The portable flair of the MacBook Air

by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Monday, 21 April 2008

Page 2 of 3 Another thing that’s instantly noticeable about the MacBook Air is just how glorious the 13.3-inch screen is. My PC notebook’s screen is far darker in comparison, even at maximum brightness. The MacBook Air’s screen is simply a joy to look at, even though some profess not to like its glossy nature, pining for a matte screen instead. My PC notebook isn’t that old either, probably about a year and a half, maximum. But the MacBook’s screen is also widescreen, which makes all the difference – no matter what notebook you’re in the market to buy, get one with a widescreen. Typing on the MacBook Air’s keyboard is also easy on your fingers, unlike on smaller notebooks which have ‘reduced’ keys. Now, I’m still yet to try HP’s Mini-Note just to see what its keyboard is like, at 92% the size of regular keys. But typing on the MacBook Air is a joy compared with the ASUS Eee PC, which has keys that are just that tiny bit too small to truly be comfortable, especially if you are going to be doing a lot of typing, as I do. The MacBook Air’s ‘multi-touch’ mouse/touch pad is also very cool. As an iPhone owner, I’m well used to multi-touch capability, and while multi-touch doesn’t make or break the MacBook Air experience, it’s definitely a very nice thing to have. I wonder when PCs will start implementing the same technology – unless Apple simply has it all sewn up? Luckily I’ve been close to power most of the time, but the MacBook Air’s battery has been pretty good. Still, that’s hardly scientific as I haven’t run any major battery tests. Also as a brand new machine the batteries are still fresh – the batteries on my PC notebook are already starting to die – I’m one of these people that is always seeking out a power point no matter where I go, just so that I can ensure that any notebook use is always fully backed up by actual power. Still, if the MacBook Air was my main notebook computer, I’d definitely want it to have the easy ability to swap batteries in and out. It’s a shame Apple couldn’t make the MacBook Air as slim and svelte while also ensuring easy battery changeability – perhaps it’s something Apple will do for any future MacBook Air 2.0. One thing that hasn't bothered me is the lack of a DVD drive, but then my review model came pre-loaded with iWork and Mac Office 2008. Still, even if I had to load them, I'd either done it through the remote DVD function, or simply purchased the external DVD drive. I’ve haven’t noticed any performance issues as noted on the first page, doing regular computing work has seen the MacBook Air fly along very nicely indeed. Also, the unit I’m testing has a 64GB SSD ‘solid state’ hard drive, which other reviews have noted is faster than the 80GB hard drive, although at an additional cost of around AUD $1000. So, would I buy a MacBook Air, especially now that I’ve had the chance to play with one, an opportunity I dread will end soon with a phone call from Apple asking for it back? Please read onto page 3. << First page <   1 2 3 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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