Blog RSS Feed
The World's Thinnest Notebook
by
Well folks, I've converted. Officially. This post comes straight from my new MacBook Air. Now I know all the naysayers had plenty to tell me about the merits of the MacBook Pro over the streamlined Air, but keep in mind what I was looking for. I've been searching for a machine that's small, lightweight, compact, and easily portable--not as a primary computer for data, but rather a writing tool for travel and coffeehouse composition.
And let me say that so far, I'm extremely impressed...
MacBook Air is ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else. But you don't lose inches and pounds overnight. It's the result of rethinking conventions. Of multiple wireless innovations. And of breakthrough design. With MacBook Air, mobile computing suddenly has a new standard.
Not only is the Air meeting my needs, but it has additional features that are pretty neat. The screen lights up immediately when I open the laptop and there are new icons to explore like Time Machine and Stacks. The trackpad lets you pinch, swipe and rotate and the keyboard lights up in the dark. There's a built in ambient light sensor and even the camera has some cool new options. The best part so far is the battery which lasts a very long time.
Light? Yes. Skinny? Absolutely. Flimsy? No way! This machine is encased in aluminum, with a full size keyboard and wide 13.3-inch screen. While there's no internal CD/DVD drive, software can be downloaded or transfered wirelessly from an another computer. Air features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and get this.. it's even environmentally friendly with a mercury-free display. And I'm sure I'll discover more as I continue exploring Appledom.
For now, I'm thrilled to have a computer that works. It's been awhile. Now there is the question of a first generation product, but the iphone gave me some faith. And here's the thing--if I do run into some hiccups along the way, you can bet I'll let readers know. So let's hope that this new model is all it's promised to be because at the moment, I'm blogging on Air...
Tags: computer, laptop, MacBook Air
8 Comments
+ Add Comment
February 13, 2008 7:39 AM
cvj
Hmmmm... that explains why this blog post was so wonderfully buoyant, almost gently floating off the screen as I read it...
-cvj
P.S. Welcome to the church of apple. Take a (nice, comfy, upholstered) pew.
February 13, 2008 7:40 AM
cvj
Wait... we don't want some video of a commercial.. we want a picture of *you* using and enjoying it!
-cvj
February 13, 2008 10:15 AM
aliencam
we want you to blog about every bump and spill the laptop takes too! i'm still curious about it's everyday durability. (durability tests never seem "real" enough for me)
February 13, 2008 12:58 PM
Nic
Yes. As i wrote on your other website, I'm considering a MacBook Air, and waiting to find out if there are problems. Please let us know.
February 13, 2008 1:57 PM
Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
cvj wrote:
'we want a picture of *you* using and enjoying it!'
I doubt anyone wants to see that, but I'll keep readers posted on life with MacBook Air...
February 13, 2008 4:08 PM
Mark
Umm great.
Am I the ONLY person left who wants something with a bit of strength - not something like the modern mobiles that if you lean against it or shout "boo" too loudly, promptly dies.
I don't care if my laptop is 2 inches thick - especially if it means it has a decent battery life and stands at least a chance of surviving a drop on to the office floor from the desk.
These "pretty little toys" are great for people who don't actually DO anything other than float from bed to sofa, but people who actually need a "portable computer" and don't start crying if they break a nail when working NEED something VASTLY more robust than most companies seem to be happy to produce.
Ah well.
February 13, 2008 6:54 PM
cvj
Mark... have you thought this through? I've found that these "pretty little toys" survive dropping and other bumps rather well compared to their heavier (and in your view, more "serious") counterparts. Why? Because there's much less bulk to crunch down when it makes contact with the floor. As someone who owned the previous laptop that was called "the world's thinnest" (Toshiba Protege 2000... I think it was thinner than the new Macbook), I was impressed with how lightly it would take an accidental fall to the floor, as compared to say, my current 15 inch powerbook. I think that making an assessment about the worth of the work someone is doing based on how heavy their machine might be is akin to deciding that people who drive Hummers, Escalades, Suburbans and the like in a typical urban setting are more serious about driving than someone driving a Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Golf, or Smart car.
Cheers,
-cvj
February 15, 2008 4:12 AM
Cho
So what you found out was, while being innovative and not unattractive, once you get past these concepts you realised that you require another computer to transfer anything of meaningful size to it? Why not just buy a decent one in the first place? Rather than spending extra amounts on "optional extras" like the hard drive or a some form of disk writer. Did you shell out your own money on one or was it a test machine sent to you?
Post your comment