[Macworld]

Post your comments for Loving the MacBook Air here

[Blackfox5148]

well I can say I love my 17' imac core 2 duo X1600.
and it was my first mac and after I bought it i'll never go back to a windows PC again I was amazed myself how they got all of this in a small computer.
recently I had a apple tech put in a 320GB HDD to the system and it runs even better.

[RASTERMAN]

Quote

I definitely need my documents, so I setup my .Mac iDisk syncing and
moved all of my documents onto that disk. Doing this allowed me to have
access to my documents on the Air and my home computer without using up
precious space on the MacBook Air.

Jim, are you syncing your iDisk? And when you do, does it not use up space on the Air?

Cheers!

---RASTER

[jughead]

If this is to be a truly mobile mac, at some point they will need to add an internal mini PCI-e slot for use with mobile broadband cards. Mobile users want their EVDO service. Hanging a big USB dongle off the side of the machine just wrecks the entire asthetic beauty of the notebook.

[pcharles]

What are you doing for on-the-road backups? I feel I cannot give up my bus-powered firewire drives for bus-powered USB drives because the one I had for my G4 PB have required two USB connections to get enough power (It is now serving nicely as an external drive on my Moxi and I bought a LaCie Rugged drive instead.
Having played with the Air in Chicago, it truly is amazing to touch and hold. Pictured do not do justice.

[MacOldHand]

I've recently started to use my 12" PowerBook G4 as a mobile remote access computer to work with my office Mac while on the road. My weekly routine has me in locations where I have reliable Internet access pretty much all the time. This allows me to use the 12" PowerBook G4 essentially as a bare bones remote terminal. It's very usable, especially when connected to an external monitor. I can see using a MacBook Air in the same way and having to rely on an external monitor much less so with the Air's somewhat larger screen. Disk space and other features become far less of an issue under these conditions. The MacBook Air starts to look very interesting.
Message was edited by: MacOldHand

[Dan Frakes]

pcharles said:

What are you doing for on-the-road backups? I feel I cannot give up my bus-powered firewire drives for bus-powered USB drives because the one I had for my G4 PB have required two USB connections to get enough power (It is now serving nicely as an external drive on my Moxi and I bought a LaCie Rugged drive instead.

I've used three different bus-powered USB drives with a MacBook Air; it powers them just dandy.

[pcharles]

It is good to know that the Air can power USB drives because my G4 1.67GHz requires the two ports. Out of curiosity, I just tried out my new triple interface LaCie Rugged and that one also requires dual USB. Strange thing is that my older Powerbook TI works fine with one USB cable, so there must be something wrong wit the Powerbook Al I have.

[dammarin]

Don't forget the MacBook Air's USB port is above-standard when it comes to power. After all, it's capable of powering the external Superdrive, which would be impossible with a USB port providing regular power (0,5A@5V) - since recording requires significantly more current. This is also why people are reporting on the net that the Air's Superdrive does not work with other computers.

Also, even though the USB standard defines the amount of current a USB port should provide, practice shows not all are up to spec, which is why some "USB powered" external drives need power from 2 cables (that, or some of these drives actually require just a little more power, especially during spin up).

[JakeB]

I had the opportunity to play with, uh, I mean test, a MacBook Air for a few hours last week.
I was VERY impressed. As others have noted, until you actually see it, touch it, and use it (as so much in life), you don't really get it. As with so many Mac products, the overall experience is positive and addictive - there's a pleasure in using the device that goes beyond cold, hard statements of Ghz and hard drive size.
Despite Jason Snell's (otherwise excellent) Air review, it's clear that the Air is intended as a SECONDARY ultra-portable laptop, and in that for the most part it appears to deliver.
I also think this is a device which will make more sense as the next few years pass -- with larger solid state hard drives, faster chips, greater wide-spread migration from CDs and DVDs to downloadable content (already well-advanced, no?), and even more ubiquitous and faster wi-fi.
As it stands, however, I agree with a lot of people that one or two more ports could be added with little design change (another USB, if not a firewire and an ethernet).
Still, beautiful secondary machine that's just going to get better over time.

[folklore]

I definitely agree with the "you gotta see it to believe it" sentiment. Looking at the specs, the MBA just isn't right for me. And my MacBook Pro is just barely a year old. What do I need with a new laptop?
Still, after fondling a MacBook Air at my local Apple Store, my wife had to threaten me with bodily injury to keep my credit card in my wallet.
It was totally irrational. I actually need the processing power of my MBP for work (GIS, simulation modeling, etc).
But golly, that MacBook Air is pretty. And light. And shiny, just like my beloved MBP.

[mosqueda]

I love my MacBook Air too. I keep only what I need on the Air's drive. I have a wonderful 250GB external drive designed by PininFarina. I keep movies on it mostly, plus pics and docs.
I used this at a sales call and hit the ball out of the park. The MacBook Air is an icebreaker - it's like driving a Ferrari because people always approach me and ask about it.
It is a little weak on watching streaming video. I'm not sure why.
The Air requires some planning. I don't just throw junk on the HDD. Oh, and this is my first Mac and I will NOT go back to Windows. I do have a Vista desktop, but it'll be on the way out to make room for a 24" iMac.

[ryansinger]

Well, I love my :

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP31.0070.B02
SMC Version: 1.16f8

[mac323]

I personally don't see the point of the MacBook Air. The MacBook and MacBook Pro are much better values, considering the processor power, price, and hard drive space. Sure, the MacBook Air may appeal to some people who travel frequently and need a very lightweight laptop, but if they really consider the price and processor speed they are giving up, I think most people would better suited to the MacBook or MacBook Pro