The portable flair of the MacBook Air

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 21 April 2008 14:06

Opinion and Analysis

To conclude, the MacBook Air really is something special. I’m of the people that can live with its slimmed down feature set, just because the rest of the MacBook Air is just so very cool.

But if I had to actually hand over money to buy one, I’d still be very torn between the MacBook Air, and the regular MacBook, which comes with all the missing features, including removable batteries and more – except for that ExpressCard slot.

If ultra portability is important to you, the MacBook Air is hard to pass up. Likewise, if you’re an ardent Mac fan, or you’re someone for whom money is no object, the MacBook Air is also a must-have device.

For the rest of us, the MacBook Air will be a careful decision. If you need more features than the Air provides, the regular MacBook is the clear alternative, while those needing a larger screen still and even more performance are best served by the MacBook Pro.

For the last couple of years, I’ve said to myself that I’d get a portable Mac when ‘the next model came out’.

Now the MacBook Air has messed all that up. If only it had a removable battery, or a second USB port, my decision would have been so much easier, even though I say that I could live with fewer features. Just because I could doesn't mean that I wouldn't be happier with a fully-equipped MacBook.

So, I’m back to waiting... for the MacBook Air 2.0 – or a MacBook refresh. Or a nice lottery win so I can just spend the money and get both an Air and a regular MacBook and have the best of both worlds! :-)