[Review] MacBook Air

[KeR]

It sure is a looker, and thin too, just like those damn supermodels. However models are all about looks, without much substance. Does the MacBook Air make the same compromise? Well in short yes and no - let me tell you why.

The Packaging

Hold the presses for a second; I can’t go into reviewing the product without mentioning the packaging first. After all it wouldn’t be a just Apple creation were it not for the over the top unboxing experience. In this regard the MacBook Air does not disappoint. The box is shockingly small, yet heavy - it’s almost comical to think that there is a Notebook inside. The contents of the box are presented nicely too, everything is wrapped in its own plastic. As for what is inside, here is a rundown:

-MacBook Air

-45W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, and power cord

-Micro-DVI to DVI adapter

-Micro-DVI to VGA adapter

-Display polishing cloth

-Install/restore DVDs

-Printed and electronic documentation

-Apple Logo Stickers

Apple is sticking by their new “environmentally friendly” gimmick, as the packaging materials are scaled back in comparison to their old boxes. Kudos to them for this, I can see other manufacturers follow suit.

The MacBook Exterior, a.k.a. “the looks of it”

Everyone knows it’s thin, how thin you say? Well if I were a villain in a James Bond movie who killed people by throwing Notebooks at them, I’d be very efficient at it. In all honesty if one were to throw it like a Frisbee at someone’s neck, I think it would cut their head clean off their shoulders. Well maybe not quiet, but you get my point – it’s thin. At just 3.0 pounds, with a 13.3” LED screen and full sized illuminated keyboard the MacBook Air feels just right, especially when sitting on my lap. I can’t imagine much being improved, visually. As usual the build quality is on par with everything else Apple makes; top notch.

Features, and the so-called “compromises”

One might not notice it at first but there are no visual cues for the location of the speakers - that is because they are hidden underneath the full sized illuminated keyboard. There is however a huge downside to this: there is a single mono speaker. Even so the single speaker is louder than the two speakers that are on a MacBook.

The track pad is huge; it is probably the largest of any Notebook out there. The multi-touch gestures it inherits from the iPhone, and as much of a gimmick as the feature may be, it is a first step in the right direction of next gen input devices. As with all Intel MacBook’s the Air comes with an iSight camera built in, always a nice bonus.

The ports on the Air are hidden under a drop door on the right side, they are as follows: Audio Out, One USB 2.0 port (480 Mbps) and a Micro-DVI port. While it may be aesthetically pleasing in the way the ports are hidden, they can be hard to reach, especially when the Notebook is sitting on a flat surface. Also the lack of additional connections can leave a lot to be desired. Not sure why Apple decided to provide only one USB port, especially considering the lack of a build in Optical Drive.

Lack of…

A while back Apple was the first to stop including Floppy Drives in their Mac’s. That may have not been a big deal to many as Optical Drives were included; however the MacBook Air has no drive build in at all. There is an external option which costs $99 USD. However this beats the purpose of having an Ultraportable Notebook, when you have to carry around additional peripherals. Yes there is software included that lets you borrow the drive of other computers, but it’s slow to say the least; it took just about one hour to install Photoshop CS3. Assume there is no secondary computer around, what can one do? Not much.

Performance, 0 to 60 in… – oh wait this isn’t a car

I ordered the base model: 1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB Ram, and a 80GB Hard Drive. For a huge price increase one can get a 1.8Ghz version that comes with a solid state Hard Drive, but according to benchmarks it’s a rip off – stay away from it for now.

With these kind of specs, it is the slowest Mac that Apple makes. Being that it is an Ultraportable Notebook the performance is actually comparable to regular notebooks, and I don’t think it is being sold as a “work horse”. Anyone wanting to buy this as their only computer should probably not do so – it is clearly a secondary device. The MacBook Air doesn’t feel slow at all, while it may be slower than my iMac, it’s nothing drastic.

Battery life is being advertised as 5hrs on a single charge; well I am here to tell you it’s all a lie. I managed to squeeze out a bit under 4hrs while writing this review. Also there is this small problem with the battery being non-user-replaceable. Why Apple, why? Once the juice in the battery starts lacking, I will have to pay for a replacement; the cost being $128 USD. But hey the install is free. Or is it? I am sure the install price is somehow factored into the battery price.

Conclusion, or if you are lazy read this part

Everyone wants to date a Model, and with that the MacBook Air is the damn sexiest Notebook out there. It is great as a second computer and has decent performance for the form factor. However it does have numerous limitations. So let me be clear here: if you business keeps you traveling or you need a light weight second computer or you are a fashion slut this is something for you. Otherwise you’d be better off getting the MacBook or the MacBook Pro. Oh, have I mentioned that if you are any kind of an Apple fan, this is a must purchase? No? Well what are you waiting for get one now!

Edited February 10, 2008 by KeR

[Scirwode]

Good review (Y) . I'm still wondering why Apple went with only one USB port though. That said, it is a very, very nice notebook to look at, one that my father is looking at. I, however, am more interested in the new Macbook Pro which is rumoured to be released at the end of the month :D !

However, I do have one question, does it run hot? I'm asking as since it is aluminium, it could be as hot or even hotter than the Macbook Pro.

Scirwode

[thevjm]

The keyboard looks really nice

[Alan-]

Nice review (Y) . I had wondered what a "real person" thought of the MacBook Air. I wonder how much thicker it would be if they included an optical drive...

[Digitalx]

meh i'd still choose Eee PC over this...

[Quillz]

I'm not so sure Apple's build quality these days is "top notch." There were multiple problems with the Air, there are hundreds of issues with the MacBook, they've had issues with the iPod, etc. Their build quality has gone downhill the more popular they've gotten.

Also, I do believe the speaker is under the arrow keys, not the keyboard itself.

[.kvn]

It's a good initial review KeR but I'm looking forward to one more in depth when you give that new model of yours a good seeing to ;)

That's one damn thin notebook and if you were seriously given a choice between owing an eeeeeee pc or a MacBook Air for free I know that we would all choose the latter even if we hate it.

[Digitalx]

It's a good initial review KeR but I'm looking forward to one more in depth when you give that new model of yours a good seeing to ;)

That's one damn thin notebook and if you were seriously given a choice between owing an eeeeeee pc or a MacBook Air for free I know that we would all choose the latter even if we hate it.

Obviously MBA is aimed at portability side of things. portability with what's offered for a price your getting more from Eee PC then this.

[evo_spook]

portability with what's offered for a price your getting more from Eee PC then this.

I think they are serving two such different markets that you can't compare them.

The Air, whilst made to be portable, is still meant to be useable as a full machine, hence at mac world they made a big point of it having a full sized 13" screen and is meant for business users or planes or trains. I know it has its limitations with CD and USB.

The eeepc is a great machine, I want one myself, but its aimed at a totally different market, it has a 7" screen, that is not even able to go upto 800x600 (without hacking). Its running Linux and has a really small keyboard, nothing wrong with all this, its a Geek paradise, but Business men arn't Geeks, they want machines to look at reports over and this is where the Air is better then the eeepc.

[Quillz]

I think they are serving two such different markets that you can't compare them.

The Air, whilst made to be portable, is still meant to be useable as a full machine, hence at mac world they made a big point of it having a full sized 13" screen and is meant for business users or planes or trains. I know it has its limitations with CD and USB.

The eeepc is a great machine, I want one myself, but its aimed at a totally different market, it has a 7" screen, that is not even able to go upto 800x600 (without hacking). Its running Linux and has a really small keyboard, nothing wrong with all this, its a Geek paradise, but Business men arn't Geeks, they want machines to look at reports over and this is where the Air is better then the eeepc.

How can it be useable as a full machine when it lacks an optical drive, Ethernet and has only one USB port?

[sundayx Veteran]

meh i'd still choose Eee PC over this...

Madness!

[AJerman]

You know, I actually had high hopes for the Air, but I ordered my 13" Macbook instead just a few weeks ago. Just yesterday I got to go to the Apple store and actually play with an Air for the first time. I can immediately tell you that I don't regret my purchase one bit. My Macbook is a 2.2 GHz with 4GB of RAM. Compared to the 1.6 or even the 1.8 GHz model, it's MUCH slower.

Also, it doesn't quite feel right. The lid feels great. I love the thin screen, but there's just... something about it that's not right. 3 pounds is only 2 pounds lighter than the Macbook I have, however, it looks and feels so much thinner that it feels heavy still. In your mind, you think when you shave that much size off, the weight should be proportional (no matter how much you know better), so your initial reaction is "Wow, this isn't really all that light." Thin, yes, light, sort of, but sort of not.

I didn't really stick long to play with the multitouch pad or anything, but I maintain that I'm much happier with my much faster Macbook which is already fairly small itself. I have no doubt that Apple will come out with a second (and third, and fourth...) revision that will blow this one away, just like they always do, so I'd personally hold off. They aren't worth it to me yet.

How can it be useable as a full machine when it lacks an optical drive, Ethernet and has only one USB port?

Answer that yourself. When was the last time you used a CD or DVD? If you're anything like me or most other people I ask, it's actually quite rare after the system is set up and ready to go. I think I've used my CD drive in my Macbook about 5 times in the 2 or 3 weeks that I've had it, and haven't used it in at least a week. While it sounds like a huge deal, for me it's not. I could easily do without an optical drive as long as I could share one in from another system every once in a while.

As for Ethernet, who really uses a wired connection with their laptop? I have wireless at home, I have wireless at work, hell, I can pick up wireless just about anywhere. And I know this doesn't apply to most, but hell, I can tether my phone and get 1.5 Mbps speeds over bluetooth when I can't get wireless. Ethernet on a server, absolutely, Ethernet on a desktop, yes, I still prefer it, but Ethernet on a laptop? Nah, not necessary for me anymore.

And finally, the USB? Similarly to the previous, what do you plug into your laptop? Occasionally a thumb drive? That's about all I ever use. Maybe an external disk? (In which case I'd prefer NAS over high speed wireless unless I was moving a LOT) I don't think I've ever used both USB slots on my laptop at the same time. One is perfect.

I have nothing against the machine or what they took out at all. They are headed in the right direction, they just aren't quite there yet.

Edited February 9, 2008 by Betaz

[5Horizons]

They sure look cool, but I'm puzzled as to why anyone would want one over a regular MacBook. A plain MB is already super thin and light and is actually what I would call a fully-featured computer... With the Air, you have to make too many sacrifices. Just my opinion though. Oh well, I'll just sit over in the corner by myself and keep hoping for an aluminum regular MB ;)

Thanks for the review.

[evo_spook]

I agree, losing the weight must be an top requirement to pick one over a faster cheaper Macbook.

The Air, like many Apple products is great, but then it misses on so many other crucial items.

For me the Air should have had around a 10" screen and included a slot to put in a Broadband Sim card, I would have then agreed with the external drive, maybe the drive should have included all the extra ports. It seems so near and yet so far away. But everyone has a different requirement for their perfect machine.

[Creamy]

Thanks! Been waiting for this....:)

I agree, it really misses essential items but looks sooo good...Its sophies choice! ;)

[.exo.]

I'd be afraid to break it.

[Guest]

Beautiful machine, but not ideal for my needs. My MacBook is perfect.

Great review, KeR.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

I agree, losing the weight must be an top requirement to pick one over a faster cheaper Macbook.

The Air, like many Apple products is great, but then it misses on so many other crucial items.

For me the Air should have had around a 10" screen and included a slot to put in a Broadband Sim card, I would have then agreed with the external drive, maybe the drive should have included all the extra ports. It seems so near and yet so far away. But everyone has a different requirement for their perfect machine.

Couldn't have put it any better myself - these are the same reasons I have for not buying one.

A very compelling machine but like the iPhone, I think I will stick around to see what the 2nd generation has to offer!

[DreadBoat89]

Otherwise you?d be better off getting the MacBook or the MacBook Pro.

good statement! you might if you plan to get a mac laptop and you are split between the air or the pro, just fork over 100-200$ more to get a more powerful laptop that is relatively thin compared to other notebooks out there.

to me the air is more like a proof of concept

[Unto Darkness]

meh i'd still choose Eee PC over this...

I would have done the same, if only it had OS X.....

[dt]

Thanks for the review :) can you post some pics of comparison? like post pics of the notebook next to.. a real notebook (of paper) , or next to another laptop or somethin? thanks in advance

[Wannes]

Thanks for the review KeR. Have you got a Macbook or Macbook Pro by any chance? If so would you please take some pictures of the two next to each other?

[Ji@nBing]

Nice review, but I'd have to say this is the most useless computer ever made.

[BabyDoc]

Nice review although I hoped it would be a bit more in depth.

The Air is a nice machine, a nice proof of concept and imo an illustration of the future of notebooks.

But apple probably mostly aims on business people who are travelling whole days. These people aren't really represented here so discussing the actual usability of the Air in real situations is kinda pointless.

[Joshie]

Your review lacked more uses of the work lack.

j/k