrifice with them in portability in order to get “better” specs.
One woman brandished a Dell Latitude like a dirty diaper and announced that it was time for a change.
LOL!!!
Business as usual for an Apple product. Announce it, let the whining babies scream for a few weeks, and then take a real look at it and find out it’s awesome.
“One woman brandished a Dell Latitude like a dirty diaper and announced that it was time for a change,” “
they are going to sell a LOT of these babies…….
and yes, i know what you friend means Mr. Reeee. that was my first thought too. it feels like the iPhone or classic. it is light beyond belief, and thinner than thin.
Remember the 20 lbs Mac portable? Now that was a beast!
“In an age when you can still get a laptop with a parallel port, Apple has created a laptop with no legacy ports, even deleting FireWire from the specs. “
You know, I think the pundits are right. After all, the iPod Touch makes a terrible laptop.
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Where is the 13″ screen?
Where is the full keyboard”
What? No firewire or ethernet connectors?
NO floppy drive??
It does not do Windows??
on and on……… …. LOL
Apple has been making products that fit specific markets, period. They do not make beetle VWs that can haul 3/4 ton loads of dirt!!
I hope the average reader (which does seem to be getting smarter, by the way
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Just a thought.
en
My favorite quote as well:
” One woman brandished a Dell Latitude like a dirty diaper and announced that it was time for a change,” ” Venezia reports.”
Heck, that is right up there with “chrome plated turd.”
My favorite quote as well:
” One woman brandished a Dell Latitude like a dirty diaper and announced that it was time for a change,” ” Venezia reports.”
Heck, that is right up there with “chrome plated turd.”
My favorite quote as well:
” One woman brandished a Dell Latitude like a dirty diaper and announced that it was time for a change,” ” Venezia reports.”
Heck, that is right up there with “chrome plated turd.”
My favorite quote as well:
” One woman brandished a Dell Latitude like a dirty diaper and announced that it was time for a change,” ” Venezia reports.”
Heck, that is right up there with “chrome plated turd.”
My favorite quote as well:
” One woman brandished a Dell Latitude like a dirty diaper and announced that it was time for a change,” ” Venezia reports.”
Heck, that is right up there with “chrome plated turd.”
Last week I had the pleasure to use a MBA on loan from one of my agencies. First let me say that it was amazing to hold and use the MBA it’s design was very high on the Wow factor..that being said that is where it ended.
I took it to various meetings with me as a way to take notes and low and behold the battery started to go in the second meeting. I wound up getting a little over 3 hours of battery time. The jack ports on the side are aweful close together. I did not have a problem running Parallels but when I switched back and forth between Parallels and OSX it became very slow.
Overall a nice notebook but at $1799 I forsee a major price drop in the summer.
I was in the Apple at Southdale Edina Sunday. It was 7 degrees below zero and the place was busy with shoppers. I got a free battery for my MBP. The Air is light as a feather!
Checked out the MB Air this weekend too. 2 less pounds feels like 10 less pounds for some reason. It felt like I was picking up a magazine. Keyboard is really great.
I did see two bought in the 20 minutes I was there, so it looks like there is interest. I certainly have a lot more interest now that I’ve seen one.
I want one just to help me pick up chicks.
I think Venezia guy understands MacBook Air. Some people criticize MacBook Air for exactly the things Apple intentionally removed to promote ultraportability. That’s like criticizing Toyota Prius for being too small and not being able to do 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. Venezia reviewed the product in the context of its intended market, not in comparison to a full-sized MacBook.
Didn’t think I would do this, but….
Sold a bunch of stuff on eBay. Took the proceeds, went to my closest Apple store, checked out the Air. Fell for it in 5 minutes. Asked if they had stock, and they had a few of the HDD models left. Bought it knowing what I said before which was it just didn’t have enough. Boy was I wrong.
Like MDN said, it is a different sort of laptop. It’s my second (behind my MBP). Although not as fast or expandable, I learned quickly that for a road warrior like me it was more than enough. I love this thing. It’s a masterpiece of technology. Yeah I bought the external superdrive, but I will probably use it rarely. So at the end of the day this machine is more than enough for my needs. I won’t be dumping my MBP anytime soon, but I have a feeling I’ll be using the Air more.
So all of us naysayers (including me) needed to accept this is more of a second laptop – a true subnotebook in every sense of the word. Don’t be swayed by missing ports, no expandability, etc. The ONLY thing I wish it had was an interchangeable battery, but I’m not even getting that bent out of shape about that. This thing is awesome – try one out and you will be surprised.
Bought an MB this weekend…thicker, a little heavier, a hell of a lot more useful.
Just my $0.02
The MBA is a subnote in weight that people will enjoy using. The screen is large enough, the keyboard is large enough, and the speed is fast enough. Those are all things that are sacrificed with other lightweight notebooks, and are the reasons why you go back to your desktop computer when not out and about. With a MBA you can use it without feeling like you have a headache or fingerache at the end of the day.
It’s about TIME. The analysts seem to have figured out that this is a “big ultra-portable” rather than a “tiny laptop”. Viewed in its proper niche, the price isn’t half bad, the feature list isn’t embarrassing, and it “just works”. Now, we need to understand that not a whole lot of people have felt the need for a WIntel ultra-portable … to date. Maybe that will change, maybe not. Maybe the MBA will OWN the ultra-portable market by this time next year. Ferf(et al), thanks for seeing the MBA for what it is rather than as “yet another MBx”.
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And remember … it doesn’t really HAVE to sell to make a profit, it just has to draw customers in to the nearest Apple Store – cash in hand. Anything they buy supports the price of AAPL.
Dave
@Ray,
I understand your point and certainly understand your need for a more “useful” laptop. But that’s what YOU needed, and that’s fine. But if you travel every week like I do, the MBA is great because all I need to do is take what I need – nothing more. Even a small XP Parallels VM. That will work for me in the long haul.
Remember, this is a different animal, and it’s not what everyone needs, like yourself. A completely different market. The MB and MBP are fantastic laptops as well, just with more of what you’d normally see in a full-featured laptop. Whatever you bought, it was right choice for you as it should be.
I’m sure Apple is happy to sell a MacBook or MacBook Pro to any and all who feel the MacBook Air is lacking [insert your own feature here]. I don’t travel enough to warrant an MBA, and my MB Pro (original Core Duo model) is great for my needs. None the less, there is no denying the MBA’s ability to draw in a crowd to the local Apple Stores for a peek.