The envelope, please…Don’t take it for just an awards show phrase. It’s exactly how Steve Jobs unveiled Apple’s latest creation, the ultrathin MacBook Air computer at Macworld earlier this week. The stunningly beautiful notebook, which fits in a manila envelope, has garnered both praise and criticism. Let’s take a quick look at the specs. The $1,799 MacBook Air comes with a 13.3-inch widescreen LED display with built-in iSight, a multi-touch trackpad, Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at 1.6 GHz or 1.8 Ghz, black LED backlit keyboard, ambient light sensor, micro-DVI port, magnetic latch closing mechanism, 1.8″ hard drive in standard 80 GB form or optional 64 GB solidstate drive, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1/EDR, 5 hour battery life, optional external SuperDrive, 2 GB memory, and eco-friendly internal components like fully aluminum case, mercury and lead free display. Claimed to be the world’s thinnest notebook, the Air is only 0.16 to 0.76 inches and weighs 3.0 pounds. The new MacBook Air certainly makes for a major leap forward in laptop design. But, do you really think the MacBook air is worth all the hype? Well, I have to say that I’m all impressed with the form factor. Every element is super sharp, the concealed ports are a great addition, and the backlit keyboard further adds to the overall beauty of the machine. Just like the iPhone, you’ll be able to pan around, pinch to zoom, and rotate with two fingers, and move windows with a flick. That sounds great. The notebook is obsessed with thin. But, you would have to sacrifice a lot to get something so sleek, so thin. I am all praise for every Apple product and I love the Air too, but there are some things that stop me for making a pre-order. The hotly-awaited MacBook Air certainly deserves a closer look.
Pros:
1. Amazingly small that it can fit inside an manila envelope
2. Classic Apple’s silvery style
3. Black LED backlit keyboard
4. Keyboard is as large as the new iMac keyboard, so typing is comfortable
5. Lightweight and Ultra-portable. 13.3″ screen and 3 pounds is the sweet spot for me
6. iPhone like ease to pan around, pinch to zoom, and rotate with two fingers, and move windows with a flick
7. 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 support
8. 2 GB of RAM and LED backlighting instead of 1GB of RAM and traditional LCD lighting.
Cons:
1. Currently, the MacBook Pro and MacBook are exactly 1″ and 1.08″ thick respectively. The Macbook Air is .76″ thin. Does the $700 price difference between a Macbook and a Macbook Air justify the hefty price tag? May be…the tag is for the sleekness and thinness
2. If you planning to replace your MacBook with MacBook Air, you are going to loose the 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo for a 1.6 GHz processor
3. Only the edges of the machine are .16 inches. Rest is .76″
4. Non-expandable RAM ( I’m not going to buy one)
5. No optical drive and Non-user-replaceable battery (That sucks!)6. Limited peripheral interfaces - one USB port and one monitor output
7. Much slower than the standard MacBook
8. No FireWire and wired Ethernet
9. High price tag of $1,799 for lesser functionality
Although, Apple has developed ways to sort out the shortcomings, but I still feel that any money-conscious consumer is never ever going to opt for the MacBook Air. Apple has developed a way to actually use another PC’s optical drive over your wireless connection. That gives me some relief, but once again, considering the fact that the base model of the Air will cost $1,799 while the high-end unit will set you back $3,098, I don’t think that’s a good deal. Compared with a standard MacBook, you will be paying $700 more for a thinner, 2 pounds lighter, but much slower notebook. If you are all pleased with the sexy lines, form factor, WiFi interface, and a LED backlit keyboard, the MacBook Air has been designed just for you. But, it’s without doubt not your cup of tea if you are the one who never makes sacrifices to features. Sorry Jobs, I am not in the line.