Comments on: Why would anyone buy a MacBook Air?

By: sam

sam — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:09:58 +0000

poor apple, it runs nivida and intel and components built in china, why on earth can u charge 2K for this

By: heiko

heiko — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:42:15 +0000

Note that battery capacity is specified in units of Wh which is Watt times hour. Power is Energy over time. Just do some calculations like this: 40Wh / 10 W = 4h … and you’ll see why 4/h is not as useful as 4h.

By: Janet Tokerud

Janet Tokerud — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:15:40 +0000

Typing on my new SSD MacBook Air about 24 hours after receiving it. This thing is revolutionary! I got the SSD Rev 2 model to make sure I have enough horsepower to use it as my main computer on a daily basis. I also have a daily walk downtown through open space and want to bring a light laptop along about 1/2 the time. My iPhone can carry the load the other days. I have a 2 year old MacBook Pro which I plan to keep as a backup and to use when I want a larger screened laptop. I also have an iMac 24 2.8ghz. I believe right now I’ll use this Air for 80% of my computing. The weight and form factor makes this a GREAT experience as a *lap* top. It is so comfortable to have on my lap. So easy to move around. Feels revolutionary to me. It’s kind of expensive but I like a good tool and am willing to pay extra to get one that is really good.

To me Macs are just made to a higher standard – especially with the details that are often skipped on lesser machines. I greatly appreciate that high quality. I totally disagree that Apple is price gouging with the Air. It does cost more to make things smaller – we know that. Netbooks just cut more corners which is great for what they are.

By: Dion Forster

Dion Forster — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:37:28 +0000

I love the Macbook – it is a fine machine, but it is no Air! I have owned an Air for a few months now and it has completely changed my computing habits!

The Air is so light and thin that I carry it in a folder into every meeting and have all of my documents with me at all times. I got the ethernet adaptor (which I have to use in my office since we have no wifi for security reasons). I also got the external DVD drive. Honestly, I have probably only used the DVD drive four times in the few months I’ve owned it!

So, I love the Air!

I do miss the USB ports (1 is NOT enough, and it is even worse since I cannot use my DVD drive AND my ethernet adaptor at the same time… The DVD drive will not work in a USB port replicator…), and the only other downside is the recessed earphone jack. I now keep an iPhone (1.0) recessed phone jack adaptor with me so that I can connect RCA cables for presenations.

But, other than these two minor irritations, I love my AIR! Oh, did I mention that with the batterygeek external battery and the magsafe adaptor I am able to get about 18 hours of use out of my AIR!? Perfect for LONG flights!

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:18:05 +0000

“Looking at this from any angle tells us that the Air is much more expensive for a lot less performance”

Yep, but the Air is great for those who value portability and style over performance. It’s not for the “I really need that extra few megahertz” crowd.

Besides, people can have it both ways by using a primary computer optimized for performance when at home, and the portability-oriented device when traveling (which sounds like a logical thing to do). In this case, the hardware compromises are actually beneficial. Who needs a faster CPU (heat, noise, worse battery life), an optical drive, etc (thicker, heavier), when you have a 24-inch iMac or even a Mac Pro for the heavy lifting?

By: Oklahoma Dave

Oklahoma Dave — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:01:23 +0000

Some good comments above that prove once again that there are different strokes for different folks. I bought an early MBA and absolutely love it. The weight is everything for me as a hyper-mobile senior citizen working at a different site almost every day. No way could I get buy with a net book, but I can get by without an optical drive and I have a USB hub for those occasions.

I love the weight advantage. I did look at the new macbooks yesterday, but I will keep my MBA for now.

By: tnkgrl

tnkgrl — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:25:02 +0000

Do you know which device Apple pioneered the unibody construction with? Yep, the MacBook Air.

I’ve put mine through its paces (it gets tossed around in my messenger bag 5 days a week, not to mention the occasional business trip) and it’s still like new after 9 months. I really don’t think durability is a problem!

Here’s another reason I took my MBA with me instead of my Acer Aspire One last week: double the battery life. Granted, my AA1 features the 3-cell battery…

By: Mark Schneider

Mark Schneider — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:32:22 +0000

I wouldn’t use either one, why would I overpay for either laptop when I can pay less money for a comparable PC. Yes the Air is a bigger rip-off but Mac fan boys and girls love to overpay.

By: James Kendrick

James Kendrick — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:24:30 +0000

One other point I would be remiss if I overlooked is that I believe the MacBook with the unibody construction will be much more durable given heavy traveling as opposed to thinner Air which seems more fragile. That’s just my opinion, I don’t have an Air to compare with the MacBook but the MB is very durable.

By: James Kendrick

James Kendrick — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:28:14 +0000

Don’t misread my intentions, I do firmly agree that mobility is important. What I do believe is that the MacBook is very mobile, not as light nor as thin as the Air but highly mobile in its own right. If the new MacBook was big and clunky I would not be questioning if the Air is worth the extra money. But it’s not so it’s something that must be considered.