Reviews the MacBook Air

As you probably know, I'm one of the people who, upon first opportunity after the Macworld Keynote ended a few weeks ago, exited the hall into the lobby of Moscone West and immediately ordered a MacBook Air — the 1.6 Ghz version with the 80GB hard drive, to be exact. I've already spelled out my reasons for ordering one and you've all had a chance to comment and otherwise make your views known, good or bad, regarding my decision. 

Now, after waiting for Apple to ship my MacBook Air to me, its finally here and in my hands. In fact, I'm writing this very review on it. 

So, now that it's here and I can examine it more closely, use it and otherwise put it through its paces, does it live up to my expectations? 

Will I really miss not having Firewire or more than one USB port? 

Will the MBA become my notebook of choice or now that I can actually use it, do I regret ordering? 

For those answers, and more, read on.

Size and Weight

First, let's talk about what many people (particularly Apple) are talking about: how thin and light the MacBook Air is. At 3 pounds and .76' thick, the MBA is the lightest and thinnest notebook I've ever used and for me, the weight in particular was a major deciding factor in getting the MacBook Air. Now that I have had a chance to carry it around in my bag for a day or so, I can say the lack of weight makes an even bigger difference than I originally thought.

To be sure, nobody has ever called me small or weak in the past so its not that I can't carry a couple extra pounds around in the form of a notebook and associated peripherals. Its just that if I don't have to, why should I? 

The MBA being this small and light and still feeling solid and very usable makes for a winning combination. And let's not forget that the MBA's power brick is very small and light as well. 

The power brick for the MBA is even smaller and weighs less than the one used by the MacBook, so that makes a difference too, especially as I'm used to carrying the giant brick for the MacBook Pro. If you still can't imagine how little 3 pounds is or how really small the power brick is, head to your local Apple store and heft one for yourself. Then, go pick up a MacBook Pro. 

The difference is pretty amazing...

Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog