Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 18 March 2009 07:13
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
Both use Core 2 Duo processors - 1.4 GHz in the Adamo, and 1.6 or 1.86 GHz in the Air. And both use DDR3 memory, but with 4G the Adamo comes with twice as much RAM as the Air. If your pattern of use is anything like mine, extra memory is generally more use than a fractionally faster CPU.
As for storage, Dell has opted for a 128G solid state drive while Apple went for a 120G hard drive on its basic model and a 128G SSD on the 1.86 GHz version. (So why is the Adamo so much heavier?)
Neither has an internal optical drive. (Lenovo's ThinkPad X300 was only a little thicker than the Adamo, and it found room for an tray-loading DVD burner.)
Battery life is an another important aspect. Apple claims 4.5 hours use per charge, Dell says "5+" hours. Since user experience tends to be very different to manufacturers' figures, I'll give the Adamo a provisional half-point.
Both notebooks include an illuminated keyboard, camera, microphone, Bluetooth and draft n Wi-Fi.
But the Adamo comes out on top when it comes to ports. It has three USB ports (one of which does double-duty for eSATA) and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Compare that with the Air's single USB port (that's taken up if you use the optional Ethernet dongle), and the Adamo's streets ahead.
How do these two thin and light notebooks stack up on price? Please
read on.
