Hello, my name is Chris and I ordered a new MacBook Air

As readers of TUAW are, of course, fully aware Apple announced several great new products at Macworld this year. One of those products -- a particular item I was vocally very eager to see come out -- was the MacBook Air. And, putting my money where my mouth is, I ordered one as soon as I could -- sans solid state drive. I am now awaiting delivery of my sleek new Mac in "two to three weeks" from Apple.

Sure, some people may question the machine, my decision or rush to point out the MacBook Air's flaws (TUAW's own Mat Lu chimes in with his thoughts on the MBA's strengths and weaknesses right here), but for me the MacBook Air represents a leap forward in the evolution of the notebook and will be the perfect tool for getting my work done. While it may not be for everyone, to me its positives far outweigh its negatives and upon arrival it will take its rightful place as my Apple notebook of choice.

First and foremost (and none would dispute) the MacBook Air is really thin and incredibly light. Most of you probably haven't picked one up but I can tell you from my personal fondlings it is even thinner and lighter than it looks. As a person who normally totes around a 15" MacBook Pro (plus more) I can tell you how much of a positive effect the loss of 2.4 pounds is going to have on my shoulders and back. But not only is the MacBook Air thinner and lighter, it also comes with a smaller and lighter power brick as well -- another welcome replacement for the rather large one I currently have in use.

Also, my work these days is primarily writing, working with photos and activities of that nature, so this notebook will be perfect for those types of uses. Although I will admit I was skeptical when I first saw the keyboard (I'm not a fan of the MacBook's and on first glance they looked similar) but once I had a chance to pound on the Air's keys a bit I realized that the keyboard is a vast improvement over the one featured on the MacBook and will work just fine for me.

The computer will also work well when dealing with photos -- especially if I continue to primarily use iPhoto as I have been lately. However, I'm sure the MacBook Air will also run Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, CS3 and even Aperture should I choose to use them. After all, my "ancient" 12" Powerbook G4 runs Lightroom and even CS3 pretty well considering its 1.5 Ghz G4 processor and 1.25 GB of RAM so I think the MacBook Air will be just fine.

In addition, the MacBook Air, although it's a fantastic machine and will be my notebook of choice, is not now nor will it ever be my only Mac. For the real heavy lifting that requires much more horsepower I will turn to my desktop Mac -- the 24" iMac. Keeping the two machines in sync won't be a problem either as I will be using .Mac to keep Address Book and iCal current as well as Mail (where all my email accounts are IMAP and will be the same on both machines). So, this scenario will, I feel, address and overcome many of the concerns expressed about the MacBook Air's design and use.

Finally, did I mention how thin and light the MacBook Air is? Sure, I might occasionally miss having an Ethernet port (although I got the dongle) or need an optical drive (got the external one of those too) but for the most part I think I will be okay without those things. I also have 802.11n wireless at home and usually can find wireless access in most places while on the road, so the lack of an Ethernet port won't have that much of an impact on me. But if I need it, I'll have it by using the dongle.

Radical change sometimes requires an adjustment in thinking and the new MacBook Air is pretty radical. I, for one, tend to fully embrace the new and look forward to putting the Air through its paces when it arrives -- providing a full report to the TUAW readership in the process as well. Until then, if you have any questions or just want to tell me what a huge mistake I've made, feel free to hit the comments.

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Macworld Analysis / Opinion MacBook Air

As readers of TUAW are, of course, fully aware Apple announced several great new products at Macworld this year. One of those products -- a...

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Richard Bolig

I've got mine and it's a beauty. A+ in styling, engineering, and functionality. It's got all that I need (nice size screen, full keyboard, enough storage for a computer that's supplemental to my iMac, speed for all my computer tasks) and none of what I don't need (ethernet, multiple USB ports, optical drive). In a class with Ferrari automobiles and Bang & Olufsen audio: Sleek,classy, but not for everyone. It doesn't have to compete with anything else, nor does it try to. A masterwork of understatement, a model of economy, a fusion of art and technology.

February 07 2008 at 12:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

dave

I read everyone's comments and I can't disagree with anyone, haters and lovers alike.

I'm genuinely conflicted about whether or not to get one.

I'm in need of a new laptop, as my g4 ibook dies about once every 6 months and now that applecare has expired, it's going to cost me a shitton to get it fixed next time.

All of the popular gripes about the mbAir don't bother me - not even price.

But what's with the size?
The thick bezel around the display and keyboard kills me. I think that if i buy one, I'll be thinking about how much smaller the footprint could be every time I use it. Why not just cut an inch off the width and depth by going with a small, stiff bezel? Sure, you'd have to get the guts to be even smaller, but I wouldn't even mind if they made the battery smaller to achieve this end. Or even a smaller screen wouldn't kill me. My ibook's 12" screen is plenty for me almost all of the time.
I can't understand all the spewing about thinness when the footprint is (a hair) bigger than the macbook's.

On the other hand, my current machine kinda blows. I'd be super happy to have a new laptop, but pretty bummed if they came out with a 13" macbookpro or a smaller MBAir in the near future.

Thoughts? (other than that I'm being a whiny bitc*?)

January 22 2008 at 5:54 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to dave's comment

Yip Yip Yipee

Hi, Dave.

Yes, I'm in the "Air or not to Air" situation as well.

The initial round of reviews have already been printed and available on the Net. And a few bring up a few good points which I'm considering. As you'd expect, there is rumor of a MacBook "Air 2", which may use the latest Intel "Penryn" processors. If true, this is significant as this processor could up the performance while saving even more energy at the same time (e.g. 2.2GHz and up to 6 hours battery performance). Also, 3G or WiMax cellular wireless technology could be built onto the motherboard.

Another rumor is the same Penryn processors are suppose to go into even higher powered next generation MBP platforms, using similar aesthetics as the MBA, including the gesture capable touch pad.

Thus far, Intel is having problems getting decent yields of Penryn processors. Indeed, it could be weeks or months before they have the issue resolved, and start shipping these new CPUs in any reasonable quantity.

My guess is Apple announce availability of the MBA2 and/or next generation MBP platforms some time around the 3rd Quarter of this year or delay until the next Macworld Expo. However, the state of the global economy and/or competition may change things and force Jobs to make them available sooner.

So, there are a number of factors to consider, with lots of "ifs"and "whens". Either I grit my teeth and simply accept the consequences as an early adopter, or I simply wait six months and see what Jobs rolls out. Alternatively, if I feel I can't wait, I'll troll for a good bargain in a high-spec MB or MBP on eBay, or go Apple Refurbished at the Apple online store.

January 24 2008 at 6:38 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Yip Yip Yipee

Dave,

Regarding the bezel thickness, my guess is it may be necessary to protect the LCD screen. Otherwise, Apple would have to use something like magnesium alloy or carbon fiber instead of aluminum to get a thinner bezel and still protect the screen. Indeed, using the afore mentioned materials would probably make the MBA more expensive than a decked out 17" MBP!

January 24 2008 at 6:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

David

It amazes me to see how certain people fail to see what market this device is meant for. Did any of you actually catch a glimpse of the Ultra-portable computer (UPC), sub-notebook and now Ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) age? Aside from the UMPC's, these devices BEGIN at $2000 when they first started. I don't get how you can look at a device like the Macbook Air, see how tiny it is, and then complain about it not being as fast as your massively sized 24" iMac.

I myself have owned several UPC's, from worlds first Sony VAIO VGN-U50 to the classic VAIO Picturebook, to the OQO Model 01, and now the Raon Digital Everun, and there's just nothing to complain about them. The Macbook Air isn't my cup of tea (I was hoping for a tablet version, actually), but there's just nothing wrong with the Air. I rarely use the optical drive on my macbook pro, never even missed them once on my ultraportables, and the one USB port? What kind of mobile office do you guys want to run? Go wireless! And when you're at home, just use a dongle. I do that even for my macbook pro, so I only have to plug in one wire.

Save up, or shuddup :).

January 21 2008 at 11:16 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

adrian

A couple of years ago when the 12 inch Powerbook was launched, Apple was slamming Windows based compact laptops, for not having an optical drive installed as standard. Now with the Macbook Air, it's acceptable practice.

January 21 2008 at 5:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Dawn Loges

Stop making me want one!!!

January 21 2008 at 5:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Allan Drake

your an idiot.. You paid $1700 for something the processing power of a 2 year old imac, minus 2 usb ports...hahaha.

January 21 2008 at 4:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

paul merrill

I have no problem with getting a new MBA - except that I can't afford it!

I think your budget is different than mine.

Sigh.

January 21 2008 at 1:46 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chris

Actually, this is the perfect machine for me, if I needed an upgrade. I always use MacBook wirelessly at home, and have my printers set up on my router so as to print wirelessly. Apart from using a USB key, I rarely use my USB ports, and ethernet is something that I use once every six months at most. The optical drive does get a lot of love, other than from OS upgrades.

If anything bad should happen my current machine, an MBA will be on order.

January 21 2008 at 12:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Balam

come on... you cant even replace the battery on that thing. Its only a great design.

Steve Jobs must be thinking "let only rich suckers buy this featurelacking machine till we can actually get something usefull and decently priced out there".

January 21 2008 at 12:10 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tnkgrl

I'm right there with you, Chris... I've ordered mine as well, and I'm looking forward to it!

January 20 2008 at 9:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply