My wife purchased one of these and, as usual, I got to load it and make sure it works. Her win is that it works great, her loss is I don't want to let go of it.
Some background: iMac 24"/2.8 GHz on 10.5, Powerbook G4 12"/1.0 GHz, Powerbook G4 12"/1.5 GHz.
This is a very user friendly machine. I'd almost suggest don't get embroiled in the tech specs as its a lot more than that.
Some things I've noticed in using it (a lot) for a week.
4 to 4.5 hours of battery life.
Gorgeous ergonomics, light, solid, well balanced, great screen and the heat is no big deal (comparable to any MacBook I've used), virtually silent. Comment on the screen; I've read all sorts of badmouthing on the glossy screens and here's my experience with the Air as well as moving from a 22" Cinema display to the iMac. I no longer get eye strain. Anything that's on the screen looks great. Reflections are no big deal as, when they're there, you look right through them. I use Shades on the iMac to dim the display more than Apple allows, the Air does not require Shades. This screen will be the most significant reason why I finally retire my Powerbook and probably get an Air.
The lack of firewire is a consideration for those with multiple Macs all depending on FW for file transfers. I did a fresh install and needed access to multiple backup disks. You have to make sure you have everything you need in one drive (fat chance). Other than an OS install or a major load, I can't see an issue. The remote disk helps, I use wifi. As an only machine, or with a Windows box, the lack of firewire is not an issue.
The Air can be your only machine as long as disk space is not an issue. I've pushed this little thing and its just fine. Our impressions are its more responsive than any of the above machines in general use. Taxing the cpu, you get what you expect, the iMac (no speed demon) comes out on top and the Powerbooks slightly below. Start-up is comparable to our Powerbooks but quicker than the iMac (perhaps upgrading to Snow Leopard will fix some, or all, of this). Coming out of sleep and opening apps, the Air is tops by a wide margin.
Overall I'd say if you're contemplating a move up from a Powerbook or a MacBook, don't do it for speed as its not worth the price. That's why we still have 2 PB's in the family, every time there's a new Apple portable we take a good look at it and leave with the impression the PB's don't give up much. However, the Air is a joy to use. For us, that's why its worth the money. Its a unique blend of art, function and performance all rolled onto one.Get more detail about Apple MacBook Air MC234LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop.
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