Testing the Goods: The New MacBook Airs

Until this was released, I had the prettiest netbook in existence:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2008/oct/07/windows.microsoft

I was one of the many people for whom iPad's lack of a full desktop system was a serious dealbreaker. The Air's a damned gorgeous machine, and for a lot of users, it seems like it would be just enough computer to be a primary machine in a way most netbooks aren't.

Gorgeous machine.

Pretty? No, thanks. Gorgeous? No, thanks. 1.86Ghz Core 2 Duo? No, thanks. Small? No, thanks. Light? No, thanks. Netbook? No, thanks. 2,000 dollars? No, thanks. A Mac? No, thanks.

Just to whine, these things (especially the 13-incher) sound far too expensive for far too little with some rather brainless design issues all wrapped up in a very pretty (read "expensive") package. I understand the value of a light computer, I really do, but if you work that much on a cloud, I would sooner have a brick of a laptop that's a powerhouse and a smaller netbook for short trips with access to my cloud when I feel comfortable leaving my laptop on my desk.

I can't help but smell the gratuitous Apple-love in this article.

Isn't it nice to hear everyone's opinions?

@quatra

Your comment? No, thanks.

Did they make one functional for a gamer big enough for man hands and cool enough to not burn out, and flexible enough to not have to rely on one vendor for software sources, and and and. I will stick PC. MacDonalds is for kids and pictures.

In case you didn't get the Macdonalds joke... it's for clowns.

I think its a waste of money, way too over-priced for something that isn't even that powerful.

@ twobrain

It's a Mac, they will never make a Mac for gaming. The sheer cost involved in a "market entry" model while they're already making money hand-over-fist would suggest some level of retardation on the part of The Almighty Steve to try and get into gaming.

I mean, I guess if he has some meglomaniacal goal to have every personal electronics market dominated by a Mac product...

Ok, they might make a Mac for gaming, but that'll be a long, long time from now.

I just don't get this 'Mac for gaming' crap. My iMac plays games just fine, natively, the ones written for Mac, and non-natively, through Windows installed on my HD. So what games don't Macs play?

If you need a home super-computer to play games, and need a Mac, get a Mac Pro. You can't get much gamier than that.

Most of us adults have more to do than game, and for me, that doesn't include allowing anti-virus software to hogtie my machine until it's done updating its definitions every 12 hours.

Just a few short years ago, a machine with half the functionality, twice the weight, and costing over twice as much; would have been considered an incredible bargain.

@ tundrasea
Now is not a few years ago.

Today, that computer at that price would be a gigantic piece of crap.

Hurray!! This article made it into Apple's Hot News RSS feed....

No thanks, 95% of people know that Macs are self indulgent pieces of expensive plastic and metal.

Furthermore, another thing that sucks is your login process PopSci, I haven't taken 5 steps to login since (maybe) 1990.

@quatra & nicholas22 - you say the same thing when considering the purchase of a finely crafted automobile. No thanks - my Ford Focus can drive anywhere your Mercedes Benz can and do it cheaper. And nose in the air you spin on your heel and huff off so proud of your supposed wit. You voted for Palin too, right?

@quatra & nicholas22 - you say the same thing when considering the purchase of a finely crafted automobile. No thanks - my Ford Focus can drive anywhere your Mercedes Benz can and do it cheaper. And nose in the air you spin on your heel and huff off so proud of your supposed wit. You voted for Palin too, right?

@quatra & nicholas22 - you say the same thing when considering the purchase of a finely crafted automobile. No thanks - my Ford Focus can drive anywhere your Mercedes Benz can and do it cheaper. And nose in the air you spin on your heel and huff off so proud of your supposed wit. You voted for Palin too, right?

quatra & nicholas22 - you say the same thing when considering the purchase of a finely crafted automobile. No thanks - my Ford Focus can drive anywhere your Mercedes Benz can and do it cheaper. And nose in the air you spin on your heel and huff off so proud of your supposed wit. You voted for Palin too, right?

Curb your enthusiasm
The upside to Mac users that PCers continue to find lots of outstanding reasons to not buy into Mac computers, is of course low Mac market share. As I understand it, this is our (macuser) virus protection. So please, curb your enthusiasm and quietly nod to the likes of quatro and nicholas22 etc, happy they are looking after our best interests.

Rusty F you are correct but of course they don't get that.

PS I have no idea why my post was quadrupled and am even more baffled at why I can't delete the multiple posts.

deanrd7
The mac is no BMW.
It is more like a Citron with maybe 1 or 2 neat features but overall more expensive, less capable, has its groupies, and you can only go to 1 source if it breaks.

Its sad and pathetic that mac users have to compare it to other objects that actually HAVE better performance like a BMW.

If you bought a netbook at 400 to 500 dollars, swapped out the HD with a new 3rd party SSD it would run circles around the new mac book air and cost less, last as long, have peripherals, had TRIM ( so that performance would only be for 3 to 5 months before lost).

See that's called utility, PCs and BMWs have them, macs dont!

Jabberwolf - I agree the Mac's not a BMW. I'd put it more in the Mercedes class. My brother's had a few BMW's and they were crap that kept falling apart.

As for the one source... I've never has one break. And, I've been using them for over 20 years. I still have my Apple Newton. And it works fine! I've got more than one Hp/Dell/Compaqs, that my company made me use, collecting dust on a shelf and it wasn't one of those "$400-500" laptops, they were the $1500-2000 variety and complete pieces of plastic junk. They wouldn't hold up for more than a year.

And to top it all off, they HAD TO run Windows. I can't stand Windows. I don't mind the dissent. It keeps the malicious hackers busy with the Windows world. I'm getting a MacBook Air.

Macs are seriously pointless. You would only want a mac if you were a spoiled teenager or a businessman. People only buy them because they look good on their desk and because they seem fast. After all, apple is the one who uses a laser to cut microscopic perforations for a sleep button!

Hey Photogoofer:
Micros**t users just make me laugh. They can't stand Apple and waste their time posting puerile twaddle whenever they find an Apple review.

Instead of listening to the haters I'd rather pay attention to people who actually know what they're talking about:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20017064-260.html
and;
http://www.investorplace.com/21922/tablet-demand-hurting-netbook-market/

I kicked Micros**t to the curb back in 1995 and have run my business quite successfully since then. At least a dozen friends and customers have done the same, and many others either want to switch or have firm plans to do so.

So go ahead, buy yourself a Dull Dementia or some Toshiba craptop.
In four years, take it back and ask for free tech help.
Bwahahaha.

Looking at my hard drive stats, I've owned my iMac for over three years and use it as my primary home computer and have still only used 40GB. I'm not shy about downloading interesting programs or storing documents but without intensive video or photograph file use it seems pretty easy to stay under even that 64GB limit.

Also, I owned an Acer Aspire One netbook. It was a bad joke. There is no comparison to an iPad, nor I suspect to these new computers.

The single biggest advantage of the iPad is the portrait layout. I've seen a nice app that displays documents sideways on a laptop, i.e. in portrait. An Air + that app would make a compelling alternative to an iPad, especially if one is inputting data.

My 11" Macbook air is the best computer I've ever owned. This is my 13th Mac and 15th Apple ever, and it's FABULOUS. I'm writing on it right now. Yes, I've had about 9 windows PCs, too, over the years, and still have 2 laptops and 2 desktop windows PCs. I only have those for the programs that are windows only, when I didn't want to waste a Mac running windows on it. Yes, several of my Macs also run windows.

So many Mac-hater comments here. When they're from folks who'ver never owned a relatively new Mac, and EXPERIENCED what they can do, shouldn't speak so harshly about them. It's so EASY to put down something with which you are unfamiliar.

I hope you didn't really mean it when you said "so I can't in good conscience let [my wife] spend an extra $500 to get an equivalent Air." Your wife should not need your permission to buy the product she wants, even if, in your opinion, it's more than she "needs."

to light for me i prefere the macbookpro

shutterpod, you obviously have never tried ordering your own parts and building your own computer. You can get much more "gamier" with many computers other than Macs. There are plenty of games that Macs don't play. Those games you can't find are the ones that no one bothered to re-write for Apple's spotty software. In addition to a smaller selection, you need to pay more for games specially designed for Macs. Besides, gaming isn't meant for any laptops other than those of Alienware. If you want peak performance on demanding games, get a desktop, and make sure it's a PC.

Flu17, it's obvious you obviously know nothing about that which I know or don't know. Never heard of Bootcamp, have you? Got any games that can use 64GB of ram, or that NEED the processing cores and or additional video cards that a Mac Pro can use?

Just because you think a computer built from scratch is all the rage, doesn't make it a Porsche 911 GT3. Take your Anti-Apple rhetoric and shove it straight up your ass, if there's space in there alongside your enlarged melon head.

Just some thoughts.

I was compelled to leave a comment after reading the arguments above. i'm not a computer boffin but more a creative. the surge of negativity against Mac products from users above really prompted this comment.

My experience with Mac so far: i bought the first Mac titanium laptop about 8 years ago.

it traveled the world with me for work and only in its 4th year did it need a memory upgrade. it was dropped (accidentally) a number of times) - needed no repair. It served me for work (constant use on excel, powerpoint) and personal (I-tunes, photographs). it lasted 5 years in total. a worthwhile investment indeed.

i find Mac customer service superb and have now expanded into I-Mac, and have been an I-Phone user since first model.

I can't help feeling that the above negativity is jealousy and how can you possibly leave comments like this without actually using the products...? it invalidates your opinions. Its fine if you want to stick to your PC's, I won't spend time pointing out why PC's don't work with my life, but I'll finish by saying friends have replaced computers four times over while my Mac products are still running just fine.

Thanks -
Jonathan

I bought the 11" Air last week. Mine is the mid-grade model (128GB SSD, slow processor and 2 GB RAM) and so far this computer is so fast that my latest generation Core i7 15" MacBook Pro just sits at home. I use the big MacBook Pro for gaming in Windows, but other than that, the Air does EVERYTHING.

What I think is very telling about the 'anti-Mac' comments is they are all made by people who've never had one. I probably a typical Mac convert - someone who used to use Windows, thought that there must be something better, and took the leap of faith. Vista was the final nail in the coffin for me - an OS so outrageously bloated and clunky that it beggared belief. You'll find lots of people like me who, having tried a Mac, would NEVER go back to Windows (and hate having to use it at work). What you don't find are people who have had a Mac for 12 months and then gone back to PC. We how much better Macs are (and they are not perfect - just so much better). Quicker, simpler, more user friendly, less clogged and cluttered and they have a strong tendency to do what it says on the tin. I am often called upon to help others with PC problems, most of which stem from viruses, malware and those that don't are often caused by resource hungry anti-virus software. I have never been tempted to go back - ever. Don't knock what you haven't tried!

Okay, so I know that there is no firewire ethernet port for internet on the mabook airs, but do the macbook airs have built in airport cards for wireless internet access?
http://leanspaacai.org/

Yes, Macbook Airs have built-in Wi-Fi antennas, same as every other Mac except the Mac Pro by default... and the Mac Pro's might by now, I haven't checked recently.

If you really need to connect via ethernet on a Macbook Air, you'll have to use a USB to Ethernet adapter: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC704ZM/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY

I understand why one might simply assume Apple is "keeping their head in the sand" regarding their decision to exclude the new USB 3.0 "standard" in newer models, I mean this wouldn't be the first time they excluded a new, exciting, technology (Blu-ray anyone?) because of their own hard-to-understand reasoning. To understand why USB 3.0 was excluded when it could have easily been integrated into this latest design you have to dig a little deeper, specifically into a technology Intel is developing with Apple's full support, a technology called: "Light Peak". It's this very same new technology that's kept USB 3.0 from appearing in any other new computer, Apple or PC. Intel wants Light Peak to become the new world standard so they refuse to develop native support for USB 3.0 into any of their chipsets. If you're blood is boiling at the thought of an amazing new technology being held back for no other reason than the greed of a large corporation, fret not, Light Peek is a better connection in every sense of the word. It's the first cable to give us all what we've wanted for so long, one cable to rule them all, one cable to theoretically handle everything from connecting our high-def TV's to our DVR's and are computers to our external computer peripherals. Why settle for USB 3.0 when we can skip a decade ahead and have the equivalent of USB 10.0? It's been rumored that Apple has been so supportive of this new technology, to the point of even helping Intel develop it, that they stand to be the first computer maker to implement it into their products. Trust me, after looking into the specs of Light Peak one can only hope that USB 3.0 doesn't take off. Go ahead and Google it if you don't believe me.

One question to all those in the room who think Apple's technology is a joke, what's so great about cloning? Apple is not trying to be HP, Dell, Asus, or any other manufacturer of cheaply made, rapidly tested machinery on the market. They tried to play catch up in the 90's and nearly went under. Consumer satifaction, quality, innovation and style are what have taken Apple to the heights of commercial success. Having followed their history and especially the turnaround of Jobs and his board, I can tell you that they are successful because that make products they want to use.

Creating a product like iPad (which I'm writing from) or the new Air has too do with finding what's next. The iPad is an amazing 1.0 product with very little room for improvement. It just works and does what an in-between mobile device should. Now there are things it isn't designed for and the Air is a great next step towards a "what's next" notebook. While other companies are thinking about how to make something that will do it all, Apple continues to get a few things right. The Air is ultra compact, fast, long-lasting and durable like no other notebook. Price is in the eye of the beholder! Apple mostly makes products that are worth more than they cost and give the user an experience that keeps them at the top of consumer product ratings and the respect of the tech industry as a whole.

I use both Macs And PCs. They both have their place, and each does some things better than the other. What do all of you not get about that?

AND..... My HP PC, Iphone, Ipad, mac mini, acer netbook, apple TV, bigscreen TV, new coreI7 desktop, ASUS notebook, and assorted other devices around here all play nice together with a little effort from time to time. I love them all!

Windows is a good product for IT computer related course, you past your time to repair it and protect it.is why everybody windows owner know repair there computer.

With Windows you REPAIR IT, and with a Mac you WORK.That's true.

I wonder why non Mac owners are here. Mac users aren't on PC pages bashing them. Remember PC folks, ALL Mac owners have owned PCs, no Mac haters have ever owned a Mac. Mac owners are just different than you.

m$ fanbois and fandroids have echoed the majority of the comments on this article for nearly ten years:

"Macs aren't for gaming"

"Macs aren't for hardcore REAL PC users"

"Macs are too expensive. i.e. I can get a PC for $275"

"Macs are for jerks"

the only reason they comment is that Apple is doing so well and they expected them to fail ten years ago - but instead the reverse has occurred. so how do they react? the same crap from ten years ago. how original.

this is why the "Shut Up" Safari Extension exists, fanbois. and don't bother replying. this is a bugmenot account.

Any computer is great for any function a user sees fit. What I find most annoying are those that perpetually bring up gaming. The only best gaming computer are gaming consoles. They are designed to do a single function at the best possible performance and include some additional bonus features. For those who lightly label Windows as PC, well an Apple computer is also a PC (Personal Computer). So, instead of hashing over which is a better computer in "your eyes" and re-hashing the same tiring, old debate that will traverse time; name some VIABLE pros and cons. Yes, Apple computers do cost more, however their value extends much longer than Windows based computers. To compare that in vehicular terms, a Mercedes will hold its value over time more than a Ford or Chevy.

All things considering, the hardware is (for the most part) identical. The separation lies in the operating system. And if I really wanted to state my thoughts as to the best computer (i.e. operating system), I would lean to the time tested Unix OS (or it's cousin Linux).

I have owned, worked on, built, maintained many computers and servers since the Apple II\Commodore years to current. Once computer is identical to another and if you understand 1 type, you can easily work on another. The only downfall is how good you can operate the #1 computer: the human brain.

I am MAC and I am LapTop Too! Love This MacBook Air! No "Greenpeace!", You All Idiots!

hey Jabberwolf

you say "The mac is no BMW.
It is more like a Citron with maybe 1 or 2 neat features but overall more expensive, less capable, has its groupies, and you can only go to 1 source if it breaks."
I want to know, how much repair shop , repair your car?
that is the problem with pc, (One man plenty women).With mac (One man, one wife).

The sheer cost involved in a "market entry" model while they're already making money hand-over-fist would suggest some level of retardation on the part of The Almighty Steve to try and get into gaming... thanks !
http://www.massagemtailandesa.org

I love all Mac products, i own a Macbook air, which gave me a lot of headaches, the cable that delivers the sound just breaks all the time, it was fixed 3 times and after complaining a lot to Mac i got a new Macbook air (newer generation) but 6 months later the same happened + logic board had to be changed, so i must say i love Macs but not Macbook airs...i bet the news ones still have this problem! The sound icon turns grey and we loose sound, a lot of people with this problem ... if you’re one of those just keep complaining to Apple

i'm a Mac user since day 1 of the Mac. I have used PC as well. Now i am wondering aloud if it is possible for the latest Mac AIR to evolve a Mac which is also an ipad and call it Mac Vaccum. on one side is the LED screen and on the other is the ipad which has the usual touch keyboard. now that will be exciting!!!!!!!!!!!

Arch: compression of forces, human and otherwise, in the making of archetypes whose circumference of interactions between being and things bind together
I: the ideas and ideologies of the circle: a group of individuals with global sites of operation form

Just like everything Apple makes, I love the Macbook Air and iPad the more I use them. Apparently, the rest of the world does too, just look at AAPL stock results for the past year!! Hooray for a company that only seldom needs to recall...Their products just work and work...There's nothing I cannot do with a Mac product....

I have owned many desktops and about 4 laptops. Due to constant hacking I decided to upgrade to a Macbook last month. After having used it only a couple of weeks, I would NEVER go back to a PC again.
MY only worry is will the keys last? I am a heavy handed typist who has had many keys fall off of inferior laptops and wonder if Mac will be more solid and if not will the warranty cover a new keyboard if needed as was the case with my HP Notebook?

Anyone know the answer to that?

My friend got a macbook air in this last weekend, and he already loves it. honestly, i'm still a macbook pro fan, but i would always prefer a mac to PC (before you accuse me of anything, like everyone has so far, let me say that i HAD used a PC for years), and moreover, even mac viruses are awesome! look up the newton virus on youtube... it's happened to one of my friends...

I use an Ubuntu workstation at the office. I built a Windows 7 gaming rig for home. And I love my new MacBook Air. It's easily the best laptop I've ever owned, and it's the only machine I trust for serious work.

What the Mac haters won't admit is that Windows computers are very expensive to maintain. I am dumbfounded by the crap my family manages to install on their Windows laptops. Despite specs that exceed the Air, those machines run slow and routinely require hours to clean up. Those hours add up. In the long run, Windows computers are more expensive than Macs.

I'm not shy about downloading interesting programs or storing documents but without intensive video or www.eveningdressol.com photograph file use it seems pretty easy to stay under even that 64GB limit.

i have to say its a nice net-book but the price for the one i want is to high(13in with 256GB)i will say $1,599.00 is a to much. the GB i will have is around 200GB. i just wish they will make it cheap like a pc. those net-books are more for the rich.

i love my 11" 64GB macbook air. i think i want to marry it. i came back to macs after 15 years away after endless PC traumas. it's fast and light and slips right into my purse. with office 2011 for mac i remotely connect to my imac at home and my pc at work. keeping under 64GB is pretty damn easy, a lot of people think they need more space than they really do.

Let's get real. The primary cause of upset among Mac-haters is their inability to afford the best. Mac-haters suffer from class envy. They resent those better off, those who enjoy nice things, those who can pay their bills on time, those who take nice vacations with their loved ones, those who can go to the ATM and actually take money out because their balance isn't $7.68 or $11.37. Sorry, Mac-haters. You need to have $20 in the bank to take out any money. Actually, it's probably closer to $21.

Seriously, the functionality, ease of use, attractive design, and overall intelligence underlying any Apple product makes it just plain silly to root against Apple as if it were a sports team you didn't like. The best simply costs more. Deal with it.

PC people, save your money. Be frugal. Drink fewer lattes. Buy in bulk. Do whatever have to do so that one day you too can afford a Mac. And then you will feel as blessed and, yes, happy, as the rest of us Mac lovers.

I've been using computers for over 25 years and just bought the new 27 inch iMAC, i7. This is my 1st MAC. After using it for 2 weeks, I would NEVER go back and I did vote for Palin. MAC is the ONLY way to go! It was sad having to get rid of all those plug-ins for my stand up; now I have only one cord. Games... who cares! I'm actually into having a life, learning, and making money to send our girls to college. I'll be buying the Air 11 this week. I was stupid for not buy MAC much earlier. This baby is great! I still have my HP printer to remind me of all the past mistakes I've made.

Best Regards to All and to All a Good Night!
"Rangers Lead the Way!" "GO ARMY!"

After years of agony running Microsoft products (I am a music professional) I finally took the advice of my friends in the recording industry in Germany and USA and bought a Macbook Pro with Logic. This is basically an entire recording studio on your laptop, the program is over 55 gig!
I have never lost 1 recording or idea due to the OS shutting down (usually at a critical time) since switching.
I am 100 per cent happy with my Mac and I wouldn't swap back if you paid me!

The only reason I wouldn't buy the Air is that the processors aren't powerful enough, but for everyday use it's definately the best out there especially in terms of mobility.

After many, many years of owning a PC store, selling and repairing clones because they were so inexpensive to purchase, I can share that they ALWAYS have one problem or another - a fact that keeps my store open even today!

However, my household has completely converted to MAC! We have MacBooks, MacBook Pros, Ipads, Iphones, Itouchs, Mac Minis, and Apple TVs - we also have no viruses, no hardware driver malfunctions, and I no longer have to spend any time repairing my family's Dell laptops or PC Clone desktops. Best decision I ever made!

I have read an awful lot of Mac hater comments and recall when I was first starting my PC Clone business that, I too, would say similar things about how much more you could get for your money by buying a PC. I think it is still true, but I now have tasted what it's like to own and operate the best and it tastes good, really good. I agree with others, who say if only these Mac Haters would try a Mac (assuming they can afford one - they are more expensive), I think they will never go back either.

As for the Mac Air, I would like one and am tempted because they would do more than the Ipad, but it is still hard to justify. However, if I was a traveler, there is no question that I would have one just for the light, and small form factor - it can go into a brief case or be carried like a newspaper so easily that you don't need a separate carry-on computer bag for it. I have heard from close friends that the older Mac Airs would get quite hot if you heavily used Office programs, so that is a consideration - probably a MacBook Pro would be better, but for about all other things, a Mac Air would be very, very nice.

There is one exception, for the gamers out there, it is silly to even comment on using the Mac Air for gaming. (More like comparing a Honda Civic to a Ferrari or Nascar race car.) I recently wanted to play the new Starcraft2 game and after trying on all my Macs, decided to build an i7 clone desktop so it could use a high-end video card (GTX 860 - a beast that needs its own power connection), which you cannot add to non-desktops, generally speaking (another reason why it's silly to make lame gaming comparisons toward Macs.

My 2 cents... Have a Merry Christmas everyone !

You write: "The minute my wife saw it, she wanted one to replace her dying MacBook, but her laptop never goes any farther than couch to table to desk, so I can't in good conscience let her spend an extra $500 to get an equivalent Air."

Umm, "can't let her"?
What century are you living in? Are you her spouse or her parent? Are you kidding me?

We are given to understand that your attraction to an Air for your own use -- well-travelled, busy, and important as you are -- is self-justifying. What is not clear is why whatever reasons your wife has for wanting one must be illegitimate because they don't fit the cost-benefit analysis you have dreamt up for her life.

Girlfriend, trade-in that broken-down model.
I would not be surprised if her computer (or something else) ends up traveling quite a bit beyond the orbit of couch to table to desk.

well let be honest look great like most Apple product. when come to use this laptop for work "except to watch a movie and send email" THIS IS NOT A BEAST at all......... I sold back mine back so I do not spend more time to figure the way around to work fast, this will be like the ipad a gadget at best............. bad connection, slow, missing far to much input and like I say great for email.......

Apple starting to be lost here in the line of products..... will be better to keep a simple line and make them better instead to expand in stupidity...... I work with apple since the beginning I must say that Apple been good overall (I use 90% apple here) been far the best this day in the market... and yes for a product MADE IN CHINA 100% that expensive consideration the competition.......
so the verdict ?? buy a macbook pro will be much better overall............

very interesting article!
this is a great laptop, since i think the price is also affordable!

Ebook PDF Search Engine

I manage over 17 states in I.T. mixed environments. Mac fans should know that there are just things you can't do with macs....... how about gaming.??? as someone mentioned earlier.... how about music production or even photo editing ..... ala adobe photoshop works more efficient on windows pc's now since cs3 .... in cs5 it takes advantage of the 8 and 12 way processors on WINDOWS PC's (mostly servers) . Macs want to edit video.... okay final cut pro.... thats about it..... not much else worth a crap.... on the pc..... we have choice....... LOTS OF CHOICE. movie studios .... use windows ..... NOT MACS ....... maya ...... in linux and put together using WINDOWS TOOLS..... for most cgi..... I find it funny about "antivirus" as mentioned earlier.... obviously you aren't up to snuff on antivirus.... its FREE and comes directly from Microsoft.... Microsoft Security Essentials and Microsoft Forefront server FREE!!!!!!!!! macs.... no such thing as a free almost anything....... how about Microsoft Office on macs.... oddly enough EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT USES IT , has to go back and edit out characters , because word likes to throw in weird characters after they are finished..... not just in one site , but many small sites who chose to run macs.... not to mention the cost of ownership and hardware ....... in 4 years as someone mentioned .... Dell still covers my battery replacements and anything on my razor thin laptop or any one of the over 50,000 dell desktops that I support. Wow , I'm kind of bouncing all over the place here..... Hey apple , why do you release second rate hardware that wasn't even good 3 years ago for a higher price than i can buy a quad core with 5 years warranty , including battery service , windows 7 , microsoft office professional , adobe acrobat standard X (10) and a competitive upgrade 3 year license from microsoft on all its software....... ????? suddenly that apple craptop doesn't seem all that enticing.... I CAN say that as I support both pc's and macs , and do purchasing on both in the hundreds of thousands each year ............

*sigh* Seems like it always gets down to the "PC vs. Mac" stupidity.

I have been a PC user since the early '90s and switched to Mac about 2 years ago. We have an iMac at home and I have a 15" Macbook Pro. My son starts college this fall, and his HS graduation present will be a 13" Macbook Pro to take with him.

Personally, I love my Macs, I love the build quality and the way they look and perform. But you know what I like the best about them? You can also run Windows on them, either natively via Bootcamp or through a virtual machine (with Fusion or Parallels).

I can have iPhoto, iMovie and Garageband, PLUS, I can run my PC games and any other MS based software on Windows. Got Office for Mac (and there's open source software that does the same); some of my favorite games are available natively on Mac via Steam. Best of both worlds; can't beat it.

I will freely admit, if Macs had not switched to Intel processors, allowing Windows to be run on their hardware, I seriously doubt I would have parted with the cash to own an Apple product, as they are definitely more expensive than the PC hardware. And, I don't understand the Apple pricing structure; why some incremental bumps in hardware specs are SO damn pricey.

BUT, they did, so I did. And I'll never look back.

Again, best of both worlds; got my cake and (happily) eating it, too.

This was a nice review; personally, I'd never buy a MBA because the RAM and HDD are not user upgradable (I'd also never buy an iPad,either). But, it's a nice toy for folks who have the $$$ to have one.

Ah, I was in love, but no longer. I bought my 13" MacBook Air as the solution to the problem of having to drag around a regular size MacBook while I travel. I loved the lightness, the thinness, the bright screen. I'm a photographer and the image resolution for such a small screen was exceptional.

But all that compactness, lightness, low profile has a downside: fragility. Within a month of foreign travel I'd significantly damaged my Air. The wafer thin screen has been almost obliterated by a spiral filling the whole screen in an attractive (if it were not where it was) purple/magenta.

I had the machine in a case, albeit soft, and obviously not enough protection. I did not intentionally handle it roughly, but it did have to withstand the rigors of foreign travel.

So be warned. This delightful little piece of technology needs to be handled with kid gloves and protected with

Can't wait to get my 13 inch Macbook Pro with the i5 and put windows 7 on it. Mac computers are made with better quality parts, but i prefer windows 7 to the Mac OS.