[Macworld]

Post your comments for The MacBook Air: What you need to know here

[John_Scott]

Sorry, the MacBook Air won't be coming to my house any time soon. It's has too small of a hard drive, unlike Steve Jobs I still buy CD's and Movies on disc. I still use Ethernet too.
I do not have 802.11N wifi. If I had $1800 bucks laying around I would buy one for historic sake.
Because I am thinking its not going to be around much more then a couple of years at best.

[millca]

It also comes with a built-in camera and audio-in capabilties, correct?

[manatee]

They say the MacBook Pro battery is good for 6 hours, and I rarely get more than 3 hours on a fresh battery.

If I get similar performance from the MacBook Air, I hope we get a new supersonic flight option across the Atlantic. (I carry a spare battery for the MBP.)

[wgood]

I think not including a security slot in a laptop of this value - and status - is a big mistake for Apple. I haven't travelled a lot with my MacBook, but when I did, I was glad to have the peace of mind knowing that my computer had an extra bit of protection. Especially since this computer is built for road-warriors, Apple should rethink their decision for MBA 2.0.

[wgood]

@millca

Yes, it includes an iSight camera, but the only audio-in capabilities it has is the internal microphone. For anything else, you'll need something like a Griffin iMic that will take up that single USB port.

[mrbach]

When I saw this, I wanted one right away---then I saw the online demo and loved it even more. Of course, it took a few hours to find out that this was destined to be a bad alpha design or a lost cause from the get go.
No CD/DVD inside, no way to use another battery or replace the one you have, no way to use a USB hub and ethernet, no firewire. I suppose if it was $600, it might pass as something interesting, but you can get a PC for $600 with most of these options.
Let's face it, this isn't a level that OS is really the trigger. A cheap portable solution for writing, presentations, etc., really makes no diff on the OS.
Apple insists on making these ridiculous closed systems. The iPod touch could easily have an SD slot, but no. I will probably buy the Nokia N810 over the touch because it has a keyboard, an SD slot, a camera, built in GPS, and its $50 cheaper. I find email and web more interesting than toting my photo collection around, which can just as easily be stored online. I can even access my music that way if I wanted to.
Bring back a 12 inch portable with an optical drive and all the ports. What's next, a computer that has no ports at all and two big buttons on it for purchase and play?
I was disappointed with the Expo announcements. I thought the iPod touch was going to the next level, instead it got some apps that should have been there in the first place.

[FrankCDN]

So am wondering about 2 things:
-can one use the external Super drive with an older Mac that has a slower single layer dvd burner?
-can the Remote software be used between 2 Macs, neither which is the new MB Air?

[Argent]

John_Scott said:

Sorry, the MacBook Air won't be coming to my house any time soon. It's has too small of a hard drive, unlike Steve Jobs I still buy CD's and Movies on disc. I still use Ethernet too.
I do not have 802.11N wifi. If I had $1800 bucks laying around I would buy one for historic sake.
Because I am thinking its not going to be around much more then a couple of years at best.

In reading some of the comments on the MacBook Air over the last three days, I'm reminded of an article I read a little while back about the differences between men and women when it comes to helping friends shop for clothes. Most men are apparently incapable of separating their advice from their own preferences. In other words, a man would advise a friend on what does and doesn't look good on them based only on their own likes and preferences. Most women, on the other hand, are able to think beyond the styles, cuts and colors that they personally wear, and give objective opinions to others.

I've come to notice that the theory extends to a lot more than clothes. I have no need for one myself, but my bet is that the MacBook Air is going to be a huge hit. Anyone who travels a lot and is looking for a lightweight machine is going to give the Air serious consideration.

[ginalee]

Best article I've read so far since the introduction of the MBA. This is not a machine for everyone. Time will tell if Apple's target customer will respond accordingly.

[tbsteph]

While I overall like the appearance of the Air, for the price I think a Macbook makes a lot more sense.
The Macbook weighs about 5 lbs vs. 3 lbs for the Air. Macbook about 1" thick vs 1/4" to 3/4" for the Air. Air has a more sophisticated trackpad. Macbook includes DVD player/writer; Ethernet port; Firewire port; 2 USB ports; Larger/faster HD; Faster processor. With 2 GB of RAM the MB costs about $400.00 less. Seems like a lot of money for 2 lbs (And a lesser computer in all other respects.)

[TYates]

The MacBook Err misses the mark. Make it lighter by reducing the footprint, not by making it thinner. Ridiculous.

[georgep]

If you want tiny and light weight, as I do, start with a Sony Vaio TZ series, or an equivalent from Toshiba, Asus, or Fujitsu (the Q2010 is actually thinner. They are all lighter and better equipped, though they may be slower, and use Windows. The MBA actually compares better with the bigger Sony Vaio SZ series, and when you include the external optical disk, it weighs about the same. But the SZ is much better equipped, and is faster. The only thing in favour of the MBA is the Mac OS.

This is a real disappointment, and I will be going with the soon-to-be-updated Sony Vaio TZ much as it pains me to buy a Windows machine.

[JYM_mac]

I do not mean to sound hostile, but I am getting a bit frustrated with all the negative, short sighted comments about the MBA. Look at the future people... More and more music, TV shows and movies are accessible from the internet. Heck, blockbuster, netflix, they are all offering online instant rentals. DVDs are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Personally, I have hooked up a mac mini to my TV and I purchase all my movies/TV series on iTunes, I have even begun to convert my 300+ DVDs to iTunes format so I can sit down and play any movie at will without having to get up and search through my library. As for ethernet support, with new emerging 802.11 technologies I haven't plugged my laptop into an ethernet hub in 4 years. Replaceable battery? I haven't needed one of those in 10 years! This concept is the future, right down to the optional SSD. Look FORWARD....