Review of Apple MacBook Air MC234LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

Customer Ratings:

I don't think I'll go back to regular "full-size" laptops again. I didn't think that the weight difference between my 15.4" 2008 MacBook-Pro and the "AIR" would be so substantial, but it is. My back is thanking me. Even with the power supply and my average bring-to-work payload, I often forget that I'm wearing a bag.

As far as general computing goes, it has been -by far -the most pleasing computing experience I've had in over 17yrs working with computers... no doubt because of the SSD.

--Average applications load in one or two "bounces", tops.

--Web pages load faster

--No stuttering when displaying the contents of a a folder, scrolling through image galleries, etc.

--Startup/Shutdown times.

Other PROS:

--Screen is perfect. I was worried that the glossy screen may be a little bothersome, though I've yet to come across a situation where it was a problem and I've taken it everywhere with me.

--Its build seems "solid". Maybe it's a trait of the new unibodies, but, when the lid is closed; it feels like a solid piece of metal that would be very difficult to damage. Maybe im naive, but I no longer feel the need to wrap my laptop in 4 layers of protection to keep it from damage in my bag.

CONS:

--Today's laptops support up to 8GB, typically in 2x 4GB configurations. It would be nice to see support for a 4GB module in the future.

--Typical complaints: no firewire or eSATA, only 1x USB.

--Runs a little hot, and I'm not fond of the location of the exhaust vents.

OTHER:

Don't call it a netbook or a laptop. It's the best of both worlds. It deserves its own category.

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First of all, make sure that the battery is working properly. I just returned one with a bad battery -it kept telling me that there was no battery present and also the system kept stalling. But i did play around with one that worked properly.

I'm only going to speak about the SSD (higher end) version. If you are going to get this MacBook Air, I completely feel that you are wasting your money buying the lower end version. The lower end drive is terribly slow and feels underpowered whereas the SSD drive version beats a faster MacBook Pro with a HDD. To further illustrate, the Macbook Air SSD opens up Adobe Photoshop in 3 seconds. Word in 2 seconds or less.

So here are the pros:

--super, light...it's addictive, wonderful. You'll carry it everywhere, annoyingly so.

--good battery life. I think the battery life in real world conditions even beats out the 7 hour battery of the Macbook Pro. Seems to use less battery and more intelligently

--AC converter is also light to carry around (but i still think it should be lighter)

--sturdy, and able to comfortably hold with one hand

The cons:

--don't use this for multimedia, other than simple video, YouTube, etc. If you try playing HD video on this machine loses frames

--the speakers! sorry, the speaker. don't use this machine for presentations that involve sound. hard to hear in a busy environment (such as trade shows). really i think this is the worst con!

--the USB port is hard to reach, difficult for those USB Verizon/Sprint/AT&T mobile broadband sticks. You have to use with a cable. But i think this is just a little cosmetic issue

The non-issue issues:

--lack of DVD drive. Other than installing software or viewing DVDs that someone wants to you watch then and there, how many times do you really need to do this? If the answer is frequently, then this machine is definitely not for you (go with a Macbook Pro). If occasionally or infrequently then the networked DVD drive (using Bonjour) works really well. If you feel a need to get a portable drive, then don't get this machine. It wasn't meant for this, really.

So, who is this for?

--writers! Screenwriters, students, business writers, writers, period. This is the funnest machine to use if you are a writer, period. you will love the ability to take this everywhere, put in a small, light bag, just open it up and start writing, either in Word, Pages, Final Draft, etc. (I HIGHLY recommend using a service like Dropbox - -so that whatever you write is automatically synced over the air to your home desktop, automatically! -no need to worry about losing your work ever!).

--traveling business people who need to show off pictures, electronic brochures, etc. Even to walk around shop floors and plop that Macbook Air out of a bag, hold in hand as you are walking

--road warriors, photographers on the road, journalists, etc.

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I'll say it straight away: I love the MacBook Air (MBA). I am a PowerBook collector, and have been using Apple's portables for many years, so I have some solid background in relation to their portable computers.

You may not know this, but in 1997 Apple had what, at the time, could be considered as a MBA. It was the PowerBook 2400c. What a machine it was. Small (10.4" screen) and light (4.4 lbs.). It came sans floppy drive: floppies were built into many laptops around the time the 2400c hit the streets, although they were on there way out. It also had reduced ports, but still included 2 PC Card slots. Strangely, it has a sort of unibody case, a landmark in design at the time. Underneath, you will find no interruptions in the case: it's all one, and the case wraps up and around smoothly. Released only in Japan, with just a handful of the units making it to the US, it is a rare machine indeed.

I think the reason Apple confined it to the Asian market was because the keyboard is 87% the size of a full-sized keyboard: it's a netbook size keyboard. People are larger in other parts of the world, so they may have thought that users wouldn't take to it in those areas. Overall, the 2400c could be considered as a netbook: Apple's first and only netbook to-date.

But what about the MBA you say. Isn't that a netbook? The MBA is a ultra-portable laptop, rather than a netbook. It's a full featured laptop. Apple never meant it to be a netbook. It makes hardly any of the compromises that netbooks make. You get a full-sized, backlit keyboard. A 2.13 Ghz Core 2 Duo, with an Nvidia 9400M, 256 MB graphics card, the same one found in Apple's MacBook and entry MacBook Pros. Some compromises are lack of a firewire port; 1 USB port; no ethernet port; no DVD-drive...

But with things like Remote Disc, etc. I don't need any of these things that are missing on the MBA, especially since this is a companion computer to my Mac Mini and MacBook Pro.

This model is much improved over the first generation MBA: better graphics chip, faster processor, and cheaper. Combining these specifications with such a thin, light design is impressive. What about its performance? It performs very well, I am happy to report, after 5 months of use. iWork, HD playback, web surfing... It's the SSD that really helps things along. Shutdown times, application launches, everything is speedy because of the SSD. It's actually faster for many tasks than pretty much any MacBook/Pro that is running a standard platter hard drive.

But things like converting audio and video... the MacBook Pros will outperform the MBA because of their faster processors and ability to use more RAM. This leads to the following question: Can the MBA be used as a sole machine? My answer to this is yes, depending on your needs. It is capable of being a sole machine. But if you are someone working with video, audio, and the like, you would be wise to go with a MacBook Pro (i.e. 15"). But still, this machine is capable enough that you can throw pro apps at it and it will work for you.

Here is the caveat with the MBA though. Don't have too many applications open at once, because it only has 2 GB of RAM. There are a few service providers out there who will unsolder the RAM from the MBA's motherboard, and solder back on 4 GB of RAM. If I were using this a a sole machine I would probably go for that service. But you can still get by using it as a sole machine with 2 GB of RAM.

Here is one piece of advice: get click-to-flash. It shuts down flash in Safari, or whatever browser you are using, and makes internet surfing more manageable on the MBA. It's not that flash makes browsing on the MBA impossible, it's just that it frees up resources and speeds things up. With flash heavy sites like YouTube, playing flash videos, for instance, can cause this model to heat up some, and then, by default, the video will become a bit choppy. This will only really happen if you are obstructing the air vents on the MBA. So if you are not using click-to-flash, make sure your MBA's vents are clear and free of any obstructions when web surfing.

But, mind you, flash in Safari causes even the MacBook Pros to heat up...

Let's now get back to what really sets this unit apart from anything on the market: it's super light and super thin. I did an in depth comparison to the Dell Adamo, and determined that the MBA is actually much thinner overall than the Adamo, even though the MBA is thicker than the Adamo at its thickest point. It's just that more of the MBA is significantly thinner than the Adamo, so overall it's much thinner, and it shows. Not only this, but the MBA is much more powerful: better processor and better graphics.

It is a joy to use and carry such a small, thin and light device, especially in comparison to lugging around the MacBook Pro 15.4". And for those of you who are switching from the venerable PowerBook G4 12.1", you won't be sorry. This machine makes it look antiquated, and its speed leaves it in the dust.

Other things I like about the MBA specifically: the screen is great. The best screen Apple has ever done. Somehow it is less reflective than my 15.4" MacBook Pro. The trackpad is nice and large, too. The retractable ports are really cool, and battery life is decent as well.

For those contemplating a netbook, I was too. I finally decided that netbooks just made far too many compromises and opted for the MBA. I guess my logic went exactly along the same lines as Apple, since Steve said during the MBA Keynote that netbooks make too many compromises and aren't worth the trouble. But if you want something diminutive for very light computer use, netbooks might be your ticket item. For me though, I couldn't live with the paltry processing power, small keyboards and trackpads, and tiny screens.

Lastly, one thing to keep in mind is that this machine, because it is so thin and light, is a tad fragile. It's still rugged, but you have to be more careful with it than, say, a MacBook. I wish the screen would open up more, but other than this, and the heat issue as described above, it's pretty much a perfect product.

Apple, well done.

Honest reviews on Apple MacBook Air MC234LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

After owning and enjoying the first generation Macbook Air (1.6 MHz, 80GB drive), this unit is an unbelievable upgrade. For the same price as the original, this unit is incredibly faster. Programs start up about 3 times faster and the SSD drive is silent and extremely quick. Startups and shutdowns are noticeably quicker too. My initial experience has indicated that the battery life should be better as well. I was also impressed with the browser speed pickup as pages seem to render all at once without the typical lag the original unit had.

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One thing you might not notice unless you read the product description carefully is that the USB Ethernet Adaptor is now included with the computer. So it is a mystery that this adaptor is listed as a commonly purchased accessory for this model. I almost bought one myself.

The MacBook Air is an unexpectedly nice aesthetic improvement in using a computer. Lightness, thinness and silence (with the SSD) make a surprising difference. Another thing I like compared to the MacBook Pro is that the edges of the case are tapered, not sharp 90 degree corners that scrape your arms. Particularly if you are considering the 13" MBP, the MBA is definitely worth a serious look.